Dayton937

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

Archives for February 2018

Fast, Furious, and New on the Road

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Rev up those engines citizens of Dayton, and to those touring around. The Dayton Auto Show is fast approaching with brand new models from this year. This car show has been around for fifty years, where dealers of all brands, from Ford to Porsche, show off their newest and coolest new cars on the market. There will be various events at the show, aside from looking at all the sweet new models displayed at the showcase. Such events include test drives of some new car makes and a scavenger hunt, where the winner will win a brand new 50 inch TV. There will also be a chance to win a two year lease on a 2018 Chevy Equinox

The show is hosted by the Dayton
Auto-Dealer’s association, which is committed to marketing various dealerships to the general public about some of the newest cars to come out this year. Dealers can find possible prospects for people to by their products, and while people cannot sell cars at the auto show, it is a great method for dealers to show off their new products, such as this Dodge challenger and this new sports car from Fiat.

The Dayton Auto show lasts from Thursday the 22nd to Sunday the 25th. Times of the show are Thursday and Friday 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The location of the show is at the Dayton Convention Center in down town Dayton, where tickets for Adults are $8, $6 for Senior Citizens and Students with I.D.’s, and free for children 9 and under.

So if you are a car nut and want to see the new models out on the market, come on down to the Dayton Auto Show and see some new cars, meet new people, test drive a car, and maybe win a prize from one of the events the auto show has to offer!

WYSO To Launch Locally Hosted Jazz Show

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WYSO Public Radio will add a new locally hosted music program to its lineup on Monday, March 5.  Equinox, which takes its name from the classic John Coltrane composition, is a weekly, three-hour jazz radio show. Each Monday night, host Duante Beddingfield will lead listeners on a journey through straight-ahead jazz, from classic tracks to the latest releases, including local musicians, obscure performers, and artists from all over the world putting their own unique stamp on the music.

Beddingfield is a Dayton native and formerly served as jazz writer for both the Dayton Daily News and Dayton City Paper. He has booked jazz musicians for area venues such as Pacchia, and performs regularly around the region as a jazz vocalist with musical partner Randy Villars.

 

“Hosting a jazz radio program has always been one of those lifelong dreams,” says Beddingfield.  “Jazz is an art form that doesn’t tend to get proper credit these days, and I’m incredibly excited for the chance to bring some great jazz to the local radio landscape. I’m looking forward to sharing some good times and great music with WYSO listeners.”

 

Equinox will air Monday nights on WYSO, 8-11pm.  Shakin’ Dave Hussong’s Hall of Fame Blues will move to Sunday afternoons from 3-5pm.

 

“We are delighted to expand the number of locally-produced music shows on WYSO,” says WYSO Music Director Niki Dakota. “WYSO continues its tradition of identifying and nurturing Miami Valley residents who are passionate about music, and are driven to share it.  Duante brings passion for jazz and a great deal of experience to Monday nights.”

 

Equinox will begin airing on WYSO on Monday, March 5.  Hall of Fame Blues will be heard on Sundays beginning March 11.  As part of the schedule update, Snap Judgement  will now follow Tables of Contents, on Tuesdays at 10pm, and The Jewel Case will be followed by eTown  on  Thursdays at 11pm. The complete schedule of changes can be found at WYSO.org.

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2018, public radio station WYSO 91.3 is licensed to Antioch College with studios in Yellow Springs. It broadcasts on multiple platforms: 91.3 FM, live streaming at WYSO.org, on HD radio and on the Public Radio Player, a mobile application. WYSO is the Miami Valley’s only NPR News station with programming from NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media, PRX and the BBC as well as the work of local and independent radio producers.

 

Gignite-An Incubator for Side Gigs, Passion Projects, and Hobbies

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That unfinished novel. That miscellaneous skill you promised your friends you could learn. That seemingly unending ‘to-do’ list. Regret no more!

Gignite is here Dayton, and it’s coming for all of your “what if’s”, “could I really’s”, and “maybe one day’s”.

Olivia Barrow first dreamed up Gignite a couple years ago; after her move away from Dayton to Madison, Wisconsin. Before leaving, Olivia was inspired by the emergence of Nucleus; a “non-profit co-share facility that provides an encouraging and supportive work environment” located on 5th street in downtown Dayton.

Former Daytonian Oliva Barrow

Olivia saw the power of mutual inspiration and collaboration between creators in a community, and hoped to expand that culture to the everyday residents of Dayton.

“Co-working is such cool idea, it’s so great to have access to a creative space and creative collaborators, and be inspired by other businesses” says Olivia, “How can someone who has a 9-5 in an office, tap into that community in a meaningful way?”

Enter Gignite!

Gignite is an “8-week incubator for side gigs, passion projects, and hobbies. We provide the time, space, accountability, and inspiration for you to turn those “one day I want to” ideas into real projects.”

And here’s what ya get. You get a workspace ideal for any and all passion projects you could think of (the meetings are held at the Nucleus office mentioned above), a never ending well of community collaboration, mutual inspiration, constructive critique, and a whole assortment of amenities to get your creative cogs turning including refreshments, wifi, paper and pens, and of course the most sacred gift of all: uninterrupted focus time for you and your “what if” side project to work things out.

Gignite costs $150 up front, with a $50 refund fee after meeting the attendance requirements. It may seem strange, but this is what makes Gignite so effective. Olivia puts a strong emphasis on accountability.

Olivia hopes the fee paid upfront helps members remember the commitment they’ve made to themselves and their project, so they “have a reason to keep showing up even if someone says ‘hey wanna go to trivia tomorrow’ and you’re like ‘oh yea!’, or that concert — you say ‘no, I paid for this. I said I was gonna work on my novel, or whatever’”.

It’s the difference between simply putting in the effort when it’s convenient and making your project a priority in your life.

While Gignite is just beginning in Dayton, Olivia has already gotten the ball rolling in Madison with two cohorts started earlier in 2017. Members have used Gignite to help accomplish a very wide variety of tasks: including learning to watercolor, launching a consulting business, a blog start-up, and crossing off a long to-do list.

“It went really well, the projects were really diverse. I felt like the cohort got more energy out of seeing such different things being worked on and hearing about how different people overcame different problems.”

The first Dayton cohort begins this coming Monday, on February 26th from 6:30-9:30pm. Sign up here, and find any additional information you may need at the Gignite Facebook page here!

 

Flash Fiction- Novelist Challenged to Create Story From Photo

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I told novelist Molly Duncan Campbell about one of my favorite books.

In 1953 photographer Roy DeCarava took amazing photos of the people of Harlem, but he couldn’t get them published. He gave some of the photos to Langston Hughes, without telling him anything about the people in his photographs. Hughes wrote a story to go with the photos, and got “The Sweet Flypaper of Life” published.

Inspired, Molly asked me to send her a photo, and tell her nothing about the person. Then she wrote the following:

My name is Juniper Mary May. I am called Junie. I am the only person in the world who gets called by my whole name all the time. Junie May. When I started kindergarten, they kept saying, “Junie May who?” Like I didn’t remember my last name. I am in First grade now, and Mrs. Hapner did it again! I felt like telling her what the hell ask Miss Franklin it took her all last year to figure this out. I have asked my mom why on earth she named me this. I would prefer to be named a normal thing, like Kathleen. Then everyone would know to stop after just the Kathleen part.

I got this hula hoop for my fifth birthday. I could only jump rope before. Here is what you do: you grab it hard and lift it over your head and lean it against your belly button, and then you wiggle like hell. My mom said I shouldn’t say that. So I wiggle like the devil is after me, which is what Nana says, and that isn’t swearing. I got the dress with the goofy swan on it from Nana. She lives in the past. Mom said it reminds her of a poodle skirt, which makes absolutely no sense, because who has ever heard of a poodle skirt?

I have gotten really good on the hula hooping. I can go for exactly one minute and seventeen seconds. That is my record. I can also roller skate, but you can’t do that inside. So I hula all the time in my room, and I made a playlist. I put Stevie Wonder on it. All the songs from Cars. Yellow Submarine. And my most favorite of all, but my mom says it’s an ear worm: Mahna Mahna by the Muppets.

You might think that I am a girly-girl. That is because we took this picture to send to Nana in Cleveland. We put it in the cloud so she could look at it on her phone. Usually I wear jeans and my favorite tee shirts. I have two favorites: one has Bill Nye, the Science Guy on it. The other one has a wolf. And guess what? I have a pussy hat!

 

Air Supply Returns To The Rose

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Air Supply – the duo that brought you “Lost in Love”, “All Out of Love”, and “The One That You Love”, just to name a few – will return to Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, OH on Saturday, July 14th  at 8pm.

Graham Russell & Russell Hitchcock met on May 12, 1975, the first day of rehearsals for “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Sydney, Australia; they became instant friends with their common love for The Beatles and, of course, singing. After the shows’ performances at 10:30, they would play pizza parlors, coffee bars and night clubs with just one guitar and two voices. They quickly gained a reputation for great harmonies and for original songs that Graham was constantly writing. They made a demo on a cassette of two songs, “Love and Other Bruises” and “If You Knew Me” and took it to every record company in Sydney. Everyone turned it down but one — CBS Records — who admired their unique style.

They made a single in one afternoon and it shot to number one on the national charts. Air Supply was born! That same year, they opened for Rod Stewart across Australia and then throughout the U.S. and Canada playing all of the famous huge venues before Rod would take the stage. They found new fans, but did not break the U.S. market.

Back in Australia they had to start again and made a record called Life Support. On this record were some treasures of songs, including “Lost in Love” which went Top 10 in Australia and somehow found its way to music industry executive Clive Davis in New York.

Clive immediately signed Air Supply to Arista Records and in 1980, “Lost in Love” became the fastest selling single in the world, leaping to the top of all of the charts. Now Air Supply was on their way. The second single was “All Out of Love,” and that went up the charts even quicker.

Seven top-five singles later, Air Supply at that time had equaled The Beatles’ run of consecutive top five singles. The albums Lost in Love, The One That You Love, Now & Forever, and The Greatest Hits sold in excess of 20 million copies. “Lost in Love” was named Song of the Year in 1980, and, with the other singles, sold more than 10 million copies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jes4I3ndGaU

 

The trademark sound of Russell Hitchcock’s soaring tenor voice and Graham Russell’s simple yet majestic songs created a unique sound that would forever be known as Air Supply.

However, it is the live shows that always hold audiences captive around the world. They were the first Western group to tour China, Taiwan, and countless other countries that before would not allow pop music across their borders. In 1983 they recorded “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” by Jim Steinman which solidified the group as a permanent force in modern music. This song was released on The Greatest Hits album which soared past 7 million copies.

“Lost in Love”, “All Out of Love”, “The One That You Love”, “Sweet Dreams”, and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” have each achieved multi-million plays on the radio.

In 1986 the group’s music was still playing endlessly on radio. Air Supply began to tour with lavish productions in places that no one had been before. In South America and Asia they became a part of everyone’s life. In 1988, Air Supply was asked to participate in Australia’s bicentennial celebration and to play for HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Diana, where they learned both were already ardent fans. This engagement would be one of their most treasured moments in their career.

In 1989, they recorded The Earth Is album selling over a million copies outside of the U.S. This album was followed by The Vanishing Race CD and, with the singles “Goodbye” and “It’s Never Too Late”, again saw multi-platinum success. The following albums, News from Nowhere, Yours Truly, and Across the Concrete Sky all gave their second greatest hits album multi-platinum status as they traveled the world each and every year.

In July 2005, their live DVD, “It Was 30 Years Ago Today” celebrated 30 years of success around the world and in that same month, Air Supply smashed attendance records when, in Cuba, at one show they played to 175,000 people. Also 2005 saw the release of The Singer and the Song, an acoustic album of many of their big hits which received critical acclaim.

In May 2010, the long-awaited album, Mumbo Jumbo –also the duo’s first studio recording in eight years- was released. Recorded with top session musicians and an orchestra, Mumbo Jumbo was produced by Russell and engineered by Odds On’s Sean O’Dwyer, whose credits include Pink Floyd, Randy Newman and Blink-182. Among the 14-tracks, released by Odds On’s label, was the first single “Dance With Me,” which earned Air Supply a prominent feature article in Billboard Magazine titled “Still Supplying The Hits After 35 Years.”

Just weeks after composer and vocalist Graham Russell was honored with a BMI Million-Air Certificate recognizing 3 million performances of the duo’s hit “All Out Of Love,” Air Supply’s new song was the #1 most added track on the FMQB AC40 Chart, and also one of the most added on the R&R (Radio and Records) AC Chart and the Mediabase AC chart.

In 2013, the duo was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall of Fame. Air Supply celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2015 and continue to delight audiences all over the world.

Tickets for the Huber Heights show will go on sale to the public beginning 11am on Friday, February 23rd at www.Ticketmaster.com and www.Rosemusiccenter.com. Charge by phone at 1.800.745.3000. *Ticket prices include parking and are subject to applicable Ticketmaster fees.  Dates, times and artists subject to change without notice. All events rain or shine.

Stratum: New Work by Amy Kollar Anderson & Kate Huser Santucci

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The Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC) presents Stratum, an exhibition featuring new, collaborative works by Dayton artists Amy Kollar Anderson and Kate Huser Santucci. This show opens February 22nd, and runs through March 24th. An Opening Reception will be held on February 22nd from 6 to 8pm.
A Gallery Talk is scheduled for March 2nd from 6 to 8pm. All events are free and open to the public.

Stratum is a project about collaboration and communication. Anderson and Stantucci each began with 20 birch wood panels that they traded back and forth, layering materials and documenting the progress. Santucci worked with oil-based mediums, focusing on encaustic, pigment and bone to create lush, natural-toned imagery. Anderson used acrylic-based materials such as pouring medium, mica and glitter resulting in slick and other-worldly surfaces. During sessions, panels would be worked until the artists felt resolved.The artists will be installing the final panels, along with their corresponding materials “log”, throughout the entire gallery in a free-form map reminiscent of the cryptographic mathematical formula-covered chalkboards by Nobel Laureate in Economics, John Nash, as depicted in the 2001 American biographical drama film A Beautiful Mind.

“Part of this process involved letting go of ego, and becoming comfortable with altering, covering, or sometimes even removing the others’ work,” stated Anderson and Santucci in a joint artists statement. “It built deep connections between us as artists. As the artworks evolved and moved towards completion, we became more comfortable with the process, allowing ourselves to become immersed in the visual dialogue that was taking place.

“A new, original collaboration, Stratum is at once a stunning deconstruction of the detritus of the layers of our natural world and, as each panel is displayed with a record of its process, is a seldom seen peek into the creative process,” stated Eva Buttacavoli, DVAC Executive Director.

 

ABOUT AMY KOLLER ANDERSON
Amy Kollar Anderson creates surreal narrative paintings inspired by natural forms and decorative arts. Her work has been exhibited throughout the region and internationally and she recently was awarded three commissions for the Dayton Public Library. Amy received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to receive a Master of Humanities, with a focus in Fine Arts, at Wright State University. She lives with her husband in Dayton and until recently, was the Gallery Coordinator for Rosewood Gallery, Kettering before she left that position to pursue her art career full-time. She refers to her painting style as “Nouveaudelia,” incorporating Psychedelic Art and Art Nouveau aesthetics.

ABOUT KATE HUSER SANTUCCI
Kate Huser Santucci was born in 1971, and lives and works in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from Wright State University in 1994 with a BFA in visual art with a concentration in sculpture and participated in an encaustic painting workshop with Susan Mulder at the Krasl Art Center in Michigan.  She has taught classes at the Dayton Art Institute and Rosewood Arts Centre, as well as private lessons for children. Her work has most recently been shown at the Rosewood Arts Centre in Kettering and Lily’s Bistro in Dayton. Public work includes a mural in downtown Dayton on E. 3rd St., and a series of three pieces for the new Southeast Branch of the Dayton Metro Library, opening in September 2018.  Her works are part of private collections in Dayton, Cincinnati, and St. Joseph, Michigan. Kate started her career as a sculptor and is now working in encaustic and mixed media.  The work combines wax painting with three dimensional techniques, found objects, and drawings. They focus on our place in nature, and our interconnectedness to the world outside and within our physical selves.

ABOUT DVAC
The Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC) helps sustain the arts community by providing a place to show, market, and sell work and helps satisfy the needs and wants of art-lovers who have a place to see artists’ work and, often, meet the artists. At its core, DVAC advances art for the community and a community for artists.

Party Like It’s 1933: Jungle Jim’s Whisky Night Prohibition Style

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Walk A Mile In Their Shoes To End Teen Dating Violence

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There is an old saying: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Walk a Mile in Their Shoes to End Teen Dating Violence asks participants to literally walk one mile in someone else’s shoes! It’s not easy walking in someone else’s shoes, but it’s fun and it gets the community to talk about something that’s really difficult to discuss: gender relations and sexual violence.

CHEESE Burger Challenge at Treasure Aisles

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If your mother ever told you “Take a breath – You eat too FAST!”, then you’re a perfect contestant for the Second Annual Say CHEESE Burger Challenge. Come square off with other food speedsters on Sunday, February 18th, at Treasure Aisles Flea Market, during the Say CHEESE Burger Challenge!

Say CHEESE Burger is a timed eating contest where the FASTEST eating time WINS!! The challenge features a colossal cheeseburger stacked with a full pound of beef (3 Patties at 1/3 lb. each), slices of Swiss, Provolone, and All-American Cheese, Mac-N-Cheese Bites, Fried Pickle Slices, Fried Onions, and Nacho Cheese Sauce – ALL piled high between a Hamburger Bun that’s topped-off with 2 giant Fried Onion Rings!!

Winner will receive $100 in Market Bucks, a 2018 VIP parking pass, and a coveted winner’s medal. Plus – ALL contestants receive a Say CHEESE Burger T- Shirt and a picture featured on our Say CHEESE Burger Challenge Wall!

Contests begin at 1:30 pm at Treasure’s Monroe location. Entries are limited so your chances to WIN are HUGE!! You can even double your opportunities to WIN by entering both challenges!

To Register – visit the Market’s  Facebook page or website. Registration fee is $10.00 (plus processing fee). Additional contest rules apply (see Facebook or websites for additional information and prize details).

Show your mother that eating FAST can pay off! Bring your family, friends, and your appetite to Treasure Aisles Flea Market, in Monroe, Feb. 18th and find out if you’ve got what it takes to WIN!

Treasure Aisles Flea Market is located at I-75 and St. Rt. 63 (Exit 29) 320 N. Garver Rd., Monroe, OH 45050.

Welcome Dayton Welcomes Monica Harris

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The Dayton City Commission announces Monica Harris is the newly hired Coordinator for Welcome Dayton.

Harris brings extensive experience relevant to Dayton’s immigrant friendly city initiative, having served as coordinator of a multi-cultural community health project and as manager of a workforce development and college success program.

A New York City native, Harris was born to immigrants from Taiwan and interned with community development organizations in South Africa. She holds graduate degrees in counseling and international community development.

“I have been navigating and bridging two very different cultures (East & West) my whole life

and love working in cross-cultural contexts,” Harris said. “Because I grew up in an immigrant family and watched the struggles my parents went through to adapt to the U.S.–as well as the help they received in order to become successful contributors to our country–the work of Welcome Dayton has particular resonance with me. I am excited about the opportunities this position gives me to support all those working to ensure that Dayton will always be a welcoming city to the immigrants and refugees who call it their home.”

“Welcome Dayton has made great progress in building a more welcoming community since its inception less than seven years ago,” said Commissioner Matt Joseph. “We are excited to welcome Monica Harris and expect the community will benefit from her experience and abilities as we take steps for further success.”

Welcome Dayton was launched in 2011 and is administered by the Dayton Human Relations Council. Welcome Dayton promotes immigrant integration into the Dayton region by encouraging business and economic development, providing access to education, government, health and social services, ensuring equity in the justice system, and promoting appreciation of arts and culture.

Dayton was named the nation’s first Certified Welcoming City in 2017 by Welcoming America, a national non-profit organization supporting welcoming activities in communities throughout the country.

For more information about Welcome Dayton, go to welcomedayton.org or follow facebook.com/welcomedayton.

‘The Sound of Music’ Review – Victoria Theatre Association – Embracing Love

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The national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1959 classic The Sound of Music, the groundbreaking duo’s final collaboration, is a vocally stunning, strongly acted showcase courtesy of the Victoria Theatre Association’s Premier Health Broadway Series at the Schuster Center.

Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer and the von Trapp children (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

Jill-Christine Wiley brings great joy and endearing naiveté to her terrific portrayal of Maria Rainer, the troublemaking Postulant of Nonnberg Abbey sent to become governess to Captain Georg von Trapp’s seven children. Effortlessly soaring through such iconic numbers as Do-Re-Mi, The Lonely Goatherd and the title number, she radiates warmth, kindness and concern, personable ingredients necessary for Maria to be the life-changing force for good in the von Trapp household.

The handsomely brooding Mike McLean is a fine fit as Georg, effectively transforming from an emotionally scarred and grieving disciplinarian into a loving father. His beautifully tender rendition of Edelweiss, dramatically framed within Nazi flags, is an Act 2 highpoint. Dynamic soprano Lauren Kidwell conveys gentle compassion and sharp authority as Mother Abbess, bringing down the house with a gorgeous rendition of Climb Ev’ry Mountain at the end of Act 1. Keslie Ward (Liesl), Landon Brimacombe (Friedrich), Maya Karp (Louisa), Arick Brooks (Kurt), Katie Grgecic (Brigitta), Amaryllis C. Miller (Marta), and Sophia Massa (Gretl) are adorably cohesive as the von Trapp children. Ward particularly separates from the pack to enjoyably duet with Chad P. Campbell (Rolf) for Sixteen Going On Seventeen. Pleasant duo Melissa McKamie (Elsa Schraeder) and Jake Mills (Max Detweiler) give sophisticated flair to the underrated How Can Love Survive? and No Way To Stop It. Numerous featured roles are winningly executed as well.

In addition, this Broadway-caliber production, helmed by Matt Lenz recreating Jack O’Brien’s original elegant staging which previously contained refreshing non-traditional casting in principal roles, features a knockout artistic team. The group includes scenic designer Douglas W. Schmidt, costumer Jane Greenwood (providing astute evolutions in Rolf’s attire from messenger boy to Nazi loyalist), lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Shannon Slaton, and choreographer Jonathan Warren recreating Danny Mefford’s original routines. Music director/conductor Michael Uselmann leads a first-rate orchestra.

Schmaltz often undercuts the potency within this meaningful account, adapted by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse based on The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. Nonetheless, O’Brien’s idea to re-approach the show by reiterating the importance of love entering the hearts of a family who desperately need it serves as a fulfilling foundation. As Georg tells Maria, “You’ve brought music back into my home.” Perfect for families, The Sound of Music is a sheer delight.

 

The Sound of Music continues Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton. Act One: 90 minutes; Act Two: 47 minutes. Tickets are $45-$114. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.

Lily’s Bistro hosts 5 Course 80’s Themed Dinner

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On Wednesday, February 28 Lily’s Bistro is hosting “Miami Vice” night, a five-course themed dinner complete with tropical cocktail samples perfect for getting you into that yacht lounging state of mind.

 

“This winter’s been extra cold so we wanted to throw an event that would take us to a warmer state of mind,” Emily Mendenhall, owner of Lily’s Bistro said. “What’s not to love about white suits and tropical drinks? We wanted to have a night that transports you to a different time and place for the evening.”

 

The Legend of Geek Gala 2018

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VR, old-school Nintendo, Blind Bob’s, and enough raffle prizes to make your head spin: it’s a party. Better than that, it’s a gala.

The official Dayton Geek Gala comes to Blind Bob’s in the Oregon District this Saturday at 7 pm “The Legend of Geek Gala” makes its return to Dayton with a Legend of Zelda theme and trust me: you’ll want to be in attendance.

The event is the brainchild of Dayton resident Josher Lumpkin — a neonatal nurse with a passion for community and all things geek. The gala hopes to bring a taste of the convention culture home to Dayton, providing a one-stop hangout for anyone geek enough to enjoy it. The inaugural 2017 effort brought in nearly $3000 for the Extra Life foundation and was such a success Josher was forced to relocate into a larger venue. It’s a party from wall to wall, with games, raffles, and fellow geeks packing in to Blind Bob’s.  

Come for the chance to win some one-of-a-kind Star Wars raffle prizes. Come for the chance to get your hands on the red-hot Nintendo Switch (including some of the latest and greatest games provided by Nintendo rep Ron Martin). Come for the chance to prove that through all these years of PS-whatever’s and Oculus-nonsense, you are still the undisputed king of Double Dragons, or the true master of the SNES. There’s something for everyone.

Photo by Larry Peck Photography — with Jenner Lumpkin, Josher Lumpkin and Katey Mermaid, Ohio’s First Mermaid at the 2017 Geek Gala.

Be wary: while the drinks, raffle prizes, games are open to all who walk through the door, only the truest of geeks dressed in costume will get the cool $5 discount on the $10 cover charge. Not only that, but a costume contest — with prizes for the winners of course — will be held by Through the Ages Fabrics’ own Scott Bradley, and judged by Susanne Kern from The Human Race Theatre Company, Mary Stephens a competitive cosplayer, and Matthew Smith from Ohio Renaissance Festival.

Whether it’s that dusty Zelda outfit in your closet you’ve been aching to show off since you splurged for it two Halloween’s ago, or the ever-nagging thought of finally making your way to Through the Ages Fabrics to see how good you’d look in a Dr. Who get-up: now is your chance. Geek out, and geek out hard.

Rachel Morris of Hawthorne Hill Photography will be snapping photos of attendees in all their geek glory, so get your camera poses ready.

“It’s just a celebration of whatever you’re into” Josher describes, “and even if you’re not into that… it’s just fun. Who doesn’t like a costume party?” Good question.

As mentioned above, all proceeds will be donated to the Dayton Children’s Hospital through the Extra Life foundation. Partners Absolute and Tito’s vodka will be donating $1 and $3 respectively for every drink ordered.

For more information on the event, and to find all the names of the people who make this event possible, head over to the event’s Facebook page here. And if you can’t make the event but want to support the cause, fret naught! Head over to the event’s Extra Life donation page here!

It’s a party, it’s a community, and like any true Dayton event, it’s all in good fun to help those around us.

Prizes, costumes, games, and a good cause: what more could you need?

 

Lean How To Use Storytelling To Lead Strategic Change

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Register now for Wright State University’s seventh annual Organizational Effectiveness Lecture Series (OELS). This year’s topic is…

 What’s Your Story? 

How To Use Storytelling To
Lead Strategic Change

During this event, Andy Eninger – a writer, comedian and former head of the writing program for the famed comedy theater The Second City – will share his insight on the risk of leaving people behind when vision and direction shift.
Something gets lost between that brilliant new strategy and the people who have to make it real. They don’t understand and check out, fade away or underperform because they’re overwhelmed and underinformed. Great leaders connect the dots through great storytelling. They map the message, going beyond bullet-
points. They build a story that builds trust, gives purpose and inspires.
In this interactive presentation, attendees will learn how to:
  • Recognize the power of storytelling for making strategic change meaningful and personal.
  • Use tools for framing message to help audiences understand the ‘why’ and ‘why it matters’.
  • Apply universal storytelling elements like hero, hook and metaphor.
  • Simplify information to be more memorable.
  • Build rapport, trust and transparency through a well-crafted anecdote.
  • Be more adaptive and connected in the delivery of information.
Andy Eninger plunders techniques from the world of improvisation, comedy writing, consumer insights and marketing for an innovative and entertaining, experiential learning experience. He’s a storytelling expert, speaker and learning designer. He helps individuals and organizations connect to audiences by understanding, crafting and delivering their stories in a memorable way. Andy has worked with hundreds of corporations, including Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Cigna, State Farm and many more. He’s traveled the world designing and delivering learning programs on collaborative leadership, executive presence, innovation and storytelling. For Second City Works, he spearheaded learning programs on storytelling, selling skills and diversity & inclusion.


Thursday, March 29
7:45 – 8:30 a.m. Registration, Breakfast & Networking
8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Program
Wright State University Nutter Center, 
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Berry Rm., Fairborn
 
Cost: 
$30 (early bird pricing until February 28);
$35 (March 1 – March 29);
$10 for Students
For more information and to register, click here.