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CINCINNATIâ€™S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY | DEC. 26, 2018 - JAN. 8, 2019 | FREE

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N E WS YE AR I N RE V I E W

NEWS

We’re still catching our breaths as we close out 2018 — a year filled with intense, unprecedented and sometimes tragic events from City Hall to the city’s neglected corners BY N I C K SWA R T S E L L

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D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

erhaps you could say this about any given year, but 2018 in Cincinnati felt packed, overloaded, sagging under the weight of a number of heavy local stories. The past couple years have brought momentous, world-changing national news, and this year, it felt like that dynamic came home to our region and even our neighborhoods. There was the near-meltdown within City Hall as City Manager Harry Black faced off with Mayor John Cranley before eventually exiting just before getting fired by Cincinnati City Council. There was the tragic death of 16-year-old Kyle Plush, who suffocated in his van after calling 911 twice, and the resultant fallout around the city’s Emergency Call Center. There was the tragic mass shooting at Fountain Square, which killed three people and injured two others. Those were finite incidents, but larger questions also loomed around the city’s affordable housing supply (it’s about 30,000 units short, data suggests), police use of tasers against young people and the way the city responds to increasing homelessness. There was jubilation as well, of course, most significantly around FC Cincinnati’s acceptance into Major League Soccer and the coming construction of a $250 million stadium the team will undertake. But that, too, comes with trepidation around the impact it will have on the historic West End, long the heart of Cincinnati’s African-American community. Consider this an extended ICYMI highlighting the Cincinnati stories that dominated 2018. May 2019 be just as interesting, but also happier.

FC CINCINNATI MOVES INTO THE BIG LEAGUES After months of waiting, political wrangling, angst over the location of a stadium that wasn’t for sure going to happen and a few false starts, the news came officially on May 29, when Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber stood with FC Cincinnati leadership and Mayor John Cranley in the cavernous Overthe-Rhine taproom of Rhinegeist, officially welcoming the team into the league. FCC beat out larger cities for the distinction, in

Vigil for Fifth Third shooting victims at Fountain Square PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

FC Cincinnati groundbreaking PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

large part due to its rabid fan base (and their record-breaking appetite for tickets). The fevered, overjoyed atmosphere in Rhinegeist that day belied the long, hard process that led up to that moment, including a tumultuous debate about where the team’s stadium should go. Would it be Oakley? The West End? Would FC Cincinnati betray its name and go to a location in Newport? In the end, however, the team, in line with preferences of the league, chose a spot near the urban core — just a block from bustling OTR and right where Cincinnati Public Schools’ Stargel Stadium resided. On the day FCC’s major league hopes were confirmed, Garber revealed that FC Cincinnati’s chosen location for their coming stadium in the West End was the league’s favorite site. “Many years from now, after your club has been launched and playing many years, after many thrills and victories

and agonies and defeats, you’re going to remember this day as a truly historic event for the Queen City,” he said. “You should be incredibly proud of your meteoric rise as one of our continent’s major soccer cities.” There were plenty of complications along the way, of course: negotiations with CPS. Negotiations with Cincinnati City Council. A decisive “no” vote from the West End’s Community Council, followed by efforts from the council’s executive board to put a deal back together, leading to the eventual signing of a community benefits agreement between the team and a few neighborhood representatives. Eventually, the big questions were settled. The City of Cincinnati will spend $34 million on infrastructure around the stadium. Hamilton County will chip in another $15-$22 million on parking. The Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment

Authority will issue bonds, paid by the team, for the $200 million stadium project. The Redevelopment Authority will also work with West End nonprofit Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses to try and ensure development around the stadium is equitable in the predominantly black West End. Even now, after a Dec. 18 groundbreaking event that drew hundreds, there are still loose ends: property to be acquired, businesses and at least one resident who once occupied the footprint of the coming stadium to be relocated. The stadium’s long-term impact has yet to reveal itself, but as hundreds of shovels dug into the ground during the groundbreaking ceremony, this much was clear: Major League Soccer is coming to Cincinnati, and in 2021, a brand-new stadium will stand in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.

TRAGEDY AT FOUNTAIN SQUARE The shootings inside Fifth Third Bank’s downtown headquarters just off the public plaza at the city’s heart unfolded in a few quick, confusing moments on Sept. 6, but they left an indelible mark on Cincinnati. Before police shot through plate glass windows and killed him, Omar Enrique CONTINUES ON PAGE 06

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Santa Perez ended three peoples’ lives and injured two with a legally-obtained 9 mm pistol. It was the deadliest mass shooting in Cincinnati in five years. Santa Perez, 29, entered the towering office building via a loading dock and began firing shortly after 9 a.m. He then made his way to the lobby of the building, firing numerous times seemingly at random. Richard Newcomer, a 64-year-old construction superintendent for Gilbane Building Co.; Pruthvi Raj Kandepi, 25, a contractor for Maryland-based TEK Systems; and Luis Felipe Calderón, 48, a finance manager for Fifth Third, were the victims killed in the shooting. Whitney Austin, a 37-year-old from Louisville, Ky. who works as a vice president for Fifth Third, took 12 bullets in the shooting, but survived, as did the other wounded victim, Brian Sarver, a contractor for CBRE. Many others narrowly avoided the carnage. Officials would later say Santa Perez was carrying 200 extra rounds in a briefcase. The Fifth Third shootings marked the 15th mass shooter situation with four or more victims in Greater Cincinnati since 2013. Those shootings have injured more than 90 people. The violence at Fifth Third was deadlier than 2017’s Cameo Nightclub shooting, which killed two and injured 15. Nationwide, at the time of the shooting, there had been 242 others that had injured at least four people in 2018, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Nine of those had been in Ohio, including one earlier in September at a club in Cleveland that killed one and injured seven and another incident in Cincinnati in East Price Hill in May that injured four. Details would emerge later in the day that gunman Santa Perez may have been suffering from mental illness. In 2017 and again this year, he filed lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio against CNBC and NBC Universal alleging that the media companies were spying on his personal electronic devices and using them to defame him in broadcasts. No material involving Santa Perez is evident from either broadcaster, and a judge dismissed both lawsuits with prejudice. “Plaintiff’s pro se complaint is rambling, difficult to decipher, and borders on the delusional,” U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz wrote June 26 this year in recommending the latter suit be dismissed. “Plaintiff’s complaint provides no factual content or context from which the court may infer that the defendants violated plaintiff’s rights.” Santa Perez had lived in Cincinnati since about 2015. Before that, he had lived in Greenville, S.C., where he was the subject of a trespassing complaint after refusing to leave the premises of a former

employer, local media there reports. He also lived in Florida prior to his time in Cincinnati, where he had minor runins with the law. After the terror, city residents rallied to support victims and attempt to return to normalcy. The day after the carnage, more than 2,000 Cincinnatians gathered for an afternoon vigil on Fountain Square to remember its victims. “We are Cincinnati Strong today because we stand on the shoulders of everyday people who build this city, who go to work, who do their jobs,” Mayor John Cranley said at the event. “Whether they’re like Luis Calderón from Florida, trying to make a better living for family, or someone from India here to live the American dream, or Richard, who built the buildings that we work in, let’s give them applause for who they are and what they do.”

A tent city in Over-the-Rhine became the final site of a standoff between city officials and residents experiencing homelessness PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

BATTLE OVER TENT CITIES UNDERSCORES CITY’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP Cincinnati officials’ efforts to remove a tent city under Fort Washington Way in July escalated into a drawn-out game of cat and mouse between city and Hamilton County officials and residents of various camps that popped up in Pendleton and Over-the-Rhine. The fight spawned a legal battle that looks likely to extend itself into 2019. And the city’s ongoing struggles with homelessness look likely to continue even longer, given Cincinnati’s 30,000-unit gap in affordable housing. In the midst of the fight this summer, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman issued a restraining order at the request of the city and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters that made it illegal to camp outside in the neighborhoods where the tent cities were popping up (later it was extended to include all of Hamilton County). Officials representing the city and Hamilton County argue that tent cities like the ones that sprang up this summer present a public health hazard, and that they attract drug use and violent crime. Officials also argue that because there was room in shelters for those living in the camps, using threat of arrest to clear

the tent cities is acceptable and legal. Advocates, however, have pushed back at that claim and tie the prevalence of the camps to lack of access to affordable housing, mental health treatment, good-paying jobs and other necessities. They have also challenged the Residents of a tent city on Third Street downtown assertions that there is enough PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL capacity in shelters for everyone experiencing homelessness, presenting data in their Homelessness CEO Kevin Finn. latest court filing they say contradicts that The threats of arrest for camp claim. inhabitants in Cincinnati sparked some Nonprofit Strategies to End debate about whether officials here were Homelessness, which coordinates shelters overstepping their bounds. But the county and programs to move people into argued that’s not the case. permanent housing, counted more than “Because the encampment moved onto 7,100 Cincinnatians who experienced private property, a premises which is homelessness at some point last year. completely lacking the public health and Though shelters in the area had safety requirements that are required by been full or over capacity, they made Ohio law, this court’s injunctive powers room to accommodate those in the to prevent the nuisance caused by the camps, according to Strategies to End encampments are still applicable,” the

city and county’s request for Ruehlman’s injunction reads. Some residents of the Cincinnati camps found housing, but many remain homeless. In the weeks after the camp was cleared, some residents who were unable to find housing received citations from police for sleeping outside. Advocates like the Homeless Coalition say shelter capacity shouldn’t matter. But they also take issue with the assertion that there is enough shelter space in the region, and in the latest court filing, the group shares data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development about calls to a Hamilton County hotline for emergency shelter access. An average day in August — the last month of the tent city standoff — saw calls looking for space in family shelters for roughly 94 people, the filing says. Ninetyfive percent of those people were turned away due to lack of space. Those calling the hotline looking for space in shelters for individuals fared somewhat better, the filing shows — but 73 percent were turned away due to lack of space. The filing presents similar data showing individuals and families were turned away from shelters due to lack of space in other recent months. Advocates have also extended the debate beyond criminalizing homelessness, pointing to the region’s housing gap as a root cause of the problem. The amended filing also notes that Hamilton County needs tens of thousands of units of affordable housing to meet demand from those making under $14,000 a year, according to a study by the Greater Cincinnati Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

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Just before a rare Saturday morning meeting of Cincinnati City Council on April 21, then-Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black resigned as council prepared to take a vote to fire him, ending an unprecedented and bizarre standoff in City Hall. Though the city has in some ways moved on — Cincinnati has a new city manager, Patrick Duhaney, for example — the incident continues to reverberate throughout city government. Black, who has been locked in a bitter battle with Mayor John Cranley since the mayor asked him to resign March 9, released a brief memo outlining his resignation moments before the vote to oust him. That memo ended by leaving open the possibility of legal action by Black. “It has been my pleasure serving as city manager,” Black wrote, praising the city’s “many amenities” and public workforce. “I have made this decision based on the reality that the work environment has become very hostile, and as such untenable. Therefore, it is in my best interest to extricate myself, in that this hostility is unlikely to cease. In resigning, I am not surrendering any of my legal rights.”

Black had protested his treatment at the hands of Cranley, and his supporters on council and among African-American groups like the local NAACP said he was being forced out for firing Cincinnati Police Chief Dave Bailey, whom CPD Chief Eliot Isaac accused of insubordination. That situation — its own convoluted intrigue around overtime pay to certain high-ranking CPD officials and accusations by Bailey that there was misconduct involved — also continues to wind its way through the courts. Prior to Cranley’s request that Black resign, the city manager said a small “rogue element” within CPD was working to undermine the chief and the city’s Collaborative Agreement police reforms. Cranley, however, says that his request that Black resign came after years of complaints about intimidation and retaliation against city employees by the city manager. The disagreement led to a big fight between council and the mayor over whether Black should leave and how much he should receive if he did. Initially, Black would have gotten nothing if he resigned. The agreement he ended up accepting awards Black the standard severance package he would have gotten if he had been fired. Per Black’s contract, he will get eight month’s salary and benefits — a severance package worth about $274,000. The mood this spring was tense, to put it lightly. “This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Cincinnati City Councilman David Mann, who has served a cumulative 23 years in City Hall, said at the time. Other long-term Cincinnati politics watchers agreed: City government reached an unprecedented stalemate. But how did we get there? Various players in the drama, as well as outside observers, had different explanations for the mess. Some pinned it on the city’s charter. They say we need to change Cincinnati’s system of government, which has since 1999 run under a modified city council/ city manager structure that some say effectively creates two chief executives for the city. Others like Mann say the trouble was relational, not structural, and has to do with the mayor and city manager’s strong personalities. Until one of them left, it was impossible to go back to business as usual. Still others, however, say that racial tensions within the Cincinnati Police Department have sparked the tumult, and that CPD is where structural changes are needed. Whatever the cause, the fallout is still falling, with investigations into the group texting between five Democratic council members opposed to Black’s ouster and continued legal drama around supposed improprieties involving police overtime still looming on the horizon. All that scrutiny could amount to nothing — or this drama could have a second act in 2019.

TH E YE AR I N PH OTOS BY H A I L E Y B O L L I N G ER

Local beer can label designs from the February Beer Issue

Aladdin’s Eatery + Lounge OTR

Lucius Q

Cincinnati Ballet’s Jennifer Archibald D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

Karrikin Spirits

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Agave & Rye

Aster Social Sippery

Post Malone at Bunbury Music Festival

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese from Nicola’s

Geoff Tate

A Tavola

Sundry and Vice

Triiibe

“Twisted” at the Taft Museum of Art

Taqueria Valle Verde D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

American Sign Museum

New Riff head distiller Brian Sprance

Old Milford Parlor

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Overlook Kitchen + Bar

Fat Ben’s Bakery

Dave Offenbacker

Washington Park

Caption

Zundo Ramen & Donburi

Hightail Mount Adams

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Lecrae at Bunbury

FCC Major League Soccer announcement at Fountain Square

Teeny Pies

Eric Nally

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STUFF TO DO Ongoing Shows VISUAL ARTS: The Fabric of India Cincinnati Art Museum, Mount Adams (through Jan. 6) Karl Blossfeldt, Francis Bruguiere, Thomas Ruff: No Two Alike Contemporary Arts Center, Downtown (through Jan. 13)

THURSDAY 27

ONSTAGE: Cirque du Soleil Crystal Cirque du Soleil has conquered water in O and now the acrobats are tackling ice with Crystal, Cirque’s first frozen show, which will be at U.S. Bank Arena this weekend. Crystal blends gymnastics and acrobatics — on the ice and in the air — with performances of synchronized and freestyle skating, swinging trapeze, aerial straps and other extreme, adrenaline-pushing activities that audiences have come to expect from Cirque. 7:30 p.m. ThursdayFriday; 12:30, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $55. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway St., Downtown, usbankarena.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

Harada conducts. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $25-$105. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-theRhine, cincinnatisymphony. org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

SATURDAY 29

MONDAY 31

EVENT: First Midnight at 3 Points Urban Brewery Ring in 2019 at 3 Points in Pendleton with an evening that includes aerial performers, body paint art and music by DJ Mike Dow. Tickets include 10 drinks (wine, beer or cocktails); food from Boomtown, Lucius Q and Nation Kitchen & Bar; and a midnight champagne toast. And, for one night only, the brewery will be serving a special glitter-infused beer. Capacity is limited. 9 p.m.-2

a.m. Monday. $100. 3 Points Urban Brewery, 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton, facebook. com/3pointsbeer. — MAIJA ZUMMO MUSIC: Big Ol Family New Year’s Eve with Noah Smith Country/Americana singer/ songwriter Noah Smith had a great 2018, marked by the release of his debut album, Long Cut, and the birth of his third child. The Cincinnati-based musician has been writing and performing locally for more than a decade, but in 2012, he dropped his band “persona” The Gambling District and began working under his own name, traveling regularly to Nashville to work on his songwriting and publishing prospects. This past year Smith has also served as ringleader of the “Crooner Circus,” a regular live event featuring some of the best songwriters in Greater Cincinnati sharing tunes and tales. To cap off 2018, Smith is hosting a

Big Ol Family New Year’s Eve party where he will also be recording a live album for later release. The site of the party/recording is no coincidence — Cincinnati’s Ludlow Garage was where a famed Allman Brothers’ live album was recorded in 1970, a testament to the venue’s onetime pull with rockers in the early ’70s. Smith and his band will be joined for the New Year’s Eve event by fellow local act See You in the Funnies and Nashville singer/songwriter Trapper Haskins. 9 p.m. Monday. $15-$30. Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. — MIKE BREEN

good no matter what we talk about,” Hamilton says. That usually involves the odd and silly things that happen to him on a day-to-day basis. Hamilton’s profile has been boosted this past year by his well-received Netflix special, Happy Face. “I feel these specials are great because that’s really the best way to experience comedy,” he says. “You want to be able to entertain people for an hour with a set that ebbs and flows. That’s really the highest level of comedy to me.” 7 and 10 p.m. Monday. $25-$55. Funny Bone Liberty, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone. com. — P.F. WILSON

COMEDY: Ryan Hamilton Ryan Hamilton is, to borrow an expression from fellow comedian Jackie Kashian, one of the golden retrievers of comedy; everyone’s always glad to see him. That is even truer these days in what can sometimes be a toxic climate. “I like people to come out of the show feeling

EVENT: NYE 2019 at Rhinegeist Rhinegeist goes film noir fantasy for their New Year’s Eve to-do with a vintage black-and-white theme. Enjoy beer, wine and cocktails while you listen to music from DJ Matty Joy in the taproom and Jess Lamb CONTINUES ON PAGE14

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

EVENT: Boar’s Head Yule Log and Festival This Cincinnati tradition celebrates 79 years of pageantry, pleated pantaloons and roasted boar’s heads. This ancient Christmas festival, rooted in pagan forestry, goes back almost 700 years and symbolizes the Christ Child’s triumph over sin. Our local fest, held at Christ Church Cathedral, is modeled after one that originated at Queen’s College in Oxford, England in the 1300s and it includes a cast of more than 250 costumed lords, ladies, knights, hunters, pages, shepherds and wise men performing carols and the story of the nativity and lighting a yule log. It’s a lavish theatrical production with a large homemade mince pie and plum pudding,

and a garnished hog’s head on a platter. End result: It’s a cool Medieval tradition with roots in Christian and pagan winter festivals. 2 p.m. dress rehearsal Saturday; 5 p.m. show Saturday; 2:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are free and but were distributed earlier in the year; call the ticket hotline at 513-621-BOAR for more info. Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., Downtown, cincinnaticathedral.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

ONSTAGE: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Accio, orchestra! The Cincinnati Pops performs with everyone’s favorite boy wizard when the orchestra plays John Williams’ score to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets live while the film plays on a screen above the stage. The movie, which chronicles Harry’s second year at Hogwarts as he meets Tom Riddle and battles a basilisk, is a magical family-friendly adventure with Grammynominated music. Keitaro

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

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FRIDAY 28

3 Points Urban Brewery

FROM PAGE 13

and the Factory in the event lounge. There will also be a custom photobooth and two-tone balloons will drop at midnight. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday. $20 at the door; presale tickets are sold out. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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EVENT: Gilded Eve: Confuse Reality with Its Replica at 21c The 21c Museum Hotel is hosting a Great Gatsbythemed bash to ring in 2019. Dress in your best 1920s attire for a costume contest at 11 p.m., with prizes awarded for the best flapper and the most dapper. There will also be interactive dance performances from Pones, access to the art exhibit Truth or Dare: A Reality Show, Art Deco and Futurist video art and more. Tickets include one drink. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday. $35. 21c Museum Hotel, 609 Walnut St., Downtown, 21cmuseumhotels.com/cincinnati. — MAIJA ZUMMO

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EVENT: All That Glitters New Year’s Eve Party at Hotel Covington Head to Hotel Covington for two tiers of fun. For a general admission ticket, get access to an upstairs party with a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and interactive photobooth, with light bites for purchase and a live DJ. VIP Gold guests gain access to a special Eva G. Farris Ballroom with a complimentary bar of topshelf spirits, a champagne toast at midnight, a fourcourse dinner menu and live music by the Roebling Trio. A VIP cocktail hour starts at 7 p.m. followed by dinner at 8 p.m. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday. $25; $250 gold. Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington, hotelcovington. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO EVENT: NYE at Tokyo Kitty Featuring Kawaii Circus Countdown to 2019, pink bubbly in hand. Tokyo Kitty will transform into a “kawaii” circus for the night, with acrobats, dancers and carnival treats. Karaoke your heart out, kid. Everyone gets access to sushi, popcorn, cotton candy and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Upgrade

PHOTO: 3CDC

MONDAY 31

EVENT: New Year’s Eve Blast on Fountain Square Looking for a tame way to ring in 2019 with a few thousand friends? This family-friendly NYE on Fountain Square is a free dance party featuring funny games, live music and a fireworks show at midnight. Drinks and snacks will be for sale and the ice rink will be open; skate rental and rink admission cost extra. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday. Free admission. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown, myfountainsquare.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

to VIP for a private karaoke room. 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday. $50; $150 VIP. Tokyo Kitty, 575 Race St., Downtown, thattokyobar.com. — MACKENZIE MANLEY EVENT: MadTree New Year’s Eve MadTree is going to be filled to the brim on New Year’s Eve with people looking to ring in 2019 with beer, bands and balloons. The brewery is transforming the taproom, beer garden and barrel warehouse into party spaces for the night complete with beer, wine and specialty cocktails plus a complimentary champagne toast at midnight, appetizers and midnight buffet, a photobooth and live music. Tickets include one free drink; cash bar after. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday. $70. MadTree, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, madtreebrewing.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

TUESDAY 01

EVENT: Day 1 Hangover Party at Queen City Radio Rehydrate, relax and cure your hangover on New Year’s Day at Queen City Radio. The bar will be offering sessions with local IV Hydration Boutique (yes, a mobile intravenous hydration company) like you’re a goddamn celebrity. The company, which consists of board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners and registered nurses, has “created IV cocktails that safely provide you with vitamins, medications and amino acid infusions to keep you performing at your peak.” If you feel like the hair of the dog instead of mainlining some H20, there will also be a bloody mary bar, bottomless mimosas and beermomas and a burger and fry combo available from onsite/ parked food trailer Queen City Whip. IV Hydration

PHOTO: ANDREW BASTION PHOTOGRAPHY

MUSIC: Holiday Hangover Weekend with Twiztid If anything, the words “two Detroit Horrorcore rappers in face paint” conjure images of Insane Clown Posse for most music fans. But in the world of juggalos, you have to be more specific. Though there is a shared aesthetic and crossover business ties with ICP, Twiztid MCs Jamie Madrox and Monoxide have achieved a lot of success in their own right since forming over two decades ago. ICP’s Violent J was a fan of the duo’s demo tape, which they made following the breakup of their Rap trio House of Krazees, and he signed them to Psychopathic Records. Twiztid has been on and off the label since 1997, releasing a stream of albums that sold well and charted regularly, including the twosome’s 2009 full-length, W.I.C.K.E.D., which made it to No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart. In 2015, Twiztid released its first album on its own label, Majik Ninja Entertainment. In early 2017, the duo appeared to officially break ties with ICP after all of its label’s artists were kicked off an official juggalo event, but Twiztid didn’t suffer too horribly. In the fallout, the duo’s latest full-length, The Continuous Evilution of Life’s ?’s, still broke the album chart’s Top 30 and Twiztid was invited to be a part of the final Van’s Warped Tour this summer. The act has been teasing a new album release for 2019; fans have been speculating that its title will be Generation Nightmare. Twiztid’s visit to Newport is part of a very brief tour with Prozak and Alla Xul Elu dubbed the “Holiday Hangover Weekend.” 7 p.m. Friday. $20. Thompson House, 24 E. Third St., Newport, thompsonhousenewport.com. — MIKE BREEN

FILM: Moving Images: 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Cincinnati Art Museum The future is here at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

EVENT: Wendy’s Bridal Show If you said “yes” to your honey over the holidays, bring your soon-to-bebridal butt to the Duke Energy Convention Center for Wendy’s Bridal Show this weekend. Find more than 150 vendors covering everything you need to get ideas for your big day. There will be photographers, bakers, DJs, venues, invitation designers, dress boutiques and more. Wendy’s will present fashion shows with 2019 bridal gowns and bridesmaid designs at noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $10. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, wendysbridalshow.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

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THURSDAY 03

SATURDAY 05

EVENT: Brew Year’s Day at West Side Brewing Get 2019 started on the right foot at West Side Brewing — by joining the inaugural West Side Brewing Running Club jaunt through the neighborhood at 10:30 a.m. If you aren’t up for that, the brewery is also serving brunch (an omelet station, bacon, sausage, etc.), releasing

their Barley Wine beer in cans and hosting evening eats from Sea Cuisine while TVs screen all the college football bowl games: the Outback Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday. Free admission. West Side Brewing, 3044 Harrison Ave., West Side, facebook. com/westsidebrewing. — MAIJA ZUMMO

SPORTS: Cyclones Hockey Throwback Weekend Party with the Cincinnati Cyclones like it’s 1999 — or your New Year’s resolution was to get more serious about sticking to your budget. During Throwback Weekend, the team will be offering two opportunities for fans to grab cheap tickets and discounted eats. In addition to dollar beers, you can also find dollar hotdogs, pizza and soda at arena concession stands. 7:30 p.m. puck drop Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $10. U.S. Bank Arena, 1000 Broadway, Downtown, cycloneshockey. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

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Boutique appointment slots are limited so call 513-2232068 or email contact@ ivhydrationboutique.com to book. Noon-4 p.m. Tuesday. Free admission. Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/queencityradiobar. — MAIJA ZUMMO

FRIDAY 04

PLUS

FRIDAY 04

The CAM’s Moving Images film series occurs the first Thursday of every month and screens both new and classic films that are “in dialogue with art.” This time it’s Stanley Kubrick’s eerie and dazzling sci-fi drama 2001: A Space Odyssey from 1968 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA’s moon landing. 7 p.m. Thursday. Free. Fath Auditorium, Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

18_0193_CAM_CityBeat_FullPageExhibSched_FOI_1226_C01_v01brian.pdf

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ARTS & CULTURE N OTAB LE V I S UAL ART MOM E N T S O F 2 018 Some of our favorite things we saw in — and out — of galleries and museums this year BY M AC K E N ZI E M A N L E Y

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also featured via The Fold — Space, time and the image. A co-founder of the Arab Image Foundation, he works to preserve photographs from the Middle East, North Mark de Jong in his Swing House Africa and the Arab diaspora, PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER stretching back from the 19th century to today. The exhibit, on view striking, stunning show. Adams’ stark through Feb. 10, explores that very black-and-white photographs lined the collection, displaying black-and-white walls, capturing American landscapes images along a stretch of wall. (and, often, national parks.) Viewers could Swedish artist and painter Mamma see the shifts in aesthetic change as years Andersson’s Memory Banks drew us in with passed and technology advanced. (Adams dreamy, folk-infused work that captures was born in 1902 and died in 1984.) the surreal in everyday moments. It’s also Overlapping with Adams’ exhibit, on view through Feb. 10. Pittsburgh-based Vanessa German was the Lastly, photographs from Raquel Taft’s Robert S. Duncanson Artist-in-ResAndré’s A Collection of Lovers occupied idence. Her show, running with freedom, the lower floor. Her work also delved into featured powerful figures that depicted encounters with strangers (167 to be exact, black female bodies. Each was crafted with as of August 2018.) both handmade and found objects. (GerWhile FotoFocus dominated the fall, man collected materials from abandoned presenting a daunting amount of material, lots, flea markets, the trash, etc.) One lens-based exhibits still shined this year sculpture — titled “I Am Reaching For a outside of that. Ansel Adams — hailed New Day” — wore bright yellow Converse as one of America’s most important shoes. With a body made of patchwork 20th-century nature photographers — got quilts, she held a bullhorn, abloom with a share of the spotlight this summer at a bouquet in one hand. Each figure prethe Taft Museum of Art. Ansel Adams: sented was vibrant; some were made up of A Photographer’s Evolution was a power cords, others had bluebirds perched

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n Cincinnati, 2018 very well could be dubbed the year that art crept outside the borders of a frame and into works upon we swung, skated and even ate from. It was a year marked by far-reaching regional festivals (we’re looking at you, FotoFocus), anniversaries and recordbreaking shows. The Cincinnati Art Museum’s Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China fits into the latter category. From April 20-Aug. 12, the museum saw nearly 140,000 visitors; 91,628 of those came specifically for this ticketed exhibition. Those numbers mark Terracotta Army as the highest-attended exhibit to date since 1982’s Treasures From the Tower Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China of London. Ten life-size terracotta warrior figures from China’s Pre-Qin PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER era (770-221 BC) and throughout the Qin dynasty filled the space, alongside saw her dance uninhibited as mall-goers leather armor, gold works, ceramics, jade rushed past in consumed blurs. Perhaps ornaments and more. the crux of this exhibit was Wearing, After its closure, Fabric of India Gillian, a five-minute video that featured sprawled through the CAM’s Western & a wide range of people wearing a version Southern Galleries, washing the space of the artist’s face, applied via an artificial in colorful, intricately spun cloth and filter (not so different than the ones textiles. Despite its strong impact on India found on Snapchat or other social media (and, really, the world), the show is the first platforms). It begged the question: Can the major exhibition focused specifically on real Gillian stand up? handmade Indian fabrics. Its stint in Cincy Other FotoFocus highlights included marks the U.S. debut for the show, which the Taft Museum of Art’s From Paris to originated at London’s Victoria & Albert New York: Photographs by Berenice Abbott Museum. (The exhibit closes Jan. 6.) and Eugène Atget. At the time, CityBeat This year’s FotoFocus Biennial had ties freelancer Kathy Schwartz wrote that it to more than 90 exhibits and events across was like “viewing an arthouse movie in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. which an intriguing storyline unfolds In its fourth iteration, FotoFocus looked with moody cinematography.” Locals got toward its “Open Archive” theme involved, too. Take Michael Wilson, whose to showcase historical and modern work was displayed at the Public Library of photography alike. With most exhibits and Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s Main programming unfolding in October, the Branch. In They Knew Not My Name, and month was packed. Big names that showed I Knew Not Their Faces, Wilson captured up to participate included Miranda July, the faces of strangers he encountered in whose film project Joanie 4 Jackie was Cincinnati. (On view through Dec. 31.) showcased at the Mini Microcinema; Camp Washington’s Wave Pool gallery Life: Gillian Wearing came to CAM, where similarly presented work that engaged the the exhibit’s namesake — a Turner Prize surrounding neighborhood for their slice, winner and conceptual photographer and dubbed Social Medium. video artist — explored a multitude of I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the selves via masks, staging and more. Contemporary Arts Center, which Wearing recreated portraits of other dedicated every floor to FotoFocus in artists like Marcel Duchamp, Albrecht 2018. No Two Alike: Karl Blossfeldt, Francis Dürer and Georgia O’Keeffe — whom she Bruguière and Thomas Ruff placed 1920s considers her “spiritual family” — using modernist images taken by Blossfeldt herself as a stand in. Peel back the mask: and Bruguière with abstractions by the Underneath the initial layer was Wearing, contemporary artist Ruff. You can see that making us question the act of expression. show through Jan. 13. Within the frame of a retro TV, we also Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari was

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in their chests. But art didn’t only find itself in museum and gallery corridors. SkateAble vs Non — a pop-up project backed by a People’s Liberty grant and housed in the nonprofit’s Camp Washington gallery storefront — was an indoor skatepark that doubled as an art installation. Funky cartoons — alligators, cool cats, doggos, scrunched up faces, dinosaurs, jagged skulls — splayed out on quarter-pipes, ramps and spines. The “non” part of the project came in the form of the most chill backyard of 2018, complete with a bat-shaped basketball backboard, wavy pastel pink benches, a skeeball ramp shaped like Fiona the Hippo and a literally rocking yellow wooden cow. Like SkateAble, Mark de Jong’s Swing House is based in Camp Washington. And when guests stroll in, they become a part of the art. The cerulean exterior of de Jong’s whole-home project blends neatly into the surrounding urban block. Inside the threestory house, a wooden swing is suspended from the ceiling by 30 feet of rope attached to a metal rod. And yes: You can use it. Natural light leaks in; the space is completely open — de Jong removed the upper floors and walls entirely. A bed, dresser, lamps, kitchen space and the swing all flow into each other. Exposed brick walls greet onlookers, covered in a spotty patchwork of plaster and paint from former rooms. Smaller art pieces related to Swing House are displayed in a basement gallery. While some may have explored the space during one of its “open house” touring days, other Cincinnatians may have experienced it through the CAC’s exhibit of the same name, open April 20-Sept. 30 of this year. Pieces, photographs and more related to the house — and his other projects — were displayed. One of those was “Stair House Ephemera,” a grid made up of 338 circles extracted from Stair House, the namesake’s neighboring home. “Dead Souls Cake” also made use of childlike whimsy, but with heightened volume. Stuffed animals made up the 11-foot birthday-cake-shaped sculpture, topped with towering “candles.” I saw it housed at Felsenhaus242, a gallery located on West McMicken Avenue in the West End during a pop-up thrift shop and art show. But the fun piece made its debut at The Carnegie’s The Art of Food annual show and party. Dreamt up by Bill Ross of Northside’s Thunder-Sky, Inc., the giant faux pastry really evokes the kid inside of us all. Shimmering streamer-like strands form a makeshift door, where inside a TV juxaposes Night of the Living Dead clips with scenes from 1960s birthday parties. In September, CAC-goers could snag food in the museum’s lobby via a street food cart. But the accompanying exhibit War Gastronomy ran deeper than grab-and-go. In partnership with San Francisco’s Collective Action Studio, the mobile cart doubled as a way to connect the community via the act of storytelling. Also in cahoots was Wave Pool gallery’s The Welcome Project — a nonprofit established to help refugee and immigrant

women through community building and various classes. (The recipes served at the cart were provided by the women.) Aside from the cart itself, guests could also take a seat at the 10-foot-long communal coffee table or watch a visual archive of stories shared at past events. But before we completely shed 2018, I propose a toast to one of the Queen City’s greats; this year, Art Academy of Cincinnati celebrated its 150th year as an academic institution. Among events and showcases, a book was also published: Art Academy 150: Make Art. Make a Difference, which chronicles a history that includes alumni like Frank Duveneck, Julian Stanczak and Charley and Edie Harper. Now, where’s the champagne?

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019 Inching toward 2019, the 21c Museum Hotel’s current exhibit won’t close until July — though it has been on display since September of this year. The works presented within Truth or Dare: A Reality Show delve into shaky realities, often steeped in a socio-political commentary. Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted by a multi-colored wallpaper covered with geometric shapes made by artist Claudia Hart. With a cellphone app called Layar, those designs morph into internet-coded art — as if you fell asleep mid-scroll and experienced a Twitter fever dream complete with emojis. Other works are steeped in similar conflicting layers. Guests also encounter lines pulled from Hamlet (just not the ones you’d expect), a fake puddle complete with a convincing dripping soundtrack, a warped and mind-tripping selfie installation, a steel column that’s actually wood slicked in oil and more. Cincinnatians can also look forward to the return of BLINK, slated for Oct.10-13, 2019 (the inaugural event took place Oct. 12-15, 2017). The popular light and art festival amassed one million visitors in its run last year. Produced by creative organization Brave Berlin, the free four-day fest stretched from The Banks to the edges of Over-the-Rhine. Next year, Covington will see its own share of light installations, too. Though there’s still much planning ahead of the team, BLINK will likely snake through to the intersection of Seventh and Madison streets in the Cov. The City of Light — aka Paris, France — will make a temporary home at the CAM come March 1. (It will leave May 12.) The exhibit — dubbed Paris 1900: City of Entertainment — will explore Paris as it encountered the turn of the 20th century.

ONSTAGE

I M PAC TF U L S H OWS F ROM C I N C Y S TAG E S I N 2 018 BY R I C K PE N D ER

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019 It’s no secret that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton is finally touring, making a five-week tour stop here Feb. 19-March 10 at the Aronoff Center. The score uses Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Rap, R&B and Broadway melodies to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became a hero during the American Revolution and the shaper of the young nation. Despite the length of the run, tickets are scarce, but there will be daily lotteries for a few seats if you care to try your luck. Hamilton wasn’t Miranda’s first hit: That would be In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award winner about life in New York City’s Hispanic-American community, Washington Heights, a musical stew of Latin energy. The Playhouse in the Park is producing this one Jan. 19-Feb. 17 — a savvy move in close proximity to Hamilton’s upcoming presentation.

Barbara Chisholm as Annie Wilkes and David Whalen as Paul Sheldon in Misery at the Playhouse PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY

Contact Rick Pender: rpender@citybeat.com

Prefer some drama? Check out a pair of play’s by America’s great AfricanAmerican playwright, August Wilson: Fences at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (Jan. 25-Feb. 16) and Two Trains Running at the Playhouse in the Park (March 7-30). And don’t miss Ensemble Theatre’s hat trick of award-winning new works, a trio of regional premieres: Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 (March 2-30), Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew (April 13-May 11) and Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves (June 1-29). All three are among the most produced shows on American stages this season.

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baking, in this case. In August The Carnegie in Covington staged the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, about the rise, fall and rise again of a Pop trio resembling The Supremes. Directed by Torie Wiggins (not long after playing Ethel Waters at ETC), the production featured a cast of talented, diverse performers, several of whom would be great to see more frequently. Tiny Falcon Theatre (at its own 100seat venue in Newport) gave a powerful rendering of Martin McDonough’s harrowing The Pillowman, set in a nameless police state where a man is abusively interrogated about some violent child murders that he may or may not have committed. Cincinnati theater lovers are lucky to have so many choices presented with such professionalism.

timely in 2018. The collaboration with Brave Berlin, the creative organization that produced the BLINK art and light festival in 2017, was a stroke of genius. In addition to the annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Know Theatre keeps audiences entertained with shows by lesser known playwrights and stories that dance around the edges of our imagination. Joseph Zettelmaier’s The Man-Beast in October told a two-character werewolf tale with some surprising twists and turns. Set in 18th-century France, it caught audiences unaware more than once. Jim Hopkins and Jennifer Joplin, regulars with Cincy Shakes, turned in physically demanding and gripping performances. A few other theater productions that I’ll remember kicked off with a January tour stop by Waitress at the Aronoff Center. It’s the rare Broadway production (this show is still running in New York, in fact) that tells a heartfelt story about characters who create magic in everyday life — through

As a longtime fan of Cuban Pop singer Gloria Estefan and the infectious Latin rhythms of the Miami Sound Machine, I’m eager to catch a performance of On Your Feet during its tour stop at the Aronoff Center March 19-24. How she and her husband Emilio became a crossover Pop sensation is an inspiring tale, with lots of memorable music. D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

Lots of great theater happened on Cincinnati stages during 2018, making it tough to single out the “best” shows of 2018. So I’m simply offering my opinions regarding the shows that I’m still thinking about as the year draws to a close. At the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the mainstage production that keeps coming back to me is the 2018-2019 season-opener, a theatrical adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery. Truth to tell, there’s not a lot of opportunity for suspense in this tale, since it was a best-selling novel as well as a much remembered 1990 movie (for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award). But the Playhouse production was a showcase for actors, with Barbara Chisholm playing the psychopathic “No. 1 Fan” Annie Wilkes, and David Whalen as the unfortunate novelist who falls into her clutches after a car accident. Even while some theatergoers remembered Chisholm as funny, pragmatic Erma Bombeck from a prior season, she brought Annie to creepy, demented life and kept everyone on the edge of their seats. The Playhouse’s Shelterhouse is where new plays are frequently staged and this year the lineup was again dominated by all female playwrights. Deborah Zoe Laufer’s Be Here Now, about an unexpected love affair, and Allyson Currin’s Sooner/Later, about coincidences and unsuccessful dates, were both excellent. But KJ Sanchez’s Cincinnati King, chronicling the ups and downs of Cincinnati’s own King Records from the 1940s to the 1960s, will stick with me. It’s a great piece of local entertainment history. Fine acting has become the hallmark of productions by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and it was a rare treat to have Todd Almond back in town for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which he starred in back in 2001 and 2003. But my vote for the most memorable performance goes to Torie Wiggins, who brought legendary singer Ethel Waters to life in His Eye Is on the Sparrow this spring. With simple piano accompaniment by Scot Woolley, Wiggins’ captivating rendition of Jazz, Pop and Gospel classics — while recreating the trials and tribulations of Waters’ never-easy life — was one to admire. Settling into its new Over-the-Rhine theater, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company had the chance to show off with productions that could never have happened on its former stage. Of course, works by Shakespeare were well done, but the frightening video projections for the October stage adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 are surely seared into my brain in a production that felt startlingly

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FILM

C U R AT I N G F ROM A C ROW D E D F I L M F I E LD I N 2 018 BY T T S T ER N - E N ZI

What a year it has been for your friendly neighborhood film critic. Besides the typical responsibility of keeping a critical eye on the films opening in our market, I assumed the role of curator/programmer for the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival (newly rebranded after a strong run as ReelAbilities Cincinnati). Expanding my purview of the film scene has had a direct impact on my approach to this 2018 top 10 list. I want readers to appreciate how these narratives speak, not only to each of us, but also to one another. Imagine a Robert Altman-esque dialogue taking place over the course of the year, with me serving as your own private translator. Here’s what I think this year wants you to remember.

Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade PH OTO: J OSH E THAN J O H NSO N | COURTESY OF A 24

1. Shoplifters – We are all born into the family of Man, but writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda’s Palme d’Or winner (from this year’s Cannes Film Festival) posits that the more powerful bond truly uniting us comes when we choose, with open hearts, those we’re willing to let inside. There was no better expression of this lesson in 2018. 2. Cold War – Speaking of choice, writerdirector Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida) seems to believe that you have no choice in matters of the heart, so all that’s left to do is love the one you’re fated to as hard as you possibly can. In the end, love is the eternal battlefield.

4. First Reformed – Moral crises can harden hearts, but writer-director Paul Schrader (screenwriter of Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ) — in a miraculous return to form — proves that such trials can also free entrapped souls. As the minister of a small congregation questioning his faith, Ethan Hawke joins Joaquin Phoenix as the most unlikely pair of holy warriors this year.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

uncannily immersive performance holds everything in place. 6. If Beale Street Could Talk – The lyric poetry of James Baldwin gave voice to the rage and righteousness of a generation that was no longer willing to sit quietly and wait for change. Yet, in every incendiary moment, he never let us forget the intimate impact on individuals. Barry Jenkins, in a few films (this adaptation, Medicine for Melancholy and the Academy Awardwinning film Moonlight) secures his status as Baldwin’s modern counterpart.

8. Blindspotting – After decades of hustling to earn critical respect, Hip Hop

9. Shirkers – Sandi Tan, the writer, director and subject of this curious documentary, took a moving snapshot of a generation of young artistic outcasts in Singapore in 1992, searching for identity and a sense of belonging. But the frames were snatched from her. Twenty years later the footage was recovered; Tan’s unrelenting reclamation project is a fantastic odyssey. 10. At Eternity’s Gate – I suppose it takes a painter (turned filmmaker like Julian Schnabel) to present the passion of artistic expression, but without the presence of Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh, At Eternity’s Gate would just be a collection of pretty images on a moving canvas. Dafoe represents how genius steadies the frame and our attention. Contact tt stern-enzi: letters@citybeat.com

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) is also following her solo-directorial debut with an adaptation of Little Women. It won’t be released until Dec. 25 of next year, but the cast is promising. Emma Watson is Meg March; Saoirse Ronan is Jo; Florence Pugh is Amy; and Eliza Scanlen is Beth. Timothée Chalamet will play Theodore “Laurie” Laurence and the queen herself, Meryl Streep, is set to play Aunt March. The trailer for Pokémon Detective Pikachu swarmed the internet for days when it was released in November. CGI Pikachu is unsettling, sure, but also pretty cute in his little baseball cap. Ryan Reynolds lending his wise-cracking voice to the iconic role should make for an absolutely wild romp. — Mackenzie Manley

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7. Amazing Grace – Documentaries dominated 2018, especially examinations of iconic figures (see: The King, Quincy, RBG, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Pope Francis: A Man of His Words), but Sydney Pollack’s unearthed recording of Aretha Franklin’s two-night performance at the New Bethel Baptist Church in 1972, captures the one true Queen of Soul in all her majestic glory. Don’t believe me? Check out fanboy Mick Jagger who pops in during the second night of filming and can’t contain his excitement.

culture took the indie film world by storm in 2018, with Of Monsters and Men and Sorry to Bother You anchoring somewhat disparate ends of the narrative spectrum, but Carlos López Estrada’s raw and humanistic drama brought the beats and rhymes to life.

5. Vice – There is daring bravado and shrewd calculation in Adam McKay and Christian Bale’s guided journey into one of the darkest hearts and minds (while constantly casting doubt on the functionality of said organs) of the modern political era: Dick Cheney. McKay makes the ride engaging and diverting without rocketing off-course, while Bale’s

Shoplifters

A behemoth of sequels, remakes and follow-ups will hit the silver screen in 2019. (Quick shouts: It 2, Pet Sematary, Zombieland 2, Toy Story 4, Lion King, Avengers 4, Star Wars: Episode IX.) But, personally, I’m hype to indulge in Men in Black: International. Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth are the new duo — that’s right: no Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones — so it’s sure to get selfproclaimed nerd boys riled up to no end. Jordan Peele’s 2017 directorial debut Get Out took casual racism and elevated it to high-horror. Come March we can look forward to his next social thriller: Us. Details are few, but that may be for the best. D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

3. Eighth Grade – Bo Burnham’s searingly honest and loving look at a girl (Elsie Fisher) on the cusp of a major transition in her young life joins Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace and Andrew Haigh’s Lean on Pete as signs that we need not fear for the youth of today or the future.

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019

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Religious guru Bhagwan Rajneesh surrounded by a sea of red-clothed followers in Wild, Wild Country PHOTO:COURTESY OF NETFLIX

famed Italian designer. Touching on the LGBTQ issues of the 1990s, Versace is truly Murphy at his finest.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

HBO’s fantasy phenomenon Game of Thrones will return one last time for its final season in April. (Next year also marks the final season for Veep and Jane the Virgin, among others.) Brooklyn Nine-Nine, backed by a dedicated fan base, is returning Jan. 10 for a sixth season. But this time — since Fox canceled it — the cop workplace comedy will air on NBC. Two Neil Gaiman novel adaptations will get some love: Starz’s American Gods returns for a second season on March 10 while Good Omens will be released on Amazon. The six-part series — based on a novel he wrote with Terry Pratchett — is the first of many projects to come with Amazon. For DC Comic fans: Alan Moore’s richly dark Watchmen will come to HBO, adapted by screenwriter Damon Lindelof. — Mackenzie Manley

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Because there really was so much to watch this year, I must also recommend: The Americans’ satisfying final season; Netflix’s heartfelt Queer Eye reboot; BBC’s sexy thriller Killing Eve; the visually stunning Maniac; another solid season of the oft-overlooked Better Call Saul; American Vandal and Making a Murderer’s surprising second chapters; Bill Hader’s breakout Barry; the highoctane British political drama Bodyguard; High Maintenance’s refreshing review of the human experience; and The End of the Fucking World, a dark teen saga that gives 13 Reasons Why a run for its money. And for my fellow reality junkies, Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules and Below Deck continue to entertain.

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019

Forget all the click-baity reviews dubbing Netflix’s Wild Wild Country a “sex cult doc” — the truth is far more complicated and fascinating than a group of horny hippies living on a commune. Rajneeshpuram, a self-made community that seemingly popped up overnight on a Central Oregon ranch in 1981, and the controversies that surrounded it have been largely forgotten by those not directly affected. In this time of documentaries and dramas rehashing highly publicized true crimes, Wild hits a sweet spot by exploring an unbelievable real-life American saga that is still news to many viewers — without bias. When much of Ryan Murphy’s anthological offerings are becoming selfserving and ubiquitous, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story knocked it out of the park as a follow-up to The People v. O.J. Simpson. The story focuses on deranged killer Andrew Cunanan (portrayed fantastically by Darren Criss), who ended a cross-country murder spree with the public slaying of the

D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

The Golden Age of television just keeps on shining. Here are some of my favorites of the year. Amazon’s Homecoming sends its characters — and viewers — down a mysterious rabbit hole, following Heidi Bergman (Julia Roberts) during and after her stint working at a government facility for veterans. Loading an impressive amount of twisty psychological drama into a half-hour, director Sam Esmail and an outstanding ensemble cast (including Bobby Cannavale, Walter Cruz and Shea Whigham) build tension until the truth is finally revealed. With so many hints, cinematic references, clues, red herrings and “easter eggs,” Homecoming begs for a binge and re-watch. Jim Carrey and director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) have teamed up once again, this time on the small screen in Showtime’s heartbreaking and hilarious Kidding. In Carrey’s first regular TV role since In Living Color, he stars as Jeff Pickles, a Mr. Rogers-esque children’s program host struggling with the dissonance between his squeaky-clean on-screen (and off-screen) persona, being the face of a billion-dollar brand and dealing with his own personal trauma. In a time where comedies can be pitch-black and dramas are peppered with humor, Kidding jolts back and forth with the best of both worlds. Like director Jean-Marc Vallée’s last mega miniseries Big Little Lies, HBO’s gothic murder mystery Sharp Objects, based on Gillian Flynn’s novel, centers on “complicated women” — characters whose stories are much more than meets the eye. Each episode peels back these layers like an onion, revealing bits of truth and misdirection. Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and newcomer Eliza Scanlen shine collectively as a family shrouded in secrets, rocked by a string of murders in their small Midwestern town as they each battle their own demons. As a journalist struggling to make sense of it all, Adams excels in her rawest role yet. Donald Glover had a hell of a year, between releasing his timely anthem “This Is America,” playing a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story and being cast as Simba in the forthcoming Lion King. But it’s his work on FX’s Atlanta — a show he created, stars in, produces, writes and sometimes directs — that best showcases what a talent Glover is. This year’s “Robbin’ Season” (aka Season 2) is no exception as it uncovers a new facet while exploring class, race and other social experiences each week. “Teddy Perkins” might be my favorite episode of TV this year.

A YE AR I N RE V I E WS An abridged collection of CityBeat dining writers’ favorite stops in 2018 BY C I T Y B E AT S TA FF

AGAVE & RYE

parmesan, parsley and sugar, they’re an addictive base that soaks up the tenders’ spice. Together, these flavors stick with you long after you’ve put down your fork. (Jude Noel)

633 Madison Ave., Covington, agaveandrye.com

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Agave & Rye faces both Hotel Covington and The Madison Event Center and is just around the corner from the Braxton Brewing Company. With its full bar and kitchen open until 2 a.m. seven nights a week, this glossy taqueria has been an instant hit for patrons of those neighboring establishments and pulls in families and young couples earlier in the evening as well. Except for a few small side dishes and a couple of desserts, the menu consists entirely of tacos ($3-$5). They’re organized as “Graze” for meat-based fillings, “Swim” for fish-filled tortillas and “Grow” for veggie versions. Graze is the largest category, with eight different options that include a taco based on kangaroo meat — we didn’t try that one — as well as chicken, pork, beef and duck confit. Altogether we selected from 15 taco options, including a monthly feature: “cheese-filled mini beef meatballs, mac and cheese, white cheddar and vodka sauce.” We skipped that one, too. One unusual feature of the menu is that each taco comes in a crispy corn shell and a soft flour tortilla. A taco called The Bee’s Knees would have been better if the chicken in it hadn’t been too dry, but we all loved The Alderman — ancho grilled steak with Mexican street corn salad and a good salsa. The Swanky One came in a fried wonton shell — the only non-tortilla wrapped taco — with a filling of ahi tuna poke, serrano aioli and guacamole. It tasted good, but the shell fell apart when you picked it up. One of the veggie tacos, The Bang Bang, hit the right notes with crispy cauliflower, spicy carrots and a creamy cheese sauce. (Pama Mitchell)

BOOMTOWN BISCUITS & WHISKEY

1201 Broadway St., Pendleton, boomtownbiscuitsandwhiksey.com

At Boomtown, the true delight comes plated. The signature biscuit isn’t a run-ofthe-mill thousand-layer flaked baked good. It’s a buttery, soft disc with a close crumb and a browned, lightly bubbled top that no breakfast chain can compete with. The food menu starts with “Pick & Shovel Sandwiches.” All of these options feature fillings like fried chicken, barbecue short ribs or mush cakes with chimichurri tofu, stuffed between two biscuits. The most popular sandwich — and the one I ordered — is the Yukon ($11), with fried chicken, gravy, smoked cheddar and thick-cut bacon. The option to add an egg is, theoretically, optional (and a

COLONEL’S KITCHEN

22 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, colonelde.com

Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

$2 upcharge), but better thought of as an intrinsic part of the dish. This sandwich was sumptuous. Besides the sandwiches, the menu offers “Prospector Plates,” which are more entréestyle than the sandwiches; “Bowls of Gold,” which are the requisite beans and grits but gussied up; “Sundries,” aka the sides you’ll want at least a few of; “Nuggets of Gold,” for condiments and dips; and “Sweet Fixins” for dessert. (McKenzie Graham Willits)

CHERBOURG CYPRUS

1804 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, cherbourgcyprus.com

In its seven years in existence, the Columbus-based Cherbourg bakery has become a worth-the-drive cultish destination for locals on the hunt for allergy-friendly pastries — everything Cherbourg makes is both gluten-free and nut-free. The Cincinnati extension of the bakery is no different, except for the name. OTR’s Cherbourg Cyprus is inspired by the blue-collar grit of Cherbourg, a seaside town in France, and the warmth and hospitality of the people of Cyprus, a Mediterranean island. The name also applies to the menu. The internationally-inspired shop features not only French- and Mediterraneanstyle pastries — brioche, loukoumades,

Cherbourg’s famous double lemon bars, muffins, cookies and cake — but also savory eggy deliciousness, like inventive stratas, quiches and individual skillet servings of shakshuka (eggs baked in a rich tomato sauce with a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of fresh herbs). (Maija Zummo)

CITYBIRD TENDERS

1344 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, citybirdotr.com

The deep-fried offspring of The Eagle in OTR, Citybird dishes out cage-free, allnatural chicken paired with housemade craft sauces. CityBird’s “house-brined, fresh fried” chicken leans more toward tenderness than crispiness, but still packs a considerable punch paired with green chile hot sauce. The tenders boast a fullbodied flavor: mostly mellow and savory, but tinged with spice. They’re at their best wedged inside the Spicy sandwich, topped with Green Goddess slaw, Sriracha, mayo and a toasted potato bun. Surprisingly, the chicken is almost eclipsed by the quality of their sides. Coleslaw is my favorite chicken partner, and CityBird does the dish justice with a recipe that eschews excess creaminess for a distinct, mustard-infused tang. The fries steal the show, though. Dusted with

With creative takes on breakfast fare such as pancakes, French toast and egg dishes to sandwiches, salads, soups and biscuit concoctions, Colonel’s Kitchen delivers “fast-casual from scratch.” The section called “Plates” includes the breakfast treats, such as The Colonel (eggs, cheesy grits, biscuit and a choice of breakfast meat), Jam-Packed (housemade fennel-apple-butter French toast) and a vegetarian frittata with tomato jam and Swiss cheese. Everything is priced attractively considering the quality and generous portions, with breakfast plates ranging from $7.50-$9. My friend Susan selected The Colonel with scrambled eggs and bacon — all good, she said, but her favorite thing on the plate was local apple butter from the Fort Thomas Farmers Market. I had a couple bites of the cheesy grits and don’t see how apple butter could top that, but to each her own. My sandwich was called Not Your Mama’s Veggie Burger, made from roasted falafel and red pepper and topped with arugula and harissa cream ($7). Veggie burgers can be mushy and bland, but this one not only was flavorful but also had a nice crusty crunch to complement the creamy center. (PM)

CRAFTS & VINES

642 Main St., Covington, craftsandvines.com

Crafts & Vines owner Lesley Hugo had worked as a financial analyst for a prominent hospital but wanted to leave the corporate world so she started Crafts & Vines. The bar has eight wine rotating taps — four red and four white wines, which Hugo says are among their most popular drink categories. Her menu also has several wines by the glass or bottle. Her husband, Vic, is a home brewer and enjoys helping with selecting beer offerings. He also pitches in on weekends by smoking meats in a Big Green Egg smoker. We sampled an array of wines and one of the beer taps, along with a meatand-cheese charcuterie platter. From among a half-dozen meats and seven or eight cheeses, you can pick three or six.

FOOD & DRINK

Crown Republic Gastropub

LouVino

Maize

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

We decided to sample six — three each of cheeses and meats — for $23. We had prosciutto, speck — actually a variation on prosciutto — and the hit of the table, a large and sinfully delicious strip of mapleSriracha bacon. Hugo said she recently acquired a permit from the city to open a walk-up window, which likely will lead to expanded food items. So far, in addition to the charcuterie, they serve only bar bites, such as olives, nuts and a hummus trio with pita chips. The window will give that meat smoker a little more to do. (PM)

CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB

720 Sycamore St., Downtown, crgcincy.com

KITCHEN 1883

9003 US Highway 42, Union, kitchen1883.com

Take your taste buds on a journey from the marigold-lined pathways of Château Guiraud in France to the Alps-framed

There’s a new pitmaster in Pendleton. And while the name of the barbecue joint may look like “luscious” — which isn’t a bad association — the restaurant is actually called Lucius Q (loo-shus q), a moniker taken from a Roman general with special ties to Cincinnati. The Roman association is pulled through in the branding, created by locals Keith Neltner and Tommy Sheehan: The restaurant logo is a Centurion riding a pig. But the Italian influence stops there. The menu is all about the meat; no pizza or

MAIZE OTR

1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, maizeotr.com Maize specializes in a unique fusion menu that honors traditional recipes from across Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine. The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize, and indeed, is the starting point for the restaurant’s whole concept. To that end, the menu is colorful and varied, with dishes from across the region that complement one another while retaining their traditional roots like the Peruvian ceviche, Mexican street corn and

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LOUVINO

1142 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, louvino.com

LUCIUS Q

1131 Broadway St., Pendleton, facebook.com/luciusq

pasta in sight — unless you count the macaroni and cheese waffle. Instead, it draws influence from regional barbecue specialties and the partners’ own backgrounds. “The sauce and the meat and how we do that is inspired by all the best regions in the country and we bring it here to the heartland,” says co-owner Aaron Sharpe. “We’ve got the Texas brisket, the Carolina pulled pork, the Memphis-style ribs (and then) we’ve got the Avril-Bleh sausage from right here in Cincinnati. Everything’s smoked back here in that smoker.” The sauces — which range from Carolina-style Queen City Gold mustard sauce to Kansas City-style Luscious Lucius sweet and smoky sauce to the unique ‘Bama White mayonnaise-based sauce — are made in house. The only thing not made in house are the buns, which are sourced from Giminetti Baking Company in Walnut Hills. For vegetarians, there’s a mushroom sandwich with barbecue sauce and sides like coleslaw, grits and queso corn or the pie of the day. (MZ)

Kitchen 1883 lives up to its “New American comfort food” concept. The restaurant is sandwiched between a Kroger supermarket and a Kroger liquor store. This might seem strange unless you know that Kitchen 1883 is the grocery chain’s first foray into sit-down casual dining. In fact, it’s one of the first grocery-chain-affiliated restaurants in the country. Fun fact: It’s named after the year Kroger founder Barney Kroger opened his first store. First, my friends and I ordered the pretzel bites and beer cheese appetizer ($6) and our smiling server brought them out posthaste, much to our delight. The bites were perfect — not too doughy, not too tough, crisp on the outside and with a cholesterol-friendly amount of salt. The beer cheese was made with Braxton beer. The restaurant’s online menu features a prominent picture of some meat-andmashed-potato dish, and I correctly assumed it was the braised beef short ribs ($18) with horseradish smashed potatoes and blistered carrots; I followed my eyes with my stomach and ordered it. The short ribs were very tender, falling apart with the slightest abrasion of my fork, and I devoured the entire plate. The horseradish potatoes were sharp but complementary, the carrots kind of superfluous, but I liked their varied colors, and the pan sauce was the perfect consistency. (LS)

Castelfeder winery in northern Italy — all while dining at LouVino in Over-the-Rhine. The concept restaurant opened in late August on Main Street and offers 60 wines by the glass as well as small plates inspired by Southern cuisine. You’ll see some familiar names on the wine list, too, as flights are named after Ohio and Kentucky celebrities like Carmen Electra and John Legend. They are served in three 2-ounce pours and can be paired with cheese for an additional $2. Individual glasses are 6 ounces and range in price from $8 to $29. While their wine selection is impressive, their elevated comfort food deserves a spotlight of its own, too. There are two menus: classics and seasonal. The former features dishes that are permanently available while the latter is a rotating menu dictated by the chef. For food we shared the Brussels sprouts salad ($10) which came in a cilantro lime vinaigrette, the steak and hoe cakes ($14), the beef sliders ($12) and the loaded baked potato tots ($9). While they’re called small plates, you get very generous portions. Two per person would be more than enough to leave you satisfied. (Lauren Moretto)

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Crown Republic Gastropub is located on the first level of the same building as Encore Apartments. I stopped by on a Saturday for a solo, pre-theater meal, and because my eyes are always, always bigger than my stomach, I ordered enough food for two: the octopus tabbouleh ($16), fried chicken gobbets ($8) and pappardelle ($16). The octopus was tender, served on a bed of farro tabbouleh under creamy, zesty duck-fat hummus and loaded with fresh herbs and merguez. When I ran out of the four pieces of housemade pita, I shoveled the rest of that delicious food confetti into my mouth with a fork. Did you know the name “pappardelle” comes from the Italian phrase “to gobble up”? Well, it does, and that’s exactly what you’ll do. The housemade noodles are at least two-inches wide and curled in a winding nest under a nice Bolognese sauce, topped with a pat of green ricotta gremolata and sprinkled with parmesan cheese and parsley. Oh, and the gobbets. You’re probably wondering what those are. They’re basically adult chicken nuggets, soaked in the malt brine the crew makes their pickles in,

then fried and served with honey hot sauce on the side. (LS)

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D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 â€“ J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

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Venezuelan cachapas and asado negro. For appetizers, my friend ordered the ceviche ($9) and, on our server’s recommendation, I tried the guasacaca gruesa ($8), which is a chunky Venezuelan avocado dip, similar to guacamole, but prepared with olive brine for acidity instead of lime. Allow me, briefly, to exalt the ceviche: it was perfect. Crisp, bright, tangy, fresh; it tasted like the ocean. For my main dish, I ordered the reina pepiada arepa ($9), stuffed with avocado chicken salad, red onion slivers, queso de mano (think mozzarella but saltier) and cilantro. It was filling and very, very good. Empanadas and traditional Venezuelan cachapas, a sweet corn pancake, are also available. (LS) Orchids at Palm Court

NICOLA’S

1420 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, nicolasotr.com

of executive chef Maxime Kien, a native of southern France with deep experience at excellent restaurants from London to Las Vegas and New Orleans. In a word: yes. If I had to select one feature of the meal that we all agreed was over-the-top spectacular, it would be all of the “freebies” that accompanied the dishes we actually ordered. That bounty started with a delectable amuse-bouche consisting of a savory panna cotta topped with a bit of local caviar and a sprinkling of herb salad. Between the appetizer and entrée came a small portion of the freshest pea soup you can imagine, enhanced by a shaving of black truffle. A pre-dessert treat centering on not-too-sweet strawberry sorbet prepared us for the desserts we had ordered, but there was even more after that: petitsfours and a take-home granola bar. As you would expect, the seasonallyattuned menu takes advantage of midsummer produce and combines those ingredients with top-quality seafood and meat from a variety of sources. Kien says he has enjoyed teaching his mostly young kitchen staff how to handle and prepare whole salmon, or a lamb saddle. During his months at the helm, he’s started to share his knowledge and show his team his vision, he says. That vision produces dishes that are never overly complicated either in ingredient combinations or presentation. Case in point was the vichyssoise appetizer — a chilled potato-based soup. It was marvelous: a creamy purée without the tiniest of lumps, topped with a spoonful of local Big Fish Farms caviar, a sprinkling of fines herbes and melba toast croutons for the allimportant crunchy contrast. (PM)

OVERLOOK KITCHEN + BAR

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, sacredbeastdiner.com Sometimes a lot of advance hype doesn’t do a new restaurant much good. At least, not unless the place lives up to it. Sacred Beast qualifies as a case in point. It took me two tries to understand the raves, but then I did become a believer. My husband, two friends and I went for supper. It was early in the week and not busy. It was hard to tell which of the food choices might qualify as a main course, but our server said that the bottom portion of the “Now Serving” column could be considered entrées.

SITWELL’S ACT II

324 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, facebook.com/ sitwells.coffeehouse Clifton coffee shop mainstay Sitwell’s has reopened under new ownership, and is now known as Sitwell’s Act II. Now owned by Florencia Garayoa and her husband Alex Barden, the couple are determined to preserve what made Sitwell’s an iconic Cincinnati hangout while adding their own philosophy and personality. While Barden is a Cincinnati native, Garayoa is from Argentina and she was an employee at Sitwell’s during its last few months of operation under the original owner, Lisa Storie. The couple purchased Sitwell’s and began renovations, giving the interior a complete overhaul. Chef Kyle Scrimsher, formerly of E+O Kitchen in Hyde Park,

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If I’m lucky, I’ll get to Orchids once or twice a year, and I’ve almost always had a stellar meal. In June, I dined there with friends to see whether that level of wonderfulness is still attainable under the new direction

Foodies, take note: a lot of excellent food is coming out of the kitchen division of the new Overlook Kitchen + Bar at Madisonville’s The Summit hotel. But you’re going to have to put up with a significant disconnect between the high-level cooking and the garishly-lit, noisy bar where you have

35 W. Fifth St., Downtown, orchidsatpalmcourt.com

SACRED BEAST

Those entrées include king salmon, steak tartar with french fries and an egg, chicken thighs, hash browns (yes, in the main course section) and the cryptically listed “ham and cheese,” all priced between $13.95-$18.95. Descriptions of these and other presumably lighter dishes are sparse, and you might want to ask before you order. It wasn’t easy to decide what to eat, but I’m happy to report that my choice of the Diner Breakfast hit the jackpot. It’s a truly great plate of food and I’d be hard-pressed to order anything else upon a return visit. Soft scrambled eggs, a short stack of ricotta pancakes topped with two strips of maple-glazed pork belly and a small grilled tomato make up this scrumptious meal. Clearly, this kitchen knows how to get the very best out of the humble egg: My husband had the equally delicious omelet filled with a simple combo of goat cheese and sweet peppers. (PM)

ORCHIDS AT PALM COURT

5345 Medpace Way, Madisonville, thesummithotel.com/dining

to eat it. Six of us raved about the food while just tolerating the rest Sacred Beast of the experience. Chef Kyle GoePHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER bel most recently was executive chef at Cooper’s Hawk, and also previously worked with chef Todd Kelly at Orchids. He’s now overseeing all the food service at The Summit and deserves attention and praise for the delightful fare he’s created for Overlook. We tried almost all of the entrées, and there wasn’t a dud in the batch. Two of us had the gnocchi with lion’s mane mushrooms (a variety I hadn’t seen before), spring peas and white truffle ($19) — savory, toothsome and satisfying. The bass ($29) was cooked just right, with a browned, toasty exterior and velvety center. The fish sat atop Yukon potatoes, parsnip and spring onion, all covered in a light butter sauce. Those dishes were the consensus favorites at our table, but the duck preparation earned accolades, too. Slices of medium-rare duck breast drizzled with duck demi-glace accompanied diced sweet potato and apple ($21). A substantial Kentucky grass-fed ribeye steak ($32) pleased our meat-lover as it benefited from the sweetness of caramelized spring onion and the umami of tender morel mushrooms. (PM)

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Nicola’s had fallen off my radar, but news of a recently hired executive chef gave me good reason to revisit the fine Italian restaurant. It has been at the same downtown/Over-the-Rhine location for 22 years, making owners Nicola (Nick) and Maureen Pietoso true pioneers in the area’s eventual renaissance. In June, executive chef Jack Hemmer came on board. He had cooked at Nicola’s a few years ago and left for other local kitchens, including a stint as executive chef at Mercer OTR when it first opened. He and his team retained some fanfavorite menu items that he said “absolutely deserve” keeping, such as a couple of pastas — tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce and four-cheese gnocchi — along with a goat cheese salad. And since June, Hemmer has developed several intriguing appetizers, pastas and entrées. He said that on the fall menu he especially recommends the duck leg and octopus starters; tortelloni pasta with a mélange of ingredients that “balance savory, sweet, spice and acidity;” and a pan-seared branzino entrée. We took our server’s recommendation and split a couple orders of gnocchi ($18$28) as an intermediate course. We agreed that the dish had been over-salted, which bothered some of us (including me) more than others. After more wine and waiting, our main dinner arrived. Several of my companions scarfed up more pasta, from the Bolognese ($15-$25) to risotto Milanese ($18-$28), while two of us went with fish entrées. Between the branzino ($34; my choice) and my friend’s Atlantic sole ($34), I preferred the latter. The fish was tender and flaky, and I liked the preparation with sautéed cauliflower, Marcona almonds and wine-soaked raisins. (PM)

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

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The Takeaway PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

was hired and tasked with creating a fully vegetarian and vegan menu. One featured sandwich is their Greek gyro made with seitan which, upon sampling, resembles traditional shaved gyro meat in both taste and texture. The glass noodle summer roll is springy, fresh and spicy with the included Thai chili sauce. Their quinoa and black bean salsa is one of several grain salads offered and was especially delicious when paired with some old-fashioned potato chips that served to scoop the salad like a dip. Soups include Vietnamese pho, vegan chili and a rotating soup du jour. Garayoa’s heritage is also represented on the menu via empanadas, Argentine wine and mate, an herbaceous drink similar to yerba mate tea that’s served in a traditional gourd and sipped through a filtered metal straw. (Sean M. Peters)

THE TAKEAWAY

1324 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/takeawayonmain

UNWIND WINE BAR

3435 Michigan Ave., Hyde Park, unwindehydepark.com Unwind may not be Cincinnati’s oldest wine bar, but after almost six years in business, it’s definitely in the running. The expansive indoor and outdoor space around the corner from Hyde Park Square has fused an upscale-casual ambiance with a wide selection of New World and Old World wines and small plates that complement the drinks. The deal at happy hour consists of a $2 discount on glasses of wine — regular prices range from about $9-$15 — and $2 off most of the food items (regularly priced $9-$14). There’s also a wine flight of the day, which consisted of three ounces each of four Spanish wines ($20) during our visit. You can create your own flights of four pours from the entire list, at half the listed price. Regular pours are six ounces; flight pours are three. We did enjoy a few small plates. I’d especially recommend the warm artichoke dip, pleasantly garlicky with truffle oil and topped with browned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. It came with a few slices of baguette (and we would have welcomed a few more). All of the food is either vegetarian or vegan (the owners are vegan). With choices such as crostini, flatbread, warm olives, cheeses and a hummus sampler, along with a few desserts, there’s enough for a light meal — or at least some satisfying bites to accompany your wine. (PM)

WIEDEMANN BREWING COMPANY

4811 Vine St., Saint Bernard, wiedemannsfinebeer.com

THE WHEEL

3805 Brotherton Road, Oakley, thewheeloakley.com

Cincinnati’s Han Lin, the chef behind Montgomery’s traditional Japanese sushi restaurant Mei, aims to captivate OTR’s foodies with ramen done the soulful way. Ramen, a traditional Japanese dish consisting of a meat- or fish-based broth, noodles and a range of vegetables and protein, has grown in popularity in recent years, but Lin believes the balance between authenticity and modernism has yet to be struck. As such he calls his ramen “incomparable” to Greater Cincinnati’s current offerings. In addition to pouring proper Japanese authenticity into each bowl, Lin hopes to introduce locals to authentic eating techniques, as well. “The thing is with the United States is when people eat ramen, they eat it slowly,” he says. “When I eat ramen, it’s like a two-minute or three-minute finish. I eat it while it’s hot. When it gets cold, the noodles soak in too much and it’s not good.” Tackling a bowl of hot ramen with haste can be a test of willpower for those that can’t stand the heat, but speed is a running theme at Zundo: Donburi, a Japanese stew that consists of various meats and vegetables served over steamed rice, is also considered a “fast” food. Whether topped with chicken teriyaki, eel or sashimi, donburi is a versatile dish that brings together protein, sauce and rice in a three-part harmony. It is seldom found on local menus, so this is truly a treat. (Austin Gayle)

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019 Here are a handful of places slated to open soon: Fiery Hen (21 W. Court St., Downtown, fieryhencincy.com) Nashville-style hot chicken from the team behind Court Street Lobster Bar; Mon Petit Choux (W. 24th Fourth St., Downtown, facebook.com/ monpetitchouxus), a combined bakery from Maribelle Cakery and Baudry French Pastries; Holiday Liquor Bar (1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/holidayspiritsbar), Dan Wright’s (Senate/Abigail Street/ Pontiac) latest OTR expansion with a dive-bar-vibe and possibly tacos; Mikey’s Late Night Slice (2014 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/ latenightslice), a Columbus-based pizza parlor opening up shop in OTR with a bar/slice concept featuring a famous Cheezus Crust pizza and attached Oddfellows Liquor Bar; Branch & Night Drop (1535 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, eatatbranch. com), a combined restaurant and basement bar in East Walnut Hills from the team behind Northside’s The Littlefield, with chef Shoshannah Anderson at the helm.

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The Wheel is an Italian takeaway restaurant housed on a well-hidden residential block in Oakley. A spinning wheel hangs above the door; inside, concert posters adorn pale blue walls, joined by personal iconography curated by owner Chrissy Antenucci. The food provides evidence that cooking is an act of love and creativity for Antenucci, who named The Wheel after a Grateful Dead song. “I really like to cook the way (the Grateful Dead) plays: walk out onto a stage without a set list and see what happens,” she says. On the surface, the ingredients seem simple; I ordered the rosemary roasted carrot sandwich ($9). The first bite alone was enough to convert this Punk into a Deadhead. The carrots were tender and hearty. Within the dish, they were a vegetable transformed — I experienced a taste metamorphosis with each new bite. As a vegetarian, it was more exploratory and creative than most other veggie sandwiches I’ve had. Kale peeked through between bites of carrot; both were covered in the perfect amount of romesco sauce and garlic yogurt, the latter of which added a surprisingly creamy touch. The bread, which Antenucci makes fresh daily, is thick — almost like foccacia — and cradled the ingredients within. “I think (The Wheel) is becoming a neighborhood gathering place of sorts of people from different areas, like Hyde Park, Mariemont and Oakley,” Antenucci says. “We just want it to be a place where everyone feels welcome, almost as if you’re coming into our home to eat.” And the food did feel like home: simple, loving, spontaneous and hearty. With one exception — the food at The Wheel is far better than any food I could get at my actual home (sorry, ma). (Mackenzie Manley)

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, zundootr.com

Wiedemann’s beer came back from the dead inside a former Saint Bernard funeral home. The Geo. Wiedemann Brewing Co. trademark was acquired by Jon and Betsy Newberry in 2012 when Jon, a journalist who covered local beer news, became intrigued at the prospect of bringing back the beer that was synonymous with Cincinnati family gatherings.

The taproom makes great use of the bottom floor of the elegant building, originally the Imwalle Memorial Funeral Home. Vintage Wiedemann signs wash the inner rooms with that comforting barroom glow only attainable from neon luminescence. The original Wiedemann recipes did not come with the trademark acquisition, meaning the new owners had to come up with their own approach to the iconic beers. Wiedemann’s Bohemian Special Brew, the beer older drinkers associate with the Wiedemann brand, was still in the tanks at the time of our interview, so much of our conversation revolved around the Royal Amber Ale, a smooth beer that drinks sweet thanks to roasted malt, but finishes with a pleasant dryness that makes the beer incredibly crushable. In addition to beer, the taproom boasts a full food menu, offering fried barroom appetizers, hot sandwiches, burgers and basic salads. (SMP)

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The Takeaway’s premise is simple: grab a really good sandwich …and go. Business is split between the deli — with sandwiches and cut-to-order meats and cheeses — and a tidy retail grocery. The deli offers an assortment of sandwiches, sides, daily soups, salads and a kids menu — a rarity in to-go shops. Among other sandwich options, you can chow down on the Reuben, featuring house corned beef layered on rye bread from Allez; the northeast-Ohio staple, Trail & Swiss, featuring Troyer’s Genuine Trail bologna; or one of three variants of The Salad Sandwich, with egg, chicken or tuna salad. Vegetarian-friendly options include the Caprese with housemade basil pesto on Allez sourdough or one of three salads — the Caesar, kale apple and house. On the first visit, a BLT felt like a safe choice. It proved to be that and more. The bacon was the thickest cut I’ve had on a sandwich in a long time (the slicer is set to 26), the aioli was creamy, but not overpowering, and the wheat bread sufficiently held it all together. (I also added a slice of cheddar.) In addition to the fixed sandwich menu, customers can try their hand at building

their own. Meat options include ham, turkey, German bologna or turkey pastrami; cheese includes Swiss, cheddar, provolone, muenster or American; and bread options are white, wheat, sourdough or rye; with a choice of veggies and sauce. (LS)

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TH E YE AR I N YOU R E AR: 2 018 A look back at some of the homegrown music releases that perked up our ears in the past year BY C I T Y B E AT M U S I C S TA FF

MOONBEAU – MOONBEAU

and exhales stark, confident Americana, drifting from melancholy reflections to up-tempo, string-band Folk with Bluegrass inflections, complemented with violin, dobro and steel guitar. There are songs about killing a man alongside lover duets and laments about drinks holding on a little too closely. They are heartfelt tunes — played with top-notch skill — that are like pulling open photo albums to present both joyous and distressing recollections. (Bill Furbee)

Cincinnati Synth Pop duo Moonbeau — led by Claire Muenchen and Christian Gough — is making some of the best music of the new wave of New Wave. On the twosome’s 2018 self-titled debut full-length, Muenchen and Gough offer 10 tracks of powerful Pop potency that transcends the instrumentation. If the album were simply their vocals and an out-of-tune piano, it would still be a melodic tour de force. Opener “In Love,” for example, might recall, say, A Flock of Seagulls, but it isn’t hard to reimagine it as a Bruce Springsteen song (and hard not to hear it that way once you do), down to the Patti Scialfa-like harmonies. All of the songs are instantly memorable — by just the second listen, it feels like you’ve known them for years. The resplendent Synth Pop presentation is highly enchanting in its own way; wrapping it around an impeccable Pop core makes for an exhilarating combination. Moonbeau won the 2018 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Album of the Year. (Mike Breen)

TRIIIBE – III AM WHAT III AM

For a group that hadn’t released an album, Triiibe had established a prolific presence in Cincinnati’s Hip Hop scene. Over the course of about a year, they maintained a busy schedule of DIY shows and single releases, finding time to contribute three guest appearances to Bootsy Collins’ 15th studio album, last year’s World Wide Funk, a collaboration that bridged two generations of Cincinnati natives. The album drought ended in 2018 with the phenomenal full-length debut III AM WHAT III AM, which showed Triiibe from a whole new perspective, buoyed by the strong, anthemic songwriting and lyrical abilities evident during the trio’s uplifting live performances, but pushed to new heights by creative and nuanced production. The trio scored multiple Cincinnati Entertainment Awards in 2018, including Artist of the Year honors. (Jude Noel)

AMPLINE – PASSION RELAPSE

NOAH SMITH – LONG CUT

lyrics and a brand of Rock & Roll they call “Grit Pop.” Mouth Sounds #2699 is a whirlwind ride, spitting forth a dozen songs in 27 minutes. Album opener “Action Road” seethes with urgency as corrosive guitars and a driving rhythm section frame Queen’s vocals, which have grown more nuanced and expressive over the years. Mouth Sounds #2699 is not just honest; it’s one of the best Rock & Roll records emanating from the Queen City this year. (Jason Gargano)

DAN KARLSBERG – TALES FROM THE WINTER SOLSTICE

Besides his inscrutable performance chops (heard regularly in live venues around town), now-veteran Jazz pianist Dan Karlsberg also flashes his abundant arrangement and composition skills from time to time on studio recordings by different bands he leads. Tales from the Winter Solstice finds Karlsberg among

his comfortable sphere of influences (like Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, who gets an extra nod on Winter Solstice with “Chorale for Bud Powell”), but, as always, there are new wrinkles. Karlsberg says the music was composed and adapted specifically for the musicians he worked with on the album — JD Allen (sax) and Tom Buckley (drums). The instrumental lineup in itself was a bit of a self-imposed creative challenge, resulting in yet another flawless entry in Karlsberg’s bulletproof catalog of dynamic studio recordings. (MB)

CHELSEA FORD AND THE TROUBLE – STONEHOUSE ROAD

Cincinnati-area Americana/Bluegrass newcomers Chelsea Ford and The Trouble features Ford on banjo, with Jonathan Ford on acoustic guitar and Matt Crone on upright bass. The collection of tunes on their debut, Stonehouse Road, breathes in kicked-up red dust from rural paths

After using a bevy of Nashville session hotshots on his 2014 EP, Cincy Country singer/songwriter Noah Smith opted to use his touring band (Michael Moeller, John McGuire, Drew Phillips and Joe “Rico” Klein) to record his debut full-length album, Long Cut, resulting in a spark and an immediacy that may have been muted on the EP, a testament to the chemistry between the players. “I’ve always loved being part of a band,” he told CityBeat of the process. “We went back to the garage and made this record, that’s what was cool about it. The concept of the record is there are a lot of road references. We spent a lot of time traveling, getting to know each other and building relationships.” (Brian Baker)

COMPRADOR – DOWNSTREAM

Led by hyper-talented singer/songwriter Charles D’Ardenne, Indie Rock band Comprador sculpted an engaging and

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Cincinnati-based quartet Vacation — which currently includes guitarist John Hoffman, drummer Dylan McCartney, vocalist/guitarist Jerri Queen and bassist Evan Wolff — has dropped a torrent of releases via various indie labels since surfacing in 2009, nearly all of them anchored by Queen’s first-person-laden

P H O T O : D E V Y N G L I S TA

VACATION – MOUTH SOUNDS #2699

Moonbeau

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Passion Relapse is Indie Rock trio Ampline’s first album since 2010’s You Will Be Buried and fifth full-length overall. It’s also Ampline’s best work to date, which isn’t completely shocking given the musicians’ experience and extensive history. Giving the album a raw immediacy and intensity, that economical, workman-like approach to recording is also reflected in the writing. The songs on Passion Relapse never meander, which, matched with Ampline’s musical tightness, creative and propulsive rhythms and much-developed melodic muscles, makes it one of the best Indie Rock/Post Punk albums released in 2018. For anyone bemoaning the decline of “Guitar Rock” albums in the Indie music world, let Ampline ease your fears and assure you that the legacy carried over the years by bands like Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill and Hot Snakes isn’t in danger of dropping off anytime soon. (MB)

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MUSIC

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

hook-centric rockers like Rozwell Kid. But Electric Citizen’s Helltown just as the sounds PHOTO: PROVIDED shift to softer, more spacious atmospherics, the hooks are sometimes structured new and old, respectively. The track in a breezier, less compact manner that ignites with rapid-fire jabs that feel like brings to mind artists like Grandaddy, an amped boxer climbing back into the Pedro The Lion and acts associated with ring, then glides into the slip-stream of the Indie Pop collective Elephant 6. (MB) one of Ross’ crafty, always-morphing riffs. The guitarist’s sound is like a floodlight piercing heavy fog — his playing swings DALLAS MOORE – MR. and slashes, but also retains a vintage dirty, HONKY TONK mossy tone. Laura’s soulful, laser-beam If hard work guaranteed success, Dallas vocals and melodies have always been Moore would have solid gold cabanas Electric Citizen’s most distinctive edge and surrounding an Olympic-sized swimming she’s in great form on Helltown, sounding facility behind his mansion, and his like the long-lost child of Ann Wilson and pool boy would have a pool boy. Moore Ozzy Osbourne who’s come back to borrow routinely gigs around 300 dates annually, some money and won’t take no for an a number that includes multiple shows answer. (MB) on a single day, solo or with his talented band. Moore’s single “Mr. Honky Tonk” MARK MESSERLY – INERT was sent to Sirius XM’s Outlaw Country With Mark Messerly’s album project Inert, channel and immediately became one of the singer/songwriter from Roots rockin’ its most requested tracks, leading to the duo Messerly & Ewing and bassist/multidecision to include the single in a five-song instrumentalist in Wussy brings the many EP, so Moore and longtime guitarist Chuck facets of his musical persona together in a Morpurgo returned to Nashville to record very unique way. Inert can conceivably be an additional four songs. That session’s called a “solo album,” but Messerly shies success led Moore to scrap a planned EP away from that term, instead dubbing and schedule a third session to complete it “a collaborative music project.” To the well-received eight-song mini album. record the album, Messerly set up camp (BB) in the recording studio and invited his “exceedingly talented friends” (including ELECTRIC CITIZEN – members of Wussy, Vacation, Lung, Swim Team and The Afghan Whigs) to join him HELLTOWN over the course of just two and a half days. The creative partnership of singer Laura With minimal direction, overdubs or Dolan and guitarist Ross Dolan has rehearsal, the songs were recorded quickly always driven Electric Citizen’s winsome but not hurriedly in order to capture the spin on old-school Proto-Metal. And essence of the collaborative spirit, enabling the couple pushes that partnership into the guests and Messerly’s chemistry with high gear immediately on the band’s them to shape each track. (MB) latest full-length, Helltown, with opener “Heart Attack,” which acts as a kind of “Welcome” or “Welcome Back” to listeners

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engrossing piece of art with Downstream, and it’s worth every second of the “double album” release’s extended run time. Ambitious, yes, but this isn’t an overlong LP stuffed with filler. Each song is well crafted and shaded with fluctuating tones and colors, and there is so much diversity from track to track, the release never feels weighted down Flocks’ Flocks or meandrous. Very few double albums in the past PHOTO: PROVIDED 25 years have needed to be double albums, but once you get going with Downstream, full-length Audley’s Pink you’ll want to keep following the sounds to is a glorious see where they’ll go next. (MB) PHOTO: PROVIDED representation of the band’s infectious mix of THE TILLERS – THE TILLERS Funk grooves, Jazz flourishes and, most Folk/Americana band The Tillers’ alluringly, hypnotic, percolating Afrobeat follow-up to 2013’s acclaimed Hand on the guitar and percussive pulsations, plus Plow was also its debut for well-distributed a sprinkling of various other influences. area label SofaBurn Records. The album Anyone who has witnessed the power of was informed by numerous factors: the EJFD in concert can attest to the group’s group’s extensive touring; band members’ spellbinding attraction. But where the adventures in fatherhood; the addition of live experience often manifests itself in fiddler Joe Macheret; personal tragedies a sweaty, dance-imploring manner, the (including the loss of former Tillers bassist take-home version offers a more cerebral Jason Soudrette, who died in 2014 after experience. While it certainly still has a battle with leukemia); and America’s party-starter capabilities, Ernie Johnson flirtation with fascism. “It’s been a lot of From Detroit also has an almost meditative slogging through negative and hard, sad quality, the kind of album you can put things that have happened, but also really headphones on, kick back and get lost in joyous, life-changing, life-affirming things the captivating flow. (MB) as well,” singer/songwriter/banjoist Mike Oberst told CityBeat. “This record feels to me like some sort of statement of ‘We’re AUDLEY – PINK back,’ but also ‘We never left.’ ” (BB) Getting his start performing on Hip Hop bills around town, singer/songwriter Audley gradually expanded his bookings FLOCKS – FLOCKS to include shows at Rock clubs with local Flocks is three top-notch Cincinnati Indie bands like The Yugos and Sylmar. musicians exploring and experimenting Like the most recent funkadelic work of with sound at the crossroads of Electronic Childish Gambino, Pink also moves away music, Jazz and other styles. The fusionary from a strictly Hip Hop format, exploding results on display in their self-titled debut like a Technicolor dreamcoat threaded album make for an exhilarating and with elements of Neo Soul and modern/ provocative listen. Flocks is a piece of classic R&B and Pop. (MB) digital art crafted with an analog mindset, with not only jazzy elements within the tracks’ structures, but also a JazzTOOTH LURES A FANG – like mentality driving the proceedings, SHARON IS KAREN showcasing both fluid, improv-like Tooth Lures a Fang falls in the “lo-fi” movement and a sturdy compositional category, but on Sharon is Karen, the raw base. While Electronic music is often recording element is mostly only evident stigmatized as cold and rigid, in Flocks’ when the duo’s loud/quiet dynamic leans world, the musicians give it a vibrant sense loud via over-driven guitar distortion. of humanity — the music sounds “played” Album opener “Last Year” kicks in with and not merely “initiated” with a button. a blast of Garage Rock fuzz surrounding (MB) TLAF’s greatest attribute — high-impact Power Pop melodies and harmonies. ERNIE JOHNSON FROM The duo’s melody magic is sometimes akin to the ’90s work of bands steeped DETROIT – ERNIE JOHNSON in the archetypal Beatles/Beach Boys/ FROM DETROIT Big Star Pop stylings, like Superdrag and Powerhouse nine-member ensemble Teenage Fanclub, as well as more recent Ernie Johnson From Detroit’s self-titled

SORG & NAPOLEON MADDOX – CHECKIN US

Veteran Cincinnati MC Napoleon Maddox’s latest creative endeavors have included his duo project with French producer/DJ Sorg. Sorg is a dazzling beatartiste, crafting a rich, layered backdrop on Checkin Us that masterfully blends Soul, Funk, Electro and other elements and vibes into something colorful and imaginatively unique. Maddox has long been a world-class MC and this collaboration shows him at the top of his game, as much a showcase for his untouchable vocal and lyrical skills as anything he’s done up to this point. Drawing discriminately from seemingly every major era of Hip Hop, his rhyming schematics and flow on Checkin Us are like a clinic in creative but foundationally flawless MCing. (MB)

COMMON CENTER – INVISIBLE ROPES AND TO SWALLOW SOMETHING HALF YOUR SIZE

Seven-member Northern Kentucky ensemble Common Center’s debut album in 2015 introduced its voraciously eclectic sound, a lysergic swirl of the musicians’ vast spectrum of influences, which range from Modern and Classic Rock and Indie Folk to Classical, Jazz and an assortment of World music. That same range manifests itself again on the band’s two 2018 EPs, but To Swallow Something Half Your Size and Invisible Ropes further showed how deft Common Center has become at working those seemingly divergent flavors into its increasingly distinctive musical personality. The music is often psychedelic and the spirit of Prog is evident, but unlike many artists associated with Psych and Prog Rock, Common Center has an anchoring songwriting core that gives its EPs their magnetic sense of cohesion. (MB)

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SIEGELORD – COVERED IN BLOOD

Metal trio Siegelord introduced itself with 2016’s debut album, Ascent of the Fallen, a deep, dark concept album full of characters and storylines derived from the members’ personal lives. But this year’s EP told a different story — of the group’s influences. Alongside covers of songs by bands like Mastodon, Immortal and Amon Amarth, Covered In Blood included Siegelord’s reworking of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” “We deconstruct ourselves in that song,” the band’s guitarist Therod told CityBeat of the cover. (Nick Grever)

ABIYAH – “CRYLIKE”/”MASKED”

Adventurous Cincinnati artist Abiyah’s “double A-side” single featuring the tracks “Crylike” and “Masked” represents the best work yet for the veteran local musician. The songs — produced by Dave Rohs (formerly of Cincinnati Electro bands Chalk and Kry

Kids) — are the culmination of Abiyah’s explorations in genre-fusing, bringing together slinky, ear-commandeering AltPop melodies and darting Electronic grooves with sensibilities ranging from Hip Hop and Dancehall to New Wave and No Wave. (MB)

WILD CARROT – BETWEEN THE DARKNESS & THE LIGHT

Before “Americana” became a buzzword for the broad spectrum of American Roots music, Wild Carrot’s music exemplified it. Singers/multi-instrumentalists Pam Temple and Spencer Funk have been making music that lovingly and gracefully combines elements of vintage and contemporary Folk, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass and other Roots stylings since the late ’90s. The duo’s latest, Between the Darkness & the Light, is a wonderful display of Funk’s deft musical abilities and Temple’s songwriting prowess, which is at peak strength on tracks like the silky, flowing “Talking with Ghosts,” “Now I Fly,” the billowy “Cold December Day” and “(The Power of a) Pancake Breakfast,” a homey ode to things like community and interrelatedness that is particularly resonating in our digital age. (MB)

A DELICATE MOTOR – FELLOVER MY OWN

A Delicate Motor began as a looping songwriting outlet in the early ’10s for CCM-trained Cincinnati musician Adam Petersen, growing with the enlistment of gifted fellow musicians like Ben Sloan and Stephen Patota, who helped enrich his hypnotically enchanting soundscapes on Fellover My Own and during subsequent live performances. Recorded in 2016, the album received a wide release via the local SofaBurn Records in 2018 and the band also got to enrapture new fans with its appearance at The National’s Homecoming festival in April, the only local act on the Indie Rock stars’ hometown event. (MB)

HEAVY HINGES – LONELY

Together as Heavy Hinges since 2012, the band’s Roots- and Soul-inflected Rock sound has only gotten more sublime with time. A newcomer when the group started, Maya Banatwala has emerged as one of Cincinnati’s finest powerhouse vocalists, and Lonely again serves as a showcase for her elastic, soul-drenched voice. While the incorporation of ingredients borrowed from other styles has always been a key part of Heavy Hinges’ appeal, as the foundational songwriting and arrangements get stronger, so does the band’s own distinct identity. Lonely presents Heavy Hinges’ charm and personality exquisitely. (MB)

DAWG YAWP – DOUBLES VOL. 1

After earning national acclaimed with their 2016 self-titled debut album, Indie

Dawg Yawp’s Doubles Vol. 1 PHOTO: PROVIDED

World Folk Pop duo returned in 2018 with a two-song single under the title Doubles Vol. 1. “Tearin’ Up” is another brilliant example of Dawg Yawp’s powerful and unique Psych Pop sound, which is made all the more endearing by a rootsy Americana undertow and streaks of Indian music via Tyler Randall’s magical sitar ornamentation. “Tearin’ Up” is also marked by potent melodies and some swirling electric guitar riffing, as well as an unexpected sample. Laid atop a rising hootenanny stomp is Howard Dean’s impassioned and infamous 2004 speech in Iowa which ended with a rally-cry “Yeeeawh!” voters deemed so awkward it somehow ended his presidential run. (MB)

GREY DOGS –WATCHING THE WORLD GO TO HELL

Singer/songwriter/guitarist/harmonicaist and Greater Cincinnati Roots music hero Dave Gilligan’s latest album under the Grey Dogs banner is partly a response to the weirdness of society in the Trump era, tempering seething outrage with sly witticisms. He sets the tone bluntly with opening track “I Don’t Like the President,” delivering the titular declaration in the chorus with an amusingly dry matter-offactness, while his conversational critiques are made all the more biting by Gilligan’s sing/speak “talking Blues” vocal style. (MB)

OIDS – ZONKED!

The influence of synth-infused (and other) bands of the ’80s are noticeable on Oids’ debut full-length, Zonked!, but with three-fourths of the creative minds behind former Cincy Progressive Pop act Injecting Strangers running the show, the end product is ingeniously constructed with an evident sense of experimentalism. The musicians take those New Wave and Post Punk elements and artfully twist them into their own distinct, slightly warped image. Zonked! is inspired by ’80’s “Alternative” music, but Oids don’t merely mimic the sounds of old XTC, DEVO or Cars records. They chase the spirit of how those classic songs make people feel and maybe borrow a few tricks and tools from the era, but the glaring originality of what they build out of those (and other) parts makes it an almost anti-nostalgic, wildly stimulating carnival ride. (MB)

CARRIERS – “PEACE OF MINE”/“DAILY BATTLE”

Curt Kiser (formerly of local Indie Pop greats Pomegranates and Enlou) has been honing his craft with his latest project, Carriers, over the past year-plus both on local stages and on the road. The debut Carriers release via Old Flame Records was a two-song cassette (also issued digitally) featuring “Daily Battle” and the earthy yet dreamily ethereal gem (sounding a bit like

Tom Petty fronting a smoky, psychedelic Dream Pop band) “Peace Of Mine.” (MB)

MARJORIE LEE AND THE LOVERS – OHIO

Based around Marjorie Lee’s songwriting and superb voice, Ohio is an endearing listen, brimming with Folk-tinged Pop Rock that has an alluring warmth and depth, sometimes bringing to mind a mix of ’90s AltRock bands like Belly with the more Pop-minded work of songwriters like Shawn Colvin or Suzanne Vega. As with those artists, the full-band approach lifts Lee’s songs out of “coffeehouse singer/ songwriter” territory. Bassist Jon Lattier and drummer Kristin Agee are virtuosic on their instruments and give Lee’s already strong songs an extra dynamic. According to the bio accompanying Ohio, a thematic thread of the album is the internal struggle that comes from living somewhere you love but don’t always feel welcome. That’s exemplified most clearly on the title track, which opens softly and plaintively before bursting into a rockier, more defiant march. (MB)

MARK BRASINGTON – X

In February, veteran Cincinnati musician Mark Brasington released his latest solo work, X, a meditative, ethereal collection that showcases a different, piano-based and uniquely emotive side of his highly melodic songcraft. In March, Brasington — who has worked in local bands like Clabbergirl and Odd Man Out and crafted five solo albums over the past decade and a half — released the playfully minimalistic video for the album track, “The Next Song.” Actually, it’s one of “The Next Songs” on X — the 10-track collection kicks off with “The First Song” and ends with “The Last Song,” with all cuts in between titled “The Next Song.” That matter-of-factness is part of the album’s emotional/sonic aesthetic, which seems to float between muted melancholy and a kind of resigned serenity. (MB)

A.M. NICE – END OF AN ERA

MIRA – MIRA

Talented local singer Kelsey Mira — who performs as simply “Mira” — is a regular presence in the venues of Greater Cincinnati, playing a selection of original songs and covers that pull from Jazz, Pop, Soul, the Great American Songbook and beyond. Mira showcased her songwriting and arrangement skills on her first fulllength album, a 2018 self-titled affair, which also draws from those wide-ranging influences, resulting in a unique collection of songs. The album is reminiscent of Norah Jones’ output, but primarily in the way Mira’s technically proficient, Jazzbased vocals are expertly transferred to a distinct sound that transcends that genre or any other simple categorization. (MB) Visit citybeat.com to check out our “The Sounds of Cincinnati 2018” playlist, featuring over 100 songs released by Greater Cincinnati artists in the past year, from the above releases and beyond.

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2019 Things we’re excited about: New albums by Cincinnati-area musical acts 500 Miles to Memphis, Kim Taylor and Over the Rhine; summertime concerts and festivals from Riverbend’s Hard Rock/Metalheavy 2019 season (with Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and Iron Maiden) to fest favorites like Bunbury and the new Bellwether, which returns to nearby Waynesville, Ohio for its second year in early August.

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Aimed at children ages 3-7, each of the seven silly tracks on the Hip-Hop-forkids project The Corner (with music from

Foolish Frank is a crisp four-song EP being issued through Cincinnati-based Old Flame Records that shows the foursome at the height of their Rock & Roll powers. The EP includes FFN’s cover of Superchunk’s “Driveway to Driveway,” from the indie rockers 1994 album Foolish (hey, that’s half of the EP’s name!), and “Fill Up My Cup,” a classic FFN song that exemplifies everything great about the band — sublime, unpretentious songwriting, soaring, sky-tickling vocals and hooks and a grounded, timeless Rock & Roll candy center. (MB)

Show Times

THE CORNER – THE CORNER

FRONTIER FOLK NEBRASKA – FOOLISH FRANK

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D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

A.M. Nice’s 2016 debut release introduced the trio — singer/guitarist Adam Nice, bassist Nick Hill and drummer George Marshall Jenkins IV — with a whirl of punkish hyperactivity, manic Post Punk rhythms and dynamic song shifts, all threaded with exquisitely magnetic melodic barbs. On End of an Era, much of that is still in place, but the blustery vigor, distortion and pace are often dialed back. Curtailing the noisy caterwaul brings Nice’s sharp writing skills (which bring to mind Ted Leo at times) to the forefront, with especially strong cuts like “I’ve Done It” and “Mind Right” emerging as album highlights. (MB)

area Hip Hop artists Vernard Fields and Adam Hayden and illustrations by Charlie Padgett) is a different vignette, often dealing with fundamental early life lessons, such as on “Pick Up Your Towel” and “We Like to Share.” There is “grown” Hip Hop that has kid-appeal, but for Hip Hop designed for children, The Corner should be your first choice. For educators, it can help connect kids to things like storytelling, poetry and rhythm. For parents, it’s all of that and an opportunity to knock The Wiggles and Barney out of the playtime playlist. (MB)

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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 26

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

SCHWARTZ’S POINT JAZZ & ACOUSTIC CLUB - Commusications. 8 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

KNOTTY PINE - Dallas Moore. 10 p.m. Country. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - The Pickin’ Pear. 10 p.m. Bluegrass. Cover.

THE MAD FROG - Way Back Wednesdays with DJ BlazeWright. 9 p.m. ’70s-’90s/DJ. Free.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Hot Diggity Daffodil, The Mimics and Wolfedelics. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.

MERITAGE - Sonny Moorman. 7 p.m. Blues. Free.

FRIDAY 28

MOTR PUB - Haneef Smart. 10 p.m. Flute/Various. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN Luke Smith and Nick Simmons. 4 p.m. Various. Free. SCHWARTZ’S POINT JAZZ & ACOUSTIC CLUB - Marc Wolfley Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Ohio Valley Salvage. 9 p.m. Rock. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Maritime Law & Friends. 9 p.m. Acoustic/Jam. Free.

THURSDAY 27

BLIND LEMON - Mark Macomber. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Moonshine Drive. 9 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

BLIND LEMON - Sal & Joya. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BOGART’S - GWAR with Iron Reagan and Against the Grain. 8 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal. $19.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE - Josh Kline Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Ricky Nye Inc. 9 p.m. Jazz/Blues. Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - Brass Tracks. 9 p.m. Rock/Soul/R&B/Dance. $5. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Whiskey Town. 9 p.m. Country. Free.

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

LUDLOW GARAGE - Super Diamond: The Neil Diamond Tribute Band. 8:30 p.m. Neil Diamond tribute. $20-$35.

KNOTTY PINE Brownstones. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Wayne Yeager Trio with Pam Mallory. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Tickled Pink. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover.

KNOTTY PINE - Kenny Cowden. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Brian and Susan Deyo. 9 p.m. Various. Free.

THE MAD FROG - EDM Thursdays. 9 p.m. DJ/ Electronic/Dance. Cover.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Karaoke Fantastic. 9 p.m. Various. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Ruth Lincoln. 9 p.m. Roots. Free.

OCTAVE - Litz. 9 p.m. Funk. PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Cull

RICK’S TAVERN - Whiskey Daze. 10 p.m. Country/Rock. Cover. SCHWARTZ’S POINT JAZZ & ACOUSTIC CLUB - Ben Bratton’s Down Home Collective. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover. SILVERTON CAFE - Soul Quest. 9 p.m. Dance/R&B/ Pop/Various. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Mudpies. 9:30 p.m. Rock/ Blues/Roots. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - The Newbees, Just Strange Brothers and The Duo-Jetts present “Women of Rock Tribute Concert.” 8 p.m. Rock. $15. STANLEY’S PUB - The Stolen Faces. 10 p.m. Grateful Dead tribute. Cover. URBAN ARTIFACT - The Nocturnal Broadcast, Slow Glows, Silo’s Choice and Pete Fosco. 8 p.m. Indie/Alt/ Rock/Pop/Various. $5.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT - George Simon Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

WOODWARD THEATER - The Mortals with The Tigerlilies. 9 p.m. Rock. $10, $12 day of show.

SATURDAY 29

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Cadillac and Catfish. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. BLIND LEMON - Jamonn Zeiler. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE - Lynne Scott with Don Steins & Co. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

THE COMET - Sabastooge and Dro. 10 p.m. DJ/Various. Free. HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Brad Myers Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - My Sister Sarah. 9 p.m. Rock. $5. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Party Town. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free. KNOTTY PINE - LDNL. 10 p.m. Pop/Dance/Hip Hop/ Various. Cover.

LUDLOW GARAGE Fund/Razor: Tribute to Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson featuring The Rubber Band and Young James Brown. 8:30 p.m. Funk/Soul. $25$75 (benefiting the Bootsy Collins Foundation).

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Mistermann & the Mojo Band. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover. MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Three Guys and a Goat. 9 p.m. Various. Free. MCCAULY’S PUB - The Fun Size. 8:30 p.m. Rock/Pop/ Various. Free.

MOTR PUB - Young Colt and up+dn. 10 p.m. Indie/Rock/Pop/Various. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Electric Citizen with Flesh Mother. 10 p.m. Rock. Free.

OCTAVE - Litz. 9 p.m. Funk. RICK’S TAVERN - Deuces Wild. 10 p.m. Country/Rock. $5.

RIVERFRONT LIVE - Prizoner, DV8 and Naked Truth. 8 p.m. Rock. $15, $18 day of show.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT JAZZ & ACOUSTIC CLUB BJ Jansen Group. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover. SILVERTON CAFE - Jet Pack Academy. 9 p.m. Classic Rock. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Woody Pines and Sean Geil.

9:30 p.m. Folk/Americana. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - The Wooks, The Way Down Wanderers and Joe’s Truck Stop. 9 p.m. Folk/Americana/Various. $12, $15 day of show. STANLEY’S PUB - $pare Change and Acrylic Grooves. 10 p.m. Jam/Funk. Cover. SYMPHONY HOTEL & RESTAURANT - Ricky Nye and Bekah Williams. 8 p.m. Jazz/Blues. Free. TOP CATS - Dead Humor, The New Van Goghs and Tatat. 8 p.m. $5.

URBAN ARTIFACT - Black Mountain Throwdown with Shiny Old Soul. 9 p.m. Roots/ Americana/Rock/Blues/ Various. WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT FrenchAxe. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

SUNDAY 30

20TH CENTURY THEATER - Rumpke Mountain Boys with Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound and Hot Brown Smackdown. 8 p.m. Progressive/Bluegrass/ Americana/Various. $15, $20 day of show. BLIND LEMON - Jeff Henry. 8:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free. BOGART’S - Chase Rice with Chris McCarty. 8 p.m. Country. $32. HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Rob Allgeyer. 10:30 a.m. Jazz. Free. LATITUDES BAR & BISTRO - Blue Birds Band. 8 p.m. R&B/Rock. Free.

MONASTERY STUDIO“Chronically Skilled” featuring Elsa Kennedy, Jess Lamb and Brooklynn Rae. 8 p.m. Singer/ Songwriter/Various. $5-$8. NORTHSIDE TAVERN Queen City Silver Stars. 8 p.m. Reggae/Various. Free. OCTAVE - Kung Fu. 9 p.m. Funk. $12, $15 day of show.

URBAN ARTIFACT Honorable Demons, Amnesiac Mnemonist and French Crips. 9 p.m. Experimental/Noise/Rock/ Various. Free.

MONDAY 31

20TH CENTURY THEATER - Rumpke Mountain Boys with Restless Leg String Band and Slippery Creek. 8 p.m. Progressive/Bluegrass/ Various. $25, $30 day of show.

THE AVENUE EVENT CENTER - NYE 2018 with FBG Duck. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. $25-$45. BLIND LEMON - Charlie Millikin. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BLUE NOTE HARRISON - Dallas Moore Band, Bad Habit, Amy Sailor Band and Bob Cushing. 5 p.m. Country/ Rock/Various. $12. BOGART’S - Thunderstruck. 8 p.m. AC/DC tribute. $18. CAFFÈ VIVACE - Eugene Goss Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz.

THE COMET - 2018 Underground Showdown with POC, Devin Burgess, Ronin, Joness, Papa Gora, Roberto, Jaybee Lamahj, Oski Isaiah, D-Eight and more. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. Free. DELHI PUB - Diesel. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Mambo Combo. 9 p.m. Latin Jazz. Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - 3 Piece Revival. 9 p.m. Rock/Pop/Soul/ Various. Cover. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Danny Frazier. 9 p.m. Country. KNOTTY PINE - Final Order. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

LUDLOW GARAGE Big Ol Family New Year’s Eve with Noah Smith. 5 p.m. Country. $15-$30.

THE MAD FROG Galaga 3000, Krowd Khemistry, Even Styler,

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

MOTR PUB - Knotts with Zoo and Earth Jones. 10 p.m. Indie/Pop/ Soul/Various. Free.

THE REDMOOR Ingrid Rachel Project and Girlfriendz Networking Group Presents The Black & Silver Party. 8 p.m. Dance/ R&B/Soul/Various. $10.

THE COMET - Soda plays Wire’s Pink Flag. 10 p.m. Post Punk. Free.

MOTR PUB - Lauren Eylise & The Part Time Lovers. 10 p.m. Soul/Pop/ Various. Free.

D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

BOGART’S - The Sweet Caroline Tour: A Neil Diamond Celebration featuring Jay White. 8 p.m. Neil Diamond tribute. $30-$50.

Hollow. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic/ Bluegrass. Free.

7:30 p.m. Country/Rock/ Bluegrass/Various. Free.

Truth. 9 p.m. R&B/Funk/Soul. Free.

RADISSON CINCINNATI RIVERFRONT - Basic Truth. 8 p.m. R&B/Funk/Soul. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Van Echo, A.M. Nice and Closet Mix. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Alt/ Indie/Various. Free.

RICK’S TAVERN - The Everyday People Band. 10 p.m. Pop/Dance/Rock/ Various. Cover.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) Honey Combs and Combo Slice, MayaLou And A Uke and Hillary Hahn. 9:30 p.m. Acoustic/Various. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Resonator with Horse Divorce and Argos. 9 p.m. Rock. $8, $10 day of show.

TOP CATS - A Tribute To Green Day and Fall Out Boy featuring Friday Giants and Break Up Lines. 9 p.m. Pop/ Rock. $5. URBAN ARTIFACT AVOYO, Smoke Parade, Camper Clark and Discount Nostalgia. 9 p.m. Alt/Rock/ Various.

The Yugos celebrate their 10th anniversary New Year’s Eve at the Woodward Theater PHOTO: PROVIDED

Craig V, djpk, Pumba, Baby G and more. 8 p.m. Electronic/Dance/DJ/ Various. Cover.

MADISON LIVE - Freak Mythology, Triiibe, Common Center and Go Go Buffalo. 8 p.m. Rock/Hip Hop. $15, $20 day of show.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

D E C E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 18 – J A N . 8 , 2 0 19

MADISON THEATER Phutureprimitive New Year’s Eve with Plantrae, Vusive and BRWN BEAR. 7:30 p.m. Electronic. $18, $22 day of show.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - The Newport Trio. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover. MCCAULY’S PUB - The Alphas. 8:30 p.m. Folk/Rock/ Country. Free.

MOTR PUB - Dark Colour with DJ Bruhbron James. 10 p.m. Alt/Indie/Pop/Electronic/ Rock/Dance. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Heavy Hinges and Still Witches. 9 p.m. Alt/Rock/ Soul/Pop/Roots/Various. Free. OCTAVE - Kung Fu. 9 p.m.

SATURDAY 05 Funk. $12, $15 day of show.

REVEL OTR URBAN WINERY - Black Sheep Black Tie: A NYE Celebration with DJ Ghost, Off Key Band and Michael Cruse. 9 p.m. Dance/ Various. $75. RICK’S TAVERN - Black Bone Cat. 7 p.m. Rock. $10.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT JAZZ & ACOUSTIC CLUB - Ron Enyard Quartet featuring David Tarbell. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. $29 (includes dinner and more). SILVERTON CAFE DeJaVue. 9 p.m. Various. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Cincinnati Noir. 10 p.m. Goth/Alt/New Wave/ Dance/DJ/Various. $5.

THOMPSON HOUSE Barely Alive with Vice Versa, Codex, Regime and Tanner Roop. 9 p.m. EDM. $25-$40.

URBAN ARTIFACT Funk Off! featuring Founding Fathers and The

Tangled Roots. 9 p.m. Alt/ Rock/Funk/Various. Free.

WOODWARD THEATER - The Yugos with Sylmar, Oids and ROVR. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. $10, $12 day of show.

WEDNESDAY 02

BLIND LEMON - Brad Lark. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE - Blue Wisp Big Band. 8 p.m. Big Band Jazz. KNOTTY PINE - Dallas Moore. 10 p.m. Country. Free. MERITAGE - Sonny Moorman. 7 p.m. Blues. Free.

MOTR PUB - Matt Waters. 10 p.m. Singer/Songwriter. Free.

THURSDAY 03

BLIND LEMON - Kyle English. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Kevin McClellan Trio. 7:30 p.m. Jazz.

THE MAD FROG - EDM Thursdays. 9 p.m. DJ/ Electronic/Dance. Cover. NORTHSIDE TAVERN Karaoke Fantastic. 9 p.m. Various. Free.

FRIDAY 04

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

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Lee Stolar Trio. 10 a.m. Jazz. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Project Doyle. 9 p.m. Rock/Pop/Country/ Various. Free.

THE MAD FROG - Zoofunkyou and Moselle with Rubix Wheel. 9 p.m. Psych/Jam/Funk/Blues/ Rock/Various. $5.

H H

MOTR PUB - Old City with Enzo. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Nautical Theme, Noah Smith and Willow Tree Carolers. 10 p.m. Country/ Roots/Americana. Free. PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Greg Short and Buskin Blue.

BLIND LEMON - Warren Ulgh. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BOGART’S - Iron Maidens. 9 p.m. Iron Maiden tribute. $15.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Ron Jones Quartet. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Gen X Band. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free. THE LISTING LOON Ma Crow & Co. 7 p.m. Bluegrass. Free. LUDLOW GARAGE Williams Honor. 8:30 p.m. Country. $12-$15.

MOTR PUB - Joesph with New Moons. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Sexy Time Live Band Karaoke. 9 p.m. Various. Free. PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Harry Pedigo’s Dreadful Wind and Rain. 7:30 p.m. Roots. Free. RICK’S TAVERN - TopThis. 10 p.m. R&B/Dance/Pop/ Various. Cover. SILVERTON CAFE - Basic

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Chelsea Ford and The Trouble, Magnolia Boulevard and Chelsea Nolan. 9 p.m. Bluegrass/ Americana/Roots/Various. $8, $10 day of show.

TOP CATS - Resolution IV with Elementree Livity Project, Sundae Drives and MelodkEyE. 9 p.m. Reggae/Rock/Pop/ Various.

URBAN ARTIFACT The Grove, The Vims and TNAD. 9 p.m. Rock/ Various. Free.

SUNDAY 06

BLIND LEMON - Jeff Henry. 8:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free. LATITUDES BAR & BISTRO - Blue Birds Band. 8 p.m. R&B/Rock. Free.

MOTR PUB - Disaster Class with Dronestore Cowboys. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

URBAN ARTIFACT T-Rextasy, Leggy and GRLwood. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. $5.

MONDAY 07

THE GREENWICH - The Flying Circus Big Band. 7:30 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $5. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - The Qtet. 9:30 p.m. Fusion/Funk/ Rock/Jazz/Various. Free.

URBAN ARTIFACT Emperor X, Build Us Fiction and Upstairs. 9 p.m. Indie Rock/Various. $5.

TUESDAY 08

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Lynne Scott & Lee Stolar. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. LATITUDES BAR & BISTRO - Latitudes House Band and Open Mic. 8 p.m. Various (open mic at 11 p.m.). Free. THE MAD FROG - House Music. 9 p.m. EDM. Free.

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