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NEWS Continuing the Abatement Debate The City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools have started discussing an expiring agreement about the way the city hands out valuable tax deals to developers. Or have they? BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

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he City of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools could hash out the bones of a new agreement around the city’s tax abatement policy as soon as this spring, City Solicitor Paula Boggs Muething told Cincinnati City Council’s Education, Innovation and Growth Committee on Jan. 29. But some CPS board members have taken issue with the city’s characterization of talks so far, and, as interest in changes to the city’s tax abatement policies gathers steam, there are questions about when community input into the deal will be taken. The city gives out property and payroll tax discounts to incentivize developers who are looking to build residential and commercial buildings in the city. Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes last year said that more than 36 percent of property in the city is abated, representing 10 percent of the city’s total property value. The agreement between the district and the city, which expires at the end of this year, allows the city to give abatements to developers in exchange for payments in lieu of taxes to the district. CPS relies on property taxes for a large part of its funding. The current agreement between the city and the district, struck in 1999, expires at the end of 2019. Some have criticized that framework, which allows the city to deeply abate property taxes on new development and renovations, as being too generous to developers. But some in city administration say those deals are partly responsible for the resurgence in economic development in Cincinnati. Under the current deal, the city pays CPS $5 million a year up to $100 million to offset tax abatements given to developers to incentivize new projects in the city — a deal reached in 1995 as part of the development of Cincinnati’s two riverfront stadiums, which are tax abated. CPS can use that money only on capital projects. Some of those developers are also required to provide payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTS) on roughly 25 percent of

the valuation of their project — though housing that costs under $330,000 a unit is exempted from that. In return for those payments, the city can offer 15-year property tax abatements on up to 100 percent of the value of improvements or new Cincinnati Public School Board construction. Without the PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL deal, the city’s options are more limited: tax abatements at less than 50 percent for far hasn’t included public input and up to 15 years, as well as limitations on tax engagement — concerns stoked by the increment financing — where tax money suggestion that negotiations between is diverted into an account that helps pay the school and the district are already for improvements to the area around a underway. property — and payroll tax abatements. Craig Rozen of the Cincinnati Talks about a new deal kicked off in June Educational Justice Coalition says the city last year with a joint meeting of Cincinnati and district haven’t done enough to engage City Council and the Cincinnati Public the public around the negotiations and School Board. After that, both the city that grassroots groups have been working and CPS picked teams to explore a new to fill the gap. agreement further, according to Muething. “In the vacuum of public discussions Those teams have met twice so far, and opportunities to workshop viable Muething said during the committee ideas and new practices, community meeting — an assertion CPS board organizations and nonprofits are being members dispute. Another meeting is forced to fill this void,” Rozen said at the scheduled for Feb. 15. Jan. 29 committee meeting. “Engagement The renegotiation comes amid sessions should have been started at least a increasing interest in the city’s tax year ago, hosted by CPS and the city. They abatement policies and charges from were not. Public engagement sessions are some community groups that its practices fundamental best practices and happen are too generous to developers, cost the in other cities when they enact significant school district too much potential tax changes to their tax exemption policies. revenue and/or don’t weigh priorities This needs to happen here.” like affordable housing, community Muething told council that so far, the engagement and other issues enough. two parties have talked about the city’s Some have protested that the process approach to tax abatements and TIFs and toward setting a new agreement thus have come to a good place in terms of a

general framework for a future deal. That deal could come in “two or three” months, according to Muething, but there are still a number of details to discuss, she said. “You asked us to form an internal city team and to begin negotiating with members of CPS administration,” Muething told council committee Jan. 29. “They did the same. So we have had some very productive discussions. I would say that we have met to discuss the framework for a new agreement. I think there is general agreement on the framework and the factors to work through. We have had some very productive and informative discussions. We have more meetings to come, but I would say that we feel like we’re in a good position on negotiations to come to a joint agreement on something that is mutually beneficial.” But members of the Cincinnati Board of Education contradicted that assertion. Four members of the board have said they had no knowledge of any talks about the abatement policies between the city and the school board. CONTINUES ON PAGE 08

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CITY DESK

More Crossing Guards Coming After Crashes Involving CPS Students BY S E T H W E B ER

You might soon see your neighbor — and maybe even Mayor John Cranley — helping your kids cross the street to school. City Council recently passed an ordinance which will allow for the appointment of volunteer crossing guards in addition to the paid crossing guards the school district currently has. A separate ordinance was also passed which will allow Cincinnati Public Schools to appoint crossing guards, whereas previously only the city had the power to do so. The district is currently up to 95 crossing guards, says Scott Adams, CPS’ chief operations officer. Five or six new crossing guards have been added since Adams started his position in June last year “to cover problem schools that weren’t addressed in the past,” like Dater and West High. “Due to the terrible speeding and people not observing the traffic rules, I thought it was serious that we put more crossing guards there,” he says. Under the Ohio Revised Code, elementary schools, but not high schools, are required to have crossing guards, says CPS Board of Education member Mike Moroski, while pointing out that most of the children who have been involved in pedestrian-motor-vehicle collisions in the past months have been high schoolers. To Moroski, crossing guards are more effective than any light fixtures or warning signs.

“When there’s a human being standing in the middle of the road with a stop sign, I notice that more than a blinking yellow light,” he says. While a policy of more crossing guards could on its face seem to lead to safer streets, a 2015 BMC Public Health study conducted in Toronto found “no significant change in collision rates with the implementation of new school crossing guards.” “According to Toronto Police Services, school crossing guards are most likely to be implemented in locations, particularly intersections, with higher traffic risks,” the study states. “It is possible that the effect of the guards was not strong enough to overcome this increased danger.” However, the authors did say it’s possible there was indeed a “positive safety effect of the guards, as pedestrian volumes are likely to increase at a specific location with the implementation of a school crossing guard,” but data on traffic and pedestrian volume was not collected during the course of the study.

Mayor John Cranley and city officials announce a proposal increasing crossing guards in school zones. PHOTO: SETH WEBER

Moroski says he plans to volunteer once he goes through crossing guard training, as do Cranley and his staff. “People would text me and say, “I’m just going to stand out here in the street,’ ” Moroski says. “I’m texting them saying, ‘Go out, you can do it now.’ ”

Aside from more crossing guards, Moroski also pointed to other initiatives, including later drop-off times and changes that see students dropped off on the side of the street their school is on. The latter has already been enacted at Dater and West High.

Hearing on Ohio River Pollution Controls Nears

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BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Residents of Greater Cincinnati and elsewhere will get to weigh in at 9 a.m. Feb. 14 as the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission — or ORSANCO — meets at the Embassy Suites in Covington and likely discusses moving away from many of the pollution control standards it has provided states along the Ohio River. A majority of the commission has said many of its standards are redundant — rules from federal and state agencies are currently keeping water quality in the river at the level ORSANCO wants to see independent of its criteria, and the 20-employee organization could do other things with its limited resources. Critics of the deregulation, however, including a minority of the commission, say a significant number of the standards aren’t duplicated by federal or state agencies and that the commission needs to continue doing everything it can to ensure water quality, especially as the

Trump administration works to roll back environmental regulations. Dissenting commissioners point out that there are 188 instances in which ORSANCO has set pollution criteria that six of the member states and the federal EPA don’t have. Simply relying on the state and federal EPA standards “may not be adequate to protect the aquatic life and uses of the Ohio River,” the dissenting commissioners wrote in a report last year. The commission began a regular review process of its standards last January with an ad-hoc committee and calls for public input. The Ohio River has long ranked among the most polluted in the country thanks mostly to industrial runoff from power plants and other industry. And a 2017 University of Cincinnati study showed that higher levels of a chemical associated with that runoff found in Tri-State residents can likely be traced back to the

river pollution. Formed in 1948, Cincinnati-based ORSANCO has worked to make the Ohio River clean and safe in part by setting standards for the maximum levels of various pollutants in the river. The commission’s standards have long been used by states to ensure that the Ohio River is clean enough for recreation, drinking and other uses. But now commissioners say that the federal EPA (founded in 1970), the 1972 federal Clean Water Act and state environmental agencies have made those standards redundant. “The commission is considering this because, the thought is, with the robust state programs and the U.S. EPA’s program, there are better uses of our resources than really having a potentially redundant third layer of standards,” ORSANCO Executive Director Richard Harrison told WVXU last year. “Our

compact is not changing. I’m confident that our commission is not going to move forward with something that will harm the water quality of the Ohio River.” Environmental groups and a minority of the commission, however, have expressed “grave concern” with the move and argue that eliminating the body’s standards when it comes to ambient levels of various pollutants can only hinder efforts to maintain and improve the river’s health. “ORSANCO, as a federally-sanctioned compact among several signatory states, possesses a degree of insulation from the vagaries of the political process, and is able to research, develop, propose and adopt standards tailored to the specific needs of the river in an atmosphere that stresses sound science and data-driven policy,” dissenting commissioners said in their minority report opposing the elimination of the rules.

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FROM PAGE 04

“There has been one phone call at the city’s request,” board member Mike Moroski said in a phone interview. Moroski and other board members say that phone call involved District Treasurer Jennifer Wagner and related to state funding for the district, not the city’s abatement policies specifically. “No proposals were exchanged. There are no negotiations going on without board direction.” “We want community input as these processes continue,” Moroski said. “That’s why we were so surprised by those comments.” CityBeat has reached out to the city to clarify Muething’s comments. Any deal between the city and CPS would need approval by Cincinnati City Council and the Cincinnati Public Schools Board, which would discuss and vote on the arrangement in public meetings. The city’s team includes Solicitor Muething, Deputy Solicitor Luke Blocher, Senior Assistant Solicitors Kaitlyn Geiger and Billy Weber, Deputy Finance Director Karen Alder and the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Director Phil Denning and Deputy Director Dan Bower.

Muething said that CPS’ team includes District Treasurer Wagner, Assistant Treasurer Brittany Treolo, District Accounts Receivable Supervisor Nathan Tyahur and District General Counsel Daniel Hoying. A district spokesperson confirmed those members but did not provide further comment on the meetings when asked. Board members said they were not aware of a negotiating team. The board’s July 9 minutes mention that “through the finance committee, a project team has been put together to work on negotiations of the 1999 agreement.” The board’s Aug. 8 minutes lay out a timeline for working on the negotiations. A bullet point under Aug. 1 lists “Team development (Dan, Jen, Outside Counsel, Consultant, Amy T, Brittany).” Under the timeline, the team is slated to have recommendations for the board Feb. 1. Board members, however, say that team is tasked only with collecting data for the school district and is not empowered to negotiate on its behalf. “In no way has the board directed the team to do any negotiation at this point,” board member Ryan Messer said in a

phone interview. “It’s logical for people to be suspicious. But I can assure you we won’t do anything without enormous public engagement.” As the city and district face the expiration of the current abatement deal, political pressure from some corners has been growing around changes to the way the city does development incentives overall. Last month, Council members Tamaya Dennard and Greg Landsman asked the city administration to prepare a report on the feasibility of considering equity initiatives like minority hiring, fair wages, affordable housing and other considerations when striking development deals. And last year, Over-the-Rhine nonprofit Peaslee Neighborhood Center put together a rubric that scores potential developments seeking public subsidies like tax incentives on similar criteria. The group has been presenting that rubric to community councils, which often weigh development proposals first. The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, CPS’ teachers union, is one group pushing for change to the city-district deal specifically. CFT says that even with the $5 million annual payment from the city

to the district, CPS is losing about $8.4 million a year on tax abatements. Further, the group says that about 20 percent of the city’s residential tax abatements end up in places like Hyde Park and Mount Lookout, two of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods. CFT President Julie Sellers and others say the city needs to change that. The union would like the city to pay the district enough to make up for those abatements, stop abatements in highincome neighborhoods and cut back on the value and duration of many abatements. Cincinnati City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld said during the Jan. 29 committee meeting that if a deal is struck between the district and the city in the next few months, there will still be plenty of time for community input as the arrangement works its way through the CPS board and City Council. “When the administration brings us a starting point, something tangible to go off of, that’s not the end of the process by any means,” he said. “That’s when the elected officials and all the people we represent, with ample time for public engagement, will have time to dig in.”

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DRINKING AND DINING WITH YOUR DOG, PET-FRIENDLY ROAD TRIPS AND LOCAL PET SHOPS

BY CITYBEAT STAFF Woodburn Brewery | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

he word “pet,” according to the Oxford

Dining with Your Dog BY MAIJA ZUMMO

English Dictionary, has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic word peata (or Old Irish

petta), meaning “a tame animal.” But a half century later, the word carries a little more prestige than the suggestion of mere domestication. The modern pet — be it a dog, cat, bird, fish or any of the Insta-famous varieties of mini-pigs, raccoons

In October 2018, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 263, which permits "the owner of a retail food establishment or food service operation to allow dogs in an outdoor dining area of the establishment or operation." Basically, it lets you to legally hang out with your dog while you eat brunch/lunch/dinner/etc. outside.

social media income stream and/or surrogate for

Prior to the passing of the bill, Ohio restaurant patios and other outdoor areas with food service that allowed animals on the premises could have been held in violation of certain health code restrictions.

any number of relationships, from “fur baby” to

Well, no more.

therapist. Americans spent $70 million on their

House Bill 263 says that the director of the Ohio Department of Health and director of agriculture shall adopt rules which permit dogs in outdoor dining areas, adjusting current handling and sanitation laws as they apply to allowing dogs on site. The ODH is currently drafting those new rules, which should be available for public comment in April.

or capybaras — can be a companion, brandable

pets in 2018 and, according to a 2016 story in The Washington Post, millennials are scooping up pets quicker than any other generation: Three-fourths of Americans in their 30s have dogs and 51 percent have cats. On a local level, Cincinnati in particular ranks highly for cities in which to own a pet. A recent WalletHub study listed the Queen City as the seventh most pet-friendly place to live out of the top 100 U.S. cities, looking at criteria like pet budget, pet

For this Pet Issue, we’re highlighting a few of the places around town where you can bring your pet — bars, restaurants, breweries and more — plus petfriendly road trips and local pet shops. And, as is the

Note: This doesn't mean that restaurants have to let your dog on the patio — it’s up to each individual restaurant — but if they do allow dogs, there are still some rules you must to follow: • You must control your dog while in the outdoor dining area via a leash or other method. • You can't take your dog through the interior of the restaurant to reach the outdoor part. • Your dog must be properly vaccinated. You can read the full bill at legislature.ohio.gov.

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businesses and dog parks per capita.

And this is for outside only. As far as health codes go, animals still aren’t allowed inside restaurants, unless they’re service animals. This ain’t Europe.

basically means “dog,” but please look to previous Pet Issues for more on non-canine companions.

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case with the WalletHub study, the term “pet” here

COMPILED BY TOMMY MCDONALD, BEN REES, LIZZY VIOX AND CITYBEAT STAFF

These drinking and dining destinations allow pets in portions or all of their establishments, as long as your pet is well behaved. Regardless, we always recommend calling or checking with the business in advance before you bring your furry friend with you. And, as always, this is not a comprehensive list of every single place you can bring a pet with you.

16-Bit Bar+Arcade | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

13 BELOW BREWERY

Named for its location 13 miles “below” Cincinnati, the space is right on the Ohio River and boasts 13 taps behind a 20-seater bar. With a corner pub-vibe, their smallbatch beers can be enjoyed with friends, family and dogs — or in the beer garden when the weather warms. Pups are allowed inside the taproom and out while their owners sample brews like the Fernbank Czech lager. 7391 Forbes Road, Sayler Park, 13belowbrewery.com.

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16-BIT BAR+ARCADE

Calling all button smashers and pinball wizards: 16-Bit has more than 50 free arcade games and a tasty selection of celebinspired cocktails for you to slurp down as you relive your childhood nerdy nostalgia sans the quarters. If you want to drink like an adult while you act like a kid, try a cocktail like the Lisa Frank (vodka, watermelon Pucker, pineapple rum, fruit punch and an Airhead) or a Patrick Swayze (gin, simple syrup, lime, ginger beer and mint). Dogs get drinks, too, with branded water bowls featuring sayings like, “Buzz, your girlfriend, woof.” Pets are allowed indoors during the day and as long as the bar isn’t crowded. Bonus points if your pooch knows how to do any Mortal Kombat fatalities. 1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, 16-bitbar.com/cincy.

A TAVOLA

Armed with a pizza oven from Naples, Italy, A Tavola strikes a resounding chord of authenticity while redefining the perfect pie. Their playful selection of signature pizzas — such as the Fig + Prosciutto or Sausage + Sage — are a blend of the familiar coupled with the exotic. Whet your appetite with their wagyu meatballs, handmade with wagyu beef, tomato sauce, ricotta and garlic bread, or share a plate of tagliatelle al ragu. Their quaint first-come, first-served patios at both locations permit pets, but only service animals may accompany their owners indoors. 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, atavolapizza.com.

THE B LIST

This Bellevue watering hole is a friendly neighborhood public house that represents a cross-section of the community, serving more than 100 affordable and accessible bourbons, daily $3 craft beer specials, domestics, ciders, rareties and more. With games, pool, TVs, fire pits and even grills for patrons to use, it’s not uncommon for people and their pets to spend the day here. Dogs are welcome until 8 p.m., as long as it’s not crowded. 343 Division St., Bellevue, facebook.com/theblistbvue.

ARLIN’S BAR & RESTAURANT The Gaslight District’s neighborhood pub for the thinking man or woman. Unwind after a long day and have a pint with your pup in the outdoor patio, which doubles as a live music venue. 307 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, facebook. com/arlinsbar.

Braxton | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

BRAXTON BREWING CO.

Braxton prides itself on loving beer and innovation, but their real soft spot is for dogs. Employees dole out treats and lots of belly scratches for any pup that visits the taproom. Cross the river for the Revamp India Pale Ale, stay for the canine haven. Currently undergoing a $5 million expansion, which includes the construction of a rooftop patio, the taproom and brewery serves more than beer and spirits: it’s also a cultural landmark thanks to its widespread success. The taproom opens at 8 a.m. Tuesday-Friday as a public workspace, serving Carabello coffee. And pets are welcome — just make sure they’re out by 9 p.m. on weekends. 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, Ky., braxtonbrewing.com.

BREWRIVER CREOLE KITCHEN

Chef Michael Shields, who earned his chops under Emeril Lagasse, opened BrewRiver GastroPub with craft beer and thoughtfully paired New Orleans-leaning cuisine in mind. He recently moved his Big Easy operation to the former Bella Luna location on Eastern Avenue and renamed the restaurant BrewRiver Creole Kitchen, expanding on the pub’s selection of po’boys, brews and swampy singer-songwriters. Well-behaved dogs are welcome visitors on the patio when it’s in operation, typically from April through October. 4632 Eastern Ave., East End, brewrivercreolekitchen.com.

BRINK BREWING CO.

Good beer is about the people, the stories and the experience, according to Brink’s co-founders John and Sarah McGarry. The taproom’s communal table sits 20 and a brick wall stands covered in framed photos of the customers and community. There are no policies against pets, so feel free to bring a four-legged friend with you inside and outside. They even hosted a cutest #brinkdog contest on their Instagram this past summer, highlighting their favorite canine customers. 5905 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, brinkbrewing.com.

DARKNESS BREWING

Friends Eric Bosler and Ron Sanders were avid homebrewers before expanding their passion for creating strange and tasty beers in Darkness Brewing in Bellevue in 2016. The microbrewery focuses on the dark and unusual — like their Man on the Moo milk stout with lactose or Witch Head Nebula red IPA with beets — served in a community-minded taproom. Man’s best friend is allowed indoors and out as long as they are on a leash and off the tables. 224 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, darknessbrewing.beer.

FIBONACCI BREWING CO.

This Mount Healthy nanobrewery has plans to expand into an urban farm and you can find that focus on nature not only in their name — the Fibonacci sequence, while found in math, is also found in horticulture and even the hop plant — but also their beers like the Horapha ale with Thai basil, honey and lemon or Secale red rye. Until they get a farm full of goats and chickens, you can bring your dog inside and outside the taproom — as long as it’s not too busy. 1445 Compton Road, Mount Healthy, fibbrew.com.

FIFTY WEST BREWING AND PRODUCTION WORKS

At more than 90 years old, Fries is a laid-back dive-bar legend near the University of Cincinnati. Appealing to everyone from UC students taking a break from exams to Cliftonites and downtown professionals, the first floor features a draft bar with a focus on craft beer and a popular old-fashioned shuffleboard table. The lower level features two billiards tables and the top floor has more darts and billiards with access to the seasonal patio. The uncharacteristically large outdoor space (at least for Clifton) has a covered portion and deck, live music stage, cornhole sets and plenty of seating. Bring your pooch with you: Dogs are allowed inside and outside as long as they are on a leash (and you clean up after them). 3247 Jefferson Ave., Clifton, friescafeclifton.com.

GROWLER HOUSE

This craft beer destination is happy with their reputation as a dog-friendly hangout, so even if you don’t have a dog of your own, there’s a chance you can go there and meet (and pet) other people’s pooches. The bar features 30 taps of local, regional and national beers — from favorites to hard-to-find rarities — for you to imbibe onsite while watching sports on several of their TVs or take home in one of the bar’s 32- or 64-ounce growlers. Taps rotate daily. Sample new brews via a pint or 5-ounce “Benchers,” or create your own flight. 1526 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, thegrowlerhouse.com.

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GYPSY’S

With a welcoming, dog-friendly atmosphere, Gypsy’s is perhaps most well known for their fully stocked bar and large craft beer selection on draft or in bottles and cans — you can find a drink special for under $4 any day of the week (including $2 Jameson and $3 drafts). Watch your favorite game on one of several TVs or enjoy their back patio equipped with fire pits and giant Jenga. 641 Main St., Covington, facebook.com/ gypsyscovington.

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HABITS CAFÉ

513-221-PETS (7387) • peteyspetstop.com 311 Howell Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

This bar and grill located in Oakley Square is famous for a couple of reasons: its potato rags — hash browns covered in bacon, onions, tomatoes, cheese and ranch dressing — and the fact that it might be haunted. Since 1980, they’ve been serving up a steady mix of pub food, tons of beer and a solid bloody mary bar. In warmer weather, the giant patio is a welcome people-watching hang for those with dogs — and those without. 3036 Madison Road, Oakley, habitscafe.com.

Fifty West has turned a stretch of Wooster Pike into its very own playground with the original brewpub location, Fifty West Production Works (home to six sand volleyball courts), Fifty West Canoe & Kayak and Fifty West Cycling. All of the brewery’s brands are geared toward building community through shared experiences, which include drinking craft beer and getting outside: It’s all about an active lifestyle, says brewery co-owner Bobby Slattery. And that includes doggos. The Production Works property is completely dog-friendly inside and on the patio, but across the street at the brewpub, no dogs are allowed due to poisonous grapes which grow on the property. 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestbrew.com.

FRIES CAFÉ

Liberty’s Bar & Bottle | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

HANG OVER EASY

Hang Over Easy is Corryville’s perpetual brunch and bar stop that claims to be the place to cure a hangover or keep the party going. Opt for a “morning after” dish like the menage a trois, aka three slices of French toast, and a good, basic bloody mary or mimosa. Dogs are allowed on the patio. 13 W. Charlton, Corryville, hangovereasycincinnati.com.

THE HANNAFORD

This Covington cocktail lounge mixes industrial accents with wood and leather to create a living room feel in the middle of Madison Avenue. Their broad selection of bourbon and rye is rounded out by craft cocktails, rotating drafts, wine and events like trivia. Dogs are welcome to hang with mom and dad while they sip spirits in the historic Mutual Building space. 619 Madison Ave., Covington, thehannaford. com.

HIGHER GRAVITY

These guys really want to help you love beer — so much so that they’ve installed iPads around the store to help you browse their inventory and find your perfect brew. Let their friendly “beeristas” pour you a flight, and don’t leave without visiting their growler and crawler station to take a cold one home with you. Higher Gravity is kidand dog-friendly, as well as B.Y.O.F. (bring your own food), so bring the whole fam and order in something tasty from one of their Northside neighbors. 4106 Hamilton Ave., Northside, highergravitycrafthaus.com.

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HIGHTAIL MOUNT ADAMS

This hillside watering hole, inspired by mid-19th-century whaling clubs in New England, brings a warm welcome to everyone who walks in the door. With an enormous selection of bourbons and beer, this is a perfect place to whet your whistle. But maybe the best thing about Hightail is that they encourage all tails, especially during their Sunday Yappy Hour from 4-7 p.m., where you’ll receive special deals and your pup will receive some yummy treats. It’s a neighborly place where they not only know your name, they know your dog’s name, too. 941 Pavilion St., Mount Adams, hightailmtadams.com.

THE HUB OTR

Celebrating Cincinnati’s urban bike culture and cycling activism, The Hub OTR services bikes by day and slings beer and cocktails at night. Trade your fixie for a $5 shot-and-beer special when the Hub transforms into a dog-friendly drinking destination with entertaining events and live music, including karaoke on Monday nights hosted by Hot Wheels Entertainment. Hot Wheels is the brainchild of karaoke jockey Bree, one of the city’s most notoriously engaging karaoke hosts — and a musician herself — whose business name reflects one of her other passions: advocating for those with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs. It’s a perfect marriage of booze and tunes for singers who care about wheels of all types. 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, thehubotr. com.

KEYSTONE BAR & GRILL

This neighborhood joint offers a variety of tasty comfort food, like huge plates of pasta, a rockin’ quesadilla menu, buildyour-own-burgers (including turkey or veggie options) and weekend brunch. But where it really shines is its macaroni and cheese menu: nine specialty selections of ooey, gooey carbs smothered in tasty dairy and named after famous bands, like the Fleetwood Mac with mozzarella, pesto and tomato. The Covington location allows dog owners to bring their furry friends along, permitting they stay in the ample-sized outdoor dining area. 313 Greenup St., Covington, keystonebar.com.

LIBERTY’S BAR & BOTTLE

Liberty’s offers the best of both the bar and the bottle with 20 rotating craft beers on tap and 15 wines available by the glass — including half-pours — along with 100 bottles of wine and 40 craft beers via retail. They also offer a mean $6 Liberty’s Mule cocktail (a Best Of Cincinnati staff pick), with housemade ginger beer. Dogs are welcome and you’ll frequently find one or

two sleeping under their owners’ stools at the bar. Bring a pet along and they’ll get to slurp up a water bowl while you sip on an IPA and admire their sleek interior. 1427 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, searchable on Facebook.

LUCKMAN COFFEE COMPANY

This local coffee chain offers small-batch roasted beans with a goal of “romancing” the beans to gain optimum flavor. Head to the original location in Anderson with your pup and sip a cup of joe on the patio (or inside the café, depending on how busy it is). If you stop by the second Anderson location, good dogs are allowed inside and out any time. 5200 Beechmont Ave., Anderson; 8298 Clough Pike, Anderson, luckmancoffee.com.

MADTREE BREWING

With 32 MadTree-exclusive taps, ambient lighting and an industrial brick façade leftover from the building’s factory days, there’s more than enough space to accommodate all the beer-drinking, cornhole-playing, dog-loving humans that hang at the 10,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden on the regular. The garden is both tented and heated in winter and allows pets year-round; just remember to enter the garden directly instead of through the main entrance if you plan on bringing a furry friend. There’s also plenty of space to drink and hang indoors if you come without fido. 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, madtreebrewing.com.

MECCA OTR

This hip OTR hideaway is a welcoming hangout for those interested in no-frills drinking, L.A. vibes, vinyl tunes and free popcorn. Find the main courtyard entrance tucked away down 15th Street, and cross the big-ass gravel patio, past colorful street-art murals, a panoply of rainbow lighting and a plethora of communal seating to enter a world of hanging plants (in summer the patio is decked out in greenery as well) and the most creatively decorated — dare we say selfie-ready — bar bathrooms in the city. Dogs are always welcome, as long as it’s not too crowded; nobody wants to see stressed-out doggos. Mecca has water bowls, poop bags and sometimes treats on hands for furry guests. 1429 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/meccaotr.

MILTON’S THE PROSPECT HILL TAVERN

Prospect Hill’s neighborhood joint is chatty, diverse and full of character. A great place to have beer, relax and mix it up with the regulars. And many of those regulars include dogs; scroll through their social media for proof of several very good boi booze hounds. Dogs are allowed inside any time before 8 p.m. 301 Milton St., Liberty Hill, facebook.com/ miltonstheprospecthilltavern.

Queen City Radio | PHOTO: PATTY SALAS

ROSEDALE

When Neons closed in 2016, people were devastated to lose “OTR’s backyard.” Then, 4EG — the entertainment group behind Lackman, Mount Adams Pavilion, Igby’s and more — announced they’d be taking over the space. After some upscale renovations, they reopened as Rosedale in January 2018. It’s a little more classed up than comfy-old Neons but has retained the former’s focus on craft cocktails… and the giant, dog-friendly patio (now with brand new seating). Sip discount drinks from the monthly $3 menu then grab some grub and support your community at the MORTAR Mess Hall, where food entrepreneurs hone their skills in a professional setting. 208 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, rosedaleotr.com.

ROEBLING POINT BOOKS & COFFEE

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB

URBANA CAFÉ

Urbana Café owners Daniel Noguera and his wife serve high-quality coffee with a purpose and their purpose is helping stray dogs. Urbana shares its resources with dog rescue organizations in order to “find good homes for good dogs.” With storefronts in Pendleton and Walnut Hills and a little blue Vespa Ape in Findlay Market, you can indulge in options ranging from a caffé

WEST SIDE BREWING

Overseen by four passionate homebrewers, the taproom offers 20 West Side beer taps, including West Side’s amber ale, common ale, pale ale and more, plus a handful of other local brews, cider, wine and soda. Originally pegged as a craft brewery for the everyman, WSB is inviting enough for the casual beer drinker, spacious enough for groups and families and legit enough to impress the most discerning local brewpub frequent flyers. The bar also offers a ton of TVs and games. Every Wednesday after 4 p.m. is officially dog friendly so if you remember to keep your pooch on a leash, they’re as welcome as you are inside. 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood, westsidebrewing. com.

THE WOODBURN BREWERY

This East Walnut Hills brewery offers a plethora of creative beers, from fruity cream ales brewed with blood oranges grown at Krohn Conservatory to a Wild Things IPA with sweet malt and a Chocolate Cherry Imperial Stout. Armed with this lineup of clever brews, they frequently host fundraisers and other events to benefit local pet rescues and animal welfare organizations. Dogs are always welcome to chill inside the taproom or outside on the patio at Woodburn, where they will receive many pets. 2800 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, woodburnbrewery.com.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Oakley Wines started as a boutique bottle shop just off the main drag in Oakley until it became an ever-expanding go-to spot and subterranean bar for Friday night wine tastings and other-night drinking. Recently taken over by the owners of The Rhined

The historic Queen City Radio building has been turned into a well-manicured fullservice bar and outdoor beer garden. The bar serves rotating taps of local, regional and national beer, canned and bottled brews, wine, a small cocktail program and boozy slushies. Garage doors create indoor/ outdoor space, weather permitting, and there’s an onsite food truck. Their expansive patio is the perfect place for a furry friend to keep you company while you enjoy good drinks and good weather. Or bring them inside. 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, qcrbar.com.

From their taproom/brewery along Eastern Avenue in Columbia Tusculum, Streetside Brewery blends craft and community. With beers like their milkshake blonde Cereal Milk and a red velvet donut stout collaboration with Holtman’s Donuts, this brewery has developed a niche for having your cake and drinking it, too. The taproom frequently hosts food trucks and programmed events. Well-behaved dogs are allowed inside and on the patio. 4003 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, streetsidebrewery.com.

Named in honor of the video rental store where director Quentin Tarantino once worked, The Video Archive is a video store that doubles as a speakeasy, like a Blockbuster with a back-alley bar. Upon entering, you’d think you’ve arrived at an indie flick shop, until you discover the secret door — opened by selecting a specific VHS movie from the shelves — that leads you to the booze room with Tarantino-themed drinks. Dogs and Reservoir Dogs are allowed inside. 965 E McMillan, Walnut Hills, gorillacinemapresents.com/archive.

OAKLEY WINES

QUEEN CITY RADIO

STREETSIDE BREWERY

THE VIDEO ARCHIVE

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A loosely nautically themed and ironically landlocked Rock club from two local music and mixology veterans, the Northside Yacht Club is all fun. The cocktails — served by tattooed bartenders in the vein of Sailor Jerry — are masterful, made with fresh juice, fruit and herbal garnish. The tropically themed and navy-inspired drinks are served in Tiki glasses and deceivingly potent. Lay down a base layer with a bar-food menu that features satisfying items like house-smoked wings, poutine with duck fat gravy and vegan lentil chili fries. If you’re feeling mean, bring your dog to the patio to watch you eat any of the above (except maybe the lentils; dogs probably don’t like lentils) and don’t offer them any. 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, northsideyachtclub.com.

cheese shop, there has been a welcome uptick in cheese in general, plus pop-ups, pairings and other events, including nights like the upcoming For the Love of Frenchies on Sunday, Feb. 24 to meet local Insta celeb Vince Cincy and benefit Queen City Bulldog Rescue. And it’s not just that Sunday. When the kitchen is closed at the end of the week, you can bring your leashed dog to enjoy some Sunday evening sips. 4011 Allston St., Oakley, oakleywines.com.

This shop doesn’t skimp on either of its namesakes: Its extensive collection of books is enough to keep caffeinated customers browsing for hours. Owner Richard Hunt hand-picks titles ranging from best-sellers to pieces by local authors. With a bit of a bohemian spirit, its exterior chalkboard wall on Greenup Street boasts constantly rotating quotes from authors and philosophers. Bonus: It’s dog-friendly. 306 Greenup St., Covington, facebook.com/ roeblingpointbooksandcoffee.

frizzante — espresso poured into a highball glass and then topped with San Pellegrino carbonated mineral water — and a flat white to an Americano or cold brew. They also offer baked goods, like scones and almond croissants, plus homemade dog treats. 1206 Broadway St., Pendleton; 2714 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, urbana-cafe.com.

Argos Pet Food & Supply | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

This local shop stocks a wide variety of food for dogs and cats — dry, wet, treats and beyond, including their own signature line — as well as health products like probiotics, calming chews and senior formulas. Pets of all kinds are allowed inside so they can make sure you get the food they like. 7713 Camargo Ave., Madeira; 2801 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, argospet.com.

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ARGOS PET FOOD & SUPPLY

THE BIRD SHOPPE

The Bird Shoppe is heaven on Earth for birds and bird owners. And naturally, it’s a great place to start if you’re looking to adopt a bird, learn more about birds or

buy your bird a toy or food. Their online library has information from diets and lifespans to friendliness and noise level of various birds. The Bird Shoppe also offers adoptions, an online store, grooming and will even take care of birds while a bird owner is out of town. 6160 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, thebirdshoppe.com.

EARTHWISE PET

EarthWise Pet is a chain of locally owned and operated all-natural pet nutrition markets and spas with food, supplies, grooming and accessories for green-leaning furry family members and their humans. 7316 Yankee Road, Liberty Township; 11328 Montgomery Road, Harper’s Point, earthwisepet.com.

FUZZYBUTTS DRY GOODS

This entertainingly named Westwood pet shop sells pet supplies and accessories, natural foods and other hip goodies pet parents want, like CBD treats, upcycled pet beds and eco/pet-friendly ice melter. Grooming is available and there are two tubs in house if you want to wash your pup yourself. 3022 Harrison Ave., Westwood, facebook.com/ fuzzybuttswestwood.

PET WANTS

This locavore pet food and supply store for urban pet owners makes their own small-batch, slow-cooked dog and cat food without animal by-products, fillers, corn, wheat, soy, sugar or dyes.

Pick up food at either location or have it delivered. Pet Wants also welcomes any and all pets at all locations whether you need to fit your iguana for a harness or just pop in with your dog during a walk. 1813 Pleasant St., Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine; 1409 Vine St., Over-theRhine, petwants.com.

STRASSE DOG

The Strasse Dog storefront offers pet grooming, clothing and supplies in MainStrasse and owners Jeff and Shirley also have The Barket Place online, a high-quality digital shopping destination for pet food and other products. 605 Main St., Covington, facebook.com/ strassedog.

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For more details: FlyingPigMarathon.com

MORE THAN A

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R E G I S T R AT I O N N O W O P E N !

Dog-Friendly Road Trips

Addie the Pug | PHOTO: MACKENZIE MANLEY

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY Despite Cincinnati’s welcoming nature toward our furry pals, sometimes you need some new scenery. Lucky for us, there are plenty day and weekend trips only a few hours’ drive away.

BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON DISTILLERY

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Time: 1 and a half hours

Aside from the bottling building, your pup is allowed anywhere on the property — even the tasting room and gift shop. Known for their bourbon whiskey, the Frankfort, Kentucky distillery offers up multiple tasting and history tours. Once night falls, you can even opt to explore its ~spooky~ and haunted past. Make it a weekend at Elkhorn Campground, only a 10-minute drive from Buffalo Trace. Private and RV-friendly, the cozy site is located on the banks of a creek and has a stocked general store onsite, a pool, putt-putt and more. buffalotracedistillery,com

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Time: 1 and a half hours

Get brunch. Take a walk. Play arcade games. And do it all with fido by your side. Located in the NoLi district of downtown Lex, Doodles is a brunch spot that locals swear by. (As a vegetarian, I can vouch for their meatless (and vegan!) options: they’re delish.) You really can’t go wrong their classic — and locally-sourced — menu. Not only are pups allowed on the patio, but water bowls are on the house so you can sip your mimosa or bloody mary stress-free. Yellow Springs, Ohio | PHOTO: ELIZABETH SCHMITT

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE Time: 5 and a half hours

The farthest drive on this list, this southern alcove is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. There’s a host of pet-friendly Airbnbs, hotels and condos, including downtown’s Chattanooga Choo Choo, which was built as a train station in 1908 (the stained-glass windows and archways are still intact). The cool thing for dog owners: There’s a grassy outdoor area where fido can play.

YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

This cute, cozy town is just about an hour northeast of Cincy. With a thriving arts scene, tight-knit business community and beautiful hiking trails, this stop is a must. Pups are allowed in John Bryan State Park and Little Miami State Park — both of which offer up winding trails and fresh views. There isn’t much to offer in the way of dining with your pet, but you can grab an ice cream cone — vegan options available!— at Corner Cone. The town also has many locations with benches or picnic tables; grab a slice (or a whole pie) from Ha Ha Pizza or Bentino’s or a cup o’ joe from one of the several coffee houses in the area. Or visit the Yellow Springs Brewery for a beer, bites from a food truck and dogfriendly patio. yellowspringsohio.org

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Chill at the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge — the longest of its kind — to soak up views. Rock City — located on Lookout Mountain — is only a 10-minute drive from downtown, but boasts sweeping views of rock formations, lakes, caves and gardens. Pups are also allowed to dine on the terrace at Cafe 7. Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center also allows pets. Wander one of the largest treehouses in the Southeast or hike a few trails — just check out their list of rules beforehand. Located in Southside, hole-in-the-wall Conga Latin Food allows pooches on their patio. Feast on guac, pupusas, tacos, tamales and sweet fried plantains. Another option is Aretha Frankensteins in Tremont, famed for their brunch, sandwiches and expansive patio. Universal Joint serves up burgers and brews — dogs even get served a bucket of water. chattanoogafun.com

Also in NoLi, Arcadium Bar offers up vintage arcade games and a list of over 50 beers either on draft or in bottles, plus a dog-friendly interior. West Sixth Brewing is as iconic to Lexington as Rhinegeist is to us. Doggos are allowed on their patio and beer garden. There are several pet-friendly hotels in the area, but if you feel like camping, try the Kentucky Horse Park. Your dog is likely to be greeted with many new friends and sniffs. On the University of Kentucky’s campus, The Arboretum is also a chill spot to wander — furry friends are allowed on paved walking paths, but not in the gardens or buildings. visitlex.com

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$1 FR OM EV ER Y M EA L BE NE FI TS CI NC IN NATI CH IL DR EN ’S

Find Your New Best Friend Adopt an animal this year at My Furry Valentine. Here are all the details about the pet adoption event of the year.

F E B R U A R Y 6 -1 2 , 2 0 19

| C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Will you be that 1 in 10? Each year, 6.5 million animals enter shelters nationwide, patiently, hopefully, waiting to catch the eye of a potential adopter. But many Americans still get their pets from places other than rescues and shelters, and so an estimated 4,100 animals die in shelters every day. (Statistics reveal that there are over 10 times as many people looking to bring an animal into their home every year as there are animals being killed in shelters because they lack one.) If just 1 out of every 10 people bringing an animal into their family were to adopt from a shelter or rescue, not one single healthy dog or cat would lose his or her life in a shelter.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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Will you be that 1 in 10?

OUR STORY

y Furry Valentine provides a forum for bringing together animals in need of a home with people willing to give them one. Since our inception in 2012, we have helped facilitate the adoption of more than 5,000 animals from reputable animal shelters and rescues, and our Cincinnati event has grown to become one of the largest animal adoption events in the country!

This yearâ€™s event will be our largest one yet, with 40 participating organizations with more than 900 animals available for adoption.

The need for pet adoption is great here in Cincinnati and nationwide. Every day, an average of 4,100 cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters across the United States. With every adoption, every foster, every spay and neuter, and every donation to an animal rescue cause, we are one step closer to a day when there is no more shelter euthanasia, and no longer a need for a mega pet adoption. But until that day comes, we at My Furry Valentine are committed to our efforts to educate our community on the importance of animal adoption, provide resources

to help adopters in their efforts to find their new furry family member, and to offer the opportunity in a fun, festive, family-friendly environment, for you to find your new best friend. When you make the decision to adopt an animal, you are saving two lives â€” the life of the animal you adopt and the life of the animal that takes its place at a shelter or rescue. Thatâ€™s pretty rewarding, and a goal everyone can support. Come join us this weekend! To find out more about My Furry Valentine, please visit

www.myfurryvalentine.com.

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MEGA PET MEGA ADOPTION PET ADOPTION EVENT EVENT

Saturday, February Saturday, 9thFebruary , 10 a.m.-12 9th,p.m.* 10 a.m.-12 (*earlybird) p.m.* (*earlybird) 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. 12 p.m. (general) - 6 p.m. (general) Sunday, February Sunday, 10th February , 12 p.m.-6 10thp.m. , 12 p.m.-6 p.m. where

cost where

cost

All animals spayed/All animals spayed/ neutered and up-to-date neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations! on vaccinations!

General Admission: $5/person, General Admission: ages 5+ $5/person, ages 5+ Sharonville Convention Sharonville Center Convention Center

for more information for more visitinformation visit

myfurryvalentine.com myfurryvalentine.com

*Early Bird Entry *Early Bird Entry allows access to animals allowsinaccess advance to animals of the in advance of the crowds. Vendor room crowds. open Vendor all day, both roomdays. open all day, both days.

Special cat & kittenSpecial subsidycat & kitten subsidy program means thatprogram most cats means that most cats will be available forwill same-day be available for same-day adoptions at a fee ofadoptions only $10.at a fee of only $10.

Saturday, 10 a.m.-12Saturday, p.m. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Early Bird Admission: Early Bird Admission: $25/person $5/kids $25/person ages 5+ $5/kids ages 5+ Admission Is Limited

Admission Is Limited

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Tickets available online Tickets at available online at myfurryvalentine.ticketleap.com myfurryvalentine.ticketleap.com or at the door. or at the door.

Free swag bag for Free swag bag for every adopted animal! every adopted animal!

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8TH ANNUAL 8TH ANNUAL

Companion animalsCompanion of all animals of all shapes, ages, sizes,shapes, breeds ages, sizes, breeds and dispositions. Youâ€™re and dispositions. sure Youâ€™re sure to find your perfect to match find your at perfect match at My Furry Valentine.My Furry Valentine.

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More than 40 shelters More than 40 shelters and rescue groups and rescue groups participating and participating and over 900 adoptableover 900 adoptable animals under one animals roof. under one roof.

OFFICIAL

Checklist for new adopters

What

Before the Event Determine if you can afford and have time to take care of a pet and make sure that all family members are in agreement

Bring photo ID

Think through the kind of companion you want (small or large, active or couch potato, etc.)

Bring your veterinarian’s contact information if you’re already a pet parent

Browse our online pet gallery (myfurryvalentine.com) to begin your search

Bring proof that you can have a pet if you rent (e.g., copy of lease agreement or letter from landlord)

Read up on organizations you’re considering adopting from to understand their application process and requirements

Do NOT bring your own animals. Follow-up meet & greets will be arranged if necessary

Purchase basic supplies and ensure your home (and family!) is prepared for a pet

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Consider submitting an application in advance to help facilitate an adoption during the event

Day of Event Be prepared to cover adoption costs, which vary by group

After the Event Be careful when transporting your new animal home, paying particular attention when entering/ exiting a vehicle and with open doors in their new surroundings Set your pet up with the shelter, food and toys it needs to be comfortable in your home Pet-proof the space your new pet will be spending his time Give your new companion time and training to adjust to their new surroundings

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Adoption 101 What is the difference between buying an animal and adopting?

If you’re considering getting a new pet, we urge you to adopt instead of buying a pet from an online retailer, pet store or backyard breeder. Note that many pet stores work with local shelters and rescue groups and have dogs and cats for adoption, while others still sell animals sourced through commercial breeding facilities, (aka: puppy mills). Please be sure you recognize the difference. By adopting from an animal shelter or rescue group, you are ensuring that you are not supporting and endorsing the inhumane puppy mills that supply pet stores and sell pets online. As an extra bonus, you are doing your part to fight pet overpopulation and save homeless animals from euthanasia.

Why do animals end up in shelters?

There is a common misperception there is something inherently wrong with shelter animals. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Animals in shelters lose their homes for a variety of reasons, usually having nothing to do with their behavior or temperament, but more due to the fact that their owners are unable to keep them for reasons including the novelty of owning a pet wears off, allergies, death of a guardian, a new baby, divorce, loss of a job, a move, change in work schedule, and other lifestyle changes. .

What’s the difference between adoption and buying?

Buying a pet can easily cost $500 - $1,500, while adoption costs generally range from $50 - $250. At MFV, adopted pets have been fully vaccinated and their adoption fee includes spaying or neutering, and in many cases, microchipping.

How can i be sure to get the animal i want?

Is it hard to adopt? why do they ask so many questions?

What if i’m looking for something specific?

You can find animals of all breeds, shapes, sizes and ages available for adoption. Nationwide, it is estimated that as many as 25% of dogs and many cats in animal shelters are purebreds.

Why would i adopt an older animal?

When you adopt an older pet, you avoid some of the challenges inherent in bringing home a puppy or kitten. Their appearance, behavior and health are already established so there are no surprises. Older animals at shelters need homes just as much as younger ones, and since many people are quick to adopt young animals, adopting an older animal may save its life.

Aren’t there benefits to getting dogs from breeders because you know the animal’s bloodline and family history? “First know that, as a result of their breeding, purebred dogs very often have genetic disorders and medical issue predispositions, certainly no less often than shelter dogs. Puppies born in puppy mills are usually removed from their mothers at just six weeks of age, denying them critical socialization, and housed in overcrowded and unsanitary wirefloored cages, without adequate veterinary care, food or water. Make no mistake: anything purchased at a pet store that sells animals—even supplies—is keeping this vicious industry in business.

Good breeders are focused not on profit, but on the health and welfare of the individual animals they handle, and we applaud that. But the plain truth is you’re helping to save and protect more lives if you make adoption your first option, so please match your open home and open heart with an open mind.”* *ASPCA

myfurryvalentine.com to learn more about adoption

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Visit

You’ll find that the application process and requirements for adoption vary from group to group. Please keep in mind that while shelters and rescues want to find homes for as many animals as possible, they also want to ensure that the animals find a lasting home. Maybe your future companion needs lots of space, requires a lot of exercise, prefers to share their home with other furry friends or needs to be an only pet. The only way to make the perfect match for you and the animal is to ask lots of questions.

At My Furry Valentine, we honor each individual groups’ standard adoption process as we believe they know what works best for their population of animals. If you find that you don’t or can’t meet a specific requirement (like a fenced-in yard or a mandatory meet & greet with your existing pet), remember that there are 40 other groups there ready to help you. There will never be a better opportunity for you to find your new best friend!

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We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the shelters and rescues that will be attending MFV, and determine which best fit your needs. Visit our online pet gallery at MyFurryValentine.com, (that already hosts 500+ adoptable pet profiles). If there are certain animals or groups that stand out to you, consider completing and submitting an application in advance for pre-approval. In some cases, you can even be pre-approved to adopt from a group without applying for a specific animal.

What if I don’t meet the application requirements?

FULL PAGE 9.75” x 10”

TEN MOVEMENT

2018 SUCCESS

NO-KILL RATE When we started the Ten Movement in 2013, the no-kill rate was at 35%. Yikes!

SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES

What did people think our mysterious billboards were about?

Sponso PhoDO Petco F TEN Cincinn United The Pet

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Partner Barefoo CityBea Mix 94 Wordsw

Keep up the good work! Please spay, neuter and adopt. TheSolutionIsTen.org

Shelter Adore-A Animal Animal Animal B’s Bird Brown Campb Clermo Franklin

MY FURRY

VALENTINE

™

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Sponsors: PhoDOGrapher Pet Photography Petco Foundation TEN Cincinnati Reds United Dairy Farmers The Pet Spot Partners: Barefoot Proximity CityBeat Mix 94.9 Wordsworth Communications

MedVet Milo’s Wish Mr Roof Off Leash k9 training Paws Off The Table Pet Valu PetPeople PetSuites Sharonville Pugalicious Pet Treats Raise the Bar Dog Training, LLC Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa SouthPaw Canine Massage State Farm Tailwaggers Doggy Daycare The Gutter Shutter/ My Gorilla Garage The Owens Group WagsPark & Daycare West Chester Pet Resort & Spa

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Advocate Groups: Care Center Animal Blood Bank National Canine Cancer Foundation Nature Nurses Wildlife Rescue Ohio Police K9 Memorial Rescued & Ready

Vendors: A1Pet Sitting All Creatures Animal Hospital Animal Ark Pet Resort Animal Care Centers Applehead City Pet Banfield Pet Hospital Bath Fitter Bentley’s Pet Stuff BePawsitivePets Camp Bow Wow CooperTees LLC County Animal Hospital Cutco Cutlery Dog N Frog DogWatch Hidden Fences Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Pet Foods Earthwise Pet Evendale-Blue Ash Pet Hospital Happy Paws Stay & Play Invisible Fence Brand Cincinnati Kitchen Saver Lovin’ Tails Inc. MaiRo & Co - Dog Treat Bakery

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Shelters and Rescue Groups: Adore-A-Bull Rescue Animal Adoption Foundation Animal Care Alliance Animal Friends Humane Society B’s Birdhouse Parrot Rescue Brown County Humane Society Campbell County Animal Shelter Clermont Animal CARE Humane Society Franklin County Humane Society

Fred’s Mission Rescue and Sanctuary Furgotten Dog Rescue, Inc. Helping Animals Lost and Orphaned His Eye Is on the Sparrow Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART) Iron Pits Joseph’s Legacy League for Animal Welfare Liberty Acres United Rescue Animal Sanctuary Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue Ohio Alleycat Resource Owen County Friends of Animals Purrfect Friends Cat Rescue Racing For A Home Animal Rescue Racing to Retirement Greyhound Adoption Recycled Doggies Robyn’s Nest, Inc. Save the Animals Foundation Stray Haven Tails of Hope Animal Rescue The Paws Cause Rescue The Humane Society of Adams County

SEND

TO SHELTER PETS

& THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEM

Send a message of love + Win daily prizes!

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Upload your photo or video valentine at www.petcofoundation.org/love

STUFF TO DO

Ongoing Shows ONSTAGE: Ripcord Ensemble Theatre, Over-the-Rhine (through Feb. 16) ONSTAGE: In the Heights Playhouse in the Park, Mount Adams (through Feb. 17)

WEDNESDAY 06

CLASSICAL: Cincinnati Soundbox and Salon 21 present Parallels, songs from Polish and American female composers. See feature on page 33.

PHOTO: PROVIDED

Brewpourium is hosting a free rom-com screening every Wednesday night, starting with Crazy Stupid Love. Get there early to loosen up and share a couple Gavel Bangers on tap with that special someone before you laugh, swoon and maybe even cry along with your fellow patrons (don’t worry; they won’t judge). Round out the rest of the month with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 7 p.m. Wednesday. Free admission. Taft’s Brewpourium, 4831 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village, facebook. com/taftsbeerco. — TOMMY MCDONALD

THURSDAY 07

ONSTAGE: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents August Wilson’s

MUSIC: Joshua Headley plays the Southgate House Revival. See Sound Advice on page 43. FILM: Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration In November of last year, musicians from a variety of genres gathered together to celebrate the 75th birthday of often genre-defying music icon Joni Mitchell. The life, career and music of the Canadian-born singer/ songwriter was honored at a two-night concert event at Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which Mitchell attended, though she did not perform at due to ongoing health issues. But her songs were the stars of the show, performed by an array of artists including James Taylor, Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Rufus Wainwright and Glen Hansard. Longtime friend/ peer Graham Nash was the only guest to not play

a Mitchell original, instead paying tribute with the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song “Our House,” which he wrote about his time living with Mitchell and her two cats in Laurel Canyon. The November concerts were captured on video and edited into the Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration film, which will be receiving a nationwide one-nightonly theater premiere this week in advance of its release on home video and streaming services. 7 p.m. Thursday. $15, $20 at the door. The Garfield Theatre, 719 Race St., Downtown, cincyworldcinema.org. — MIKE BREEN

FRIDAY 08

ONSTAGE: RISK! is a live podcast sharing raw and real true tales. See feature on page 36. MUSIC: Morgxn plays Top Cat’s. See Sound Advice on page 43. MUSIC: The Steel Woods bring Southern Rock to

Madison Theater. See Sound Advice on page 44. COMEDY: Michael Yo “People ask me, ‘How do you juggle all these jobs?’” says comedian, actor, TV host and radio DJ Michael Yo. “I find it pretty easy because they’re all entertainment. It’s not like I do all these and then I’m a doctor at night. I compare it to being a chef at an American restaurant. No one says, ‘Wow, you can cook a burger and make salmon and make fries?’ It’s just cooking. It’s different products, but it’s all in the same world.” Unlike his former colleagues on Chelsea Lately, Yo became a comedian after that show started. He’d go to different markets to interview celebrities and people would often ask where he was performing. “They just assumed that since I was on a show with comedians, I was a stand-up comedian, too,” he says. “The Asian side of me said, ‘Business opportunity.’ ” 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and

10 p.m. Saturday. $17-$47. Funny Bone Liberty, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com. — P.F. WILSON EVENT: Bockfest Sausage Queen Preliminary Round The 27th-annual Bockfest takes over downtown and Over-the-Rhine March 1-3 with a plethora of activities, starting with a parade, which steps off from Arnold’s Bar & Grill at 6 p.m. March 1. Each year, the gender-neutral Bockfest Sausage Queen has the honor of leading the Bockfest parade — along with some guys dressed like monks walking with a goat pulling a keg of bock beer — carrying a symbolic tray of bockwurst. In the weeks leading up to the Bockfest festival, there is a series of Bockfest Sausage Queen preliminary competitions. The next round of competition will be held at Washington Platform & Saloon. There will be three rounds: a Q&A, CONTINUES ON PAGE 30

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EVENT: Chuck D leads the Mercantile Library’s Words & Music Lecture at the Freedom Center. See interview on page 35.

Fences. See review on page 34.

EVENT: Free Romantic Comedy Movie Month They meet, they fall in love, there’s conflict, they breakup, they re-kindle and ultimately settle down together. It’s the romantic comedy! A tale as old as time and a formula as tried-and-true as original Coca-Cola. February is the month of love, and to celebrate, Taft’s

Cupid’s Undie Run

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VISUAL ART: Art Academy at 150 The Cincinnati Art Museum is celebrating the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s 150th birthday with a free exhibition of over 90 prints and drawings from AAC alumni in their collection. Kristin Spangenberg, CAM print curator, calls the exhibition, “The museum’s way of honoring successful artists who began their careers right here in Cincinnati.” Looking at AAC’s contributions to the art world across 150 years shows the evolution of art in that time with works like Robert Frederick Blum’s studio pastels from the 1880s being displayed alongside Charley Harper’s Modernist 1960s nature prints and the abrasive and abstract beauty of Kim Flora’s contemporary oil work. Through April 28. Free. Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. — TOMMY MCDONALD

FROM PAGE 29

sausage tray modeling and talent portion. The Sausage Queen is judged based on his/her/their personality, presence and talent, including “honor, dignity, class, grace or the complete and utter lack of any of these traits.” The winners of the Sausage Queen preliminary rounds will compete in the finals at 9 p.m. March 2 to see who will be crowned the Sausage Queen to lead the 2020 parade. 8 p.m. Friday. Free admission. Washington Platform & Saloon, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, facebook. com/bockfestsausagequeen. — MAIJA ZUMMO

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EVENT: Winter Xscape Beach Party It’s February. It’s cold, snowy and the freezing winds hurt your face. However, for two days this week, Newport’s Festival Park is transforming a Cincinnati day in February to a Miami day in April. A huge heated tent will be set up and filled with sand, live music, beach games, food and tropical drinks. There will be live

music, plus hula dancing, a silent disco, sand volleyball, coconut bowling, a pig roast and more. 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday; 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. Free admission. Newport Festival Park, Riverboat Row, Newport, cincinnatifestivalsandevents.com. — BEN REES

SATURDAY 09

MUSIC: Singer/songwriter William Fitzsimmons brings Indie Folk and heartbreak to the Southgate House Revival. See interview on page 41.

EVENT: Valentine’s Dinner at the Cincinnati Zoo Wine and dine at the selfproclaimed sexiest zoo in America (our zoo animals make a lot of babies). During this special Valentine’s Day dinner, guests can experience animal encounters, eat a romantic meal (with a champagne toast) and learn all about the “Wild Side of Love” with a fun and adults-only talk about procreation in the animal kingdom with zoo educators. A cash bar is

available, but you can also add a wine flight for an extra $20. 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Feb. 14. $200 couple. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO ONSTAGE: Cin City Burlesque Beaus and Eros Cin City Burlesque is an award-winning classical and

neo-burlesque dance troupe started in 2009, making their annual striptease stop at Bogart’s just in time for Valentine’s Day. The professional dancers are trained in styles ranging from jazz and tap to ballet and Latin but this performance will showcase the craft of burlesque, tapping into the sexiness of the Jazz-era past with

costuming, choreography, class and sass. Must be 18 and up. 7:30 p.m. doors; 9 p.m. show Saturday. $15 general admission; $20 premium seats; $50 table seats (four people or more). Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Cincinnati, cincityburlesque. com. — KIARA REECE

EVENT: Cupid’s Undie Run Get those briefs ready for a good cause. Cupid’s Undie Run is an organized run to raise funds for research to end neurofibromatosis, a disorder that affects 1 in 3,000 children and causes tumors, sometimes visible, to grow on nerves throughout the body. This mile-long

P H O T O : B R I T TA N Y T H O N R T O N

SATURDAY 09

EVENT: My Furry Valentine My Furry Valentine is the area’s largest pet adoption event. More than 700 adoptable animals from multiple rescue agencies around Greater Cincinnati will be in one location — the Sharonville Convention Center — to make finding the perfect pet as easy as possible. From dogs, cats, kittens and puppies to other little critters, all sorts of animals in need of a permanent and loving home will be available to meet and greet and some will even be available to take home that day. Each adoption agency has their own prices and requirements, so fees, applications and waiting times may vary. If you want to browse pets in advance, visit My Furry Valentine’s “featured pet gallery” to learn more about the animals and their respective adoption agencies. 10 a.m.-noon early bird and noon-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday. $5; $25 early bird. Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road, Sharonville, myfurryvalentine.com. — KIARA REECE

THEIR HISTORY OUR STORY NOW OPEN at Union Terminal

ONLY $45!

THE KENTUCKY ALE TRAIL run starts at Mount Adams Pavilion and ends back at the bar for a party. Runners can run in teams, with pals or by themselves. Noon-4 p.m. Saturday. $$45-$50. Mount Adams Pavilion, 949 Pavilion St., Mount Adams, cupids.org/city/cincinnati. — KIARA REECE EVENT: O.F.F. Market The O.F.F. Market is celebrating love and the local small business community with the What Love Looks Like-themed flea market at MadTree. Local vendors of treats and crafts will be setting up in the brewery. Drinks are available at the bar, so if shopping and drinking are two of your hobbies, this might be the event you’re looking for. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. MadTree, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, theoffmarket. org. — BEN REES

EVENT: Big Cheese Festival This weekend, Jungle Jim’s is celebrating cheese with their “two-day homage to fromage.” This event is a cheese and alcohol tasting experience for cheese veterans and/or new and casual cheese chasers. The vast list of fresh and aged dairy — along with samplings of paired wines and beers — is anything but short and everything available to taste is available to buy. Ticket options also include a VIP experience with access to the exclusive VIP lounge, select cheeses unavailable to general admission ticket-holders and bonus beer, wine and whiskey samples. Noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $20; $75 VIP; $2 kids. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims. com. — BEN REES

EVENT: February Tea Dance This ain’t no downtown, nowhere bound, narrowminded drag; it’s the latest Sunday Tea Dance! If you believe in manhattans and martinis, check out this queer celebration of love, life and dance at Sartre. Decades ago, the LGBTQ community organized dances masquerading as afternoon tea for their own safety. Now, partners Richard Cooke and Marty Wagner have brought this tradition back to Cincinnati. DJs Milkshake and Ben Welham will play all the power pop anthems they can to keep your hips moving and the drinks flowing. 4-7 p.m. Sunday. Free. Sartre, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/teadancecinci. — TOMMY MCDONALD

YOUR WEEKEND TO DO LIST: LOCAL.CITYBEAT.COM

April 5, 2019 April 12, 2019 EASTGATE LOCATION FAIRFIELD LOCATION

HERE’S WHAT YOU GET! All day transportation on the party bus. Beers on the bus! Tour of the Lexington Brewing Company plus tasting. Tour of the Town Branch Distillery plus tasting. Lunch provided after the tours. Admission to Keeneland Race Track.

TICKETS ON SALE SOON: JUNGLEJIMS.COM

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

EVENT: Off the Hook Off the Hook is a dining event at the Newport Aquarium featuring more than 30 local and national restaurants serving dinnerby-the-bite (with wine and beer pairings) to highlight the importance of conservation and sustainability as it applies to seafood. Participating eateries include Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar, Coppin’s, Boca, Anchor-OTR, Sleepy Bee Café, Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey and more. Off the Hook will also be a strawfree, zero waste and singleuse-plastic-free event. 6-9 p.m. Sunday. $125; $200 VIP. Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way, Newport, facebook.com/newportaquarium. — MAIJA ZUMMO

HOPS & HORSES

CLASSICAL: Amy Grant with the Cincinnati Pops Put your heart in motion as six-time Grammy winning Pop artist Amy Grant takes the stage with the Cincinnati Pops. She’ll be singing a selection of her favorite love songs and songs of faith, as well as hits like “Every Heartbeat,” “That’s What Love is For” and “Baby, Baby.” 7 p.m. Sunday. $50$125. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

PHOTO: JUNGLE JIM’S

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SUNDAY 10

SATURDAY 09

Join Us for Opening Night February 1, 6-8 PM

Sponsored by Whole Foods and Covent Garden!

FREE and open to the public!

FEBRUARY 1 – MARCH 24, 2019

Thoughts Made Visceral Curated by C. M. Turner Britni Bicknaver Vittoria Daiello Elese Daniel Alex McClay Exhibition Sponsor Whitney and Phillip Long

Alex McClay - (un)Mutually Exclusive, 2018, emergency blanket, reflective tape, thread, 19 x 14 inches

FEBRUARY 1 – APRIL 7, 2019 Dominic Guarnaschelli: Incognitum Exhibition Support: Anonymous

Migiwa Orimo: Proximity of Syllables Exhibition Co-Sponsors: Anonymous; Judge Mark and Sue Ann Painter/Cincinnati Book Publishing

Admission is

Aronoff Center for the Arts / 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 / www.WestonArtGallery.com 2018-19 Season Sponsor: Dee and Tom Stegman

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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The Alpaugh Foundation The LaBoiteaux Family Foundation

FREE

ARTS & CULTURE ‘Parallels’ Orchestrates Overseas Collab Works from five female composers — either from America or Poland — will be featured in a collaboration between Salon 21 and Cincinnati Soundbox BY A N N E A R EN S T EI N

| C I T Y B E AT. C O M

large ensemble works, which have been performed all over the world. Jantzen and Nat Chaitkin, the cellist in 4-Way, agree that the pieces they’re performing are “starkly different.” “You couldn’t get a better snapshot of different approaches,” Chaitkin says. At 26, Chmielewska is a doctoral student at Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. She describes her composition, “Postcards from Warsaw,” as a three-part examination of human memory. “I was absorbed by how our minds distort what we have experienced,” she says. “Each The 4-Way string quartet will perform Parallels with Salon 21’s Jill Jantzen. movement contains clichés: a tango-like part in the second PHOTO: PROVIDED movement or a ‘Dies Irae’ in the third.” Jantzen calls the score depending on where they are in the hall,” contrasting sections of volume and motion “melodic,” filled with lush harmonies and she says. — with repeating material that hiccups and sweeping passages for the strings. “They Jantzen says that Harrison’s and Walkfrays at the edges — and with some lightly feel like Harry Potter’s owl Hedwig soaring er’s pieces have an eerie sense to them. prepared piano trying ever so timidly to through the air,” she says with a laugh. Walker’s score is also more visual than unify with the strings.” Harrison’s piece is entitled “Euryale,” a conventionally noted. “There are squiggles While learning all this new music Greek mythological character who appears or diagonals indicating that strings are to is challenging, Jantzen and Chaitkin as three different powerful women. In be brushed or hit,” Jantzen says. agree that the composers’ openness and an email, Harrison writes that the twoBased in Warsaw, Rydzewska has availability to listen to comments and movement piece explores different ideas of won several international composers’ suggestions is invaluable. intensity. competitions. She was unable to respond “It brings you into the process more fully,” “The first movement is slow and dramatic, to questions, but Jantzen says that her Chaitkin says. “My colleagues (violinists using close voicing and long sustained “Piano Quintet” is extremely mathematical. Sujean Kim, Shannon Lock and violist tones in the strings, and techniques which After CCM, Seeholzer became friends Kevin Boden) already have had responses involve playing on the strings on the intewith Rydzewska and Chmielewska while to some of their emailed questions, and rior of the piano,” she says. “The second attending the Fryderyk Chopin Institute they’ve helped tremendously.” movement utilizes a driving ostinato in Warsaw. She has lived in Poland for Jantzen adds, “It’s also important for figure, which gives the movement a sense over three years, and her works have been composers to hear their music live, not on of relentless energy.” performed in the U.S. and Europe. a computer.” Cincinnati Soundbox’s Walker spent Her piece, “Bystander,” is a response to The second performance in Warsaw later time in China during and after her graduthe pressures of adjusting to working and this year will be huge, says Chaitkin. ate studies at CCM. She has composed living in a new country while also having “A piece has to be heard more than once music for traditional Chinese instruments chronic depression and generalized or twice to become part of the canon. I as well as for Western ensembles and soloanxiety disorder. hope that all these works will get revisited ists with recent performances across the “I was pulled incredibly far away from many times.” U.S., China, Australia and Europe. my initial joy of and passion for creating Parallels, presented by Salon 21 and She says that her piece, “My shadow music,” she says. “My piece refers to the Cincinnati Soundbox, will be performed 7 forms a resonant shell,” is written with uncomfortably familiar feeling I have p.m. Feb. 6 at the Weston Art Gallery with instruments paired off and spread antiphwhen it all becomes too much for me to at $15 suggested donation. onally throughout the performance space. actively process, and I end up on some sort More info: salon21.org. “Listeners will notice different details of auto-pilot. I expressed that with largely

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omen composers continue to dominate the local chamber music scene. Last month, New York-based string quartet Brooklyn Rider performed five works by women as part of their Cincinnati debut at Memorial Hall. And on Feb. 6 at the Weston Art Gallery, Salon 21 will collaborate with Cincinnati Soundbox to present five world premieres for piano quintet composed by American and Polish women. The program — entitled Parallels — will feature Salon 21’s artistic director, pianist Jill Jantzen, and 4-Way, a local string quartet, performing the works. Founded in 2013 by pianist Jeong-In Kim, Salon 21 offers intimate concerts in “unexpected places” across the Queen City. (Jantzen took over for Kim in 2016.) Co-directed by Rachel Walker and Laura Harrison, Cincinnati Soundbox works to present new music by local, regional and international composers. Later this year, all the featured works from Parallels will be performed in Warsaw, Poland. Alongside compositions by Walker and Harrison are works by Julia Seeholzer, Żaneta Rydzewska and Aleksandra Chmielewska. Cincinnati Soundbox is no stranger to working with international artists, but the choice to collaborate with Polish artists this season takes on historical value. “Ensembles worldwide are performing works by Polish composers to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Polish independence,” Walker says. Seeholzer is the bridge between the two cities: she studied with Harrison and Walker at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and through a Fulbright scholarship, went on to study in Warsaw, where she currently lives. “Her impressions of the musical world there made us curious to create an exchange concert, where we could present a concert to audiences here and in Warsaw,” Walker says. “And then we learned about Żaneta’s and Aleksandra’s work from her.” All of the composers are in their midto-late 20s and have impressive rosters of commissions that range from solo to

Cincy Shakes Takes on August Wilson BY R I C K PEN D ER

Let’s give thanks that the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company broadly defines its role as a classic stage. The company goes beyond the Bard to present other historical works of theatrical importance. For the first time, they have landed on August Wilson, an American playwright whose works surely elicit comparison in craft, language and characters to Shakespeare’s. Wilson’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences is now onstage at the company’s Over-the-Rhine venue — and it’s not to be missed. Set in the 1950s, Fences is in the sixth slot of Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” It portrays African-American life across the 10 decades of the 20th century and tells the story of Troy Maxson, a proud but flawed potential baseball star who had the misfortune of “aging out” before black players began to enter Major League Baseball. With limited career options, he is relegated to employment as a garbage man. Though he works hard to support his family, his bitterness and circumstances poison his relationships with his son, Cory, and wife, Rose. To portray Troy, Cincy Shakes recruited a guest actor, the singularly named “ranney,” an award-winning veteran of Wilson productions elsewhere. He’s a fine choice, creating a brutal portrait of a man

who rages against his plight in life, his imminent death, the devil and injustices that have affected him and his brother Gabe (Geoffrey Warren Barnes), who was injured in World War II and left with a mental disability. Sadly, Troy’s disappointments push him in misguided directions that accelerate his life’s downward spiral: He cheats on Rose — played by Torie Wiggins with profound empathy and dignity — a compassionate and loving wife who struggles and makes sacrifices as Troy selfishly battles his own demons. He callously disregards Lyons (Darnell Pierre Benjamin), his adult son from a previous marriage. And he dominates and criticizes Cory (Crystian Wiltshire), his and Rose’s teenage son, for his athletic aspirations — and for just about every decision Cory undertakes. Ultimately, Troy alienates the people he needs the most. Troy’s best side comes forward as his brother’s protector, but even that is tempered by guilt over using Gabe’s disability award to purchase his house (and charging him rent to live there). Though he takes responsibility for his illegitimate child, he expects Rose to provide care. The plot boils to a point where even his longtime friend Jim Bono (played with humor and texture

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by Sylvester Little Jr.) begins to question Troy’s decisions. Wilson elevates this overtly domestic tale with spectacular invention. Gabe is the play’s oracular character, someone whose distracted insights transcend everyday reality — a role found in many of Wilson’s scripts. Gabe wears a battered trumpet tied around his waist, which plays a miraculous part in the finale. References to the Angel Gabriel and Heaven’s Gate push this tragedy to another level. As a note in the program cites, Wilson wrote that through looking at Troy’s more or less invisible life, people can find that it’s shot through with “love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty” — making him both relatable and tragic. Troy repeatedly expands events of his life into mythic tales of struggles with the devil, which underpin his real-life battles. “ranney” delivers several powerful soliloquies that are as Shakespearean — just in a different dialect — than any in Cincy Shakes’ regular stock in trade. Veteran guest director Christopher V. Edwards masterfully stages the production. Wilson’s plays are wordy and can feel drawn out, but Edwards and his fine cast give Fences a forward momentum that travels with fatalistic speed: You sense the

“ranney” (left) and Geoffrey Warren Barnes in Fences PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER

tragic outcome long before it arrives. Also contributing significantly to Fences’ impact is Shannon Moore’s detailed scenic design: a plain, but neatly maintained, two-story house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District (where most of Wilson’s plays are set), with a short porch and a hard-packed, dusty dirt yard. An incomplete picket fence surrounds the yard for most of the play, only to be finished as Troy’s life closes in. It’s a reminder of the fences over which he once hit home runs and the barriers he could never surmount, which acts as a perfect metaphor for this tough play. Fences, presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, continues through Feb. 16. More info/tickets: cincyshakes.com.

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CULTURE

Chuck D: Still Fighting the Power BY JAS O N G A R G A N O

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“Cincinnati! Home of King Records, Bootsy of thought because you also have to put in Collins and the Reds,” Chuck D says upon perspective that there are a trillion songs answering his cell phone, his signature being released now.’ voice booming with authority during an He notes that, when writing a song, interview in advance of his upcoming visit musicians now need to realize that even if to Cincinnati. The iconic Public Enemy a song lands at No.1 on Billboard, it doesn’t frontman, indefatigable social activist and guarantee that it will sell physical copies — cultural guru will speak on Thursday as it’s all in the streams. part of The Mercantile Library’s annual “You have to be aware of what you’re Words & Music Lecture series. (The solddoing it for and where it’s going and how out event will be held at the Freedom Cenpeople are getting it,” he says. ter and simulcast in the Harriet Tubman The internet also spurred Chuck’s Theater to accommodate more attendees.) creative collaboration with Marcus When asked about his various speaking engagements, Chuck says he’s been doing them since 1993; most lectures hone-in on the lives and struggles of minorities in the United States and beyond. “I’ve spoken at over 500 colleges over that long period. My topics have been rooted in my books, specifically Rap, Race and Reality. My lectures have pretty much been a show of its own,” he says. “I haven’t been doing them as much the last couple of years because of obligations and the logistics of being a left-coaster.” Chuck D Among the obligations and logistical concerns: touring with P H OTO : T R AV I S S H I N N Prophets of Rage, a group he formed with members of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill; the Ankeney, aka Marcus J, a rapper from book This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History, Xenia, Ohio who died at the age of 47 on which he coauthored in 2017; a solo album Jan. 26 of this year. The two met in the late entitled Celebration of Ignorance, which he 1990s via a Public Enemy message board dropped late last year under the moniChuck created to encourage conversations ker Mistachuck; and, most recently, an between like-minded Hip Hop heads. They exhibition of his watercolor-and-ink works eventually hooked up on a “virtual” project at Shepard Fairey’s Subliminal Projects called the Impossebulls. space in Los Angeles. “I’m inspired, especially this year, to stay Chuck’s various endeavors have been creative in my songwriting and artist camp aided in recent years by a lively Twitter because we lost a soldier, as I call him,” feed (@MrChuckD), which focuses on Chuck says of Ankeney. everything from social justice issues to At the turn of the century, he continues, sports commentary — all inevitably prethey created the virtual Rap squad — a sented through his unique historical and notion that is now commonplace, aka cultural lens. His most recent pet peeve: people send verses to each other via email. the way the internet and social media can The group of guys, who Chuck says lived in distort reality. eight different vantage points, were one of “People are not citizens anymore, they’re the first to do it. ’netizens,” he says of the internet’s perva“We’re all shattered by his loss,” Chuck sive influence. “And if you’re a ’netizen, says. “I’m dedicating my lecture in Cincinthen it would behoove you to become ’net nati to Marcus J of the Impossebulls. He literate.” would have been there front and center. Chuck has watched, with both intrigue He’s a true MC and wordsmith. He was and dismay, how the internet has impacted an architect during the day and an MC at the music business in recent years; a lot night. Ain’t that something?” has changed since Public Enemy’s rise to The Words & Music Lecture: Chuck D prominence in the late 1980s. is hosted by The Mercantile Library and “I just left a Prophets of Rage songwriting will be held at the National Underground meeting,” he says. “A jam session doesn’t Railroad Freedom Center downtown on work for me because I don’t jam. SomeThursday (Feb. 7). Though the lecture is times I might mumble along — my lips are sold out, there will be a simulcast in the my instrument — but I like to listen to genFreedom Center’s Harriet Tubman Theater. erate some kind of source. A song has got to More info: mercantilelibrary.com. be about something. It requires some kind

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Live Podcast ‘RISK!’ Presents Raw, Real Fun BY P. F. W I L S O N

For the first time, Cincinnati native Kevin Allison — a successful actor and comedian — is bringing his popular podcast and live show RISK! to his hometown. “I’ve never brought it to Cincinnati because I was afraid my parents would be terrified of the show if they actually saw it,” he says with a laugh via phone from New York City. Determined to have a career in the arts, Allison attended film school at New York University and later rose to fame as a member of The State, a sketch-comedy series on MTV that aired from 1993-1995. “I left Cincinnati because I felt like it was a difficult place to be gay,” he says. “It’s come a long way, though. Back then I was very excited to go to a city where I could explore being gay and out and being as adventurous as I wanted to be — and New York City was the place to do that.” Allison created RISK! nearly a decade ago in 2009. Since, the weekly podcast has featured famous comedians — Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee and Kumail Nanjiani, to name a few — and regular folks telling stories “they never thought they’d dare share in public.” Since 2010, Allison has also hosted monthly live shows in New York and Los Angeles, with stops in other cities sprinkled throughout. Despite having monthly shows on both coasts, Allison finds that the most compelling stories often come from smaller cities. In places like Cincinnati, he says, people have “incredibly” fascinating lives but don’t necessarily have the opportunity to share them in public. He says that makes their on-the-road shows invigorating, exciting and moving. At the time of the interview, dozens of potential storytellers had already contacted him about appearing in Cincinnati’s show. “It’s been really exciting to see the range of experiences people in Cincinnati want to share,” he says. “We have people of color, trans people and people wanting to talk about having different sorts of experiences around religion.” Allison grew up in Westwood and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1988, which acts as the backdrop of several of his personal stories. One such tale involves a missionary trip he took to Peru with Jesuits while attending the private Catholic high school. But that’s about as wholesome as it gets. “The show is extremely adult in nature,” he says. “Sometimes there can be some really kinky stories, or really violent stories, or some emotionally raw stories, or just some outrageously funny in a non-politically-correct sort of way at times stories.” The success of RISK! has spawned a cottage industry of sorts for Allison. Last year, a book based around the podcast was released. He also runs a sibling company called Story Studio, which he calls the

brand’s “education wing.” Through video courses and various workshops, they offer lessons on how corporations can use narrative storytelling to communicate in more human, emotional ways. The latter presents unique challenges, regardless of background. Before speaking on RISK! — for both the live show and podcast — each potential guest goes over

Kevin Allison PH OTO: M I N DY T U C K ER

their story several times with Allison and the producers. “The biggest thing is we want people to zero in on a very specific incident like the afternoon of the car crash or the night they lost their virginity. We have to poke and prod almost as a therapist would,” Allison says. To extract those details, that might mean asking them to recall certain distinct feelings, sounds or even smells. The stories shared are often intense, and though they carry varied contexts, how they’re told is more or less through the same formula — raw and confessional but with a humorous slant. The now expansive collection of stories covers subjects like coming out, heartbreak, trauma, gowing up and everything in between. “It does take time to craft the story,” Allison says. “There’s always some meaning people glean from going back through those experiences too. Once you start unpacking, you start having all these realizations.” RISK! Live comes to Ludlow Garage (342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton) on Friday, Feb. 8. More info/tickets: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

‘True Detective’ Returns With a Vengeance BY JAC K ER N

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True Detective (9 p.m. Sundays, HBO) is back more than three years after its apparent cancellation. After a fateful second season, the series returns with a vengeance, capturing the compelling drama and grit of the first season that made the crime anthology such a popular hit. Creator, director and writer Nic Pizzolatto features a similar formula to season one, following a pair of investigators as they grapple with an unsolved mystery over the course of three different time periods. The focus Mahershala Ali (left) and Stephen Dorff in True Detective centers on Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) — as a P H O T O : WA R R I C K PA G E homicide detective in 1980, a desk-bound cop in 1990 and a retiree still plagued more restraint, audiences get something by the case in 2015. Hays’ partner Roland straightforward, but filled with enough West (Stephen Dorff) courses a different twists and turns to keep us on the edge of trajectory over the years, but he, too, our seats. continues to be pulled back to a disturbing The incomparable Ali — who won an case they could never quite crack. Oscar for supporting actor in Moonlight In 1980, a pair of young siblings, Will and is nominated for another for Green and Julie Purcell, disappear from a Book — skillfully depicts an unraveling neighborhood in the Ozarks. At this point, investigator who desperately wants to Hays, a former deep reconnaissance live a simple life, but has just endured operative in the Vietnam War is more of too much. As a black man in law enforcethe soft-spoken “good cop.” His junior ment, he experiences a particular struggle partner West, also a veteran, doesn’t with middle-American racism, even if he hesitate to rough up a suspect, though doesn’t always recognize it. neither detective is squeaky-clean. When Dorff superbly balances his partner Will’s body is discovered, it appears Julie as West. It’s Hays’ story, but he plays a has been kidnapped. She is never found. significant role. And hats off to the makeup Ten years later, new evidence emerges. department, who do a fantastic job aging When the duo teams up again to reopen its characters, especially in a time when we the case, West is now a lieutenant while see more series portraying different ages à Hays has been demoted to desk duty. The la This Is Us. case clearly still affects Hays to this day; True Detective manages to tackle some he’s drinking more and is, at times, overly heavy themes — war and what it does to worried about his own children’s safety. people, memory and how it fails us, the Meanwhile his wife Amelia (Carmen satanic occult versus the quieter evil Ejogo) — who was the teacher of the that exists, the many shades of racism Purcell kids when she first met Hays that persist — that are as significant to a during the original investigation — finds fictional story taking place in the 1980s as success writing a book about the crime. they are to the real world today. In the most contemporary time, it’s as if As the season rolls on, connections to that book haunts Hays just as much as the the first installment grow more obvious case itself. We find him being interviewed onscreen — in the 2015 storyline, the for a true crime TV series, which feels very interviewer specifically mentions the case realistic. You really feel for Hays — his wife to Hays, revealing a news clipping with is dead, his daughter is estranged and he’s Woody Harrelson and Matthew McCoexperiencing significant memory loss and naughey’s characters pictured. Could the hallucinations, despite being in apparent two twisted cases be intertwined? They good health. How can he possibly find a certainly exist in the same universe, but new break in the case when he doesn’t will Hays and West pick up where Rust and remember what happened only moments Marty left off? Could they track down the before? true Yellow King? True Detective could go The three timelines are easy to navigate, from flat circle to full circle. as this story isn’t as overwrought as in Contact Jac Kern: @jackern the first season. “Time is a flat circle” be damned — with Pizzolatto showing a bit

FOOD & DRINK ‘Eat As If You Were in China’ Downtown’s Yum Yum Chinese Restaurant offers a taste of nostalgia and 1970s Sichuan cuisine BY SA M I S T E WA R T

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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t’s 6 p.m. on a Wednesday evening and the front door to Yum Yum Chinese Restaurant is still locked; the “open” sign is sleeping on the job. Not even a shred of light is peeping through the blinds, but that’s how the place looks on any given day — unassuming and empty tucked between abandoned storefronts. By 6:26 p.m., the door is cracked ever so slightly. Dim light and TV chatter spill onto the silent, rain-soaked street. Inside, Tom and Mei Li shuffle around slowly on the worn checkered tiles, readying their restaurant for dinner service. It’s not much warmer inside than it would be standing out in the rain. The furnace is just starting to yawn awake after hibernating over the long weekend. Yum Yum is only open from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and the business hours are regarded more as a suggestion than a rule. Tom doesn’t remember the exact year he and his wife cut the ribbon at their new restaurant. “Sometime the ’70s…or ’80s,” he guesses. A forty-year-old entry in The Cincinnati Enquirer announced that Yum Yum would celebrate their opening day on Mother’s Day 1975 and it would be Cincinnati’s first Sichuan-Hunan style restaurant. (Sichuan- or Szechuan-style cuisine comes from southwestern China and incorporates a lot of heat and garlic.) The space has accumulated knickknacks, some may call it clutter, over the past several decades that have transformed this sleepy eatery into a museum of its own history. A boxy television set with lopsided antennae projects the evening news from the corner. It’s the only link to reality in a place that seems to be cemented in the ’70s and it’s certainly louder than the doorbell. “Oh, you’re early!” Tom says, shocked to see customers in his doorway. “We just got here. Can you wait?” Eating at Yum Yum requires patience. Tom and Mei are not as spritely as they were when they first opened their restaurant. When asked how old he is, Tom dryly replies, “35,” and chuckles at his own joke, laugh lines scrunching up around his eyes. He and Mei may have slowed over the years, but they continue to keep Yum Yum running. It’s what they love. Dining here is best enjoyed slowly to allot enough time to relish every quirky piece of history.

Tom leads the way to the dining room through a hallway plastered with hundreds of images of diners past with their feathered hair and doublebreasted sport coats. They display the smiling faces of patrons ready to indulge in this new-tothem style of food called “Sichuan,” known for accommodating lesser-seasoned palates by giving diners the option to choose how spicy they’d like their dishes on a scale of 0-10. For the first time, American diners were sampling flavors — salty, spicy, umami — and textures — crispy, chewy, slippery — in combinations they had never before tasted. Yum Yum opened just as Chinese cuisine of all types began gaining traction in America. Tom and Mei’s story isn’t unique. After the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, an influx of Asian immigrants made work for themselves by bringing their culture to the States in the form of restaurants, according to Chop Suey, USA: The Story of Chinese Food in America. The Lis immigrated to Cincinnati from Taiwan in the 1960s, although Tom doesn’t recall the exact year, and raised their two sons in the restaurant. Once a chemist, now a restaurateur, Tom says the two fields aren’t so different. Cooking is chemistry after all, he says. But he doesn’t spend much time in front of the stove; that’s Mei’s specialty. She stays behind the scenes, doling out cups of hot and sour soup and steamy piles of egg noodles for Tom to pick up and deliver to the dining room. He singlehandedly runs the floor, taking orders, topping off water glasses and bussing tables throughout the three-hour dinner service, though it’s not common for Yum Yum to have a full dining room these days.

The exterior of Yum Yum Chinese Restaurant PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The wood paneling, crimson tablecloths and ornate, low-hanging chandeliers that made the photographs wallpapering the hallway look so dated are the same timeworn décor adorning the dining room today. The menus, which have sustained over 40 years of service, now have yellowed pages and price markups penciled in the margins to account for decades of inflation. The dishes that were typewritten into the menu decades ago are still served for dinner — Yum Yum Mein, Sichuan Pepper Steak, and Ding Dong Chicken are crowd favorites, and prix fixe dinners haven’t gone out of style just yet. A prix fixe for two runs just over $40 and starts off with hot and sour soup with its mélange of textures ranging from soft tofu to crunchy scallions and an order of egg rolls fresh from the fryer. Tom suggests slicing the egg roll lengthwise, spooning a line of duck sauce down the middle and munching on it like a hot dog. Next comes the Yum Yum Jumbo Shrimp and an order of Ding Dong Chicken, both served in silver platters accompanied by a cup of perfectly domed steamed rice. Ding Dong Chicken is described on the menu as “a spiced chicken dish, popular in China especially where people dote on spicy foods” and “is redolent with a sprinkle of peanuts and a variety of special authentic Chinese ingredients.” The jumbo shrimp are marinated are a house sauce and cooked in a typical “Szechuan style.” Sichuan food is delightfully interactive.

Pinching rice onto a plate and smothering it with saucy shrimp and veggies feels indulgently like making a mess of the plate, but it’s the proper way. Dessert is as expected — a fortune cookie for each guest. An after dinner cup of coffee will run you 40 cents if you can spare it, and if not, tea is half the price. Other à la carte options include Szechuan Beef with rice noodles “in ideal proportions,” Pork Dou-Fu and Eight Treasure Mein, with egg noodles, shrimp, chicken, pork and pea pods. Dishes like Peking Duck are available with one day’s advance notice. Guests don’t come for the quick service and Americanized Chinese food; they come for Mei’s cooking and Tom’s kind, attentive tableside manner. Together, the Lis gave Cincinnati its first taste of Sichuan cuisines and have remained relentlessly authentic for almost 45 years. Why did they trade their original life plans to run a restaurant? “Because it’s fun,” Tom replies, smiling. Yum Yum Chinese Restaurant is located at 909 Race St., Downtown. For more info, try calling 513-721-7705.

FIND MORE RESTAURANT NEWS AND REVIEWS AT CITYBEAT.COM/ FOOD-DRINK

RECENTLY FEATURED

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Wodka Bar 1200 Main St., OTR, babushkapierogies.com Sarah Dworak recently expanded Babushka Pierogies into Over-theRhine, opening a weekend walk-up window at 1200 Main St. for conquering late night-cravings with kielbasa bowls and pierogies filled with everything from pizza toppings to Cincinnati-style lentil chili. The window has proved popular since opening in December, but its presence is only a sampling of what’s to come. This March will see the opening of Dworak’s Wodka Bar, which will be housed in the rest of the space attached to the pierogi window’s kitchen. For Dworak, it’s a passion project dedicated to the patron spirit of Eastern Europe. Wodka Bar will carry an ambitious selection of vodkas, stocking upward of 60 types including many Russian, Polish and Ukrainian brands that are lesser known in the United States. Wodka Bar will also leave room on the liquor shelves for several dozen houseinfused vodkas with flavors lent from ingredients like Russian Caravan black tea, caraway seeds, pine needles, rosemary, berries and citrus zest. Vodka will dominate, but the bar will offer a rotating cocktail list as well as a small selection of other spirits, European wines and a single draft beer: O.K. Beer, a Premium Lager from Brzesko, Poland’s Okocim Brewery. Bar snacks are mandatory of course, but forget about french fries and beer cheese. Instead, you can chase your shots with bites of caviar, pickled fish and vegetables, smoked meats, cheese and butter on dense, dark rye bread. (Morgan Zumbiel)

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1420 Sycamore St., OTR, nicolasotr.com Nicola’s had fallen off my radar, but news of a recently hired executive chef gave me good reason to revisit the fine Italian restaurant. It has been at the same Over-the-Rhine location for 22 years, making owners Nicola (Nick) and Maureen Pietoso true pioneers in the area’s eventual renaissance. In June, executive chef Jack Hemmer came on board. He had cooked at Nicola’s a few years ago and left for other local kitchens, including a stint as executive chef at Mercer OTR when it first opened. Hemmer has known the Pietoso family most of his life, so returning to Nicola’s as executive chef felt like a homecoming. He and his team retained some fanfavorite menu items that he said “absolutely deserve” keeping, such as a couple of pastas — tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce and four-cheese gnocchi — along with a goat cheese salad. And since June, Hemmer has developed several intriguing appetizers, pastas and entrées. He said that on the fall menu he especially recommends the duck leg and octopus starters; tortelloni pasta with a mélange of ingredients that “balance savory, sweet, spice and acidity;” and a pan-seared branzino entrée. For appetizers, some of us went with antipasti while others chose salads, and we enjoyed everything set before us. The biggest hits were the duck leg and the octopus antipasti. Two at our table ordered the Caesar salad ($9) and found it to be an excellent rendition of the classic. (PM)

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351 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, gaslightbarandgrillclifton.com. The owners of Ludlow Garage, Dave and Claudia Taylor, have renovated a historic building across the street and opened the Gaslight Bar & Grill in the old Clifton branch of the public library. It serves lunch and dinner six days a week, includes an expansive bar with a dozen seats and, when the weather warms, they’ll debut Clifton’s first rooftop patio. Along with Chef/General Manager Kevin Worthington and Chef de Cuisine Manuel Mediodia, the Taylors opened the doors just after Thanksgiving and have seen “steady business,” according to Worthington. Worthington and Mediodia put together the dinner, lunch and drinks menus toward what I would characterize

as straight-ahead American comfort food with a few high-end flourishes. You can get soups, salads and sandwiches in the $5-$13 range or try pricier pasta entrées ($14-$27) or meat/seafood dishes ($18-$32). I’ve had both lunch and dinner at Gaslight. While it’s pleasant to have a new lunch option on Ludlow, dinner is Gaslight’s strong suit, along with giving the neighborhood the best bar it’s had over my 20-year time as a resident. Two of the three apps met with everyone’s approval: the excellent fried oysters ($11) and what the menu listed as a “beet plate” ($8) — very thinly sliced red and yellow beets with a large-ish serving of mild creamy cheese and balsamic drizzle. Just as tasty was the Greek spaghetti ($14; $2 upcharge with added bacon), nicely al dente and boasting hearty flavors of tomato, olives, onion and feta. We took a staffer’s advice when choosing dessert: He said the bread pudding ($7) was the bomb. This one surpassed my expectations. (Pama Mitchell)

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WEDNESDAY 06

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Dinner — Head to Hotel Covington for a multicourse, chef-prepared meal complemented by bourbon and cocktail pairings. The evening will see the debut of the hotel’s single barrel pick of Buffalo Trace and include Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Weller Special Reserve and a French 75 cocktail. After the event, there will also be a special private tasting of Weller CYPB, Thomas H Handy and Pappy Van Winkle 23-year with guest connoisseur Bill Whitlow of Rich’s Proper Food & Drink. 6-9 p.m. $125-$250. Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington, hotelcovington.com.

Bockfest Beefsteak Club Dinner — The Moerlein Lager House invites the people of Cincinnati to a unique dining experience to celebrate and support the annual Bockfest celebration. Dinner includes a four-course meal and five different beers. Entertainment will come in the form of art and stories of Bockfests past. 6-8 p.m. $75. Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, otrbrewerydistrict.thundertix. com. Indian Cuisine Cooking Class — Spend a night learning to cook delicious Indian cuisine in a small class setting at the Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church. Class includes recipes and a meal of traditional recipes prepared and adapted for today’s modern kitchen. Includes basic Ayurvedic techniques as well. 6-8 p.m. $42. Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church, 2710 Newtown Road, Turpin Hills, facebook. com/heritagehealthycooking,

THURSDAY 07

Social OTR Grand Opening — OTR nonprofit restaurant Social OTR is hosting a special kick-off opening celebration with a 5-1-3 happy hour featuring $5 house wines, $1 oysters and $3 drafts in the Alley

Most classes and events require registration and classes frequently sell out. at Social (off Campbell Alley). 4 p.m.-midnight. Free admission. Social OTR, 1819 Elm St., Over-theRhine, socialotr.com.

FRIDAY 08

Macon Village Whites — Enjoy a Friday night of chardonnay. Tasting options include six white wines from Burgundy’s Mâcon-Villages. Join wine experts and decide which wine is your favorite and learn distinctions between different labels. 5:30-8:30 p.m. $15. Water Tower Champagne, Fine Wines and Tasting Room, 6136 Campus Lane, Mount Washington, watertowerfinewines.com. CHX Grand Opening — The chicken restaurant attached to 3 Points Urban Brewery is opening this weekend. CHX will serve up crispy or hot fried chicken in sandwiches, salads or as banties aka “lump-sized pieces of chicken.” 4-10 p.m. Free admission. CHX, 1211 Broadway St., Pendleton, chxcincy.com.

SATURDAY 09

Cured at the Blue Jay with Collective Espresso and Melissa Mileto — Dave Hart of Collective Espresso and Melissa Mileto of Take the Cake join forces for a special pop-up dinner at the Blue Jay in Northside. There will be three entrées, a starter and dessert that all play on the theme of being cured or fermented. Specialty cocktails and alcohol will be available. 7-10 p.m. $25. Blue Jay Restaurant, 4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook. com/takethecakecafe. Caffeine Collective at Locoba by Platform — Starting at 10 a.m., Locoba will be pouring rare coffee beers with guests taps from the likes of MadTree, Wolf’s Ridge and Rhinegeist. Sample Platform Brewing Co.’s High Brow Barista, Coffee Lawlessness, Coffee Head Tilt and more. The first 100 in the taproom get a Caffeine Collective coffee mug. Beers start pouring at 10 a.m. Free admission. Locoba

by Platform, 1201 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/locobaplatform. Valentine’s Dinner at the Cincinnati Zoo — The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting a romantic Valentine’s evening. Tickets to this special night includes animal encounters, a dinner for two and champagne toast, with the option to buy the Wine and Dine package for wines with dinner. Guests must be 21 or older and a cash bar will be available. 6:30-9:30 p.m. $200 per couple. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.

SUNDAY 10

Galentine’s Day: Beers & Brunch at Braxton — Head to Braxton with your girls for a brunch and beer party. There will be a Belgian waffle and crepe bar from Taste of Belgium, bloody marys, mimosas and a lineup of Braxton brews on tap. Drinks are included in the ticket price. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $45. Braxton Brewing Co., 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, facebook.com/ braxtonbrewingcompany. Off the Hook Dinner at Newport Aquarium — Sample sustainable seafood and other eats from more than 25 participating restaurants from nearby and across the U.S. to support conservation, sustainability and environmentally responsible farming and fishing when it comes to how seafood is caught, farmed and eaten. 6-9 p.m. $75-$200. Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way, Newport, newportaquarium.com. Big Gay Brunch — Before this month’s Tea Dance, head to Below Zero for a Big Gay Brunch. Doors open at noon for music videos; brunch buffet starts at 1 p.m. Quasi and The Lady Phaedra will be your hostesses and drink specials include pitchers of beer, mimosas and bloody marys. Reservations recommended. Noon. Free admission. Below Zero Lounge, 1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/belowzerolounge.

MUSIC Unbreaking Hearts Indie Folk singer/songwriter William Fitzsimmons returns to familiar territory with the post-divorce meditations of his latest album, Mission Bell BY B I L L F U R B EE

PHOTOGRAPHY

songwriter’s audience has come to be eager to connect with him, seemingly on a deeper level than most fanbases. Fitzsimmons appreciates that unique bond and notes an admiration in watching his following grow with him over the course of his 15-year career. “It’s kind of cool,” he says of the dedicated listeners who attend shows. “To be in a room with people who want to be (part of) an emotional atmosphere… it’s good to be in a room of people who all want to be affected in a similar way.” Looking ahead, Fitzsimmons says that discussions are already underway for his next album — and that they’ve been significantly impacted by the Mission Bell sessions, especially his collaboration with Landry. “Adam and I were already talking about (the next album) toward the end of this recording, since it was such a great experience,” he says. “It feels like we have a ceiling we haven’t hit yet.” Some collaborations, it would seem, do bring out the best in us. For fans of William Fitzsimmons, the best may be yet to come. William Fitzsimmons plays Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Southgate House Revival. Tickets/ more show info: southgatehouse.com.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Rosie has become a very close friend (as well),” Fitzsimmons says. “They brought the same kind of energy that Adam has — they wanted to do something great. They actually believed in the songs, it’s as simple as that. It was a joy to have them on the record, and I care about both of them a lot.” Despite the heavy lyrical subject, the album does contain some fairly upbeat song structures. “Second Hand Smoke” opens the release as an instantly engaging single. “Where did we go so wrong?” Gundersen asks in song, with Fitzsimmons replying, “I was hiding from the rain and the rolling thunder.” Meanwhile, the storyline is propelled with crisp percussion, electric organ and reverb-soaked electric guitar accents. Fitzsimmons’ painfully open and frank storytelling was no doubt developed in part by his master’s degree in counseling and work with the mentally ill. He’s also fairly well versed in broken-heartedness. The youngest child of blind parents, his second album, Goodnight, was reported to be about their divorce during his adolescence; its follow-up, 2008’s The Sparrow and the Crow, is a reflection of Fitzsimmons’ first divorce. Life experiences like these are not easy to come to terms with, but the singer/

“It was going back to just, ‘Let’s find some really cool sounds that we think help to convey the message, and put them to tape,’ ” he says. When Fitzsimmons says “tape,” he’s being literal. He and Landry took an analog approach to recording the album, which was initially a bit unnerving. William Fitzsimmons “Prior to doing this record, I had PHOTO: JIM VONDRUSK A gone pretty deep into the digital world of audio recording,” he says. “Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that, but I had avoided the analog world because I knew it was risky, costly, and there was an inability to make digital edits — the ‘fix it in post’ idea. But I had gone so deep (into digital recording) that I was losing something special about the performances.” Fitzsimmons admits that when the recording process for Mission Bell started, he was “terrified.” “When you’re in the control room, and (Landy) hits ‘record’ and you see the 2-inch tape actually start to spin, your heart rate goes up and you think, ‘We’ve got to play this really well.’ You either do it or you don’t,” he says. “This record feels differently because it’s more of a performance than a bunch of pieces glued together after the fact.” Revisiting the material added another layer of complexity to the project. He recalls a couple times “being brought to tears,” listening to the studio playback of certain songs. In addition to Landry, the contributions of Gundersen and Thomas, both established artists in their own right, helped direct the material’s path. “Abby is a longtime friend, and I’ve been recording with her for a long time.

F E B R U A R Y 6 -1 2 , 2 0 19

o create his latest album, Mission Bell, acclaimed Folk singer/ songwriter William Fitzsimmons started over — quite literally. His collection of home-recorded songs was packed with exorcised demons and the painful emotion of a recent divorce. And when the recording was finished, he erased each track. Then, the songs were brought back to life in Nashville with producer Adam Landry, whose résumé includes work with Deer Tick, Los Lobos and k.d. lang. “Having to let go of the first version of this record was incredibly strange and something I’ve never done before,” Fitzsimmons said in a press release for the album. “I deleted every note and every word. Landry (and I) spent weeks upon weeks breathing back life into a project that I thought was lost for good. By the time we finished, I felt like I had reclaimed something that was taken from me and I remain terribly proud of this work as a result.” “The arrangements are different than what I would have done,” he adds during a recent phone interview. “They (allow me to) feel differently than my demo versions did.” On “Leave Her” he sings: “You can take my words and my songs but leave her.” The songwriter’s bootless cry may not have sprung from a place fruitful for his personal well-being, but for the rest of us, it resulted in an artistic masterpiece of the broken heart. Lyrically, the album is emotionally gutting, artfully recalling relationship falters and failures, while ultimately detailing small steps forward. “You can take the kids on Tuesdays and every other weekend/I’ll be fine with holiday arrangements on my own,” he sings, defeated, on “Distant Lovers.” Backstory and lyrical content aside, Fitzsimmons’ Mission Bell — his 11th album — is a sonic marvel. In addition to Landry’s input, this one has contributions from fellow singer/songwriters Abby Gundersen and Rosie Thomas. It’s also his most directly connecting album. Musically lush and expansive, the serene Chamber Folk collection recalls the soft-spoken introspection of Sufjan Stevens, Elliott Smith and Iron & Wine.

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Hip Hop Artists Unveil ‘Icarus Triology’ BY M I K E B R EE N

This Thursday, Feb. 7, Cincinnati Hip Hop artist Ronin Halloway will headline his first show when he performs at Overthe-Rhine’s MOTR Pub. The free event will also feature a full live performance of “The Icarus Trilogy,” Halloway’s smart, poetic and powerful collaboration with fellow local artist JayBee Lamahj. Halloway and Lamahj will be joined at the show (and for the three-song performance) by progresGraphics from Ronin Halloway and JayBee Lamahj’s “Icarus Trilogy” sive, experimental Cincinnati Electronic/Jazz trio PHOTO: PROVIDED FLOCKS, which features Tom Buckley (drums/samples), Joshua Jessen (synths/keyboards) Pressure (a collaboration with producer and Stephen Patota (bass/guitar). SmokeFace), is due this spring. Lamahj Released over the three weeks leading released his Phonk Phoever. album up to this week’s show (and premiered via last year; it’s available on most major citybeat.com), “The Icarus Trilogy” is a streaming/download platforms. three-track/three-music-video project shot For more on Halloway, visit roninsroad. with local filmmaker Bradley Thompson. com. Find links and more on Lamahj via Musically inspired by artists from J Dilla Twitter: @JayBeeYNO. to Phonte (SmokeFace produced and More Local Notes engineered the tracks), Halloway and • On Jan. 31, the lineup for the 2019 Lamahj also draw from the crafty, mindBunbury Music Festival was announced. melded vocal interplay of heavyweight Returning May 31-June 2 along CincinnaHip Hop twosomes like Method Man and ti’s riverfront (at Yeatman’s Cove and SawRedman, Black Star and OutKast. yer Point), the event will feature headliners The lyrical, character and storyline like Fall Out Boy, Greta Van Fleet, Run the influences, however, come from much Jewels and The 1975. While other local more ancient sources, as the track titles — artists will likely be added to the lineup as “Icarus,” “Elijah” and “Paul” — suggest. the fest approaches, one Cincinnati act did “It’s literally a ‘body’ of work,” Lamahj make in into the initial lineup — activism/ says of the trilogy’s concept. “‘Icarus’ is Hip Hop collective Triiibe will make its the head, ‘Elijah’ is the torso and ‘Paul’ is Bunbury debut this year. the legs. It’s about the inner self-journey For tickets and more Bunbury details, everyone goes through. Each part works visit bunburyfestival.com. together to form the whole but at the same • Cincinnati Folk faves The Tillers are time they’re also different from each other.” hosting a “string band” showcase this According to a press release, “‘Icarus’ Saturday at Southgate House Revival (111 E. relates to the peaks and valleys of mental Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com). development. ‘Elijah’ is a triumphant batThe powerhouse lineup for the first Old tle cry, a statement of solidarity. And ‘Paul’ Time StringBreakers Ball features some is almost like a meditation, an acceptance of Greater Cincinnati’s finest Americana and statement of readiness for the future.” and Bluegrass groups, including Buffalo Halloway says the characters and Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle, The Comet concept come from a larger story he has Bluegrass All-Stars, Chelsea Ford & been working on for the past several years. The Trouble, Old Souls String Band and “We definitely speak directly in the songs Slippery Creek. The Rabbit Hash String about the biblical/mythical characters, but Band will also be on hand to back up an the cool thing is that this is also my way of old-fashioned square dance session at 7:45 introducing my own Icarus character to p.m. The Tillers close out the night, hitting the world,” Halloway says. “He’s a main the stage at 10:45 p.m. component of a story I’m writing called The show kicks off at 7 p.m. Tickets are ‘Camelot,’ and he’s meant to be played (in $15 in advance (through ticketweb.com) or most settings) by JayBee. ‘Camelot’ (is) a $20 at the door. fantasy story I’ve been developing since 2015. I don’t know yet if the main story will Contact Mike Breen: be shared as a book, film or both yet, but mbreen@citybeat.com for now I want to start bringing things to life as much as I can… in my music.” Halloway’s official debut album project,

MINIMUM GAUGE BY M I K E B R EEN

Savage ICE In Atlanta, hours before this year’s boring Super Bowl game, there was a shocking pop-culture plot twist that had nothing to do with football, tryhard commercials or Maroon 5. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (aka ICE) arrested Hip Hop star 21 Savage, who, until then, had been considered an Atlanta native. ICE says the rapper is actually a U.K. national whose visa had expired and who now faces deportation. Besides the odd timing of announcing the musician’s arrest on Super Bowl Sunday in the city hosting the big game, an ICE spokesperson seemed to excitedly grandstand with their statement to CNN, in which they proclaimed, “His whole public persona is false.” Sampling Morality In 2013, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow accused The Weeknd of stealing from his band’s “Machine Gun” for the song “Belong to the World” after initially being denied clearance for a sample. Barrow said he found it artistically disrespectful, which appears to be similar to the basis of his current anger over Lil Pump’s track “Racks On Racks.” Barrow says the single samples strings from the soundtrack he worked on for the 2018 movie Annihilation. Again, Barrow doesn’t seem to be looking for money or litigation — his problem with the sample this time is that Lil Pump’s track is, according to Barrow, “a deeply fucking sexist song” and he and his collaborator didn’t want anyone to think they had anything to do with it. Considering Trolls Successful musicians aren’t immune to the toxicity of internet trolling. After seeming to defend film director Bryan Singer (who has been accused of sexual assault), Queen guitarist Brian May says the hateful comments he received caused him to curtail his social media use and to look differently at stories about internet bullies who’ve pushed kids “to the point of suicide.” Meanwhile, singer/songwriter Amanda Palmer appeared on the Conversations with People Who Hate Me podcast to confront a troll who — surprise — rethought a hateful comment she made about the artist after speaking with Palmer in person. Palmer called the experience “one of the hardest and best things I’ve done with my time for a while.”

SOUND ADVICE Joshua Hedley with The Rattletraps

Thursday • Southgate House Revival If the rhinestone-encrusted, turquoise Nudie suit worn by Joshua Hedley on the cover of his debut album, Mr. Jukebox, doesn’t give his revivalist game away, then his voice and music definitely will. This is vintage Country music — the throwback kind not often heard these days on Pop Country airwaves. Now in his early 30s, Hedley has been playing traditional Country since he was a young fiddler prodigy growing up in Florida. After later moving to Nashville, he landed a regular gig playing at the famed Robert’s Western World, a honky-tonk mecca, and he’s done work as a studio session fiddler with acclaimed artists like Justin Townes Earle, Nikki Lane and Margo Price. Evidently, this was all the prep he needed to jumpstart his own career. Only the second Country act to be signed by Jack White’s Third Man Records, Hedley’s Mr. Jukebox delivers melodic, emotionally-charged ballads soaked in both steel guitar and strings. His traditional songs of heartbreak draw from a deeper well than the facile, crossover variety now popular in Music City.

Hedley’s music echoes back to the “Nashville Sound” Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley began to foster in the 1950s, which eventually morphed into the Countrypolitan Morgxn sound popular in the ’70s. PHOTO: SHERVIN L AINEZ Characterized by lush, sweeping production, the sound is perhaps best exemplified by George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s duet recordings with producer Billy Sherrill in their melodramatic prime. This style emphasized vocals, lyrics and orchestral arrangements — at the expense of the Bakersfield guitar twang. From the opening torch ballad “Counting All My Tears” to the new single, “Weird Thought Thinker,” many of Hedley’s songs swell with an ever-present chorus of backup singers, which add harmony and depth to his supple tenor. The title

Joshua Hedley

track lilts in a lively two-step as he sings of his journeyman days of playing classic covers in bars. It’s easy to imagine Hedley doing justice to the songs of Willie Nelson, George Strait or Glen Campbell. In “Let’s Take a Vacation,” a Merle Haggard-esque heartbreaker, he even recites a dramatic monologue in the bridge, a lover’s plea to forget the past and fall in love again. Merle would have covered this

PHOTO: JAMIE GOODSELL

one, if not written it. And that might be all you need to know about Mr. Jukebox. (Gregory Gaston)

Morgxn with Robert DeLong Friday • Top Cats

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that an artist influenced by equal parts

F E B R U A R Y 6 -1 2 , 2 0 19

| C I T Y B E AT. C O M

27 Years of Live Stand-Up Comedy in Cincinnati!

Show Times

Wed / Thur / Sun 8:00 - 18+ Friday 7:30 & 10:00 - 18+ Saturday 7:30 & 10:00 - 21+ Just 15 minutes from downtown in Mongtomery! Nate Craig

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The Steel Woods P H O T O : A LY S S E G A F K J E N

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Duran Duran and Stevie Nicks would deliver an album as catchy and alluring as Morgxn’s Vital. The Nashville native’s 2018 debut features 11 fizzy, keyboardladen tunes, nearly all of which teem with soaring choruses and enough atmospheric U-turns to keep things interesting. Then there’s Morgxn’s voice, a melodramatic instrument that can move from highpitched pleading to full-bodied exuberance with equal authority. Morgxn, who currently splits time between Los Angeles and New York City, is staying busy in 2019, dropping an EP called vital: blue (s t r i p p e d), which, as its title would indicate, features strippeddown, piano-backed versions of songs from his full-length. Most intriguing is “blue,” which features guest vocals from Walk the Moon frontman Nicholas Petricca, who also was featured on Morgxn’s 2018 single “home,” a re-recording of the Vital track. “Blue” opens as the two trade verses before their voices eventually intertwine, each seemingly singing to the other: “Don’t ever question, don’t ever feel/It could be certain if you let me see/If we knew we could, too.” “Someone once said to me, ‘If you want to be heard, you have to be loud,’ ” Morgxn recently told PAPER when asked about the nexus of the new EP. “I looked them in the eyes and, without missing a beat, said, ‘No, you don’t.’ I watched them not know how to respond and, in that moment, I found my voice.” (Jason Gargano)

The Steel Woods with Josh Card Friday • Madison Theater

LudlowGarageCincinnati.com

Of all the subgenres of Rock, the Southern variety is among the richest and most diverse. Southern Rock emerged from

the creative and hormonal impulses of teenagers who grew up on their parents’ Country record collections and the early Rock output of Sun Records, but were forever altered by the Beatles’ adrenalized Pop frenzy and, perhaps more to the point, the Rolling Stones’ shaggy and raw British Rock interpretation of the Blues. Stirred up in the crucible of the American South in the 1960s, the early proponents of what became Southern Rock — The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band — set the stage in the late ’60s and early ’70s for one of the most successful and pervasively influential musical directions of the 20th century. The Steel Woods represents the latest evolutionary iteration of Southern Rock, which acknowledges the Pop production shift in Country music while also incorporating the propulsive elements of bands like The Black Crowes and Drive-By Truckers and the looser, jammier attributes of Outlaw Country. Although the Steel Woods’ sonic palette contains a lot of different colors, the band’s primary source is Lynyrd Skynyrd, an influence they readily and proudly embrace, with Metallica and Led Zeppelin also showing up in the Rock column. The Steel Woods began four years ago when guitarists Wes Bayliss and Jason Cope shared a bill in their Nashville hometown. Their newly struck friendship ultimately led to a professional partnership which was cemented with the addition of bassist Johnny Stanton and drummer Jay Tooke and presented to the world by way of their eponymous 2016 EP. The following year, The Steel Woods released their debut full-length album, Straw in the Wind, which generated a lot of positive press and cracked the Top 50 of Billboard’s Independent Albums chart. All of the Steel Woods’ musical gifts have been brought to bear on their just released sophomore album, Old News, a spectacular blend of homespun Country lyricism, a thunderous Rock pulse and a freewheeling sense of musical adventure. Don’t be put off when you see “Whipping Post” in the album’s set list; it’s an original song that merely borrows its title from The Allman Brothers’ classic. “Southern Accents,” however, is most definitely a solid guitar cover of Tom Petty’s pianoand-strings ballad, which the band invests with the power of a pride manifesto. Every generation has found its own Southern Rock band to champion, but The Steel Woods could easily appeal to the fans that sounded the original charge five decades ago. (Brian Baker)

LISTINGS

CityBeat’s music listings are free. Send info to Mike Breen at mbreen@citybeat.com. Listings are subject to change. See CityBeat.com for full music listings and all club locations. H is CityBeat staff’s stamp of approval.

WEDNESDAY 06

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Dave Hawkins and Peg Buchanan. 7 p.m. Folk/ Celtic. Free.

H H

MOTR PUB - Big Hit with Zoe Sky Jordan. 10 p.m. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Ryan Malott with Chuck Cleaver and Sarah Gail Davis. 9 p.m. Singer/Songwriter. Free.

URBAN ARTIFACT Marjorie Lee and The Lovers with JIMS, Lost Coast and Matt Waters & The Recipe. 8 p.m. Pop/ Rock/Various. Free.

THURSDAY 07

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Philip Paul Trio. 7 p.m. Jazz. Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - On a Limb. 7:30 p.m. Jazz.

THE GREENWICH - Mambo Combo. 8:30 p.m. Latin Jazz. $5. HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Brad Myers Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

MOTR PUB - Ronin Halloway with JayBee Lamahj and FLOCKS. 10 p.m. Hip Hop/Electronic/ Various. Free.

OCTAVE - Psymbionic, Frequent and Organtica. 9 p.m. Electronic/Dance/ Bass. $10, $15 day of show.

THE PIKE BAR AND GRILL - Ricky Nye. 6 p.m. Blues/ Boogie Woogie. Free. PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Open Mic. 7 p.m. Various. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB Moselle and The Electric Indigo. 9 p.m. Jam/ Funk. Cover.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES Over Easy. 9 p.m. Soft Rock. Free.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - The Hot Magnolias. 8 p.m. Jazz/Funk/ New Orleans/Various. Free.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - White Line Fever. 7:30 p.m. Americana. Free.

BLIND LEMON - Zack & Corey. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

REDWINE & CO. - John Ford. 8 p.m. Blues/Roots. Free.

MOTR PUB - The Vims with Mollo Rilla. 10 p.m. Rock/ Various. Free.

BOGART’S - That Arena Rock Show with Holy Diver, Carnival of Chaos and The Metal Gods. 7 p.m. Rock/ Metal tribute. $10-$12. BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Brian Lovely with The Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Brandon Coleman Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

THE COMET - Sam Hoffman with Dinge and Watchfrogs. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

MVP BAR & GRILLE - This That & The Other. 7 p.m. Rock. $10.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Mad Queen, Hot for Alice and Feral Friends. 10 p.m. Rock/Various. Free. OCTAVE - Rumpke Mountain Boys. 9 p.m. Newgrass. $10.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Allen Talbott Band. 7:30 p.m. Americana/Various. Free. REDWINE & CO. - Ricky Nye. 8 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free. RICK’S TAVERN - Second Wind. 10 p.m. Rock/Soul. $5.

FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER - Harpeth Rising. 8 p.m. Americana/Classical/Chamber Folk/Various. $18-$20.

THE GREENWICH - “Just Friends” Friday with Kathy Wade. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Urban Pioneers with Inaiah Lujan. 9 p.m. Americana. $8, $10 day of show.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Bill Gemmer Quintet. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - The Whammies. 9:30 p.m. ’80s Pop/Rock. $5. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Lexy Dunn. 9 p.m. Country. Free. KNOTTY PINE - 13:30. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover. MADISON LIVE - Monroe Landway with Bloody Royal Family, The Brass Owl and Jamie Carr Band. 8 p.m. Rock/Various. $10.

OCTAVE - Rumpke Mountain Boys. 9 p.m. Newgrass. $10.

MANSION HILL TAVERN Fred Gillespie & the Swamp Bees. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover.

MIAMI VALLEY GAMING Trailer Park Floosies. 10 p.m. Dance/Rock/Pop/Hip Hop/ Country/Various. Free.

BLIND LEMON - Michael J. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

SATURDAY 09

Roots/Americana. Free.

20TH CENTURY THEATER - Cincinnati Transit Authority. 8 p.m. Chicago tribute. $20.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle. 8 p.m. Folk/Roots/Americana. Free. THE AVENUE EVENT CENTER - Money Bagg Yo. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. $45-$75.

Indie/Folk/Rock/Pop. $8, $10 day of show.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Near Earth Objects, National Barks and Saint Sterling. 9:30 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB Mama Said String Band with The Hills & the Rivers. 10 p.m. Bluegrass/ Folk. Cover.

TOP CATS - Robert DeLong with Morgxn. 9 p.m. AltPop. $17.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Motel Faces with Lady Handsome and Trauma Illinois. 9 p.m. Rock/Various.

WOODWARD THEATER - Moonweather with A Delicate Motor, Joesph, and Marr. 8 p.m.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Dixie Karas with The Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE - Craig Bailey Sextet. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

THE COMET - Bi, Sex Wolves from Planet Death, Dynamite Thunderpunch and Midagmus. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.

FOLEY’S IRISH PUB Acoustic Pete Blues Trio. 7 p.m. Blues/Rock/Americana/ Various. HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Ricky Nye Inc with Bekah Williams. 9 p.m. Blues/Jazz. Free. JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - Two For Flinching. 9:30 p.m. Pop/Rock. $5. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Michelle Robinson Band. 9 p.m. Country. Free. KNOTTY PINE - 13:30. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

PEECOX ERLANGER Saving Stimpy. 9:30 p.m. Rock. $5.

RICK’S TAVERN - Naked Karate Girls. 10 p.m. Rock/ Pop/Dance. $5. SILVERTON CAFE - Basic Truth. 9 p.m. R&B/Funk/Soul. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - William Fitzsimmons with Jim and Sam. 8 p.m. Indie Folk. $20, $25 day of show.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - The Tillers’ 1st annual Old Time String Breakers Ball with Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle, The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars, Chelsea Ford & The Trouble, Slippery Creek, The Old Souls String Band and Rabbit Hash String Band. 7 p.m. Folk/ Bluegrass/Roots/Americana. $15, $20 day of show.

THE MAD FROG - Charles Feelgood. 9 p.m. House. $15.

STANLEY’S PUB - Mojo Power, Every Villain is Lemons and Mr. The Kid. 10 p.m. Funk/Jazz/Jam. Cover.

MADISON LIVE - Steady Flow with Strange Mechanics and Rookwood. 9 p.m. Funk/Rock/Jam/Various. $10.

THOMPSON HOUSE - The Uplift Mofo Party Band and Far Beyond Driven. 8 p.m. Red Hot Chili Peppers/ Pantera tributes. Cover,

MANSION HILL TAVERN Johnny Fink & the Intrusion. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover.

TOP CATS - Roof Rabbit, Campus Rex, Typhoon and Knavery. 9 p.m. Alternative Rock. $5.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Encore Duo. 9 p.m. Acoustic/Various. Free. MILLER’S FILL INN - The Cousin Kissers. 9:30 p.m. Country

H H

MOTR PUB - Passeport with WYD. 10 p.m. Indie/Electronic/Pop. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Farm Report. 9 p.m.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Rob Parton. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

SUNDAY 10

ARONOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - John Mellencamp. 8 p.m. Rock. Sold Out. THE COMET - The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars. 7:30 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Rob Allgeyer Jazz Brunch. 10:30 a.m. Jazz. Free. MANSION HILL TAVERN - Open Jam with Deb Ohlinger. 6 p.m. Blues MOTR PUB - Andrew Combs and Erin Rae. 8 p.m. Singer/Songwriter. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN Classical Revolution. 8 p.m. Classical/Various. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Simo. 7 p.m. Rock/ Blues/Soul. $15, $18 day of show.

THOMPSON HOUSE Liquid Stranger. 7 p.m. Dance/Electronic/Bass. $25-$35.

URBAN ARTIFACT - See Through Dresses with Grand Process. 9 p.m. Alt/Rock/ Various. WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Ricky Nye. 5:30 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free.

MONDAY 11

CAFFÈ VIVACE - The Burning Caravan. 7:30 p.m. Jazz.

MOTR PUB - Happy Little Accidents with Sarah Asher. 9 p.m. Acoustic/Rock/Folk/ Fusion/Various. Free.

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Lung Ripper, Schotzi, Coldcase and Keel Haul. 9 p.m. Hardcore.

TUESDAY 12

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL - Music Live@Lunch with Ricky Nye. 12:10 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free.

THE COMET - Casteless with Stonecutters, Crypt Seeker and Necronomaconda. 9 p.m. Metal. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN Beasts of Joy. 9 p.m. Acoustic/Various. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Trashgrass Troubadours with Them Coulee Boys. 8 p.m. Bluegrass/ Newgrass. Cover.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

FRIDAY 08

MADISON THEATER - The Steel Woods with Josh Card. 8 p.m. Southern Rock. $15, $17 day of show.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Joshua Hedley with The Rattletraps. 9 p.m. Country/Honky Tonk. $12, $15 day of show.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Ocean City, Happy Little Accidents and Forever Unknown. 9 p.m. Indie Pop/Rock.

F E B R U A R Y 6 -1 2 , 2 0 19

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - The Freeway Revival and Root Cellar Xtract. 8 p.m. Folk/Roots/ Country/Rock. $8.

TOP CATS - Julene Jessel with Phil Vine, Jenna Reel and Madeleine Rae. 7:30 p.m. Singer/Songwriter. $5.

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Extra Space Storage hold a public auction at the location indicated: 2900 Crescent Springs Pike, Erlanger KY 41018 on February 19th 2019 at 12:45pm 146, 153, 163, 244, 320, 338, 921, 1150 Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. Extra Space Storage hold a public auction at

Extra Space Storage hold a public auction at the location indicated: 8080 Steilen Drive, Florence, KY 41042 on February 19th, 2019 at 12:15 pm. Unit 410, Unit 605, Unit 622, Unit 662, Unit 826, Unit 839, Unit 1102, Unit 1111, Unit 1221, Unit 1518, Unit 1601, Unit 1620, Unit 1623, Unit 2412, Unit 2510, Unit 2607, Unit 2816, Unit 2920 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

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LEGAL NOTICES Extra Space Storage hold a public auction at the location indicated: 2526 Ritchie Ave Crescent Springs, KY 41017 February 19th, 2019 at 1:00 pm Unit 209B The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

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