How can anyone NOT love MadLab? The idea of a crazy laboratory is undeniably appealing; and this one hosts a gallery space for visual arts and a theater space for performing arts (a theater troupe).
And where does a place like MadLab belong?
You already know the answer to that question: right in the heart of Downtown Columbus. They’ve put down serious roots by buying the whole building at 227 N. Third Street.
Who knew there was a theater there? There’s not… yet. Before MadLab made its purchase, the space was an auto detailing operation. Right now, the Lab team is hard at work doing renovation work for the space’s March 2010 debut.
The renovation team has already discovered one of the very coolest things about downtown properties: they are chock full of fun finds. According to managing director, Andy Batt, “One of the interesting things we found was that half of the building had three separate ceilings, one on top of another. The third ceiling was an antique, ornate tin ceiling. We are hoping to be able to clean that up and use it in our gallery space.”
That’s not all.
“We also found a small basement we didn’t know was there when we purchased the building. It’s about 10 feet by 10 feet and about seven feet tall. There are old signs down in the basement that are from previous uses of the building.”
Who knows what MadLab might do with those signs? Regardless, we’d say the signs are good for the group’s success in the new digs!
December is the magical month in these parts. Thanks to Daylight Savings, it gets dark early – so downtown’s glow combined with holiday lights makes the scene sparkle. The air is crisp and it feels like something special has arrived.
This year, there are all kinds of after-hours opportunities to experience the magic. Oh, you’ve already heard about BalletMet’s Nutcracker? We love it too. And there’s much more…
How’d you like to sing the Messiah with the choir? Yes, really – it’s okay to sing at ProMusica’s Messiah (And More) Side-by-Side Sing Along on December 11 at the Southern Theatre. There’s no better way to be literally engulfed by the sights and sounds of the season.
For a little mental exercise, Available Light Theatre brings XMAS to the stage from December 10 – 13. It’s a new take on A Christmas Carol, re-designed to be a modern reminder of the original message. XMAS is locally written and produced and will be performed at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave.).
For the child in all of us, COSI is hosting A Day of Make-Believe on December 5. Classic toys are the focus of attention, along with storytelling, puppet-making and a special appearance from BalletMet’s Nutcracker. A few weeks later, December 18 – 19, look for COSI’s massive holiday train display, courtesy of a collaborative effort from several Ohio model railroad teams.
Independents are supposed to be “the little guys.” It’s the soulless conglomerates that build monolithic operations under one umbrella.
Then again, check out the line-up on the Independents’ Day Web site. Forget about “the little guy”, this year we’re rooting for the BIG guy, and the giant happens to be independent operators.
How big is this year’s celebration? In terms of duration, the event is pretty similar. The festivities around Gay Street kick off at noon on Saturday, September 19 and continue into the wee hours of September 20.
What they pack into that teeny time frame is downright dumbfounding. It’s HUGE: the Downtown Resident’s Association is hosting a giant flea market; there will be live music, food from Columbus Originals restaurants, two-hundred vendors, Via Colori’s chalk artistry, live mural painting, hula hoops AND the Ohio Roller Girls.
Adam Brouillete, who is brave enough to coordinate all these independent souls, understands the phenomena at work here. “This city is full of a spirit in which people want to be active, contributing members of their creative community. The growth in this year’s event is merely an open invitation to those people to do what they do.”
Whatever that is, they all want to “do what they do” right here, downtown.
Event “big guy” Adam Brouillette shares a little about what to expect this Saturday, promising rowdy, even naughty, artists and fun surprises.
The traditional gift for a fifth anniversary is wood. Downtown LIVE went another route, adding an opening act to the line-up. Alex White, who plays acoustic style easy listening tunes hits the stage at 5 pm, providing a welcoming stage presence as the crowd files in. He also shares information about other downtown events between songs, helping to cross-promote the Capitol Square Kickball League and Pearl Market.
Again this year, CCSID has coordinated with Class Acts Entertainment to book an excellent line-up of bands, including the ever popular Reaganomics, the regional favorite, Red Wanting Blue, and culminating with country rock favorite, Jacked Up. Most of the bands hail from Central Ohio, but this year there are also acts from Indianapolis, Cincinnati and even New York.
Though the partner restaurants remain the same this year, both Darbys Cafe and San Francisco Oven have upped the ante with new happy hour specials, to draw even bigger crowds. Following the dollar menu craze, Darbys is offering $1 chips and salsa and $1 sliders, while San Francisco Oven is offering a whopping $5 off a large pizza and $10 buckets of five beers.
Joey Jerome of San Francisco Oven believes that the band line-up and the improved happy hour specials have increased crowd size this year. “Definitely, more people are coming and they are coming earlier. They seem to like the opening act too. And we are seeing repeat customers.
Dowtnown LIVE will continue on Thursday nights through August 27. For a complete band line-up, visit downtowncolumbus.com.
Pedicabs are a great addition to the downtown-area scene. And they are practical. My kids and I walked to a Clippers game last week. We paid our $12 for three tickets ($6 for me and $3 each for the kids) and had a great time watching the home team lose to the Scranton Yankees. Too tired to walk home, we hailed a pedicab to take us for $10.
Last summer, when my mother visited me, I called for a pedicab to take us from my Victorian Village house to Black Olive Restaurant at High and Buttles. My mother, whose age I will not disclose because she will yell at me if I do, would find the walk too challenging.
In both cases, parking would have cost as much or nearly as much as a pedicab. By the way, pedicabs charge no fare. You tip whatever you feel the ride is worth, so you can keep the cost comparable to a taxicab or valet parking if you live in the area.
If you want a great city experience, a pedicab ride will be quite satisfying.
In these days of turbulent fuel and electricity costs, let’s celebrate urban features that allow us to provide our OWN personal calorically-enhanced power.
POWER GENERATION
Although Chuck Hootman, a seasoned bike messenger and co-owner of Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails, refuses to take any credit for the existence of P2 (saying, “That belongs to its inventors, Nathan Ober and Gene Felice.”), he certainly deserves kudos for helping popularize it in our community.
The P2 is a bicycle-charged generator that has been powering movies at spots like Tip Top and the Santa Maria. Haven’t seen it yet? Hootman promises, “It’ll be back for Awesomefest.”
POWER PARKING
The lovely deluxe RiverSouth Parking Garage will house your car for around $80 per month. But you can park your bike there, legally, for free. That’s right, a section of spaces have been reserved for two-wheelers to park at no cost.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Sure it’s hard to read a map and bike at the same time – so take a peek at the free metro maps you’ll see around downtown. The maps highlight the savviest street to travel when you’re biking here in the neighborhood. Check out the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission for the electronic map or email info@downtowncolumbus.com to request a hard copy.
Each time I eat or drink at San Francisco Oven on East State Street, I am reminded that the outdoor dining area between San Francisco Oven and the Hyatt on Capitol Square is one of the best amenities in downtown. This space has spectacular features, including mature trees, a fountain designed by Alfred Tibor, seating for several hundred people, and great views of Capitol Square. On hot days, the space draws a cool breeze, and the fountain calms frenetic souls.
Two restaurants serve this patio: Darbys as well as San Francisco Oven. I am amazed the area is not full of diners seven evenings a week. Apparently, not enough people linger downtown after work.
One of the reasons why Capital Crossroads SID sponsors Downtown LIVE is to feature this incredible space. If you have not experienced it, you should consider having dinner and drinks during a concert by The Fabulous Johnson Brothers this Thursday evening. For those of you who have experienced it, I am interested to know if this space is as good as I think it is.
Downtown Cleveland looks great. My son and I stayed there on Saturday night during our annual trip to see the Indians play the Reds. We stayed at the Residence Inn, which is located in the historic Colonial Arcade. The Colonial is across Euclid Avenue from the grand Cleveland Arcade, which houses the Hyatt Regency.
Euclid Avenue has been rebuilt as a shared busway and public street and has sleek, accordion buses that run frequently enough they can be used without consulting a schedule. Property owners along Euclid continue to renovate buildings for housing and retail, and virtually every building between Public Square and East Ninth Street is now renovated or under construction.
My favorite building is an upscale restaurant and bowling alley at Euclid and Fourth. A comparable location for a bowling alley in Columbus would be North High and Gay Streets. The bowling alley’s restaurant spills onto East Fourth, which is a sea of tables and chairs serving 11 restaurants. Flowers and lighting make the street incredibly inviting.
The fun doesn’t stop at the Downtown Live Columbus Concert Series and this week’s featured band Red Wanting Blue is sure to give you a good time. Known for their contagious energy and captivating stage presence, RWB has an ever-growing fan base on top of national recognition. Chicago Street Scene writes, “Red Wanting Blue brings nothing but energy and flat out great shows to the stage. Their live performances are all the proof you’ll need to become a member of their ever-growing fan base.”
Don’t miss this free show from the group Hard Rock Haven dubs “the best underground independent rock band in the United States of America.”
Show is this Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m. at the corner of Third & State Streets. Happy Hour starts at 4:30 and food and drink specials are provided all evening by Darby’s Cafe and San Francisco Oven. Admission is open and free to the public.
DIGGING IN NEW DIGS
HEY BIG FELLA
Capital Crossroads Summer Programming: Downtown LIVE Summer Concert Series
Pedicabs are a great addition to the downtown-area scene. And they are practical. My kids and I walked to a 
POWER TO THE PEEPS
Each time I eat or drink at 
Euclid Avenue has been rebuilt as a shared busway and public street and has sleek, accordion buses that run frequently enough they can be used without consulting a schedule. Property owners along Euclid continue to renovate buildings for housing and retail, and virtually every building between Public Square and East Ninth Street is now renovated or under construction.