Local

The early heroes of the AIDS epidemic were honored in How to Survive a Plague, a 2012 documentary that focused on efforts to pressure health officials to devote more resources to fighting the disease. Dallas Buyers Club dramatizes the self-serving but equally gutsy struggles of an AIDS hero who didn’t fit the usual mold: a hard-drinking, rodeo-loving electrician named Ron Woodroof. As played by the increasingly surprising Matthew McConaughey, Ron is not only straight but homophobic. When a doctor tells the Texan, one day in 1986, that he’s HIV-positive and has only 30 days to live, he greets the news with angry skepticism. “There ain’t nothing out there that can kill Ron Woodroof in 30 days,” he declares before storming out of the office. But as the weeks go by and he finds himself growing weaker and weaker, Ron begins looking for help. When a local hospital starts testing the new drug AZT, he bribes an orderly to sneak him samples. It’s only after the supply runs out that Ron finds his way to a Mexican clinic run by a renegade doctor named Voss (Griffin Dunne) who’s experimenting with more-holistic treatment options.

The usual areas of distinction in central Ohio are the realm of sports – Buckeye football and, less often, basketball. Angela Perley and The Howlin’ Moons are blazing a new path of distinction for central Ohio in music. I heard them the first time this past summer at a free Sunday concert at the Gazebo in Goodale Park. My reaction was simply, wow! these guys are from Columbus? Led by singer-songwriter Angela Perley, a 27-year-old from Hilliard and graduate of Ohio University, she and the Howlin’ Moons have an original, captivating and exciting sound that is unforgettable. Rather than try to describe Angela and the Moons myself. I will cite other recent reviews: "Angela is a total original, thoroughly unique; Cross between Michelle Shocked and Lucinda Williams and that’s a heavy compliment in itself." - Jon Peterson, Shakin It Radio (Dec 03, 2011) This was the first band I have heard in decades that made me smile. Perley wears 1950s shades behind a knowing smile as she sings out her warm, captivating lyrics and she plays – a saw - yes, a woodcutting handsaw – like nothing you've ever seen before. The Howlin’ Moons are more than competent musical backup for Perley.

On Tuesday, October 22nd, the sex-positive community lost a fearless leader, Carlos Batts. This beloved artist passed away at the age of 40. His work and spirit touched many of us, leaving us stunned and saddened by his sudden departure. An award-winning artist, photographer and director, Batts' artwork has appeared on book covers, fashion magazines, music videos, comic books and movies. Carlos has three internationally distributed hardbound coffee table books; “Wild Skin,” “Crazy Sexy Hollywood” and “American Gothing” that document a wide variety of sub-cultures. Batts directed independent features; Voluptuous Biker Babes, Kiss Attack, Young Hollywood as well as underground art films: American Gothic, Alter Ego and Voluptuous Life that are distributed through various mainstream outlets.

Columbus rapper King Vada is celebrating the release of his new EP “Flowers Before I Go” with a show at the Circus tonight, Thursday November 14th. The rapper formerly know as Lxe For the Uncool released an EP back in August called “Murder Flowers.” King Vada’s 2013 catalog is blooming more than the Franklin Park Conservatory. My best idea to woo a lady is to bring over a pizza and a bouquet of whippets so I decided to ask King Vada’s advice on what types of flowers to bring a lady during the courting process. Vada responded, “Tulips. That would be my personal choice. Most people would bring roses though.” King Vada added, “On my birthday, I give my mother Roses.” De La Soul’s “D.A.I.S.Y. Age,” Wale's "Lotus Flower Bomb" and Jay Electronica’s twitter bio aside, one doesn’t hear about too many rappers bigging up romantic botany so I asked what’s up with the floral in the King’s arrangements. Vada’s explanation for the EP titles boils down to appreciation, “It’s a Kanye quote, ‘Give people the flowers when they can smell them.’ It’s just saying. ‘Give me my flowers now. Give me my props now... Don’t wait until I have passed away.

Free Press political cartoonist Matt Bors will be among the featured speakers during the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Grand Opening Festival of Cartoon Art today through Sunday Nov. 17 in Sullivant Hall on the campus of the Ohio State University. Bors will be joined by other notable cartoonists including Brian Bassett, Stephen Pastis, Hilary Price, Jeff Smith and many others. Bors, who will also be honored at the 2013 Annual Free Press Awards dinner on Monday (see page 10), has been a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist through Universal Features since the age of 23. He was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist in 2012, and winner of the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning as well as the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award. He published his first graphic novel, War is Boring, in 2010 and is currently the comics journalism editor for Cartoon Movement. Bassett is the creator of the comic strip Red and Rover which was launched in 2000, and won the 2013 award for Best Newspaper Comic Strip of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society.

On the heels of submitting roughly 23,000 signatures in support of campaign finance reform, the Columbus Coalition for Responsive Government (“the Coalition”) buttressed its claims of a need for change in local election law with an analysis of campaign contributions in the 2013 City Council elections. The Coalition released a press release and analysis drawn from Campaign Finance reports submitted to the Franklin County Board of Elections showing that Friends for Ginther, the campaign fund for Columbus City Council President Andrew Ginther, contributed 70 percent of the campaign dollars in the 2013 election cycle, though Ginther was not on the ballot. Citizens for Priscilla Tyson raised $22,010.35 and also benefited from $58,901.58 of in-kind contributions from Friends for Ginther. A. Troy Miller for Columbus raised $7,110.74 and benefited from $58,751.58 from Friends for Ginther; and Paley for Columbus raised $12,159.30 and also benefited from $58,751.58 contributed in kind from Friends for Ginther. The major in-kind contributions from Friends for Ginther were for radio time and TV time. In total, the incumbent council members (Priscilla Tyson, A.

I am by no means calling myself a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis apologist. Or am I saying the Seattle rapper and his producer who have sold over 1 million copies of their latest album “The Heist” really need an advocate. But, I did spend the bulk of Wednesday going to their show at the Value Center Arena half-heartedly justifying my attendance at the concert. My Macklemore & Ryan Lewis defense centers around 2 things: Their championing of gay rights on the song “Same Love,” and also them being ambassadors of Hip Hop culture in the mainstream. For “The Heist” Tour, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis brought Big K.R.I.T. and Talib Kweli as their opening support which is pretty Hip Hop. Granted I am the same guy who said “Hip Hop Hooray” when Miley Cyrus claimed to be having Juicy “Slob on My Knob” J’s lovechild on twitter. Def Jam Recording Artist Big K.R.I.T. performed first, backed by a deejay. After couple of songs, the humble but charismatic Mississippi rapper had the Value City Arena making driving motions with their hands to his song “Rotation.” I thought this was pretty impressive seeing that K.R.I.T.

Who said the days of old school bump’n’grind were over? It seems Columbus is becoming a center for a burlesque revival. This year we have two active organizations – the Columbus Burlesque Collective and the Ooh La La’s – and our city hosted the Fierce! International Gay Burlesque Festival this past May. If you yearn for an earlier era of tassels and semi-clad tush swaying, you need to embrace the lost art of burlesque. I attended a show called “It’s BOOB Thirty,” Friday October 18, an hour-long burlesque show that was free and held during Happy Hour at the Ace of Cups on north campus. The only thing missing was a vaudeville comedian as the opening act. The performers, each with their own unique theme and styles, recall the days when sex was titillating as opposed to in-your-face nasty. The mistress of ceremonies, Venom Vamp, encouraged strategic catcalls and wolf howls. The Free Press’ own Lady Monster took the stage twice, known as the Queen of Fire Tassels. She was taught by the “Living Legend of Burlesque” Satan's Angel, the creator of fire tassel twirling and has worked with Jello Biafra, Leonard Nimoy and Margaret Cho, to name an odd collection of celebrities.

The knuckle-headed nitwit who edits this publication snipped my final remarks from last week's missive, in which I was complaining about my printer, which is sucking the life out of me. I was going on about how it tries to get me to purchase products that it wants to consume. My final remark was something to the effect that I should just chuck the bloody thing and get a fax machine. But thanks to the ham-handed editor, those thoughts were left hanging in the ether. They have little impact now and I don't know with certainty why I return to the subject. Perhaps it is because I am still irked at both the editor and the printer. Printers in general are an annoying subject. Since last week (when I shared my unpleasant experience with a new printer), several readers have shared their own experiences with the confounded contraptions. One correspondent told me a woeful tale of running out of ink. That doesn't seem such a daunting task on the surface.

If you are looking for some vegan comfort food, Till Dynamic Fare has you covered. They do a vegan mac and cheese (cashew based) with smoked tofu that makes this vegan’s heart sing! Till takes pride in their ingredients for being; “bio-dynamically produced, organic and local first.” Not only have they grown many of their ingredients in their on-site garden, they “know their farmers.” Fresh and creative has always been their signature, regardless of whether they were exclusively vegan (formerly known as Dragonfly) or with a mixed menu now known as Till. They almost always have a vegan soup/chili option and at least half of their homemade ice cream (right now it is mint chocolate-chocolate chip, rum raisin and lemon pumpkin seed brittle) selection is vegan. You can always find vegan dessert too! I’m about to go and try their decadent vegan Black Forest Trifle: Chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, dried cherries, passion fruit custard with coconut ice cream! They do magic things with passion fruit. When you want something vegan, seasonal, savory and hot, or sweet and cool, you can find it here.