800 Broadway

Times-Star Building then.

I have lived in Cincinnati all my life but am starting to realize just how little I really know about the Queen City's history. When I worked for the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts we would refer many of our "customers" to 800 Broadway for domestic relation issues, probation and juvenile court. We referred to it as 800 Broadway.

But in all the fifteen years I worked for the county I had no idea 800 Broadway was originally the Cincinnati Times-Star Building built in 1933 and designed by the firm of Samuel Hannaford & Sons.

800 Broadway now

From Wikipedia: "Much of the decorated facade plays homage to the printing and publishing businesses. Two hundred feet above the street stand four pillars at each of the tower's corners, representing patriotism, truth, speed and progress.

The newspaper plant occupied the first six stories. The floors above were offices. The Cincinnati Times-Star was an outgrowth of several newspapers and was owned by Cincinnati's Taft family. Charles Phelps Taft was editor.

The building was bought by Hamilton County in the late 1980s, it is used for county offices."

It looks like I still have a lot to learn.

Joe Bonamassa Rocks the House

Inside the historic Taft Theater in downtown Cincinnati

Went to see Joe Bonamassa on a moonlit Saturday night in March at the beautiful Taft Theater in downtown Cincinnati. Who the heck is Joe Bonamassa you say? well, I had never heard of him either until some friends turned us on to him last year. WNKU 89.7 on the FM dial features his music on a regular basis.

Bonamassa rips through The Ballad of John Henry

Bonamassa is a gifted guitarist who did his first show on November 11, 1989 when he was only in the seventh grade. Supported by his parents, sister and a slew of aunts and uncles and grandparents he performed in an old converted bank-turned-restaurant/blues club called The Metro in Utica, New York. And then went home to do his homework.

One of the things that stand out about Bonamassa is his soul wrenching gift on the guitar...or rather guitars in the plural. He owns many guitars including a Gibson Les Paul Historic Gold Top and a Gibson Korina Flying V. He plays in the older, smaller historic theaters which do a much better job of acoustics than the larger stadiums and collisseums. He has an intimate relationship with his audience and those who know him, love him. His back up on this night was a trio of fine musicians; Carmine Rojas playing the bass, Bogie Bowles on the drums and Rick Melick on the keyboard.

Last year we saw Bonamassa for the first time at the historic Victoria Theater in Dayton. We loved him so much that when he was scheduled at the Taft Theater this past March we jumped on the tickets. On this particular Saturday in March he was at the historic Taft Theater in downtown Cincinnati where there isn't a bad seat in the house. The light show was phenomenal and mesmerizing. The crowd was an eclectic mixture of middle, young and a little younger crowd. I would say a good half of the crowd was probably old enough to be Bonamassa's parents. His style is a mix of Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. He works hard with a full tour schedule mostly in the US but he's played in Europe as well. Watch Eric Clapton Perform Live With Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall in England here.

His story is fascinating having been in love with the guitar from a very young age, his passion for his music is apparent. If you ever get a chance to see him I highly recommend. It's an experience you'll never forget.