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NEWS

Cincinnati Youth Work to Find Their Own Solutions to Neighborhood Issues and Disparities in the Justice System Members of Cincinnati’s youth councils do community service, convene youth summits and present policy recommendations to city leaders — all before they’re old enough to vote

Gracie Perez-Vasquez PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

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racie Perez-Vasquez, 16, has plenty on her plate, including attending Dater High School, prepping for the ACT — and working with a group of other young people from across the city to draft policy recommendations to present to city officials.

Vasquez is one of a number of young people involved in Cincinnati’s youth councils, groups of civically engaged students pushing to make a difference in neighborhoods that sometimes see big challenges.

Though she lives in West Price Hill, Vasquez is a member of the East Price Hill Youth Council, which launched last year along with another council in Lower Price Hill.

She describes the youth council process as “beautiful.”

“Normally, you’d see a lot of kids fighting,” she says. “I would have never thought a whole group of kids could be united and work with each other.”

The concept of youth councils has been growing over the last decade in Cincinnati.

The first sprouted in Avondale in 2006.

Another popped up in Madisonville in 2012. In 2016, the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati’s Community Police Partnering Center helped launch a collaborative youth council in Westwood and East Westwood with the community councils there. The next year, it expanded the model to Bond Hill, Walnut Hills, the West End and Winton Hills.

The groups convene to talk about youth

issues, tackle servicelearning projects and work in their communities.

Demontez Blackmon, 16, is part of the Westwood youth council and also helped present juvenile justice recommendations in October. He’s enthusiastic about the program.

“It was very interesting,” he says, “because it’s something that I’ve never done — working with other kids and being around kids from other neighborhoods, seeing what they like and what their thoughts are about issues.”

Community Police Partnering Center Executive Director Dorothy Smoot says the councils are a way to bridge the gaps that young people sometimes find in their communities.

“We heard that there was a disconnect between young people and their communities,” Smoot said in an interview after a youth council session at the Urban League’s Avondale headquarters this summer.

“Research will tell you that is one of the reasons for violence in the community.

Young people need to feel safe, protected, loved, et cetera by their communities, and if you’re disconnected from a community, you’re not getting those feelings.

“Our vision is voice, choice and shared responsibility. To teach young people how to do those things, we also have to teach

adults how to make space for those things.”

Adult members of Cincinnati community councils who work to supervise the youth councils agree. They say young people are capable of advocating for their interests and speaking their minds.

Connie Benton is a member of the Winton Hills Community Council who also works with the youth councils.

“I don’t want the youth council to be a place where people just talk at them,” she said at a recent meeting of youth council supervisors and supporters. “I want to see these young people rise up.”

The youth councils overseen by the partnering center are supported by the city’s human services funding earmarked for violence prevention measures.

More may be on the way — the Cincinnati Recreation Commission would like to foster the councils in other communities around the city.

The work the councils have completed this year alone has been considerable.

Representatives from various youth councils met bimonthly earlier this year to plan a Youth Summit that took place in July at New Prospect Baptist Church.

That event drew scores of young people, as well as representatives from the City of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Police Department, the region’s legal community and more to talk about the relationship between young

people and the justice system.

Youth planned and facilitated the whole conference, with some assists from adults.

Some young people, including Vasquez and Blackmon, took that conversation a step further last month, presenting to city officials the recommendations they have drawn up for addressing disparities in the region’s juvenile justice systems.

Those disparities are large — though about 30 percent of Hamilton County’s population under the age of 18 is black, 80 percent of those who find themselves in the county’s juvenile courts are black, CityBeat found in a deep dive into the juvenile justice system in September.

Similar racial differences ripple through other parts of the justice system and beyond. They can be found in the data charting police use of force, arrests in neighborhoods and schools and among those who become victims of violence.

Many of the young people touched by those dynamics come from predominantly black neighborhoods with median household incomes well below the city’s as a whole.

That has a lot to do with socioeconomics, Smoot says.

“Where are the economic disparities but in communities where there are CONTINUES ON PAGE 07

NEWS

Kentucky Governor’s Race Goes Into Extra Innings Could the state’s General Assembly decide the close election between Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear?

BY N I C K SWA R T S E L L

O

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin PHOTO: K Y GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

provide hard evidence of specific problems with the voting process.

Under this scenario, Bevin would need to call a special session of the Kentucky General Assembly, including eight members of the Kentucky House of Representatives and three members of the Kentucky Senate. Those representatives would consider the evidence presented and make a final determination on the outcome of the race.

The state last dealt with a contested gubernatorial election in 1899, when Republican William S. Taylor beat Democrat William Goebel by less than 400 votes. Goebel challenged the results, claiming voter fraud had occurred. The Kentucky General Assembly created a committee to investigate the election results, but during tumult around the contested election, Goebel was shot by an unidentified assassin. The General Assembly committee ruled that he was the winner of the election, but he died of his wounds a few days later.

Bevin is no stranger to thin electoral margins — he won his 2015 GOP gubernatorial primary by just 83 votes over James Comer, now a state representative.

In amassing his slim lead, Beshear flipped some suburban Northern Kentucky counties that Bevin handily won in 2015 and that fellow Republican President

Donald Trump took in the presidential election the next year.

Beshear narrowly won Kenton County and turned in a somewhat more robust performance in Campbell County. Bevin won both of those counties in 2015, grabbing 57 percent of the vote in Kenton.

This time around, Bevin easily took Boone County with 56 percent of the vote. He also took a large red swath of the central part of the state. However, that wasn’t enough to turn back Beshear’s decisive victories in the more liberal (and populous) counties containing Lexington and Louisville. Beshear also took a run of counties — Bath, Boyd, Carter, Elliott and Rowan — on Kentucky’s eastern side and a handful of others around the state.

Beshear’s apparent victory comes despite — or, depending on who you talk to, partly because of — Bevin’s alignment with Trump. The president, who won Kentucky overall by 30 points in 2016, swooped through the Bluegrass State to campaign for Bevin.

“You’re sending that big message to the rest of the country,” Trump said at the rally. “It’s so important — you have to get your friends, you have to vote. If you lose, it sends a really bad message... you can’t let that happen to me.”

Down ballot, Republicans did get a victory in the attorney general’s race,

where first-time candidate Daniel Cameron beat Democrat and former state House Speaker Greg Stumbo. Cameron is the state’s first African-American attorney general and the first Republican to win a race for the office in 70 years.

Republicans got another victory in the secretary of state race, where GOP candidate Michael Adams pulled out a win over Democrat Heather French Henry.

In both races, Democrats are losing those statewide offices — Beshear was the previous attorney general, and current Kentucky Secretary of State Lundergan Grimes is term-limited.

Despite Kentucky being one of five states to hold its gubernatorial elections on years without federal elections to draw big attention, it has been a bruising contest between the two focusing on tough questions around the region’s aging Brent Spence Bridge, the state’s ailing pension fund, related “sick-outs” by the state’s public school teachers, health care policy, abortion and other big issues.

Bevin’s term in office has seen a number of controversies, including contention over his move to end the state’s Medicaid expansion (potentially costing up to 400,000 Kentuckians their healthcare), questions around the sale of a mansion to CONTINUES ON PAGE 07

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n Nov. 6, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s reelection campaign formally requested a recanvass of the votes cast in the state’s Nov. 5 gubernatorial election after vote tallies showed him roughly 5,000 votes — .3 percent of the electorate that voted — behind Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear.

Kentucky’s Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes called the election for Beshear, but Bevin has refused to concede the race and wants the state to doublecheck the data transmitted by each county clerk to the Kentucky Board of Elections.

Such “recanvass” efforts rarely produce a significantly different outcome. After the recanvass is done, it is unclear what will happen next in the razor-thin contest.

Bevin could also formally contest the results of the election, though he must cite grounds for the contest — be they campaign finance violations by a rival candidate or particular issues with the voting process.

During a speech Nov. 5 in which Bevin refused to concede, he cited “irregularities” in some areas of the state but did not provide specifics.

“The people of Kentucky deserve a fair and honest election,” Bevin campaign manager Davis Paine said in a statement.

“With reports of irregularities, we are exercising the right to ensure that every lawful vote was counted.”

Should Bevin file to formally contest the election, what would happen next is somewhat up for debate.

Kentucky State Senate President Robert Stivers, a Republican, said Nov. 6 that the state’s GOP-dominated legislature could decide the contest. But the state’s process for doing that is also hazy, some political experts say, and Bevin would need to

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CITY DESK

Voters Approve Issue 22

Portune, Cranley Pitch Deal at The Banks

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

After protracted battles over a music venue at The Banks between the City of Cincinnati and members of the Hamilton County Commission, there may be a truce on the table involving a deal to divvy up the remaining undeveloped lots at the riverfront development between the city and the county.

That’s the deal Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and Hamilton County Commission member Todd Portune hashed out, according to a news release Cranley’s office sent Nov. 5.

The agreement — if approved by Cincinnati City Council and Portune’s two commission colleagues, Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow-Dumas — would allow the county to move forward with developing MEMI’s music venue, relocating Hilltop Basic Resources (which currently sits on the space) and delivering 3,200 surface parking spots promised to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for their approval of the music venue near Paul Brown Stadium.

All of those points are important for the county because they allow it to delay many millions of dollars in stadium upgrades and other payments it would otherwise have to provide under its contract with the Bengals.

In return, under the Cranley-Portune deal, the county wouldn’t interfere with any city efforts to develop Lots 1 and 13 at The Banks, which are also near the stadium to the north.

Currently, both the city and the

county had to give joint approval for any development at The Banks.

Earlier this month, the city proposed a new zoning plan for The Banks that would make things difficult for the county as it works to move forward with the MEMI venue under a tight timeframe ahead of a competing venue in Newport. Portune compared this to “a declaration of war” against the county by the city.

Cranley has long been critical of the deal struck by the county with the Bengals, saying it will cost taxpayers in the end and that the planned parking promised to the Bengals isn’t a good use of land on the riverfront. The mayor also opposed development of the venue by MEMI, saying he preferred a competing plan by Columbusbased PromoWest, and wanted the venue built on Lot 24, where the Bengals have no say over the development’s height.

Cranley, however, says he has worked out those disagreements with Portune.

“Commissioner Portune and Mayor Cranley have worked together to come to an understanding that will advance future development at The Banks,” the release from Cranley’s office said.

The broad outlines of the deal: • The city won’t develop a lot it owns at Third Street and Central Avenue so that the county can use that through 2026 to provide some of the promised surface parking for the Bengals.

• The county will get exclusive development rights over Lot 24, where Cranley has pushed to move MEMI’s

venue, and Lot 25. The city’s recent zoning proposal excluded residential uses at those lots — something the county has wanted to do there since Lot 24 doesn’t have the same height restrictions as lots closer to Paul Brown Stadium have.

• The county will give the city the right to develop Lot 1 and Lot 13, keeping them from being used for surface parking. The Bengals will still have a say in the heights of buildings on those lots, but the county promises that any subsequent deals with the team won’t impose more restrictive stipulations on those lots. Under the deal, the county would also construct a parking garage on the lots. Tax Increment Financing money from the lots would go toward paying off another garage on Lots 23 and 27, then would go toward the construction of the garage at Lots 1 and 13. After that, the TIF money would be split by the city and county.

• The city will work with the county to explore placing decks over Fort Washington Way. • The city and county will explore a revenue-sharing agreement for proceeds from the SkyStar observation wheel attraction’s lease at Lot 18 at The Banks. The city would use its portion of the proceeds for upkeep at Smale Riverfront Park.

Under the agreement, the Cincinnati Planning Commission and Cincinnati City Council would still need to give final approval for MEMI’s music venue.

Ohio Senate Passes Bill Requiring Doctors to Tell Patients Medication-Induced Abortions Could be Reversible

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

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The Ohio Senate has approved a bill that would require physicians to tell patients that chemical abortions are potentially reversible.

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Some pro-choice groups and medical professionals have cried foul about the bill, however.

Senate Bill 155 requires doctors who prescribe chemical abortions — a series of two pills that can end a pregnancy within its first weeks — to share written information with patients about an experimental method that some say reverses those abortions.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican State Sen. Peggy Lehner, says the proposed law is about equipping patients with

information.

“This bill simply gives women more information about the option for a second chance to make an extremely emotional and difficult decision,” Lehner said in a statement.

But pro-choice groups and some medical associations say claims about the reversibility of the process are misleading.

“Senate Bill 155 will force physicians to spread unproven and dangerous information to pregnant patients,” Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio Vice President of Government Affairs Lauren Blauvelt-Copelin said in a statement. “Legislators should never mandate that

health care providers give their patients inaccurate information about an unproven treatment.”

the chances their pregnancy will be viable after the first pill — something critics say isn’t proven to work.

During a chemical abortion, a patient first takes Mifepristone, a medication that blocks the production of vital pregnancy hormone progesterone. Then, shortly afterward, the patient takes Misoprostol, which causes contractions of the uterus.

The American Medical Association and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecologists have opposed similar bills on those grounds.

The AMA sued North Dakota over a similar law in July this year.

If a patient takes the first pill but not the second, there is a 50 percent chance their pregnancy will end, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says.

The law also wants physicians to advise women to take progesterone to increase

If the Ohio House passes the bill and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs it, physicians would face misdemeanor charges the first time they fail to discuss the reversal procedure with a patient.

Subsequent failures to do so would result in felony charges with a penalty of up to 180 days in prison.

On Nov. 5, Cincinnati voters decisively approved a move that would eliminate a portion of the city’s earnings tax should Hamilton County voters approve a sales tax levy next year to fund the region’s Metro bus service.

Roughly 76 percent of voters approved the charter amendment striking the .3 percent of the earnings tax currently devoted to buses. That tax generates about $50 million a year.

For the amendment to go into effect, Hamilton County voters will need to approve a .8 percent sales tax increase for a plan called Reinventing Metro that the board of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority approved in September. That may be a tougher ask.

The sales tax would generate about $130 million. Under the plan approved

by SORTA’s board, $100 million of that would go to Reinventing Metro and another $30 million would go to an infrastructure fund for local roads and bridges.

Metro’s plan promises eight new bus routes to and from employment centers around the county; expanded hours and more frequent service on existing routes; 24-hour service along six major corridors; new transit centers; smaller circulator buses and crosstown routes; and better service for people with disabilities.

SORTA officials say the Reinventing Metro plan could substantively improve bus service if voters approve the sales tax increase. In the meantime, the bus system is in a tough spot.

Metro’s precarious financial situation hasn’t been helped by state funding.

Ohio’s state funding for public transit per capita is among the lowest in the country.

Some help will likely be coming to Metro’s budget via a 10.5-cent increase in the state’s gas tax, which will generate roughly $70 million more for public transit every year. But that money will need to be divvied up among the state’s 60 transit agencies.

Thousands of riders on SORTA’s Metro system face long, convoluted commutes, some riding for more than an hour and taking transfers to get from one Cincinnati neighborhood to another.

Since 1973, Metro has been funded by a .3-percent earnings tax levied by the city. That’s highly unusual — most large transit systems are funded by county taxpayers.

Overall, the city’s income tax is 2.1 percent. Eliminating Metro’s portion would lower the city’s earnings tax to 1.8 percent, the lowest among major Ohio cities.

FROM PAGE 04

African-American youth? Until the changes that are beginning to occur in Avondale, where were the resources?” she asks. “No stores. No places to work when you’re a kid. No places to go for children.

They’re not in an environment that is economically conducive for making good choices. When you go to the neighborhood school that is not the magnet school, your opportunities are more limited, and your network is more limited. You don’t have the choices to do something different.”

How does a community address those disparities? Part of the answer involves asking young people themselves, youth council advocates say.

A program launched by the Children’s Law Center (CLC) and funded by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation engaged 15 young people from various youth councils, who met every Friday over the summer to discuss those issues and come up with recommendations for city leaders.

Most of the group also had summer jobs but were compensated for their time. The group also received leadership training from Cincinnati-based youth engagement nonprofit Youth at the Center.

CLC Executive Director Acena Beck says the program has been a few years in the making, but that the timing has been critical this year.

A series of shootings involving

teens as young as 14 focused the city’s attention on violence in some Cincinnati neighborhoods, making the input of young people in those communities even more vital, Beck says.

“Their voices are what matter,” she says.

“We as adults are always assuming that we know what is best for youth and we know what they want. But a lot of times, we find that we’re wrong. This is a time when the city seems to be paying more attention, with the recent violence, so it’s the perfect time for them to weigh in. And all the youth we’ve worked with say they’ve never been asked.”

On Oct. 16, six youth council members presented their recommendations to Cincinnati City Manager Patrick Duhaney, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement Sustainability Manager Jason Cooper and other officials.

Those recommendations included youth representation on the Collaborative Agreement-created Manager’s Advisor Group, which oversees police accountability efforts and reviews continued implementation of the city’s landmark 2003 policing reforms.

Youth also said they thought both young people and police could benefit from more training about how to engage with each other, more efforts to get police officers out into the community in non-enforcement situations and more diversion programs

and other alternatives to the traditional justice system.

The city says it is taking those ideas seriously. A spokesperson said city officials are working on ways to implement key points made by the youth council members and will have more specifics about how it is doing so soon.

“The City Administration was pleased to partner with the Children’s Law Center, the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio and Youth at the Center on this important topic,” the city said in a statement. “We look forward to going over the recommendations and discussing possible paths forward with the organizations, the Cincinnati Police Department and our elected officials in the coming weeks. The City of Cincinnati remains committed to exploring ways to expand partnerships with a range of community-based organizations to create platforms and meaningful opportunities for young people to voice their opinions and inform the decisions that will impact their lives.”

Vasquez says the experience was valuable.

“It was exciting, being able to present in front of the city manager and the police chief because I look up to people like Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez,” she says. “In my mind, youth are fighting for their voices to be heard… it’s an opportunity to change our community.”

FROM PAGE 05

the Bevin family by a donor and uproar from some in Kentucky over comments he has made about vaccinations and cold-weather school closings, as well as his suggestion that Kentucky students experienced molestation or abuse during a public teacher sick-out. That sick-out came as a protest against moves Bevin has made to try and shore up the state’s ailing pension fund, which is deeply underfunded.

Beshear had a controversy of his own to contend with — allegations of corruption against his deputy attorney general Tim Longmeyer, who in 2016 was found guilty of accepting bribes during his time in Beshear’s father, Gov. Steve Beshear’s, cabinet.

There isn’t any evidence the younger Beshear knew about those bribes, but his primary opponent, Adam Edelen, used the incident to attack Beshear.

Sorting out the election has a fairly tight deadline — the Kentucky Board of Elections is set to certify the results by Nov. 25 and Kentucky’s constitution requires the next governor to be sworn in by Dec. 10.

Beshear says he’s looking ahead to his term in office.

“Whatever process that the governor chooses to go down, it’s not going to change this overall number of votes,” he told reporters at a news conference Nov. 6. “We are going to take the steps to move forward to make sure that we are ready.”

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SATURDAY JANUARY 25, 2020

· THE PHOENIX

W W W. B R U N C H E D C I N C Y. C O M

STUFF TO DO

Ongoing Shows ONSTAGE: The Lifespan of a Fact Playhouse in the Park, Mount Adams (through Nov. 16)

WEDNESDAY 13

ONSTAGE: Mean Girls The Musical runs through Nov. 17 at the Aronoff. See an interview on page 36.

ART: Antique Christmas at the Taft Museum of Art The Taft Museum of Art’s annual holiday display, Antique Christmas, has bedecked the historic homemuseum with a nostalgic collection of vintage ornaments, including Disney and German fairy tale pieces; trees decorated with preWorld War II miniature glass ornaments from Germany, Poland and Japan; Art Deco gift boxes; various iterations of Santa Claus figurines; and an exterior swept with evergreen garlands and wreaths. There will also be, according to a description, “A whimsical display of the types of transportation Santa Claus uses to make his special deliveries, as well as a feather tree hung with brightly colored Russian ornaments watched over by figures of Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden.”

Through Jan. 5, 2020. $9.99 adults; $8 seniors; free kids.

Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown, taftmuseum. org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE TA F T M U S E U M O F A R T

as Songs of the Week for Live from Here. And as a member of the Punch Brothers, Thile released the Grammy-winning All Ashore in 2018. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13. $44-$59. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-theRhine, memorialhallotr.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

THURSDAY 14

EVENT: Taft House Party Head to the Taft Museum of Art for an after-work happy hour and house party, cohosted by the Civic Garden Center’s Young Professional Green Team. Think calm and lean into green with “soft jams” by DJ Mowgli, spiked hot apple cider, food from the Cheesecakery, a chance to create your own light-up peony and a guided meditation session in the galleries. The CGC will present a talk on current exhibit Poetry of Nature: Hudson River School Landscapes from the New York Historical Society, a collection of paintings that “reveal natural

wonders that sparked the first artistic movement in the United States,” says the museum. 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. Free admission.

Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown, taftmuseum. org. — MAIJA ZUMMO MUSIC: Ruben Sings Luther Singer Ruben Studdard, whose career took off after he won the second season of American Idol in 2003, has been performing concerts that pay tribute to the late R&B legend Luther Vandross. Studdard’s ties to Vandross stretch back to the very start of his career: He performed a head-turning version of “Superstar” for his first-round song on Idol, which set the stage for his ultimate overall win. “Superstar” was originally released in 1969 by the duo Delaney & Bonnie (co-written with Leon Russell), but it was a bigger hit for The Carpenters in 1971 and then for Vandross in 1983. Studdard’s recorded version — a

single from his debut album, Soulful — was nominated for a Best Male R&B Vocal Performance Grammy; the 2004 award ultimately went to Vandross himself for his work on the song “Dance with My Father.” Last spring, Studdard released his Ruben Sings Luther album, which features his arrangements of Vandross hits like “Always and Forever,” “Power of Love” and “Never Too Much.” “Since I won American Idol, people have been asking for me to sing Luther songs,” Studdard told People magazine. “I thought it was the perfect time to pay homage to one of the greatest song interpreters of all time.” 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. $45-$65. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-theRhine, memorialhallotr.com.

— MIKE BREEN ART: Tyler Shields’ Fairytale Photographer Tyler Shields has become a Cincinnati favorite since his first show at Miller Gallery in 2012,

Controlled Chaos. Before that exhibit, CityBeat contributor Maria Seda-Reeder interviewed Shields, writing, “The Jacksonville, Florida native gets a lot of flack for being so popular. Newsweek/Daily Beast columnist Chris Lee wrote, ‘Shields remains something of a joke in fine arts circles and is written off as a star-fucker by his vocal detractors.’ To hear him tell it, he’s just a guy who never went to art school (or high school, for that matter), taught himself how to edit skate videos (he was a professional inline vert skater in his late teens/ early twenties) and took a picture with his roommate’s camera that got really big on MySpace.” Since Controlled Chaos, Shields — nicknamed the “Warhol of his generation” by Sotheby’s — has exhibited multiple times at Miller Gallery: in 2013, 2016 and 2018. The new exhibit, Fairytale, will feature his modern and inverse interpretations of classic

stories. An evening before the opening, the Contemporary Arts Center is hosting a free talk with Shields at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. On view through Dec. 24. Free admission. Miller Gallery, 2715 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, facebook.com/millergallery.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

FRIDAY 15

MUSIC: Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan plays a solo show at the Madison Theater. See Sound Advice on page 48.

CLASSICAL: American Life with the CSO The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will celebrate legendary African-American composers via American Life at Over-the-Rhine’s Music Hall. Kicking off with Adolphus Hailstork’s “An American Port of Call,” the concert will explore works

by James Lee III, Florence CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

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MUSIC: Chris Thile Grammy winner Chris Thile heads to Memorial Hall for a special solo show. Thile, a member of bands the Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, is considered a “mandolin virtuoso, composer and vocalist,” says Memorial Hall. He’s also a MacArthur Fellow and the host of Live from Here, American Public Media’s music and storytelling variety show that took the place of A Prairie Home Companion. As a solo artist, Thile has released several albums, including Thanks for Listening, a collection of tunes originally written

Antique Christmas

9

FRIDAY 15

EVENT: Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom Anniversary The Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom is celebrating its one-year anniversary in a big, boozy way. The brewery released its 11thbiennial barrel-aged Utopias in select locations on Oct. 15 and will be releasing it on draft for the first time in the Cincy taproom on Nov. 15. But this isn’t just any regular beer release — Utopias is one of the most expensive, exclusive and extreme beers on the market. With an ABV of 28 percent, the top-shelf beer is illegal in 15 states. According to a press release from Sam Adams, the rich, barrel-aged brew has a flavor profile reminiscent of a fine sherry or vintage port. This year’s edition was aged in cognac and Madeira finishing barrels. The celebration is free to enjoy, but in order to participate in the special Utopias tasting, which includes a one-ounce pour and commemorative glass, you must purchase a ticket. The brewery will also release Barley-topias at the event, a barleywine anniversary beer which is aged in Utopias barrels. Barley-topias will be available on tap and in bottles. There will also be barbecue from The Beerded Pig and live music. 6-11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. Free admission; $20 Utopias tasting. Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom, 1727 Logan St., Over-theRhine, facebook.com/samadamscincy. — HAILEY BOLLINGER

SAMUEL ADAMS’ UTOPIAS // PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

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Price, William Grant Still and Jazz giant Duke Ellington.

Of the latter, Ellington’s composition “Harlem” will be performed, manifesting a Sunday morning walk through the New York neighborhood in the early1950s. In Ellington’s memoir, he writes of the work: “It is Sunday morning. We a strolling from 110th Street up Seventh Avenue, heading north through the Spanish and West Indian neighborhood towards the 125th Street business area... You may hear a parade go by, or a funeral or you may recognize the passage of those who are making Civil Rights demands.” Immerse yourself in this experience, among others, during this two-hour concert. 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15; 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16. $14-$107. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.

— MACKENZIE MANLEY MUSIC: Cincy’s R&B Fest Several turn-of-the-century R&B stars will be on hand for the first Cincy’s R&B Fest, showcasing artists primarily from the Atlanta and Texas areas. Jagged Edge had its biggest success in the early ’00s, with hits like “Where the

Party At” and “Let’s Get Married,” which won a 2001 Soul Train Music Award (as did their sophomore album, J.E. Heartbreak). The Atlanta group has worked extensively with Jermaine Dupri and his So So Def label.

Also from Atlanta, 112 had a banner year in 1997, hitting the charts several times, including with their single “Cupid.” The group was also featured on Puff Daddy’s Grammy-winning Biggie Smalls tribute, “I’ll Be Missing You,” alongside Faith Evans. Ginuwine was one of the top R&B artists in the world in the late ’90s/early ’00s, hitting the Platinumselling mark with his first three albums. He is best known for his ubiquitous debut single, the raunchy hit “Pony,” which featured the timelessly poetic line, “If you’re horny, let’s do it, ride it, my pony.” Tevin Campbell, SILK and H-Town round out the lineup. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. $49.50-$250.

Heritage Bank Center, 100 Broadway St., Downtown, heritagebankcenter.com.

— MIKE BREEN

SATURDAY 16

MUSIC: Singer-songwriter and horticulturist Gregory Alan Isakov brings his

evocative Indie Folk to Madison Theater. See interview on page 45.

EVENT: Wizard Fest at the Ludlow Garage If you spent your adolescence (or adulthood) pining for an admissions letter from Hogwarts delivered via owl or chimney, you’ll soon get your chance to experience the magic. On Saturday, the Ludlow Garage will transform into the wizarding world beloved by fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Aptly dubbed Wizardfest, the one-nightonly event is touring across the United States by way of Pop Up Party Tours. Of the festivities, you can put your knowledge to the test in trivia; participate in a post-Halloween costume contest, broomsticks in tow; and, for those 21 and over, you can meander over to the Leaky Cauldron and kick back with a Butterbeer or Polyjuice Potion. Adding to the magical atmosphere, a live DJ will play tracks from the film franchise — prepare to dance like someone cast tarantallegra on ya (CityBeat does not endorse jinxing wizards, witches, muggles or, hell, even squibs). If you’re looking to be as happy as a house elf with a

sock, a sweepstakes prize for a trip for two to London is also on the table. Throw your name in the Goblet of Fire for a chance to win. 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 16. $16-$36 general admission; $76 seat with wand and goodie bag.

Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, popuppartytours.com. — MACKENZIE MANLEY EVENT: Cincinnati Zoo’s Festival of Lights It’s time to get fired up about freezing your face off at the Cincinnati Zoo in the name of time-honored tradition and holiday magic. The Festival of Lights is back for its 37th year of wintery amazement. Voted the No. 1 zoo light show in the country by readers of USA Today, 3 million LED lights (that’s 284 miles of lights) transform the zoo into a dazzling display of color and festive cheer. New this year is an immersive Northern Lights experience and Fiona’s Fairyland, where five fairy hippopotamuses will be hidden for visitors to find. Ride the Toyland Express train past the Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, snack at the two S’mores-n-More stations, meet the “royal sisters” at the Frozen Wonderland, catch a Madcap black light

puppet show and snap a pic with Santa, who will start taking visitors an hour before the festival begins.

Whatever you do, make sure to do it with a cup of hot cocoa (spiked or not) in hand. Through Jan. 4, 2020.

Free with zoo admission: $19 adult; $13 child/senior; online discounts available.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.

— MORGAN ZUMBIEL

SUNDAY 17

MUSIC: Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers bring a hyper-sensory blend of Hip Hop, Emo, Pop, Folk, Jazz and AltRock to Bogart’s. See Sound Advice on page 48.

MUSIC: Cincinnati Pops Totally ’80s The Cincinnati Pops take it back to the 1980s with this evening of programming and themed performances.

The Pops, led by conductor Stuart Chafetz and vocalists Aaron Finley and Julie Reiber, will be performing the biggest hits of the decade from acts like Blondie, Cher, George Michael and Kool & The Gang. The Heroes Rise Street Dance Experience will also be on hand to perform “old school, eyepopping, pop-locking moves.”

Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best (or worst) 1980s attire; leg warmers, Members Only jackets and crimped hair are welcome. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. Tickets start at $25. Music Hall, 1241

Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

TUESDAY 19

MUSIC: Elvis Costello and the Imposters If you are a fan of Elvis Costello and you’ve never seen him live, you need to make amends for that tragedy, pronto. You will not be disappointed. I have never been more confident in such an endorsement in all my life.

Yes, the EC songbook contains some of the best songs ever written, but Costello is an underrated live performer.

I’ve seen the no-duh Rock Hall inductee multiple times over the past three decades and I somehow manage to forget what a force he is on the concert stage, so I’ve ended up leaving each time surprised again that I’d just seen one of the best Rock shows I’ll ever see.

Backed by his amazing band The Imposters (featuring longtime co-conspirators Steve Nieve on keyboards and Pete Thomas on drums), Costello can still pump it up on his crucial early hits, while also delivering emotionally heavy classics like “I Want You” as if the incident that inspired the song happened yesterday. He is also impossibly charming, his banter often worthy of its own stand-up set. Costello’s current tour is titled “Just Trust,” which — as explained in a cheeky press statement — is the “answer to the musical questions: ‘Will they play my favourite song?,’ or, ‘Are they going to

frighten the horses with a lot of excellent songs that are rarely performed?,’ not to mention, ‘Can I expect the hits of yesteryear and those of tomorrow?’ ” 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 19. $43-$103.

Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.

— MIKE BREEN

WEDNESDAY 20

EVENT: Transgender Day of Remembrance Local groups including the Transgender Advocacy Council, GLSEN Greater Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Human Rights Campaign, Heartland Trans Wellness and the Leelah Alcorn Memorial Highway, among others, are hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Woodward Theater. The goal of the event is to “come together and remember transgender people, gender-variant individuals and those perceived to be transgender who have been murdered because of hate.” 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-theRhine, facebook.com/transadvocacycouncil. — MAIJA ZUMMO

THURSDAY 21

MUSIC: Mongolian quartet

The HU blend traditional throat singing and Hard Rock at the Taft Theatre.

See Sound Advice on page 49.

of being a comic is taking a story people aren’t familiar with, adding your humor and flavor, and making the audience live in the story and laugh about it the same way you do,” he says. 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23; 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. $20-$50. Funny Bone Liberty, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone. com. — P.F. WILSON

FRIDAY 22

MUSIC: Houndmouth goes from Americana Folk to fluttery synths and funky guitar lines at the Southgate House Revival. See Sound Advice on page 50.

LIT: Ohio senator Sherrod Brown will discuss and sign his book Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America at Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

See interview on page 33.

COMEDY: Ali Siddiq Some comedians started as the funniest person in school, or as a cut-up on the job. Ali Siddiq was the funniest guy in the Texas state penitentiary system.

While serving six years of a 15-year sentence for drug trafficking, he entertained his fellow inmates by reenacting entire sitcom episodes and commenting on life in prison. “I knew comedy was what I was going to do when I came out,” he says. “I had no desire to do anything else.” His fellow inmates knew that was his destiny as well. “The craft

ART: Tom Schiff: Surrounded by Art; Confinement: Politics of Space and Bodies; and Lauren Henkin: Props at the Contemporary Arts Center A triple-header of exhibitions will open at the Contemporary Arts Center on Nov. 22.

Cincinnati-based photographer Tom Schiff has traveled the country capturing exterior and interior spaces, specifically of museums, by utilizing a panoramic format to explore the architecture he has encountered over the years. As a release cites, he turns these museums into a medium through his “deliberate framing and moving of the camera.”

Group exhibition Confinement: Politics of Space and CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

FRIDAY 22

EVENT: Holiday Lights on the Hill at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum will light up for the 20th year this November. The Holiday Lights on the Hill drive-thru light display features two-and-a-half miles of creative, glowing scenes and an additional new projection-mapped sculptural installation overseen

by Brave Berlin, part of the team behind the BLINK art and light festival. This is the park’s second year collaborating with Brave Berlin and this year’s display is a stepping-stone to the park’s Journey BOREALIS, a “top-tier art and holiday destination,” arriving in November 2020. Through Jan. 5, 2020. $20 per car load Monday-Thursday; $25 per car load FridaySunday. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Road, Hamilton, pyramidhill.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO PHOTO: PROVIDED BY PYR AMID HILL

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FROM PAGE 11

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Bodies also explores space, but it does so in an entirely disparate way. A response to Samuel Beckett’s 1961 play Happy Days, which features a woman named Winnie buried in the ground up to her neck, the exhibit of 19 international artists considers the concept of confinement as it relates to the physical and mental spaces people inhabit, especially in the art world. Rounding out the openings is a site-specific sculptural installation

by Lauren Henkin. Dubbed Props, it will work within Zaha Hadid’s architectural design by adding playful touches throughout the CAC. The Friday reception features a public party at 8 p.m. Opening celebration 7-11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22.

On view through March 1, 2020. Free. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, contemporaryartscenter.org.

— MACKENZIE MANLEY EVENT: Germania Society Christkindlmarkt A bit of Bavaria is making its way to Colerain for the 22nd annual Germania Society Christkindlmarkt. A recreation of an authentic German Christmas market, the feier features holiday entertainment, a lantern-led parade, a petting zoo, carriage rides, German music, German food (dill pickle soup; hot, spiced glühwein;

strudels; cream puffs; and a holiday cocktail bar) and imported German gifts. Find steins, nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks, Advent calendars, traditional toys and more. Just keep your eyes peeled for Krampus. The evil Christmas creature gives naughty children coal and carries off the particularly bad ones into the woods.

Several Krampuses visit Christkindlmarkt each year; you’ll want to avoid being stuffed into his sack.

5-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23; noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. $3; free for ages 12 and under. Germania Park, 3529 W. Kemper Road, Colerain, germaniasociety. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

SATURDAY 23

EVENT: The 27th Victory of Light Psychic Festival heads to the Sharonville Convention Center. See feature on page 35.

MUSIC: Florida rapper Ski Mask The Slump God brings idiosyncratic beats to Bogart’s. See Sound Advice on page 51.

MUSIC: Straight No Chaser If you like your music without instruments, you’re going to love multi-person a cappella group Straight No Chaser.

The YouTube sensation, which originated at Indiana

EVENT: Secret ArtWorks Under the Stars Secret ArtWorks is an evening of celebration, fundraising and mystery. The crux of the event centers on the fact that each attendee (limited to 1,000 guests) will receive a piece of 5-inchby-7-inch artwork crafted by an artist whose identity won’t be revealed until that night. Each ticket includes a work of art, and proceeds go to benefit the mission of local nonprofit ArtWorks.

This year’s party theme is “Under the Stars,” led by emcee and Cincinnati Observatory astronomer Dean Regas. Attendees can check out performances

by Elevated Aerials; watch live painting; take part in a bourbon and wine toss; indulge in a “galaxy candy station;” and snack on bites and beverages from the likes of Court Street Lobster Bar, ESSEN, French Crust, Frida 602, Rhinegeist, Taste of Belgium, Watershed Distillery and more. 6:30-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. $125; $75 young professional; $50 artist guest. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, artworkscincinnati.org.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

University, has developed into a full-fledged phenomenon with seven Atlantic Records releases; collaborations with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John and Dolly Parton; covers of hits from “Go Your Own Way” to “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag;” and a top 100 ranking on Pollstar’s best touring acts in North America. During this week’s stop, expect a blend of humor, kitsch and the unadulterated human voice, plus a hearty dose of holiday classics. 4 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23. $39.50$79.50. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO EVENT: The OFF Market The O.F.F. Market is going big with a two-day maker mart inside MadTree’s Barrel Warehouse. The winter shopping op will feature “artists, bakers, chefs, scavengers, mobile boutiques and everything in between,” which you can peruse and purchase while sipping on a

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SATURDAY 23

COMEDY: Gallagher Prop comedy pioneer Gallagher, who earlier this year celebrated his 73rd birthday, will soon be smashing fruit in Harrison, Ohio. One of the most successful comedians of the 1980s, Gallagher’s trademark shtick was his “Sledge-O-Matic” bit, during which he would smash watermelons with a sledgehammer, showering the first several rows of fans with melon debris. In the ’80s, Gallagher had a steady stream of popular televised stand-up specials on Showtime and was a major box office draw on the road. Along with regular club dates, these days the comedian is also hosting writer workshops and you can even get Gallagher to officiate your wedding. Not resting on his artistic laurels, he’s also continued to expand the types of food he smashes onstage, crushing pies, heads of lettuce and much more. Those first rows have long been coveted seats at Gallagher shows and those attending his show at the Blue Note Harrison can get as close as they want (while tickets last). Up-close table seats are $40; to get into Row 2 it’s $35. Doors open at 5 p.m. and there is a dinner buffet (free with your ticket) until 6:30 p.m. There is a Poison tribute band playing on the Blue Note’s other stage that attendees are invited to check out. 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. $30-$40. Blue Note Harrison, 9660 Dry Fork Road, Harrison, Ohio, bluenoteharrison.com. — MIKE BREEN

craft beer from MadTree. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24.

Free admission. MadTree, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, theoffmarket.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

Hills, thetasteoflebanon.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

SUNDAY 24

EVENT: Straight Street Hill Climb The .36 miles of Straight Street in Clifton is one of the city’s steepest inclines. The Straight Street Hill Climb was started in 1976 by the Clifton Track and, according to its website, is “two minutes of self-inflicted torture.”

The climb is divided into a running race, a bike race and a duathlon. Need tips?

They say keep breathing and don’t pass out. There are trophies for the top three in each division and an overall King and Queen. Proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby. 9 a.m. sharp Saturday, Nov. 23. $15; $20 two or three events and race-day registration.

Straight Street, Clifton, straightstreethillclimb.com.

— ERIN GARDNER

EVENT: The 22nd annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards at Memorial Hall is a Grammy-style show for the Cincinnati music scene. See Spill It on page 47.

EVENT: Taste of Lebanon St. Anthony of Padua is hosting a fall version of its popular summertime Taste of Lebanon food and culture festival. Expect to be entertained by music and dance performances while you gorge on Middle Eastern eats including stuffed grape leaves, kibbe sandwiches (both fried and as tartare), falafel, shawarma, tons of sweets — including “Arabic ice cream,” or booza — and rich Lebanese coffee.

Noon-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24. Free admission. St. Anthony of Padua, 2530 Victory Parkway, East Walnut

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EVENT: INKED at Rhinegeist As the name suggests, INKED at Rhinegeist is a celebration of “all things ink,” inviting local tattoo artists to tattoo in the taproom while the brewery releases variants of its Ink stout.

INKED will feature artists from five local tattoo shops — White Whale, Black Fern, Handcraft Tattoo, Got Ink? and Get Up Tattoo Society — who will be applying live flash tattoos to customers. Rhinegeist will be providing the liquid courage at the event. Multiple variants of Ink will be available plus a flight of one-off experimental versions. Noon-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. Free admission; Ink available for purchase; tattoo prices vary. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine,

rhinegeist.com. — HAILEY BOLLINGER

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THIS HOLIDAY SEASON FEEL SOMETHING.

N

ovember is here, which means the holidays aren’t far behind. And with most celebrations — Hanukkah, Christmas, the office Secret Santa pool, etc. — people will be expecting to give and receive gifts. And whether you believe presents are a physical sign of caring or of capitalism, you’ll most likely be buying something for someone you know before the end of the year. This Gift Guide is a little photographic inspiration board featuring goods from independent Greater Cincinnati stores, divided into price points (under $25, $25 to $50 and $50 to $100+) and age groups (adults, kids). Note: This Gift Guide does not have items from every boutique in Cincinnati (obviously), nor does it illustrate every boutique at which we shop or think you should shop; it is merely a starting point to encourage your giving spirit as you begin to make your list and check it twice. There’s even a couple of presents for those who have been — or want to be — a little naughty.

Socks, $8-$10, Handzy, 17 W. Pike St., Covington, handzyshopstudio.com

Doodleshine Design dog bandana, $20, Wüf Pet Spa, 1812 Race St., OTR, wufspa.com

Bees wax candle, $12-$15, Bee Haven, 1815 Elm St., OTR, beehavenhoney.com

Tote, $20, Bee Haven, 1815 Elm St., OTR, beehavenhoney.com “Friends” hat, $20, Cincy Shirts, multiple locations including 1301 Main St., OTR, cincyshirts.com

Beanies, $12, Handzy, 17 W. Pike St., Covington, handzyshopstudio.com

Dark drinking chocolate, $20, Maverick Chocolate, multiple locations including 2651 Edmondson Road, Rookwood, maverickchocolate.com

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Anxiety relief extract, $14, Queen City Alchemy, 1808 Race St., OTR, queencityalchemy.com

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$16, Queen City Relax bath soak, ce St., OTR, Ra Alchemy, 1808 .com queencityalchemy

Palo Santo, $18, MiCA 12/v, 1201 Vine St., OTR, shopmica.com Honey, $12, Bee Haven, 1815 Elm St., OTR, beehavenhoney.com

“Pickled” & “Blitzed” glasses, $9 each, Elm & Iron, 1326 Vine St., OTR, elmandiron.com

Cookie cutters, $1.99 each, Artichoke, 1824 Elm St., OTR, artichokeotr.com Goetta tote, call for price, Cincy Shirts, multiple locations including 1301 Main St., OTR, cincyshirts.com Doodleshine Design dog bow tie, $16-$18, Wüf Pet Spa, 1812 Race St., OTR, wufspa.com

Mug, $15, Handzy, 17 W. Pike St., Covington, handzyshopstudio.com

Dog person tea towel, $16, Elm & Iron, 1326 Vine St., OTR, elmandiron.com

Incense, $8, Deerhaus Decor, 135 W. Elder St., OTR, deerhausdecor.com

Squirrel nut cracker, $18.99, Artichoke, 1824 Elm St., OTR, artichokeotr.com

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Ellebrux earrings, $16, Queen City Alchemy, 1808 Race St., OTR, queencityalchemy.com

Ornaments, $14 each, Lucca, 126 W. Elder St., OTR, luccaworkshop.com

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Gravel & Gold pillowcase, $35, Continuum, 1407 Vine St., OTR, continuumbazaar.com

Protection crystal grid, $35, Queen City Alchemy, 1808 Race St., OTR, queencityalchemy.com

Cheese club, $40-$50/month, The Rhined, 1737 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, therhined.com

Bogart’s T-shirt, $32, Homage, 1232 Vine St., OTR, homage.com

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Macrame wall hanging, $45, Coda Co., 400 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, shopcodaco.com

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Cookbook, $37.50, Artichoke, 1824 Elm St., OTR, artichokeotr.com Flying pig button-up, $40, Cincy Shirts, multiple locations including 1301 Main St., OTR, cincyshirts.com Flask, $28, Lucca, 126 W. Elder St., OTR, luccaworkshop.com

Vintage pennant, prices vary, Deerhaus Decor, 135 W. Elder St., OTR, deerhausdecor.com

Grainwell flying pig, $45, Elm & Iron, 1326 Vine St., OTR, elmandiron.com

Rookwood Pottery trivet, $41.99, Artichoke, 1824 Elm St., OTR, artichokeotr.com

Shave set, $42, Queen City Alchemy, 1808 Race St., OTR, queencityalchemy.com

Lemon Lee earrings, $28 each, Handzy, 17 W. Pike St., Covington, handzyshopstudio.com

SKT Ceramics ring dish, $28, MiCA 12/v, 1201 Vine St., OTR, shopmica.com Staghorn fern, $40, The Budding Florist, 1817 Elm St., OTR, thebuddingfloristcincy.com

Charley Harper T-shirt, $28, MiCA 12/v, 1201 Vine St., OTR, shopmica.com

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Muffy plush jacket, $48, Handzy, 17 W. Pike St., Covington, handzyshopstudio.com

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Bohemia satchel, $82, Lucca, 126 W. Elder St., OTR, luccaworkshop.com

Cutting board, $78, Lucca, 126 W. Elder St., OTR, luccaworkshop.com Level Up bowls, $70, Continuum, 1407 Vine St., OTR, continuumbazaar.com

Paloma Wool boots, $280, Continuum, 1407 Vine St., OTR, continuumbazaar.com

Matt+Nat belt bag, $110, MiCA 12/v, 1201 Vine St., OTR, shopmica.com

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Vintage beer tray, $85, Deerhaus Decor, 135 W. Elder St., OTR, deerhausdecor.com

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Pour over, $62, Lucca, 126 W. Elder St., OTR, luccaworkshop.com

Breakfast Leipzig candle, $65, Continuum, 1407 Vine St., OTR, continuumbazaar.com

Maison Louis Marie perfume, $57, Continuum, 1407 Vine St., OTR, continuumbazaar.com

Dolce & Gabbana SMEG toaster, $650, Artichoke, 1824 Elm St., OTR, artichokeotr.com

Janessa Leoné hat, $198, Idlewild Woman, 1230 Vine St., OTR, idlewildwoman.com

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Families learn best together. A CMC Membership is more than free admission to three museums. It’s an experience shared together. And the holidays are a great time to buy a membership or give one as a gift. Start making memories this holiday season and see what you’ll discover all year long. 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, 513-287-7000 cincymuseum.org.

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Cincy Brew Bus gift cards are the best gift to give to your adventurous and curious friends, family and loved ones!

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Grab a bite at one of the Best Of Cincinnati establishments while shopping! The College Hill Business District will be celebrating with door prizes, specials and free gifts on 11/30 for Small Business Saturday. See you soon! collegehillbusiness.com.

Give a present that is guaranteed to garner rave reviews with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati gift vouchers!

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Opera Cream, one of our most popular homemade candies, is made with pure rich cream, dipped in dark or milk chocolate, to create the ultimate of creams. Most prefer our rich dark chocolate — it brings out the pure cream taste. It’s another of Greater Cincinnati/ Northern KY’s claim to culinary fame. 420 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, Ky., 859-431-3545, schneiderscandies.com.

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Shop Silk Road Textiles for gifts for makers and friends • Globally and ethically sourced • Hand-crafted jewelry, fiber art and home décor from local and global artists! • Fine yarn and fabric • Unique supplies and classes for fiber artists • Family holiday ornament make and take • Conveniently located in College Hill • Free parking! 513-5413700 • www.silkroadcincinnati.com

Give the gift of a holiday experience in downtown Historic Madison, Indiana.

Just over an hour from Cincinnati, enter an wonderland during the 38th-annual Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes. Tour 6 beautifully preserved private homes, 5 public sites and more.

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Experience a festive holiday in this unique village, shopping for one-ofa-kind gifts and enjoying delicious seasonal dining. With over 70 shops, galleries and eateries in a lovely, walkable downtown, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll from shop to shop, stopping for a coffee or cocktail along the way. Hours vary at each location but most shops are open daily from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. with restaurants open until 11 p.m. YellowSpringsOhio.org.

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ARTS & CULTURE

At ‘Desk 88’ With Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown We chatted with Brown about the inspiration behind his recently published book, Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America

BY JAS O N G A R G A N O

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown PHOTO: PROVIDED BY SHERROD BROWN

T

CityBeat: What compelled you to write this book and how did you choose which senators to focus on?

Sherrod Brown: I always had in mind that I wanted to write about these senators and what they did to move the country

forward in a more progressive way. I’m not exactly sure how I picked these eight. Some of them I knew a little bit or a lot about. The one I knew nothing about, Glen Taylor, is in some ways the most interesting because he was kind of a character but he played a pretty big role in mid-20th-century American politics. He was the one I had to struggle to find out things. He was not particularly well known to history. Some of them, obviously (Robert) Kennedy and (George) McGovern and (William) Proxmire and Hugo Black, were well-known figures and they kind of all jumped out.

CB: What did you learn while researching Desk 88 that you can use in today’s political climate?

SB: I learned that, in some sense, nothing changes. I think Trump will go down as the worst president in American history, certainly the worst in my lifetime, but it’s not the worst time for our country. It’s not the divisions of Vietnam; it’s not all that was happening in civil rights; it’s not the Depression; it’s not the Civil War. I’ve thought more about this lately and I see how resilient we are. A lot of people are pessimistic with Trump and his threats to democracy. We should be alarmed and concerned and pushing back but not pessimistic. I think I learned that voters, in the end, do the right thing and that our institutions, even though they are under duress with Trump, really do protect us.

CB: Yet it’s surreal how quickly Republicans have flipped on so many of their long-standing core issues — from immigration to Russia to deficits to tariffs — to appease Trump.

SB: There are some Republicans of conscience that are increasingly troubled by this but most of them grumble quietly and go on. One of the things this book is telling me, using the 60 years that is covered in it, is that history will not be kind to the crowd of Republicans that have enabled this President.

CB: You’re currently the only statewide elected Democrat in Ohio. How do Democrats win back Ohio?

SB: We win back Ohio by paying more attention to rural communities. When I say rural communities, I just don’t mean Batavia; I also mean smaller cities like Hamilton and Middletown and Springfield and Lima and Mansfield. Many rural voters don’t like Democrats’ positions on gun safety, (reproductive) choice and marriage equality but they do like a Democrat that fights for their wages and their benefits and education for their kids. And then we continue to build our increasingly large margins in urban areas. Look at Hamilton County — no Democrat other than Lyndon Johnson in 1964 carried Hamilton County in decades until (President) Obama in 2008. I won Hamilton County by something like 60,000 votes, and it’s going to get

bigger next time, but we don’t do as well with people in Chillicothe and Portsmouth, so we’ve got to talk to people in smaller communities and show them we’re on their side.

CB: How (did) having another writer in the house impact your approach to Desk 88?

(Brown’s wife is longtime newspaper columnist and author Connie Schultz.)

SB: She read the book back in 2010 and said, “You’re not close to being finished,” which was kind of crushing because I thought I was. She also said, “You need more of you in this. A historian could have written about these eight senators, but since you’re sitting in the Senate and you’re sitting at their desk and you’re feeling and seeing something different, you have to put more of yourself in the book.” That’s when I came up with the construct of the eight senators alternated with “Thoughts from Desk 88,” which made the book much more whole and much more substantive and deeper than it would have been. I live with one of the best writers in the Midwest, if not the country. It’s clearly a better book because of whom I’m married to. There is no question about that.

Sherrod Brown will discuss/sign Desk 88 at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers (2692 Madison Road, Rookwood). More info: josephbeth.com.

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he floor of the United States Senate contains 100 desks, most of which were handcrafted from mahogany more than a century ago. Desk 88 belongs to Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, a Mansfield native who was elected to the Senate in 2006. Inspired by predecessors who sat at the desk over the years, Brown has just published Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America.

Brown’s book topic of choice makes sense — he’s been a tireless champion of progressive causes since first getting into politics in 1974, the year he graduated from Yale University with a degree in Russian studies. Brown spent 11 years researching and writing Desk 88, and it centers on eight men who each made their particular progressive mark on the Senate and beyond (in chronological order beginning in 1927 and covering a 60-year period): Hugo Black of Alabama; Theodore F. Green of Rhode Island; Glen H. Taylor of Idaho; Herbert H. Lehman of New York; Al Gore, Sr. of Tennessee; William Proxmire of Wisconsin; Robert F. Kennedy of New York; and George McGovern of Minnesota.

The senator profiles are interspersed with chapters titled “Thoughts from Desk 88,” in which Brown relays his incisive musings on politics past and present.

Sen. Brown, who was reelected to a third term last year, took a few minutes out of his busy schedule on the eve of Desk 88’s publication to connect with CityBeat.

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The Rise of Cincy’s Clairvoyant Community Attendance at the Victory of Light Psychic Festival has doubled over the last five years and psychics are more popular now than ever. We ask why

BY S T E V E K E M PL E

I

of individual liberties and emancipation from restrictive cultural norms.

Stuart Vyse — a behavioral psychologist and noted skeptic — writes in his book Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition that people look to astrology, psychics and tarot as a way to provide “a sense of control over the uncontrollable.”

Vyse links this to pathologies of contemporary existence: stress, anxiety and social isolation.

Paruta points to the same things. As he speaks about the ways in which psychic mediums and various techniques of transpersonal psychology can help people with things like trauma and grief, he grows passionate. He says they’re ultimately looking for relief from alienation and loneliness.

Anxiety seems to be a key factor here.

In fact, a recent study by the American Psychiatric Association reveals a sharp increase in anxiety this decade, while a major 2015 study puts this in context of a trend since the early 1990s. It’s worth noting this rise is parallel to the growth of New Age beliefs, alternative spirituality and psychic services.

This makes intuitive sense. Widening inequality, systemic oppression, global warming and the whiplash of changes brought about by rapid technological innovation are just a few of the traumas writ on a societal scale. Our present and future are uncertain. The appeal of the metaphysical is obvious.

While tarot cards and astrology can offer a palliative to these traumas, such beliefs have a less benevolent twin. Conspiracies and conspiratorial thinking, too, have been on the rise. Millions of people, for example, believe that human activity does not cause global warming or that the Earth is flat. Such views aren’t harmless (remember Pizzagate?). This is part of a wider crisis of truth that Paruta finds concerning. For him, these represent different responses to the same societal deficiencies that lead people to alternative spirituality and metaphysics. He points out that technology has played a roll for good and ill as it brings people together in new ways.

“Some people will be drawn to positive groups and beliefs,” he says, “and then there are those that are drawn to groups that are centered around hate.”

Indeed, last year, YouTube’s

Victor Paruta PHOTO: COURTESY OF VICTORY OF LIGHT

recommendation feature made headlines when it was revealed that it tended to lead its viewers down paths of radicalization.

Facebook’s algorithms, too, have willfully manipulated its users and contributed to the rise of conspiracies and conspiratorial thinking. In his book New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future, artist and author James Bridle explores the ways emerging technology, algorithms in particular, have contributed to this rise in conspiratorial thinking. Bridle points out that as algorithms organize our world in ways that are increasingly complex — to the point of human incomprehensibility — the result is anxiety and alienation.

Conspiratorial thinking, Bridle argues, is a way of organizing this information to deal with that anxiety and alienation.

Paruta believes there is an antidote.

“What Victory of Light is all about is

providing resources for people to have moments where they come to a greater understanding of their lives and life in general from within, rather than programming or information that is downloaded from outside,” he says.

He talks about the good he has seen Victory of Light bring people over the years.

“We want people to realize we’re living in a magical world,” he says. “Once they see that, life takes on more wonder. And people are thereby happier and less enslaved by their problems and limited beliefs.”

If nothing else, you’ll have a great conversation starter at Thanksgiving: “So, I went to a psychic festival last weekend…”

Victory of Light Psychic Festival takes place Nov. 23 and 24 at the Sharonville Convention Center (11355 Chester Road, Sharonville). More info/tickets: victoryoflight.com.

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n its 27th year, the Victory of Light Psychic Festival returns to the Sharonville Convention Center on Nov. 23 and 24.

(The fest also occurs every April.) Billed as the “Midwest’s Largest Body, Mind and Spirit Event,” it will feature psychic readers, artists, animal communicators, holistic healers and numerous vendors selling all manners of metaphysical and paranormal wares such as aura photographs.

Each day is packed with seminars like “Accessing 5th Dimension Consciousness” and “Flower Essence: Are You Ready to Soar Into the Expanded Reality of Your Soul?” This year’s headliner is international psychic celebrity Lisa Williams, star of television shows Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead, Lisa Williams: Voices from The Other Side and Lisa Williams Live.

According to a recent IBISWorld Industry Report, the psychic services industry is booming; the market analysis found that in the past five years, use of “psychic services” in the U.S. has grown steadily, having amassed over $2 billion in revenue in 2018. The rise here is part of a trend over the last three decades. A 2001 Gallup poll documents the trend beginning in the 1990s, mirroring Victory of Light’s own growth: attendance has doubled over the past five years. Around 7,000 attendees are projected to attend this fall’s event.

What explains these increases? I asked Victor Paruta, the psychic medium who founded the festival in 1992. He tells me that this is part of a larger cultural shift. He cites the growing number of Americans who identify as “spiritual but not religious.”

“A lot of people are living by that philosophy now,” he says. “They want to acknowledge a personal spiritual life, a personal connection to God, and a greater awareness that allows them to understand life more profoundly and more deeply.”

Paruta emphasizes that he sees no conflict with alternative spirituality and traditional religious beliefs; in fact, he believes they can be complementary. To back this claim, a 2018 study conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that New Age beliefs are common among religious Americans.

Paruta traces this shift to the counterculture of the 1960s, a time when people started to open themselves up to a “greater vision” of who they are spiritually and were also awakened to a heightened sense

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Composer Jeff Richmond on ‘Mean Girls’

BY M AC K EN ZI E M A N L E Y

Like films Heathers and Clueless, Tina Fey’s of alienating fans of the original because 2004 comedy Mean Girls spoke to the concertain scenes or lines had to be let go in fusing, sometimes alienating experience of order to make something fresh. being a teenage girl. Filled to the brim with Rather than crafting music that falls in snappy one-liners, it managed to be funny, line with today’s popular music, each charrelatable and empathetic, all rolled into acter’s voice is distinct among the others, one pink-hued plastic package. reflecting the stereotypes they’re labeled You know the story: Homeschooler Cady as and the traits they embody. It makes Heron grew up on the African savanna. But sense; in today’s world of streaming, teenwhen her family moves to suburban Illiagers’ taste in music is not so homogenous. nois, she enters an entirely different eco“Cliques are very different; they look system, aka a public high school. At the top different and they sound different in high of the food chain is Regina George, queen school and so we wanted to be sure that of “The Plastics.” With newly found friends we were representing those in a sound that Janis and Damian, Cady embarks on a plan sounded honest,” Richmond says. to dethrone Regina, but the takedown proves to be a messy feat.

The pop-culture juggernaut was given new life as a musical and opened on Broadway in 2018. It’s currently onstage at downtown’s Aronoff Center through Nov. 17 as part of a national Broadway tour.

Translating the film from the screen to stage was five years in the making for the creative team behind Mean Girls The Musical. And, according to composer Jeff Richmond — who also happens to be (L to R): Casey Nicholaw, Tina Fey, Jeff Richmond, Nell Benjamin Fey’s husband — it makes a dream reality for both PHOTO: JENNY ANDERSON him and Fey. “Broadway is this shining star that everybody is trying to find their When Fey wrote the film, she based the way to,” Richmond says via phone from script on her own experiences of attending New York City, “and somewhere along the public high school and on Rosalind Wiseway, your road diverges into other paths.” man’s nonfiction book Queen Bees and For Fey, that divergence came in the Wannabes, which examined behavioral form of Saturday Night Live, numerous aggression between teen girls. films — including Mean Girls — and two “When we revisited it, we thought that all successful sitcoms (30 Rock, Unbreakable the things that gave us all the anxiety and Kimmy Schmidt). Richmond, a former pain and the aggression that we felt toward music director for SNL, also composed people in 2004 — and by people I mean music for both of Fey’s shows. the people we have to see every day in high When asked about the collaborative school or at work — was still the same relaprocess between him, Fey (the book writer) tionships we felt people would see today,” and lyricist Nell Benjamin (a two-time Richmond says. “They still experience the Tony winner), Richmond says they started same angst and the same embarrassment “by just examining the whole movie again and the same anxiety and the same feeling and what made it appeal to such a large of ‘Oh, do I belong to this group and should audience” in the first place.

I belong to this group?’”

What they found is that many of the Richmond points out that 15 years later, characters could be explored in more that kind of behavior has escalated on a depth via song. Director and choreogramuch larger scale in politics, daily life pher Casey Nicholaw later came into the and otherwise. But he wants to remind fold; because of his background in musical everyone that Mean Girls is still just a big, theater, Richmond says he was “instrufun comedy. mental” to the process of pinning down Mean Girls The Musical runs through what formulaic moments were needed to Nov. 17 at the Aronoff Center (650 sustain Mean Girls over two acts. (Mean Walnut St., Downtown). More info/tickets: Girls runs for two-and-a-half hours, includcincinnatiarts.org. ing a 15-minute intermission.)

Perhaps the biggest challenge was grappling with the film’s long-standing popularity. Richmond says that they ran the risk

‘Parasite’ is Best Walked Into Cold R E V I E W BY M AC K EN ZI E M A N L E Y

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho is known for his genre-bending works, melding disparate hallmarks in his refusal to be defined. His latest flick, Parasite (winner of the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or), could be seen as part familytragicomedy, part domestic horror — but it’s perhaps best examined sans label.

With an ever-shifting tone, this film and its unraveling commentary on capitalism and the divisions it breeds is best walked into cold.

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It opens on the working-class Kim family, who live in a cluttered semi-basement apartment in the slums of Seoul, South Korea. Slivers of sunlight sneak through a meager window, but the space is mostly imbued with gray hues. A drunk man takes a leak in full view of their living room quarters. When a business turns on a slimmer of free WiFi, the family of four scatters to find reception — finally locating a few bars in the bathroom, where they crouch by a toilet. They move through this space as if tethered: crouching, tripping, scrambling.

Both parents — the father, Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), and mother, Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin) — are out of work, and their young adult children face similar prospects.

There’s a pointed moment near the beginning where the family is gifted a scholar rock promising to bring material wealth.

Bong sets an intentionally odd, almost surreal mood here. Though slight, it’s prophetic and foreboding, an object that clings to the narrative. And, more so than anyone, the son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik).

As he would say: “It’s so metaphorical.”

An aspiring university student, the film is set in motion when Ki-woo is recommended by a friend (who does attend college) to take his place as the new English tutor of the wealthy Park family’s daughter, Da-hye (Jung Ji-so). Forging his qualifications, he lands the job and, in turn, is given a taste of how the rich live.

The architecture these families inhabit plays a significant role in shaping the poor-rich divide. In comparison to the Kims’ bleak environment, the Parks flow through their space with unrealized grace.

Floor-to-ceiling living room windows reveal a dreamy backyard. In multiple scenes, characters bask in brushstrokes of sunlight — dancing, embracing, feeling.

The clean, minimalist lines reflect the Parks: wrinkle-free clothing, not a hair out of place, smooth skin, smoother smiles.

Ki-woo hatches a plan to land the rest of his family jobs at the Park household, navigating through similar falsehoods. First, his sister Ki-jung (Park So-dam) becomes “Jessica,” an art therapist for the Parks’ wily young son, Da-song (Jung Hyunjun). Ki-taek becomes the chauffeur and Chung-sook dethrones the long-standing housekeeper Moongwang (Lee Jung-eun), who had, up to that point, outlasted multiple owners of the residence. Her initial exit is a harsh reminder that people are a discardable commodity to the extremely rich.

There’s a subtle guilt present in the Kims at manipulating the Parks to fire staff members. Off-screen, we wonder what has become of them. Only Kitaek queries this in passing. But as quickly as his words bubble to the surface, they sink. The Kims, after all, deserve a slice of luxury. To feel the sun. To one day attend university. To make it in this world. And so they stick to the plan until it becomes horrifically impossible to do so.

For a chunk of the film, they seem to blend in without suspicion. When Da-song announces that they all smell the same, tension flares. From that moment, both Park parents — Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) and his wife, Yeon-kyo (Jo Yeo-jeong) — scrunch their noses when they become aware of the stench.

Though painful to witness, this drives the plot forward. Parasite realizes that the hope for bettering one’s position fuels a capitalist system fundamentally against the working class.

“The best plan is no plan,” Ki-taek reveals when all literally goes to shit. It doesn’t matter how many precautions they took or how hard they worked to fit in. The architecture the Parks inhabit seems to cosmically reject the Kims. You never quite know where Bong’s film might turn and dread lurks in every twist. At the risk of revealing too much, trust me: Go see Parasite. (In select theaters) (R) Grade: A+

PHOTOS BY MARY ELLEN MATTHEWS

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TV

‘Silicon Valley’ of the Shadow of Death

BY JAC K ER N

The opening scene of Silicon Valley’s proclaimed to the world.

(10 p.m. Sunday, HBO) sixth and final When Jared (Zach Woods), Pied Piper’s season is all too familiar: an awkward true moral compass and No. 1 cheerleader, tech founder addresses congress about leaves the company in search of something the implications of our interconnected new, it becomes clear what a critical world and the tools we use to navigate role he played. It turns out Richard has it. Days ahead of the comedy’s premiere, partnered with the enemy and PiperNet Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg testified is already treading a dangerous path that before the House Financial Services includes privacy concerns, data mining Committee, sharing plans for Facebook’s and accepting literal blood money to fund forthcoming Libra cryptocurrency and its ventures. the company’s policies on monitoring Shake-ups and uncertainties abound content on the platform. In the fictional for Pied Piper’s answer to Beavis and hearing, Richard Hendricks (Thomas Butt-Head — Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) Middleditch) uncharacteristically finds and Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) — as they his stride describing a “new internet” notice more and more red flags for the called PiperNet — a decentralized one company. Gilfoyle might have met without foreign or monetary influence — his match in the new head of human something of, by and for the people. resources, Tracy (Helen Hong) — I’m Wouldn’t that be nice? sensing a Roman/Gerri relationship à la Since 2014, Silicon Valley has masterfully Succession, but maybe I just really miss parodied the tech industry with eerie Succession. Meanwhile Dinesh is just extra uncanniness, particularly for folks in that ripped — but that’s thanks to Nanjiani’s field, all while highlighting the mindincreasingly frequent casting in action numbing quirks of work that everyone can flicks (next up: Marvel’s Eternals). relate to. Considering this is coming from Mike Judge, the guy who brought us Office Space, that’s no surprise.

Judge seems adept at predicting the future (not that we need any more discussion around America’s current sociopolitical parallels to his 2006 film Idiocracy) or at the very least assessing the present (Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill still stand up today).

With Silicon Valley, he’s successfully satirized Thomas Middleditch as Silicon Valley’s Richard Hendricks the startup world for even those who still P H O T O : A L I PA I G E G O L D S T E I N don’t understand what blockchain is. (Guilty.)

Richard’s company, Pied Piper, and In case you hadn’t noticed, much like all the projects that have fallen under the world it represents, Silicon Valley often its umbrella have seemed doomed with seems like a boys’ club with few significant each passing season. Just as failure seems female characters. Amanda Crew’s Monica imminent and everyone has accepted it as has become a fine supporting character, such, something or someone saves the day working her way up to Pied Piper CFO and at the 11th hour, whether it’s new backers occasionally serving out laughs. (A recent or a company pivot — even though, oftenchain-smoking scene really showed off her times, the characters would benefit most physical humor.) But she and other women from pulling the plug. It’s these existential are rarely given the material that stands up questions around success that balance the to even the smallest roles played by men. bevy of dick jokes in Silicon Valley.

Maybe it’s the reports of an abusive Richard has had to make so many atmosphere at the hands of T.J. Miller, sacrifices surrounding his vision of who exited in the fourth season, that I PiperNet over the years that by the time can’t shake — or even the recent irksome he gets something off the ground, it will Playboy interview with Middleditch — but likely be unrecognizable to him. After his for a show and creator known for supreme shockingly successful presentation on the social commentary, they both certainly national stage, Richard seems to be getting have their blind spots. cocky with a high-and-mighty attitude. But Contact Jac Kern: @jackern when he starts to abandon what’s gotten him to this point, he finds himself unable to fulfill the wishful promises he’s now

FILM

‘The Report’ Searches for Truth in Redaction R E V I E W BY T T S T ER N - EN ZI

On the heels of my screening of The Report at the Toronto International Film Festival, I zeroed in on the presence and performance of Annette Bening as California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who tasked her ambitious staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) to investigate the CIA’s post-9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program. It was a luxury to consider certain artistic merits of the work over the trickier aspects of its thorny subject matter.

Of course, the actual release date now makes me wonder if a film like this benefits from being released during the impeachment proceedings the government currently finds itself embroiled in? Does it matter that we live in a period when news reporting and factchecking work overtime to keep up with the less than truthful statements spewing forth from the executive branch?

Adam Driver as Daniel J. Jones in The Report P H O T O : AT S U S H I N I S H I J I M A

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Dramatic license most likely was taken by writer-director Scott Z. Burns (screenwriter for The Informant!, Side Effects and The Laundromat), but what is fascinating is how Burns sticks so closely to the narrative’s political details that he refuses to step away and provide the audience with glimpses into the lives of these characters.

We never see how they manage to deal with the heavy burden of the investigation in their private encounters.

Most filmmakers would create parallels illustrating how uncovering secrets leads the investigators to hide what they are doing from those closest to them, making them no better than the morally compromised figures in their sights.

Not pursuing this path places great responsibility on the shoulders of The Report’s lead, but Driver is more than up to the task. In fact, his Jones is less self-righteous in his single-minded focus because we don’t have any access to what he does on his own (possibly because he does nothing but live in this investigation).

He becomes the ideal embodiment of truth,

justice and the American Way; when he is confronted with having to detour outside the strict confines of the rules of order to expose what is happening behind the scenes, we come to appreciate the toll it exerts on him.

By way of contrast, the film offers up the contractors who develop the Detention and Interrogation Program as innately compromised souls gleefully making things up as they go along without regard for right or wrong. These men have no sense or sensibilities to guide their decisions or actions, which begs the question: How/why can such men be enlisted to serve the country?

Service is always namechecked as an honor binding those who take oaths, whether for the military or elected officials.

Everyone pledges allegiance and fidelity to high standards and codes of conduct, but what we see on the news and in their statements after some shady dealings is that they somehow imagined that they could cross their fingers and be protected from always serving truth and justice, to the point that the exceptions started to become the rules.

This is what makes Driver’s Jones such a meaningful character (and a true American hero) in this story; he serves as the person who holds everyone accountable to those ideals and oaths.

He dedicates himself and lives by the truth, even when it exerts the kind of pressure that forces others to bend or break. We see him go toe-to-toe with Bening’s Feinstein, reminding her of her own obligation to not just uncover the truth, but also to give it a voice.

Redaction, as we’ve come to know it in the political world, is about editing documents for legal or security purposes.

Oftentimes, the final product is empty and useless, completely stripped of context or the necessary elements constituting truth and justice. As a writer-director working hand-in-hand with Driver, Burns shows us how to remove the unnecessary in order to allow the narrative to speak its truth.

It is difficult to imagine who is providing this service to the American people and our presumed ideals at this particular moment. Partisan politics has advanced significantly since the period detailed in The Report, leading average Americans (especially those not as invested in sussing out the truth from the opinions being reported as facts on both sides) with the notion that there may no longer be anyone like Daniel J. Jones on the front lines.

(Opens Nov. 15) (R) Grade: A

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FOOD & DRINK

Pho Lang Thang 2.0 The cult favorite Vietnamese eatery has expanded into a larger location by Findlay Market and added beer, wine and cocktails R E V I E W BY PA M A M I TC H EL L

The new Pho Lang Thang space is much larger, with a full bar.

A

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Pho Lang Thang 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, pholangthang.com

available here, but now you can select from a dozen draft beers, many more suds in cans and bottles and a short but carefully selected list of wines by the glass or bottle.

Don’t overlook their playful, Asianaccented cocktail list, either. I’ve tried — and liked — both the Thuoc Bac (Aperol, elderflower, rosemary tincture and lime; $8) and Tigers Love Pepper (based on gin and accented with just a bit of Thai chili; $10).

I’ve had two meals at the new location: a weeknight dinner with several friends and a solo lunch at the bar on a busy Saturday.

In its first months of operation, the menu hasn’t changed appreciably although its owners have suggested they plan to add shareable appetizers to the noodle soups, salads and banh mi sandwiches that make up the core of their food offerings.

The food is conveniently adaptable for meat lovers, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans — not to mention those who avoid gluten or lactose. In fact, I don’t think you’ll find any lactose in the house except for sweet cream in the coffee.

I arrived with three friends on a quiet

weeknight and we started with drinks and appetizers. My Tigers Love Pepper cocktail was slightly spicy with a dash of chili, a companion’s glass of California chardonnay was an impressively generous pour and the others selected from the list of draft beers. I didn’t try the fried spring roll but enjoyed the fresh flavors of both salad rolls — one vegan and one with shrimp and pork ($4.50 two rolls). Dipped in an umami-rich peanut sauce, the rolls were a satisfying and yet light way to start dinner.

Next we tucked into a bowl of pho chay ($12) consisting of vegan broth, rice noodles, chunks of tofu and bamboo shoots. The broth was surprisingly flavorful without any meat or fish component, at least for this omnivore.

Along with the soup, we ordered my favorite part of the meal: banh mi bo ($8.25), a sandwich with strips of tender beef, crunchy fresh vegetable strips such as carrots and zucchini, and a spicy mayonnaise dressing that our server whipped up for us by combining regular mayo with a teaspoon of special hot sauce.

I’ve always loved those sandwiches and that’s what I invariably ordered at the original Pho Lang Thang location. The spectacularly fresh, yeasty baguette that surrounds those ingredients harkens back to the French colonial influence in

Southeast Asia and is a perfectly delicious combination of cultures.

I made a return visit a week or so later to try the bun (noodle salad), which I thought was a good choice for lunch — although any of the main menu items can work just fine for either lunch or dinner. I had mine with beef ($10.50) at the recommendation of the server, who said she thought that made the most flavorful addition to the vegetables.

It was a large bowl with sections of bean sprouts, lettuce, julienned carrot and zucchini, plain rice noodles and a little bit of cilantro, plus the strips of beef. A container of clear, slightly sweet rice-vinegar dressing came on the side. I thought the soft noodles, crunchy veggies and salty beef worked well together although the dressing was a little bland for my taste.

This was probably their busiest time of the week — noontime on a Saturday when the Findlay Market shoppers and sightseers found their way to the place. There was a wait for tables until a little after 2 p.m. but the staff moved efficiently and seemed to keep the hungry hordes happy.

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

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lthough Cincinnati is home to several thousand citizens of Vietnamese descent, there are only a few eateries here representing that country’s cuisine. Each one is casual, serving what could easily be considered street food. That makes a lot of sense given that the charm of Vietnamese food lies in its freshness and simplicity.

You don’t need a white tablecloth to appreciate salads, noodle bowls and sandwiches flavored with fish sauce, shrimp paste, bean sauce and piles of fresh herbs — the characteristic ingredients of the cuisine.

But to make this food stand out from all the other options in the restaurant universe, you must build upon those simple dishes with crisp vegetables, deeply flavored broths, just-picked herbs and the best-available proteins, be that meat, seafood or tofu.

We can thank brothers Bao and Duy Nguyen for providing what is probably the area’s best Vietnamese food. Along with business partners and comrades-in-arms, they have operated Pho Lang Thang in Findlay Market since 2011 and opened Quan Hapa on Vine Street a couple years later. This fall, they got the chance to move their original restaurant from the cramped, market location to a newly renovated building a stone’s throw away on Race Street.

The new space is stunning, and such an upgrade from the original Pho Lang Thang that you feel like you’re almost in a different universe. The dining room is at least three times as large, and so much more pleasant now that cooking fumes don’t infuse the dining areas as they did in the old space. A tall, pressed-tin ceiling with exposed pipes and ceiling fans makes for a retro-industrial feel while more contemporary touches include hanging balloon lights and the splash of a large mural along one wall.

The 14-seat bar definitely is a welcome addition. The Findlay Market location served only soft drinks and strong, sweet Vietnamese coffee, still

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THE DISH

Meet Silverton’s Proud Hound Coffee Roasters

BY SA M I S T E WA R T

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Three dudes in beanies of coordinating colors are sitting in a warehouse in Silverton; they swear the hat match-up wasn’t planned. The trio of friends — Dan Smith, Carl Arvidson and David Holman — share a passion for coffee (in addition to their sense of style) and are the team behind Proud Hound Coffee Roasters, which launched Aug. 26.

Proud Hound is Smith’s brainchild.

He got the operation off the ground after less than a year of careful thought and intensive education. The Silverton warehouse isn’t exactly filled out just yet, but it has the necessities — an espresso machine, a mammoth Loring roaster and several hundred pounds of green coffee (aka coffee beans that have not been roasted yet).

First came the name: Proud Hound.

“Hounds, characteristically, are known to be dignified,” Smith says. “Most of that comes from physical appearance. But a hound knows it has value. It knows its own worth.”

Then came the mission statement: Dignity for all. That means dignity for everyone involved in the coffee process, beginning with the growers who cultivate green coffee for a living and ending with the customer grabbing a cup of drip on their way into work. Smith attended a three-day symposium about responsible green coffee buying back in April to learn about the chain of coffee production and the importance of ensuring that everyone in that chain is being treated fairly and paid a livable wage.

“From start to finish in the supply stream of coffee — from producer to importer to our employees to our customers — everyone is being shown dignity,” Smith says.

“They are all important in the process.”

This notion goes for baristas as well.

“They should have the opportunity to expand their coffee career into management and even buy a house with their salary,” Smith says. “It really should be possible and for us that’s huge.”

Smith’s entry point to coffee was with

42

the opening of Happy Bean in Mount Vernon, Ohio, but he chalks up his specialty coffee enlightenment to visits to Mission Coffee in Columbus. Later, he went on to become one of four former owners of Brick Coffee, a Norwood craft coffee shop which was open from 2016 until the beginning of this year.

Smith first flirted with the art of roasting coffee at the end of last year. He took an intensive, eight-hour workshop from the Specialty Coffee Association in Austin, Texas in the spring where he learned the basics. Before that, he gathered a knowledge base from observing and asking questions of Chris Bean and Sean Varady at Pneuma Coffee Roasters, the house roasters for The 86 in Clifton.

Arvidson got into coffee in high school by hanging around at Relax, It’s Just Coffee in Mansfield, Ohio. But he learned the bulk of his coffee knowledge from Third Wave Coffee and Golf Park Coffee in Virginia — everything from technical bar skills to green coffee buying. Prior to Proud Hound, Arvidson pulled shifts at Landlocked Social House. Now, he covers marketing and social media for the business (@proudhoundcoffee on Instagram).

Holman was the former lead barista and Analog Slow Bar specialist at Carabello Coffee in Newport.

Together, they all work on roasting.

Right now, Proud Hound’s operation is small. The current lineup includes a blend of two Colombian coffees as well as singleorigin selections from Brazil, Ethiopia and Mexico.

Proud Hound also snagged an old coffee truck from Collective Espresso and commissioned Dayton’s Ink & Hammer Manufacturing Co. to slick on a new paint job that matches their retail coffee bags: a brightly colored patchwork of pinks, yellows, blues and orange.

They’ve served espresso, drip and Chemex out of their rolling Pantone color palette for plant people at Fern, coffee geeks at the Cincinnati Coffee Festival and climbers at RockQuest and Mosaic. You can

Proud Hound’s coffee truck PHOTO: PROVIDED BY PROUD HOUND

snag a cup and a bag of beans for home at their next pop-up at Cutman Barbershop’s new Walnut Hills location on Nov. 16. All Proud Hound coffee can also be purchased online at proudhoundcoffee.com.

By summer 2020, Proud Hound is hoping to open their flagship cafe. They plan to offer a more amplified food program in their cafe as opposed to the standard pastry selection. Holman will oversee the opening and creative direction of the cafe when it comes to fruition.

“If you hang out in the cafe for eight hours, that croissant isn’t going to cut it,” Holman says.

All three Proud Hound partners exalt downtown’s Cheapside Café for nailing their elevated breakfast food and serving great coffee. In fact, the chances that you run into Smith, Arvidson and Holman (or

any combination of the three) on any day at Cheapside are fairly high.

Beyond good food and excellent coffee, Proud Hound strives to create and live out a lasting company culture that builds into the community.

“Despite what you may feel about yourself, we want to make sure that our interaction with you builds you up as a person,” Smith says. “By participating in this culture, we hope that everyone involved can recognize that they’re loved by a lot of people, they have self-worth and they’re important and then go spread that wherever else they go.”

Proud Hound Coffee Roasters is located at 6717 Montgomery Road, Silverton.

For more info or to purchase coffee, visit proudhoundcoffee.com.

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Goose & Elder 1800 Race St., Over-theRhine, Findlay Market, gooseandelder.com Goose & Elder is quite different from chef Jose Salazar’s first two restaurants — Salazar and Mita’s — which serve up rather elevated, somewhat pricey fare that makes them once-in-awhile treats for most of us. And yet as executive chef, his creativity comes across just as clearly at Goose & Elder as his team works with less rarified ingredients. (Sydney Fisher is chef but Salazar himself greets patrons and puts finishing touches on just about every plate coming out of the kitchen.)

Memorable, signature dishes have become a Salazar trademark. A savory, falloff-the-bone duck leg confit over grits was the first dish I tried within days of Goose & Elder’s opening and it was marvelous.

The last time I tried it, however, the meat was tough. But it still has the potential to be my go-to meal here. The duck rests in a pool of buttery grits alongside a generous portion of bacon-braised Southern greens — flavors that complement each other beautifully.

My dining companions and I enjoyed most of the other food we tried, from an appetizer of bone marrow with grilled bread — rich and delicious — to an entrée of chicken schnitzel with perfectly-cooked, buttered noodles and a special dessert, cherry bread pudding.

One thing I love about this place is the retro cocktails, like the Harvey Wallbanger, White Russian and Tequila Sunrise.

Although the market opens at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, the restaurant doesn’t start serving brunch until 10 a.m. At brunch you can get chocolate-chip pancakes, buttered grits with eggs and bacon, goetta hash or a berry-themed French toast, among other egg-based offerings. — PAMA MITCHELL

Kiki College Hill

Fausto 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, faustoatthecac.com Fausto, in the lobby of the Contemporary Arts Center, is the latest offering from the Ferrari brothers — Tony and Austin Ferrari — and their expanding local food service empire. The California-meetsQueen City outlet opened in July, fresh on the heels of their Camp Washington coffee shop, Mom ‘n ‘em.

The menu is contemporary and upbeat.

A heightened brunch, lunch or dinner experience, for sure — not many places are serving trout roe on potatoes — but one that safely resists pretension. Breakfast features several egg and toast options, a chia seed pudding and more. For patrons familiar with the Ferrari brothers’ Mom ‘n ‘em, you’ll be pleased to know they serve Deeper Roots coffee here, too.

The lunch menu has plenty of light and crisp salads and sandwiches. But dinner offerings feel more involved. There is a three-course selection for $39, or several individual entrées, appetizers, pasta and dessert. The chicken salad is perhaps the best of the salads and sandwiches, at least in my pragmatic mind, because it marries the two in one great offering.

Local really is the name of the game for most of Fausto’s offerings. Suppliers include Dogwood Farm for most of Fausto’s greens and vegetables, pastries from North South Baking Co. in Covington and Allez for all the bread except the English muffins, which are from Sixteen Bricks. — LEYLA SHOKOOHE

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5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, kikicincinnati.com Kiki owners Hideki and Yuko Harada have created their dream restaurant in an old corner bank on Hamilton Avenue. They worked with the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to nail down the space and build it out, while Hideki and his two sous chefs, Jordan Ellerhorst and Alex Brackett, spent a-yearand-a-half hosting pop-up ramen nights at the Northside Yacht Club. Hideki, Ellerhorst and Brackett are all veterans of Overthe-Rhine’s Kaze; Hideki was the former owner/chef of the Japanese gastropub.

There are nine appetizers and two varieties of ramen on the current Kiki menu.

But it isn’t lacking; the menu is focused

and there’s a bit of something for everyone. Veg-heads and meat lovers can dine in harmony here, and there’s an option for gluten-free noodles. The two ramen choices are shio ramen, a chicken broth with pork belly, negi, a tea-marinated egg and rayu (chili oil); and kimchi ramen, featuring housemade kimchi, tofu, negi and a tea-marinated egg.

To warm up your pre-ramen palate, try the shishito peppers crowned with fluffy shreds of parmesan cheese or the edamame that comes piled high and deep and tossed in sea salt or tare. If you’re looking for punchier flavors, go with the karaage — fried chicken with an option to add bright oroshi ponzu or mellow Jordy mayo (named after Ellerhorst). But you could never go wrong with the gyoza, either pork or mushroom, because both come with a lacy crown of fried cheese. Or the curry pan, a sort of fried bread or dumpling which Hideki has described as a “curry donut,” with potato, onion and carrot.

Don’t expect to have ramen leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. You likely won’t need a to-go container after a meal here, but you can plan on leaving comfortably full.

— SAMI STEWART

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MUSIC

Cultivating Life Acclaimed Indie Folk artist/horticulturist Gregory Alan Isakov digs deep on his latest LP, Evening Machines

BY G R EG O RY G AS TO N

O

Gregory Alan Isakov PHOTO: REBECCA CARIDAD

cyclical ways.

“When I started and had my own label (Suitcase Town Music), a release cycle for me was about three years,” he says. “I’d get out there and plant seeds, getting the music out. My natural way is to tour for a year and a half for a record that took me a year and a half to record. And when I’m done with that, I have another year and a half to make another record.”

Isakov’s farming is on a bit of a more demanding schedule, as he provides vegetables to about 12 restaurants in the Colorado area. The tricky part comes when the two worlds brush up against each other.

“The farm is more full-time in season, when I’m growing; it’s a lot of farm-to-table dinner stuff (for the restaurants),” he says.

“I’m sort of a madman in the shoulder season when the two are kind of meeting in the spring and fall. I’m coming home from tour, and I’m also germinating my entire greenhouse, getting everything ready.

Those are kind of the craziest times.”

Evening Machines — recorded at night and named for the twinkle of instrument lights in the darkened studio — hums with fractured melodies and dusky mood. The opener, “Berth,” is an immigrant tale of coming to America and trying to mine its

past promise; it swells with melodic majesty and the flow of keys and strings.

An immigrant himself, the song has particular resonance for Isakov, especially living in a time when anti-immigrant sentiment has been reawakened in the U.S. “It’s been a sad couple of years,” he says.

“My community here is filled with immigrants, and growing up in Philadelphia, most of my friends weren’t born in America. With that song, I pictured a movie about these immigrant boys with angel wings flying over the ocean and landing in a different time. Then you’re taken through time to a modern setting. I realized maybe it’s about the Statue of Liberty and the poem (‘The New Colossus’) that mentions ‘teeming shores,’ so I took that line, which tied the song together for me.”

Isakov’s pastoral perceptions color his balladry. Impressionistic and cinematic, his affecting music was recently used in the indie film The Peanut Butter Falcon.

“I went with my parents and girlfriend to the theater, which was one of the coolest moments of my life, and they used one of the songs I did with the symphony in the movie,” he says.

Despite occasional topical subject matter, Isakov’s music more often than

not evokes half-finished conversations between lovers, storm clouds creeping in, hollow moons and cracked open skies.

Nocturnal ache pulses through Evening Machines and you can sense the glistening dew on the fields, the moonlight pouring through the window and the fever dreams rumbling through a dark slumber.

Isakov’s songs tend to be allusive rather than literal; his stories, soaked in reverb, somehow magnetically pull you in. There’s a soothing quality to the record’s emotional cadences. Even the album’s cover art conjures up an ash gray and green sky, with a pensive Isakov surveying his field of grass beneath billowing clouds.

“I love words,” he says of his evocative writing style. “I read a lot of poetry. But I always looked up to writers like Leonard Cohen or Bruce Springsteen, who can tell a whole story (where) all of a sudden you’re in the Southwest or sleeping in a car, and it’s this whole movie in two and a half minutes. And (it makes me) wonder, ‘How did that happen.’ I love that and try to incorporate a bit of that into my stuff.”

Gregory Alan Isakov plays Saturday, Nov. 16 at Covington’s Madison Theater. Tickets/ more show info: madisontheater.com.

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n a sunny, fall day outside of Boulder, Colorado, Gregory Alan Isakov must decide whether to harvest a row of organic lettuce on his three-acre farm or record a song in his barn studio.

Or should he do both? We should all have such choices to make once in a while.

The South African-born singer/songwriter is touring again in support of last year’s exquisite Evening Machines, his fourth record of rich Indie Folk and his first release on Dualtone Records.

This homemade collection strikes a different tone than Isakov’s previous DIY releases, as it’s threaded with darker textures and more lushly layered arrangements. His customary acoustic guitar doesn’t lead the way as much as the warm, gentle thrum of keyboards, cello, violin and “god noises” — what Isakov calls the electronic, analog patterns he buries in the mix that you can feel more than hear.

Isakov and his family emigrated from Johannesburg because of apartheid in the mid ’80s, when he was 6 years old. They resettled in Philadelphia. The itinerant musician later followed his love of all things green and attended college in Colorado, majoring in horticulture.

“I’ve always played music, but I really have a strong love for plants,” Isakov says from his home studio in Boulder. “Music was something I did after work. I worked in a lot of nurseries and landscaping and stuff.

I’d always thought that was going to be my career, and then I pushed myself to play out more and more.”

In college, Isakov worked on a farm where he didn’t have to pay rent during the winter “off-season,” so he would travel instead.

“I would travel the Northwest and play these coffeehouse gigs that would pay for my campsites. Or make 10 CDs at Kinko’s and try to sell those, whatever it took,” he says. “It all started from a love of traveling.”

This compelling blend of agrarian and musical elements cultivates a kind of poetic symmetry. Both livelihoods demand faith in the process of creating something new, whether that means planting vegetables for harvest or writing songs for release. Isakov uses one method to fulfill the other and each sustains him in

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SPILL IT

The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards are Back for the 22nd Year

BY M I K E B R EEN

The votes have been tallied and now it’s time to give out some awards.

On Sunday, Nov. 24, the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards ceremony/party will honor local music-makers for the 22nd year. CityBeat created the program more than two decades ago, first hosting the event at Sycamore Gardens off of Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.

After several years at Covington’s Madison Theater, the CEAs returned to OTR a few years ago. This year the celebration will once again be held at Memorial Hall (1225 Elm St., Over-theRhine, memorialhallotr.com). The Nov. 24 show will run 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Awards will be given out in 19 categories, including 13 genre-specific ones, covering everything from Jazz, Blues and Punk to Bluegrass, Country and Hip Hop. Awards will also be doled out for things like Best Music Video and Best Live Act, as well New Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

The nomination process began in September, when hundreds of local music fans submitted first-round nominees.

For the second round, a committee of Cincinnati music experts and aficionados helped determine the final ballot, on which the public voted to decide the ultimate winners.

This year’s CEA ceremony will once again feature live performances from several of the nominated artists. The 2019 CEA lineup includes: Maria Carrelli (nominated for three CEAs, including Album of the Year for her Strings on My Guitar); Go Go Buffalo (Rock nominees and last year’s Best Live Act winners); Bla’szé (first time nominee in the R&B/ Funk/Soul category); Patterns of Chaos (nominated for Best Live Act and Hip Hop); Multimagic (Alternative/Indie nominees); and Soften, whose Soften Forever is up for Album of the Year honors.

For more CEA show info, visit cincinnatientertainmentawards.com.

Stay tuned to citybeat.com for the latest updates.

Blues Society Fund Drive

PHOTO: CHUCK LOF TICE

difficult to stay afloat in recently years.

“What if you were no longer able to access good information about what Blues shows were happening and where?” the email reads. “What if there was no Cincy Blues Fest? What if there was no Blues music program for children, so it could be passed on to the next generation?

“We know this sounds dire, but this is what could possibly happen if there aren’t enough funds to support these programs.”

The statement says part of the reason things have become more difficult for the group is that “the audience for Blues has been shrinking,” a sentiment echoed by many other artists and supporters of the Blues (and other classic American styles of music, like Jazz).

At its height, the Cincy Blues Fest was a major two-day event encompassing Sawyer Point Park on the riverfront and featuring headliners like Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Bobby Rush, Blind Boys of Mississippi and Tab Benoit. This year’s more streamlined, one-day concert (marking the fest’s 27th anniversary) was at the Schmidlapp Event Lawn in nearby Smale Riverfront Park and featured a focus on the local acts that have long been a big part of the festival.

At its fundraising page, the group

— which also presents the annual Cincy Blues Challenge and has previously hosted a wintertime Blues fest — admits it’s been “going through a rough patch.” But, in the fundraising email, the Blues Society says it isn’t going down without a fight and has plans to reconfigure the organization and boost its efforts.

“Our plan is to reorganize and improve the management of our board and programs,” the email states. “At the same time, we will be working on expanding our audience with proven marketing techniques.”

Supporters are encouraged to visit cincyblues.org to donate and find more info about the organization’s efforts. The site says the money raised will be used to “clear up a few debts and to fund several events and programs in 2020.”

Emmaline Returns

Just before Halloween, Cincinnati native and Funk music icon Bootsy Collins released a cover of “Monster Mash” that he recorded with experimental guitar wiz Buckethead. The track and accompanying music video also featured Jazz singer Emmaline Campbell, who studied music at the University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music and performed

regularly on the local club scene during her time in the Queen City.

Campbell — who just goes by Emmaline professionally — is now based in Chicago and recently released her debut EP, All My Sweetest Dreams, which was funded by a Kickstarter campaign and her large social media following.

With a mix of Jazz, R&B and Soul sounds, Campbell’s alluring voice began capturing music lovers’ attention via her online videos, including a version of Jessie J’s “Domino” — sung Billie Holiday-style — for the Postmodern Jukebox collective, which has notched nearly a million views on YouTube.

Campbell is in the beginning phase of her touring in support of Sweetest Dreams.

Her first tour date was a sold out show in early November at New York City’s Ginny’s Supper Club. The night before she opens for the legendary Chaka Khan in New Jersey, Campbell will return to Cincinnati for a show Wednesday, Nov. 13 at The Redmoor (3187 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout, theredmoor.com). Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance are $20.

Visit emmalineofficial.com for more.

Contact Mike Breen: mbreen@citybeat.com

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The mission statement of the Cincy Blues Society says its focus is to “‘Keep the Blues Alive’ across cultural, economic, generational, social, racial and geographic lines.”

But for several reasons, that mission has become more difficult.

The longtime local organization behind the Cincy Blues Fest — one of the longestrunning volunteer-driven Blues events of its kind in the world — and programs like Blues in the Schools says that it has largely been self-sustaining since it was created nearly 30 years ago.

But, in a statement recently emailed to supporters announcing its Fall Fund Drive, the Blues Society says it has become more

Triiibe and friends performing at the 2018 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards

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SOUND ADVICE

Billy Corgan

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Friday, Nov. 15 • Madison Theater

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Those who say to “never meet your idols” have clearly never met Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan. Here’s the thing: Corgan gets a bad rap from people like me in “the media,” some of whom have heard cautionary tales about the musicians’ gruff interactions with their peers. That reputation snowballs with more “bad interviews,” because if you walk into any interview with your head already in a space of confrontation, where else can a conversation go?

Smashing Pumpkins may not be classified as “Dad Rock” but Corgan is, in fact, a dad… who rocks. You dish a ’tude or deal out bad info, he’s going to call you on it. That’s what dads do. That’s what any human would do when constantly confronted with bullshit. And this industry definitely lobs its fair share of BS in Corgan’s direction. Is he perfect? Nah. But here’s one of my favorite (me-centric) Corgan stories to help prove he’s not necessarily a bad guy.

In a lovely, bougie suburb of Chicago there once sat an equally lovely tea shop called Madame ZuZu’s, owned by the Smashing Pumpkins leader. Everything about it screamed of WPC (William Patrick Corgan, as he’s known by some), from the cool red-and-black, Art Deco-inspired wallpaper to the Pumpkins memorabilia that littered the walls. They even sold records from Corgan’s personal collection.

(I bought a Danny Kaye album and regret nothing.) It was perfection. I used to spend an exorbitant amount of time in Chicago and stopped into ZuZu’s often, aching to meet one of my idols.

A few Halloweens ago, it finally happened. Corgan decided to “DJ” a set at ZuZu’s and it was open to the public. After much begging and pleading, I convinced my best friend to go with me. It was everything I’d hoped for. The lights were dim. The place was crowded but not ballsto-the-wall. Corgan’s music choices were fantastically old, epic and often cheesy. I was in my element. This, I knew, was where I belonged. I got comfortable. I leaned back against the wall. I landed on the freaking light switch. I lit up the whole room, killing the vibe in a split second. I wanted to die. If you’re a cynic, this is where you’re probably expecting to hear about getting yelled at or kicked out. But no. Instead, Corgan looked up at me with the most fake-stern expression he could muster and then smiled when I frantically apologized.

Because, y’all, this idol doesn’t suck.

Maybe we, the media, got it wrong all along. Maybe I, a fan, am seeing things through rose-tinted glasses. But, my guess is that it’s somewhere in between. The look that he gave me that night wasn’t just a nice guy being silly with an embarrassed fan. It was the look millions of dads have given their kids when they pushed the limits. I think, of everything WPC has witnessed and let mold him into the

Billy Corgan PHOTO: DJDROGA

human he is (flaws and all), it’s Mr. ChooChoo and Clementine who have changed the dad rocker the most.

Hot off a crazy successful Smashing Pumpkins tour and with promises of more new music ahead, Corgan is apparently up for making another waltz across the United States this fall and winter. He’s coming our way ahead of the release of a new record, Cotillion. It sounds like we should expect less of the glam from the Smashing Pumpkins tour, a stripped down acoustic affair. But, it’s Billy, right? Does he do anything without at least a few ounces of flair? Come see my idol. No promises, but I’m pretty sure that if you play nice, so will he. (Deirdre Kaye)

Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers with Mom Jeans, The Philharmonik and Nate Curry Sunday, Nov. 17 • Bogart’s

A millennial on the cusp of Gen Z, Hobo Johnson’s sound and style is suggestive of how music is consumed and regurgitated in the current era. The hodgepodge is a hyper-sensory blend of Hip Hop, Emo, Pop, Folk, Jazz and AltRock whipped

Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers PHOTO: PROVIDED BY BOGART’S

together and given distinctiveness and singularity thanks to Johnson’s colorfully multifaceted personality.

That magnetism comes out in his lyrics, which are a mix of hilarity and more inward-looking emotional honesty. But it’s his oddly charismatic and actorly vocal delivery that seals the deal. Part rapper, part spoken word poet and part

performance artist, Johnson’s voice sounds simultaneously as if he’s on the verge of both cracking up laughing and breaking down crying. That charming brand of vulnerability — the smart ass with a heart of gold — makes it hard to hate him, though he has his share of haters, some of whom seemed almost startled and uncomfortable with Johnson’s geekily

MUSIC EDITOR MIKE BREEN KNOWS MUSIC.

BE LIKE BREEN.

The HU P H O T O : E . A LTA N K H U YA G

The Fall. The funny, very on-brand stunt featured testimonials and endorsements from famous/notorious figures like Charlie Sheen, Ron Jeremy, Jose Conseco, Andy Dick and Ice-T, all hired via Cameo, a service where cash-strapped (or just cashhungry) stars earn a few extra bucks by filming personal messages for fans. (Mike Breen)

READ CITYBEAT.COM/MUSIC EVERYDAY.

The HU

Thursday, Nov. 21 • Taft Theatre Ballroom

Rock music has always made strange bedfellows. I’m still amazed the universe didn’t implode after the matter/anti-matter pairing of David Bowie and Bing Crosby on “Little Drummer Boy.” The latest stylistic mash-up taking the heavy music world by storm is the unlikely combination of traditional Mongolian throat singing and instrumentation and the guitar/bass/drum structure of Hard Rock and Metal concocted by The HU, a Mongolian quartet that offers a message of nationalistic and cultural pride. One track from their newly released debut album The Gereg is “The Great Chinggis Khaan,” a sonorous ode to the feared Mongol conqueror underpinned with a thunderous, soul-shaking soundtrack.

The four primary members of The HU initially came together in 2016 and began releasing singles with accompanying videos two years later. The band’s first two videos, “Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem,” have over 50 million combined views, with “Wolf Totem” hitting the top of Billboard’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, making The HU the first Mongolian band to CONTINUES ON PAGE 50

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conversational, nakedly confessional and awkwardly confrontational tone.

Johnson’s rise is also fairly indicative of our times, where one viral moment can kick off a career that once would have required slogging it out for years. Born Frank Lopes Jr. and raised in Sacramento, California, Johnson self-released music online and worked the YouTube circuit.

Cultivating his following DIY-style was working out just fine for Johnson, but last year he truly blew up thanks to his video submission for National Public Radio Music’s Tiny Desk Contest. The clip featuring Johnson casually performing with his bandmates in a backyard didn’t win the contest, which would have netted him his own Tiny Desk Concert (a hugely popular web series where artists perform intimate sets in the NPR Music offices) and a high-profile tour. But the attention the clip scored separately worked out pretty well for Johnson, who signed a major-label deal, went on large headlining club tours and, yes, was given his own Tiny Desk Concert.

Reprise Records released his third album, The Fall of Hobo Johnson (his last joint was The Rise of Hobo Johnson), in September and its trademark mix of comedy and neuroses didn’t disappoint his hardcore fan base, though critics were fairly harsh, seemingly put off more by Johnson as a person than the actual music.

He’s definitely a love-him-or-hate-him entertainer — there’s no “He’s OK” with Johnson. That’s what happens when you put yourself out there without an Instagram filter hiding your faults.

Speaking of which, Hobo unveiled the best album promo of the decade when in early October he posted a video compilation of “celebrities” big-upping

49

SOUND ADVICE

Houndmouth PHOTO: CL AIRE MARIE VOGEL

FROM PAGE 49

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Houndmouth

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reach No. 1 on any of Billboard’s sales rankings. Riding the wave of success, 2019 has been The HU’s breakout year. The band was even recognized by Mongolian president Khaltmaagiin Battulga for promoting Mongolia to a worldwide audience.

Currently in the midst of their first North American tour (which includes several sold-out dates, including the Cincy stop), The HU’s core members — Gala, Enkush, Jaya and Temka — play a variety of traditional Mongolian fiddles, lutes and flutes and deliver their impassioned lyrics by way of a contemporized Rock version of throat singing, with the Metal/Hard Rock aspects delivered via a more typical guitar/ bass/drum/percussion format.

You won’t understand a word of The HU’s presentation but you won’t doubt their sincerity or authenticity for a moment. (Brian Baker)

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23 • Southgate House Revival

Houndmouth’s first two records, 2013’s From the Hills Below the City and 2015’s Little Neon Limelight, conjured the majestic charm of none other than Americana masters The Band. Frontman Matt Myers’ affected croon cut through jangly guitars and atmospheric organ on tunes like the quartet’s breakthrough song, “Penitentiary,” which drew internet buzz and eventually perked the ears of Geoff Travis and Rough Trade Records, which released Houndmouth’s first two efforts.

But things changed radically when it came time to record 2018’s Golden Age — and it wasn’t just the departure of keyboardist/backing vocalist Katie Toupin and the switch to major label Reprise.

“I’m trying to look at things in the big

Upcoming shows COZY, ECO FRIENDLY CAFÉ BREAKFAST & LUNCH LOCALLY SOURCED Open Daily - 8am | Sundays - 9am Open Late - Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Ski Mask The Slump God PHOTO: PROVIDED BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

picture, and it probably doesn’t make sense to many other people,” Myers said in a 2018 interview with CLTure. “We had these two records and a solid Americana Folk sound, and I decided that I was tired of that. I was tired of that music. I was tired of that whole scene. I really like that kind of music, but I was just over it.”

Golden Age’s title track is a perfect example of the Indiana band’s new approach, chugging along via booming drums, fluttery synths, funky guitar lines and choruses big enough to bring comparisons to MGMT at its most accessible.

Most curious of all is “World Leader,” the album closer, which rambles along by way of junkyard rhythms, processed guitar lines and vague lyrics that seem to bemoan a love lost. It sounds like R.E.M. filtered through Captain Beefheart, which, depending on your perspective, could either be intriguing or troubling. (Jason Gargano)

Saturday, Nov. 23 • Bogart’s

Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne is a South Florida rapper with a mouthful of a moniker: Ski Mask The Slump God. However, that can provide good preparation for Ski Mask’s delivery, which is crammed with syllables over idiosyncratic but not unattractive beats. With track lengths that seldom breach the 3-minute mark, it’d be easy to declare it Rap for those with short attention spans, but Ski Mask throws

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony November 16 Static X November 29 Merkules November 30 Bonerama December 13

ASKEWS ME, I R PURR-IOUS ABOUT ADVERTIZING

Afroman - A Merry Spliffmas December 21 Prizoner “The Final Show” / 2nd Annual Annie’s Reunion December 28 Smells Like Grunge Night January 4

LEARN ABOUT ALL OF OUR AMAZING ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

Where Performances Become Legend riverfrontlivecincy.com

CONTACT:

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Ticket Information 513-321-2572

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Ski Mask The Slump God with Pouya, DJ Scheme, Danny Towers

so much presence into his songs that it rewards focus.

On Nov. 23, Cincinnati-area fans will get to see how well Ski Mask’s recorded energy translates into live energy. He’s bringing to town his Stokeley Tour, a reference both to his government name and to his eponymous-ish debut album that was released in November of last year. The 2018 XXL Freshman Class member should bring a strong mix of tracks from releases like Stokeley and his Beware the Book of Eli and YouWillRegret mixtapes. A recently dropped single, “Carbonated Water,” indicates that a new project could be dropped in the next few months.

Breaking out in 2017 with the single “Catch Me Outside,” Ski Mask has shown strong evolution in his croaky but nimble delivery of lyrics that are crass, hilarious or both. However, he’s also been revealing himself as someone with a distinct lens.

Stokeley dealt partially with the loss of his friend and collaborator XXXTentaction through music. “I been lost for days, stuck in my brain,” he confesses on one track. He also has evolved in terms of vocal abilities, bringing some solid singing into his skillset along with rapping that sounds ready to tear/bite some heads off. Speaking with Complex, he explained that his friend’s passing helped influence him to make the leap from “rapper” to “artist.”

“He just told me that I had to step up a lot, even just in music in general, because I knew I could do it,” Ski Mask said.

If he continues to “step up,” Ski Mask The Slump God might need to shorten/ change his name — he’s not showing any signs of decline. (Brody Kenny)

CALL FOR CATERING 513-381-3436

Hyryder Novemeber 15

51

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 13

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Blue Wisp Big Band. 8 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $10.

H

LUDLOW GARAGE Marcia Griffiths with Lady G and Rayzalytion.

8:30 p.m. Reggae. $25, $30 day of show.

H

MEMORIAL HALL Chris Thile. 8 p.m.

Americana. $44-$59.

MOTR PUB - Miss Tess and the Talkbacks. 10 p.m.

Roots/Rockabilly. Free.

H

THE REDMOOR Emmaline. 7:30 p.m.

Jazz/Pop. $20.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Michael Nau with Wildflower. 7 p.m. Rock. $15.

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SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - The Dallas Moore Band with Rylan Brooks. 8 p.m. Country. $15, $20 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - Box Era and Sovereign Being. 9 p.m.

Funk/Prog. Cover.

THURSDAY 14

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Philip Paul Trio.

7:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.

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BOGART’S - The Marcus King Band with Aaron Lee Tasjan. 8 p.m.

Rock/Blues. $25.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Josh Nelson. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

DELHI PUB - Rockne’s Open Mic. 8 p.m. Various.

Free.

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HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Carlos Vargas Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

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LUDLOW GARAGE Journeyman. 8:30 p.m. Eric Clapton tribute. $20-$35.

MOTR PUB - Ohio Valley Salvage with Bob Lewis. 10 p.m. Rock. Free.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT Josh Strange. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz.

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SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Longterm. 10:30 p.m. Post Hardcore/Post Punk. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Night Moves with Dylan LeBlanc. 8 p.m. Pop/ Rock. $13, $15 day of show.

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STANLEY’S PUB - Zoo Trippin’, Go Go Buffalo and Luscious Dogs. 9 p.m.

Rock/Various. Cover.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Invisible Engine, Spitwad Angels and The Almost Infinate. 8 p.m. Rock.

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WOODWARD THEATER - THRIVE: This Is My Voice featuring GrandAce, FLOCKS, Ronin Halloway and Joness. 9 p.m.

Hip Hop. $10.

FRIDAY 15

BOGART’S - Hellyeah. 8 p.m. Rock. $35.50.

THE COMET - Molly O’Malley. 10 p.m. Indie Pop. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - The Faux Frenchmen. 9 p.m. Jazz.

Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - Flip Cup Allstars.

9:30 p.m. Rock/Pop/Dance.

Cover.

JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Deuces Wild. 9 p.m.

Country. Free.

LUCIUS Q - Ricky Nye Inc. 8 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie.

LUDLOW GARAGE - The Rippingtons. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. $35-$65.

THE MAD FROG - Progress 1.0 with Nautigroove, Project Rain, DJ Link and Tease. 9 p.m. EDM. $5.

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MADISON THEATER - Billy Corgan. 8 p.m.

Acoustic. $50, $60 day of show.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Doug Hart Band. 8 p.m.

Blues. Cover.

To Hell, For Your Health, Ritual Eulogy, Split Tongue, Daywalker and more. 5 p.m.

Metal/Hardcore. $25-$35.

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RIVERFRONT LIVE Hyryder. 9 p.m. Grateful Dead tribute. $10.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT - Eric Wurzelbacher Quartet. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Jake Schlegel and Zapruder Point.

9:30 p.m. Singer/songwriter.

Free.

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SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Fall Brawl with Into The Skies, Break Up Lines, Orchid in the Ivy and The Virtue Signals. 8 p.m. Rock. $10.

H

TAFT THEATRE - The Commonheart with Triiibe. 8 p.m. Soul/Hip Hop/Various. $15 (in the Ballroom).

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THOMPSON HOUSE Space Laces and Must Die!. 9 p.m. EDM/Bass/Dubstep. $25.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Marc Wolfly Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Haulin Notes with Rodney Combs.

8 p.m. Rock. Free.

SATURDAY 16

12 MILE CREEK WINERY - Encore Duo. 5:30 p.m.

Acoustic Rock. Free.

THE AVENUE EVENT CENTER - Key Glock. 10 p.m.

Hip Hop. $30.

BLIND LEMON - Sal & Raven. 9 p.m. Acoustic.

Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - The Faux Frenchmen. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

Cover.

H

CAMP SPRINGS TAVERN Jake Book. 8:30 p.m. Singer/ songwriter. Free.

H

CHAMELEON - Chad Gosselin and Jesse W. Johnson with Mitch Klein and Jacob Tippey. 9 p.m. Indie Rock/ Various.

MOTR PUB - Saturn Batteries with Grand Process. 10 p.m. Indie Rock.

Free.

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Bittertaste Fest 2019 with I Am, Frost Koffin, Ballista, Omen, Treason, Transgression, Bather, Outcast, Omen, Gates

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THE COMET - The Actual Fuck, Tweens,

Blossom Hall and Tweens.

10 p.m. Alt/Rock/Punk/Various. Free.

H

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

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY - The Cincy Brass 10th-Anniversary Show. 8 p.m. Brass/ Funk/Pop/Rock/Jazz/Various. Free.

JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Lexy Dunn. 9 p.m.

Country. Free.

JOCKO’S PUB - Saving Stimpy. 9:30 p.m. Rock.

Free.

MADISON LIVE - The Widdler & Bukez Finezt with Hann.Solo and SWOOLY. 9 p.m. EDM. Cover.

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THOMPSON HOUSE - Life After This (EP release). 7 p.m. Rock. $10.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM Lagniappe. 7:30 p.m. Cajun.

Free.

SUNDAY 17

BLIND LEMON - Jeff Henry.

8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H

BOGART’S - Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers with Mom Jeans and The Philharmonik. 8 p.m. Alt/ Hip Hop/Rock/Various. Sold out.

MADISON THEATER - Gregory Alan Isakov with Luke Sital-Singh. 8 p.m. Folk. $27.50, $30 day of show.

BREWRIVER CREOLE KITCHEN - Bluegrass Brunch with Ma Crow & Co. 10 a.m. Bluegrass. Free.

MANSION HILL TAVERN Jay Jesse Johnson. 8 p.m.

Blues. Cover.

MOTR PUB - Bethlehem Steel with Mother Runaway.

8 p.m. Pop/R&B. Free.

MOTR PUB - Sorry, Eric with Cotton Ponys and Crime of Passing. 10 p.m.

Rock. Free.

THE PIKE BAR AND GRILL - Ricky Nye Inc. 8 p.m. Blues/ Boogie Woogie.

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE - Bone Thugs-NHarmony. 9 p.m. Hip Hop. $20-$100.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT - The Ryan Jones Trio. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

SORG OPERA HOUSE - An Evening of Elton John by Captain Fantastic. 8 p.m.

Pop Rock. $20-$25.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT The Whiskey Shambles, The Molice, Ryan Muddiman and Brian Bowling, Wade Allen and Brad Bellamy and Carian. 5 p.m. Rock/Blues/ Various.

MONDAY 18

H

LUDLOW GARAGE Corey Smith. 8:30 p.m.

Singer/songwriter. $20-$30.

REVEL OTR URBAN WINERY - “The High Note.” 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - The Almost Infinite. 9:30 p.m.

Rock. Free.

H

STANLEY’S PUB Reggae Night with Fyakey. 9 p.m. Reggae.

Cover.

THURSDAY 21

H H

LUDLOW GARAGE Birds of Chicago. 8:30 p.m. Americana. $20-$35.

THE MAD FROG Angelic Root with BRWN BEAR, Organtica and OKKtopus. 9 p.m. EDM. $5.

H

MOTR PUB - Lo, The Loyal Conscripts, Sungaze and Quorian. 10 p.m.

Alt/Rock. Free.

H

MUSIC RESOURCE CENTER CINCINNATI - Xavier Jazz Series with Ben Monder. 8 p.m. Jazz guitar. $25.

H

MOTR PUB - Weird Paul with Old City. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

THE REDMOOR – Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra presents Saving Our Love for Them: Nancy Wilson and Doris Day, featuring Mandy Gaines. 7 p.m. Jazz. $20.

URBAN ARTIFACT Weed Demon with Pale Grey Lore, Cult of Sorrow and Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf. 8 p.m. Doom/Stoner/ Psych. $5.

H H

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Nick Fryer Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

H H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - The Real Deal with Michelle Deal and Ed Burbee. 9:30 p.m.

Rock/Various. Free.

TUESDAY 19

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Cincinnati Noir. 10 p.m. Alt/Dance/DJ/Various. $5.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) BJ’s Band Jam with 57 Fury, Pheve and Ky Myle. 7 p.m.

Rock/Country/Various. $10, $15 day of show.

Big Band. 8 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $10.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Mandy Gaines and Steve Schmidt.

7:30 p.m. Jazz THE COMET - Black Signal, Mr. Pointy and isicle. 10 p.m. Electronic/ Various. Free.

H

TAFT THEATRE - Elvis Costello and The Imposters. 7:30 p.m. Pop/ Rock. $43-$103.

WEDNESDAY 20

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Blue Wisp

SCHWARTZ’S POINT Society Jazz Orchestra.

8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Transplant Productions Presents Sanguisugabogg, Scorched, Valdrin and Hate Icon. 9 p.m. Metal. $5, $10 day of show.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - William Elliott Whitmore with Samantha Crain. 8 p.m.

Americana. $15, $18 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - The Qtet.

9 p.m. Rock/Jazz/Fusion/ Funk. Free.

H

TAFT THEATRE - The HU with Crown Lands.

8 p.m. Rock/World. Sold out.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Grassroots Ramble. 8 p.m.

Bluegrass. $10 (food/drink minimum).

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE Shallow Side with New World Natives, DownOne, Secret Circle Society, Trials

By Faith and Grieving Otis. 8 p.m. Rock. $10.

WOODWARD THEATER Rock The Foundation with The Drysdales and more.

6:30 p.m. Various. $10.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT - Carlos Vargas-Ortiz Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

FRIDAY 22

SILVERTON CAFÉ - Basic Truth. 9 p.m. Funk/Soul/R&B. Free.

H

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Moonshine Drive. 8 p.m. Bluegrass.

Free.

BLUE NOTE HARRISON - Bullet Boys. 7 p.m. Rock. $15-$20.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Eric Wurzelbacher Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Jazz

H H

CAMP SPRINGS TAVERN - Adam Lee. 8:30 p.m. Singer/songwriter. Free.

THE COMET - Fritz Pape. 10 p.m. Guitar/ Loops/Experimental/Various.

Free.

THE CROW’S NEST - Fate & Melanie. 10 p.m. Americana. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Brad Myers Trio with Many Gaines. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Bad Habit.

10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

LUDLOW GARAGE - Spyro Gyra. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. $35-$70.

H

MADISON LIVE - The Main Squeeze. 9 p.m.

Funk. $12, $15 day of show.

MANSION HILL TAVERN Blue Ravens. 8 p.m. Blues.

Cover.

H

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Brother Hawk with Sarah Tolley, John Hays and Old Pictures/New Pictures. 8:30 p.m. Rock. $10, $12 day of show.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Russell Up Some Grub String Band. 7:30 p.m. Bluegrass.

Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Houndmouth. 8 p.m. AltPop. $25, $27 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - Moselle with Zoofunkyou. 9 p.m.

Funk. Cover.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT Glassworld and Kyla Mainous. 8 p.m. Rock. Free.

SATURDAY 23

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Fickle Hellcat. 8 p.m. Alt/Rock/Various. Free.

H

BOGART’S - Ski Mask The Slump God with Pouya, DJ Scheme and Danny Towers. 8 p.m. Hip Hop. $38.

H H

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Kim Pensyl Group. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

THE COMET - Closet Mix, The Safes and Van Echo. 9 p.m. Indie Rock.

Free.

H

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Stacy Mitchhart Band. 8:30 p.m. Blues.

Cover.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES Encore Duo. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock. Free.

H

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Houndmouth. 8 p.m. AltPop. $25, $27 day of show.

H

STANLEY’S PUB - The Last Troubadour, The Fine Line and Extansion. 10 p.m. Rock/Jam. Cover.

H

TAFT THEATRE Straight No Chaser.

4 and 8 p.m. Vocal/Pop. $39.50-$79.50.

H

THOMPSON HOUSE Dr. Fresch. 9 p.m. DJ/ Hip Hop/Dance. $22.50.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Vermont, Arlen Gun Club, Jetpack Dracula and Cliffdiver.

8 p.m. Rock.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Ben Levin Trio. 7:30 p.m. Blues. Free.

MISS TESS & THE TALKBACKS (NASHVILLE) AND GUEST

THU 14

OHIO VALLEY SALVAGE W/ BOB LEWIS

THU 21

FRI 15

SATURN BATTERIES AND GRAND PROCESS

FRI 22

S AT 16

CHEESEBURGER FEST PRESENTS: SORRY, ERIC W/ COTTON PONYS (CLEVELAND) AND CRIME OF PASSING

S AT 23

SUN 17

BETHLEHEM STEEL (NYC) W/ TBA

SUN 24

LO, THE LOYAL CONSCRIPTS, QUORIAN AND SUNGAZE KID ESP, SUN DELAY AND BLUE CHAIRS THE CORDIAL SINS (COLUMBUS), BLOSSOM HALL AND QUOTAH 7, COMEDY OPEN MIC 9:30, LIVE MUSIC TBA

MON 18

WEIRD PAUL (PITTSBURGH) W/ OLD CITY WRITER’S NIGHT HOSTED BY DAVE FEAT. RAE FISHER

MON 25

LIVE MUSIC TBA

TUE 26

7, WORD OF MOUTH: FEATURED/OPEN POETRY READINGS 9, WRITER’S NIGHT HOSTED BY BRENDAN FEAT. NIC POWERS

TUE 19

W E D GRÜN WASSER (CHICAGO), SHANA FALANA (NYC) 20 AND FAIRMOUNT GIRLS

1345 MAIN ST. IN OVER-THE-RHINE | SINCE 2010

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Mike Darrah. 10:30 a.m. Jazz. Free.

LATITUDES BAR & BISTRO - BlueBirds. 8 p.m.

Rock/R&B. Free.

MONDAY 25

BLIND LEMON - Ben Armstrong. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Nick Fryer Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

1404 MAIN ST (513) 345-7981

TUESDAY 26.

BOGART’S - Jackyl. 8 p.m.

Rock. Cover.

THE COMET - Perez, Leo Pastel and Nari. 10 p.m.

Electronic/Pop/R&B/Various.

Free.

H

MVP BAR & GRILLE - Third Annual Helping Heroes Concert featuring Mickey Lamantia and Dallas Moore.

8 p.m. Country. $20-$50.

H

H

WED 13

SUNDAY 24

MOTR PUB - The Cordial Sins, Blossom Hall and Quotah. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Daikaiju with Ball of Light, Time Tombs, Pickwick Commons, Apnea

NIGHTLY FREE LIVE MUSIC AND LATE NIGHT EATS DAILY LUNCH AND 1/2 OFF HAPPY HOUR

11/26

CLOUD NOTHINGS

1 /2 2

MIPSO WITH BRIDGET KEARNEY & BENJAMIN LAZAR DAVIS

1 1 / 27

DAWG YAWP

2 /8

CINCY PROHIBITION PARTY 2020

STANLEY’S PUB RumpRyder featuring members of Rumpke Mountain Boys and Hyryder. 9 p.m.

Jamgrass. $10.

WOODWARD THEATER - Cloud Nothings.

8 p.m. Indie Pop. $15, $18 day of show.

SYLMAR AND GRAND 1 1 / 29 POMEGRANATES WITH ACE

1 2 / 18

SEE CITYBEAT.COM FOR FULL MUSIC LISTINGS AND ALL CLUB LOCATIONS.

MANNEQUIN PUSSY WITH KISSISSIPPI

BUY TICKETS AT MOTR OR WOODWARDTHEATER.COM

N O V. 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 19 | C I T Y B E AT. C O M

MOTR PUB - Kid ESP with Sun Delay and Blue Chairs.

10 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.

H

and more. 8 p.m. Surf/Rock/ Various. $10, $12 day of show.

53

PUZZLE

Party Till You Puke

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y

AC R O S S

6. Real a-hole

1. Antic event 10. Islam pilgrimage 13. “My Neighbor Totoro� genre 14. Chick on the keys

18. Gentle touch

Voted BEST INDIAN for 18 Years

5 OFF

$ 00

2nd Dinner Entree

$5 Off Carryout Entree. Good Only at Ambar India.

Only 2 Coupons Per Party, Per Table.

Expires 11/30/19

19. Baton Rouge sch.

20. Film genre with detectives and dames

3 OFF

$ 00

2nd Lunch Entree

$3 Off Carryout Entree. Good Only at Ambar India.

Only 2 Coupons Per Party, Per Table.

350 Ludlow Ave • 513-281-7000

Expires 11/30/19

25. “Eeny meeny ___ moe�

26. Ones who go either way 27. Western comics antihero played

by Josh Brolin in a 2010 movie 30. Sheet on a bed 33. Intense desire 34. Sturdy tree

Experience Artful Shopping

Winterfair!

C I T Y B E AT. C O M   | 

N O V. 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 19

Nov. 29-Dec. 1

54

200 artists and a specialty market in one place for holiday gifting!

Northern Kentucky Convention Center Covington, KY

winterfair.org

35. Friends at the Sorbonne 36. Did a fancy move on the field, say 37. Guiding spirit 38. Internet connectivity problem 39. Actress Samira of “The Handmaid’s Tale�

40. Cab driver’s income 41. Pulled off 43. “___ blimey!�

(Brit’s outburst)

59. Drink made with

apples 60. Hammer-___ (guitar playing techniques)

28. Make things less intense

vehicle

29. Fancy Jaguars

43. Model ___ Hadid

61. Heroin, in slang

30. [“what are these lyrics again?�]

45. Smack collector

62. File material

31. Computer that comes with Keynote

DOWN

1. Rings up 2. 49-Down flavor 3. Stir, as interest

32. End of the bender (just go to bed already, no need for these)

46. Bear with 47. Levi’s Stadium player, briefly 48. Mad as hell 49. Athens aperitif 50. Storm or Rogue, e.g.

4. Bird that can run upwards of 30 miles per hour

33. Cartoonist Feiffer 36. Cat’s lingo

5. Dials back

51. Right, in 36-Down

6. Soup du ___

37. Basketball announcer Albert

55. Affirmative word

7. Sea eagle

39. Supereccentrics

8. Chilled out in a man cave, say

40. “Finally!�

11. Foodie berry

58. Kind of acid

49. Vehicle on the farm

57. Hit with a taser

10. Bender stop #3 (late afternoon)

54. Bender stop #2 (early afternoon)

45. “All Apologies� band

53. Actress Thurman

44. Gives it a go

52. Trash collector

9. “Big� surfers on Hawaii

51. Shakespeare villain who has more lines than the titular character of the play he appears in

21. Eat your peas, informally 23. Appears that way

15. High card 16. Bender stop #1 (late morning)

12. Punk rocker Joan who plays guitar for the Sunday Night Football theme song alongside Carrie Underwood 14. Advertising award 17. There are three in Fiji 22. “Don’t impress me�

24. Brit. honors 25. Greenbacks 27. Fooled around

56. Jimmy’s girlfriend on “Better Call Saul�

42. Retirement L AST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

% % 4 6

5 2 8 (

, 5 $ 1

1 ( 5 ' * $ 1 6 $ 5 ( ( 6 7 ( ( 0 < ' 6 $ 0 , 1 : $ ' ( %$7 ( $ 3 7 + $ / 2 / (

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Bertha G. Helmick

DELIVERY CONTRACTORS NEEDED

CityBeat needs contractors to deliver CityBeat every Wednesday between 9am and 3pm.

Qualified candidates must have appropriate vehicle, insurance for that vehicle and understand that they are contracted to deliver that route every Wednesday. CityBeat drivers are paid per stop and make $14.00 to $16.00 per hr. after fuel expense. Please reply by email and leave your day and evening phone numbers.

Please reply by email only. Phone calls will not be accepted. sferguson@citybeat.com

attorney at law

DISSOLVE YOUR DISSOLVE YOUR MARRIAGE MARRIAGE

Dissolution: An amicable end to Dissolution: An amicable end to marriage. onyour yourheart. heart. marriage.Easier Easier on Easier on your wallet.

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Starting at $500 plus court costs.

12 Hour Turnaround.

$500 OH 45202 810 SycamoreStarting St. 4th Fl,at Cincinnati, plus court costs.

513.651.9666 12 Hour Turnaround.

810 Sycamore St. 4th Fl,

Cincinnati, OH 45202

NIGHT GARDEN RECORDING STUDIO

Seamless integration of the best digital gear and classics from the analog era including 2” 24 track. Wide variety of classic microphones, mic pre-amps, hardware effects and dynamics, many popular plug-ins and accurate synchronization between DAW and 2” 24 track. Large live room and 3 isolation rooms. All for an unbelievable rate. Event/Show sound, lighting and video production services available as well. Call or email Steve for additional info and gear list; (513) 368-7770 or (513) 729-2786 or sferguson. productions@gmail.com.

GOLD is over $1500 an Ounce!

If you have any gold or silver jewelry you no longer want or wear NOW is a great time to sell!

Your old jewelry could be worth thousands of dollars!

If you would like sell or if you have questions, call or text 513-205-2681 I am a local buyer, pay cash, have 39 years experience, and I guarantee the highest price!

Callibrity is seeking a Sr. Software Developer with 4 or more years hands-on experience with big data and/or machine learning and full-stack software development of cloud-based applications. Position requires a Master’s degree in Computer Science.

Mail resume to Callibrity 4555 LakeForest Dr. Suite 150, Cincinnati, OH 45242

513.651.9666 Join Us for Opening Night November 22, 6-8 PM

Sponsored by Whole Foods and Covent Garden!

FREE and open to the public!

Emily Moores: Felt Embrace Gallery Talk with the Artist Tuesday, November 26 at 7 p.m.

Exhibition Co-Sponsors Elizabeth Stone; Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell

WE’RE HUNGRY!

Joomi Chung: Image Space/Memory Space Gallery Talk with the Artist Tuesday, January 7 at 7 p.m.

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

N O V. 1 3 - 2 6 , 2 0 19

Exhibition Sponsor Barbara and Gates Moss

56

John Humphries: Rules, Recipes, and Mythology—Works on Paper Gallery Talk with the Artist Tuesday, December 17 at 7 p.m.

Photo: Emily Moores

Exhibition Co-Sponsor Vanessa and Rick Wayne

November 22, 2019 – February 2, 2020 Admission is

FREE

Aronoff Center for the Arts / 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 / www.WestonArtGallery.com 2019-20 Season Sponsor: Dee and Tom Stegman The Alpaugh Foundation Florist, Inc.

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