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Archives for January 2012

This Syd Wasn’t Vicious. This Syd Was Visionary.

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DPO presents The Music of Pink Floyd with Windborne

At times, genius has been known to border on insanity.

Though some consider that statement a myth, recent research out of Sweden argues  that it could be true. Case in point: Pink Floyd co-founder and rock legend Syd Barrett.

Pink Floyd set the standard for progressive and psychedelic rock. Often times their lyrics were downright thoughtful, the art on their albums inventive, their sound untested, and their live performances sophisticated and intricate. As a result, they achieved worldwide success selling over 200 million albums and earning induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

None of which would have been possible without the innovative genius of Syd Barrett.

In 1965, the four members of the original band (Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright, and Syd) were all students. Sid’s drive and leadership led to the release of two singles that made the charts, Arnold Layne and See Emily Play, followed by their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in December 1967. Not long after, suffering from failing mental health Syd left the group.

Along with the problems that marked Syd’s changed nature the group had lost the benefit of his genius. For example, he had written two original songs (Butterfly and Lucy Leave) for their first demo tape; played around with lengthy instrumental jaunts and  elementary slide-and-colored-light shows. Syd’s personal moves on stage were high-spirited, improvised, and bordering on inspired madness. Madness that began to have a detrimental effect on the group’s future.

Syd began abusing LSD.

At one concert, guitar around his neck, Syd simply stood still on stage with his arms hanging down. While taping for The Pat Boone Show, Syd mimed a song perfectly in rehearsal then stood perfectly still during the take.

Pink Floyd was at its wits end. It added David Gilmour as its fifth member, hopefully to  cover for Syd’s foul-ups and – as a last resort – keep Syd on solely to write. Frustrated with his new role on the sidelines, Syd started teaching the band a new song, Have You Got It Yet? It couldn’t; whether purposely or not, Syd kept changing the arrangement on each performance, and the group couldn’t learn it.

In March 1968, Syd left Pink Floyd. He had been the creative genius behind the group. Now he couldn’t even remember he had left, turning up for a play date every now and again, bewildered as to what was happening. When Pink Floyd was working on a new album, Syd showed up unannounced and left without saying goodbye. Except for a run-in between Waters and Syd a few years later, none of the group ever saw him again.

In the 35 years since having left the group, Syd had all but disappeared. He dabbled with painting and spent most of his time gardening. On July 7, 2006, 60-year-old Syd Barrett died at his home in Cambridgeshire, England. No Pink Floyd members attended his funeral.

Syd is gone, but his genius remains.

The British national press has praised his contributions to music.

David Bowie has called Syd Barrett a major inspiration.

A teenage The Edge (of U2 fame) bought his first delay pedal after hearing the opening to Animals.

The Pet Shop Boys paid homage to The Wall during a performance in Boston.

Foo Fighters, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta, Tool, Queensryche, Scissor Sisters, Rush, Radiohead, Gorillaz, Mudvayne, Nine Inch Nails, Primus and Smashing Pumpkins, some of whom have recorded Pink Floyd covers, have all been influenced by Syd Barrett.

In 1975 even Pink Floyd paid tribute to Syd with the album Wish You Were Here.

Syd is gone, but the genius of his visionary music and concert techniques lives on.

On Thursday, February 9 at 8 pm ­in the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present The Music of Pink Floyd with Windborne, the second concert in the DPO’s Rockin’ Orchestra Series.  (Click for Tickets)

Conductor Brent Havens and rock ensemble Windborne Music will join the DPO and bring the full glory of Pink Floyd’s sound to the Mead stage, deftly melding rock with orchestra in a setting of mesmerizing visual effects.

Syd would have approved.

 

The Ugly Side of a Beauty Based Industry

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Hi my name is Caressa Brown, I have acne prone skin, stretch marks on my hips, I pluck unwanted hairs from my chin and neck and I was 28 years old the first time that I felt pretty without a hair weave or straight hair. When I was a kid I had bugged eyes, bucked teeth, dark gums, and would go home crying every day after getting picked on by classmates for being so tall and skinny–they called me names like Skeletor, Jimney Cricket, and Nappy-Go-Happy to name a few. I didn’t get into modeling because I thought I was cute;  in fact it was quite the opposite— at the age of 11 with my self-esteem 6 feet below the basement my mom enrolled me in Betty Massie Modeling School in Centerville with the hopes that I would learn some skills that would boost my self-esteem and confidence. After that first class the instructor told my mom that she wasn’t going to charge me to attend because I had the potential to be signed in a larger market or a major agency and at the age of 12, I signed my first professional modeling contract.

At the time it was the norm for agencies to only have one black model if any–and it was a rarity for any agency to have two– if they did, the models were instantly pitted against each other. So there I was – an insecure 12 year old model, the only black face at casting calls, and I wasn’t getting booked for any jobs. Seeing the affect that it had on me my parents put my career on hold until I was in high school, when ironically, I was scouted and signed on the spot by the President of Click Modeling Agency and the very first “plus-sized” model signed to the Click.

I said all of that to say this – I know that there was some disappointment based on the size restrictions for Dayton Fashion Week and I was immediately called out for it—one person questioned how could our city’s very first International Fashion Week put such size restrictions on models.  After all this is the city that brought you Toccara Jones – a “plus-sized” model who appeared on America’s Next Top Model.  And this is the Midwest where the vast majority of people don’t come close to fitting into those sizes—and I couldn’t agree more. I’ll be the first to tell you that it pained me to add those restrictions so much so that I reduced the height requirement from 5’10 to 5’8 and I raised the dress size from a 2 to a 4.

Before I go any further please understand that I would love to have women of all shapes and sizes rocking the runway of DFW–but the sad truth is, when it comes to finding designers of “plus size” clothing–pardon the pun but it’s slim pickings and when you add the fact that DFW is an inaugural event it becomes even more difficult.  As of right now we have not had any designers of “plus-size” clothing to sign up–but it’s my hope to find local boutiques that cater to women of all sizes to step up and participate.  So I encourage everyone REGARDLESS of your size to come on out to De’Lish Café and give it your best shot.

When I was offered the opportunity to write this column by DMM Publisher Bill Pote, he admitted that he didn’t know much about the fashion or modeling industries and he requested that I helped to educate readers about the industry and share some of my experiences. So without further ado—

Lesson #1 – Image is Everything

This can be a cruel and vicious industry– and if you don’t fit into that image you will be chewed up and spit out. As mentioned when I started modeling I was the only black model at all of the casting calls—when I returned to modeling the first photshoots I booked were for my comp cards. I spoke with the photographer over the phone the night before, he asked me my race, and I told him that I was black. I arrived and I was immediately ripped to shreds for not being “black enough”–for an hour the photographer fussed at me because my nose wasn’t wide enough, my lips weren’t full enough, I had golden undertones in my skin, my eyes looked Asian, my cheek bones were too high, and he demanded to know my family history. I told him that I was black, Blackfoot, Cherokee, and Irish. Then he snapped at me “that’s how you need to identify yourself from now on” and then he went on to tell me that I’ll never get cast as a black model.

Lesson # 2 – The Skinny on Skinny Models

There are several reasons why models are so thin: 1) It’s very expensive to start and maintain a clothing line and the less you spend on fabric the better–hence the sample size 2 that is often seen on the runway. 2) Most designers want their clothing to appear on the runway as if it’s hanging on a hanger which means no curves. 3) Somewhere a standard of beauty was set saying that the thinner you are the more attractive.  The good news is that there has been a movement to ban super skinny models on the runway, but the bad news is—it came from governments and the industry fought against it claiming that they were being used as a scapegoat for eating disorders.

Lesson #3 – If You Wanna be on Top—You’ll Need a Strong Support System

I can’t even begin to imagine where I’d be or what my mind set would be like if I didn’t have strong, active and supportive parents in my life. My education always came first, so during those years of low self-esteem I gained inner confidence based on my academic performances.  I was an honor student, a volunteer, a Who’s Who Among American High School Students, etc.  By the time I was in my 20’s and I had contract offers from the top modeling agency in the world Elite, I didn’t feel the pressure to fit into any industry standard because I was focused on college. When people come to me about getting involved in modeling I tell them how important it is to have a support system in place.  I don’t mean having a “yes man” – you need to have someone willing to tell you when you are wrong, pick you up when you are down, and be your voice when yours is lost.

Lesson #4 – True Beauty Starts from the Inside

I know it’s cliché but it’s the truth – if you don’t like what you see in the mirror there’s no amount of makeup that can cover that up. I started this article talking about my insecurities – the majority of which I have overcome by not allowing them to define me as a person. I set my own standards and I don’t waste my time comparing myself to anyone. I look myself in the mirror everyday literally and figuratively speaking, and if I don’t like what I see I adjust my mind set and slowly but surely I work on those things until they are no longer an issue for me… no cosmetics or designer clothing needed.

Music Video Monday: January 16, 2012

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Starving in the Belly of the Whale released their latest album, The Journey Less Traveled, at the end of last year.  It, along with the band’s previous two albums, is available for free download on the band’s website (though they are accepting PayPal donations at the bottom of the page, so chip in if you’re so inclined).  Starving in the Belly of the Whale will perform on Friday, January 20th at South Park Tavern with the New Old-Fashioned and Bernoulli.

This week’s video is the second song from The Journey Less Traveled, “Waiting is a Virtue.”

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Thursday is for Indie

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Dayton, OH - Vanity Theft at Wright State University

Vanity Theft playing out this Thursday

Normally when you think of what night you should go out, you think about the weekend…  maybe a Friday or Saturday night, right?  Well music fans, this week Thursday is for Indie!  This Thursday, January 19th, we have a terrific collection of Dayton bands who will be playing at the Rathskeller Room at Wright State University!  We have a great lineup that includes Vanity Theft — whose album Get What You Came For — made my best of 2011 list.   In addition to VT we have: We Were Animals — and their Apoco-Lips album– should not be missed, Abertooth Lincoln, and 3rd and Main!  The show starts at 7pm and goes until 10pm that leaves plenty of time for your weekend.  It is an all ages show so that music fans of all ages can begin their love affair with Dayton music!  And most importantly you can get a good jump on a weekend of great local music.

We Were Animals

We Were Animals

Abertooth Lincoln

Abertooth Lincoln

And to give you a start on the show: You can download the We Were Animals album!  You can also check out Abertooth Lincoln’s music, if you haven’t already at ReverbNation or theirFacebook page!  Just remember that it is socially acceptable to begin your weekend on a Thursday night!

No, it won’t kill you to turn off your phone…

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It used to be impressive, very impressive, to own a cell phone.  In the late 80’s, when cell phones were two feet long and weighed about five pounds, it was impressive to see someone set their cell phone on the dining or conference table – you KNEW they were important!  Remember the 1987 movie, Wall Street?  Gordon Gekko walked along the beach plotting his next financial takeover on his huge cell phone – you KNEW he was somebody!

Well, guess what? It’s 2012, and everyone has a cell phone, I-phone, Droid or even an old flip phone.  Even ten-year-old Susie and 11 year-old Johnny have cell phones.  So, the next time you think about whipping out your mobile device at the dining table or during a business meeting, setting it on the table or checking it every 15 seconds to see if you’ve missed something, try to remember that the person in front of you is what’s important.  Impress them with your ability to focus on them.   Now, that’s Cell Phone Etiquette!

Top 5 Cell Phone Etiquette Tips

  1.  Always turn your phone on mute while in a business meeting, theatre, or while dining.
  2. Never set your phone on the table while in a meeting or while dining.  Doing so sends a clear message to the person you’re meeting with or the person you’re dining with that they are not important.
  3. Your cell phone conversation is not private.  What’s more annoying than listening to the intimate details of a stranger’s weekend while standing in line to get coffee or while in the restroom?
  4. Excuse yourself if you must take a call.  The call may be important to you, but you’re also important to the person with you.
  5. Don’t talk on your cell phone, play games or send text messages in front of someone who expects your attention including doctors, business partners, grocery store clerks or friends.
  6. BONUS TIP:  If the airline asks you to turn off your cell phone, do it.  Words With Friends can wait.
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Home Values Up, Foreclosures Down, and What it Really Means for Dayton Real Estate

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This past week brought Dayton real estate into the national spotlight with some interesting news:

While home prices across the U.S. fell slightly in 2011, the Dayton metro area bucked the trend, posting the largest increase in home values among 50 major metros, according to a leading property valuation firm.

Median home prices rose 11.5 percent in the Dayton area to $72,000 last year, California-based ClearCapital reported Monday.

Local home prices appreciated nearly twice as fast as the next two strongest markets, and Dayton was the only metro to post a double-digit gain in home prices, according to the market report.

Before we break out the champagne and start singing Happy Days are Here Again, allow me to be the wet blanket. First things first, this report takes the entire Greater Dayton area into consideration, and as I say with every post, neighborhoods vary so what happens in Santa Clara is not what is happening in South Park which is not what is happening in Tara Estates or Carriage Trails. Okaythen, back to the news and what this means for us as a region. I think this means we are showing signs of some stabilization. We have likely reached the bottom and can now focus on stabilizing our real estate values as a region, although some neighborhoods are going to continue to be hollowed out with foreclosures, vacancies, and demolition. As I said last week, land banking and planned demolition will become a integral part of Dayton’s future for at least the next few years, but I think we can figure longer. I wish it were not so, but I’ve not seen any other way for cities to aggressively fight the combined problems of shrinking population and deteriorating and aging  housing stock. I also think that our first-tier suburbs like Huber Heights, Kettering, Trotwood, Riverside, should start developing plans to deal with some of these issues as well. Which brings us to our second bit of news:

Compared to 2010, the number of properties with foreclosure filings in Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Preble counties fell by about 31 percent to 6,131 last year, according to a RealtyTrac’s annual market report released today. On a month-to-month basis, the number dropped nearly 45 percent from November to 525 last month, RealtyTrac reported.

In Clark County, the number of properties with foreclosure filings fell 23 percent to 1,001 last year. In Champaign County, the number fell 71 percent to 74 properties. In Warren County, the number fell 18 percent to 1,481 properties in 2011.

By comparison, the number of properties in the state hit with default notices, auctions or bank repossessions declined 27 percent to 79,422 last year.

… But researchers were quick to point out that processing delays stemming from the so-called robosigning scandal, in which some big banks admitted processing foreclosures without verifying documents, stymied foreclosure activity across the country.

In other words, while we had a respite from mass foreclosure filings, we are still dealing with this mess and will be for a few years, even if it’s not at the levels seen in 2009. Again with the wet blanket: It’s an unpopular opinion, I’m aware, however, if you live next to a foreclosed home, it is in your best interest to keep an eye on the property. I realize it’s not your home, the banks might be the bad guys, etc. however, your property values are determined by the neighborhood and a buyer’s perception is affected by the neighboring properties. You do have an interest in how that property is maintained and cared for. It might not be your job, I get that, but it is your business. I digress…

Overall, these two pieces of news would indicate that the Greater Dayton area, which got slammed hard with foreclosures, declining home values, and shrinking population, appears to have hit the bottom, and the next few years should show continued signs of stabilization to the general area, if not the beginnings of recovery in real estate. Right then, cue-up some Gloria Gaynor for you oldtimers, maybe a little Destiny’s Child for the whippersnappers.

 

Photos: Teri Lussier

Enchanting Entertainment

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MUSE MACHINE Wizard of OZThe Muse Machine delivers a first-rate, crowd-pleasing production of L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” the arts education organization’s 28th annual student musical presented at the Victoria Theatre.

Over 100 Muse students from across the Miami Valley are featured in director Rufus Bonds, Jr.’s faithful, fluid and fast-paced staging of the beloved 1939 film, adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company and fueled with fantastic tunes by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. In addition to strong, engaging portrayals by key players and music director Timothy Olt’s steady orchestra, a truly vibrant ensemble executes Lula Elzy’s lively choreography with unified joy, especially in the absolutely adorable Munchkinland sequence, sprightly “Merry Old Land of Oz” and exuberant “Jitterbug.”
As Dorothy Gale, Madeline Shelton impresses far beyond her lovely rendition of “Over the Rainbow.” Fully present in each moment and particularly careful not to underplay the pivotal Kansas scenes, Shelton astutely showcases the spectrum of Dorothy’s capricious personality from bratty insensitivity to poignant self-awareness. She is also firmly supported by a delightful trio consisting of the amiably understated Dan Baughn (Hunk/Scarecrow), very endearing Davis Sullivan (Hickory/Tin Man), who delivered a breakthrough performance as Jack in last year’s Muse production of “Into the Woods,” and charming, fittingly Bert Lahr-esque Jeremiah Plessinger (Zeke/Cowardly Lion).
Further, Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo is terrifically intimidating as Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West, Cameron Hale Elliott distinctively tackles the roles of Professor Marvel, Emerald City Guard and The Wizard of Oz, Paige McDonald and Patrick Espy are believably bonded as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, Kaja Burke-Williams, Carly Snyder (a phenomenal Little Red Ridinghood in “Into the Woods”) and Ellen Geiselman hit the mark as feisty, sashaying trees, and Hayley Penchoff, possessing a striking Billie Burke sensibility and timbre, shines as Glinda.
Equipped with colorful sets and costumes provided by Music Theatre of Wichita, this thoroughly entertaining “Oz,” dynamically accented with whimsical and ominous flourishes courtesy of sound/film designer David Sherman, is an enchanting example of the Muse pedigree.

“The Wizard of Oz” continues through Jan. 15 at the Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St. Performances are Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 65 minutes; Act Two: 60 minutes. Tickets are $25-$59. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Big Ragu & Crew Get Twisted at K & R Pretzel Bakery

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Kettering’s Little Known Secret

If you did not know where to look, you would never find K & R Pretzel Bakery.   Someone must be finding Daytonians smile.   Tucked into a neighborhood on Flesher this place, because since 1967, the Pretzel Bakery has been making Avenue in Kettering, it is one of the most interesting Food Adventures we have ever done.   What’s not to love about this place?  It is a humble building with a great product and a great price.  The operation is based on a huge soft pretzel making machine which cooks the tremendous snacks on a conveyor belt.   Simple huh?  Make good pretzels,  and they will come.  The family owned business has perfected the treat, and K & R’s Soft Pretzels, are the best we have ever eaten.  This place reminds The Big Ragu of his childhood elementary school days, and 10 cent pretzel Tuesdays.  These exact pretzels were the ones we ate as kids, and we are very happy to have found the place where they make these soft bites of heaven.  Those were old school Food Adventures.

While we were there, two workers were manning the pretzel machine, and we saw how the process works.

Pretzel Perfection

First, they brought a tray of already twisted pretzels out and laid them on the metal conveyor belt at the front of the machine.  The pretzels first get a water bath then they are hand salted before they enter the machine’s oven.  The pretzels then make their way through the machine until they come out piping hot at the end.  In  fact, they are so hot you can barely hold on to them.   The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and you can choose with salt, without salt or light salt.  Watching this is a mini-event in itself.  It is a great place to bring kids, as it has a slight Willy Wonka feel to it, and it is a memorable place with lots of personality.  Our tip is that the fresher these pretzels are, the better they taste.  It is better to eat them now than later.  They even sell various packaged sauces for dipping your pretzel, but we like them au naturale or with mustard.

Oh but wait, there’s more …. K & R Pretzel Bakery also has one of the most extensive offerings of “old time” candies we have seen recently.  We saw Candy Cigarettes for the first time in years.  We also saw Candy buttons,  Swedish fish, and various novelty candies we remembered as kids.   K & R Pretzel bakery has big bags of popcorn for sale too.  They even have a cooler with cold soft drinks and chocolate covered small pretzels.  The place is unique, different and some may say odd, but we love this place.  They maintain their roots and the pretzels have the same great taste with a recipe that is unchanged for decades.   Every time we are in the area, we try and stop by for a pretzel or three.   At the great price of 70 cents a pretzel, who can resist?  Please note, their hours of operation are 11-4pm Weekdays and Saturday.

Try this place, or you will feel a little “salty.”  If you don’t try it, we will, and you won’t have to “twist” our arms.

Please follow Food Adventures on FACEBOOK by clicking here.  “Like” us to become an official fan.

Please comment on the article below and tell us about your experiences with K & R Pretzel Bakery.

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Show Support for Independent Radio

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WUDR studio

WUDR Studio stands ready

 

Ok, so this brief essay is a little self serving.

Now that we have that warning out of the way… this Thursday, January 19th you need to visit the ArtStreet Cafe at the University of Dayton from 7:00-9:00pm and order some delicious food.  WUDR is holding their annual fund raiser to both support Flyer Radio and the annual WUDR spring concert series and — this is the part that you are really going to enjoy — create an opportunity for members of our community to talk to the DJs and others involved in a student-organized independent radio station!  WUDR is the home of our program, Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative and several other fine programs that spotlight Dayton bands, musicians, and local concerts.  So, if you are thirsty for a smoothie or hungry for a sandwich this Thursday evening, you know where you should go satisfy your cravings and support a local radio station that is not part of a huge super mega corporate entity that is programmed and controlled by people far far away.

The only thing you have to lose is a little time and your thirst or hunger or both.

Tell them that Dr. J sent you!

 

The Set List: January 12-18, 2012

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Welcome to The Set List, a new feature here in the Dayton Music section of Dayton MostMetro.com.  Every week we’ll give you a rundown of some of your options for live music in the Miami Valley.  Of course this isn’t a complete list, but it will give you a place to start.  Speaking of places to start, if you’re a local band or venue, don’t forget that you can always post your upcoming events on the DaytonMostMetro events calendar and you can submit your show posters for display in our sidebar (glance to your right for examples). Click here to do both.  Without further ado, here are this week’s shows:

Hyrokkin

FRIDAY

-Freddy T and The People, Hyrrokkin, Abertooth Lincoln, Footbinder perform at Blind Bob’s

-Chapter III is returning to WO Wright’s to perform with God Bless & Asher Jones.

-Some of Dayton’s finest DJs will host a dance party at Therapy Cafe.  The Black Lotus Clan, Infidel-icious, Ruckus Roboticus and DJ Jay Madewell will all be spinning tunes.

 SATURDAY

-Dry Branch Fire Squad will perform a two night engagement (Saturday and Sunday) at Canal Street Tavern with Rick and Hilary Wagner opening.

-Team Void will venture from Parts Unknown to South Park Tavern to perform with Oxymoronatron and Electric Banana.

-TatttooTV Battle of the Bands winners By Way of Sunstorm will share the stage at Blind Bob’s with Enabler, Sleep Fleet and Imbroglio

 

For more things to do in Dayton, check out the DaytonMostMetro event’s calendar.

 

THE MADNESS STARTS HERE

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The Road to the Final Four begins in Dayton again this year with the NCAA Men’s First Four games on March 13th and 14th at the University of Dayton Arena. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) charged with rallying community support for the games will begin promoting ticket sales during the first-half of the University of Dayton men’s home basketball game versus LaSalle, this Saturday, January 14, 7:00 pm at UD Arena.

To officially kick things off, informational announcements will take place at center-court, including the introduction of selected committee members and sponsors, key event partners, and an overview of community events, referred to as “The Big Hoopla.”  The announcement will include business, civic and local elected leaders, as well as supporters from the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, representing Big Hoopla partners. The LOC plans to reinforce the important relationship between the Dayton community and the U.S. Air Force.

Don Donoher, legendary UD Men’s Basketball Coach will serve as an honorary spokesperson for this year’s event.  “We are honored to have someone of Coach Donoher’s stature join us in the community celebration of NCAA College Basketball,” said JP Nauseef, this year’s LOC Chair.

Updates on ticket sales and other events planned for this celebration also will be discussed. Tickets to get into the NCAA First Four games at UD Arena are going fast and some of the best seats have only limited availability at this point.

 

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is one of the most widely watched, successful media spectacles in all of sports.  Last year, the NCAA expanded the field of participants and selected Dayton and UD Arena to host the inaugural NCAA First Four Games.  Because Dayton was successful in hosting the inaugural event, the NCAA selected UD arena to host again this year and next year (2012-2013).  Dayton has a strong track record hosting these events; in fact, the University of Dayton has hosted more NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games than anywhere else in the Country, totaling 87 tournament games over the past 41 years, including the start of each championship since 2001.  Hosting this event provides Dayton Region with a tremendous economic development opportunity for national exposure. 

2012 Dayton Fish Fry Season is Here!

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Click Here for the 2013 Fish Fry Schedule

A common complaint I hear from people is that there is nothing to do in Dayton during the winter months…to which I reply, “Apparently you’ve never heard of Dayton Fish Fry Season.”  In case you didn’t know, Dayton fish fries are THE place to be.  Traditionally, many of the Catholic churches held fish fries during Fridays in Lent, as Catholics don’t eat meat on those days.  Over the past several years, the popularity of fish fries has grown tremendously.  At a typical Catholic fish fry, you’ll be able to eat fish and chips, enjoy a few beers, bid on some amazing silent auction items, and play some black jack.  The cost is around $15 per fish fry, which is much cheaper than a night out on the town…plus you can say you are eating, drinking, shopping, and gambling for the kids!  To get you started, here is a listing of some of the area’s great fish fries.  If you know about others, please feel free to add them in the comments section.  I will do my best to update this list with additional details as they become available!

DATE PLACE ADDRESS TIME
Friday, 1/13 Holy Angels 1322 Brown St., Dayton, OH 45409 6PM-12AM
Friday, 1/13 Our Lady of the Rosary 22 Notre Dame Ave., Dayton, OH, 45404 5PM-11PM
Friday, 1/20 St. Albert the Great School 3033 Far Hills Ave., Kettering, OH 45429 7PM-12AM
Friday, 2/3 Ascension 2025 Woodman Dr., Kettering, OH 45420 6PM-12AM
Friday, 2/10 St. Henry/Bishop Leibold 6696 Springboro Rd., Dayton, OH 45449  
Friday, 2/11 St. Peter 6161 Chambersburg Rd., Huber Heights, OH 45424 5:30PM-12AM
Saturday, 2/19 Carroll High School 4524 Linden Ave., Dayton, OH 45432 6PM-12AM
Friday, 2/24 Alter High School 940 East David Rd., Kettering, OH 45429 7PM-12AM
Saturday, 3/10 Chaminade Julienne High School 505 S. Ludlow St., Dayton, OH 45402 7PM-11PM
Friday, 3/16 Carroll High School 4524 Linden Ave., Dayton, OH 45432 6PM-12AM
Friday, 3/23 St. Charles 4500 Ackerman Blvd., Kettering, OH 45429  

And did you expect me to leave without sharing a dumb (fish) joke?

Two fish were in a tank and the one says to the other, “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

HAPPY FISH FRYIN’ TO YOU ALL!

Two Twenty-Somethings Revitalize 78-Year Musical Tradition

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DPO presents Concertmaster’s Choice at site of Orchestra’s birth

To paraphrase Daphne du Maurier, “Last night I dreamt I went to Viterbo again.”

Viterbo is a little town among the hills forty miles north of Rome. It’s the site of a five-sided villa built in the Renaissance for the use of Cardinal Alexander Farnese. And, while I’ve never actually been to Viterbo, I have been to a building that very much resembles the Cardinal’s villa – the Dayton Art Institute.

Standing sentinel over the Miami River at the intersection of Belmont and Riverview Avenues, the 92-year-old Dayton Art Institute – or DAI – is a classical example of the Italian Renaissance architectural style that echoes the romance and beauty of the villa in Viterbo.

And the DAI is also the home of a time machine…of sorts – the Renaissance Auditorium. To attend a concert there is to step back in time to an era when grace and civility were hallmarks of a society that treasured its music and its musical heritage. And the trip begins at the entrance to the DAI.

Whether you enter from the parking lot on the Forest Avenue side or through the magnificent main entrance atop a set of two Italianate balustraded steps, you get the feeling that you are about to experience something special. Walking through either of the two high, entablature-topped, carved walnut doors to the Renaissance Auditorium, you’re suddenly transported back to 16th-century Italy.

Three tapestries adorn the Auditorium’s composite limestone brick walls, the base of which is green marble. In an opera setting for 500 concertgoers, a sloping floor makes the entire room feel smaller and considerably more intimate than its size would suggest.

The room is done in the Italian manor, with a painted ceiling of twenty alternating octagonal and rectangular Italian walnut coffers (ornamental sunken panels) with carved step molding. The four corners of the ceiling contain octagonal panels that echo the building’s design and represent the Arts of Sculpture, Painting, Music, and Literature. The ceiling’s center panel contains a dramatically lit sky scene, and the proscenium arch that surrounds the stage appears to be marble, but is actually painted walnut.

And, acoustically, there’s not a bad seat in the house.

Stand at stage center and talk in a normal tone of voice, and you can be heard clearly from the furthest points in the room. That’s the Auditorium’s finest feature. It was specifically designed for music, plays, and non-political lectures.

And the classical music heard here, totally unenhanced electronically, is the way the composers expected it to sound, the way you would have heard it had you been alive at the time of its composition. That includes not only small ensembles and chamber music groups, but full symphony orchestras as well.

In fact in 1933, two years before it formally incorporated, founder Paul Katz (then only 26) and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) used the Auditorium to practice before performing two concerts there in June. After moving to Memorial Hall, the DPO continued to use the Auditorium as a rehearsal site until the 1960s.

On Thursday­, January 26 at 8pm, the DPO will perform in the Renaissance Auditorium once more in Concertmaster’s Choice, represented solely by DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung accompanied on piano by Zsolt Bognár (his first name is pronounced “Zholt”; the Zs sounds like the “s” in pleasure). Like Paul Katz when he first performed there, both these musicians are in their twenties.

But Jessica’s performed there before. “I performed in the Renaissance Auditorium at the Dayton Art Institute for my recital last season,” she states, “and it is a very special place.”

And she has performed in enough places to make an accurate comparison. Violinist Jessica Hung is Concertmaster of not only the DPO, but she also serves as Concertmaster of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and previously held the same position in the Chicago Civic, Northwestern University, Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), and Ashland Symphony Orchestras. She was also Assistant Concertmaster with the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

“As a relatively new member of Dayton’s artistic community, it is an honor to be part of the city’s rich cultural history and to perform live right in the footsteps of my predecessors, surrounded by great works of both traditional and modern art.”

Zsolt Bognár joins Jessica for this engagement, adding his sensitive accompanist’s skills to four works for violin and piano by Beethoven, Franck, Prokofiev, and Gershwin.

­Born in Urbana, Illinois, in 1982, Zsolt carries triple citizenship in the United States, the European Union/Hungary, and the Philippines. In 2007 he was the recipient of a Distinguished Fellowship Award to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where he worked with Jerome Lowenthal and won the Carlisle Medal from the Wideman Competition the same year.

“I first performed with Zsolt before I actually met him,” Jessica remembers. “He is a few years older than I and had won the CIM Concerto Competition, and I happened to be in the orchestra that was accompanying him on Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major.  I thought his playing was phenomenal – technically superb, but most importantly characterized by real emotional depth, which I value in any musician. I was so spellbound by his cadenza (long solo section) at the concert that I almost forgot to come in afterwards!  Later, we met through a mutual friend and simply became good friends.”

“This is thankfully not the first time that I have worked with another soloist in a duo-recital setting,” Zsolt remarks. “Musical friendships are the most rewarding aspect of a performing artist’s activities, and a number of my musical partnerships from student days were not only rewarding, but several of my musical friends went on to hold major orchestral positions.”

Zolt has  known Jessica through school for about five years, and they met through friends. “Performing on stage with friends is my favorite way to make music – it becomes about sharing,” he states, “It’s a back-and-forth between the performers and the audience. Musical phrases and ideas take on a new meaning and authenticity when heartfelt, which is so much easier to sense when on stage with a close friend and musical colleague.”

Especially in the warm, resonant ambiance of the Dayton Art Institute’s Renaissance Auditorium…

Concertmaster’s Choice

Thursday­, January 26, 2012
6:30 pm, Dayton Art Institute Renaissance Auditorium ­

BEETHOVEN Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 4 in A minor NOTES
FRANCK Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major NOTES
PROKOFIEV Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in F minor NOTES
GERSHWIN (arr. HEIFETZ) Three Preludes for Violin and Piano NOTES

JESSICA HUNG concertmaster WEBSITE
ZSOLT BOGNAR piano WEBSITE 
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Explosion in Local Music

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Vanity Theft playing First Friday at Riverscape

Vanity Theft playing First Friday at Riverscape

It is often assumed that there is no local music scene in Dayton. Dear music fans, nothing could be further from the truth! We have a literal explosion of new music from bands of numerous musical genres, approaches, and styles happening right now. Once the Gem City was considered the post-punk haven for groups such as Guided by Voices, Branniac, and The Breeders. Dayton has a long and significant music history of which the post-punk wave was but one trend in local music.

Today, we have bands playing in almost too many genres and styles to count. We have new music from The Fair Shakes, Bonneville, We Were Animals (from the previously power-pop dream of Ed vs. Radio), Vanity Theft, The Rebel Set, The Story Changes, the horror-rock of Splattertude, Hawthorne Heights, Me & Mountains, Night Beast, Toads and Mice, Smug Brothers, and so much more.

We have many places to see bands and musicians are plying their trade in the Oregon District or throughout the city. If the assumption is that there is no growing and evolving music scene in Dayton, that is simply not correct. As someone who has conducted research on music scenes for several years (do not ask how many, I am just a little touchy about the age thing), I can honestly tell you that Dayton musicians have much to offer you. All you have to do is go listen.

You can go to several fine establishments to see bands play most nights of the week in the Gem City. And you should. Come on what do you have to lose except your preconceptions about the limitations of Dayton music.

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Check out our Local Music Calendar on the right of this page for shows in the upcoming week, or go to our full Online Event Calendar for more…

A Lovely Night

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The incredibly tuneful and timeless legacy of American musical theater pioneers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is saluted in Walter Bobbie’s 1994 Tony Award-nominated revue “A Grand Night for Singing,” fluidly staged and choreographed by Richard Croskey at the Dayton Playhouse.

Infused with romantic ambience and sophistication, “Grand Night” breezily spotlights the joy, sentimentality and wit that colored the dynamic duo’s groundbreaking collaboration, spanning 16 years (1943-1959) and 11 productions (“Oklahoma!” to “The Sound of Music”). Instead of adopting the engagingly anecdotal, composer-driven blueprint of “Side By Side By Sondheim,” the 1977 Tony Award-nominated revue that inserts facts and tidbits to create an expansive, eye-opening narrative, Bobbie links each song by varying relationship-driven themes such as budding love, hurtful rejection and parental tenderness. His decision isn’t conceptually substantive, especially for R&H fans desiring to know more about them as songwriters and producers, but is an accurate reflection of the title, a clear reminder that the music is paramount.

Consisting of 38 songs and an unnecessary intermission, “Grand Night” unfolds as a familiar and eclectic hodgepodge. As with most revues, some of my favorites didn’t make the cut (in this instance, the long list includes “A Cockeyed Optimist,” “A Fellow Needs a Girl,” “Getting to Know You,” “I Am Going to Like It Here,” “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “In My Own Little Corner,” “Mister Snow,” “My Lord and Master,” “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “That’s for Me,” “The Next Time It Happens,” “What’s the Use of Wond’rin’,” “You Are Beautiful,” “You Are Never Away,” “Younger than Springtime” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”). Still, I particularly admire the refreshing twists within Fred Wells’ intricate music arrangements, the obscure “All At Once You Love Her” from 1955’s “Pipe Dream,” and the five chestnuts from 1947’s underappreciated “Allegro,” particularly “I Know It Can Happen Again” and sublime “So Far.”

Cast of "A Grand Night for Singing"

Croskey’s cast, backed by musical director Ron Kindell’s excellent orchestra complete with harp, cello and grand piano, is comprised of an admirable, cohesively interactive quintet. Carol Chatfield offers lovely renditions of the aforementioned “Allegro” tunes and a very heartfelt “Something Wonderful.” Kathy Clark winningly handles such strong character numbers as “A Wonderful Guy,” “The Gentleman Is A Dope” and “If I Loved You.” Patricia DiPasquale-Krul, who joins Chatfield and Clark for a jazzy version of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” pensively interprets “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” Tom Lehmann, sweetly partnered with DiPasquale-Krul for “When The Children Are Asleep,” supplies an absolutely striking, encore-worthy rendition of the gorgeous ballad “Love, Look Away,” lushly accented by cellist Anna Brossart. Matthew Bone is occasionally pitchy yet specifically succeeds with “This Nearly Was Mine.”

The prickly Rodgers and the sensitive Hammerstein might have been unlikely partners, but “Grand Night” warmly ensures their indelible handiwork, unabashedly heightening the thrill of beautiful mornings and enchanted evenings, will remain impactful for generations to come.

“A Grand Night for Singing” continues through Jan. 15 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 46 minutes; Act Two: 36 minutes. Tickets are $10-$15. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.org

Stepping in the Spotlight

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DPO gives the ultimate team player the ball

Christina Coletta

She is hardly a rookie.

She received her first musical instruction in public school, studied privately with Youngstown State University Professor of Music Michael Gelfand, and became a Bachelor of Music and Artist Diploma student of Lee Fiser at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

She served as Principal Cellist of the CCM Philharmonia, performed as soloist with the Starling Chamber Orchestra, appeared in a live interview and performance for a WGUC broadcast,  and attended the Chautauqua Music Festival studying there and performing in master classes.

She has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, served as interim Principal Cellist with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and frequently served as an extra musician with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, performing with the orchestra on its 2008 European and China tours.

The Cincinnati Enquirer has praised her for her “beautifully felt” playing. A passionate chamber musician, she has performed with the Amicus Chamber Players and is a member of Concert:Nova, a Cincinnati-based chamber music ensemble dedicated to presenting chamber music in fresh, exciting, and unexpected ways.

She is also a founding member of the Duveneck String Quartet and has performed with them throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.

She is hardly an ingénue. But, for all her experience and ability, she remains just out of the range of the spotlight.

She is Christina Coletta, Assistant Principal Cellist of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. And on Sunday, January 22 at 3 pm in the Dayton Masonic Center, when the DPO presents the second concert in its Graeter’s Symphony Sundaes Series, Christina will do something she’s never done before.

She will headline.

“This is the first time I’ve headlined a DPO concert,” Christina states, “although I was the guest cellist with the DPO Principals Quartet for the Schubert Cello Quintet at the Schuster Center a couple seasons ago. I’m incredibly excited to be performing as a soloist this season! This piece, the Brahms Double concerto for cello and violin, is one of the greatest pieces of music in the concerto repertoire. Beyond the unusual use of not one, but two soloists, it has a fabulous orchestral accompaniment, rich and textured.  It’s very much a three-part partnership between violin, cello and orchestra.”

Kirstin Greenlaw, DPO Principal Second Violinist, performs the violin solo. The program also includes Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony.

“There’s nothing “secondary” about the accompaniment (on the Brahms Double concerto), and I love that,” she remarks. “It’s also a fascinating piece of music in that Brahms composed it as a musical olive branch to an estranged, yet dear, friend, the great violinist Joseph Joachim. There are many moments in the piece where the cello most certainly represents Brahms, and the violin is Joachim. Their friendship suffered as a result of Joachim’s divorce, during which Brahms sided with the Joachim’s wife. That’s such an important piece of information to the listener, because – while this piece is not “programmatic” – it is the result of a situation that is still relevant today.”

Kirstin Greenlaw

“The one thing I wish I could express to modern listeners, and especially to people who think that classical music is irrelevant, is that this music was born from the same circumstances that drive modern music. Someone fell in love, their heart got broken, and in the aftermath a symphony was written. It’s no different than when Taylor Swift writes a song today. I wish more people understood that. I think there’d be more connection between the listener and the music if they did. And consequently more desire to explore what classical music has to offer a twenty-first-century listener.”

This is not the first time Christina has performed with fellow orchestra member Kirstin Greenlaw.

“Kirstin and I have been playing chamber music together for over ten years,” Christina notes. “I first played with her when we performed the Brahms Clarinet Quintet with Principal Clarinetist John Kurakowa for a DPO lunchtime concert at the Victoria Theater. We have since played regularly together as members of the Duveneck String Quartet and most recently as the Trillium Quartet with DPO violist Belinda Reuning Burge and violinist Sujean Kim. So, obviously we totally enjoy working together and respect one another immensely as musicians, colleagues, and dear friends.  Kirstin is a fabulous violinist and performer, and I’m so excited to be playing this wonderful piece, written by Brahms with friendship in mind, with her.”

I asked Christina for her impressions of what DPO musicians are like and her general observations on the life of a musician who plays for more than one musical organization.

“Well, I think that’s a two-part question,” she replied. “First, DPO musicians are some of the most talented and committed musicians I have ever worked with. I have had the privilege of playing with several “bigger” orchestras in my career, and I honestly wouldn’t trade my current colleagues for anything. There is a sense of camaraderie and genuine high regard for one another that is not found everywhere in the classical music world.”

“Now, onto the second part of my answer. DPO musicians are also some of the hardest working musicians I know. Most of us have to play in several ensembles, teach, or have second jobs in other fields, as DPO is still a per-service ensemble and doesn’t yet provide benefits. So, I would say that DPO musicians are extremely busy and motivated people, juggling families, work, and their artistic passions.”

And on Sunday, January 22, Christina Coletta will take her artistic passion with her where it deserves to be seen and heard.

In the spotlight.

Greenlaw and Coletta at Center Stage
One Call Now presents Graeter’s Symphony Sundaes Series
Sunday, January 22 ~­ 2012
Dayton Masonic Center, 3 pm

BRAHMS Double Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4

NEAL GITTLEMAN conductor
KIRSTIN GREENLAW principal violinist
CHRISTINA COLETTA assistant principal cellist

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