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Archives for April 2013

Food Matters Screening & Expert Panel

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44d123xk58uz72seto8u6eapebguljnvThe Culpeper House, in association with Antioch University Midwest, present a free, public screening of the thought provoking documentary film, Food Matters, to be followed by an expert panel discussion featuring some of the Miami Valley’s most important voices in holistic healthcare, nutrition, and organic farming. The event will take place in PNC Bank Auditorium at Antioch University Midwest in Yellow Springs. The screening will begin at 6:00pm with the panel discussion to follow. Coffee and tea will be available in the AUM lobby beginning at 5:30pm.

Please direct questions to The Culpeper House at admin @ culpeperhouse.com or 937 536. 9369. RSVP is encouraged, at http://foodmattersscreening.eventbrite.com/

About the Film, by Food Matters:

‘Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food’ – Hippocrates. That is the message from the founding father of modern medicine echoed in the controversial new documentary film Food Matters from Producer-Directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch.

With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what’s wrong with our malnourished bodies, it’s no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide ‘sickness industry’ and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally.

‘With access to better information people invariably
make better choices for their health…’

In what promises to be the most contentious idea put forward, the filmmakers have interviewed several leading experts in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of foods, supplements and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.

The focus of the film is in helping us rethink the belief systems fed to us by our modern medical and health care establishments. The interviewees point out that not every problem requires costly, major medical attention and reveal many alternative therapies that can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than conventional medical treatments.

The ‘Food Matters’ duo have independently funded the film from start to finish in order to remain as unbiased as possible, delivering a clear and concise message to the world. Food Matters.

Trailer available at http://www.foodmatters.tv

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: Mary Poppins (Victoria Theatre Association) – Mixed Magic

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Mary PoppinsEleven years ago I interviewed Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the legendary, influential British musical theater producer of “Cats,” “Les Miserables” and “The Phantom of the Opera,” during his visit to Dayton to oversee the launch of his reconceived production of “Miss Saigon” at the Victoria Theatre. At the end of our conversation, he shared his excitement about a new collaborative project with Disney he hoped would become a reality, a musical version of 1964’s beloved film “Mary Poppins” that would adhere not only to the film but the original books by P.L. Travers. In 2004, his dream came true when “Mary Poppins” opened in London, winning two Olivier Awards in the process. The show subsequently moved to Broadway in 2006, receiving seven Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and playing more than 2,600 performances before closing last month.

It’s great that Dayton audiences can finally see and judge Mackintosh’s approach as the latest, extravagant national tour of “Mary Poppins,” the timeless Victorian London tale of the enchanting titular nanny, flies into town for its local premiere at the Schuster Center courtesy of the Victoria Theatre Association’s Premier Health Broadway Series. However, if you’re expecting a consistently feel-good, scene-by-scene replica of the film you’ll be disappointed. Most of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman’s incredibly delightful songs are intact, but this darker, moody interpretation, assuredly directed by Anthony Lyn incorporating new, impressively Sherman-esque songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, predominately spotlights the emotionally cold rigidity within the Banks household, consisting of the properly uptight Chris Hoch as uncaring banker George, the lovely Kerry Conte as George’s longsuffering wife Winifred, and the chirpy if nearly unintelligible Madison Ann Mullahey and Lucas Schultz who performed the roles of bratty Jane and Michael on opening night.

Focusing on the Banks’ discord is appropriate, but Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning librettist Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park,” “Downton Abbey”) has difficulty juxtaposing cheerless domesticity and themes of capitalism and feminism with the abundantly cheery charm derived from magical Mary (a pertly sophisticated, humorously meticulous Madeline Trumble, vocally upstaged by Conte). Nearly every scene in the Banks residence that doesn’t involve Mary lacks elation. The family ultimately grows closer and more broad-minded with wonderful poignancy, particularly as Jane and Michael learn a valuable lesson in benevolence, but their journey isn’t without tediousness, a problem extending to George’s static scenes at the bank lacking vim and verve.

Still, the production’s finest elements, capturing the film’s joyful allure, are the splendid ensemble numbers choreographed by Geoffrey Garratt (skillfully adapting Matthew Bourne’s marvelous original routines) and featuring outstanding triple threat Con O’Shea Creal as amiable chimney sweep Bert. The visually stunning “Jolly Holiday” (transforming a drab London park into a colorful wonderland), the heartwarming, gestural jubilance of “Supercalifragilsticexpialidocious,” and the remarkably rousing “Step in Time” (which finds Creal dancing on the proscenium in awe-inducing fashion) are totally worth the price of admission. There’s also ample whimsy in “Practically Perfect,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and “Anything Can Happen.” Equally noteworthy are the gorgeous “Feed the Birds” and enjoyably sinister “Brimstone and Treacle,” performed by excellent understudy Elizabeth Ann Berg seamlessly pulling double duty as the endearing Bird Woman and nasty nanny Miss Andrew. “Playing the Game,” a bedtime nightmare bringing Jane and Michael’s toys to life, is an unnecessary addition contributing to an overlong Act 1.

Considering the elaborate scope of this tour, I’m surprised it doesn’t match the razzle dazzle of the Broadway production, which memorably flew Mary into the audience as a knockout conclusion. Even so, Bob Crowley’s superb Tony Award-winning storybook sets in addition to Crowley’s attractive costumes, Natasha Katz’s striking lighting design, Paul Groothuis’ first-rate sound design, and musical director Daniel Bowling’s fine orchestra are considerable pleasures.

In spite of its flaws, “Mary Poppins” remains an entertaining, family-friendly spectacle. Mackintosh wouldn’t have envisioned it any other way.

“Mary Poppins” continues through April 21 at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton. Performances continue tonight at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Act One: 75 minutes; Act Two: 65 minutes. Tickets are $52-$111. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: The Retreat from Moscow (Dayton Playhouse) – The Thrill is Gone

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Retreat from Moscow Cast

(l to r): Matthew Lindsay, Chuck Larkowski and Jennifer Lockwood rehearsing The Retreat from Moscow

The Dayton Playhouse marks a refreshing return to serious drama with a beautifully commendable presentation of William Nicholson’s quietly compelling British marital study “The Retreat from Moscow.”

Nominated for three 2004 Tony Awards including Best Play, “Retreat”  depicts the heartbreaking disintegration of the 33-year marriage between Edward, a history professor obsessed with Napoleon’s 1812 retreat from Moscow, and Alice, a poetry aficionado unable to cope with reality. Jamie, Edward and Alice’s only child, is predictably caught in the emotional crossfire to assess his parents’ differing viewpoints without taking sides. Nicholson (“Shadowlands”) uses the titular history lesson as a striking metaphor for survival, particularly as Edward chooses to seek love in the arms of another woman while Alice tries her best to simply move on.

Chuck Larkowski is perfectly cast and touching as the meek, wounded Edward who never really felt comfortable with or respected by Alice. There’s no second guessing as to whether or not Edward has reached the point of no return because Larkowski never wavers in the character’s determination or desires. You may not agree with Edward’s infidelity, but there’s no denying the visceral impact stemming from understanding his point of view, which is brilliantly expressed from start to finish. At the same rate, Jennifer Lockwood doesn’t miss a beat as the fiery, bewildered Alice, who feels her marriage is “struggling to be born” after three decades when faced with its demise. Lockwood could have played her juicy, antagonistic role as a relentlessly emotional train wreck, but wisely avoids the sentimental trap. On the contrary, she fills her Alice’s distressing nature with enough underlying resilience to convey the notion that she will not be entirely defeated even as she faces living alone. Lockwood is particularly strong when addressing Alice’s shock of hearing Edward disregard the many years of marriage she helped build. Matthew Lindsay is an amiable Jamie, but could have treated the character’s prized, beloved status in the sight of his parents with more emotive velocity instead of understated indifference.

Director Dodie Lockwood, providing a seamlessly fluid experience with a slightly haunting allure and a few genuine moments of levity, never allows her cast to leave the stage. Her wonderfully astute decision effectively magnetizes the family dynamics at hand with inescapably palpable potency.

“The Retreat from Moscow” continues through April 21 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 65 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15for seniors and students. Call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.org.

HBA Spring Parade of Homes

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201304161117-2013 SPOH Logo with DatesApril is National New Homes Month and you can be a part of this experience by visiting the Home Builders Association of Dayton’s annual Spring Parade of Homes taking place the next two weekends, April 20 & 21 and 27 & 28.

This year’s Parade of Homes, which is absolutely FREE to the public, features a variety of new and recently remodeled homes.  Featured homes are scattered throughout many wonderful locations in the Dayton region.

The Parade information is included in the April 14 Real Estate Plus section of the Dayton Daily News, along with a Parade home locator map that you can use to plan your tour.   This year there are 21 homes in the Parade — nearly twice as many as last fall’s event.  “We had 13 in the fall,” said Walt Hibner, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Dayton, which coordinates the event. “(This time) we would have had 23 but two of them sold, which is good news. “And out of these 21 homes, 10 have not been in the show before.”  Homes

Local Food Movement To Benefit From Community Kitchen

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First logo of Miami Valley Grown

First logo of Miami Valley Grown

There has been a local food movement in Dayton for years.  In June 2007, Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley asked OSU Extension to lead an initiative to help connect local food growers and producers with local buyers. I was brought into this group as a part of my work with the local restaurant association.  Meeting at the 2nd Street Market, our group eventually grew to about 25 or so members, including local farmers, bee keepers,  educators, city and county workers, teachers and students who all were united in the belief that educating our community as to the benefits of buying locally produced foods and goods,  would breed success for area growers, consumers, the economy and the environment. 

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Evolved MVG logo

The group eventually became Miami Valley Grown, with a mission to to connect local growers with local buyers.  We held seminars and workshops and a mass-media campaign to expand awareness of the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, local foods, urban gardening and related topics.  We even hosted a local food week, where restaurants featured meals highlighting ingredients from Miami Valley producers. As we worked with the local farmers, community groups and  budding food businesses, we kept coming across a need for a facility that would allow farmers to reap profits from value-added food processing  and consumers to have a facility to learn how to stretch the use of local products through the season by learning canning techniques.

Community_Kitchen2Community kitchens offer specialty food processors, farmers, and caterers a relatively inexpensive place to license food processing activities. Kitchen clients are charged only for the time that they use the facility. They benefit from the technical knowledge of others using the kitchen, particularly those with extensive food processing, marketing, and business experience.  These kitchens can also support the local economy. “Community kitchens have been built to boost local job creation, diversify the local economy, and transfer ideas and technology from universities or companies,” says researcher Kaelyn Stiles, who works with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems in Wisconsin.

Our group took field trips to the Center for Innovative Food in Toledo and the ACEnet facility in Athens, successful models for developing local food systems and business incubation—both with shared use kitchens and impressive track records.

We knew that a community kitchen could thrive in the Dayton region, but a facility of our own continued to elude us. We explored local sites and were even generously offered a restaurant space from an Ohio chain, but could never figure out the financial blueprint to support and sustain such an endeavor. While our volunteer group was passionate, we lacked the bandwidth, the leadership and the experience to take the idea further. We became inactive, yet the movement never really died.

After all this time, I still get a call or email every month asking if I know of a kitchen for rent, be it local 229244_19449814853_8923_nentrepreneurs, girl scout groups or caterers. And now I have some great news to tell them. Tonia and Joe Fish have established Synergy Incubators, a non-profit food business incubator with a shared food processing facility supported by programs to encourage the successful growth of food businesses. It will include an urban educational farm component for area schools and Dayton residents of all ages.

I couldn’t be more thrilled. Meanwhile Tonia and Joe are being swept up in a wave of grass roots support that, as always, makes me proud to be a part of this community. The momentum behind Synergy Kitchen feels like a high speed train, according to Tonia, with all the pieces falling quickly into place. It will soon be ready to help launch successful food businesses, educate the populace and make our region a destination for innovative and ethnic food and dining experiences.

734820_134039736765308_220365209_nThose of us who’ve been long-time studious advocates for a healthier Miami Valley know that Synergy Incubators will have a positive economic impact as well as a personal one. Producers will have higher incomes as demand rises. More producers will shift production or join the marketplace. Transportation costs will be lowered. Consumers will gain knowledge of healthy eating which can help lower disease and obesity rates. It looks like we’re set to become a healthier, happier community.

To keep up with the progress of Synergy Incubators, please like their Facebook Page.

 

TRANCE & PLACE BEYOND THE PINES + Special Events at THE NEON!

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MELTING2Hello Everyone,

I just got back from The Cleveland International Film Festival, and I had a magnificent time. Over the course of 5 days, I saw 15 films and met a couple filmmakers I greatly admire. Several of you have asked how one goes about visiting the Toronto Film Fest. Though I wouldn’t dissuade you from attending that fest, I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to attend this great festival which is just a few hours away. This year, there were 180 features and 165 shorts to chose from, and this incredible fest just keeps growing. Keep your eye on it next spring!

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES had a terrific weekend at THE NEON, but TRANCE fell short of our expectations. That said, we’ll hold both films…but TRANCE will more than likely only play for one more week.  For this week’s remaining showtimes, visit our official site: www.neonmovies.com.

Check out this featurette from PLACE BEYOND THE PINES:

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And check out this featurette from TRANCE:

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The 13th Dayton Jewish International Film Festival is here, and you can visit our lobby to pick up a brochure for this year’s festival . To visit the website and purchase advanced tickets, click this LINK. 8 films from this festival will screen at THE NEON, and the line-up looks terrific! Here are the dates and times:
Thu, Apr 18 at 7:30 – THE OTHER SON (preceded by Opening Reception at 7pm)
Sun, Apr 21 at 3:00 – MY BEST ENEMY
Tue, Apr 23 at 7:15 – MELTING AWAY
Thu, Apr 25 at 7:15 – NICKY’S FAMILY
Tue, Apr 30 at 7:15 – NAOMI
Thu, May 2 at 7:15 – LEA & DARIA
Tue, May 7 at 10am – TORN
Thu, May 9 at 7:15 – A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA

“In celebration of National Record Store Day, GHETTOBLASTER MAGAZINE in partnership with DAYTON MUSIC FEST have organized a free screening of Brendan Toller’s I NEED THAT RECORD! THE DEATH (OR POSSIBLE SURVIVAL) OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE on Saturday, April 20 at 10:15 pm. “Greedy record labels, media consolidation, homogenized radio, big box stores, Ecommerce and the digital revolution all pose threats on the very well being of our favorite record stores and the music industry at large. Will these stores die? Will they survive? Featuring interviews with THURSTON MOORE of Sonic Youth, Ian MacKaye of Fugazi/Minor Threat, activist/author NOAM CHOMSKY, MIKE WATT of the Minutemen, PAT CARNEY of the Black Keys and many indie record stores across the U.S. of A!” Bring your receipts from earlier that day from the many local businesses participating with special Record Store Day discounts and get entered to win one of two DAYTON INDIE BUSINESSES SHOPPING SPREES! This screening is FREE…first come, first serve. Sponsored by BLIND BOB’S, OMEGA MUSIC, THAI9, AND 5TH STREET WINE & DELI.” (taken from press notes)

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OePVFP7NJrQ’]

“The India Foundation celebrates One Hundred Years of Indian Cinema: 1913 – 2013 with a Tribute to Dada Saheb Phalke – Father of the Indian Cinema. The first Indian silent film produced, written and directed by Mr. Phalke was released in Bombay on May 3, 1913. A screening of selected clips entitled Silent Movies – Early Years will be presented on Saturday, May 4th at Noon (the collection includes digitized clips from Phalke’s RAJA HARISHCHANDRA and KALIYA MARDAN (1919) and clips from the only surviving Bengali silent film JAMAI BABU (Son-in-Law) by Kalipada Das). A reception preceding the screening will begin at 11:30a.m. Admission is only $5. The National Film Archives of India has graciously made the present collection possible.” (taken from press notes)

We’ve got a gathr screening on the horizon. This time, it’s for a film called GIRL RISING. For more about this film, click this LINK. This is the site where you can watch the trailer, read about the film and reserve your ticket. The screening will only take place if 50 people reserve a ticket by May 26 (the screening is tentatively scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:30). Watch the trailer…this film looks terrific!

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll tell let you know about film #4 in Start Freedom Dayton’s film series – scheduled for May 30.

Check out our COMING SOON list below. THE SAPPHIRES had to be pushed back (we’re hoping you’ll help make that film a Dayton success when it opens), and I’m sure many of you will be happy to see that RENOIR will open in late May!

All the best,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri. April 19 – Thur, April 25:

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (R) 2 Hr 20 Min
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 1:45, 4:40, 7:45
Thursday: 1:45, 4:30

TRANCE (R) 1 Hr 41 Min
Friday: 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Saturday: 12:50, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Sunday: 12:50, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Monday: 3:00, 5:10, 7:20
Tuesday: 3:00, 5:10
Wednesday & Thursday: 3:00, 5:10, 7:20

I NEED THAT RECORD! (NR) 1 Hr 17 Min
Saturday: 10:15

DAYTON JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST
Sunday at 3:00 – MY BEST ENEMY
Tuesday at 7:15 – MELTING AWAY
Thursday at 7:15 – NICKY’S FAMILY

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.

In some rare cases, titles may disappear.

April 26 – THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
April 26 – MUD
May 10 – THE SAPPHIRES
May ? – STARBUCK
May ? – TO THE WONDER
May 24 – AT ANY PRICE
May 31 – RENOIR
June 7 – LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED
TBD – GINGER AND ROSA
TBD – KON TIKI
TBD – FROM UP ON POPPY HILL
TBD – FRANCES HA
TBD – IN THE HOUSE
TBD – NO

Oblivion + Star Trek at Rave Cinemas Dayton South

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Hello Dayton!   There are plenty of options for everyone to have the perfect movie weekend this week.  Lots of things happening at your local Rave Cinemas!  And don’t forget at Dayton South/Huber, TUESDAYS are $5 all day (*3D $8), The Greene is WEDNESDAYS!  You simply cannot beat this great deal with the superior picture and sound quality versus Netflix!

Opening This Week

OBLIVION – OPENS 04/18/13 @ 10pm!

Tom Cruise stars in “Oblivion,” an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of “TRON: Legacy” and the  producer of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” On a spectacular future Earth that  has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead  him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on  Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of  war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly  complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands  of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a  beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of  events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of  humanity in his hands.

“Oblivion” was shot in stunning digital 4K  resolution on location across the United States and Iceland.

 

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Coming Next Week

 

STAR TREK – 04/25/13 @ 7pm!

The Best of Both Worlds – the two-part storyline comprising the third season finale and the fourth season premiere of the beloved series Star Trek: The Next Generation®- will, for the first time ever, be seamlessly tied together as one continuous and uninterrupted story digitally restored with new CGI effects… on the big screen! Audiences will also see special clips from “Regeneration: Engaging the Borg”, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Best of Both Worlds.  This not to be missed movie theater event will feature one of the most memorable moments in TV history and exclusive clips about the making of The Best of Both Worlds and Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3.  The Next Generation became the longest running series of the Star Trek franchise, consisting of 178 episodes over 7 seasons.

Resistance is futile so buy your tickets today!

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57TTj6Fg_Vw’]

 

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RAVE CINEMA CLASSICS – $3 + FREE popcorn & drink! @ Dayton South

04/22/13 @ 1pm brings us…

MAN FISH, 1956, 87min

Three deep sea divers get involved in murder while searching for a lost treasure.   John Bromfield, Lon Chaney Jr., Victor Jory

 

For showtimes…CLICK HERE!

Explore The Science Behind Some Of Your Favorite Spirited Concoctions!

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chemistryPut a spark in your Saturday and spend the evening with young professionals as you explore the science behind some of your favorite spirited concoctions. Celebrate science in style as you sip signature drinks while masterful “mixologists” explore the physics, chemistry, and temperature that transforms your standard bar beverage into a classy cocktail with a scientific twist.

With a flair for fun and a passion for exploration, the Boonshoft Museum invites you to experience out-of-this-world digital technology in the Boonshoft Museum’s Science Theater, witness experiments that ignite in the DO-Lab, and meet the sometimes weird, always wild animals of the Discovery Zoo, all while mixing it up with your friends and fellow creatives.

$20 is the admission and that includes food and your first beer/wine. The menu will be provided by some of our favorite Dayton restaurants, including: Beef O’Brady’s, Lucky’s, Pizza Factory, and Dayton Racquet Club.
Featured Spirit: Bluecoat Gin

Other fine spirits:
Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka
888 Scotch
Concannon Irish Whiskey
James E Pepper Rye
Dos Lunas Tequila
Black Roberts Spiced Rum

Menu:

Lucky’s:
Tequila Chili

Dayton’s Original Pizza Factory:
Assorted Specialty Pizzas

Beef O’Brady’s:
Assorted Sandwich Wraps, Chips & Salsa

Dayton Racquet Club:
Gougeres hors d’ ouevres (cream puff filled with mascarpone)
In addition, the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s Associate Board will provide a Dessert Extravaganza, so be sure to bring your sweet tooth!

Record Store Day 2013: A Guide To Celebrate The Music Holiday

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Omega Music RSDRemember your first experience visiting a local record store shop.  Remember that day.  The mystifying styles of music blasting through the speakers placed all around the building. The abundant rows of compact discs alphabetically placed by band name and genre. The sections of vinyl records that contain music from all generations.  The smells of hundreds of incents in clear glass jars waiting to be fired up.  Remember the individuals that were always in the shops.  You had the clusters of people standing around flipping thru the vinyl records, with a focused look on their faces. They have been given a special assignment-find the albums that will be just perfect.  You see another group of people standing around, conversing about music.  The windows of the structure are splashed with flyers of upcoming shows around town and promotional posters of an upcoming album.

Good memories, huh?!  Now remember how comfortable you were hanging at a record store.  You met people that have equivalent thoughts about music as you.  You came across individuals that vowed to change your views on artists that were on the fence in your mind.  You had spirited debates with the patrons, knowing that you were going to be enlightened with someone’s thoughts and beliefs.  You didn’t demean them.  You just enjoyed having the discussion.  You meet people that recreate experiences of attending a show that they recently attended.  You listen how that show was either good or bad, who they went with, etc.  The storyteller talks about the moments throughout the show that made them have moments of emotion-either good or bad.  You become comfortable being around these people.  You become friends.  Better than that-you become family.

On April 20th people will migrant to their local shops to celebrate what is consider to many to be Christmas-Record Store Day.  Record Store Day started in 2007, and it has become a day to celebrate independently owned record stores and music.  Bands and artists will perform during the course of the day, while special vinyls, CDs, and various promotional products are sold exclusively for this day.  Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April every year.  We here in Dayton and the people in Yellow Springs are lucky enough to have magnificent events going on throughout the day and evening that will give each and every music lover no reason but to fasten themselves in for a day of fun and enjoyment with others.

Record Store DayOmega Music is located in the Oregon District off 5th Street in Dayton, and the company has become a staple of the Record Store Day festivities.  Starting at 9am, consumers can come to the establishment and sink their teeth into great deals and exclusives.  If you bring a canned food item, all used merchandise will be 15% off.  Harvest Mobile Cuisine, one of the up and coming food trucks that provides specialty comfort foods prepared with locally grown products, will be in front of the store all day.  Starting at noon, there will be some tremendous local music played live.  Good English, Giant Steps, Goodbye, King Elk, Wheels, The New Old Fashioned, The Story Changes, The Seedy Seeds, My Latex Brain will perform, with a special performance from Buffalo Killers starting at 4:20.

Record Gallery is just steps away from Omega Music, located at 16 Brown Street across from Thai 9.  This establishment gives the patrons that visit them an intimate atmosphere, with vinyl littered all over.  There isn’t a space in the store that you won’t walk into that doesn’t have a large collection of vinyl.  For the die hards, Record Gallery is a place to check out for your music needs.  On Saturday, the shop will be participating in the glorious day with great specials.  $1.00 records and 45s will be 50% off, along with all 2011 record stock being 50% off.  The Record Gallery also has books CDs, DVDs, and most will be reduced to 20% off.

Music lovers that want to take a break from the live music and want to grab a beer don’t have to go far.  Blind Bob’s Bar, along with Ghettoblaster Magazine editor & co-publisher, David C. Obenour will be hosting music trivia, starting at 4.  Blind Bob’s is one of the perfect establishments to come at the Oregon District.  The vintage wooden floors, along with the exposed brick walls give the tavern some of the great American characteristics that the area some of the charm that you come to expect.  The owners, Bob and Lisa Mendenhall, have given the townspeople a gem to come to when they want to see fantastic live music, and have great beer on a nightly basis.  Each round of the music trivia will give the winner prizes, plus a grand prize of the Golden 7” and two tickets to this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival, which the lineup includes Wilco, and Cat Power.  The festival always brings great indie rock, and this year shouldn’t be any different.

I Need That RecordTo close up the day, just walk right over to one of the best movie theaters in the United States, The Neon.  The Neon is located right on East Fifth Street.  The theatre showcases of the great independently produced movies, locally and nationally.  Starting at 10:15, The Neon will be playing the music documentary I Need That Record!  The documentary, directed by Brendan Toller, examines the reasoning of 3000 independent record stores closing across the U.S. in the past decade.  I Need That Record! dives into record labels, media consolidation, radio, and the digital age blowing up causing these shops to close.  The movie also shows the way that these places are making a comeback.  Toller explores how the impact of record stores through the eyes of the employees and the consumers.  The stories of the employees watching their dream job coming to an end is gut wrenching.  However, there is some positivity that comes from the sadness.  It’s an excellent documentary that should be viewed by people that love record stores.  The viewing of the movie is free, and is first come, first serve.  Don’t miss this showing as it will be a great way to cap the day.

For the folks that will not be able to make it into the festivities in the Oregon District, make sure you visit the small, unique town of Yellow Springs.  The town has some of the best shops that you go and check out.  Go and grab a slice of pie over at Haha Pizza or Bentinos Pizza.  Also, go grab some music over at Toxic BeautyRecords, located on 220 Xenia Ave.  The good folks at this record shop will be in the mix celebrating the day by giving discounts on their music.  Also, they will be having two ticket contests, where the winners will a pair of seats to go see either Alabama Shakes at one show, Grizzley Bear and The xx at another show.

Record Store Day is a day to embrace those deep connections that we have with the local shop.  If you haven’t been to a record store as of late, April 20th is the day to do it.  Rekindle those fond memories of the days when you went to grab the latest music to come out.  Revisit friendships that you created when you spend hours and hours at the shop, just standing around and talking about music.  Also while you are at the record shop, buy some local music.  Support the local scene.  Overall, come and celebrate music in all its beauty, and come support the places that continue to give Dayton the title as one of the best that everyone calls ‘home’.

Cityfolk Musicians to Perform at ArtStreet’s 1World Celebration

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1WorldCelebrationCelebrate the intercultural experience of 1World Celebration, the University of Dayton ArtStreet’s spring festival coming up this Friday, April 19, from 7-11pm. Complete with food, fashion, and music from around the world, the celebration will kick off with a unifying intercultural walk through the University of Dayton’s student neighborhood and end with a stunning release of Thai paper lanterns into the Dayton sky.
The festival will feature collaborative musical performances, produced in partnership with Cityfolk, combining the sounds of Michael Bashaw and Puzzle of Light (jazz/world music), Son del Caribe (salsa), Seefari (reggae), and Michael Kotur (blues).

Michael Bashaw is the charismatic front man for Puzzle of Light, a Dayton local band comprised of musicians as varied as they are talented. With musical backgrounds ranging from rock to folk, this band strives to produce an easy to listen to sound that spans cultures and emanates peace and harmony. Acclaimed across the Midwest and the winner of a People’s Choice Award for best local jazz band, Puzzle of Light’s music has been described as “…a melting pot which mixes jazz, world, and folk music in a perpetual movement of invention and transformation.”-Gerard Nicollet for Ecouter Voir Dossier

Son del Caribe is a lively Cincinnati Latin music ensemble that is sure to keep you moving. Cited by many as the top salsa band in Ohio, their pan-Caribbean and pan-American sound includes not only salsa music but other forms of Latin dance music as well. Group leader Jaime Morales is an assistant professor of music at Miami University, a classical music composer, and a top salsa musician from Puerto Rico. Son del Caribe not only performs regularly at Latin dance clubs, but has also performed in Cincinnati’s Salsa Festival and Salsa on the Square.

Seefari is a nationally renown reggae performer from Dayton hailed as “Miami Valley’s own Bob Marley” by WYSO. This passionate veteran of the stage leads a Bob Marley tribute band whose most recent album has won three AMMA awards and reached the top of the charts for reggae music. With a reputation of being a crowd pleasing performer, Seefari puts on unique performances which have been described by audience members as energetic and fun for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Dayton musician Michael Kotur adds to the mix with his experimental style blues music, a sound that draws from jazz, country, and world music. With over twenty years of experience in performing, the talented Michael Kotur has developed a distinct, sometimes called “unusual,” style of guitar playing. His diverse style is sure to capture the attention of any audience member.

The 1World Celebration will be held on Friday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. at the ArtStreet Amphitheatre located on the University of Dayton’s campus. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information about ArtStreet events at the University of Dayton, visit http://www.udayton.edu/artstreet .

Submitted by Lauren Glass, a senior at the University of Dayton who is studying journalism. Currently working as a social media assistant for ArtStreet, she enjoys music, writing, and photography.

The Big Ragu Recaps 16 Catholic Fish Frys!

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The Big Ragu never does anything half baked (or fried in this instance).  We take Food Adventures to the extreme and set the trends.   Again, we bring you something original that you won’t see anywhere else, a recap of every fish fry we could find in the Miami Valley.   Now, the Lenten season is over, and they last fryer has been turned off.  You know the drill, all-you-can-eat fish dinners, beer, condiment tables, silent auctions, raffle tickets and casino games.  So which ones rocked our gills off?  Answer: They all have their appeal, and special draw, but four of them really stood out.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the “Sweet Sixteen,” our recap of the Dayton’s 2013 Catholic Fish Frys:

Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Favorite Fish Fry

Food Adventures jumps at any chance to support Dayton causes, and with Big Ragu being Catholic, we bought tickets to every fish fry in town.  We will list our favorites aka the “FANTASTIC FOUR FISH FRYS”, then list the others in random order and what makes each fish fry special.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR FISH FRYS:

1) OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY–22 Notre Dame Ave.

This one was the grand daddy of them all and our favorite fish fry.  For the past 52 years they have held fish frys, making this probably the oldest one in Dayton, This church holds fish frys from Sept – February before the Lenten season.  The staff is wonderful and our friend Amy even took us on a tour of the church.  A friendly cook named Joseph makes all of the delicous, homemade desserts himself.  We know because we tried them all.  This church has a heavy influence of Polish, Lithuainian, Hungarian, and German parishioners.  These events have a loyal following of regulars like our pal Ron who drove all the way from Wilmington, Ohio to attend.  The Monte Carlo was fun and food was great.  We especially like the fact that the draft beer is unlimited in the 12 dollar price, along with fresh sausages, Icelandic cod.  In our book, this fish fry is Dayton’s best.

Holy Trinity, Great Hospitality and Delicious Food

 

2) HOLY TRINITY CHURCH – 272 Bainbridge St.

This was a fish fry where everyone seemed to know each other.  The crowd was small, but friendly and tight knit.  The food was absolutely amazing.  The cod was cooked to perfection and hand cut on site.  One of the attractions is they use the Old Focke’s Meats recipe for Waldorf sausages.  We enjoyed the old church located near the Oregon District, downtown.  One unique part of this event is that this church offered an alcohol free family fish fry from 4pm-5:30pm for kids, then had the adult party after.  Three beer tickets are given with paid admission.  The atmosphere, great food and hospitality makes this one of the best fish frys in the Miami Valley.

 

Vic Woeste, 87 year old icon of St Mary’s Church

3) ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH: 310 Allen St.
Here we find the best story told at a fish fry.  We sat near 87 year old Vic Woeste, an icon of the St Mary’s community who has been dealing casino games at the fish frys for the past 36 years.  His entire family is involved in the church down to 3 generations.  He told us he remembered a fish fry in 1960 where funds were used to buy the nuns a Ford Fairlane car who lived in the convent across the street.  Oh the memories!  Vic is looking forward to his 70th class reunion at Chaminade this year.  He said it will be held in a telephone booth, since not many classmates are left.  Vic also said he was baptized and married at St Mary’s.  He recalls Father Ken Henz telling parishoners decades ago that he hatches, matches and dispatches loyal parishoners.  Vic was a great man to talk to, indeed.  This church group is so charitable that even the volunteers buy tickets as they enter.   to help raise money for the boiler fund, beers were sold for 25cents and an extra 1 dollar donation got you a dessert.  Again this event saw over 3 generations working the fish fry and over 300lbs of fish cooked and eaten.

 

4) CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH – 527 Forest Ave.

The Corpus Christi Fryers Charitable Organization

This event was another fantastic fish fry for $15.  It included all you want food and draft beer, we like those rules.   The crowd was very friendly and it was obvious that many in attendance were close friends.  This fish fry offered a healthy alternative of baked fish, along with the fried fish choices.  The bustling atmosphere included 3 different dining areas.  This particular fish fry has been going on for 25 years.  The event is partially run by the “Corpus Christi Fryers.”  They are a charitable group that donates time, manpower and money into running this event to help the church’s cause.  The fish fry workers could not have been nicer, and the food was terrific.  It was great to see a diverse group from all walks of life coming together for a good cause.

St Peter’s offered Onion Rings and Hot Dogs on their Saturday night Fish Fry

Here are the rest in random order, and what we loved about each Fish Fry!
ST PETER’S CHURCH – 6161 Chambersburg Rd

This event was $15 at door, and was packed.  The line wrapped around the gym, but the wait was worth it.  The food was delicious and the offerings were not only beer battered codfish, but onion rings, chicken wings, and huge hot dogs.  What was even more amazing, is that one or two women seemed to be stocking the whole table for the hundreds of hungry people.  The casino area featured unique games such as horse races.  We also loved the fact that they offered Yuengling Black and Tan Beer.  This was a fun and well attended event.  Tip: come early and avoid the huge crowds.

 

The decor at St Charles’ Fish Fry was Beautiful

ST CHARLES BORROMEO – One of the area fish fry’s run by the Hecht family volunteers.  The fish was hot and fresh.  highlights included the fantastic Saint Patty’s day decor theme.  Some people really put some hard work into those decorations.  Along with the tasty fish, a few beer tickets were included in the $15 price.  Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy beer was available on tap.   This fish fry also offered a “pre-event” that was family friendly and where kids were allowed to attend until 6pm.   The eating area was offered in the school cafeteria while the casino games were in the gym.

 


Cold Beer at the Carrol Fish Fry

CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL – Located at 4524 Linden Ave

This event was $16 to attend and included 5 beer tickets.  The unique thing about this fish fry was the sheer choices of fish.  They offered 3 kinds of fish.  Choices were regular fried, Cajun fried, or baked fish.  There were no fries in sight at this fish fry.  Instead menu items included baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad.  There was a huge choice of desserts at this event.  A couple of long tables were filled with homemade pies, cakes, brownies and more.   This event was steady and the environment was immaculately clean.

 

ST LUKE’S CHURCH – 1440 N. Fairfield Rd.

This fish fry was entirely kid friendly.  The cost was 9 dollars for adults and $3.50 for children.  No alcohol was served.   The event was run by the Knights of Columbus a charity organization that benefits local families.  The fish that was fried was cod from local distributor Foremost Seafood.  There was also no gambling at this event.  It was obvious that this fish fry was more about the family experience. They actually hold two fish frys, one in February and on in March.  It should also be mentioned that the Ladies Auxillary made all of the desserts which were fantastic!

 

CHAMINADE JULIENNE HIGH SCHOOL – 505 S. Ludlow St.

Holy Angels Fish Fry Volunteers

This fish fry held at the High School, had a pretty good attendance.  The fish was great and there were huge sheet cakes and brownies as well.  We even saw one of the cooks bring out some nice cupcake pastries.  Although a fairly new fish fry, this one is run with efficiency.

 

HOLY ANGELS CHURCH – 1322 Brown Street
This fish fry is in its 12th year.  The volunteers Matt, Ruth, Denise, Leila were very friendly and greeted the crowds with a smile.  Prices were 15 bucks at door and included soft drinks and all the beer you wanted as well.  Get there early for this event, because parking is limited and you may get stuck parking across the other side of State route 48.  Delicious haddock was the fried fish served to the hungry visitors.   We really loved the fact that the beer was unlimited, and we didn’t have to fool around with drink tickets.

 

ST ALBERT THE GREAT – 104 W. Dorothy Lane


Three Generations of the Hecht/Sierschula Family helping work the St Albert Fish Fry !

This event was $15 advance or $20 at door.  They served some tasty, fried Icelandic cod.  Like other fish frys, they had a carryout option for 9 bucks.  This event had a ton of volunteers, mostly we saw in kitchen.  We saw the raw fish being thawed, cut, dredged then deep fried by the Hecht Family, who runs a few of the area fish frys.  In fact we saw that there were at least 3 generations of the family at the event.  this event, casino earnings and raffle money all benefited the athletics.  It helps to buy uniforms and keep students cost to participate as low as possible.  We were told that for 40 years this event has been held and many run by the Hecht family.  Attendance price included 5 beer tickets.

 

ST ANTHONY’S CHURCH– 830 Bowen St.

The church was celebrating it’s 100th year anniversary in 2013.  The fish fry has not been around more than a decade or 2, but the place was packed.  The entrance showed off a silent auction area and the casino games.  Lines formed to get the fish and the cafeteria served as the eating place.  The fish was so fresh and hot, that you had to let your plate cool.  the staff was working hard and feeding the hungry event attendees.  It was obvious that the workers took pride in this event and made it a fun and friendly atmosphere.

 

ST HENRY’S CHURCH– 6696 N. Springboro Pike

Event was held in the “Father Stretch Center.”  The cost at the door was 15 bucks.  The head priest Father Tom was greeting the attendees in the dining area.  The fish served was large pieces of fried Haddock.   The volunteers were friendly and the fish was light and flaky.  Some of the better fried fish around was served here.  The event also featured a large silent auction area.

 

INCARNATION PARRISH– 55 Williamsburg Ln.

Mounds of Fish Ready for Breading at the Alter Fish Fry

This event gets packed.  The crowds are big, so get there early.   Like many fish frys they offer a carryout option, but with no discount.  There was a large silent auction area, and many signs hung in the gymnasium featuring sponsors of the fish fry.  Admission was 15 dollars and the fish served was fried Icelandic cod.  Again, we saw some familiar faces of the Hecht family preparing the food for the masses.   There is also a large choice of casino games at this well attended Parrish.

 

ALTER HIGH SCHOOL – 940 E. David Rd.

This fish fry draws the biggest crowds of all the area fish frys.  Sometimes the line can be an hour wait.  Our tip, get there early and plan on making an evening of it.  The casino games are crowded, but there are many to choose from.  There is even a high limit gambling area!  Admission is 15 bucks and comes with 3 beer tickets.  they have amped up the event recently by offering some craft beers for sale.  This event usually has a huge silent auction, and you may even see current NY Jets Center Nick Mangold among the attendees.  Again the Hecht family is responsible for the fish here, so you know you can expect big pieces of freshly cooked fish.

 

ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI -6245 Wilmington Pike

This was a very organized fish fry put on dozens of volunteers from the church.  We liked the fact that they had baked fish as a choice as well as the typical fried fish.  The dining area was crowded, so get to this one early.  This was simply a beautiful church with a fun atmosphere at the fish fry.

Baked and Fried Fish at the St Francis Fish Fry

 

NOW YOU KNOW !

Only here, can you see the most comprehensive fish fry summary of the Miami Valley known to man.  FOOD ADVENTURES has given you some pointers on what to expect in 2014 Dayton area fish frys because they ate it all! Make sure that you scroll through the photo album below featuring every single fish fry.  FYI,  unfortunately some of the church websites do not have the greatest information about the fish frys.  For that reason, make sure you stay tuned to DaytonMostMetro.com and Dayton Dining for all the dates and times of future fish frys.  The bottom line here is that each Lenten season, Daytonians should take advantage of the great events and support some local churches.  The fish frys are friendly and welcome all denominations of faith.  It is about fun times and good causes.  Now that the all-you-can eat fish frys have ended, it is time for us to “scale” back and swim on to the next Food Adventure !

DID YOU ATTEND SOME AREA FISH FRYS?  WHICH ONE WAS YOUR FAVORITE?  DID WE MISS ANY ? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW !

For more Food Adventures, “like” us on Facebook  by clicking HERE !

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REVIEW: The Walking Dead Invade Sharonville at HorrorHound 2013.

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The first HorrorHound convention of 2013 will be remembered for many things, most being the cast of The Walking Dead….. and the 15,000 plus wall to wall sea of visitors that literary jammed the Sharonville Convention Center waiting for hours including outside, sometimes literary all day to meet Norman Reedus (Daryl), one of the other Walking Dead members or one of the many other guests who came for the show. Though the average wait time was anywhere from 1-8 hours depending on what time of day you got in the inside line, and what your position was outside to start. Hundreds of die-hards showed up hours ahead of time, some with the sun, ignoring whatever mother-nature threw at them ensuring their early spot inside once doors opened. Such dedication might seem odd or slightly insane to the casual fan but as veteran convention goers know, if there’s a movie ‘con’ in town, they, EVERYONE will come.

Though the lines were long and the weather was less than perfect over the weekend especially Sunday, almost everyone that wanted to get in did. Convention main attraction Reedus, stayed late until 1am on Friday, stayed till late evening Saturday and till around 7 Sunday hours after the show closed making sure that everyone got some Daryl time signing memorabilia and taking fan pics. To accommodate the sheer volume of humanity show hours were extended into mid-evening. Though there were some admission organization issues Friday afternoon, they were resolved by Saturday and convention organizers and venue staff worked hard to make sure everyone that came had the HorrorHound experience.

Besides Daryl, other appearing members of the Walking Dead cast included Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies), Carl (Chandler Riggs), Merle (Michael Rooker), Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) and Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal). Other convention main attractions included John Carpenter, Tom Sizemore and Robert Patrick. A strong supporting cast of Diane Franklin, Tony Todd,  show vets Sid Haig and Bill Moseley, Subspecies director Ted Nicolaou cast members Anders Hove (radu), Denise Duff and Full Moon Director Charles Band, also the little Munster himself Butch Patrick, the car from Christine and the cast from Fear.com’s Holliston among other guests. Vendors included Toe Tag, Red Moth Records, Samhain Books, Fright Rags, and  Full Moon Entertainment among many others.  Several weekend Q n A panels including SubSpecies, House of 1000 Corpses, The Walking Dead, Christine and Holliston. The first time ever Weekend Night terrors included the Zombie Ball costume party masquerade Friday night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel along with the Horror Concert Saturday and Water Park after hour party and all night movie screenings to make sure you looked like The Walking Dead by dawn.

Saturday night’s concert sponsored by the makers of magnetic mayhem Skull 13 for all the devils, ghosts, demons and other society outcasts who’d naturally blend in the party headed across the street to the former HorrorHound home. The show also featured the talented movements of the buxom babes in beauty of Burlesque Le Moustache and the illusion, magic and wonder of slowly decaying Magician of the Living Dead Joe Lyon who tragically met his end during the performance fighting off one pissed off killer bunny rabbit.

The Big Bad

The Big Bad

The show started with The Big Bad spewing out only the best of grade A West Virginian horror punk. Guided by the eerie hypnotizing cat’s eyes of tattooed singer Mr. Von Nasty or Zackula to his friends, they immediately broke out the Bat Repellent in case any audience member chose to take flight during the show. Next was a tribute to one of the masters of horror Clive Barker and his novella Cabal which spawned the cult classic Nightbreed. Other scary tunes included twisted tales of Possession, Prom Night 1957, hello Mary Lou and a song about the holiest and most respected and embraced day for all horror fans, Halloween. Nasty’s taken some of Elvis and a little Jerry Lee Lewis and turned it into a deadly performance package. With Col Frankenstein on bass, slicing guitars by Machette and Cemetery Flowers rounded off by a dead guy on drums and a special guest saxy player. Check them out on Facebook for samples from their After Dark CD and upcoming release See You in the Shadows. Mr. Nasty was also celebrating his tenth anniversary with the lovely Mrs. Nasty. They make a cute fanged couple.

Dead Dick Hammer and the TBA Band

Dead Dick Hammer and the TBA Band

Next up was good ole Dead Dick Hammer and the TBA Band. Unfreshly arisen from their underground penthouse in the upper-crust and making their weekend residence at the Gates of Heaven Cemetery down the road, they turned on the living starting with their own Resurrection. Singing out of his custom made spade mic, decorated with black roses, skulls and authentic hallowed earth, a ‘stage prop’ that would get more use later. It’s a nice subtle way of saying ‘my mic’s a shovel-headed killing machine’ without being obvious. Adding some crazy, space aged guitar effects to hypnotize tonight’s dinn-,…. the crowd Dead Dick literary guts the sound out of his guitar then munches on the strings, drawing first blood early. Dick brings out his bag of tricks/goodies showing every country poke zombie has a good side and isn’t just trying to bribe the crowd. He offers people a slightly used buffet of common every day, house broken into items such as duct tape, dirty gloves, Neosporin, aspercreme, breathe mints, candy (for the ladies), special lube, set lists, shoe polish, nasal spray, black stockings, salve, sunburn spray (for the sparkling vamps), chap-stick, tums, burial clothes even ointments of a highly personal nature. He proudly asks if anyone needs any hemorrhoid cream before throwing it out to some unlucky a-hole. He pulls out a family pack of double A’s has second thoughts putting them down. He doesn’t want them knocking someone out before he does. He says he gets everything from the dollar store which questions the validity of the no shoes, no shirt sign, half rotted or not. The truth is everything in the bag’s taken from the homes of past vict-, …. acquaintances and friends DD and the TBA band have hung out with and they don’t like to see things sit and go to waste. He also takes a ‘prospecting’ tour from the stage mingling with the living. His lovely corpse bride the gracefully decaying cadaverous beauty Doreen Laveau smiles watching Dick play with his food. Now it’s time to rot n roll as its Last Call and the love of your life’s in the room but she won’t talk to ya. Fill up on some nice yummy, curiously crunchy Catfish Gravy. Be prepared for their new CD and get some Fourplay by the Eight Track just like dad and grandpa. Their show was loud, fast and Dead Dick showed he has a biting sense of humor. They’re not getting any younger… or older for that matter. They also claim legit rights as being the only authentic walking dead in attendance that weekend.

What do you get when you combine acoustic twanging, a banjo player, drummer and a stand-up bass with the most ugly, offensive, vulgar, graphic poetry known to mankind? Why Kokomo’s Harley Poe of course. Captained by their Mario mustached singer they break all rules of decency, any semblance of respect, decorum or civility and jam on subject matter best saved for the gentleman of Cannibal Corpse and other dapper death metal diehards. Think a po-dunk country fair on the prairie side of a honky-tonk folk jam that will make kids cry in their mother’s arms and scare families. Fun knee slappers about transvestites, vampires, dead things, feminine hygiene, psychopaths and other dirty deeds sung dirt cheap with the sincerest heartfelt sentiment. They could be Dexter’s kill-room band or what’s played at a family reunion to make everyone leave.

Stellar Corpses

Stellar Corpses

Straight from the west coast warm piranha filled waters of California comes the stone pale tanned and toned Stellar Corpses playing their first HorrorHound show showing what a 50’s greaser band plus one black n purple haired hottie would sound like with a modern day suit and tie guy ‘soc’ at the helm. Intro’d by the blue masquerade as strangers look on; Dusty Sheehan plays it cool and suave keeping it all business opening with his own Twisted Fantasies singing about that skin biting Vampire Kiss. He starts disrobing as the spotlight heat gets to him turning his eyes Blood Red as the sun goes down outside and the evil temptress spreads her wings. They’re a stellar mix of Misfits, mixed with some Chris Isaak and maybe even a little Monster Magnet. They get upright bass thumping as the Steel Butterflies take flight, after enough spirits you’re liable to see almost anything floating through the air. They pay tribute to The Evil Dead (original), play their namesake then pay ode to the Cemetery Man who’s always working at the dead of night. They’re a traveling horror movie, performing grave yard shift numbers about midnight monsters, scary corpses and the dark, deadly, dismembered side of Hollywood.

For the grand fatale finale straight from the tough streets of psychobilly Detroit rock city come the deadly when played with Koffin Kats. After 9 years of touring and over 1200 shows later they’ve come to hang out with us, possibly their scariest crowd ever, oh the horror.  The Good Times began as the high speed long string strumming started as Glen Danzig throated Vic Victor played his huge well used plaything like a guitar. Three songs in they’re out For Blood they’re Boozinacrossanation playing hillbilly rock at moonshine proof speed. There’s a twist n shout tribute to Leatherface, as the Chaos erupts in the Splatterhouse and as any horror fan knows it’s a Terrible Way to go out. Koffin Kats make horror movie chase scene music any deranged silent, knife/chainsaw/machete wielding silent killer would be happy to strike terror and savagely maim during. They slow it down a little with a passionate ode to Mary Shelley’s original green guy. All the Bad Apples come out when the Bottles Called. When they’re not recording or touring they can be found hanging out at the Graveyard Tree. The Koffin Katz Rock and they’re For Hire. Victor does upright tricks too using his bass as a ladder, seat, bat, battering ram, back scratcher and standing chair for both guitarist EZ Ian and himself.

Next HorrorHound will be in September in Indianapolis starring Friday the 13th Director Steve Miner, Independence Days Vivica Fox, and a Freddy VS Jason cast reunion among others. Check their page for guest/vendor updates. HorrorHound Magazine Editor-in-Chief/Promoter Nathan Hanneman has suggested the return of certain members of the The Walking Dead but who walks in ready to kill is anyone’s guess.

2013 UpDayton Summit: Step Up to the Challenge

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Hundreds of Dayton’s young talent will join together as community advocates to improve and strengthen the Dayton region during UpDayton’s 2013 Summit. This year’s event takes place on Friday, April 19th at the Dayton Art Institute from 2:00-6:00 PM.

For the past five years, UpDayton has hosted this high-energy event, bringing together young professionals and students to engage in discussions addressing viable and creative solutions to regional problems.

At this year’s Summit, attendees will have the option to take on one of three “challenges” that focuses on key issues in Dayton: the “Livability Challenge,” “Campus Challenge,” and “Entrepreneurship Challenge.” The solutions to these Challenges, which will evolve out of the creative process at the Summit, aim to build the region’s vibrancy, catalyze off-campus student involvement, and encourage local entrepreneurs. These Challenge teams will then embark on a year-long journey to implement their vision with the ultimate goal of spurring economic growth by attracting and retaining young talent.

“The format of this year’s Summit will look a bit differently than it has in the past,” explained Laura Estandia, executive director of UpDayton. “We are really trying to foster the creation of meaningful, sustainable projects that will specifically address some of the issues that we believe UpDayton can impact.”

In addition to a adopting a new structure to facilitate the creative process, UpDayton is presenting a keynote speaker, Mayor John Fetterman. Fetterman is a pioneer in the field of rust-belt revitalization after becoming the mayor of Braddock, PA. Despite the town being economically ravaged by a collapse in the steel industry, he mobilized a revitalization effort that has helped create a safer, more creative Braddock. His ideas on urban renewal and economic development are at the forefront for community building. Fetterman will speak on leadership and community development.

“We are so honored that Mayor Fetterman is our keynote speaker at this Summit. I think his perspective will be pertinent and inspirational to all the Summit attendees,” said Estandia.

Tickets to the Summit are $15 and $5 for students. Attendees are encouraged to ask their employers to sponsor their tickets to the Summit. Tickets can be purchased through the UpDayton website at http://updayton.com/summit. Best of all, the Summit will be followed by an after-party, at Therapy Cafe offering networking opportunities, food, drink, and the chance to earn a free gifts from local businesses!

Sponsors for this event include SOCHE, CareSource, Vectren, Dayton City Paper, Dayton Business Journal, CreativeFuse, DaytonMostMetro, Pepsico, Dayton Development Coalition, RTA, Brixx Ice Company, the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Strayer University, Five Rivers MetroParks, The Business of Ohio, Essex Electric Company, and 91.3 WYSO.

EarthFest 2013 @ Garden Station Community Garden & Art Park

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20130225071930-Earth-Day3This Saturday will mark the largest public Earth Day event in Dayton’s history with over 25 free workshops and 30 organizations participating.
EarthFest grew out of last year’s Sunday Market at Garden Station. The participating urban farmers collaborated to buy seeds together and grew extra plants for a plant sale. With 23 workshops under their belt from last season, Garden Station organizers had a base to expand on for EarthFest.

“The whole purpose of the event is to provide basic, easy to use, hands on information to help our residents “Go a Shade Greener” says Garden Station founder, Lisa Helm, “That will make us all more self sufficient and consequently our region more resilient and reduce our carbon footprint. ALSO it can help our residents connect with local organizations to help them on their ongoing quest to become more sustainable and connect our organizations to each other for future collaborations and sharing of resources.”

EarthFest will host over 25 free workshops on a variety of topics including multiple aspects of gardening, beekeeping, composting, backyard chickens, juicing, solar panels, natural building, home brewing, whole food cooking, fermented foods, recycling, crafts for kids and more!

In addition, more than 30 organizations are participating by teaching, providing information tables or sponsoring the event including The Montgomery County Commissioners, Square One Salon, Montgomery County Solid Waste District, 5th Street Brew Pub Co-op, Three Rivers and Stone’s Throw Food Co-ops, and more.

Cityfolk is participating by programming local music for the event including Armando Garcia, The Odyssey, The Good Time Accordion Band, The Corndrinkers, Seefari and the Stivers Jazz Combo. For the whole list of participants checkhttp://www.GoAShadeGreener.org

Also happening at EarthFest is the international event, The Great Cloth Diaper Change at 11:00 am, serving to promote more eco-friendly cloth diapers over disposables, as well as The Really Really Free Market.
The Greater Dayton Urban Farmers will have fresh local produce available as well as Fedco Certified Organic seeds and Non- GMO and Non-Monsanto owned varieties of vegetable bedding plants for sale.
New visitors to Garden Station will find there’s a lot more than just EarthFest to see, including 600′ of murals, sculptures, new mosaics, a greenhouse made of pop bottles, and a straw bale shed with a glass bottle wall and green roof.

Garden Station is on the NE corner of 4th Street and Wayne Avenue in downtown Dayton, a block from the Oregon District. EarthFest will run from 10am – 6pm, April 20. In case of inclement weather EarthFest will be at the Yellow Cab building across the street.

For more information about volunteering at Garden Station and other events, please visithttp://www.facebook.com/GardenStation or email [email protected].

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: Godspell (Sinclair Community College) – Unified Joy

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Cast of Sinclair's production of Godspell (photo by Patti Celek)

Cast of Sinclair’s production of Godspell (photo by Patti Celek)

Sinclair Community College delivers a highly admirable production of composer Stephen Schwartz and librettist John-Michael Tebelak’s 1971 biblical musical “Godspell,” an upbeat, poignant look at the last days of Jesus Christ based on the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Incorporating fine musical revisions from the 2011 Broadway revival of “Godspell,” directly Kimberly Borst offers a sprightly, enthusiastic staging set within an urban playground excellently designed by Terry Stump. Borst’s breezy approach serves the insightful, parable-driven material well as her energetic 17-member cast delivers a consistent display of unified joy. The imperative example of diverse individuals of various backgrounds coming together to learn and grow from the teachings of Christ is evident here from the start with a strong version of “Tower of Babel,” crisply executed with fine assistance from Dan Brunk’s sound design capturing nearly every overlapping lyric in the frenzied number. As various philosophies are passionately spouted, the ensemble terrifically transitions from individualism to harmony before the tuneful proclamation of “Prepare Ye.”

The vocally appealing Natalie Sanders (a memorable component of Playhouse South’s production of “Children of Eden” last season) takes on the plum role of Jesus with a warm and inviting girl next door sensitivity. Sanders could be less presentational and calculated in her actions, but her genuineness is commendable. She also establishes an amiable, non-antagonistic chemistry with Jordan DuVall as Judas in addition to providing a tenderly optimistic rendition of “Beautiful City.”

Elsewhere, there are noteworthy performances from the fierce Kelli Locker (“Bless The Lord”), vocally striking Marcus Bedinger (“All Good Gifts”), sunny Hayley Penchoff (“Day by Day”), and the engaging pair of Destre Inlow (“We Beseech Thee”) and Skyler McNeely (“Light of the World”). Choreographer Rodney Veal creates many flavorful routines. Musical director Daniel Greene leads a solid offstage orchestra.

“Godspell” continues through April 13 in Blair Hall Theatre, Building 2, Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St., Dayton. Performances are today and Saturday at 8 p.m. Act One: 60 minutes; Act Two: 38 minutes. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For tickets or more information, call (937) 512-2076. For more information, visit www.Sinclair.edu/tickets

 

ON STAGE DAYTON REVIEW: Race (Human Race Theatre Company) – A Most Incendiary Topic

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Cast of RACE (left to right) Bruce Cromer, Richard B. Watson, Alan Bomar Jones and Julia Pace Mitchell (photo by Scott J. Kimmins)

Cast of RACE (left to right) Bruce Cromer, Richard B. Watson, Alan Bomar Jones and Julia Pace Mitchell (photo by Scott J. Kimmins)

Let’s face it. In the proverbial melting pot that is the United States of America, racism is absolutely inescapable every day of every month of every year. In fact, this week’s hot-button racial controversy involves the release of country superstar Brad Paisley’s new CD featuring a collaborative tune with rapper LL Cool J entitled “Accidental Racist.” Whether race is embraced or sidestepped, it will always be a divisive magnet.

So it’s not surprising the topic inspired Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet (“Glengarry Glen Ross”), the icon of dramas consumed with men behaving badly while speaking profanely. In his 2009 legal character study “Race,” receiving a riveting local premiere at the Human Race Theatre Company sharply directed by Richard E. Hess, he boldly confronts the subject with the deliberate aim of clearing the air. With brash fury, Mamet has come to realize in matters of prejudice avoidance leads to nowhere.

The prickly, extremely heated office debate between two cynical lawyers – one white, the other black – defending a wealthy white businessman accused of raping a young black woman tackles stereotypes and deep-seated acuities with stinging perceptiveness. You may not agree with the assessments deliberated and you may even be outright offended in the process, but Mamet daringly provokes thought nonetheless in his familiarly distinct, no holds barred manner. However, it’s not just the core rape dispute that finds Mamet at his investigatory best. He shrewdly expands his juicy, fast-moving script to explore the testy waters of race in employment applications, which allows the intermissionless play to resonate on a more personable level beyond the predictably titillating areas of sex and violence.

Richard B. Watson, who joined the cast last week replacing an ill Michael Kenwood Lippert, is terrifically combative as Jack Lawson, the sardonic, smug hotshot prepared to win at all costs. Watson supplies a remarkable gusto in his showy, off-putting role which he occasionally flavors with comical facial expressions revealing Jack’s disgust as situations twist and turn. He also pushes the dialogue’s nasty nuances to the hilt, particularly Jack’s infuriated response to the testimony of a hotel cleaning lady he assumes is an illegal immigrant. The equally excellent Alan Bomar Jones effectively counters as confidant and instigator in his firmly grounded portrayal of Jack’s partner Henry Brown, Mamet’s fairly accurate gateway into the black point of view. Bruce Cromer supplies one of his most brilliantly understated performances as the meek and mousy Charles Strickland, whose insistence to talk to the press about his questionable actions is met with disdain by Jack and Henry. Thanks to Cromer’s superb embodiment of Charles’ humility and seemingly Jekyll & Hyde guise the play thoroughly maintains its gripping guessing game foundation. As Susan, Jack and Henry’s intriguing black apprentice, the marvelously forthright Julia Pace Mitchell ensures her sassy, mysterious character is tough enough to be considered on equal footing with her bosses yet fierce enough to be believed as a strong black woman unafraid to rock the boat. Mitchell’s briefly animated interplay with Jones during Susan and Henry’s contentious clash toward the conclusion is also striking, especially considering the foreground of Mark Halpin’s fine set resembles an expansive boxing ring.

Challenging, enlightening and uncomfortable, “Race” packs a dynamic punch you’ll never forget.

“Race” continues through April 21 at the Loft Theatre, 126 N. Main St., Dayton. The play, performed in 85 minutes without intermission, is held Wednesday-Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $36-$40. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.humanracetheatre.org. Also, 25 special $25 tickets are available at most performances.