Email
PrintBoMA's star-studded reincarnation.
Machines need not apply
Karaoke machines are fun, but few we know of can learn songs or improvise the way Parker Paul does. The musician says he’s on pace to learn 200 new songs on the piano this year. In late November, he said he was in the 180s. Paul, who does karaoke at the Treehouse, 887 Chambers Rd., says he started putting on the singalongs about a year ago, when he dragged the piano of musician and Treehouse bartender Joe Peppercorn’s grandmother into the Grandview-area venue. From there, he says, it’s become somewhat of a bar staple. “It can be fun,” Paul says. “And if someone misses a verse, instead of the machine rolling forward, I can just move with it.”
He says “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse and “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot seem to be fan favorites, and if singers want Paul to join in with the vocals, he says he’s more than willing to oblige. The Treehouse, which formerly was owned by the late Andy “Andyman” Davis of CD101 FM, hosts karaoke with Paul each Thursday at about 9 pm.
—Ben Zenitsky
Science Pub
Would you like to learn about ballistics and forensics from an expert in the Columbus police department’s crime lab while enjoying a cold beer? There’s a pub for that. Would a presentation detailing mathematical patterns in Jackson Pollock paintings interest you while you sip your favorite cocktail? There’s a pub for that, too. How about a discussion over drinks with a sex researcher from the Kinsey Institute? There’s even a pub for that.
The Columbus Science Pub offers Average Joes and Janes the opportunity to learn about exciting scientific issues that may or may not be of relevance, but almost certainly will be of interest—and from a qualified expert in the field, no less.
“There’s a serious science literacy gap in this country,” says organizer Dan Siegal-Gaskins. “People just aren’t knowledgeable about these subjects and it’s a shame.” He cites the controversial claim that vaccines lead to autism in children—a cause thrust into the national spotlight by celebrity Jenny McCarthy—as being one example of why scientists and researchers feel the need to reach out. “People in the science community feel very strongly that you need to go out and say that this is not true. It’s made up,” says Siegal-Gaskins, who holds a PhD in physics from the University of Chicago and currently is a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State University.
He says the idea stems from an international movement called Café Scientifique (cafescientifique.org), which aims to give curious people access to the experts in a casual cafe setting. “Friends and neighbors ask me about things all the time,” he says. “They have no scientific training, but they’re interested.”
The discussions take place at 7 pm on the third Tuesday of each month at Hampton’s on King, located at 234 King Ave. near Victorian Village. The next discussion, Jan. 18, will feature OSU professor and researcher Ajit Chaudhari, who studies the physics of sports and sports-related injuries and their effects on the human body.
“Very few scientists actually went into science to hide away in a lab,” Siegal-Gaskins says. “Most people want to help humanity and educate. This offers them an opportunity to do that.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/columbussciencepub.
—Ben Zenitsky
Openings
MoJoe Lounge is coming to the Lazarus Building, says Cup O’ Joe president Mark Swanson, who hopes to open it in April. The space will be comparable in size to MoJoe’s Short North location on the I-670 Cap. “It’ll be a different layout because we’re not on a bridge,” he says.
BoMA goes blue
The Bar of Modern Art is undergoing a change. Now called the Bluestone as part of a rebranding by its owners, the 112-year-old Baptist church-turned-event-venue on the near east side has expanded its horizons, says co-owner Bret Adams.
Adams, part of the group that bought the church in 2004 and opened it as a nightclub after a two-year, $5 million renovation, says the complex still will host weddings and corporate events, but also will look to attract more diverse, national acts as part of its lineup.
“There are no limitations to the genre at all,” Adams says. “Our limitation is simply capacity. . . . You’re not gonna have Sting in a place that can fit 800 people.”
The owners unveiled the Bluestone with a mid November concert featuring “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier and his band, the Honey Brothers, with a surprise appearance by Marky Ramone of the Ramones. The event was emceed by former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Garrett Morris.
However, Adams says, “Because the venue is so unique, we think we can do some other things besides concerts. . . . We’re going to be big on the after party. The venue is so intimate, we’re not going to be able to compete with the LC, but we’re going to have acts that interact with the crowd.”
Though the new name is in place and the first big event in the books, Adams says the group is still tinkering with ideas. “We’re going to experiment with a house band,” he says, adding that in addition to music, “It is the perfect venue for the theater.”
—Ben Zenitsky
