Camp Anarchy 2019

Written/Photography by Sonnie Jones

Background:

This 3 day punk rock camp out is packed full of some of the greatest punk bands still peforming.
Check out the full lineups and get tons of great info about the event at the official website:
https://campanarchyfest.com/

EmptyName

Impression:

"The only Punk rock camp out in the country" is coming to Ohio. Come camp, drink craft beer, and play games, all while listening to the punk bands that influenced the bands, that influenced the punk bands that you listen to now!

Goldfinger

This was a great weekend of meeting people from all around the country. I personally got to see two of my three favorite bands (the Descendents and Pennywise) from my younger punk rock, angry, no responsibility having youth. The third, and most influential band to me, is playing this year, NOFX. 

There was some drama over an earlier show NOFX had played before the camp which made way for The Descendents to play. After talking to a bunch of folks who came for them specifically,  I know a lot of you are pumped to finally get to see them this year. I will say the most fun I had at last year's show was seeing Rancid play. You forget how good they are live and how good Tim Armstrong is with the crowd. 

Strung Out

From the circle pits during Sick of it All, to the sing alongs with Rancid and Bad Religion, make the right decision and get your tickets for this one of a kind event. 

Here are a few pics from last year and I will have a bunch more from this year's chaos! 

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Rancid

Face To Face

Arnold Sports Festival 2019 - Guns and Hoses Boxing - Expanded Coverage

Written/Photography by Andrew Livelsberger

Background:
The annual Guns and Hoses boxing exhibition is one of the highlights of the Arnold Sports Festival.  This year, it was held in the Voinovich Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

Impression:
Ohio has a rich pugilistic history.   The likes of Jerry Page, Buster Douglas, and Michael Dokes just to name a few.

Along with those famous names, we have a tradition where the police and fire departments put on an exhibition of the 3 round, 1 minutes fights.

Many great bouts were had at this years Arnold Sports Festival, both men and women's divisions put on a good showcase.

Below are some images from that nights events.  Please enjoy!

Arnold Sports Festival 2019 - Armlifting - Rolling Thunder Event

Written by Dani and Andrew Livelsberger

Photography by Andrew Livelsberger

Julia Williams

Background:
A new event for this year, armlifting is a sport where grip strength is paramount.  Athletes need to lift increasingly heavier weights, but the difficulty is ramped up from a traditional weight or power lifting event due to the larger sizes of the grippable areas.

The images in this thread are from the event names Rolling Thunder.  The athlete must lift the weight straight up from the handle and be standing straight up to the judges satisfaction.

The event was hosted by TheGripGuys.

Autumn Cote
40 kilos (88 lbs)

Impression:
Armlifting is very new to me.    Much like years ago, outside of the Arnold Sports Festival, I knew nothing of MAS Wrestling.  It being listed on the roster as a new event for this year, I had to do my research.  I checked it out on YouTube and I knew that it was something we should experience first hand.

I knew nothing at all of it, had no idea that it even existed.  So, we made out way to the Consourse stage to cover it.

We know that lifting heavy weights is a task in and of itself.  With armlifting, the difficulty is increased by having the gripping handle much larger in diameter than you would usually find.  This requires the participants to develop their grip strength in order to even be able to lift the weight from the ground.

These are not trivial weights either.  In the first few lifts, the athletes were putting up 40-60 kilos (88-132 lbs) in weight.

Having discovered this great sport, we will definitely have to cover it more in the future.  If you've never heard of armlifting before, give it a try and check it out for yourself.

Cincinnati / Over The Rhine Street Art

Written by Dani and Andrew Livelsberger

Photography by Andrew Livelsberger

Background:

The revitalization of Cincinnati's Over The Rhine area abounds with must see street artworks.

Impression:

If you do any internet searches on the Over The Rhine area of Cincinnati, you may be surprised by what you read.   Just a few years ago, it was one of the most densely populated city areas in the country.   Articles about the crime rates were the norm.

Through many efforts by the city, community organizations, and enduring residence, the Over The Rhine area has come a long way.   Vine Street is now bustling with retail gems, barber shops, and culinary delights.

This area has changed.  It has changed a lot.  While I would never presume to say that any area is crime free or any inner city area is 100% safe, you can definitely tell that this area has made huge strides to reduce crime and blight.

If you are around the Vine and 12th Street area, you are close to Washington Park and the Cincinnati Music Hall.

Findlay Market, having its own storied history, is within walking distance of the hustle and bustle of Vine and 13th.

Staying in an AirBnB in the heart of Over The Rhine gave use the opportunity to take in the neighborhood.

While the renovations and legacy architecture stand out to you, what popped out at us more so than anything else is the mural and street art you see almost everywhere. 

Having worked professionally with some local Columbus mural projects, we have a decent idea of what it takes to pull these projects together.   We also understand the pride, beauty and hope that these artworks provide to the community.   This is not only for those from the neighborhood, but is an excellent draw for those coming into the area for the first time or frequent visitors. 

Art like this makes people want to walk around and discover it, thus giving business more potential for walk by traffic.

Art on display is not of one type either.  Various artists and styles are employed.  You also have commissioned work as well as what appears to be graffiti-type work on vinyl.

This level of artwork is incredible and we feel, improves the panache and draw to the area.

We are looking forward to returning to this area to do some in depth about this great community.   Keep checking back or subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in the loop!