17 Fun Things To Do in Cincinnati This Week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)

WEDNESDAY 29

EVENT: CSO Proof: Singulis et Simul
Classical music will meet urban club culture at Music Hall — not a sentence you hear every day. But that’s the theme of Singulis et Simul, the latest installment in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s experimental CSO Proof series, which presents more casual performances that draw from a variety of genres and disciplines and strives to push boundaries. Singulis et Simul — which loosely translates to “be one’s self, together” — combines movement and sound, blending elements of Baroque period music with the spirit of vogue ballroom culture, which grew out of New York City and is described by French artist and performance organizer Frederic Nauczyciel as “a celebration of femininity in the African-American transgender community.” The show features CSO musicians, choreography and dancers/performance artists from Paris, Baltimore and Cincinnati and the Central State University Marching Band. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. $35. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.
Photo via Facebook.com/CincySymphony

WEDNESDAY 29

ONSTAGE: In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises) at Know Theatre
We live in an age of unsurpassed existential dread. The ravaged environment, the unforgiving economy and the chances of nuclear war are grimly relevant topics that encircle us like hungry vultures. Our era’s sense of inherited doom makes it hard to believe that it’s kind to bring children into this world, but we reproduce all the same. That rationality sets the tone for In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises), a two person play written by Nina Segal. Currently onstage at Know Theatre, it stars Elizabeth Chinn Molloy and Brandon Burton. Through Feb. 8. $25; $35 Living Wage ticket; $15 rush ticket (if available); $10 on Wednesdays. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, knowtheatre.com.
Photo: Dan R. Winters

THURSDAY 30

COMEDY: Jessica Kirson
“I was a funny kid, but not a fan of stand-up comedy,” says comedian Jessica Kirson. “I was a big fan of Saturday Night Live, as well as Carol Burnett. But I was just never exposed to stand-up.” It was at the behest of her grandmother that she finally tried stand-up. These days, besides being onstage, she’s a frequent contributor to the Howard Stern Show where she not only writes with the host’s crack staff but calls in as various characters. Over the years her style has developed into quite an eclectic presentation. “I still incorporate a lot of characters into my show,” she says. “My style is basically a mix of things. I tell jokes, I talk to myself with my back to the audience, I do crowd work, I can be dry, I can be crazy. It all depends on the vibe in the room and what’s going on, but it’s all the kinds of things that make me laugh.” 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30; 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1; 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. $10-$18. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
Photo: jessicakirson.com

THURSDAY 30

EVENT: Fine Art Flow
Stretch into warrior pose and fix your gaze on a work of art. This 60-minute Vin to Yin yoga class unfolds at the Cincinnati Art Museum and is followed by a 30-minute gallery talk. Each month, the class explores different themes relating to art and yoga. All ability levels are welcome and a limited number of mats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The class meets in Gallery 229. 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. $7 members; $15 non-members. RSVP required. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
Photo: Provided by the Cincinnati Art Museum

THURSDAY 30

MUSIC: Moon Hooch
Brooklyn instrumental trio Moon Hooch crafted its unique sound while busking in the streets and subway stations of New York City. With two horns (saxophonists Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen) and drums (James Muschler), the group’s adventurous Jazz stylings began to take on a dancier form as they noticed it engaged listeners more. With the EDM (minus the E) elements taking stronger hold, those subway sessions started to become makeshift raves and Moon Hooch was well on its way to becoming a popular touring act, sharing worldwide a unique style McGowen has called “Acoustic Techno” (though they’re known to incorporate elements from a wide range of other genres). The band’s eponymous 2013 debut album was followed the next year by This is Cave Music (referring to another affectionate descriptor the musicians have given their music) and 2016’s Red Sky. After dropping EPs in 2017 and 2018, Moon Hooch just released its anticipated new album Life On Other Planets, another alternatingly fun and hypnotic 10-tracks’ worth of horn-driven, synth-laced dancefloor jams. Moon Hooch is the Dance music act for the Apocalypse — even when the electrical grid goes down, there’s no stopping them. 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. $15; $18 day of show. Madison Live, 734 Madison Ave., Covington, madisontheater.com.
Photo: Kellie Coleman

THURSDAY 30

ART: Benjamin Cook: Paper Pulp Painting
Benjamin Cook: Paper Pulp Painting features works with mounds of paper pulp spread out in thick layers, twisting and snaking like psychedelic gordian knots. The show hosts its closing reception at Pique gallery on Jan. 30. 7:13-10:13 p.m. Thursday, Jan 30. Pique, 210 W. Pike St., Covington, piquewebsite.com.
Photo: Steve Kemple

FRIDAY 31

EVENT: MOVE at Rhinegeist
Normally when drinking beer at a local taproom, you’re not going to see a ton of movement among your fellow patrons, outside of glasses being lifted to mouths and maybe a few people milling about. But at Rhinegeist’s MOVE, the movement will be almost nonstop… and graceful. The annual event — first held at Rhinegeist in 2018 — features aerial acrobats from the Cincinnati Circus Company and dancers from local troupes like the QKIDZ Dance Team, the Exhale Dance Tribe and the University of Cincinnati Dance Team. It’s free to attend but Rhinegeist is donating a portion of its proceeds from taproom sales to its event partner Mission2Move, a Cincinnati organization that promotes wellness and stress-reduction through physical movement and self-awareness. The program works with students in Cincinnati Public Schools to help teach them mindfulness and coping mechanisms. 6-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. Free admission. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com.
Photo: Provided by Rhinegeist

FRIDAY 31

EVENT: Art After Dark: Monochromatic
In celebration of exhibition The Levee: A Photographer in the American South — an 83-picture suite consisting primarily of vivid black-and-white landscape photographs taken by Indian photographer Sohrab Hura — the Cincinnati Art Museum is going monochromatic for this iteration of Art After Dark. Listen to live music, eat some grub, sip specialty cocktails and explore the museum via docent-led tours. Sticking with the theme, guests are encouraged to dress in black/white. 5-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. Free admission. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
Photo: Provided by the Cincinnati Art Museum

FRIDAY 31

MUSIC: Winter Salsa Social
Warm up your winter with some Salsa dancing and a pair of local Latin music favorites at this year’s Winter Salsa Social. Presented in conjunction with the local social group Cincinnat?simo, the event will feature the 11-piece ensemble Son del Caribe, a centerpiece of Cincinnati’s Latin music scene for more than a decade and a fixture of the popular Salsa on the Square series on Fountain Square. “A Salsa Social is an inclusive Latin dance party where everyone is welcome,” says Gina Stough, one of the three lead vocalists in Son del Caribe. “An invitation to dance is like a mini conversation without the need for words. When we add live music, the energy and chemistry extend to and from the stage.” Also performing are The Amador Sisters, another Salsa on the Square staple. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. $20; $25 day of show. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com.
Photo: Provided by Son del Caribe

FRIDAY 31

MUSIC: The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens are part of a relatively new breed of tribute acts in which women perform the music of bands that have almost certainly had their sound described as “testosterone-fueled” by a music critic. Joining all-women tributes to Metallica (Misstallica), The Ramones (The Ramonas), Mötley Crüe (Girls, Girls, Girls) and Rage Against the Machine (Take the Power Back) in helping to explode stereotypes is The Iron Maidens, a Southern California-based group that has been offering its take on the oeuvre of British Metal giants Iron Maiden since 2001. The band’s lineup of talented musicians use fun pseudonyms like Bruce Chickinson (singer Kristen Rosenberg) and Nikki McBURRain (drummer Linda McDonald) and have individually been nominated for instrumental awards over the years. The Iron Maidens’ show features songs from throughout Iron Maiden’s career and, yes, a facsimile of Maiden mascot Eddie also joins them onstage — though, somewhat disappointingly, he is not renamed Edie. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. $15-$20. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com.
Photo: Provided by Bogart's

SATURDAY 01

MUSIC: Too Many Zooz
“Brass House” band Too Many Zooz plays Urban Artifact. 8-11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. $20 in advance; $25 day of show. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, artifactbeer.com.
Photo: Paquin Artists Agency

SATURDAY 01

EVENT: Bockfest Beefsteak Club Dinner
Help raise funds for the 28th-annual debaucherous Bockfest with a beer dinner at the Moerlein Lager House. Named after an exclusive and elite 1890s dinner at Cincinnati’s Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewery, the Beefsteak Club Dinner features four courses prepared by Moerlein chefs, paired with five bock beers. The evening also includes stories, a limited-edition Bockfest 2020 print and tales of Bockfests past. 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. $80. Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, bockfest.com.
Photo: Paige Deglow

SATURDAY 01

MUSIC: Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson brings discerning Country to Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg. 8-11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. $82-$116. Hollywood Casino, 777 Hollywood Blvd., Lawrenceburg, hollywoodindiana.com.
Photo: Jack Spencer

SATURDAY 01

EVENT: Mascot Broomball
Want to see giant anthropomorphic Cincinnati mascots battle each other on the ice? Then head to Fountain Square for the Mascot Broomball competition where mascots including the Cincinnati Rollergirls’ Wooly Bully, Cincinnati Reds’ Gapper, the Flying Pig Marathon’s Flying Pig, Rumpke Waste & Recycling’s Binny and many more will face off in this annual game using a “broom” stick and a small ball. “Comical thrills and spills” are promised, as well as meet-and-greets and photo ops. 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 1. Free. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown, myfountainsquare.com.
Photo: 3CDC

SATURDAY 01

EVENT: Onesie Bar Crawl
The “ultimate and original” Onesie Bar Crawl is back for its fourth year. Put on your favorite one-piece pajama set/furry animal outfit and get ready to drink your way from 16-Bit Bar+Arcade across Over-the-Rhine. Participating stops include MOTR Pub, the Drinkery OTR, Below Zero Lounge and Revel OTR Urban Winery. Registration fees get you a onesie T-shirt (at the after party), a koozie, discounted drinks, DJs, photographers and a crawl map. 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade, 1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/barcrawlusa.
Photo: Photo via Facebook.com/CrawlWithUs

SUNDAY 02

EVENT: Chocolate in the Chapel
Spring Grove Cemetery hosts its sixth annual Chocolate in the Chapel, a family-friendly event in the Norman Chapel. Several local businesses will be vending their most delectable desserts, and if you’re not looking to buy, samples will be given out as well. Noon-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. Free admission. Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village, springgrove.org.
Photo: Provided by Spring Grove

TUESDAY 04

MUSIC: Greensky Bluegrass
Jamgrass greats Greensky Bluegrass play the Madison Theater. 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4. $27.50 and up. Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington, madisontheater.com.
Photo: Dylan Langille