Cover Story
New Music From Nearly 100 Greater Cincinnati Artists to Add to Your Playlists
As one of the few publications in Greater Cincinnati that regularly covers the local music scene, CityBeat has always worked hard to spotlight as many homegrown artists as possible. But as this list shows, even we struggle to keep up with the nonstop stream of incredible new music coming from every genre under the sun.…
Where Cincinnati’s Bartenders Go to Drink
What are the top bars in the city, and who determines that? Is it CityBeat? Your next-door neighbor? How about those who work at the very bars and restaurants that we love to go to? After long shifts of slinging cocktails for others, bartenders need that drink more than we do. However, when they’re getting…
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[REVIEW] Mini Umbrellas and Island Energy: 10th Island Tiki Bar Brings Tropical Escapism to Over-the-Rhine
While I have no stats to back it up, there’s something about tiki glasses that just makes drinks taste better. When I found out that the team behind Onolicious was opening 10th Island Tiki Bar and Grill right next to Ziegler Pool, my interest was instantly piqued. A deep, dark part of me gets weak…
Sound Advice: Toto, Men at Work and Christopher Cross Bring a Wave of ’80s Nostalgia to Riverbend
This straightforward press release hit inboxes across the land last December: “Toto, Christopher Cross and Men at Work have announced plans to tour North America Summer, 2025, produced by Live Nation.” Was this missive, odd punctuation and all, lost in the mail in 1982, only to be repurposed 43 years later? For those who weren’t…
Sound Advice: Macy Gray Celebrates 25 Years of ‘On How Life Is’ at Cincinnati Show
Macy Gray has the kind of voice that sticks upon first exposure, a dichotomous curiosity that’s both gritty and plush, as if Billie Holiday employed a softened, higher-pitched delivery. That goes double for Gray’s lyrical interests — where Holiday was known for tackling societal issues through visceral personal storytelling, Gray uses her eccentric worldview to…
Cincinnati Band Electric Citizen Goes Classical and Expansive on New Album ‘EC4’
Change and love may well be the overarching themes in the current career cycle of Electric Citizen. The two concepts are ironically dichotomous; both are malleable and potentially capricious, and yet they represent life’s most reliable constants. In the wake of the aptly titled EC4, Electric Citizen’s fourth album and first new material in seven…
Summermusik’s 10th Season Blends World Travel, Time Travel and Classical Firepower
Summer may be the off-season for most orchestras, but not for Summermusik. They’re turning up the heat — and the tempo. The Summermusik season runs July 30 through Aug. 23, and the festival’s lineup is the most exciting and diverse in its 10-year history. There are more of the popular and frequently sold-out Chamber Crawls,…
Cincinnati Shakespeare in the Park Brings ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ to Nearly 40 Parks
Summer starts when the cicadas swarm, but the official “summer is here” moment is when Cincinnati Shakespeare Company starts its Shakespeare in the Park tour. Now that the cicadas are gone, it’s time to grab a picnic blanket and some friends and head out to one of nearly 40 regional parks to enjoy A Midsummer…
New Police Walking Patrol Will Monitor OTR for ‘Quality of Life’ Issues
A new police walking patrol has been launched in Over-the-Rhine, focused on police visibility and combating non-violent kinds of crime in the area. At a press conference on Tuesday held by the city, Police Chief Teresa Theetge, Mayor Aftab Pureval and City Manager Sheryl Long discussed updated city violence prevention strategies. According to Theetge, there…
Cincinnati Zoo’s Otter Pups to Make Their Public Debut This Week
Some of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s littlest residents are taking the plunge this week. Asian small-clawed otter pups Ripple, Splash, Puddles and Scuttle will be viewable starting this Wednesday. The pups were born on May 9 this year and have since been growing up and bonding with their parents behind the scenes. Now…
Purr-scribe to My Channel: International CatVideoFest Comes to Cincinnati This August
“I can has cheezburger?” Yes, you can has cheezburger, and you can also see some of the internet’s funniest cats at the annual CatVideoFest in Cincinnati this August. CatVideoFest is an international festival that screens a compilation of some of the best, funniest and most adorable feline videos on the World Wide Web. The event…
New Program Enacted in State Budget Will Provide Eye Exams and Glasses for Ohio Students
A new program in the state’s two-year operating budget will help more Ohio children see better. The new $10 million Ohio Student Eye Exam (OhioSee) program will provide students in kindergarten through third grade comprehensive eye exams and glasses at schools. “Obviously, we want to catch kids early … so that they aren’t going for…
Ohio Republicans Plan to Appeal Ruling that Private School Voucher Program is Unconstitutional
Ohio Republican leaders announced their plan Monday to pursue an appeal of a Franklin County decision ruling that the state’s private school voucher program is unconstitutional. In a media briefing with Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman and others on Monday, state Attorney General Dave Yost said his office plans to appeal the recent decision in…
GoFundMe Launched for Erlanger Bakery Owner Hurt in Crash
A Northern Kentucky community is rallying around a business owner and baker who is recovering after being injured in a car crash. Vic Riley, the owner of Square Peg Bakery in Erlanger, which just opened in May, suffered a traumatic brain injury and several other significant injuries in a crash on I-75 south on July…
Milford Pizzeria Puts Restaurant, Brand Up for Sale
A pizzeria that opened fewer than six months ago in Milford is looking for a new owner. Josh and Nicole House, who also own and operate Milford barbecue restaurant Pickles & Bones, opened their pizza concept, Daughter’s Pizza Kitchen, in February. But, on social media last week, the Houses explained that life circumstances were leading…
Ohio’s 988 Crisis Lifeline Fielded Nearly 600,000 Calls, Texts and Chats in Three Years
This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support now, call, text or chat the 988 Lifeline. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has responded to nearly 600,000 calls, texts, and chats from Ohioans in the three years since it was launched. The 988 service was launched for those who are…
Analysis: Ohio Republicans Warned Against Out-of-State Special Interests. Then Gifted $600M to One
It might seem like ancient history in Ohio. But it was only two years ago that Republican leaders were trying to make it almost impossible for voters in the highly gerrymandered state to amend the Ohio Constitution. They issued dire warnings that wealthy “out-of-state special interests” would take control of the Ohio government if the…
College Hill’s Library to Relocate to Neighborhood’s Business District
The College Hill branch of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) is getting a new home. The library, currently located at 1400 W. North Bend Road, will be moving to the neighborhood’s business district as part of CHPL’s Facility Master Plan recommendation to relocate the branch and offer new, expanded facilities. CHPL and…
Planned Parenthood to Close 2 Southwest Ohio Clinics Amid Federal Medicaid Changes
Planned Parenthood will be forced to close two of its local health centers due to federal changes to Medicaid. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region (PPSWO) said in a Thursday press release that health centers in Springfield and Hamilton will close in a matter of weeks as a “direct result” of the federal reconciliation bill, which…
Tracking Medicaid Patients’ Work Status May Prove Difficult for States
States must begin verifying millions of Medicaid enrollees’ monthly work status by the end of next year — a task some critics say states will have a hard time carrying out. A provision in the tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law July 4 will require the 40 states plus Washington, D.C.,…
Ohioans’ Electric Bills Could Climb Depending on Regional Grid Auction
Around Ohio, utility bills are rising, and they may keep climbing. Next week, the regional grid operator PJM Interconnection will announce the results of its annual capacity auction. Under normal circumstances, most people ignore the proceedings. But the auction has drawn increasing scrutiny after a dramatic spike last year. The price power generators can charge…
Cincinnati’s First Pet-Friendly Domestic Violence Shelter Slated to Open
Cincinnati’s first pet-friendly domestic violence shelter is set to open soon in Avondale through the combined efforts of the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, RedRover, Greater Good Charities and Purina’s Purple Leash Project. The Francie Garber Pepper House of Healing, or “Francie’s House,” is a new YWCA domestic violence shelter in Avondale. The apartment-style shelter officially…
Binski’s Bar to Host Second-Annual BEEF FEST This Friday
Got beef? Take it to Binski’s Bar in Camp Washington this Friday. Billed as a night of mayhem, meat and music, Binski’s and Show Pony Production’s second annual BEEF FEST is back and beefier than ever, with wrestling, meat raffles, live bands and more. The “midsummer meat-fueled melee” is happening Friday, July 18 at Binski’s…
‘Canary in the Coal Mine’: Are Fireflies Really Disappearing?
On a recent warm Friday night, a group of people picked their way through the nearly pitch-dark woods at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. They were there to see fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, and the insects did not disappoint. At one point, one of the volunteer guides caught an interesting-looking individual in his net…
US Senate Republicans Advance Bill Stripping Funds From NPR, PBS, Foreign Aid
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday night moved one step closer to canceling $9 billion in previously approved funding for several foreign aid programs and public broadcasting after GOP leaders addressed some objections. Nearly all the chamber’s Republicans voted to begin debate on the bill, though Maine’s Susan Collins, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski…
Hamilton County Designates Over $3 Million to Affordable Housing Projects
Hamilton County is working to provide more affordable housing for those facing housing insecurity in Greater Cincinnati. The county announced Tuesday that it’s designating more than $3.1 million to fund the development of rental housing for “Qualifying Populations” through the federal HOME-ARP program from the Department of Planning + Development. “Affordable housing remains a top…
Wife of Deputy Henderson Files Lawsuit Against Rodney Hinton Jr.’s Family
The wife of fallen Hamilton County Deputy Larry Henderson is suing the family of his alleged killer, according to new court documents. Lorena Henderson has filed a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court claiming that Rodney Hinton Jr. and his family benefited from Hinton’s alleged crime by crowdfunding money for his criminal defense…
Study: Great American Ball Park is One of the Best Stadiums for Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
Heads up, Cincinnati: If you want to survive a zombie apocalypse, should one arise, you’ll want to head to Great American Ball Park, according to a new study. With 28 Years Later, a post-apocalyptic horror film and sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later, now in theaters, FlashPicks, a sports betting brand, wanted to…
New Docuseries Will Take Tennis Fans Behind the Scenes of the Cincinnati Open
The Cincinnati Open returns to Mason this August, but before the first serve, a new docuseries will offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at the premier tennis event. Produced by The 1831 Media Network in partnership with Beemok Sports & Entertainment, Cincinnati’s Open is a four-part docuseries offering an all-access look at the tournament’s legacy, transformation…
The Central Ohio Poison Center Reported 582 Marijuana Exposures to Children Under Six in 2024
Children and pets accidentally ingesting marijuana have been on the rise since Ohio recreational marijuana sales started nearly a year ago. The Central Ohio Poison Center reported 582 marijuana exposures to children under six in 2024 — compared to 79 in 2019 and 11 back in 2015, said Natalie Rine, director of the Central Ohio…
Review: The Swell Season Brings Beloved Classics and New Songs to Cincinnati
The Swell Season, the folk rock group featuring Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard and Czech singer/songwriter Markéta Irglová, had the audience at the Taft Theatre completely entranced at their show this past Saturday. The duo recently embarked on the tour for their new album, Forward, which marked their first album since 2009’s Strict Joy. Their stop…
Trump Requests 93% Cut to Appalachian Regional Commission. Ohio Would Take a Huge Hit.
The Appalachian region in Ohio and elsewhere is bracing for a big hit as President Donald Trump proposed a 93% cut to funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission. The proposal is included in a discretionary budget, a year-to-year funding proposal that is different than the mandatory funding included in the recently passed Trump-Republican megabill. In…
New Italian Restaurant to Open in Downtown Cincinnati This Week
A new restaurant is opening in downtown Cincinnati this week. Trecento will bring an upscale Italian experience to the corner of Main and Third streets, as well as the first wood-fired pizza oven in the area. Located inside the historic 300 Main Social House, Trecento will offer a menu of authentic Italian dishes with a…
Silverton Soul Food Restaurant to Relocate to College Hill
A Silverton restaurant is moving to a new neighborhood and bringing its menu of crave-worthy soul food dishes with it. The Night Kap is relocating from its restaurant on Plainfield Road to 5841 Hamilton Ave. in the College Hill Plaza and is expected to open later this year. Owners Kirshane and Kyrah Ervin say they…
Metropole Names New Executive Chef, Debuts New Menu
One of downtown Cincinnati’s fine dining establishments is welcoming a new top chef to the kitchen. Metropole, the contemporary American restaurant inside the 21c Museum Hotel, has hired Corey Cova to be its new executive chef, replacing Kam Losonsky, who is now the executive chef at Maple & Ash in Miami, Florida. Cova brings with…
Par 3 Announces Expansion into Former Newport on the Levee Food Hall
Newport on the Levee’s miniature golf and restaurant concept is expanding. Par 3, which opened at the Levee in August 2024, offers an innovative and modern approach to traditional mini golf that focuses on “competitive socializing” through interactive gameplay. In addition to three custom-designed courses with over-the-top themes, the space also has a menu of…
Teen Idol to Therapy: Bieber’s Surprise SWAG Is Messy But Musically Magnetic
Only Justin Bieber knows why he chose to release a surprise album. But when you drop 21 tracks out of the blue, there’s no promotional buildup. No media interviews. No early critical consensus. No time to digest. For fans and critics, it’s like drinking out of the firehose (in this case, possibly, to cure Bieber…
Landsman: Imam Ayman Soliman to Remain in U.S. ‘For the Time Being’
Imam Ayman Soliman, the former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, can remain in the U.S. while his case plays out. That’s according to Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH), who announced in a Thursday evening Instagram story that his office has been advocating for Soliman to remain in…
Why Was the Northside Fourth of July Parade Cut Short?
Northside’s annual Fourth of July parade took place on Friday with its usual quirky floats and oddball displays, but organizers tell CityBeat that the parade route’s abrupt ending point was not in their control. “We regret to inform you that, in the 11th hour, the City of Cincinnati has determined that using any portion of…
Hood News 75 Launches Back-to-School Fundraiser
Many Cincinnatians are familiar with the words “What is going on, y’all? It’s Hood News 75,” spoken by the social media creator Lamenuel Scales in the opening of his quick news videos. Scales has used his rapidly growing online platform to spread important (and hilarious) news in Cincinnati, but now he’s using his reach for…
Ohio House Lawmakers Launch Bid to Override Three of Gov. Mike DeWine’s Property Tax Vetoes
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman has announced a bid to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s property tax vetoes. The House plans to take up three of the governor’s vetoes in a July 21 session, but the notice leaves the door open for more overrides down the line. Ohio House lawmakers and advocates calling for property tax…
Ohio Ballot Board Splits Proposed Ohio Equal Rights Amendment Into Two Amendments
The Ohio Ballot Board blocked a proposed amendment that would remove Ohio’s ban on gay marriage in the state’s constitution from going forward. In a 3-2 party line vote, the Ohio Ballot Board ruled the proposal actually contains two amendments, preventing it from moving forward to signature gathering. Ohio Equal Rights, the group behind the amendment,…
Former Cincinnati Children’s Chaplain Detained by ICE, Faces Deportation to Egypt
A former chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Wednesday. Imam Ayman Soliman immigrated to the U.S. more than a decade ago from Egypt and was granted asylum status, according to immigration advocates at Ignite Peace Cincinnati. While in the U.S., Soliman became a board member for the…
Hoxworth Blood Center Puts Out Urgent Call for Donors
As the number of summer injuries rise, the University of Cincinnati’s Hoxworth Blood Center has put out a donation call to the local community in order to prevent a blood shortage. According to the Hoxworth Blood Center, the increased rates of car accidents, violent crime and vacation accidents have led to worries about the lower…
A Hero’s Homecoming: Superman and Union Terminal’s Shared Futurist Legacy
Superman’s Hall of Justice is still under construction when Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) arrives to confront the “Justice Gang,” a trio of corporate-sponsored heroes whose mercenary tendencies clash with Superman’s indiscriminate altruism. Workers are still placing letters on the art deco facade; the building’s marbled inner rotunda is an impressive space that its residents haven’t…
ArtsWorks Summer Apprentice Program Brings 11 New Public Art Projects to Cincinnati
Cincinnati’s ArtWorks, a nonprofit that creates community-based public art and career opportunities for artists of all ages, is spending its 29th summer apprentice season on 11 transformational projects. The nonprofit says, despite having a National Endowment for the Arts grant rescinded earlier this year, it will continue its mission to shape Greater Cincinnati’s cultural and…
11 Rural Ohio Hospitals Listed At-Risk Under Trump’s Spending Bill, According to Democratic Senators
Eleven rural Ohio hospitals were recently listed as at-risk under President Donald Trump’s spending bill, which was signed into law last week and includes more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. Democratic U.S. Senators Edward Markey, Jeffrey Merkley, Ron Wyden, and Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and…
Attorneys File Suit Challenging Ohio’s Cleveland Browns Stadium Funding Plan
A legal team led by former Democratic state Rep. Jeff Crossman has filed a class action lawsuit challenging Ohio’s plan to pay for a new Cleveland Browns stadium. The state budget finds the money by taking ownership of unclaimed funds left in the state’s care for more than 10 years. The lawsuit contends that’s an…
Sound Advice: Dinosaur Jr. Brings 40 Years of Loud, Legendary Rock to Cincinnati
Dinosaur Jr. released their debut album, Dinosaur, 40 years ago. Recorded in a studio in the New England woods — long before Bon Iver inspired a generation of millennial musicians to self-isolate and skip shaving — Dinosaur might have gone, well, the way of the dinosaurs, if not for Sonic Youth. After coming across the…
Sound Advice: Indie Rockers The Head and The Heart to Play Cincinnati Show
The Head and The Heart has been churning out harmonious hits for over 15 years, and the band is bringing its newest sound to the ICON Festival Stage at Smale Riverfront Park later this month. This stop on their “Aperture” tour is set to be a compelling performance, featuring the band’s dynamic blend of anthemic…
Sound Advice: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Breathes New Life into Beck’s Music
Has it really been 32 years since Beck’s “Loser” unexpectedly infiltrated radio waves and graced MTV with an amusingly ramshackle video that couldn’t help but accentuate the then-23-year-old Los Angeles native’s singular juju? And while he couldn’t quite sustain the creative, stylistically diverse juice that powered the albums following his “Loser” breakout (1994’s Mellow Gold,…
Hamilton Leithauser Talks The Walkmen Reunion and New Solo Album
No one can accuse Hamilton Leithauser of rushing the creative process. The lead vocalist and founding member of New York City indie rockers The Walkmen spent the past eight years working on his newly released album, This Side of the Island, a project he began when former President Barack Obama was wrapping up his second…
Review: This New Cincinnati Hotel Restaurant is Serving Dishes Worth the Detour
It might not be on your radar, but there’s some tasty food being served on the far east side of downtown. That’s thanks to a new restaurant in the lobby of a hotel that was unfamiliar to me. The hotel, open only since January of this year, is called “voco the Clair,” which I learned…
Queen City Clock-in: A Day with the Cincinnati Zoo’s Manager of Wild Encounters
It takes a lot of people to keep Cincinnati — and all of its vibrant scenes — running smoothly. In each installment of Queen City Clock-In, we’ll take a look at a day in the life of the people who help the Queen City thrive. Meet Shae Burns, Manager of Wild Encounters at the Cincinnati…
Cleats and Cross-Dressing: The Bengals Insider Who Came Out is Releasing a Book
The term “coming out” means different things to different people. Often, it’s about sharing sexual orientation. For others, it’s about embracing gender identity. For Jack Brennan, a longtime sports journalist and former Bengals public relations director, coming out meant peeling back decades of silence to share something deeply personal: his identity as a cross-dresser. This…
Lorraine Hansberry’s Overlooked Second Play Gets a Timely Revival in Cincinnati
If the name Lorraine Hansberry sounds familiar, it’s probably because her first play, A Raisin in the Sun, was a surprise hit in 1959. It was the first show on Broadway by a Black woman; it featured Sidney Poitier and won four Tony Awards, including Best Play. Two years later, it became a highly praised…
