Friday, February 13, 2009

Valentine’s Day 2009: Frog Bear & Wild Boar

Commencement: 8:00

Venue: Frog Bear & Wild Boar (343 N Front Street)

First 200 people score free admission for rest of the year

Domestic Decline Disturbing

Whenever we run crime stories like this, inevitable e-mails follow asking why the fact that the crimes are domestic was omitted… The answer is simple… Domestic or not… A crime is a crime… And even if “domestic” were a valid excuse for crime(and it’s not), doesn’t the thought of one loved one assaulting or murdering another loved one scare you?

NBC 4:
Specific details are still developing, but a shooting occurred at a home in the 400 block of West Rich Street at about 4:45 p.m... According to initial reports, a woman called police and said that someone knocked on the door of a home where she and her boyfriend live. When her boyfriend answered the door, she said, someone shot him. The victim was taken to Mt. Carmel Hospital West in critical condition. He has been identified by police as Douglas T. Shirley, 21.

NBC 4: A Columbus father was arrested and charged after CPD said his story wasn’t consistent with his baby daughter’s injuries. CPD said Christopher Ulmer, 20, made a 911 call close to noon Thursday. Ulmer said a baby was burned in a bathtub. When CPD and CFD medics arrived on the 1200 block of North Fourth Street, they discovered the victim with severe burns to her body, according to a police report. She was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and admitted to the burn unit. Ulmer was the only adult home at the time of the incident, CPD said. A police report said the story Ulmer provided was not consistent with the baby’s injuries. He was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony of endangering children.

Quick Read

The Dispatch succeeds in one day, where President Obama could not in three weeks… Explaining how the complex stimulus package will affect ordinary citizens….

While that front page choice was inspired, burying Robert Vitale’s article on petitions potentially scuttling three city council nominees on Metro B3 was insipid… You would think after all the acrimony related to the last council replacements, the paper would realize that city government is a story…

Bob Baptist and Tom Reed frame sports coverage of the Daytona 500 with excellent local contributions… Baptist’s on the NBA Draft status of three young Buckeyes and Reed on the ascendance of former AHL players into the Blue Jackets lineup… Mary Willow leads Life and Arts with a brilliant premise on Friday Night Television that ultimately was flat (great graphics, wretched reporting)…

BREAKING: Spice Suffocates

Spice Bar will close next month, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated bluntly, “You don’t know have to know the economy is bad to know they’re in trouble. All you have to do is walk in and look around.”

Originally developed by Sugar Bar Owners Chris Corso and Mike Gallicchio, the 6,290 square foot Spice Bar was purchased by BOMA Developer Tom Starker in October 2008. No one associated with Spice Bar could be reached for comment concerning this story.

Three Bars, All Wow

Walk the four minutes between Park and Vine Streets… Not the city’s most famous stretch (that’s Lane)… Not the city’s most traveled stretch (that’s High)… But, those four minutes reverberate with a beat and an energy and a pulse, which is truly unequaled…

Upon my arrival at Lodge Bar (approximately 9:40), I could have counted stools or logs or cracks in the bar…. The place was that empty… I know Thursday night crowds are traditionally late arriving, but seriously, less than ten people (not counting staff) in a major bar on a quasi-weekend evening?

A potential factor in the lackluster commencement was the cancellation of the OSU Greek Guest Bartending Competition (which we promoted and came out to cover)… According to a source, the Kappa Delta representative was prevented from competing due to the sorority’s regulations against alcohol (Greek Life regulations against alcohol? Are you serious?)…

Amidst this non-competition lull, I started speaking with Rick, a bartender with which I had previously spoken…. What started as a conversation about the hiring of two former guest bartenders as actual bartenders evolved into a lesson from a master craftsman… Twenty minutes with Rick (and I know I wrote something similar to this on twitter), reminded me of something I had never forgotten, but never appreciate until I am in this situation… When you have the chance to listen to an artist with passion… Savor it… There is nothing better in this world…

Alright, maybe there is one thing better in this world, and it’s something I never thought I would witness in this venue… A bunny equal to Lodge Bar’s Crown Princess Kadi… If you’ve read before (and I know you have), you know I gushed about Kadi’s every aspect…. You know I called her the incomparable unquestioned standard… For now, she remains this…. However, Lauren is a challenger… If beauty is any indication of personality (which I know its not, but let’s pretend it is)… Lauren should own the hearts (and phone numbers) of every male under twenty-six in this city…

As two hours passed, Lodge Bar went from dead to dull to delicious… As I left to walk those four minutes to Park Street, specifically, the Sugar Bar Columbus Crewzers Date Auction, the crowd was improving… Improving, but nothing equal to what I would encounter at Sugar, which was littered with patrons outside, patrons at tables, patrons on the dance floor, at the bar, and throughout every walk way… When I arrived, Sugar had been open less then two hours and they were crammed (so much for a late arriving crowd)…

Teen minutes after my arrival, I learned that the Date Auction would take place at Park Street Patio… I walked the jammed dance floor, down the darkened hallway, up the stairs, and into Park Street and the vibe couldn’t be more different… Whereas Sugar is a rhythmic, intoxicating enclave of bunnies and bunny chasers, Park Street is a mellow ensemble of conversation and quarters enjoying their evening out… Yes, there is a DJ in both and music in both… But, the adjoining buildings may as well be separated by a couple of continents…

After three trips between Sugar and the Park Street, each more dizzying than the last, the Date Auction commenced… I will discuss the charitable proceeds and the DJ in a moment, but first, I cannot say enough about the auction items… As many of you know from previous writing, I am not a soccer fan… But I think these bunnies could change that…

As they danced and posed and smiled, they looked like normal college women, enjoying their drinks and flaunting their attributes, but once the bidding began, you knew they were so much more… Yes, they are soccer professional cheerleaders, but they are cheerleaders nonetheless and what American male doesn’t want a cheerleader?

The answer to that question was reflected in the bidding… Eight pairs of girls, dozens of bids, and $645 raised for Children’s Hospital… An unbelievably worthy cause… The girls couldn’t have been better representatives of their organization either… Encouraging the bidders and showcasing the personalities that obviously make them worth watching on a nightly basis…

Not worth watching or listening to on any basis was the Auctioneer\DJ, a putrid, unprepared weasel, whose hours preparing jokes about the Crewzers sexual preferences obviously trumped (by a substantial margin), his hours preparing for this auction… Half of the names he read for the auction weren’t in attendance, he didn’t know until half way through who the benefiting charity was, and he decided at the opening to do the girls in pairs, rather than individually (which likely could have made more money)…. Don’t get me wrong, the auction was a success and Sugar and Park Street should be proud of themselves… I am proud of them… But that DJ should never work again…

After the auction wrapped, I walked the four minutes back to Lodge Bar…. Why you ask? Because a manager had told me to stop back because, in his words, Lodge would be slammed busy after midnight… I would have bet my alcohol consumption for a month that wouldn’t the case… Glad I didn’t bet… When I walked in, the previously impressive bunny population had quintupled…

Bunnies on the dance floor, music pumping, a thousand random conversations (as opposed to the ten that were taking place when I left)… I found the manager and asked how did he know… Seriously, was he hiding these people in a closet when I left? I know what I’m doing he told me… Apparently, he does…

In addition to a more favorable impression of their evening, my return to Lodge Bar netted me an extensive conversation with WNCI DJ Gonzo… As the lights came up and Lodge Bar closed for the night, he and I discussed everything from the economic impact on clubs to the economic impact on the average person… It was the kind of meaningful conversation two young professionals have when they know potential, far outweighs their present circumstances…

The long conversation, which finally ended around 2:20, concluded an evening in which two events were covered, three venues were entered, three potential interviews (Gonzo, the Crewzers, and the political interview we teased on twitter) materialized, and tidbit after tidbit of breaking news was whispered into my ear… That’s the thing about this city… On any given evening, if you just listen, reverberates with a beat and an energy and a pulse, which is truly unequaled…

Thursday, February 12, 2009

INVITE: Date Auction

Commencement: 8:00

Venue: Lodge Bar (Arena District)

Auction Winners Receive
Date with an Employee
$50 restaurant gift card.

Auction Proceeds Benefit
Make A Wish

Drinks (Available 5 – 9 p.m.)
$3
you call it drinks
$2 martinis
$1.50 Domestic Pitchers (32 ounces)
$1 wells

INVITE: U-Weekly Dating Game

“Win A Hot Date or At Least, A Hot Meal”

Commencement:
9:00

Venue: McFadden’s (South Campus)

Winners will receive date and $50 prize

O-Bowl Introduction
$15
Barcardi (92 ounces)

Carry the Flag

On January 27, our Blue Jackets defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in overtime. Seventeen days after Rick Nash’s thrilling goal, it’s time for the rematch. Gossip CBUS will twitter live from and Frog Bear and Wild Boar.

Get out tomorrow night, cheer, drink, and read our tweets… Until the final goal, you know you love me…

Last Week of Warhol

The Wexner Center exhibition Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms—which has boasted huge crowds, packed tours, sell-out events, record web hits on wexarts.org, and national and international media coverage—will close forever February 15. The Wexner Center presentation of the show has marked the only U.S. venue of this massive exhibition (which also toured Europe), and which features more than 700 Warhol works and items, from film to photography, painting to sculpture, audio material to TV shows, and letters to album covers, in a stunning, 360-degree exhibition design that has transformed the Wexner Center physically and figuratively. To celebrate the success of this show—and to bring people in for one last look (or a first)—the Wex is staying open until midnight two nights, with a full lineup of events the weekend of February 13–15.

Extended gallery hours Friday, February 13 (11 am–midnight), Saturday, February 14 (10 am–midnight), and Sunday, February 15 (10 am–8 pm). Cam’s on Campus cafĂ© will also have extended hours that weekend—Friday ’til 8 pm, and limited-menu service Saturday and Sunday 10 am–5 pm.

The Warhol Farewell Reception will be held Saturday, February 14 from 5 to 7 pm, featuring a live auction (around 6 pm) of two Andy Warhol/Wexner Center street pole banners and an “Andy cutout” to benefit Wexner Center education programs, led by NBC4’s Marshall McPeek. Couples are invited to attend the reception to kick off their Valentine’s night—and even stick around for one of the other events later in the evening:

Hitchcock's Vertigo will be screened in 70mm at 7 pm (a ticket to that film gets you into the Warhol galleries free as well anytime that day).

Japanese theater group chelfitsch will also be in the house that night at 8 pm and all weekend (the gallery offer holds for that show as well), with an additional short play for ticketholders at 7 pm.

Nationally known Columbus-based band Times New Viking will perform a show that explores the darker side of the Velvet Underground, the art-rock group that Warhol helped launch. The show (February 14 at 9 pm) is called Times New Viking ♥ the Velvets, and a ticket to that show also gets visitors into the galleries free that day.

The Store will offer deep discounts on Warhol merchandise.

A reminder: Thursdays from 4 to 8 pm are always free for all.

INVITE: Undone Lingerie Fashion Show

Commencement: 10:00

Venue: Sugar Bar (525 Park Street)

Undone Lingerie Fashion Show

Mezzanine Drinks (Available 10:30 – 11:30 p.m.)
$1 Top Shelf Drinks

It’s What We Call the News

NBC 4: Columbus police said a robbery led to a homicide overnight Thursday. Patrol officers were dispatched to Stevens Avenue on the city’s near West Side on a reported break-in at about midnight Thursday. When officers arrived, they entered a residence in the 30 block and found 30-year-old Randy Frisby upstairs. CPD said Frisby suffered from blunt force trauma to his body. A Columbus fire medic responded and pronounced Frisby dead at 12:15 a.m.

Number thirty-eight (since we started counting) is this city’s thirteenth murder of 2009…

10 TV: Sunny conditions Friday will lead to slushy conditions on Valentine's Day. After an early morning low of 29 degrees, Friday's temperature will rise to 45 degrees with increasing clouds… Valentine's Day on Saturday will see a mix of rain and snow. Any accumulation will be under an inch, with highs approaching 39 degrees.

Snow on Valentine’s Day?

Quick Read

As expected, Sports featured extensive coverage of the United States’ 2-0 win over Mexico at Crew Stadium. The coverage minimized Aaron Portzline’s excellent article, which dissected the Blue Jackets remaining schedule and their chance for a playoff run.

Jeffrey Sheban led Life and Arts with an interesting story on this weekend’s Easton Pinball Tournament. Marla Rose’s story on Justice Brands conversion from a high end to a more affordable line (Business) was intriguing. And Tracy Turner’s story on the struggles of Bob Evans (Business) spelled out how tough our economy is…

Ignoring how tough our economy is were a pair of stories… The Weekender’s spread on upcoming wine tastings (which may as well have been titled “The Peasants Have No Milk, Let Them Drink Wine)… And the Metro section’s story on another plan for the proposed OSU Boathouse… Did Metro think if they buried this garbage on B5, we wouldn’t find it and talk about it?

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ACB Seeks Juicy Campus Success

The internet’s motto may as well be anyone can succeed. Banking on this, Peter Frank, an eighteen-year-old Wesleyan freshman (whose parents incidentally went to Michigan), has launched College ACB. Frank hopes to duplicate the success of the controversial and recently defunct Juicy Campus, whose traffic he spent five figures to purchase.

Juicy Campus contends their failure was the result of an advertising market contraction. Frank disagrees. “I’m not surprised they failed,” Frank said. “The type of content they allowed left them vulnerable to lawsuits.”

Frank also believes College ACB is different enough to succeed. “We’re trying to fill their void, but we wont allow mean spirited messages and if a post is reported and violates the terms of service, it will be removed,” he said. “They didn’t enforce their terms of service. They turned a blind eye. We won’t. This may make our website not as viral, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, in time, we had 100 schools posting.”

Like Juicy Campus, the Anonymous Confession Board (ACB) allows students to post without fear of retribution. Critics argue this contributed to Juicy Campus’ viciousness. Frank counters that the anonymity offers the chance to foster a more open dialogue.

“For example, a student may ask for advice,” he said. “One student, may feel comfortable anonymously saying he supports McCain, when all his friends support Obama. At more established schools, people have gotten into more advanced topics. My hope is that over time, students will get away from more libelous to more serious forms of discussion.”

With seven topics on Ohio State’s Anonymous Confession Board, two of which deal with specific females and their anatomy, Frank’s hope remains unrealized.

“A Date 2 Remember” Raises $22,000

Columbus Young Professionals: This past weekend's 'A Date 2 Remember' event was a huge success! Thank you to all who attended and supported our signature philanthropy event. All totaled, we raised $22,000 for A Kid Again and Junior Achievement of Central Ohio and had more than 650 in attendance!