On Summit

If you've been paying attention to our nation's art scribes you already know that the hacked paintings of George W. Bush have sparked a flurry of critical interpretation. That W. has taken up painting isn't surprising; that's been known for quite some time. What is surprising - at least in regards to the two most talked about paintings - is the reflective, personal and oddly contemplative nature of the Bush muse. These aren't the rustic landscapes of your typical retired head of state (see Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower). No, these are something very different. Intimate is maybe the right word, though I think embarrassingly intimate gets us a closer the heart of the matter. In these paintings we are privy to a naked George W. Bush; the former President of the United States with both flesh and artistic talent laid bare. It's safe to assume most of us never expected to witness either, let alone both. p ain ting - George W. Bus h Interestingly many ...

This weekend, Wayne LaPierre and the NRA began the process of framing the gun violence debate to their political  advantage. This PR broadside was delivered after what Mr. LaPierre suggested was a respectful period of silence. Now, as a result of Friday's press conference and Sunday's interview with Dave Gregory we find ourselves engaged in a national conversation about the feasibility of putting armed guards in schools, creating a national list of the mentally ill, and looking more closely at the societal effects of media violence. What we are apparently not supposed to talk about (at least according to the NRA) is anything that might fall under the umbrella of gun control or legislation. (As I mentioned in another online conversation, it's interesting to see how many rights and amendments people are willing to throw under the bus simply to ensure the 2nd Amendment can be interpreted as broadly as possible). While much of the NRA's stance is debatable, what struck m...

Last Sunday was sunny, cloudless and 60 degrees. It was, at least in central Ohio, the first of a number of warm days that would add up to a very pleasant "Indian Summer". I'd had a busy week and decided I needed a walk to clear my head and mentally regroup. As I was out, I snapped a few pictures.  This is the view from under the Dodridge Street Bridge. Perhaps to most people this is "just a bridge"; a modest span traversing an unremarkable waterway. To the residents of SoHu, South Clintonville, Old North Columbus and the University District it's much, much more. Closed since July of 2011 the scheduled re-opening on October 31st is cause for much rejoicing! Just north of the Dodridge Bridge is OSU's Olentangy River Wetland Research Park . This park provides a lovely oasis of calm amongst the clatter of the University District. This is the view of the Wetland Research Park's "billabong"; an oxbow th...

A while back I wrote about my 1975 Saab 99 Wagonback . Well, it's time for an update and I'm afraid the news is not good. While the Saab had been a serviceable second car and much-valued conversation piece under my care, this last year had not been good to it. It started with an oil leak. Then, a cooling fan problem that ended with some stripped thermostat housing threads. Finally, in an act of brazen disregard for all that is rare and irreplaceable, someone broke out the back window (Seriously, the 99 is a pretty uncommon model to begin with, the Wagonback version even more so). Instantly what had been a manageable oddity was transformed into a liability. The window had to be replaced. That meant some combination of time and money on my part. If I didn't attend to it the Columbus code enforcement agents would cite me for having a derelict vehicle on my property (Never mind the the fact that the landlocked SS WTF sat for months across the alley from my house. My luck ...

Last week we took a mini-vacation to lovely southeast Ohio (specifically Nelsonville, with some side trips to Logan, Haydenville, and Athens). The main impetus of the trip was the chance to see Lucinda Williams at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville. We figured while we were down there we'd stay an extra night and catch the Ohio Valley Summer Theater's production of "Ragtime" in Athens. Here's the executive summary of the trip: 1. Lucinda Williams - Awesome. Everything went pretty much as expected until she launched into a cover of "Salt of the Earth" (The Rolling Stones), which was just sort of weird. 2. Stuart's Opera House - Fantastic venue with great sound (It probably helped that Lucinda and her band (Buick 6) are total pros who play through responsibly sized amps). 3. Rhapsody - Nelsonville's best restaraunt. If you go on a weekend, make reservations. 4. Ragtime (The Ohio Valley Summer Theater) - Terrific. I'll admit upf...

I first heard The DewDroppers by way of a track they'd contributed to The Dick & Jane Project . A friend had directed me to the site to alert me to the kinds of cool things local bands can do when they work outside of traditional musical outlets. It's really a neat project and one that should serve as a model for how the arts and education can cross-pollinate.   Photo by Jodi Miller courtesy of Columbus Alive The DewDroppers cut, "Ode to Mothers"   is a jazzy and infectious number that's equal parts charm and swing. For me it was love at first listen. That briefest of introductions piqued my interest and lead me to the group's bandcamp page; featuring the EP "Nothing. Darling. Honey Baby" . If "Ode to Mothers" was our courtship, then NDHB was our marriage vows. It's raggedy, loose, fresh, and bubbling over with the kind of reckless enthusiasm that typically only reveals itself when a band knows they're on to something spe...

We're putting the band back together. Well, sort of. My wife and I have started practicing with our friend Ann Fazzini, formerly of Magic City. We're currently learning a few covers and trying to figure out what kind of music the three of us can make. It's exciting and scary and a little bit giddy all at once. In that sense it's very much like the first months of dating, only with more people. This isn't unusual. It's how bands are supposed to start; the good ones anyway The bad ones hold auditions. This post isn't about the band though. I learned long ago not to talk about my band. It's bad form, like talking about how rich you are or how drunk you were. No one cares. As a matter of fact, I'm such a stickler for not talking about my band that I actively discourage others from talking about my band as well. During my brief career in rock I became so adept at changing the subject that people would quickly forget they even asked me about my band....