Dayton937

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

The Featured Articles

The Community’s Voice: DATV at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

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Dayton Public Access Television (DATV), The Community’s Voice, was once again at the forefront of civic engagement during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Dayton, Ohio, from May 22 to May 26.
From the opening ceremony—featuring Dayton Mayor Jeffery Mims Jr., Representative Mike Turner (lead organizer of the Assembly’s visit), and NATO Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General, Mark Rutte—the event kicked off with a press conference at 3:00 p.m. on May 22. Local, national, and international dignitaries gathered to mark the beginning of this historic summit.

Fox News picked up DATV’s live feed from the Dayton dialogue at the University of Dayton and broadcast it live around the world!!

Throughout the Assembly weekend, DATV played a vital role in documenting the proceedings. Our crews were stationed at all four event venues: the Schuster Center, the Victoria Theatre, CareSource, and the Roger Glass Center at the University of Dayton. Morning and afternoon sessions were recorded at each site, creating a valuable archive of this milestone event for the City of Dayton.
Led by Dale Grow, the team at the Roger Glass Center not only recorded sessions but also livestreamed them via DATV’s Facebook page. These streams were picked up and broadcast by major news outlets including the Atlantic Council, the Associated Press, CNN, CNET, Fox News, and stations across Europe, including in Brussels and Belgium.
DATV—Dayton’s Community Voice—spoke loudly and clearly, not just to our local community, but to the world.
We celebrate and uplift the voices of our community: artists, activists, storytellers, and everyday citizens who make Dayton such an extraordinary place. DATV is more than a TV station—it is a platform for hope, a megaphone for change, and a canvas for creativity.
We invite you to take part in the story, a gift to give, or a voice that deserves to be heard, we’re here to help amplify it. Be part of the voice. Be part of The Community’s Voice.

$7.99 Lunch Specials at Centerville Eatery

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Here’s what’s on the menu:
Monday – Lunch BLT
Bacon, lettuce, tomato & mayo. 390-550 calories

Tuesday – Classic Turkey
Roasted Turkey, lettuce, tomato & mayo. 420-580 calories
 Wednesday – Mediterranean Veg Out
Hummus or cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green pepper & red onion. 370-620 calories
Thursday – Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken breast, mayo, lettuce & tomato.   450-610 caloreis

Friday – Ham & Cheddar
Ham, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayo. 490-650 calories

Stop by and enjoy a fresh, satisfying lunch—because great food should come at a great price!

My Favorite Muffin

175 E Alex Bell Road
Centerville, OH 45459

937-434-2535

Burger King® Introduces New Menu Inspired By The How to Train Your Dragon Film

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Calling all Dragon Trainers! Burger King® – in co-promotion with the new live-action How to Train Your Dragon film from Universal Pictures – invites Guests to take a trip to the Isle of Berk with four dragon-inspired takes on fan-favorite menu items. Available starting Tuesday, May 27, the new lineup was developed to help BK and How to Train Your Dragon fans alike celebrate the release of the new film, which soars into theaters on Friday, June 13.

As home of the flame-grilled Whopper®, Burger King is no stranger to fire and reimagining America’s most iconic burger. That’s why BK is inviting Guests to take their tastebuds on a bold and flavorful journey with adventurous new menu offerings, including:

  • Dragon Flame-Grilled Whopper – The star of the show features a 1/4 lb* of flame-grilled beef served on a red-and-orange-marbled bun colored with natural spices and vegetables, topped with American cheese, crispy bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, ketchup and mayo.
  • Fiery Dragon Mozzarella Fries – In addition to bringing the flame, BK is bringing the heat with Fiery Dragon Mozzarella Fries, featuring melty mozzarella cheese, peppers and Fiery Calabrian chili pepper-breading for the perfect fiery snack served in a one-of-a-kind Toothless-inspired carton.
  • Soaring Strawberry Lemonade – Soar to new heights and quench your thirst for adventure with the all-new Soaring Strawberry Lemonade, made with real fruit juice**.
  • Viking’s Chocolate Sundae – Finish the adventure with Viking’s Chocolate Sundae, a delicious sweet treat featuring a vanilla soft-serve with HERSHEY’S® chocolate syrup and black & green cookie crumbles.

“At BK, we love to bring partnerships to life that create an awesome experience for families. Our new collaboration with How to Train Your Dragon is going to be fun for both kids and kids at heart,” says Joel Yashinsky, Chief Marketing Officer, Burger King US&C. “Our team has created a delicious menu inspired by the beloved characters and themes of this exciting new movie that brings that experience to Burger King restaurants.”

Additionally, Burger King will launch “Night Fury Flight” – a game inspired by the new film and available exclusively in the BK app and web. From May 27 through July 15, Royal Perks members can play daily to receive exclusive offers and be entered for a chance to win sweepstake prizes, including digital AMC Theatres® gift cards and a grand prize trip for four to Universal Orlando Resort to experience the all-new How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk attraction.

Mudlick Tap House Is Asking For Support of Downtown Businesses

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As a local independent restaurant in downtown Dayton, we’ve always taken pride in being part of this community. But this past week—due to the NATO Summit—has been incredibly difficult. Road closures, parking restrictions, and limited access to downtown meant foot traffic disappeared, and like many small businesses around us, we felt the hit.

What made it even harder was the lack of communication and disregard from the City of Dayton. There was little effort to meaningfully include small businesses in the planning or to mitigate the disruption we would face. Decisions were made without us, even though we’ve been showing up for this city every day—paying taxes, employing local workers, and contributing to the culture, economy and vibrancy of the downtown landscape.
Independent restaurants and shops like ours are part of what makes Dayton special. If you’ve ever shared a meal with us, made memories here, or supported any small downtown businesses—this is the time to show your love. Come downtown. Dine, shop, and help lift up the places that give this city its heartbeat.
Thank you for being part of our story.
Jen & Forrest Williams

Dayton at Work And Play: Deepika Singh

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Conversation with Deepika Singh, co-owner (with her husband Jay) of Gulzar’s Indian Cuisine (across the street from the Dayton Dragons at 217 N. Patterson Blvd).

I love eating at Gulzar’s, and stopped in to check out the restaurant’s new space, which is adjacent to their old space. I asked Deepika how she came to be in the restaurant business.
“My husband Jay and I were both born in India and came here as children. When we married we decided to join Gulzar’s, Jay’s family business. The original Gulzar’s was started in Richmond, Indiana by my husband’s father. He named the restaurant Gulzar’s after his own father’s name. Now Jay’s older brother runs the restaurant in Richmond and we run this place in Dayton.”
“We opened downtown three years ago and are really happy with how well it’s gone. Some people who live or work downtown love Indian food and were glad to have us here. Others are new to this type of food but open to trying new things. We have a buffet for lunch every day so people can try all kinds of food and discover what they like the best.”
“When this space next to us opened up we decided to rent it and to give the restaurant a new look. As we designed this new space we asked our customers for ideas. Martin Pleiss, a customer who works at the Dayton Art Institute was a big help. The restaurant now seats 168, more than twice the seating they had before.”
“My husband and his father are the cooks here. You mentioned that you’ve enjoyed eating here, Bill. The dishes you ate were northern Indian food. In this new space we have a new menu. We’ve added some south Indian items you may want to try.”
I asked Deepika what she did before coming to Gulzar’s. “I was a teacher, and I loved it. I was born to be a teacher, and I feel like I still teach. Teaching is part of running a business.”

Mamacitas Cantina Summer Menu Now Out

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Mamacitas Cantina, a modern Latin fusion restaurant and bar recently celebrated their first anniversay and now they’ve released an updated menu. They say they’ve poured their r hearts into crafting these new dishes, bringing you bold flavors, rich traditions, and a taste of something truly special.

 


 

 

 

Mamacitas Cantina
1060 Patterson Rd,
Dayton, OH 45420
937-640-3180

Sun – Thurs noon – midnight
Fri & Sat noon – 2:30am

Graeter’s Unleashes the Beast Feast!

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Graeter’s Ice Cream has unleashed its latest creation: Beast Feast: Cookie Dough Unleashed.

The limited-time flavor, inspired by Kings Island’s iconic wooden roller coaster, The Beast, debuts today as part of Graeter’s summer Bonus Flavors, the Bake Shop 2025 collection.

The Beast Feast is a thrill ride for your taste buds, featuring monster chunks of sugar cookie dough with colorful rainbow sprinkles swirled into a creamy cookie butter ice cream base.

The flavor is a tribute to the adrenaline-pumping fun of The Beast, which has been thrilling riders since 1979 with its record-breaking 7,361-foot track—more than 1.4 miles long—and a ride time of over four minutes. Kings Island crews recently replaced over 1,600 feet of the coaster’s track, ensuring it remains a legendary experience for years to come.

“This collaboration captures the joy of two Cincinnati icons,” Chip Graeter, fourth-generation owner of Graeter’s Ice Cream said. “It’s cookie dough unleashed, just like the roller coaster itself. You won’t want to miss this one!”

Beast Feast is available for a limited time at Graeter’s scoop shops, by the pint at Graeters.com for nationwide shipping, and by the scoop at Graeter’s location on International Street at Kings Island.

The summer Bonus Flavors lineup also includes Cinnamon Sticky Bun, Blueberry Lemon Crumble, Pineapple Passion Sorbet, Minty Brownie, and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.

Roadtrip: Taste of Cincinnati

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Kicking off the summer season, Taste of Cincinnati takes to the streets of downtown Cincy on May 24-26 in 2025, serving up Italian, creole, vegetarian/vegan, Hawaiian, and Greek dishes and of course Cincy Region favorite – goetta!–and just about everything you can imagine in between.  So bring your appetites and prepare to dig into some of the tastiest treats from the Cincinnati Region. There will be 80 restaurants, food trucks, and Findlay Market vendors, plus an additional 12 beverage vendors including local breweries and wine.

Taste of Cincinnati  is the nation’s longest running food festival, and one of the largest street festivals in the country. There are 3 stages programed with live entertainment all weekend. Check out the lineup here.

Several downtown streets are closed for this event from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23, and will reopen at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27. Taste of Cincinnati parking is available in several nearby parking garages and parking lots on Third, Fourth, and Sixth Streets are available. Street closures and parking info will be updated throughout the weekend.

The downtown streetcar, Cincinnati Connector, makes a 3.6-mile loop through the city. It can easily connect you to Taste of Cincinnati and it’s free! Cincy Red Bikes has 52 stations between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky with more than 400 bikes available.  Ride sharing with Uber or Lyft is always available–although prices can rise during peak hours of this event. Parking in Northern Kentucky is another option. The Southbank Shuttle, AKA the trolley, serves Bellevue, Covington, Newport, and Cincinnati and runs every 15 minutes. To walk over The Taylor Southgate Bridge from Newport, or the Roebling Bridge from Covington is no more than 1.5 miles to the event.

Check out Taste of Cincinnati’s website, Facebook, or Instagram for the latest updates on parking, road closures, restaurants, entertainment, and other info. Event guides and maps are also available.

Taste of Cincinnati 2025 Hours & Schedule

Saturday, May 24, 2025 –11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday, May 25, 2025 – 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Monday, May 26, 2025 – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

There is no admission for Taste of Cincinnati. Menu items range from $4 – $8.

Ramen Comes to Kettering

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Owner Victor Wang and Jonathan Gearheart who owns the tatto shop next door.

Bushido Ramen opens this week in the space he formerly ran as Blossom Juicy Bar (they still serve the Boba Tea)  on Wilmington Pike. Owner Victor Wang told me that he has spent two years studying and practicing the art of creating Ramen. The work is evident. The menu is chocked full of tastes and flavors that span Japanese, Thai, and Chinese flavors. The ramen is more than enough, but the menu is deep with delicious appetizers, rice dishes and a delicious bun sandwich (similar to Vietnamese Bahn Mi).

I was fortunate to join a group from DaytonDining  to spend time with Victor earlier this week and taste the menu.

He has changed the game on the classic edamame appetizer. For the cautious eater stick with the Truffle Edamame. Steamed perfectly, salty with that earthy undertone of truffle oil giving an added punch of flavor the steamed beans. Those of us who like it a bit spicier he tossed the edamame with the signature Bushido Inferno, a delightful pepper oil that we saw again and again later in the menu.

The pepper chicken shouldn’t be skipped and a real surprise was the Fried Tofu. I am not normally a tofu guy, but this firm tofu is fried and drizzled with a sweet soy and spicy mayo. The accompanied cabbage makes this a great light appetizer with sweet, salty, soft, crunchy and deep savory flavors.

Pepper Chicken

Fried Tofu

The Bushido bun stole my heart. A seasoned and breaded pork cutlet, spicy mayo, cabbage on a soft Bao Bun emblazoned with Bushido’s logo for an extra touch. This was one of the best single bites of food I’ve had in Dayton in a long time. Everything clicked with this and I can’t wait to return to have another.
At every course I found myself enjoying new tastes and textures that are not part of my weekly or monthly rotation in Dayton and the south suburbs. I thought I had tasted it all when he brought out a small rice and seaweed hand held. I hate saying hand held, but this rice ball, shaped in a triangle had spicy mayo and tuna layered in between two layers of rice. I can’t describe it and I didn’t get a pic. It’s Victor’s take on a spicy tuna Musabi. Ask for one when you order.
Finally the ramen. Victor has put together a team with an eye for the details. The ramen looked as beautiful as it tasted. I had the spicy pork ramen, on the menu it was labeled Bushido Red. It’s got some spice, but the creamy broth soothed my palate between long slurps on firm noodles that still had a bit of chew. Topped with shredded mushrooms, sprouts and surprisingly a very sweet corn. The soft boiled egg is the cherry on top. The bowl was so full I couldn’t finish, and I tried.

This is a unique addition to Dayton and Kettering’s food scene. The fusion of Asian flavors offers something for everyone. Bobo Tea and Thai Tea’s are both available along with a large assortment of novelty bottled beverages that are sure to be popular with younger eaters.

When you stop in, tell Victor that the team from Dayton937 sent you!

 Bushido Ramen Shop

2607 Wilmington Pike
Dayton, Ohio, 45419

 

Updated Hours :
Wed, Thurs & Sun 4pm – 9pm
Fri & Sat  4pm – 10pm

*will add lunch back when they get their flow down.

Follow them on Instagram

 

Out On 5th is Back For The Summer

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Out on 5th is back for another summer season!

Out on 5th is the street closure of Fifth Street in the Oregon District of downtown Dayton on weekends: Fridays 5 -10 pm/ Saturdays noon – 10 pm / Sundays noon – 10 pm.

Closing down Fifth Street from Patterson Boulevard to Wayne Avenue every Friday night through Sunday evening allows
our business district to open up the street for guests to shop – dine – and relax in the open air.

  • Out on 5th gives restaurants and bars in the district room to expand patio seating into the streets.

  • Fifth Street is filled with public seating to allow guests room to spread out and enjoy the outdoors.

  • Retail shops can use extra sidewalk space in front of their business for sales. Looking to hold a retail pop-up? Apply here.

  • Local entertainment will be in the district every weekend to enhance the atmosphere. Looking to be an entertainer? Apply here.3.jpg

Parking

Thousands of parking spaces on surface lots, parking garages, or metered side streets (free on weekends) surround the Oregon District.

During Out on 5th, please use the detour map at the bottom of this page to navigate around the street closures and into the parking lots.

Our Oregon District businesses kindly ask you to park in these lots, garages or public street spaces, and not in the residential neighborhood.

OO5 Parking Map.jpg

DORA in the District

The Oregon District is a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) – which allows patrons to purchase an alcoholic beverage served in a branded cup and enjoy that beverage outdoors, within the boundaries of the DORA. Find more info on the Oregon District’s DORA webpage.

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Public tables vs. private patios

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As part of Out on 5th, some Oregon District businesses have expanded their private patios for their paid guests into the street.

But there are several public tables set up for you to enjoy

Look for this sticker on public tables anyone can sit at:

 

Driving to Out on 5th

With Fifth street closed, the official detour is using Wayne Avenue, Fourth Street and Patterson Boulevard to access parking to visit Out on 5th.

To access the parking lots on the north side of Fifth Street, turn onto Jackson from Wayne Avenue.

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Follow The Strawberry Spirits Trail!

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Strawberry Season has arrived in Troy! As the Community is gearing up for the Troy Strawberry Festival (June 7th & 8th) you can take part in the Strawberry Spirits Trial that will be taking place throughout the City.
At a dozen participating locations you will find Strawberry Drinks that are available May 12th thru June 8th. Check out the Virtual Map – HERE

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Esther Price’s New Candy Passport Trail

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Esther Price Candies is inviting chocolate lovers to embark on a sweet summer adventure with its new Candy Passport Trail. The three-month event, running from May through July, encourages customers to visit Esther Price retail locations in Cincinnati and Dayton to collect stickers and earn discounts.

Shoppers can pick up a Candy Passport booklet at any Esther Price store now. By visiting all participating stores in either Dayton or Cincinnati, customers can earn a 15% discount on their next purchase. Those who complete both trails will receive a 40% discount.

Doug Dressman, CEO of Esther Price, said, “At Esther Price, summer is the perfect time to slow down, share something sweet, and make memories that stick. For generations, our chocolates have marked life’s quiet celebrations. This season, we’re simply inviting fans to keep writing that story with us.”

Participants have until July 31, 2025, to complete the trail and claim their rewards by bringing their completed passports to any Esther Price retail location. Fans are also encouraged to share their journey on social media using the hashtag #EPCandyPassport for a chance to win additional prizes. A special Father’s Day giveaway is available on the Esther Price website until June 9, 2025.

Collect & Save

Complete the Dayton Trail: Visit all participating stores in the Dayton area to receive 15% off your next purchase.

Complete the Cincinnati Trail: Visit all participating stores in the Cincinnati area to receive 15% off your next purchase.

Conquer Both Trails: Visit all participating stores in both Dayton and Cincinnati areas to receive 40% off your next purchase.

Bring in your completed passport by July 31st, 2025, at any Esther Price retail location to claim your reward.

Locations: Dayton

  1. wayne
    1709 wayne ave., dayton
  2. centerville
    269 n. main st., centerville
  3. airway plaza
    194 woodman dr., dayton
  4. clayton
    4810 bolzano blvd., clayton

    Cincinnati Locations:

  5. west chester
    8621 n. pavilion dr., west chester
  6. kenwood
    7501 montgomery rd., cincinnati
  7. bridgetown
    5500 harrison ave., cincinnati

Applebee’s All You Can Eat is back: Here’s what is included for $15.99

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Applebee’s All You Can Eat is back – and better than ever! Now for a limited time, guests can enjoy an unlimited feast of Applebee’s savory Riblets, Double Crunch Shrimp, and Chicken Tenders with NEW dipping sauces for only $15.99, when dining in.* Plus, all orders are served with endless fries!

Mix, match, and get saucy with Applebee’s All You Can Eat menu featuring a wide variety of flavors, sauces, and proteins including:

    • All You Can Eat Chicken Tenders: Crispy breaded chicken tenders, now dipped in guests’ choice of two savory sauces: Classic Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Sweet Asian Chile, Honey Dijon Mustard, Hot Honey Glaze, NEW Spicy Honey Mustard, House-made Buttermilk Ranch and Bleu Cheese. Dip, dunk, and devour! Served with signature coleslaw and endless classic fries.
    • All You Can Eat Riblets: Expertly cut from the most tender pork for delicious bone-in flavor, our riblets are slow cooked and come dripping in either Honey BBQ or Sweet Asian Chile sauce. Served with signature coleslaw and endless classic fries.
    • All You Can Eat Double Crunch Shrimp: Crispy battered Double Crunch Shrimp are fried golden brown. Served with cocktail sauce, signature coleslaw and endless classic fries.

“Every combination is a win when it comes to our All You Can Eat Riblets, Double Crunch Shrimp, and Chicken Tenders,” said Reid Leslie, Vice President of Marketing, Applebee’s. “Whether starting with Riblets or Chicken Tenders paired with your favorite two sauces, followed by Double Crunch Shrimp, or sticking with your favorite – the combinations are endless!

But the abundance and variety doesn’t stop there. Guests can sip back and relax with Applebee’s Bacardi Buckets in three tasty tropical flavors including the NEW Strawberry Daq-A-Rita, Rum Breeze Bucket, and Party on the Beach Bucket or Applebee’s Cerveza & Sips, featuring the $6 Watermelon Mana Margarita featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s ultra-premium Teremana Tequila Blanco, triple sec, watermelon, and lime.**

Plus, guests of all ages can enjoy Applebee’s NEW Dirty Fountain Sodas! Guests can “dirty up” their favorite soda with a swirl of cream, whipped cream, and a cherry for $1 more.

To find your local restaurant to dine in, visit Applebees.com/restaurants

Starbucks’ Summer Menu Just Dropped

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Starbucks announces the return of Summer Berry Refreshers, a line of berry-forward Refreshers with flavored popping pearls at the bottom of each drink, a brand-new Strawberries and Cream Cake Pop and the Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso all available as of today at your favorite Starbucks location


-Returning Summer-Berry Refresher:: A sweet summer blend of raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavors mixed with water, lemonade or coconutmilk and shaken with ice. These beverages are poured over Raspberry Flavored Pearls.

-NEW Iced Horchata Oatmilk Shaken Espresso::Starbucks Blonde Espresso combined with new Horchata syrup that delivers a fusion of cinnamon, vanilla and rice flavors shaken together with ice and topped oatmilk.

-NEW Strawberries & Cream Cake Pop:: Strawberry Cream mixed with buttercream, dipped in chocolaty icing and finished with a strawberry design.

Country Music Legend Dwight Yoakam Coming to The Rose

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GRAMMY Award-winning country music legend Dwight Yoakam brings The Cosmic Roundup & Rodeo Tour with special guest The Mavericks to Huber Heights, OH for a performance at Rose Music Center on Saturday, September 27.

21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner and country superstar Dwight Yoakam’s first new album in nine years, Brighter Days, is out now on Via Records/Thirty Tigers. Listen HERE.

Written and recorded over the last three years, Brighter Days features 12 brand-new songs written/co-written by Yoakam, as well as three seemingly disparate covers—“Keeping On The Sunny Side” by the Carter Family, “Bound Away” by Cake and “Time Between” written by Chris Hillman of The Byrds—artfully woven into the same body of work in the unmistakable style that could only be Dwight Yoakam.

At once timeless and timely, Yoakam self-produced Brighter Days, infusing a modern appreciation for country music’s history with the trailblazing rock and roll spirit of California. The result is an album that reflects a sense of craftsmanship and immediacy, capturing the quintessential Dwight Yoakam “cool” that has set him apart from his country contemporaries since the beginning of his legendary career. As always, Yoakam’s lyrics throughout the album are both deceptively effortless and profoundly poignant. The album was mixed by world-class engineer Chris Lord-Alge.

Dwight Yoakam has sold over 26 million albums worldwide, with five reaching the #1 spot on Billboard. He is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner. He has 12 Gold albums and nine Platinum or multi-Platinum albums. Yoakam is the recipient of the Artist of the Year Award from the Americana Music Association, the prestigious BMI Country Awards’ President’s Award and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received a Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 2024 Americana Music Awards. He has collaborated with everyone from Beck to Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Hunter S. Thompson and Jack White. He has toured with the likes of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Hüsker Dü. Yoakam’s last album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…, was released in 2016. Rolling Stone Country raves, “Yoakam sounds right at home on these new versions,” while NPR Music praises, “You can hear Yoakam making masterful choices on every phrase.”

In addition to his musical career, Yoakam has appeared in more than 40 feature films including Sling Blade, Panic Room and Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig, as well as a role in the Amazon series “Goliath.” Over the course of his storied acting career he has worked with the likes of Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey and more.

In 1977, Yoakam left Kentucky for Nashville to embark on a music career but found that the Music City was moving away from traditional country roots to more pop-country. He found himself better suited to the post-Bakersfield movement and became one of the founding fathers of the L.A. Cowpunk Scene influenced by second-wave rockabilly and punk alongside X, Los Lobos, The Knitters, Rank & File and The Blasters.

Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 10AM on Friday, May 23 at Ticketmaster.com and the Rose Music Center Box Office.

Dayton at Work and Play: Samaneh Faramarzi

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I met Samaneh (Sama) Faramarzi at the Second Street Market as she was selling her art and some of her baked goods. Then I visited one of the most versatile artists I’ve ever met.
When I arrived Sama was painting in her backyard. “I usually paint indoors but today was so beautiful I moved things outside” she told me.
We started with saffron tea and raisin cookies. Then I tried a slice of her cake. “The cakes are similar to those found in Europe” she explained. “They are less sweet than most American cakes and have layers of cream and fresh fruits. The cookies are a traditional Iranian recipe.”
“I’ve always enjoyed cooking, and I started baking my own pastries and cakes because I missed these flavors from my home country. I made cookies and a cake for my son’s 3rd birthday party and people enjoyed them. Now more and more people want me to bake for them. I call that business Sama’s Sweet Kitchen.“
“People especially like my decorated cakes, and I enjoy making them. They are not just desserts. They are edible artwork. When I’m not painting on canvas, I find great fulfillment in making these cakes, and I know they bring happiness to others.”
Then Sama showed me some of her artwork. “I work in many mediums and in many styles. I use acrylic and water colors and colored pencils and alcohol and ink. Sometimes I paint precisely and sometimes I do pour paintings that make an abstract pattern. Sometimes I even do hand building in clay. Unless I’m doing a commission for someone I just make the art that will make me the most happy at that time.”
Sama sent me home with a few slices of cake and some cookies. My wife absolutely loved the cake and when she saw photos of some of the decorated cakes I could see she was thinking about using them for some event. For myself, I liked the cake but may have become addicted to Sama’s raisin cookies. I think I’ll tell my daughters that’s what I want for Father’s Day.