22 Things To Do in Cincinnati This Week (Aug. 21-27)

WEDNESDAY 21

FILM: 10 Things I Hate About You at Washington Park
Free films take over Washington Park Wednesdays in summer. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, pretty and pleasant Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) can’t go to prom unless her uptight sister (Julia Stiles) does. Thankfully, bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger, RIP) steps in. Bring some chairs or a blanket and head to the park early to claim a spot on the lawn. The concession stand is open for snacks and alcohol (and also non-alcohol). 9-11 p.m. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
Photo: Washington Park Facebook

WEDNESDAY 21

ONSTAGE: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Warsaw Federal Incline Theater
It’s a war between the sexes as seven frontier women take charge of their lives in 1850s Oregon in this romantic comedy. With musical hits like “Bless Your Beautiful Hide” and “The Sobbin’ Women,” seven dummy brothers think they know what a woman’s place is. But they learn what’s up through one of their spirited brides. Through Sept. 8. $29 adults; $26 seniors/students. Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, 801 Matson Place, East Price Hill, cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
Photo: Warsaw Federal Incline Theater

THURSDAY 22

COMEDY: Taylor Tomlinson
Most comedians start their careers in a comedy club of some sort. Taylor Tomlinson started in church at age 16. After taking a comedy class with her dad at their church, the instructor, a Christian comedian, invited Taylor to be his feature act. She did the church circuit for two years before switching to mainstream comedy clubs in college. “I’m not saying I don’t want to get married,” she tells an audience. “I do. I just don’t know if I’m ready yet. Sometimes I think I’m ready, and I see the Facebook posts, I feel the emptiness and I think I want to be married. Then I eat bread and I feel so much better. I just needed some carbs.” She’s also unsure about having children. “I want to have kids, but I’m afraid because as far as I can tell you can’t pick. You just go to the hospital in pain and a few hours later, ‘This is what came out of you. No tradesies!’ ” Through Sunday. $10-$45. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.
Photo: United Talent Agency

THURSDAY 22

MUSIC: The Whispering Beard Folk Festival
In January, the hugely popular Whispering Beard Folk Festival announced it was moving from its cozy confines in small-town Friendship, Indiana to Smale Riverfront Park. Taking place Aug. 22-24, the 2019 WBFF lineup is in keeping with the event’s tradition of booking high-quality local, regional and national Americana artists, including headliners like M. Ward, Ryan Bingham, The Felice Brothers and Peter Rowan. As always, the Greater Cincinnati music scene is well represented. On Thursday’s opening night, The Tillers and Maria Carrelli will perform; Friday’s event features area acts My Brother the Bear and Easy Tom Eby; Frontier Folk Nebraska, Krystal Peterson and Chalk Eye are on Saturday’s bill. Besides the landlocked festivities, Whispering Beard’s organizers are taking advantage of the new locale this year by taking some of the music into (or at least on top of) the water. Area artists like Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle, Joe’s Truck Stop and the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars will perform on riverboat mini-cruises throughout the weekend. The boat shows are a separate ticket ($8-$18) and you must have a festival wristband to attend. Music begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, 1 p.m. Friday and noon on Saturday. Three-day passes for this year’s Whispering Beard fest are $120. Friday and Saturday single-day tickets are $50 in advance or $55 at the gate; Thursday tickets are $25 in advance or $30 day of show. Advanced tickets (including for the riverboat sets) are available through cincyticket.com. For complete Whispering Beard info, go to whisperingbeard.com.
Photo: Whispering Beard Folk Festival Facebook

THURSDAY 22

MUSIC: Popa Chubby
Popa Chubby bring scoring Pop-infected Blues to the Southgate House Revival. 8 p.m. Thursday. $20-$30. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com.
Photo: Provided

THURSDAY 22

FILM: Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes
The Woodward Theater and Borne Content are hosting a screening of the acclaimed documentary Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes, Swiss director Sophie Huber’s look at the history and continuing legacy of Jazz music’s most enduring and iconic record label. The film is only screening in a select few U.S. cities this summer, mostly for one-night-only engagements. Founded 80 years ago by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, Blue Note’s discography includes groundbreaking and indispensable works that are crucial building blocks of Jazz. Its roster has included Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea, Jean-Luc PontyÉ you get the picture. Jazz giants. The label has maintained relevance throughout its eight decades, expanding and growing alongside the genre, while also branching off into related but not strictly Jazz territory. Along with the modern vanguard of Jazz greats like John Scofield, Robert Glasper, Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, Blue Note has been home to successful albums by Norah Jones, Amos Lee, Al Green and Van Morrison. Beyond The Notes was a favorite at film festivals all over the world last year and recent reviews from outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times have offered glowing praise for the movie. 7 p.m. Thursday. $8. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Mira Film

FRIDAY 23

COMEDY: Cincy Brew Ha-Ha
Cincy Brew Ha-Ha takes over Sawyer Point for two days of laughs and drafts, featuring headliners Preacher Lawson and Jay Mohr. 5 p.m.-midnight Friday; 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday. Comedy and admission are free, but wristbands and beer tickets need to be purchased. Sawyer Point, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, cincybrewhaha.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Jay Mohr

FRIDAY 23

ONSTAGE: American Idiot
American Idiot is a bombastic Punk Rock opera based on the Green Day album of the same name at The Carnegie. Through Aug. 25. $25-$32. The Carnegie, 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington, thecarnegie.com.
Photo: Mikki Schaffner Photography

FRIDAY 23

MUSIC: Super Low
Super Low brings Memphis Indie Power Pop to the Northside Tavern. 10 p.m. Friday. Free. Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, northsidetav.com.
Photo: Flannery Harper

FRIDAY 23

MUSIC: BeWILDerfest
Hosted on three stages in and around Urban Artifact, beWILDerfest is described as a “wild culture music and beer festival.” The annual event, which began in 2016, returns this weekend with a lineup that includes several of Cincinnati’s finest musical acts (like Tweens, Lung, Moonbeau, Us, Today, Soften, Common Center and In the Pines), as well as top-of-the-line national/international touring artists, including Screaming Females, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Zach Deputy and Green Jellÿ. Doors for beWILDerfest 2019 open at 5 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Single-day tickets are $30; weekend passes are $50. Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, bewilderfest.com.
Photo: GRLwood // Provided

FRIDAY 23

EVENT: Germania Society Oktoberfest
Don’t let the name confuse you: this year’s Oktoberfest party is actually kicking off in late August. The Germania Society boasts that their 49th-annual Oktoberfest is the most authentic in Cincinnati (or Zinzinnati if you’re really getting in the Deutsch mood). They have live German music and dancing, games for kids, plenty of food — including sauerkraut balls, Oktoberfest chicken, curry wurst and limburger cheese sandwiches — and, of course, a wide variety of bier, wein and schnapps. Prost! 6 p.m.-midnight Friday; 2 p.m.-midnight Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday. $5; free 12 and under. Germania Park, 3529 West Kemper Road, Pleasant Run, germaniasociety.com/oktoberfest.
Photo: Masskrugstemmen Stein-Holding Competition // Germania Society PR

FRIDAY 23

MUSIC: Big Freedia
Whether or not you’ve heard of Big Freedia, you’ve likely heard the New Orleans rapper on the radio. Sampled in the intro and chaotic breakdown of Drake’s 2018 chart-topper “Nice For What,” snippets from her live performances act as a jarring interjection — the force with which she chants the line “these hoes, they mad” is somehow more empowering than any motivational lyrics Drake could muster. Though Freedia has only recently garnered the mainstream attention that comes with a 2016 Beyonce collab and subsequent major label deal, her musical influence has been felt since the early 2000s. She first made a name for herself in Louisiana’s “Bounce” scene, known for its frenetic beats and shouted call-and-response vocals: an early precursor to what’s known today as Trap music. Attracting attention from Indie artists like Matt and Kim and The Postal Service in the 2010s, Freedia’s popularity eclipsed New Orleans, even spawning a reality show (Queen of Bounce) and appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her “Azz Across America” tour, which runs until Nov. 21, follows the launch of her own Ben & Jerry’s flavor: Big Freedia’s Bouncing Beignets. Iconic. 8 p.m. Friday. $20. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com.
Photo: Ballin PR

FRIDAY 23

MUSIC: Carriers Album Release Show
If you started an Indie Rock project and were looking for an all-star rhythm section to record with that has Cincinnati connections, you couldn’t do much better than getting Afghan Whigs bassist John Curley and The National drummer Bryan Devendorf. That’s just what Curt Kiser (formerly of Enlou and Pomegranates) did for his first recordings with his band project, Carriers. But Kiser’s songwriting and performances on the debut album is definitely impressive enough on its own, as his songs create an earthy, hypnotic flow filled with emotional resonance. The new full-length, Now is the Time for Loving Me, Yourself and Everyone Else, gets a wide release this week (including on vinyl) through Good Eye Records. After Indie favorite Sharon Van Etten gave Carriers a shout-out in the liner notes for her latest album, Kiser contacted her to say thanks and got even more words of encouragement from the singer/songwriter. “(Van Etten) was like, ‘I’m a fan. I hope my fans find comfort in your music, too,’ ” Kiser told CityBeat in a recent interview. “That’s what matters. I want people to find comfort and peace and know that they’re not alone.” Carriers celebrate Now is the Time’s release this weekend with a hometown show. Turtledoves, Joesph and Molly Parden will also perform. 8 p.m. Friday. $10; $12 day of show. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com.
Photo: Lance Adkins

FRIDAY 23

MUSIC: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Virality is both a blessing and a curse. The fickle attention span of the internet can lift you out of obscurity in an instant, but maintaining its affection hinges on much more complicated factors. Just ask Alec Ounsworth, whose band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s self-titled 2005 debut was met with critical (and commercial) acclaim that’s almost unbelievable by today’s standards. On the strength of a 9-out-of-10 Pitchfork review and blog buzz, the self-released record earned the band a cult following, soundtrack placements on The Office and more than 100,000 albums sold. Though future efforts failed to penetrate the collective indie consciousness — largely due to the glut of similarly whimsical acts attempting to replicate Clap Your Hands’ success — it’s a disservice to Ounsworth’s talent to write his band off as a mere product of its time. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah headline opening night (Aug. 23) of the two-day beWILDerfest at Urban Artifact in Northside. Find tickets and more info at bewilderfest.com.
Photo: Michael Regan

SATURDAY 24

MUSIC: Ryan Bingham
Ryan Bingham was born in New Mexico, grew up in West Texas, went to high school in Houston, went to college in the Texas Hill Country and rode bulls in Laredo during a stint on the rodeo circuit. So, it makes sense to describe American Love Song, Bingham’s latest release, as a Texas album. He tapped Charlie Sexton, the acclaimed Austin guitarist and longtime Bob Dylan sideman, to produce what is both is the most personal and, at the same time, the most political album in his 12-year career. That career began after his stint riding bulls on the Southwest rodeo circuit, during which he’d play songs for his rodeo cohorts. Their enthusiasm gave him the impetus to leave the rodeo and pursue music and form the band Dead Horses. After a pair of self-releases, Bingham signed with the respected and major-label-distributed Lost Highway Records, which released his debut in 2007. Then came Crazy Heart. Bingham performed two songs on the soundtrack of the 2009 drama, which starred Jeff Bridges as a down-and-out Country singer (and featured Bingham in a supporting role). One of those tracks, “The Weary Kind,” which Bingham co-wrote with producer T Bone Burnett, served as the film’s theme song. Crazy Heart became an awards-season darling, nabbing Bridges acting trophies from the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. But “The Weary Kind” was just as lauded, scoring an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy. Two studio albums and one live record later, Bingham decided to tell the story of that West Texas kid in his songs on American Love Story. Ryan Bingham headlines the final night of the three-day Whispering Beard Folk Festival at Smale Riverfront Park this Saturday. Tickets/more info: whisperingbeard.com.
Photo: Axster Bingham Records

SUNDAY 25

EVENT: Yasssss! Queen Drag Brunch
Your favorite local drag queens will be looking fresh as they slay and sashay from the window to the wall at the Metropole. This family-style brunch includes a mimosa and show. Call 513-578-6660 to RSVP. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. $35. Metropole at 21c, 609 Walnut St., Downtown, metropoleonwalnut.com.
Photo: Paige Deglow

SUNDAY 25

EVENTS: Pups & Pints at 3 Points Urban Brewery
3 Points Urban Brewery is celebrating the dog days of summer with its monthly Pups & Pints pooch-friendly night. Bring your favorite furry friend to the taproom, where they will receive attention from strangers while you drink a beer or two. There will also be treats plus special guests from the Cindependent Film Festival, who will be there to promote the upcoming fest. The Cindependent Film Festival runs Aug. 29-31 at multiple venues in Over-the-Rhine. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free. 3 Points Urban Brewery, 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton, facebook.com/3pointsbeer.
Photo: facebook.com/3pointsbeer

SUNDAY 25

FILM: Rock ‘n’ Roll High School at The Mini Microcinema
Over-the-Rhine’s Mini Microcinema has been celebrating a different timeless film’s anniversary each month this year, starting with the 30th anniversary of Sex, Lies, and Videotape. The series allows The Mini to showcase movies that still resonate with audiences today, despite being released 10, 20, 30 years ago or beyond. This weekend, catch at 40th-anniversary screening of Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. Just in time for the back-to-school rush, the plot follows the students of the low-achieving Vince Lombardi High as they riot against their principal and teachers with the help of The Ramones after the administration tries to stand in the way of the students’ love of Rock & Roll. Proceeds from the ticketed screenings will help fund the cinema’s operating budget and admission includes snacks and drinks. 7 p.m. doors Sunday. $25. The Mini Microcinema, 1329 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, rockroll40th.eventbrite.com.
Photo: imdb.com

SUNDAY 25

EVENT: MOVEMENT at Great American Ball Park
Michelob ULTRA and the Cincinnati Reds are bringing fitness and wellness experts to Great American Ball Park for a day of health education and activity. The event kicks off with a warm-up with the Reds mascots, followed by a motivational lecture from fitness expert — and former-Bachelorette contestant Peter Kraus. MOVEMENT will feature workouts from five local fitness studios including LB, Barre 3, Define, Planet Fitness and Modo Yoga. Local podcast What the F*Twill be emceeing the event and, to round-out the day, guests can partake in a Michelob ULTRA happy hour. Tickets include a branded yoga mat, two tickets to an upcoming Reds game and two beers. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. $20. Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, reds.com/movement.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

SUNDAY 25

EVENT: Cheetah Run 5k
The Cheetah Run takes place inside the Cincinnati Zoo and includes admission. This 3.1-mile course winds through the park’s unique gardens and animal exhibits and includes a cheetah encounter and post-race refreshments for runners. A free Cub Run takes place for children 12 and under; no registration required. 8 a.m. Sunday. $40; $35 members. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.
Photo: Mark Dumont // Cincinnati Zoo Facebook