Since arriving in Cincinnati six years ago, I've noticed that the city always seems to be in an admirable, albeit constant, state of eager-beaver PR makeover. I think it was one of those early Bold Fusion events where I was presented with a t-shirt plastered with innumerable (and forgettable) slogans ("Altogether Surprising"), snappy/sappy monikers ("Blue Chip City") and "top ten" lists ("#7 on Esquire Top Ten Cities that Rock," "Top 20 Fun City"), all of which proudly (if perchance a tad bit insecurely) declared Cincinnati as a "great place to live."
One can assume that the presence of hordes of image/branding wunderkind inevitably leads to this über-state of perpetual Q factor evolution and sloganeering. Not that this is a bad thing at all, mind you, particularly for a city that carries as much psychological, self-loathing baggage as this one (overheard comments of "it's boring…it's conservative….um, did I say it's boring?…" are not uncommon), with much of that baggage undeserved and in need of a helpful porter to chuck it off the train.
The city's perpetual positive image motion machine has helped to defuse a lot of the negative knee-jerk comments which used to be more commonplace. Then again, when people spit out those tired and predictable missives, it's probably a good bet that you could run down a list of ten or so E-Z questions about some of the city's basic treasures and would be met with a blank stare coming back at you. Oh sure, there are some easy ones….such as, have you ever been to the Opera? No. Ballet? No. Findlay Market? No. But then there are the ones that require a little more digging. Stuff that Cincinnati has in fairly decent and obvious abundance but which perhaps don't get as much credit as the more marquee acts.
Let's take the local music scene, for example. To be painfully candid, I think Cincinnati has a great local music scene for a city of this size. Not spectacular…it's not Austin, Brooklyn or even fin de siècle Detroit, but it does have a solid core of hardworking talent and prime outlets to showcase them. As is often the case, the scene here is dominated by a closely inter-connected group of talented troubadours, many of whom are longtime mainstays on the scene, all of whom are passionate and devoted to promoting local music in the city. The available venues, aside from the dearth of large auditorium spaces, are outstanding and run the gamut of styles, with perennial faves such as the unparalleled Southgate House, as well as smaller options such as Northside's twin-bill of the Northside Tavern and the Comet.
Getting back to my original point, however, it's amazing how many people live here, claim it's boring, and have never been to any of the aforementioned music venues…. which are some of the more mainstream and obvious choices by far. I would note that the
Midpoint Music Festival has done an outstanding job in promoting the local scene and raising the bar considerably. I suspect that it will continue to do so in the future. But in so doing, I can only hope that the subconscious tabula rasa of the general populace will pick up the vibe, perhaps not dismissing the city in such an offhand manner. Maybe even check out a show.
I think the local art scene here sometimes has a similar profile. People like to talk up fantabulous Final Fridays, and it is amazing how many patrons do in fact support the concept, but it often seems like a monthly extended family reunion of the same people who logroll, scratch each other's back and support their favored galleries, artists and friends. Box wine and crudités aside, it is clear that the local art scene, while chock full of talent and positively radiant in its own enclosed artosphere, could benefit from an enhanced profile. Don't get me wrong, there's no shortage of excellent arts organizations, galleries and art schools here that do a great job pumping up events and getting the buzz out, I just get the feeling, oftentimes, that they are preaching to the same overlapping choir.
Maybe that's all we can hope for--a healthy choir of patrons and artists, ensconced in their respective comfort zones, all nodding in kumbaya agreement—although clearly nobody should just settle for that. When I read ignorant comments in the Enquirer pages from far-flung suburban outposts, I know we aren't going to change their uninformed pre-conceived manifestos about the city. That's fine. They would never move here anyway. What I am concerned about is making sure the urbanistas, alterna-hipsters, empty nesters in downtown condos, the oft-hyped whYPes, the creative class, the denizens of academia, the newly relocated, the urban agrarians, gentrifiers, squatters, homesteaders, wildcatters and everyone in between ALL realize the innate benefits that the city truly has to offer.
While many believe what's happening in the city is common knowledge, the unintentionally insular nature of many groups, when combined with the recursive choir preaching aspects, can sometimes lead to a rude awakening when stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Which brings me to the 6th annual 12 day Fringe Festival (www.cincyfringe.com), kicking off this week. For some, the Fringe is one of the high points of the performing arts year, combining theater and visual arts as well as the music scene. To use the "mission statement," the Fringe strives "to provide opportunities and exposure to artists who are willing to take a risk. Our artists push the boundaries of the "norm" and continually experiment with style and content. During the festival local, regional, national and international artists invade downtown Cincinnati for 12 days of artistic celebration in both traditional and non-traditional spaces. These artists represent a variety of media including theatre, dance, music, poetry, visual art, and film."
All well and good, and an excellent event which I encourage all to attend. That said, however, the Fringe at times experiences a similar insular fate as described above. I think a lot of people are actually well aware of the Fringe…it generates pretty decent coverage in both the mainstream fishwrap as well as the alterna and ent-weeklies. In my experience, however, when pressed, a lot of people on the (non-"Fringe") periphery will give the proverbial lip service to the fest, while following up with a "I'll have to get down there this year."
The challenge here is raising the bar, raising the profile, and getting those well-intentioned folks to follow through on their well intentions. Just like the Midpoint Music Festival for the music scene, and Final Fridays for the art scene, the Fringe Festival raises the profile for the performing/visual arts scene, and now is the time for people to take notice. Cincinnati is giving people a reason to check out these scenes. Over-the-Rhine's revitalization, as well as downtown in general, is a key draw for the Fringe Fest. There's a buzz going to events down there that simply isn't present in Oakley, Hyde Park or..um, West Chester. (Now don't get me wrong, I think a West Chester Fringe Festival might be a brilliant and bold artistic concept….albeit perhaps in more flush economic times.).
The Fringe Fest is the type of event that you have to have if you're going to compete with the hip cities of the world. A celebration of the creative sprit and blah blah blah [insert clichéd art-crit pabulum here] Regardless, no amount of blathering and bloviating on my part is going to rewrite what's going on at these colorful and diverse Over-the-Rhine stages. Just check it out for yourself…and tell others to do so, by preaching to the fringe as opposed to the choir. Go forth and proselytize.
We'll all reap the benefits.
Photography by Scott Beseler
New Stage Collective
Samurai 7x1, Cincinnati Fringe Festival
Higher Level Art, visual Fringe mural on the side of The Know Theatre of Cincinnati
You You're Awesome, Northside Tavern
Samurai 7x1, Cincinnati Fringe Festival
It Might be Okay, Cincinnati Fringe Festival