Soapicks August 11-17

Affordable Affair
August 11-16  Forget the fast food dollar menus this week, Downtown Cincinnati Restaurant Week is back. It's a chance to experience fine dining without making your credit card cringe.  Several Downtown restaurants including, Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse, Bootsy's, Boi Na Braza, Palomino and many, many more will offer a $35 dollar individual three-course dinner or in some cases, two dinners-varies by restaurant. So guys, here's your chance to earn major brownie points with the girlfriend and ladies, plan that girl's night that's way past due, all without breaking the bank. Click here for full list of participating restaurants, menus and specifics of dining deals.

Bareskin Art
August 14  Indecent exposure? Nah, it's just Manifest Gallery's 1st Annual NUDE exhibit. The gallery-founded as a venue for the display and experience of insightful, thought provoking art and design-has stripped their creative research bare with this latest exhibit. NUDE is a competitive international exhibit that explores the naked human form in a variety of media, styles, genres and sizes. The finalists consist of 20 artists from 13 states and three countries who combine for a 25 piece exhibit. The Opening Reception takes place this Friday evening from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Manifest's main gallery. Exhibit continues through September 11th. Click here for full list of winning artists.

Twinkle, Twinkle Dance Stars
August 15  The best of the best in ballet slippers will be under one roof this Saturday evening as ballet tech cincinnati closes out their season with the Gala of International Dance Stars. There will be 12 astounding dancers from not only the U.S. but all over the world, who combined, have earned dozens of silver and gold medals-think the best dancers from the best companies led by the best choreographers the industry has to offer. Come see as gravity is defied in this mix of classic and contemporary dance that's sure to amaze. Cincinnati is the only place in the Midwest you can go to experience an international dance gala of this magnitude so don't miss it. Get to the Aronoff at 7:00 p.m. and enjoy the pre-show event, GLOBAL FARE, which includes a jazz performance and an international dinner by the bite. Gala begins at 8:00 p.m., click here for tickets.

Let The Sound Take You Away…
August 15  It's been 40 years since 500,000 mud-covered hippies congregated on a 600 acre farm in Bethel, New York for the three day music fest known as Woodstock. It's time now to take a trip back to those free lovin' times with Cincinnati's Woodstock 40th reunion, Summer of Love Three. This is the third anniversary celebration since the original 1969 festival and it takes place around the country, and in Cincinnati's very own Riverstar Ballroom, this Saturday night. Hear performances by Bill Bartlett of Ram Jam, Sacred Mushroom, Balderdash, The Daybreakers, Tony Brazis, Haymarket Riot and more. Some bands are reuniting for the first time in as much as 30 years for this one-night-only tribute, to what has been called by Rolling Stone, "the most famous event in rock history." Putting a modern spin on classic Woodstock, rock guitar idols Bill Bartlett, Larry Goshorn, Tim Goshorn, Bob Monday, Joe Madrigal, Rocky Lockard, and Marcos Sastre will perform together in a never-before-done 'Guitar Hero' Jam.  For only $20 you can be a part of Woodstock's history and relive a moment in time that for some of you only began as a result of the 'make love, not war,' mantra of the 60s. Celebration begins at 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets.

Laugh For Music's Sake
August 17  Comedy lends music a helping hand for a night of laughs for charity at Go Bananas on Monday August 17th. Gary Burbank will host a night of stand up and improv comedy, music, dance and other surprises for his non-profit's Play It Forward Variety Show.  Among the performers are the Doritos commercial mini-celeb Steve Booth, Underbelly's Mike Cody, Tabari McCoy, Salsa Underground, Josh Hisle and so many more. Show starts at 8:00 p.m. with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Cost of attendance is a mere $10 donation to benefit Play It Forward and their efforts to foster a strong music community in Cincinnati.