Dayton Most Metro

Gettin’ geeky with Super-Fly Comics

July 13, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 3 Comments

Super-Fly Comics at 132 Dayton Street, Yellow Springs.

Remember 7-Eleven in the 1980s? The ubiquitous convenience-store chain was something of a temple of sorts for kids like me who grew up during the era of Pac Man and Reaganomics.

Was it the day-old hot dogs that lured me into the brightly-lit snack shack? Nope.

Was it the allure of icy smooth flavorful Slurpee’s that drew me back to the orange and green? Wrong again.

The thing that I saved my quarters for was not Big Gulps or Snickers bars (well, maybe a few Snickers bars). What I craved – even more than the sugar – was comic books. The comic book was somewhat of a deity to me back in the day.

And the spinner rack was a shrine.

Comics specialty stores popped up in the 1990’s and they quickly became the new destination for geeks to get their weekly fantasy fix. Though the comic industry peaked in the mid nineties, and independent comic book stores started to disappear, you could still find your favorite funny books in national bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Border’s.

However, it became harder for the loyal, die-hard comic book fans to locate a shop that understood them, attended to their nerdy needs and didn’t have associates that resembled ‘Comic book Guy’ Jeff Albertson from the Simpsons animated television show. A good comic shop needs to cater to that resiliently loyal fanbase who loves comics, yet still be inviting enough for the casual customers who don’t know the difference between Kryptonite and a cryptogram.

True believers, I have found such a place: Super-Fly Comics in Yellow Springs.

Thacher Cleveland and Anthony Barry, co-owners of Super-Fly, talked to DMM about their love of the comics medium, the mechanics of a good ( and bad) comic book movie and the future of the industry.

DMM: Tell me about how you got started selling comics?

TC: We both used to work over at Dark Star Comics and Used Books. We made the owner an offer to buy her new comic business –her subscription services and the stock — and move it over here into a separate store. She wanted to focus more on used books, and things of that nature. She accepted, and we brought it over here. It’s grown since then.

Thacher Cleveland (left), and Anthony Barry of Super-Fly Comics.

DMM: When was this?

Thacher Cleveland: This was August of 2007.

DMM: So, were you guys always comic book fans?

TC: Yeah, definitely.

Anthony Barry: I don’t even remember a time in my life when there weren’t comics around.

TC: We actually have what I am 98% sure was my first comic that I had ever got on display [in the store]: An issue of Batman that my mother had bought for me when I was home sick from school one day…I was probably 8 or 9 years-old. That’s sort of my first distinct memory of getting and reading a comic. It sort of grew from there.

DMM: When did you start working at Dark Star?

TC: I started working there in 2002, and began managing in 2004.

AB: [2004] was when I got hired over there.

DMM: Is it safe to describe you guys as comic book geeks?

AB: Oh yeah! [Laughs.]

TC: Yeah, we’re pretty much into a lot of geeky stuff in general. When you’ve been around them and enjoy reading them as much as we do, it just becomes sort of a lifestyle.

DMM: Comic books have always had a stigma as being for kids. What’s the average age of the people who walk through your doors?

Super-Fly's ample lighting, bright colors and open layout create an inviting atmosphere for browsing

TC: It’s hard to say. I would say that a lot of our regulars are guys over 18. We don’t see as many younger kids as we would like. For the most part, its become less of a “Hey, comics are for kids” and more of the notion that comics are for people that enjoy reading them. Even a lot of our casual guys are of the older variety.

DMM: What was the concept for the store early on?

TC: We wanted a comic shop that was really inclusive for everyone. There’s a stereotype of comic shops as being, you know, dark and dungeous. It couldn’t be a comic shop just for “us” or people that weren’t willing to devote every second of their day to comics.

Comics aren’t just superheroes. There’s so much other stuff out there. There’s all kinds of fun genres being explored. There are historical stories being told. Autobiographical stories being told. It’s so diverse. We wanted a shop to be as diverse as the comics medium is. That was pretty much our goal going into it.

So far, people seem to be responding to that. And we appreciate it.

DMM: We’ve seen a lot of comic book movies, in the last decade or so. What’s your opinion of Hollywood’s love affair with comic book characters?

TC: I think it’s great when [the studios] treat the source material respectfully. I think a lot more movies, nowadays, are being made by people who understand and enjoy the comics. You have more people working in the entertainment industry that grew up on comics than the previous generations.

When they’re done well with a keen eye towards staying true to the source material, then it’s fine. In a lot of cases, it increases people’s exposure to comics. When the Watchmen movie came out, we had so many people wanting to come in and get the graphic novel to read before they saw the movie.

AB: It’s a mixed bag. We saw exponential sales with the Watchmen film. We don’t tend to see as much of a bump with movies like Iron Man. Those are characters that are already known. Sometimes, and I’m looking at the movie Wanted, for example, the movies can do a disservice when they change the story so much that it’s almost unrecognizable. People come in and go,”Hey, I want to read the book that the movie was about.” And, the movie was dramatically different from the book. That’s not doing anyone any favors.

Super-Fly hosts art shows, in-store gaming events like HeroClix and HeroScape and dance parties featuring live music.

DMM: With devices — like Apple’s iPad– distributing comics electronically, are there any concerns from you guys regarding the future of the bricks-and-mortar comic book retail store?

TC: That’s probably the number one question that comic retailers across the country are wrestling with. I think what it comes down to is this: If you have a good shop– a shop that people like coming to– then you’ll be fine. If you’re providing them a good experience, have a good selection of product and you’re friendly, then people will come back.

There are always gonna be people that want something for free…or for less. But I like to think that we provide a really good experience and a good environment. I hope that people browse through the free and cheap stuff [on the iPad] from the ‘Big Two’ (Marvel and DC) and see something they like and start looking for a good shop.

AB: I’ve yet to see a digital reader I’m satisfied with…although, it’s just a matter of time before that comes along. Also, a lot of comics readers are into the ‘collectability’ of comics and possessing [the books.] There’s really no replacement for coming into a store and talking to people who know what they’re talking about. They ability for someone to recommend books or just have someone to share your experiences with…you can’t replace that. The customer/shopkeeper relationship that develops over time is certainly better than any computer.

DMM: What, do you think, is Super-Fly’s competitive advantage over other comic shops?

TC: Again, I would say selection and customer service. We’ve also received a lot of feedback from our customers that they like the way our store looks; they like the way us and our staff treat them. We special order for people. We ship, for free, within Ohio for people who can’t make it to Yellow Springs. We try to put in as much effort as we can to making the entire experience really good. I hope that all shops are doing that.

AB: We provide a quality experience. The competition isn’t just other comic shops — it’s online, digital retailers and sites like Amazon. You really have to provide a unique experience. Like Thacher said, we special order things for people all the time. But even if we can’t get it for them, we’ll tell them where they can. We’ll at least make the connection for them. I feel, that’s what people value the most; we assist them in finding what they’re looking for.

Super-Fly Comics is located at 132 Dayton Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio. You can reach them at (937) 767-1445 or [email protected].
Hours:
Monday & Tuesday Noon – 7pm
Wednesday through Saturday 11am – 8pm
Sunday Noon – 7pm

facebook.com/superflycomics

superflycomics.com

“Tell ’em DaytonMostMetro.com sent ya!”

The author wishes to thank these two gentleman for their time. He would also like to add that, despite his attempts, he has yet to successfully develop a method of irradiating spiders in an effort to gain super strength. He also believes that microwaving spiders was probably not a good idea.

Help the Humane Society of Greater Dayton win $20,000

July 13, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

The Humane Society of Greater Dayton is a top five finalist in the Jump START Your Nonprofit contest from Modern Office Methods. The winning organization will receive new office equipment valued at $20,000. The second prize is valued at $10,000 and the third prize at $5,000.

This is a great opportunity for us, as you know firsthand the time it takes to raise this amount of money. This makeover would allow us to be more efficient in providing services for those who need it most. And, typically, money raised tends to support our mission, rather than offset business technology costs.

We need your vote! The more votes, the better chance we have to win. Go to www.momnet.com and vote for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton once a day beginning Monday, July 12 at 8am through Sunday, July 25 at midnight. We need this makeover to help us run better and serve our communities better!

Please share this with any friends or colleagues who you feel would be willing to vote for us.

Happy voting and thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Megan Moon

Humane Society of Greater Dayton

1661 Nicholas Road

Dayton, Ohio 45417

Phone: (937) 262-5929

Fax: (937) 267-5227

[email protected]

www.humanesocietydayton.org

The Wandas//Bending Over Backwards

July 13, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

…we’re very excited about this evening’s edition of The Buddha Den NTRO/XPO at South Park Tavern, as we’ll be hosting Boston indie-pop quartet, The Wandas. The band are currently out on tour [see dates below] in support of their album New Wave Blues, a well-crafted disc overflowing with sunny hooks driven by heart-on-the-sleeve sentimentality. The Wandas will be joined this evening by our July Residency, Outright Liar. Music starts at 10 pm and is FREE/ALL AGES. See you there…

MP3: The Wandas “Bending Over Backwards”

Download audio file (Bending_Over_Backwards.mp3)

Jul 13 South Park Tavern Dayton, OH

Jul 14 Blue Rock Tavern Cincinnati, Ohio

Jul 15 Vollrath Tavern Indianapolis, Indiana

Jul 16 Elbo Room Chicago

Jul 19 The Strutt Kalamazoo, Michigan

Jul 20 Merge Buffalo, New York

Yeah… but can it play Dayton?

July 13, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 8 Comments

Dayton, Ohio: a hotbed for the development & performance of new musical theatre?

YES.

“It is a hopeless endeavour to attract people to a theatre unless they can be first brought to believe that they will never get in.” – CHARLES DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby

Musical Theatre Workshop: Festival 2010

THE HUMAN RACE THEATRE COMPANY

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, American Musical Theatre was developed right in the heart of it all – Manhatten. After all, that’s where all the great theatre was happening. PLUS – it wasn’t nearly as expensive to produce a big Broadway musical as it is today. (Wicked has just recently recouped its $40 million investment and THAT’S a runaway hit). Add to that the fact that the vast majority of Broadway audiences are tourists, then you can see why so many writers of new musical theatre are hungry to test their work in an “everyman” market. After all, those are the folks buying tickets.

Events here in our city over the next two weekends suggest to me that New York writers might just begin asking themselves –“Yeah, but will it play Dayton?” Without a doubt, Dayton is becoming a new Midwestern Mecca for new musical theatre development.

Human Race Musical Theatre Workshop 2008

"The Black Crook Project" 2008

Consider this. Downtown at The Loft theatre this coming weekend, THREE new musicals will premiere. One of those – PLAY IT BY HEART – features the work of Brian Yorkey (2009 Tony-Winner for Next To Normal). Another – TENDERLY – was written by the same team that created the wildly popular GREEN GABLES that played the Victoria in 2005. And the third – being written as we speak by local students – will make its national debut – right here in Dayton (The Lovewell Project). This is coming on the heels of the stellar Human Race production of Adam Gwon’s new musical ORDINARY DAYS. There is simply no excuse not to catch one of these shows. Not to mention, the schedule for the festival weekend makes it so easy. PLUS there are opportunities to meet the creators and party with the Race.

Do yourself a favor and make time for this festival weekend.
MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP: FESTIVAL 2010 FULL SCHEDULE

Friday, July 16

8pm Play It By Heart @ The Loft Theatre
Followed by an After-Show Reception @ The Dayton Racquet Club

Saturday, July 17

1:15pm          Meet the Play It By Heart writers @ The Loft Lobby
2pm                Play It By Heart @ The Loft Theatre
7pm               Lovewell Show @ The Loft Theatre
Followed by an After-Show Reception The Loft Lobby
8pm                Tenderly @ Creativity Center

Sunday, July 18

2pm                 Lovewell Show @ The Loft Theatre
2pm                 Tenderly @ Creativity Center
6:15pm           Meet the Tenderly writers Creativity Center
7pm                 Tenderly @ Creativity Center
Followed by a Wrap-Up Party @ a Location TBA

Synopses:

Play it By Heart tells the story of a female country music star battling her family and a changing industry. Taylor, who penned such hits as Tammy Wynette’s “Another Chance” and Johnny Cash’s “The Baron,” calls it “the quintessential story of family in country music.”

Tenderly is about a real musical legend, one of the most famous entertainers ever to come out of the Southwest Ohio/Northern Kentucky region, Rosemary Clooney. The show includes such Clooney hits as “Come On-a My House,” “Mambo Italiano” and “Hey There.”

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Musical Theatre Workshop: Festival 2010 (July 16-18) will be celebrated at both the 219-seat Loft Theatre at 126 N. Main St. and the approximately 60-seat Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center at 116 N. Jefferson St. Tickets ($15 per performance) are available at the door. Visit http://www.humanracetheatre.org for more information.

If we seem to have a particular passion for developing NEW and innovative work, it because we do! After all, the same weekend as the MTW Festival at the Loft, Encore Theater Company is presenting local premiere of the 2009 Tony-Nominated musical [title of show] – trust me – a comedy like no other!

[title of show]

ENCORE THEATER COMPANY

What do you get when you gather four friends, four chairs, a keyboard, some monkeys, vampires, drag queens and a fresh batch of rice crispy treats? Why [title of show] of course!

How do you explain a show that has an ingredient list like that? How about “a show that really [BEEEEEEP]’ing ROCKS!”

But really, all poor grammar aside, this show really does ROCK! Just ask Dayton native Susan Blackwell, an original cast member of the Broadway, Off-Broadway and New York Musical Theater Festival productions of the little show that could. Not only was Ms. Blackwell an original cast member…she is also a character in the show.

Confused? Don’t be, here’s the premise-[title of show] is a hilarious new musical written by 2 struggling writers about 2 struggling writers writing a hilarious new musical. word. Essentially, art imitating life imitating art imitating life. Get the picture? Oh, and Susan was a great pal & agreed to be in their show.

With a song list that includes such classics as “Untitled Opening Number,” “Monkeys & Playbills,” “I Am Playing Me,” “Nine People’s Favorite Thing,” and “Die Vampire, Die!” how could you possibly consider missing this opportunity to catch this show?

Well…here’s good news! You can win Tickets to [tos]! YAY! DaytonMostMetro & Encore Theater Company are giving away three pairs of tickets to [title of show]. All you need to do is give the show’s director a good DRAG QUEEN name! Yes, that’s right, brainstorm a great drag queen name for the director of the show…and suggest it in the comment section below (everyone else in the cast/crew has a DQ name already…you can check them out HERE).

We will announce winners on Wednesday night. You will have a choice of performances (Thursday, Friday or Saturday at 7:30pm).

Help DOUBLE the number of tickets that we will be giving away! We will announce three additional winners, if we can help DaytonMostMetro reach 2,000 fans by midnight Wednesday! Go to the DMM Facebook Fan Page, become a fan if you are not already, then share it with all of your friends, family & FB lurkers.

[title of show] will be performed at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday (July 15-17) at Blair Hall Theatre on the campus of Sinclair Community College. Visit www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for more information about Encore Theater Company & [tos].

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

[title of show] (July 15-17) Call Blair Hall Box Office at (937) 512-2808 or visit http://www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for information and links to the online box office. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Please note: [title of show] contains adult themes and language.

Encore Theater Company welcomes the writers of Next Thing You Know to Dayton, July 23-25

On the “developing new musical theatre in Dayton, Ohio” front, ETC would like to mention the exciting fact that the writers of NEXT THING YOU KNOW will be traveling from New York to work with the Dayton cast on the show. Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham (who penned the Off-Broadway hit I LOVE YOU BECAUSE) have been developing NTYK for a potential New York run, and will be utilizing the Encore Theater Company production as an opportunity to test some changes and make some creative decisions in the development process.

In an effort to help cover Josh & Ryan’s expenses, ETC kicked off the 30 for 30 for New Musical Theater campaign last week. The response was great from the Dayton arts community…making this opportunity a reality! If you would like to contribute to the fund, and an opportunity to meet the writers, please email the ETC staff at [email protected] for information about how you can participate in the campaign.

While Salzman & Cunningham are in town, they will also conduct a workshop for Dayton actors about auditioning for musical theatre productions. This workshop will take place on Saturday, July 24th in the Oregon District Arts Collaborative space above the new SideBar (400 East Fifth Street, Suite A). Email the ETC staff at [email protected] for information.

Next Thing You Know will be performed at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday (August 12-14) at Blair Hall Theatre on the campus of Sinclair Community College. Visit www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for more information about Encore Theater Company & NTYK.

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Next Thing You Know (August 12-14) Call Blair Hall Box Office at (937) 512-2808 or visit http://www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for information and links to the online box office. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Please note: NTYK contains adult themes and language.

Update: NEXT THING YOU KNOW by Salzman & Cunningham

Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham traveled from New York to Dayton last weekend to work with the ETC cast of NEXT THING YOU KNOW. The writers continued to mold & shape their show into what they envision it to be. This was a thrilling experience for everyone at Encore Theater Company.

While Salzman & Cunningham were in town we took some time to sit down with them, and the cast of NTYK to record a MusicalWorld episode. Look for that episode below.

We also hosted a reception for the writing team at the home of Dr. Michael Ervin, followed by a trip to the new SideBar in the Oregon District. Much thanks go out to Dr. Ervin, Kevin Moore (artistic director of The Human Race Theatre Co.), the donor’s in the “30 for 30” campaign, the folks at Toxic Brew Company (keep watching DMM for info about this cool Dayton start-up), Bill & Shannon from Dayton Most Metro and representatives from other local organizations & theatre companies. Look for a video about that reception below.

http://www.mevio.com/episode/241734/mw66-salzman-amp-cunningham-next-thing-you

Spitfire Grill

BEAVERCREEK COMMUNITY THEATRE

While not a brand new piece of musical theater, SPITFIRE GRILL is a rarely performed show. The last performance in Dayton was the excellent production by The Human Race Theatre a few seasons ago.

Doug Lloyd will helm the Beavercreek Community Theatre production of Spitfire Grill September 17th through the 26th. He will be joined on staff by Stacey Gear (choreographer) and Dr. James Tipps (music director). BCT recently held auditions for the show. The result was what looks to be a terrific cast for this heartwarming show.

Percy Talbott – Sydney Lanier

Shelby Thorpe – Katie Storost

Hannah Ferguson – Pam McGinnis

Effy Krayneck – Teresa Connair

Sheriff Joe Sutter – Max Monnig

Caleb Thorpe – Brad Mattingly

The Visitor – Nick Vanderpool

Synopsis:

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests to Hannah that she raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill

Mark your calendars and plan to attend what will surely be a terrific production of Spitfire Grill.

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Spitfire Grill (September 17-26) Call Beavercreek Community Theatre Box Office at (937) 429-4737 or visit http://www.bctheatre.org for information and links to the online box office.

FINALLY – be sure to check out the latest MusicalWorld Podcast that features an interview with Susan Blackwell (who was in the original cast of [title of show] on Broadway!

Dinner for Schmucks – Special Screening and DMM Contest!

July 12, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 28 Comments

DaytonMostMetro.com has 25 pairs of free passes for a special screening of Dinner for Schmucks on Tuesday July 27 at 7:30pm @ The Greene (that is three days before the official release). That’s FIFTY passes – courtesy of DreamWorks SKG Studios and DaytonMostMetro.com!

So how do you get your hands on some of these passes, you ask? Easy – just leave a comment below that describes the worst/craziest work dinner party you’ve ever gone to, or the worst/craziest thing you’ve ever done for a work promotion. DMM’s official judges (we keep them locked in a closet and at the ready for these kinds of things) will choose the best 25. MAKE SURE you use your real email address – this ain’t the DDN comment boards! We won’t make your email address public but will use it to contact you if you win. Comment before this Friday July 16 – we’ll announce the winners on that day.

And if you’re not already liking us on Facebook, go do it – we plan to do more of these in the future and our FB page is the best way to find out about them!

Synopsis: The comedy DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), an up-and-coming executive who has just received his first invitation to the “dinner for idiots,” a monthly event hosted by his boss that promises bragging rights (and maybe more) to the exec that shows up with the biggest buffoon. Tim’s fiancée, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry (Steve Carell) – an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas – and quickly realizes he’s struck idiot gold. Tim can’t resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim’s life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of comic misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim’s life and driving Julie (or so Tim thinks) into the arms of another man.

From Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” comes an unforgettable feast about two unlikely friends and one very memorable dinner.

Dinner for Schmucks – Trailer 1

Dinner for Schmucks – Trailer 2

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 7/12/2010

July 12, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Woah, so clearly there is a gap in your brief sports news on DaytonMostMetro.com from last week. What can I say? The holidays got to me, and that amount of alcohol and fireworks makes for an uncooperative writing mood. Besides, unless you wanted to read more about how the Dragons are stinking things up, you didn’t miss much. This LAST week was the money week here in Dayton so thank God I’m here to tell you! Unless you read it somewhere else first…. Here we go!

Ok ok don’t get all bent out of shape the Dragons didn’t do so bad over the last TWO weeks… They managed to even themselves out with a really great run this last week but trust me when I say the week of the 4th was best left forgotten. Also, I apologize but I’m not going to run down the 14 games I missed, so lets consider this another review on the fly week. They started out great! But a win against Fort Wayne was dashed away by dropping the other two games in that series, and what a shocker, both of them were by one run. They continued the weekend of the 4th with another 3 straight losses to the Great Lakes Loons. That is 5 in a row, even for a team on a destined collision course with rock bottom, that can be hard to swallow.

But all was not lost! In the ever blackening void that the team was traveling down, they found a light, an illumination, a 2 story glowing neon sign saying “Win a Game, second exit on the left.” Heeding those wise directions, they slammed on the breaks, did a big U-ie and hit the road for 6 straight wins, snagging two straight series from West Michigan and Bowling Green. Ok West Michigan is practically the worst team in the league, but we don’t have much room to talk right now do we? A win is a win after all, and the fresh air on the open road must have done the boys well because 4 of those games were even won by 2 or more runs. Ahh, but something about heading back into the balmy Miami Valley must have staggered them, because 2 more losses against the Loons this weekend stopped them short. (why have they played them the last 3 weeks in a row anyway?) Oh well, you can’t win them all as they say, but I am pretty sure that now marks the Dragon’s longest win streak this year.

First news on the block for the Gems. I had mentioned two weeks ago that they had delayed an expected press conference until an undisclosed date. That date turned out to be last Wednesday. At this conference the Gems finally announced their new Head Coach and General Manager, Brian Gratz. This is good news! Sort of.. I mean, as near as I can figure… from what you can tell from the guy…. Let’s say he doesn’t have a huge record to work with. Yes the Gems have definitely hired some young blood here, and some might consider it a gamble. The Gems were not exactly the league sensation that I think ownership were perhaps hoping for in their first season back. Their attendance was worst in the league (as was their record) and no amount of seriously cheap tickets or ridiculously cheap beer could seem to draw the crowds out to Hara. The solution seems pretty obvious, namely, win more games.

So can this guy win more games? It sure as hell looks like it on the surface. His college career with Penn State is fairly distinguished, winning four American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Championships as a goaltender, after which he went up to the minors playing for a variety of teams over the next 5 years, but had pretty limited play time. He has had two years under his belt as a professional hockey coach. His stats certainly don’t lie, with two winning seasons, (the second a little worse than the first) but any winning season is better than what the Gems dealt with last year, so he won’t have to soar high, just get this bird off the ground. If anyone asks where he was last year, I have heard he was coaching JV hockey at Penn State, but don’t quote me on that.

Are the Gems doing the right thing? I can’t say. Hiring someone young to take the reigns might be exactly what the team needs, hell what the City of Dayton needs, and there is always a possibility it won’t work out, but give the guy a chance to work his skills and see what he can do. He’s never coached at this level before, so hopefully the management up top will give him more than a year to prove his stuff. Welcome to Dayton Coach Grantz, we’re waiting in anticipation.

On a final note. The Gems are changing their jerseys next year to reflect a little bit more with their classics from back in the day. Personally I was a big fan of the new ones… Not sure really how I feel about these, and I would have preferred to see them bust out some real throwback jerseys a few times a year instead of completely changing their look after one season. Still, you be the judge.. No seriously, you can go vote on which one you like most but only until this Wednesday, so get crackin’.

Ok, so there have been quite a few games for the Dutch Lions as well so instead of going over a game by game, I’ll let you know how they fared and where they stand at the moment. The Lions played the Michigan Bucks two weeks that brought them a 2-1 victory, and was followed up this last weekend with two losses in Canada, ouch. First a failed comeback attempt resulted in a 2-1 loss against Forest City and on Sunday, a 2-0 loss left the Dutch Lions with no points for the week, and dropped them down to 3rd place in the league with only two games remaining. Their last home game is this upcoming Saturday at 1:00pm. Go watch them if you haven’t yet this year!

Up next is great news for the Lions. Last week they held a press conference to announce that Dayton has been promoted to the USL Championship League (formerly USL-2). In addition the Lions announced they will be creating a new women’s team to compete next year in the USL W-League. This is a pretty amazing jump after only a single year of play, but clearly the Lions administration has a specific goal in mind for their organization and the USL must clearly see them as an asset. The Lions will no longer be playing regional teams in a separate division of the PDL, but six seasoned teams from in the Northeastern region of the US. This will be more challenging play for the Lions, but it will help in just about every aspect of the program including exposure, attendance, increased skill level, etc. The Lions are on their way to create true major league athletes that could end up playing across the globe.

Did I hear rumors of them considering construction of their own stadium? Ehh, I can’t back that up, but bring it on guys!

On a brief note to the Dutch Lion’s brothers who played in the World Cup Championship yesterday, my condolences. It was a very hard fought game, with yellow cards flying every where and more flopping players than should respectfully appear on world-wide television. Both teams were playing pretty….. strongly, and though I lament the loss to Spain for our adopted Netherlands, at least they didn’t win the game off of a dirty free kick call after tripping over their own feet and falling to the ground in the most unconvincing display of pain ever televised… They set up a good run and made a good shot, end of story.

A quick note here, Cassandra Lloyd has been selected as the Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Female Co-Athlete of the Year. The first time for a Wright State athlete as I understand it.

I’ve mentioned the last few weeks about Wright State baseball athletes picked up by professional teams, so I wanted to take the time to note that Cole Tyrell, a former Flyer who was selected in the 2010 draft by the San Diego Padres, has been promoted to their Single A club, the Eugene Emeralds, congrats, Cole, best of luck out there.

Football season is fast approaching, and Phil Steel’s College Football Preview has recognized seven Flyers to be on it’s pre-season All-Pioneer team. Since I’m completely uneducated in Flyer’s football, I guess I had better start doing some reading before September gets here shouldn’t I? Phew, there is going to be a lot to keep up with when college lets back in, isn’t there?

Well, I’m out, we’ll be back next week with more tidbits and updates on your favorite local sports, and until then, go watch a game in Dayton!

Beating the odds with Boxing

July 11, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 9 Comments

“You have the shoulder of an 80 year old woman, but after this surgery, you will be able to hold your future babies.” Dr. Welker said this as he prepared for surgery to fix my perpetually dislocating shoulder. It was 2003 and this was the second surgery on that shoulder in as many years. Sports injuries and a family pre-disposition had left a deep seated – and warranted – fear of dislocating during everyday activities. I would dislocate while washing my hair, riding a bike, being bumped while walking down narrow steps. The idea of being able to hold a baby and walk around with confidence seemed like a pretty big leap.

Well, the surgery was successful (thanks to Dr. Welker and lots of PT) but the fear of dislocating or causing additional damage was holding me hostage. My once active lifestyle had gone sedentary and the effects were obvious on my waistline. My arm mobility was limited, my upper body was very weak, and my fear of the surgery failing was enough to keep me from pushing any limits. After the birth of my daughter in 2007, my perspective changed dramatically. I was able to hold her with confidence – no fear at all. I wanted to make sure she lived a healthy lifestyle – one that included physical activity and healthy food – void of unnecessary fear – and I realized that my example was the most critical piece of teaching her a healthy and active lifestyle.

So I started to shed the extra 40 pounds with diet. And I began working out with Wii Fit. Around the same time, I met John Drake and he urged me to come try a boxing class. It took a few months to get up the courage, but one Friday afternoon in the summer of 2008 I finally came into the gym. I was taught how to throw a punch, the boxer’s stance, and how to do a proper squat. I did my first 20 pushups since high school gym class. We worked out on the heavy bag and with Mitts. The people in the class all learned my name and were encouraging me – literally cheering me on – as I learned my first combination. Nobody had cheered for me since high school. I felt like a million bucks. Better than that even. I was so proud of myself. What would Dr. Welker say if he could see me now?

After class my muscles were sore but my shoulder did not slip. I felt like I was checking off a list of things that suddenly I could do if I just tried – greater physical challenges than I had taken on in 10 years. I did 100 consecutive pushups. I ran a 5K. I went to class 3 days a week, increasing my speed and taking on more complex combinations. I had muscle definition that I never thought possible. And it happened while I was having fun and making friends.

A year ago, I felt the shoulder ache come back and I thought I felt it slip. I had recently increased the weight of my gloves and had been lifting a lot of very heavy boxes at work. I muttered to myself that Dr. Welker gave me release for a free range of activities but probably would have said “You know, except maybe you shouldn’t box” and I would have laughed because… really… that would have been a ridiculous concept at the time. And there I was, potentially tearing the muscle that was holding my shoulder in socket, for fun. I felt foolish on one hand and I was devastated on the other – I just couldn’t give up when I had come so far. And hitting a bag was like therapy for me.

So I talked to John about it and he assured me that we could continue boxing – and that strength training is part of PT and that is really what we do for most of the class. We came up with a new strategy to keep me boxing and ensure I healed. For many months I lifted 3lb dumbbells instead of 15 pound tires. I picked a softer bag and laid off the hooks. I adjusted my planks to relieve stress on my shoulder. And most importantly, I switched to be a left- handed boxer, which meant that I threw fewer punches with my left arm and more jabs with my right. I felt like it was my first day in class again… my form was poor and my punches were weak. I was discouraged – but now I had a group of friends cheering me on every time I got in the ring. And they encouraged me to keep trying and helped me recognize when I was pushing too hard. Slowly, I built back up to doing all the pushups and lifting the tires. Last week I got a text from one of my classmates saying that she thought I boxed better as a southpaw. I felt like a million bucks again.

If I don’t go to the gym, I am difficult to be around. For me and many others, it is a non-negotiable part of our life that keeps us balanced. There are so many inspirational members at Drake’s gym – people in their 60s belting out 100 pushups straight, women who have lost over 100 lbs, people with shoulders of 80 year old women, and newbies that are starting the journey and renew the exhilaration for those of us who have been doing it for years. It is a unique group that is united by an enthusiasm for seeing yourself and your peers excel and learn new skills – and a place where you are expected to encourage and inspire others. I love to introduce it to new people – they are immediately hooked.

To get a glimpse of the hard work and fun in action, go to Fight Night on July 17^thwith gates opening at 7:30 and bouts starting at 8:30. Pre and post parties will be held at The Color of Energy (where the exhibit “Punchers and Painters” has been on display since last month) in collaboration with neighboring restaurants and bars in the Oregon District. Learn more about the gym at www.jabcityboxing.biz or just come in and see what it is all about.

Yellow Springs Experience: An Immersion into Art & Culture

July 6, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

The last time I visited Yellow Springs, I went used book shopping at Dark Star Books, walked the trails at the beautiful Glen Helen Nature Preserve and ate a delicious lunch at the popular Ha Ha Pizza eatery.

It was a good reprieve from the my day-to-day stresses.

A day in the eclectic, bohemian village can be a refreshing and invigorating experience.

Just imagine what 10 days can be.

Starting this weekend, Yellow Springs invites the region to become acquainted with everything that makes it special in the form of a 10-day art and cultural extravaganza called Yellow Springs Experience. From July 9-18, the village will be bustling with a flurry of cultural activities. Over 80 events ranging from visual arts workshops, wellness classes, theater and dance performances and art exhibits are scheduled, creating a 360-degree immersive shared experience. The goal was to capture the essence of the community, says Yellow Springs Arts Council administrator Carole Braun.

“There was always the Antioch Writer’s Workshop and the Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse,” says Braun “There were a couple of things that happen in the summer. This is an attempt by the arts council to put together some of the things that were a backbone of entertainment and culture in Yellow Springs. We thought we would try and pull together everything. So there are astrology classes, a sustainable building and farm tours… Glen Helen ecocamps. We tried to get a little bit of everything so that people can experience the flavor of Yellow Springs.”

Events will be located at various venues throughout the village, including Antioch College which will present “Letters Home from Freedom Summer”, a public reading of select writings of some of the over 600 students who organized non-violent protests of the segregation policies of Mississippi in the summer of 1964. “We’ve been able to pull in our educational institutions,” says Karen Wintrow, executive director of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “This community is really strong on education.

“Our job is to bring people to Yellow Springs,” she adds. “We think the festival embodies everything we’re about.”

Braun is optimistic that this will be an annual celebration. “We’d like to make it a yearly event,” she says. “We’re already excited about next year!”

Most events are ticketed, including those that are free. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.yellow-springs-experience.org, which also offers a complete list of events.

What can you expect from the 10-day Yellow Springs Experience? Here is a partial listing of some of the events scheduled:

The Grand Hoopla YS Experience Launch Party at the YS Arts Council – July 9, 4-7 p.m.

The Red Tent Women’s Self-Nourishing Time – Daily, 2-4 p.m.

YS Kids Playhouse: The Conference of the Birds – Thursday – Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

Skate Music Fest & Battle of the Bands – July 11, 3-8 p.m.

Cirque Carnival on Dayton Street – July 16, 6-10p.m.

WYSO “Are You Listening” Group Listening Experience, AACW Poetry Jam, movies nightly at the Little Art Theatre, wheel-thrown pottery workshops, yoga meditation, and much more!

Click here for the full experience.

Get Outta Town

July 6, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 2 Comments

While the ideal road trip may not be as crazy as the movie versions, you can still have a lot of fun if you know where to go, what to bring and what kind of things to expect along the way. This will be the first of a few posts in which I’ll be talking about how to have the perfect road trip, culminating in me sharing with you my own road trip experience with a few of my friends.

Deciding where to go for your road trip may be the toughest thing to do but I hope these suggestions can help you figure out which is best for you.

Great Summer Spots

Niagara Falls on the U.S. side (photo taken by Nicholas Bruce)

Niagara Falls, Canada. Now you are required to have a passport to get into Canada, but it is still an inexpensive vacation spot. The area is tailored to tourists and has basically everything you need to enjoy the experience.

Virginia Beach, Virginia Great for the younger crowd but also very family-friendly. There are lots of things to do in the area, besides the miles of beautiful beach. For more info check out the visitors site http://www.vbfun.com/visitors/default.aspx

Any national park with camping. A lot of national parks have reasonable camping rates which can add to the experience of enjoying a national landmark. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a great example. This is a great time to make smores, pitch a tent in the woods and tell ghost stories while taking in the wonders of the cave.

Washington, D.C. Obviously our nation’s capital is filled with museums and countless historically important statues and buildings, but be sure to check out the rich food culture that engulfs the area. There’s even a detailed web site to attest this

Don’t forget to consider what is on the way to your destination. If you choose Niagara Falls, you can make a stop in Buffalo, NY where you can try the world famous buffalo chicken wings at Anchor Bar. The places I listed are all within reasonable driving distance from Dayton, Ohio as well!

Luray Caverns in Luray, Va. (photo taken by Nicholas Bruce)

In debating where to go, my group decided on the Virginia area. My dad lives in northwest Virginia in the small resort town of Massanutten. D.C. is only about two hours away and Virginia Beach is a little over four, which make for easy day trips. The best part about this decision is we will save money by not having to get a hotel!

After deciding where you want to go, a timetable for your trip has to be chosen. Major holidays should definitely be avoided, as they create insane traffic jams and overcrowded vacation areas. When traveling during the summer, for example, Sundays tend to have bad traffic as people are returning home from vacation. So if possible, try to leave for your trip on a Thursday or early Friday and return very early Sunday or even Monday.

As for deciding when we wanted to go and for how long, we had to pick a time period that would allow us to include everything we wanted to do. After much debate, July 22-26 was chosen. We will begin our trip on a Thursday and return on a Monday, giving us hopefully clear roads. We chose to go to Virginia Beach on Saturday and D.C. on Sunday, leaving Friday to enjoy the local activities of Massanutten.

Be sure to read the next piece of this series which will detail what to bring during your road trip.

When Street Art & Government Clash

July 4, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 5 Comments

OD Knit Graffiti - photo credit: Delectable Dayton

The City of Dayton seems to be stuck somewhere between two forces. The first is a government mired in an old bureaucratic attitude and uncreative culture with strict rules that focus on regulating instead of facilitating, perhaps from a different era when old captains of industry controlled things in the community. The other is a new generation of a few progressive-thinking city staffers & officials, a citizenry made up of those who create music and art, and those who enjoy living where creativity (sometimes spontaneous) is embraced and encouraged. The same subset of city residents that actually CHOOSES to live in the city for the love of an urban environment, despite the enormous challenges that the city faces.

Last month, the Delectable Dayton blog did some great reporting on the spontaneous “knit graffiti” (or “yarn bombs”) that popped up in the Oregon District, and the subsequent heavy-handed reaction by public works employees who allegedly responded to a few complaints by removing this spontaneous street art and threatening to bill the “offending artist” for said removal. The final chapter in this saga ended with the issue moving from the stand·pat publics works department to the more progressive planning department and a call for this kind of situation to be resolved in the future by community stakeholders instead of city staff. This was a great example of an issue going viral on the social networks (Facebook, individual blogs, etc.), and the social network reaction is what caused the change in this incident’s trajectory within the city government. Yes, the more progressive factions of the city government are very plugged into online social networks and I predict we’ll see more actions and reactions come from these online discussions.

Getting back to the OD yarn bomb incident – it is my opinion that we must have a major shift in attitude when it comes to street art in this town. While the old guard tends to favor more planned, less risque and established out-of-town artists when it comes to public art, the new generation of creatives wants public art to be more spontaneous, thought-provoking, unique and most importantly – done by local artists. This isn’t to say that city government has always come down against this new generational attitude as Garden Station is a perfect example of city government acting as an enabler. But other efforts such as c{space have run into a strange combination of conflicting attitudes within city government; regulators vs facilitators, squashers vs champions, traditional vs progressive. And then there is the OD Yarn Bomb Incident.

Street art can be controversial yet it is important to any urban environment – it differentiates an authentic downtown from the more sterile environments found in typical suburban shopping malls and corporate-driven lifestyle-centers like The Greene. Nothing against those environments – different strokes for different folks. But the more diverse lifestyle options a region can offer, the stronger it will be in attracting a talent base necessary for economic growth – and a strong, viable and authentic urban core is an absolute necessity to any region’s economy. So how do we strike the proper balance between encouraging our local artists when it comes to spontaneous public art, and ensuring that we are creating a truly inspiring urban environment that doesn’t offend the sensibilities of the average resident or visitor?

A possible solution to the public art dilemma could come in the form of a public street arts council – a group of community stakeholders (local artists, residents, business owners) that could be responsible for evaluating potential planned public art installations and quickly approving permits to local artists. Organization and communication could be done easily, cheaply and rapidly online as opposed to traditional committee meetings and public townhalls. And this same council and communication system could be used to handle spontaneous street-art incidents, perhaps with online polls that empower citizens to evaluate – hopefully with a sensible yet more laissez-faire attitude than a government bureaucracy. Whereas typical vandal graffiti would get a majority thumbs down, completely harmless street art like knit graffiti would likely get a pass (as can be seen by the quick poll set up at Delectable Dayton).

As our city continues its transition from old to new economy, we must be looking forward and implementing solutions such as these – lest we lose for good those who make our city more interesting and those who truly appreciate our urban core.

UPDATE: In case some of you haven’t actually clicked on the links in this post, check out the simple solution that Bristol implemented to deal with rogue street art after the fact: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/aug/31/graffiti-art-bristol-public-vote

Dayton Mayor Responds to Brookings Institute Ranking, DDN Reporting

July 2, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

(the following was written by Gary Leitzell – Mayor, City of Dayton)

The June 16, 2010 article ‘Dayton metro area gets 9th worst ranking in U.S.’ does nothing except give citizens yet another out-of-context, “the sky is falling” dose of misinformation about our region’s economic health.

First, the Dayton region’s demographics are unfairly represented by the Brookings Institute. The Dayton Region trade area (Metropolitan Statistical Area) lists the population as 839,000 – focusing only on the four counties Jennifer Bradley mentions in the report. However, the total trade area population for the Dayton Region is 1.2 million, encompassing all or portions of seven counties.

When all statistics from these counties are added together, the region becomes much stronger statistically. Between 2000 and the end of 2008, both the City of Dayton and Montgomery County lost population, yet the Dayton Region as a whole gained 1.8% in population. The constant news reporting about the exiting of Mead, General Motors and National Cash Register would lead citizens to conclude that we have lost population in the double digits. Not the case. Additionally, hundreds of small companies have opened or relocated into the Dayton Region, even as those larger, newsworthy companies moved out.

Despite the economic pain resulting from the loss of GM and NCR, our region is making up for it with large, successful corporations like Wright-Patterson AFB, UDRI, Premier Health Partners, Kettering Health Network, Care Source, and others, along with the many small and medium-sized businesses that are continually forming in support of these large corporations and institutions. The Austin Road interchange development should turn the population numbers positive for Montgomery County in three to four years, and the Dayton and Cincinnati regions are currently in the process of merging as we speak. All of this bodes well for the Dayton Region.

Mrs. Bradley compares Dayton to Rochester and Buffalo, NY, Madison, WI, and Des Moines, Iowa, claiming they fared well with no big corporations. However, 39% of the Top 300 Cities in the US are successful because of significant amenities such as being located near an ocean or lake, in a warm climate, near mountains, or being a capital city. As any economist can tell you, capital cities are in a class by themselves and cannot be compared to other municipalities. Madison and Des Moines are both capital cities located next to large lakes, while Rochester is on Lake Ontario and Buffalo on Lake Erie. Not only can these four cities not be compared to Dayton, but taking a three-month window and predicting Dayton’s untimely demise makes it obvious that the Brookings Institute does not have an in-depth understanding of our region’s true health.

Shame on the DDN for not investigating the Brookings Institute report more thoroughly. Dayton did not deserve this headline.

Gary Leitzell
Mayor, City of Dayton

Get your SOUL on at CityFolk with Bettye LaVette

June 30, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 3 Comments

Bettye LaVette is not thinking about her next album. And when she decides to change that, she won’t be wasting any time.

“I’m not thinking about that yet,” said the soul legend, who will perform Friday night on the NewPage Main Stage at the 2010 Cityfolk Festival, held at RiverScape MetroPark. “It could be a while, and when I do it, it’ll probably be like my others—we pull some stuff together in four days, get into the studio for a couple of days, and get done with it. I love to perform, but I do not like to record. It amazes me when people say, ‘Oh, I’ve been working on this album for three years.’ Get in there, sing the damn songs, and stop wasting your time and money.”

Gritty and languid of voice, familial in tone (“Baby” she called me many times, like a knowing aunt), with a raucous, throaty laugh and a salty gin-joint brand of wisdom, LaVette has seen and done it all, and she does not mince words.

Nearly 50 years ago, LaVette began her career as a professional musician in her hometown of Detroit, when her first single, “My Man – He’s a Lovin’ Man,” was released when she was only 16 years old. That success led to a whirlwind concert tour with Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn, and newcomer Otis Redding.

“It wasn’t happening to anyone else in the 9th grade,” she said with a laugh. “Otis and I were so young, just starting out. We had both released our first records on Atlantic, and we were there looking at these stars thinking, ‘I hope I can be like that one day.’ The rest of the people who started around 1962 are around 10 years older than me, except Stevie Wonder—he’s the only one who’s younger.”

Many of LaVette’s contemporaries reached mainstream success which eluded LaVette for much of her life, but her passion for singing drove her on. She toured the country playing wherever she could, and put in six years on Broadway in the cast of the hit musical Bubbling Brown Sugar alongside Cab Calloway during the 1970s.

“That was the most interesting thing I’ve ever done in showbiz. Learning to tap dance as an adult…that was very difficult. But in all, [that experience] was the way I thought showbiz was supposed to be. It was about a touring company during the ’20s, and when you did it, you dressed up, went out and danced for a few minutes, and you were a star. I got to throw my dress around and walk down long staircases and tap with Cab Calloway… It was really exciting.”

LaVette continued to record through the years, but remained in obscurity except to soul hardcore enthusiasts until the New Millennium, when, more than 40 years after recording her first record, 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise shot her to worldwide recognition with its blues-drenched, heart-scouring renditions of female-written songs like Dolly Parton’s “Little Sparrow,” Sinéad O’Connor’s “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” and Fiona Apple’s “Sleep to Dream.” Suddenly, Bettye LaVette was claiming—in short order, at high speed—the limelight which had eluded her for decades.

In 2006, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation gave LaVette its Pioneer Award, and 2007’s The Scene of the Crime, recorded with alt-rock band Drive-By Truckers, was Grammy-nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Always reaching for greater heights, LaVette created one of 2008’s lightning-in-a-bottle media moments with her performance at the Kennedy Center Honors. Invited to perform in honor of recipients Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, so gut-wrenching and stunningly new was her transformation of “Love, Reign O’er Me” that during the thunderous ovation that followed, fellow honoree Barbra Streisand, profoundly moved by the performance, turned to Townshend and asked in amazement, “Did you really write that?”

Those who did not know Bettye LaVette before certainly knew her now, and since then, the triumphs just keep coming. The New York Times has gushed that she “now rivals Aretha Franklin as her generation’s most vital soul singernow rivals Aretha Franklin as her generation’s most vital soul singer. She uses every scrape, shout and break in her raspy voice, with a predator’s sense of timing, to seize the drama of a song.” She performed “A Change is Gonna Come” with Jon Bon Jovi at Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. And this year, she released Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook, featuring classics by the Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues, and more, concluding with an audio recording of her famous Kennedy Center performance.

“The concerpt was my husband’s,” she said. “After the Kennedy Center Honors, he found 500 songs from the British Invasion era and went through them, and we narrowed them down.”

The Stones’ Keith Richards recently told NPR, “When you hear a voice like Bettye LaVette’s, there’s a sense of transportation, a certain freedom of movement and emotion,” and Jon Bon Jovi said of her after the inauguration performance, “Some singers sing… Then there is Bettye. She doesn’t just sing the song, she lives each of them. I’ve heard it. I’ve stood close enough to see it in her eyes.”

So demanding is her tour schedule that LaVette rarely has time at home, but when she does, she relishes each moment.

“I really love to be at home. When I was young, I wanted to live running around in the streets—wanted to get dressed up and go out and be Bettye LaVette!, and now I’m sitting here at home, looking out at my lawn, with the water going around, and I’ve got my two kitties with me—Smokey and Otis. I spend time with my husband; he’s a record collector, historian, and dealer, and now they’re calling him ‘the ultimate soul collector.’ I met him online more or less as a fan. He gave me some advice I didn’t ask for, and I wrote back a rather nasty response to tell him I didn’t appreciate it. He flew to Detroit to make amends, and here we are,” she said, chuckling.

(I ask about one of her old albums. “Oh, I don’t know, I never remember any of that stuff. He knows all that.” She calls to him nearby. “Baby! What year was that?” He calls back a response. “That sounds right,” she says. “He knows my career better than I do.”)

“I love watching old movies,” she says. “When I’m home, that’s what I love to do. My favorites would be Casablanca and Now, Voyager. Anything black-and-white made before 1945, really. And sometimes I’ll turn on CNN and see what they’re doing to my president.” Her voice furrows with concern. “All the things they’re saying about the oil spill being Barack Obama’s Waterloo—I don’t believe that. When a problem gets solved, people move on to something else.”

The Huffington Post, which lauds Lavette as “the High Priestess of R&B,” said of Interpretations, “It’s astonishing to hear what depths can be found in these songs…LaVette inhabits these tunes, wraps her skin around them like some kind of song-eating monster. There’s something so deeply human going on here that it’s incantatory, so distinct that it’s indelible. So true that it dares to be ugly sometimes. So right that it can cause you pain.”

“I feel good about the new album,” she said serenely. “It’s been received wonderfully. This is as much due as I’ve ever gotten. The things the artists have said about my renditions of their songs, and the things the press has written… Most of my early career is attributed to lack of exposure. My career is not one you can just follow by the numbers—all you can do is go by when you heard of me. Now I’m beginning to connect everything together, though. All those years in between helped me to become an entertainer. Fame and money come and go, but entertainment will always survive. I had to stop wanting to be a star and learn how to be an entertainer, and I played everywhere I could—tiny bars for $20 a night—whatever was there, and I’m up here now with all the people I started with in 1962. No matter how much money anyone’s made, or how many panties have been thrown onstage, we all started together in 1962. And it feels good to be a part of that.”

RiverScape Just Got Better!

June 28, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 3 Comments

(the following is an official press release from Five Rivers MetroParks)

Five Rivers MetroParks is excited to announce the completion of Phase III of RiverScape MetroPark, a project that will offer more amenities for visitor comfort and accommodate the needs of RiverScape’s and downtown Dayton’s continuing success. All areas of the park are slated to be open to the public after the ribbon cutting, scheduled for 11:30 AM Monday, June 28.

Executive Director Charlie Shoemaker sees Phase III as a fundamental element in the increasing vitality of downtown and an opportunity to build upon the existing foundation of community partnerships. “Since opening in 2001, RiverScape MetroPark has time and again demonstrated its value as a dynamic urban space in Dayton where all segments of our community come together to celebrate our local pride in a unique and beautiful setting,” he said. “The ability of MetroParks and our partners to gain the support for this next phase stands as a testament to RiverScape’s success as a defining piece of our urban environment.”

Patrons will now be able to take advantage of some new and some improved features of RiverScape MetroPark, including:

· A covered pavilion with a stage and seating perfect for enjoying festivals, community events, free entertainment or just a relaxing lunch with friends. In the winter, the pavilion will house the ice rink, which will be nearly 50 percent larger than the former rink with additional skating hours, more rental equipment and an extended skating season, starting Thanksgiving weekend, November 26.

· A new bike hub with secure bike storage, showers and lockers. It will provide a central location for downtown commuters going to work or play, as well as a welcome rest stop for recreational cyclists and active families enjoying our region’s extensive recreation trail system.

· Food concessions operated daily, and during concerts and events by a local Skyline franchisee, featuring salads, wraps, cold treats, sandwiches and patrons’ favorite Skyline fare.

“The realization of Phase III is because of its community partnerships,” Shoemaker said. “Joining the original RiverScape community partners of Five Rivers MetroParks, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County, Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, Miami Conservancy District and the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the new phase brought us support from Congressman Mike Turner, whose assistance was invaluable in securing federal transportation grants to fund the majority of this project. Support also came from the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. But foremost, none of this would be possible without the support of Montgomery County citizens. We’re grateful every day that the citizens of this region understand the value of the outdoors and its contribution to the overall welfare and health of the Miami Valley through creating personal connections with nature and instilling long-lasting, positive change for those living in the region.”

In addition to increasing the vibrancy of downtown Dayton, it is the goal of Five Rivers MetroParks to encourage families to become healthy by providing safe, affordable and accessible facilities where they can engage in active lifestyles.

Known for breathtaking landscapes, interactive fountains and free entertainment along the banks of the Great Miami River, RiverScape MetroPark has become a favorite outdoor gathering place in downtown Dayton. For almost nine years, this downtown hotspot has offered a cool getaway right in the middle of the city with free concerts, educational programming and the community’s favorite cultural festivals amid the scene of floral landscapes, hanging baskets and relaxing swings.

Five Rivers MetroParks thanks its community partners and the priceless support from Montgomery County citizens paramount to helping RiverScape MetroPark become an integral part of downtown and a symbol of the city’s pride and continued development of its cultural identity.

To learn more about RiverScape MetroPark and the recent renovations, visit www.metroparks.org/RiverScape or call (937) 275-PARK.

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/28/2010

June 28, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Week four at the Weekly Update! That seems like a milestone for me that I should probably write down somewhere. Hope a couple of you went out and saw a game this last weekend despite the insane heat again. Here we go.

Ouch, The Dragons had a rough weekend away from home against the Lansing Lugnuts. They fought some hard games but alas were swept in the series. This will make the third time this year that the Dragons have lost every game in a series against Lansing. The only time they have been successful was actually their very first series of the year in which they swept Lansing. The first game of the series on Friday was a 7-6 loss. I’ve mentioned the last three weeks that Dayton’s losses frequently have been very close, usually coming by one run which can be difficult for a struggling team. Out of the Dragon’s last 9 losses including this weekend, 6 of them have been by one run, one was by two and the other was by 4 back against Beloit earlier this month. Of course the other one was the Saturday game which was lost 4-1. That’s not to say there wasn’t a fight, in fact, Friday and Sunday’s (a 5-4 loss) games were both taken into extra inning, and both time the Dragons fell short in the 11th. I’ll spare you any of the details this week unless you’d like to go read the game wrap ups, but let’s just say there isn’t a lot of great news there right now.

The Dragons have got to show up against Fort Wayne early this week. They just finished a series with them, all three games were decided by one run (1 win 2 losses) and that little bit of extra effort needs to show here or else this downward spiral might continue. On the plus side, this weekend during City Folk, they will be home against the Great Lakes Loons again. Despite the Loon’s great away win record, Dayton has had great luck against them all year. Let’s hope they can keep it up.

UPDATE: 6/30/2010 Well apparently the Gems press conference was cancelled, stating “unforseen circumstances” as the cause. Your guess is as good as mine as to what this means. It could be someone couldn’t make it today, or it could mean something really big has happened, but we’ll let you know if anything comes up.

Hey guess what? New head coach to be announced this Wednesday, June 30th. Bout darn time right? Check back here for an update on that on Wednesday. There is also some interesting news involving an 18th team to the new CHL this year. I mentioned a few weeks ago that two IHL teams would not be making the transfer over as a result of various problems, (Port Huron Icehawks and the Muskegon Lumberjacks) As it turns out the single -A hockey team in Evansville has purchased the team and transferred them play for their own Icemen. This means that Evansville will now be playing in the IHL, from the AAHL (getting confused yet?) and we have already mentioned that the IHL and CHL will be tenatively merging before the start of next season SO.. Muskegon will be with the new league in a sense, combine… sort of…, with the already existing Evansville Icemen.

Remember to check back, hopefully we’ll have some news on the Gems’ new coach

The Dayton Dutch Lions managed another loss-less week which included a tie against the Cincinnati Kings and a win against League leader, the Chicago Fire. The only thing keeping The Lions out of first place right now is the amount of ties they have had. Although this is definitely better than having a bunch of losses, you can see the main difference between the Fire and the Lions are the Fire’s two extra wins. Even though they actually have 3 losses to the Lion’s 1, those wins make all the difference in the long run. Still, the win against Chicago has put Dayton back within two points of the lead, which on the flip side makes having only 1 loss so important.

The Lions were in a prime position to have the lead in the League this week as a matter of fact, as they played a commanding game against Cincinnati. They took a lead of 2-0 for the majority of the game, and looked as if win was inevitable but Cincinnati wasn’t going to go down without a fight and managed a score at the 70th minute of the game. Though a few free kicks were given to the Lions over the next few minutes, they could not capitalize on them and a potential 3-1 win went belly up as the Kings scored a second time in the 86th minute of the game. Instead of going home with 3 points (which would put Dayton on top of Chicago this week by 1) they had to settle for 1 point in a tie. It should be noted that an estimated 75% of the fans in Cincinnati ths weekend were Dutch Lions fans.

The great victory this week was against the Chicago Fire. It was a stunted first half however, as the score remained 0-0 after 45. But shortly after the teams entered the field again, a cross kick from Bas Ent to Geert den Ouden would fly right past the King’s keeper to make it a 1-0 game after 55 minutes. Defense prevailed for a while but as the 89th minute approached, and the game was winding down, den Ouden was there again, this time with the set up for George Davis IV, scoring another goal as regulation came to an end. With 5 minutes of stopage time however the Chicago Fire managed to get a good shot off to make the ending result 2-1, and handing the Lions a great victory. The next game up is against the Michigan Bucks on July 3rd. I probably won’t be there as downtown will be calling my name, but best of luck to the Lions, another win will keep them in contention for the playoffs.

Would you believe there isn’t any new postings for the Raiders this week? I had mentioned two weeks ago that former Wright State Pitcher Alex Kaminsky had signed with the Cleveland Indians earlier this year. In his first game with the Indian’s Single-A affiliate, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, he threw 5 shutout innings, striking out 4, and won his professional debut game. Congratulations!

Also it should be noted that Jon Durket signed with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Independent Frontier League as the 3rd free agent this year to enter into professional baseball. This makes 5 Raiders that have joined the professional ranks this year, the most of any team Wright State has produced, best of luck to all of you guys out there.

Some good news for Flyers women basketball, as they have been awarded a grant for program funding. This will hopefully build on a lot of momentum that Flyer’s women’s basketball has had over the last year or so. The intention of the grant is to help increase awareness of the team and the games they play through various outlets and hopefully increase attendance at games. People should know about this women’s team; last year The Flyers won their first ever top 10 game with a victory over Michigan State, appeared in the AP and ESPN top 25 for the first time, held an average attendance of 3404 which was highest in the Atlantic 10, 34th highest in the country and if I might add, quite a bit better than some of Dayton’s professional team attendance from last year and this year, and finished last year’s season a staggering 25-8 which ties a modern-era record for most victories in a season. Congratulations UD, that’s outstanding news.

That’s all for this week, I’m out! Enjoy this weekend, City Folk is a blast, and with the new pavilion downtown, there isn’t any reason to not be there!

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/21/2010

June 21, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Wow, is it just me or has summer hit full swing already? The sun was so bright I thought I’d see Leo the Lion pass right out at Baujan Field this last Saturday. Here is you weekly update for June 21st.

It’s been a pretty solid week for the Dragons, losing their first series away against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, and winning their second against the Great Lake Loons in Dayton. It made for a great weekend unless you saw them play on Sunday afternoon. Dayton had swept their series with Wisconsin to end last week and seemed to bring some confidence to the team as they travelled to Fort Wayne on Tuesday. Over the first 8 innings the Dragons scored 9 runs against the Tin Caps who only returned 4 until the top of the ninth, where they drove in another 4 on reliever Chase Ware, but managed to save the game with a final score of 9-8 to extend the Dragon’s winning streak to 4. The rest of the series would be disappointing however, as the Dragons would drop the next two, both again by one run, 5-4 on Wednesday, 6-5 on Thursday.

Dayton came home to play over the weekend and managed two solid wins against the Great Lakes Loons who are not only near the top of the League standings but have been very dangerous on the road this year. Friday night the Dragons had only 5 hits by 5 different players but made them count. A home run in the second by Tommy Nurre, and one by Josh Garton in the 4th (his 8th of the season) with a man on base was all it took to win the game. Saturday’s match went from a long night followed by a last minute clincher. A no score evening seemed wrapped up when the Dragons scored two at the top of the ninth but oddly the Loons felt they had something to say about that and tied up the game with two runs of their own. Three more innings provided no avail but then at the top of the 13th, the Loons got a runner in and were ahead 3-2. The Dragons, not to be detoured, cracked out a single from Frank Pfister, and one from Chase Weems. A bobbled ball by a Loon’s outfielder gave Pfister enough time to round the bases and get home. One last line drive from Didi Gregorious into right field gave Weems all the time he needed to round third and make it home, the crowd goes wild, Dragons win, 4-3. This is followed up by a less than exciting loss this Sunday 7-5, but how about we just keep that one in the record books?

The Dragons will play away once more this upcoming weekend against Lansing who is touch above their next opponent, Fort Wayne. That series will be at home starting next Monday. Both have pretty similar records right now, at around .520. The Dragons can improve their standing by taking a few of these games, but it won’t be easy. There is a pretty big gap between both of those teams and the Dragons, but perhaps since they just finished a series with Fort Wayne, they can be better prepared and know what to expect.

There isn’t much to report for the Gems this week. There hasn’t really been any news out of the CHL, and there is still no word on a possible head coach, or players for that matter. Check back for more later.

The Dutch Lions had a very difficult week that resulted in not a single victory. As I mentioned last week the Lions had 3 games on their plate. The first was up against the Rochester Rhinos in the US Lamar Hunt Open Cup. A difficult loss of 2-0 for the Lions was a shame but for a first year team in the PDL, they did the city of Dayton proud simply by making it as a result of their undefeated season at that point. The second stop came on Thursday the 17th, a league match against the Cleveland Internationals. The Lions started off at a slow trudge but ended up out shooting Cleveland most of the evening. Though the resulting 2-2 draw doesn’t indicate that, an aggressive offense helped save the Lions from a second loss in league play (or in a row for that matter) and we continue to see them near the top of the standings. Lastly the Dutch Lions came home to Dayton on Saturday evening to take on the Columbus Crew of the MLS. I think like many I had assumed that the Crew would not be playing their starters in this game. That is nothing against the Lions, but the MLS clearly stands a head above the rest and an exhibition match against a 2008 MLS championship team seemed an unlikely win. Yet on walked the starters and we all knew we were in for a ride. Dayton came out lethargic, and who could blame them? It was unsure to know how the game was going to go, but with the Crew scoring in the first 15 minutes they seemed to snap out of it and kept them from making any impressive shots on goal for the remaining first half, while the Lions, though developed some potentially great shots, failed to capitalize on any of them.

The Crew came out in the second half filled with almost all of their starters and things got ugly as they drove in two more goals past Keeper Oscar Moens. Though many valiant efforts kept the score way lower than it could have been, the Crew took home the win, 3-0. Three games in a week will put a kink in any team, and the Lions really tested their metal out there against some traditionally great opponents. Though I’m sure we would have loved to see a win squeaked by at Rochester or against The Crew, there is always next year.

Dayton has an away game early this week against Cincinnati, and another home game this Saturday against the Chicago Fire. No, not the MLS team, their PDL development team of the same name. Aught to be a great match though.

There still isn’t a whole lot going on around Campus, but Wright State’s Men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon announced the hiring of an assistant coach by the name of Chris Moore. Moore has been an assistant coach and recruiter at Morehead State. He has been credited for signing two top 40 classes at Morehead State, as well as assisting the team that made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2009. This is an exciting move for Wright State. If he can snag the talent he’s been getting in the last few years and have them follow him to Dayton, the Raiders could be seeing a spot in The Tournament again real soon.

Speaking of all this news with The Dayton Dutch Lions and The Rochester Rhinos, the Flyers have a great article up about former player Issac Kissi. Kissi, now a member of the Rhinos was recently interviewed (though the articles doesn’t mention the journalist responsible.) He shares some interesting information about his time as a Flyer as well as his budding professional career.

That’s all for now, see you next week! Since the Dragons wont’ be home until next Monday I expect to see Miami Valley South Stadium packed to capacity! After all with the World Cup in full swing, it’s soccer season! And if getting up at 7:30 in the morning to watch a live game from Africa isn’t exactly your idea of fun (or you can’t think of a good way to explain that to your boss) then an evening with the Lions might be just right.

Extraordinary Days

June 18, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Ordinary Days at The Loft

It isn’t often that patrons in ANY city get the rare theatrical opportunity currently occurring Downtown Dayton. Currently housed in an extended run in the Schuster Center is – for many – the gold standard for musical theater goers all over the world – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s now iconic THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. But quietly, intimately, and indeed passionately next door at The Loft, the next generation of musical theater writers is being heralded in by a young composer named Adam Gwon and his remarkable musical ORDINARY DAYS – thanks to the amazing staff and cast at The Human Race Theatre Company. Ordinary Days is anything but ordinary. The small in size – large on theme – musical evening explores several interconnected stories against the backdrop of New York City’s bustling contemporary culture. The music is contemporary – the lyrics are brilliant – the cast is engaging.

Adam Gwon, composer/lyricist of Ordinary Days

I cannot tell you strongly enough how important it is for the future of this artform that as patrons – we make the decision to not make only ‘safe’ choices with our entertainment dollars. Remember that once upon a time someone (whose name no one remembers) told Sir Lloyd Webber that a musical based on Gaston Leroux’s Gothic tale of a creeper with mommy issues stalking a young ingénue was a HORRIBLE idea for a musical. Someone lost their job over that one I am certain. So as wonderful as it is to JOIN an already exciting bandwagon – also take the time to be there from the start of one as well. And Ordinary Days and Mr. Gwon himself are poised to take this industry by storm sooner rather than later.

Ordinary Days continues through June 27 at The Loft.

The Human Race Theatre Company’s executive director Kevin Moore & Ordinary Days composer/lyricist Adam Gwon were recently featured on MusicalWorld discussing the journey that Ordinary Days took to Dayton, Ohio:

Additional Local Theater News:

Opening This Weekend: BCT’s The Who’s Tommy

BCT's "The Who's Tommy" with Dean Swann, Aiden Kesson, Lynn Kesson

Beavercreek Community Theatre wraps up its 2009-2010 season with the classic 60s rock opera “The Who’s Tommy.”

Pete Townsend’s tale of a young boy, who becomes catatonic after witnessing the murder of his mother’s lover by his father, will be presented at 8 p.m. on June 18, 19, 25 and 26 and at 3 p.m. on June 20 and 27.

The show includes many hits by The Who including “The Acid Queen,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Sensation,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” “See Me, Feel Me” and “Listening to You.

Matt Curry of Dayton portrays the adolescent Tommy. His parents are played by Dean Swann and Lynn Kesson, also of Dayton. In additiona, the cast includes Matt Owens of Beavercreek, Megan Vonder Kolk and Megan Grabiel of Fairborn, Rick Burnette of Huber Heights, Jillian Varner of Bellbrook, Malcolm Walker of Sidney, T.C. Schreier and Nick Moberg of Springfield, Leah Kushmaul and Montana Iverson of Springboro and Dayton residents Mike Stockstill, Aiden Kesson and Jenna Burnette.

The show, directed by Chris Harmon of Beavercreek, is an Edge of the Creek production, which means it is for mature audiences.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $11 for BCT members, students, and senior citizens. A group discount of $1 per ticket is available to groups of 10 or more purchased at the same time for the same performance.

Beavercreek Community Theatre is located within the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

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(this week’s ridiculously cheesy sign-off)

Extra, extra, read all about it! Pinball Wizard in a miracle cure!

Extra, extra, read all about it! Right now, right now, story and pictures
to show times, lessons and actors…
Extra, extra! onStageDayton with Shane & Dave

only on Dayton Most Metro!

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Ordinary Days (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Phantom of the Opera (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Who’s Tommy (June 18-27) Contact BCT Box Office at [email protected] or (937) 429-4737 or visit http://www.bctheatre.org

Shane Anderson & David Brush work with locally based Encore Theater Company. ETC recently moved into the new arts collective space in the Oregon District, along with Zoot Theatre Co. & Rhythm in Shoes. Anderson, Brush & ETC are currently in the midst of their summer season of new musicals in downtown Dayton: Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] & Next Thing You Know.

Casting Call

Beavercreek Community Theatre will hold open auditions for “The Spitfire Grill” at 7 p.m. July 5 and 6 at the theater, located within the the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

Doug Lloyd will direct the show, which will be presented on September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26. The vocal director will be Dr. James Tipps and the choreographer will be Stacy Gear.

Those wishing to audition should prepare a one-minute Broadway-style song that “shows your belting abilities.”

There will also be cold readings from the script and those auditioning will be taught and asked to perform a short dance number.

For more information call 429-4737, email [email protected] or visit the theater’s Web site at www.bctheatre.org.