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Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Archives for September 2016

New Logo & Website for City of Dayton

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documentThe city of Dayton has just revealed their new branding, created by The Ohlmann Group, a Dayton based advertising agency.  The blue and green logo plays homage to our flight history in a modern way. The contract for the new look and branding was for $25,000.

Along with a new logo,  a brand new website was also introduced.The new site features a much-improved search function, electronic forms, sections for business, residents and an easy navigate “I Want To” section that guides you contacts, forms, volunteer opportunities and more.i-want-to

You can also sign up for notifications about, construction, job openings, city meetings and more  through text message or email using Thunderclap, a social meadia crowdspeaking platform.  During the week of September 26, the city  will randomly select 10 Thunderclap participants to receive a “swag bag” of tech goodies that will show off your Dayton pride.

The website was created by a Manhattan, KS firm, CivicPlus, which specializes in government website design.  The contract with CivicPlus was just under $60,000 for the new website.

 

 

$30,000 in Artist Opportunity Grants Now Available

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art-grantsCulture Works has just announced a partnership with the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District (MCACD) to provide Artist Opportunity Grants. Through this public-private partnership, MCACD will award $30,000 to Culture Works for the purpose of supporting the professional development of individual artists who reside in Montgomery County.

These artist grants will be awarded for opportunities that will help artists complete a project or pursue career-enhancing professional development, such as residencies, working with master artists, etc. Individual artists of all disciplines–writers, painters, photographers, actors, musicians, dancers, sculptors, film makers and more–are eligible to apply.

The application is now available on the Culture Works website for this competitive grant process, which  includes an application and public review by an independent panel.  Grant-funded activities must take place during the calendar year 2017. Grants are expected to range from $250-$2,500 and cannot exceed $3,000. The application deadline is October 17, 2016.montgomery-county-logo-color-300x248

“MCACD’s mission is to support, nurture, and encourage the development and preservation of our arts and cultural community, and this includes artists,” said Matt Dunn, MCACD Executive Director. “It’s important to invest in individuals just as we do organizations because they make up the fabric of the community,” said Dunn.

Capacity building for individual artists through grants and incentives is a major goal of Culture Connects 20/20, the regional cultural plan facilitated by Culture Works. The partnership between Culture Works and MCACD is an important first step toward achieving this goal. “Montgomery County has long valued the cultural amenities of our community and the role that they play in both enhancing our quality of life and attracting business and investment,” says Culture Works President & CEO Martine Meredith Collier. “Culture Works looks forward to this partnership and working with the outstanding individual artists that we are so blessed to have in our community.”

Springfield Brewery Releases Golden Ale

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14463272_1673892892927948_4959509555298392095_n-1Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company is a family owned production brewery that opened in  downtown Springfield, Ohio this past July.  Created in the former Springfield Metallic Casket Company by brothers Kevin and John Loftus, their investment of $1.75M turning the old building into a welcoming bright and friendly venue.  The tap room easily accommodates a couple of hundred guests and the outdoor beer garden has room for another 100 or so with room to play bocce or corn-hole.

 The brewery is named after Springfield Icon Eliza Daniel “Mother” Stewart, a temperance advocate from Springfield, Ohio during the latter half of the nineteenth century. She traveled across the United States and Europe stopping at every saloon, praying for the souls of the barkeepers and their patrons.  motherstewarts

The brewery pays homage to the prohibition era with historical photos from the time on the outside of the building.  Inside you’ll see large scale prints of photo’s taken by Springfield’s Rod Hatfield around the town.  There’s lots of art on display from local artists, including beautiful glass lamps across the bar, created by  Doug Frates, who specializes in colored, patterned and mirrored blown glass.

The brewery has a 20 barrel brewing system, which tells us they are serious about making beer for distribution, not just the tap room.  But in the meantime, with 8 beers on tap you’ll want to visit the tap room to sample their brews. Here’s what you’ll find on tap:

India Pale Ale (5.8% ABV, 60 IBU)  Malty and hoppy, our IPA balances light caramel notes and strong malt backing with a nice blend of Columbus and Cascade hops.

Belgian Pale Ale ( 5.2% ABV, 24.5 IBU)  Biscuit and caramel flavors abound in the malty backbone with subtle hints of fruit and spice notes.  Our Belgian Pale Ale is a moderately hopped brew suited to satisfy one’s monastic tendencies. 

Belgian Blonde Ale (5.6% ABV, 17 IBU)  Our elegant and refreshing Belgian Blonde Ale is light in color but not in taste. Blending a clean dry malt base, moderate spicy-herbal hops with a zesty snap of tartness!

Vienna Lager (5.9% ABV, 21 IBU)  Our German amber lager showcases a rich and bready malt flavor that starts sweet and finishes dry.  German noble hops balance this classic with subtle earthy and spicy notes. 

Oktoberfest (4.1% ABV, 13 IBU)  This seasonal Festbier is our interpretation of the session German lagers from Oktoberfest.  Clean and malty, with a smidge of earthy backgrounds hops, this lower alcohol amber is suited to quench your thirst all day long. 

Pilsner (4.6% ABV, 35 IBU)  Crisp, clean, and refreshing, our Pilsner is malty and moderately hopped. Brewed with floor-malted traditional Pilsner malt and German noble hops, this is our tribute to a Continental Classic. 

Porter (5.1 % ABV, 41 IBU)  Strong notes of chocolate and roasted barley abound in this dark and malty brew.  Dark brown in color, our porter has hints of toffee and caramel balanced with a blend of Willamete and Cascade hops that have highlights of subtle floral and citrus notes. 

 

This Saturday they release a new Golden Ale, starting at 5pm. This addition to their line up is made with Ohio hops and malt, including Centennial and Cascade hops from OSHY Hops ( South Solon ) and Vienna Malt from Rustic Brew Farm ( Marysville ). Golden to light orange in color, this ale has hints of grapefruit in the nose.  (5.6% ABV, 26 IBU)

 

Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company

109 W. North Street in Springfield

  • Wednesday – 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm

  • Thursday – 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm

  • Friday – 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm

  • Saturday – 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

 

Food Truck Brunch This Sunday

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brunchEveryone loves doing weekend brunch. Everyone loves going to a food truck rally. Now, Drunken Waffle presents Dayton’s first best-of-both-worlds with Brunch! A Food Truck Rally on Sunday, September 25 from 10am-2pm at the Yellow Cab.

“Serving sweet and savory waffle sandwiches, brunch is second nature for us,” Beth Sparks, Drunken Waffle owner said. “We’ve discovered that a bunch of other food trucks in Dayton do it really well too, so we thought, ‘Hey, let’s host a brunch food truck rally!’”

Serving up brunch options alongside Drunken Waffle will be local favorites Smokin Bee-Bee-Q, Greek Street Food Truck, Harvest, El Meson and Son of a Biscuit in addition to special guests Lily’s Bistro serving Beignets and Boston Stoker serving coffee.

“Bloody Marys and Mimosa are a very important part of brunch and we’ll have them available at the bar during the brunch food truck rally,” Sparks said. “Brunch is always more fun with AM cocktails.”

In addition to food and drink, live entertainment is also being planned.

Something Old Dayton – An Interview With Owners Kyle + Mari

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If you have an Instagram account and live in Dayton, I am fairly certain you’ve seen the awesomeness of this city’s newest startup, Something Old Dayton. Haven’t yet? Go follow them now @somethingolddayton. Now let me share a little about this couple who I fell in love with over plush vintage furniture and fabulous antique finds.

image-1Originally from Springfield, Virginia and Virginia Beach, Mari + Kyle met while attending college in Richmond. From Virginia, the couple moved to D.C. before making their final stop here in Dayton just two years ago. Kyle continues to work for the government as a computer engineer contractor, but his entrepreneurial spirit, Mari’s artistic eye and both of their love of vintage treasures would inevitably fuse to create something magical.

 

 

A year and a half ago, Mari was reading an article online about a company that offered vintage furniture rentals. Having a degree in Craft and Material studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, experience as a Visual Display intern at Anthropologie, a life-time’s worth of experience crafting and art-making, a love of vintage furniture and assisting behind-the scenes at the weddings of friends, Mari always wanted to find a way to use her skills professionally. It was after reading that article that she realized that maybe, just maybe, she could finally evolve a long-time hobby into a business. image-2

The Fosters, like many, have always dreamed of a “family business.” Something unique to them that would grow along with their family. When Mari shared the idea with Kyle, his logistical mind went into high gear, planning and moving forward. Mari laughed as she told me she immediately had regrets, being pregnant with their second child and in no position to start a business. It wasn’t until a spontaneous request to style a vow renewal reception that these two, on a complete whim, were to plan essentially a whole wedding in a week. Well, they did it. It was amazing and as Mari adorably said, “I dug it!” You would never know there were doubts when you see what they have created, and the community they are building around what they do. I dig it too, Mari.

In the infancy of their business, Mari and Kyle ran the operation out of their basement but with wedding and photographer clients growing rapidly the small vintage rental business quickly out grew their home. They looked for a while at spaces for storage, and though toured several nothing seemed to work with their style / brand and few were in their budget. It wasn’t until a call to the Davis Linden building that the pieces fell into place. It was perfect, and just like that Something Old Dayton had a new home on Linden Ave. An opportunity for a full photography studio with vintage furniture, antique treasures and Mari’s styling expertise, Something Old Dayton has quickly become a destination for photographers, wedding planners and Dayton’s biggest brands for commercial shoots and events. image-3

Like many business owners in Dayton, Kyle and Mari definitely know and value the importance of community and working together in this city. Their marketing efforts consist of a mix of cold calls and emails, but social media and engaging online with photographers, wedding planners, florists and more is really driving their business. They work hard to add unique and hard to find items to their inventory for their clients, whether by hunting for or making them from scratch, like their collection of handmade wooden farm tables.

As members of the Rising Tide Society and the Dayton Tuesdays Together group, both said it is key to have a support system of like minded business owners supporting each other. Creating connections and building long term relationships is a major part of their growth strategy as they continue to evolve their business. The Fosters are Linden Heights residents and LOVE Dayton. When I asked if they were here to stay both smiled and said, “Yes, this is home.” We talked candidly about Dayton, “I see a city on the rise, driven by artistic endeavors” said Mari. She talked about how much Dayton reminded her of Richmond and how creatives reshaped that city and the same is happening here. From giving purpose to old structures, to food and art culture Dayton continue to grow breathing new life into the region. So, it’s Dayton to stay. Dayton to stay.

I enjoyed our conversation so much, and as a client I have to say they are amazing to work with as well and I look forward to many more collaborations this and next year. As a self proclaimed “junker” I also had to ask where they find all of their amazing rentals. Mari graciously offered up her secret. “Craigslist, flea markets, estate sales, personal connections, FB Buy Sell Trade groups, Goodwill, pretty much anywhere and I’m always looking!” she laughed. If you’re a photographer, wedding planner, or company that wants to host a unique event in a creative and stylized space, check out Something Old Dayton. Curious about them? Attend their open house on September 30th to meet these two and tour their space. Also, be prepared for their two little cuties to be crawling around. It’s kind of a perk of working with them. Welcome to Dayton Kyle + Mari, I personally am super excited to watch your business and family grow!

 

Sinclair Presents Standing On Ceremony

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14390649_1454325901249400_2234691686029179496_nSinclair Theatre will present 3 FREE performances of Standing on Ceremony, The Gay Marriage Plays, on October 5-6, in Sinclair’s Black Box Theatre, fourth floor, building 2, on the downtown Dayton campus.

Directed by Nelson Sheeley “Ceremony” is a series of vignettes by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick, Doug Wright, and conceived by Brian Shnipper.

Variety calls it: “A feel-good show celebrating gay marriage,” while Backstage says: “CEREMONY puts a human face on a hot-button issue and delivers laughter and tears rather than propaganda.”

Cast includes: Spencer Boden, André Tomlinson, Marley Judd, Chelsey Hall, Erin Waldon, Raiden Otto, Courtney Kakac, Sara Eldred, Erin McGee, Cody Nelson, De’Shawn Christian, S. Francis Livisay, Naman Clark, Sha-Lamar Davis, Chelsey Hall, Elisha Chamberlin, Elisa Fuentes, Chuck Larkowski, Juan Gabriel Encarnacion, and Jess MaGill.

Seating will be first come, first served with performances at 12:30 pm on both Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 5-6) followed by a 6 pm on Thursday, Oct. 6th. Sinclair’s Black Box Theatre is on the fourth floor of building 2. Performance length is approximately 1 hour. Latecomers will not be admitted.

Ready To Roar: An Interview With Nathan Peters of Lioness

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lioness

In late June/early July, Nathan Peters began posting Facebook videos that showcases his latest endeavor.  Fleshing out some original songs with his bandmates in Lioness, the clips roughly averaged about three to five minutes.  The views of the videos themselves were fairly modest, reaching over two hundred plus.  The number of clicks on Lioness videos changed dramatically starting on August 11th.  The video itself wasn’t different from the previous ones; Lioness huddled together in a living room with Peters standing in the middle.

The stunning instrumental play from the group, along with Peters passionately vocals attracted thousands.  Everyone immediately became captivated.  Lioness’ very first show at Jimmies Ladder 11 a few weeks later was a huge success; filling the establishment from top to bottom,  people eager to see the next up and coming ensemble in town.  As he takes a slip of his coffee at our meetup in Ghostlight Coffee, Peters mentions the increasing attention was all too surreal.  “It’s fun when you can do something cool in a room, put it on social media and it gets a lot of attention like.  I was floored at how many people were viewing it.”

For Peters, Lioness will be added onto his list of involvement of some of the great bands that have come and gone within the Dayton music landscape.  Most notably, Peters was one of the members of the legendary group Captain of Industry.  Establishing themselves in the early 2000s, Captain of Industry toured vigorously and released three full lengths and an EP.  Life events and members going separate directions caused the group to disband around seven years ago; the occasional reunion show comes and goes, but nothing has been said of reuniting again.  Since the mutual fragmentation, Peters hasn’t even been playing or recording much with any other bands.  The closest to being a part of a group prior to Lioness was Swim Diver, whom included members from Brainiac, Me and Mountains, Human Reunion.  Peters had some thought to going about recording solo for, but it never fully got off the ground.  “I would record some songs and write a lot,” Peters said.  “It was about figuring out the means.”

For the incarnation of Lioness, it was ultimately what Peters needed to rejuvenate himself.  It all began this past December when Peters, Evan Davell (mandolin), and Dave Shields (guitar) were hanging around jamming.  Since then, Peters started rounding up singers (one of the them has a special spot in Peters heart-his sister) and other to join.  A handful of the musicians have also been successful with other Dayton bands past and present:  Starving In The Belly Of The Whale, Motel Beds, Pig Eyed Jackson, among others.  The talent that has been ensemble gives Lioness a unique style that they can call their own.  To better explain what it’s like when Lioness are all together, Peters referenced a late great musician as a reference.  “Ray Charles and those dudes from Motown-when they were doing their thing, they played at appropriate volume levels.  They wouldn’t use monitors onstage.”

“When we rehearse in a room, we have drums are going and we aren’t micing anything and you can hear everything.  That’s a powerful thing,” adds Peters.

With the lineup intact, Lioness have been in the process of recording their debut album with Micah Carli at Popside Recording Studio in Troy.  The band started recording with the vision of everyone being in one room; Peters vocals and the drums ended up bleeding over everything.  To remedy the situation, Carli boldly placed everyone in various locations and record live.  The singers were in an isolated booth, strings were in the main room, and the others were placed in a warehouse that was next to the studio.  The result is a lively, acoustic sound that is filled with prog rock and folk treatment.  Lioness hope to release the album in the near future; a possible Kickstarter campaign to put the album on vinyl is in the works.  As for their live shows, Peters wants to build his audience through participating in the local festivals and playing regionally.

“I just want it to be more dynamic and be able do some really interesting things.  Do some different 14046104_1144377422275663_2330471074408544816_narrangements. We want do a big show production at some point,” Peters reveals on what Lioness what to do in the near future.

If they continue publishing videos of songs courtesy of the band, it shouldn’t be too hard to see it become reality.

Lioness will be performing tonight, Sept 22,  at Rockstar Pro Wrestling Arena, located on 1106 E. Third St. in Dayton, Ohio.  Also performing will be The Slackers, The Duppies, and Jasper the Colossal.  Doors open at 7pm.  Advanced tickets are $13.  $15 at the door.

Signing Off

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Today’s will be my last regular column for Dayton Most Metro, though I hope to contribute from time to time if I have something meaningful to say. Thank you, fearless reader, for putting up with a column that was supposed to be about fitness but quite often was about whatever I couldn’t stop thinking about.

jason-turned

I came back to the Dayton area somewhat grudgingly last year. I think it’s important for me to admit that. I came back for family considerations. I didn’t come back because this is the place I would have chosen. And yet I’ve already managed to form deep and meaningful friendships that I’ll have for a lifetime. I’ve been able to build a business here in a manner for which I don’t have to compromise my values. I’ve been able to live and work downtown in exactly the type of urban, diverse, and textured neighborhood I’ve always craved. Maybe I came back to town grudgingly, and maybe there are times when I crave even more diversity, even more density, and even more texture. But Dayton has been great to me and this column has played a significant role in that.

I’m making the difficult decision to walk away from regular weekly contributions because of time. My gym is getting busier and my ability to write for my business–I largely neglect my newsletter for sometimes months at a time–has waned. I owe it to Present Tense Fitness to devote more of my finite energy to ensuring that it and the messaging surrounding it survives and thrives.

Every week as I’ve sat down to write in this space, I’ve tried in part to write for the people who are sitting on the sidelines of fitness. I’ve tried to write in a way that’s accessible and that ties together the seemingly disparate threads of life that come together to form a healthy body and soul. Often what you’ve read here is me thinking out loud. So many millions of Americans–and the vast majority of those who live in our region–don’t get enough exercise or eat well enough to avoid the utterly preventable lifestyle diseases that plague this country. My guess is I’ll still be trying to figure out the messaging around fitness for people who avoid it for many years to come. But this column was a public platform for me to try my hardest to push that boulder up the hill. Though you won’t see me here nearly as often, I promise you that every day in the Oregon District I’ll continue to figure out how to get more people to do a thing that will measurably enhance their quality of life. That’s my work.

This column has allowed me, forced me even, to look at Dayton through a different lens. Because fitness is my business and my life, I tend to take a wellness view of a community. So even when I ventured into socio-political topics like Black Lives Matter or LGBTQ rights, I wasn’t consciously doing so in order to push any particular agenda. These issues are in fact wellness issues. I hope I’ve persuaded at least some of you to see them that way too. This week has been an unfortunate reminder of how unwell we are as a country in so many ways. The solutions, like the problems, will be complex. But they will involve first a thorough understanding of our shared humanity.

I’ve coached enough people over the last ten years that I’ve seen patterns, and I recognize them here in Dayton. People tend to be incredibly unforgiving of their own shortfalls, and that extends into the larger community such that we refer reflexively to certain people as thugs or white trash. When we use terms like this we’re inherently engaging in a form of dehumanization. This needs to stop. I push my clients all the time to analyze and evaluate rather than judge their own behavior. This mindfulness is what we’ll need to see the multi-dimensional humanity of all of our neighbors. Mindfulness and empathy are practices that you can start on your own, and I think you’ll find that the better you get at removing judgment of your own actions, the more likely you’ll be able to see your neighbors and their actions with empathy.

Thank you to Lisa Grigsby for giving me this platform for so long and for being so encouraging of how I’ve chosen to use it. And thank you especially to Teri Lussier, a local real estate agent and Dayton Most Metro contributor who introduced Lisa and I and first suggested the column.

Be well, Dayton. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need encouragement around fitness.

Yours very truly,

Jason

Haunted Food Adventure at Amber Rose Oct 7th

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Rhinegiests & Poltergeists Returns Oct 7th to the Amber Rose

Sellout crowd expected again !!

FOOD, BEER, … GHOSTS

This is a post that many of you have been waiting for…  Dayton Most Metro is kicking of the fall season with a “BOO!”

—October 7th, the popular “RHINEGEISTS and POLTERGEISTS” ghostly beer dinner returns! A brainchild of local bloggers, the Food Adventure crew, this popular scarefest looks to again to have a sellout crowd of over 100 foodies at the Amber Rose restaurant. There will also be a special presentation from a nationally known paranormal investigative group, ParaSense.

Pierogies and More on the Menu

 

HERE IS THE SKINNY ON “RHINEGEISTS and POLTERGEISTS”

WHEN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7th at 7pm

WHERE: AMBER ROSE RESTAURANT at 1400 Valley St. in Dayton

WHAT: 4 COURSE DINNER from AMBER ROSE and 4 BEERS from RHINEGEIST BREWERY

Visit the Haunted Amber Rose for this Food Adventure

—COURSE 1: Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Pierogies and German Bier Cheese Dip

—COURSE 2: Beef Rouladen (rolled) with Roasted, Rustic Vegetables

—COURSE 3: Apple Cinnamon Smoked Pork Chop with German Potato & Bavarian Hash

—COURSE 4: Cherry Almond Bread Pudding

Each course will be paired with a Rhinegeist Beer:

—BEER 1: “ALICE” a Belgium Style Ale

—BEER 2: “EXUM” a Pale Ale

—BEER 3: “HUGH” an Oktoberfest brew

—BEER 4: “STEVE” a Dark Lager

Parasense – Paranormal Investigator Team – Alicia, Shelly and Kat

WHAT ELSE:  A special presentation from a local paranormal investigative team with national exposure, called PARASENSE.  ParaSense will be sharing their findings from numerous overnight ghost hunts from 2015 and 2016.  NEW FINDINGS, NEW GOOSEBUMPS !

COST: $35 per person includes the tip ! Tickets are PRE-PAY and ONLY AVAILABLE at THIS LINK.  This event has always sold out and will be limited to 100 people.

EACH ATTENDEE GETS A FREE RHINEGEIST PINT GLASS !

ALICE from Rhinegeist Brewery

*****The party continues after the event, downstairs at the bar with “Happy Hour” pricing*****

As many of you may know, The Amber Rose is supposedly a haunted venue.  The ghost is believed to be the daughter of the former house owner.  She is a playful ghost named Genevieve Ksiezopolski aka “Chickie.”  Employees have many stories of glasses flying off of shelves, lights being turned on and even the appearance of a poltergeist.  Take for example this case, where a cook claimed to see a full apparition of a lady in a long dress who walked into the room, then turned and walked away.  When the frightened cook alerted the staff, they quickly pulled the security surveillance camera footage. What they saw at the same time the cook claimed to encounter the ghost was this: click to see video

 

Who is Haunting the Amber Rose? Some think it is this lady….

A local, three person “ghost hunter” crew will be investigating the Amber Rose facility in the weeks leading up to the dinner.  They have appeared on on National Television!  Their work has been featured in“America’s Most Haunted,” “My Ghost Story”, and Haunted Ohio VI.  Independent Paranormal Investigators Kat Powell and Shelly Suittor met in 1999 as tour guides for the Ohio State Reformatory, Prospect Place, and Snow Hill Country Club. Teaming up with Alicia Soich in 2012, they’ve logged hundreds of hours of field research and private investigations across the state.

What will their findings be?  Will they be contacted by “Chickie” or some other poltergeist?  Join us and find out !  And stay for the Happy Hour after party at the bar !

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!  TICKETS ARE PRE-PAY ONLY! LIMITED SEATING!

Browse the photos below…

“LIKE” FOOD ADVENTURES on FACEBOOK HERE !

Sausages Locally made

1400 Valley street – is it HAUNTED>>>

Bier Cheese Dip

Cut into a sausage with some sweet kraut

Staff at the Amber Rose make the whole experience

Beautiful upstairs area

wave hi

excellent food

Chef JT, Joe from Amber Rose and Trevor from Rhinegeist

Lucky guy

Pondering ghost evidence

Serving

Amber Rose Food

Bar upstairs

Happy Hour here “after party”

McCoy On Movies: The Magnificent Seven

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Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt star in director Antoine Fuqua’s take on one of the most revered Westerns of all-time … But does the 2016 version of The Magnificent Seven live up to its name?

“All right, enough with the Mr. Ed jokes, fellas – just ride the doggone horse!” From left to right: Byung-hun Lee, Ethan Hawke, Manual Garcia-Rulfo, Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio and Martin Sensmeier star in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s and Columbia Pictures’ THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Credit: Sam Emerson. © 2016 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures Industries. All rights reserved. 
WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:


KEY CAST MEMBERS: Byung-hun Lee, Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Peter Sarsgaard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett, Matt Bomer and Luke Grimes

WRITER(S): Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni (based on the original screenplay by); Richard Wenk and Nic Pizzolatto (screenplay)DIRECTOR(S): Antoine Fuqua

WEB SITE: http://www.mag7live.comHERE’S THE STORY: A multi-cultural remake/re-invisioning of the 1960 classic – itself a remake of the Japanese film Seven Samurai – the 2016 edition of The Magnificent Seven stars Denzel Washington as Sam Chisholm. Chisholm is a bounty hunter with government certification who finds himself in the sights of Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett). Cullen is the wife of Matthew (Matt Bomer), who is one of the victims of Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), a gold mining magnate of the most villainous degree. And in 1879, a man of Bogue’s stature is one that one generally does not mess with, at least not without knowing that retribution will be swift and definitely coming. 


Seeing her husband and her town of Rose Creek suffering under the vise-like grip of Bogue, Cullen sets out to find someone that might be able to help stop his reign of terror – and that’s where Chisholm comes in. For he is the man Cullen tracks down to help her save Rose Creek, but he knows he can’t do it alone.


This is why he recruits a team of randy soldiers to help him in battle. This includes: gambler/card trickster Joshua Faraday (Chris Pratt), gentle mountain man Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), wanted Mexican outlaw Vasquez (Maneul Garcia-Rulfo), reformed Confederate soldier Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) and his Asian partner in gun – and knife fights – Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee) and Native American warrior/raw meat enthusiast Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier), who was told by his elders that “his path is different.” Knowing they only have a week to train before Bogue returns from Sacramento to attempt to wipe out the whole town, Chisholm and his men try to get the town – and much to his chagrin, a very determined Mrs. Cullen – ready to fight.


Considering they will truly be in a fight for their lives, they’re going to need all the help and training time they can get. 

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt fans; people who like action films that focus on story development and strong female characters; those who enjoy well-done good vs. evil stories even if they are somewhat predictable at times.

WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People who hate remakes; people who can’t get buying into the film’s multiracial cast being set together in 1879; those who dislike excessive violence, which this movie has in spades; those who feel like they are over Washington’s cool, calm and collected thing and Pratt’s boyish charm thing

SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? The cliché says you are never supposed to judge a book by its cover, or, in a movie’s case, by its trailer and cast. Then again, given how many clichés one can find in the western genre, you could possibly be forgiven for doing that in the case of The Magnificent Seven. 


For when a project is done as well as director Antoine Fuqua’s affair is, the first glance is the right glance if it makes you think it is a pretty magnificent movie.


Seven isn’t one of those remakes that tries to re-invent the wheel as much as it attempts to simply nails each one of its beats exceptionally well to the point that if you are not a die hard fan of the original – it is in the Library of Congress’ film preservation archive, after all – this one will suit you quite nicely.Washington does his usual superb job of bringing his subtle-yet-focused swagger to the role of Chisholm, a man whose motivations for accepting the job are not fully detailed until the film’s climatic moments. Likewise, Pratt wields his boyish/devilish charm to the hilt, making his upbeat yet skilled gunslinger effective as needed to balance out Washington’s unflinching demeanor. You get exactly what you anticipate from the two leading men in leading men roles, fortunately without any cliché-in-a-non-entertaining-because-it-just-doesn’t-feel-organic fashion moments.

The rest of our would be heroes likewise hit their marks, adding a unique flavor to the mix that never feels as forced as one might fear it may, Sensmeier and Lee especially as each plays their role with nothing but a stoic pride, reverence and relevance. While their characters are supposed to be a rag-tag group of fighters, there is nothing that feels unnatural about their work together. When you have badasses that know they are badasses, it’s much better to have them simply show they are badasses than to have them repeatedly say they are (think every 80s action movie starring men now in their 60s).

Bennett shows a solid turn as a strong female character, exhibiting a balance between wife pushed to her limits and woman in a harsh time (and even harsher environment). While there are times she almost feels a bit too put upon, but she does her best to rise above the near one-note (but somewhat needed) nature of her character. Sarsgaard turns in his finest villainous turn to date because he does the thing many actors fail to do in villainous roles: Embrace the fact they are the pure embodiment of pain, torture and despair that will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. Instead of being an after thought that fails to live up to his ominous presence, Sarsgaard makes sure that you know there will be no stopping him and that he has not one ounce of remorse in his being – and that’s what a good villain does.

Director Antoine Fuqua of course deserves credit for making all of his moving pieces fit together, which, given the star power involved, was obviously not an easy task. As stated above, each actor makes the most of their moment en route to reaching their individual destinies, which is just all you can ask (other than doing something remarkable that takes the performance to another level). The scenery stays within the tradition of what one associates with the Old West from the dusty, life-worn roughnecks of saloons to the unrelenting beauty of the frontier. Save for possibly replaying a copy of Red Dead Redemption, Seven combines modern drama with the classic Western tale exceptionally under Fuqua’s watch, the battle and gunfight scenes showcasing excellent tension creation in slow, steady builds before bombastic, grandiose all out violence.

Whether or not the Western as a genre comes back into vogue remains to be seen; if Hollywood delivers more immersive experiences like The Magnificent Seven, though, there’s a good chance they might ride again.

OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 
 

Dayton Big Quiet is back on September 21st

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14291805_1788152114787860_2693349244618174545_nSeptember 21st is the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, and is the last official day of summer. The cusp of the Autumnal Equinox and a worldwide celebration of peace is the perfect day for Dayton’s 2nd annual Dayton Big Quiet.

Organizers from Heartfulness Dayton and Venus Child Productions have come together once again to host this free community event, to demonstrate the inner peace that comes from yoga and meditation. At 5:30pm, there is a free yoga 45 minute yoga class hosted by three area instructors: Melissa Ledinsky of Real Deal Yoga, Jeanine Parisi of Day Yoga, and Alex Keller of Do Yoga Dayton. Please bring a mat if you participate in the portion of the program.

Immediate following the yoga session, meditation trainers from the Natural Path Meditation Center in Beavercreek will do a brief introduction to the silent, heart-based meditation style known as “Heartfulness.” It’s non-denominational, and can be practiced by all faiths. Some chairs will be available, however if you can, please bring a blanket or pillow to ensure you are comfortable. The event will wrap up by 7pm.

Remember world peace starts with each of us individually!

 

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City Barbeque To Fight Cancer With Quetoberfest

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que-glassIn a slow-smoked homage to Oktoberfest, City Barbeque will celebrate “Quetoberfest” which started yesterday and will run through October 3, with restaurants donating $1 from the sale of every half-chicken to the American Cancer Society.
Local City Barbeque joints will also sell limited-edition pint glasses in collaboration with local brewery Rhinegeist; the brewer’s 22 oz. Alice ale in a Quetoberfest glass will be sold for $9 (the glass itself will be available for $3), with $1 from each glass sale benefiting the American Cancer Society.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to raise funds for the American Cancer Society with this unique promotion, and are excited for guests to see the surprises we have in store,” said Rick Malir, founder of City Barbeque. “Quetoberfest should be a lot of fun in support of a great cause.”

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This is the first year City Barbeque will celebrate Quetoberfest, which the company intends to make an annual event.

 

Visit these Dayton area City Barbeque locations:

Centerville:  5 E Franklin St, Washington Township, OH 45459

Beavercreek:  2330 N Fairfield Rd  Beavercreek, OH 45431

Mon-Sat:
10:30 am – 10:00 pm
Sun:
11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Time For The Ronald McDonald House Mix 107.7 Radiothon

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5f8ff8be-d2a5-4bd3-8757-58d8333a2c9eRonald McDonald House Charities of Dayton is partnering with iHeart Radio’s Mix 107.7 to present the 8th Annual Mix 107.7 Radiothon on September 22, 2016 from 6 am to 6 pm. Your favorite on-air personalities Jeff, Gina, and Dave and afternoon hosts Kristi Leigh, Shaun Vincent and Doreen will broadcast live from the Ronald McDonald House lobby to help raise funds to support RMHC Dayton’s mission and the efforts that improve children’s health within our region.

Hundreds of families are overnight guests at the Ronald McDonald House each year, and the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Dayton Children’s serves nearly 60 families each day. We invite YOU to tune in to Mix 107.7 this day to support RMHC guest families during a time when they need it most.

 

Here’s how you can help:69ef2d99-eadb-4870-9927-b0c7097d2dd3

Tune in September 22
MIX 107.7 (online or on your radio)

Volunteer
Hundreds of families are overnight guests at the Ronald McDonald House each year, and the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Dayton Children’s serves nearly 60 families each day. We’re in need of volunteers to help us during out Mix 107.7 Radiothon, a day of fun and fundraising to support RMHC guest families. Sign up here to volunteer.

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Call up & Give to Support Families
By phone at 937-535-CARE or 937-535-227 or online at www.RMHCDayton.org.
Fund a night of stay for a guest family! 100% of your donations stay local and help families of hospitalized children.

 

Warped Wing Does It Again

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14242304_1107994745946672_1784541354160562647_oWhen night falls, spirits rise. A ghostly figure, a redheaded woman, drifts the city tracks, eternally lost.
The anguish of the departed, a man who impaled himself on an orchestra pit chair, chills a historic theater.
Forlorn howls and scraping claws-wolves, buried with their owner, alive-seep from a nearby mausoleum.
CreepShow Smoked Porter. Smokey. Malty. Dark as Dayton without a moon.

Join Warped Wing  at 26 Wyandot Street, for the CreepShow Smoked Porter Release Party on Thursday, September 22!

According to Ratebeer.com this seasonal smoked porter is tan/brown in color with dark malt flavors such as roast, chocolate, vanilla along with a mildly assertive smoked malt flavor and aroma. Finishes dry with a smoky after taste.   ABV: 6.66% – IBU: 40

Free Concert By Air Force Band & Singing Sergeants

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us-airforce-concert-bandThe U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants from Washington, D.C., will present a free musical performance at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Saturday, October 22 at 7:30 pm.

Due to the popularity of this free concert, tickets are required and will be available for public distribution beginning at 9 am on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Tickets may be obtained one of three ways. Beginning Sept. 21, requests can be made in person at the museum Monday-Friday from 9 am-4 pm. Those who cannot make it in person may request tickets by submitting an online form at www.surveymonkey.com/r/USAirForceBandConcert or by calling (937) 255-5924. Those requesting tickets must provide their name, phone number, mailing address, and the number of tickets they would like mailed to them. The limit is four tickets per person, and they will be mailed beginning Sept. 30.

The Concert Band and Singing Sergeants are two of six ensembles that comprise The U.S. Air Force Band. They frequently perform together for national television broadcasts and online videos, including the Band’s annual holiday flash mobs which have been viewed by millions worldwide.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the world’s largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year about one million visitors from around the world come to the museum. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.

AFP Announces Honorees For National Philanthropy Day

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58 58The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Greater Dayton Region Chapter just  announced the honorees to be celebrated at the 2016 National Philanthropy Day (NPD) Annual Awards Luncheon.

s the day that thousands of people around the world come together to both (1) put that word into action and (2) recognize the change that word has brought to our communities.

NPD is a celebration of philanthropy—giving, volunteering and charitable engagement—that highlights the accomplishments, large and small, that philanthropy—and all those involved in the philanthropic process—makes to our society and our world.

 

Outstanding Philanthropist: The Mills Family14319213_10154584928182834_6067336539232213522_n
As hosts of the Gala of Hope at their home in Beavercreek, The Mills hope to set cancer in the sunset.  This event this year raised a record breaking $1.3 million dollars.  Bob was named Man of the Year in 2011 for raising the most money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.  Barbara has led trips to Mexico with the charity Youth With a Mission.  Just a glimpse at the generosity the Mills family shares with our community

Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser: Lisa Orr13903202_1296278033728853_6465612483301413670_n
A Dayton native and CJ Alum, Lisa has spent her career in banking, and much of her leisure time volunteering for her church, Aullwood, the Red Cross, Vandalia Butler Schools,  the Vandalia Food Pantry and sits on the board of Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board and the Goodwill Easter seals Development Committee.  She also chaired CJ’s 40th Reunion.

Outstanding Fundraising Executive: Jena Pado33773_1420589515657_3093119_n
Since moving back to Dayton 11 years ago, Jena has been dedicated to help Dayton Children’s raise millions of dollars to improve children’s health in the region.  As the Chief Development Office she is leading the $25 million “Reaching New Heights” campaign, the largest in the hospital’s history.

Outstanding Foundation: Yellow Springs Community Foundation1555573_10152263579327272_2099901908_n
Founded in 1974 to benefit the citizens and community of Yellow Springs and Miami Township.  They do so by helping the elderly, the young, the sick, and the socially disadvantaged; promoting the arts and other cultural activities; promoting scientific research; providing scholarships; supporting public recreation, conservation, and environmental improvement.

Outstanding Large Corporation: Heidelberg Distributinglogo-1
From one man and one truck, this family owned Ohio  business has grown through mergers, acquisitions and industry consolidation to now employing over 1600.   They live their  motto “When you celebrate . . . we’re there!”  by supporting our communities not-for-profit organizations that work hard to bring services, arts, education, research and hope to our neighbors.

*Tie* Outstanding Small Corporation:
The Cornell/Nicholson Team at USB Financial Servicesubscolor_logoubs_regular_rgb_26

Over forty years ago, Tim Cornell launched his financial services career and in 1980, he convinced his cousin, Shaun Nicholson, to join his growing practice. Today, their team has grown to 17 members.  Each year they partner with a charity of choice and dedicate a year of philanthropy to that organization. They’ve helped raise over $20,000 for A Special Wish Foundation and created the Catch A Rising Star gala for WDPR Classical Radio.

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This small but mighty team (their words) is passionate about driving results and over the years, they’ve helped brands of all sorts, from local and international to corporate and non-profit, find success.  In October 2013, they introduced the “C-3 Cares” initiative – a program to serve non-profits in the Dayton area by producing marketing materials such as websites, print pieces, social media training and consulting, branding, and more. Each year they sponsoring a pro bono project for a deserving and qualified Miami Valley charitable organization.To date, they have donated over $40,000 in award-winning projects and services under this program.

 

Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy

(18-23): Jessica Waters

 (5-17): Owen Mockabee

Special Service Award: Lt. Gen (ret) Richard VanFleet Reynolds

The Dayton Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals will celebrate the winners during the annual National Philanthropy Day luncheon, which will be held on Tuesday, November 15th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at Sinclair Community College Ponitz Center (444 W 3rd St, Dayton, OH 45402)

Tickets can be purchased starting the week of September 19th at www.afpdayton.org/npd.html.

Sponsorships and tables are available as well. For sponsorship information, please contact Luke Dennis at [email protected] or Michelle Cella at [email protected]. You can also visit the AFP Dayton website.

About the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Dayton Region Chapter

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), an association of professionals throughout the world, advances philanthropy by enabling people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising. The core activities through which AFP fulfills this mission include education, training, mentoring, research, credentialing and advocacy.  Since 1989, development professionals, consultants, board members and nonprofit executives alike have joined the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Dayton Region Chapter in order to share best practices and stay up-to-date with current fundraising tactics, trends and strategies.  AFP provides both local fundraisers and local funders the opportunity to connect and learn from each other as they work to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives, works and plays in the Greater Dayton Region.