If you want to do something fun and get out of town for a few hours head for the river and enjoy these Cincinnati area entertainment options.

Relient K

• When: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9
• Where: Bogart's, 2621 Vine St., Cincinnati
• Directions: I-75 South toward Cincinnati. Take I-275 east to I-71 South. Take the Taft Street exit, turn left on Eden Avenue, turn left on Corry Street, and turn right on Vine Street.
• Cost: $16 (advance), $19 (day of show)
• More info: (513) 562-4949 or www.livenation.com
• The Scoop: This Christian pop-punk band released its most successful album to date, "Five Score and Seven Years Ago," last year.
• Verdict: Relient K performs easily next to its secular cohorts, finding success in both the mainstream and among the Christian contemporary music charts (that little spat over Abercrombie & Fitch notwithstanding). "Five Score" debuted at No. 6 on Billboard and sold over 60,000 units in its first week.
• Worth the trip?: Ludo, The Providence and House of Heroes will open. Relient K also hails from Canton, so come out and support the home team.

Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction

• When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
• Where: Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Cincinnati
• Directions: Take I-75 South toward downtown Cincinnati. Take the Fifth Street exit into downtown. The Taft Theatre will be on your right.
• Cost: Variable (the show is technically sold-out, but current ticketholders are selling on such Web sites as Stubhub and Ticket Liquidator.)
• More info: (513) 639-3780 or www.livenation.com
• The Scoop: Actor/comedian Robin Williams tours the nation after an extended break with all-new material.
• Verdict: The quality of his film projects may rise and fall, but most fans agree his stand-up is consistently poignant and hilarious.
• Worth the trip?: While conservative commentators like to portray Hollywood celebrities as dim and out-of-touch, Williams has always been renowned for his intelligence and astute grasp of the geopolitical dynamic. The jury's still out on whether the name of the tour refers to the war in Iraq or Williams' own history of excess.

Late Nite Catechism

• When: Through Wednesday, Oct. 15; Tuesdays to Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Where: The Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati
• Directions: Take I-75 South toward downtown Cincinnati. Take Exit 1E (Seventh Street) onto West Seventh Street. Turn right on Walnut Street. The Aronoff will be on the left.
• Cost: $40-45
• More info: (513) 977-4123 or www.cincinnatiarts.org/aronoff
• The Scoop: A hefty exercise in audience interaction, in which a blustery Sister teaches an adult catechism class to her students (i.e. the audience).
• Verdict: Correct answers are rewarded with glow-in-the-dark rosaries. Incorrect answers are met with torrential abuse.
• Worth the trip?: Obviously, this is a show that will resonate most with those who experienced some kind of parochial education themselves. Can't be certain how much of the Dayton population falls into this category, but Cincinnati has them in spades.

The Black Keys

• When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10
• Where: The Madison Theater, 728 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky.
• Directions: Take I-75 South toward downtown Cincinnati and cross the bridge into Kentucky. Take the first exit right across the bridge (Exit 192 Fifth Street/Covington/Newport) toward Covington. Turn right on Russell Street. Turn left on West Pike Street. Continue on West 7th Street. Turn right on Madison Avenue.
• Cost: $23 (day of show), $25 (advance)
• More info: (859) 491-2444 or www.madisontheateronline.com
• The Scoop: This Akron-based, blues-rock duo has just released its fifth studio album, "Attack & Release."
• Verdict: The Black Keys are immensely popular with critics and music lovers. They've been compared to The White Stripes and Robert Plant, and have toured with the likes of Sleater-Kinney and Beck.
• Worth the trip?: Oh, and Metallica's Kirk Hammett likes 'em, too. How's that for a closer?

"The Seafarer"

• When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13
• Where: Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St., Cincinnati
• Directions: Take I-75 South toward Cincinnati. Take Exit 2A (Western Avenue/Liberty Street). Take a slight left onto Western Avenue. Turn left at West Liberty Street. Turn right on Vine Street.
• Cost: Free (Donations are accepted. Proceeds go to the organization STOP AIDS.)
• More info: (513) 421-3555 or www.cincyetc.com
• The Scoop: This is a special preview performance of the acclaimed 2006 work by Irish playwright Conor McPherson.
• Verdict: Set in a Dublin suburb on Christmas Eve, an alcoholic returns home to steer his troubled older brother through the holidays while trying to stay off the bottle himself. "The Seafarer" has been performed on London's West End and Broadway, receiving numerous Tony and Olivier award nominations.
• Worth the trip?: Particularly if you're a fan of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh."

U.S.S. Nightmare

• When: 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
• Where: 101 Riverboat Row, Newport, Ky.
• Directions: Take I-75 South toward downtown Cincinnati. Follow signs for I-471 South/US 50 East. Exit onto I-471 and cross the bridge. Take Exit 5 (Newport) and go straight at the stoplight. Turn left onto Riverboat Row, and the "Nightmare" will be on the right.
• Cost: $16-20 (kids get in for $6 at matinee prices)
• More info: (859) 802-5826 or www.ussnightmare.com
• The Scoop: Cincinnati's premiere haunted house (or rather, boat) is up and running for its 17th season, commemorating in style the greatest holiday in the Western World.
• Verdict: The Nightmare is locally and nationally ranked among the top Halloween attractions. The tour is over 40 minutes long and encompasses three levels. Ironically enough, it is not recommended for children.
• Worth the trip?: This year features a modified path with certain exhibits expanded. New this year is the Rat Lady and the Impaler, all done with Hollywood-quality lighting and special effects.

Compiled by Aaron Epple

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