Week 15: Trekkin' to the Library

For the last three years, the Main branch of the Cincinnati Public Library has held its own little Comic-Con. This year is the fourth time area nerds could rejoice the fact.

As part of 2016’s convention, the library has previewed it to present a “50th Anniversary of Star Trek” exhibit.

I took the tribble of going to look it over (See what I did there?)

From "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode

The exhibition basically consists of a whole slew of memorabilia and Troi’s, sorry toys, from the private collection of a small handful of people.

Enterprise toy from private collection

It’s amazing to think that Star Trek has been in the public consciousness since 1966, the result of not just the original TV series, but all the sequels and movie incarnations. This exhibit has a little taste of everything and I did a mental Chekov as I walked round the two floors it was laid out on.

Mr. Potato Head Star Trek characters

Kudos to everyone involved in this worthy enterprise. As free things go, it was the real McCoy, and it was fun to spock - sorry, spot - toys that I remember from my past.

A commemorative plate from the U.S.S. Enterprise

I could say it all made me hungry, so I left and went for a borger. But that would probably be far too punny.

The exhibit is open until May 23.

Plenty to check out at our public library!

Comic Con is Saturday, May 21, 12-5 p.m. and will feature celebrity guests, booths, geek crafts, cosplay and board gaming. The Main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is located at 800 Vine St., downtown.

Week 14: Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade

Cincinnati lays claim to having the first professional baseball team in the country. As a matter of some tradition - and for decades since (well until fairly recently) - the first pitch of every major league season would occur in Cincinnati to officially ’kickstart’ the sport’s long slog to the World Series in November.

Opening Day - as it is called - has become an unofficial public holiday in Cincinnati, and since 1920 Findlay Market has organized an extravagant parade which winds its way from the market, through the city to Fountain Square, where an all-day party erupts.

Dressing in red and white is almost mandatory

With the missus holed up at work (despite a nasty cold), I walked by myself to stake a spot on Race Street near Washington Park to be entertained by this year’s event. I met up with some friends from out of town who were visiting with their two young kids. None of whom had witnessed the vibrancy, colourful exuberance and fun of this particular parade.

Go Reds!

It was my tenth parade in 11 years and, as is often the case with such familiarity, there are certain floats you anticipate and expect to make a showing. I was not disappointed. 

No parade is complete without a good marching band or three

The Police motorcycle squad, fire engines, trash trucks, clowns on stilts, marching bands galore, flag corps, bicyclists, rollerskaters, Segways, HUGE inflatables, dressed-up dogs (some on skateboards) , Clydesdale horses and the omnipresent lawnmower display team (No, not making that up). Personally, I always give the biggest cheers and applause to the people - armed with shovels and buckets - who walk behind the horses. Whatever they pay those people, it’s not enough.

The Lawnmower Men

Of course there are also entrants who (IMHO) ruin the parade. I’m all for free speech but lets prohibit all politicians from using the event to further their ambitions can we? What do they hope to achieve? All they do is stink the place up.

Oriental Wok rides in style

And more caustically, anyone who plans to walk the parade playing bagpipes (the incumbent devil of musical instruments) should have their application revoked instead of subjecting us all to their incessant whiny tuneless noise.

The author demonstrates the correct way to listen to bagpipes

Despite whooping and whoo-ing at all the floats, the kids eventually got bored - the parade lasts for 2+ hours, consequently there is definitely an ‘endurance factor’ —  so we packed up our folding chairs and ‘stuff’ and fought our way through the remaining crowds back to our building.

A view from the seventh floor - photo courtesy Kathy Schwartz

The parade remains one of Cincinnati’s very best “Free Things to Do” each year. Unless you don’t like bagpipes or politicians.

The Findlay Market Opening Day Parade happens yearly at the start of baseball season. Cincinnati Reds Opening Day is an unofficial holiday in Cincinnati.

Week 13: Gypsy Jazz at Japp's

We love Japp's. It's by far the coolest, friendliest bar in Over-the-Rhine and owner Molly Wellmann is undoubtedly the hippest, grooviest mixologist ever. The bar is also really close to our home, which makes it our favorite "local."

Japp's Since 1879

Molly was behind the bar when we ventured in on Friday after work and greeted us with a smile and a rundown of her weekly creations. Her mixes are truly a work of art. Sublime and subtle, they have a way of sneaking up on you because the flavors work together so well it's easy to forget there is alcohol in the glass. We ordered up and settled down at the bar to watch Burning Caravan in action.

Cocktail board at Japp's Since 1879

We had a splendid time. The band's infectious gypsy jazz had folks dancing, we became fast friends with those around us and were later joined by neighbors celebrating the end of the work week.

Burning Caravan in action

The night wasn't completely free since we bought drinks, but the music and fun atmosphere at Japp's are always free. Brilliant!



Japp's Since 1879
1136 Main St. 
Over-the-Rhine
Free music Thursday-Saturday

NOTE: Week 13 is late being posted because I was laid low by The Goob for a week. Sorry!

Week 12: Final Friday and MOTR-mania

It was all happening in Over-the-Rhine this week and we tried to get into as much of it as possible.

On Wednesday night, cohort in crime Lauren and I went to MOTR to see Berlin-based Plattenbau. The band, based in an ex-Stasi headquarters and comprised of a Welshman, a Swede and an American, had played Austin's South-by-Southwest (SXSW) and were hitting a few venues before heading back to Germany. Luckily for us, MOTR was one of their stops.

MOTR at night

Cincinnati guitarist Zijnzijn Zijnzijn opened the show. He announced that he was only going to play two songs ... and he either played them both without a gap between, or he got bored and only played one. Either way, his 30-minute set of ambient tones was interesting - think Glenn Branca meets David Grubbs - but it got a bit much when he started crawling around the stage plucking the strings as a painter might touch up a canvas. Lauren took a short nap (about half an hour, if you must know) during his set.

Skeleton Hands

Next up was local coldwave duo Skeleton Hands. They brought their own entourage and packed the house with fans and it was easy to understand why when the began playing. Their sound was 80s goth in a Lowlife-era New Order sort of way, and their visuals were stunning, even if their rinky-dink backdrop was a white sheet pinned to MOTR's stage curtain. Keep these guys on your radar. They are going to go far.

Plattenbau!

Plattenbau took the stage around 12:30 a.m. to a diminished crowd, most of which had left after Skeleton Hands finished. They played a short, punchy set of dancy, screamy, snotty punk. Great show that really should have had a better turn out, but then a midweek, after midnight show isn't gonna get a lot of draw in this town. I filmed their last song, but being a technological luddite I'm not exactly sure how to post it, so you'll just have to seek out their stuff on Bandcamp or Spotify.

On Friday, Lauren and I headed back out into the wilds of OTR for Final Friday, when nearly all the art galleries in the city host new show openings and stay open late for art enthusiasts to gallery hop. We got a bit of a late start because we made the mistake of ordering food from Gomez Salsa and ended up waiting forever because OTR + Friday night = crazy busy.

Final Friday at Clay Street Press

We hit up the Tiger Lily Press exhibition at Clay Street Press to see Lauren's friend Nicci Mechler's printmaking work on display. Tiger Lily Press is a fine art printmaking studio in Price Hill. Nicci's work had lots of fans gushing and rushing to buy prints.

Printwork by Nicci Mechler

Afterward we motored on over to MOTR to catch Brooklyn outfits Lazyeyes and Beverly in concert. Both bands totally brought it. AMAZEBALLS. I had missed Beverly when they came through town last year (I was still recovering from my surgery and unable to rock out properly) so I was chuffed to bits to learn they were playing MOTR - and on a Friday night!

Beverly is Drew Citron (lead singer and lead guitar), Scott Rosenthal (bass) and Jamie Ingalls (drums). Citron's totally hot - even the awful mom jeans she was rocking didn't detract from her utter sexiness and superb voice. What a treat to see both bands up close and for free.

I love this city!

Lil cuties Lazyeyes

Oh, to be 25 years younger ... Lazyeyes

Beverly

Beverly 

Beverly

MOTR is open seven days a week. 
Always 21+, always FREE.

Final Friday happens the last Friday of each month throughout Cincinnati.
All gallery openings and shows are FREE and open to the public.

Week 11: Wonky Tonk at Arnold's Bar and Grill

This week for 52 Weeks of Fun and Free, we met up with our friend Gary at Arnold's Bar and Grill to catch Covington jangle-pop cowgirl band Wonky Tonk.

Wonky Tonk giving it plenty!

Arnold's is Cincinnati's oldest bar (150 years and counting) and is a really great place to see a show. The stage and seating is in the courtyard, technically outdoors but you'd never know because they have a retractable roof that lets in the moonlight in good weather and keeps the cold at bay during chilly times.

Wonky Tonk is brilliant. Their unique brand of alt-country blends Loretta Lynn and Emmylou with Uncle Tupelo and Neutral Milk Hotel. One half of the band is Jasmine, a lovely, bubbly and incredibly talented singer-songwriter with pipes to die for, and the other is a one-man band who plays lead guitar, sings and plays drums - all at the same time!

What-what?!
Yep!

Me and Jas - besties! (photobombed by the hubs in background, photo by Gary M)

Have a listen!

Arnold's Bar and Grill hosts free live music Tuesday-Saturday. 
Arnold's is located at 210 E. 8th St. Downtown.

Week 10: Back to the CAC

So this week we didn't do a NEW free event, we rehashed a visit to the Contemporary Arts Center because we had a friend visiting from England who wanted to see the Mapplethorpe exhibit and time was running out.

So we still did a free thing this week, but it wasn't new.

Still counts though, yes?

Week 9: Bockfest

Now in its 24th year, Cincinnati's Bockfest, celebrating the coming of spring, Over-the-Rhine's brewing heritage and bock beer, is the largest Bockfest in the United States. It is also one of the funnest and craziest. 

Hast Du Bock?

Nearly every bar in OTR has something special going on during Bockfest, from the annual kickoff parade to a bock bloody Mary bar to Bock Olympics to the crowning of the Sausage Queen. Throw in live music, a Bockfest 5K run, brewery tours, German food and more goat horns than you shake a cowbell at, and you've got the makings for a party. While food and drink will cost you, the actual events of Bockfest (except for the tours and 5K run) are all free!

Cincinnatians love their beer, it is true, and also love pretty much any chance to cut loose and get a little nutty. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

A goat head cruises up Main St.

Everybody was dancing in the street

Inside Bockfest Hall (aka Christian Moerlein Brewery)

Singing monks on Segways? Of course!

"Do I make you horny baby? Do I?"

Bockfest happens the first full weekend in March in Over-the-Rhine.