From the editor: Night Moves
For years, night-the good, bad and ugly of it-has just been part of the gig. I spent a few years covering the police beat at small papers, like legions of young reporters before and after me, answering pages in the middle of the night to witness spectacular fires, devastating crashes, shootings and too many other tragedies. A few years ago, for a few moments, I joined the thousands of cooks who limp out of restaurants at midnight, reeking of sweat and grease, ignoring the night's cuts and burns and absolutely dying for a cold beer and a shower.
When I arrived in Columbus to work atColumbus Alivea few years ago, checking out the music scene here was part of the job description. One summer night in 2011, we hosted a show at Old North club Kobo. The main draw was two-man show Twenty One Pilots, who played to a rapt crowd of about 70 people. Singer/rapper/pianist Tyler Joseph dominated the tiny room, vaulting from the stage to a bar ledge behind me, strutting up and down with the showmanship he now projects to arena crowds. I saw him later that night, pushing his piano down High Street, and thanked him for the show. There have been many nights like that, but none so exhilarating or remembered in such detail. I still tell that story (though I try not to tell it to the same person twice).
How many of the great stories you tell and retell begin with, "Remember the night …"? Something about the cover of darkness makes adventure more memorable. It has the effect of making the most punishing work seem just a tad romantic in hindsight. There is something subversive about being awake and about at 2 a.m., when grown-ups think you ought to be sound asleep. We think you'll agree-and that your own great memories might be jogged-when you read in this month's cover package the stories of people who work and play after dark in Columbus. You might even be inspired to call an Uber this weekend-just behave (see page 52)-and head out on a memorable adventure of your own.
WISH LIST
1. OurFall Arts Previewis my wish list for the entire season, and believe me, we left still other great performances and exhibitions on the cutting room floor! It's going to be a fantastic season for arts lovers of all stripes.
2. I only remember seeing the namesKidd Jordan and Hamiet Bluiett,and the rest was a blur. Several hundred frantic keystrokes later, I had tickets for this outstanding benefit show with The Jazz Poetry Ensemble on Sept. 9 at Natalie's in Worthington.
3. WriterWil Haygoodvisits the Lincoln Theatre on Sept. 29 in celebration of his latest release, "Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America." Haygood has a gift for storytelling no matter the medium-he's as engaging on a stage as he is in his books.capa.com