Thursday, May 15
Arguing the arguments with Howard Fineman
If you admired the recent film “The Great Debaters,” or if you’ve ever seen LEO Managing Editor Stephen George get off on agitating a crowd (I’ve seen him do it with just a single remark about Tom Petty), then you may be ready to handle Carmichael’s visit by Newsweek correspondent/columnist Howard Fineman. In his new book “Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates That Inspire and Define Our Country,” Fineman posits that the unique position that Americans hold in the world is driven by our need to wrangle over issues that will never resolve in clean and clear answers. The role of faith in government, and the parameters that define citizenry, are two of these eternal questions. Before signing books, Fineman will face questioning (though not eternal) by George. It’s a bit of a homecoming for Fineman (alumnus of both the Brandeis School of Law and The Courier-Journal), and this book is getting sensational reviews — so it’s not even worth arguing over whether you should attend. —T.E. Lyons
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave.
Free; 7 p.m.
896-6950
FRIDAY, MAY 16
Tantric @ The Hill
The End Begins is a fitting title for Tantric’s latest album, if for no other reason than when the group was about to put it out, their previous label folded, and singer Hugo Ferrera was left wondering what to do next. After acquiring rights to the name from the other members, who left for personal and family reasons, Ferrera began writing the album in his basement. He snatched up a violin player, the drummer from Fuel and a second guitarist. “So far, so good,” Ferrera says.
The album has two major themes. “One is talking about a particular relationship that I had,” he says, while the second is about the trials of being on a major label, a familiar feeling these days. “It’s kind of about my determination, about all that shit we have to go through. We went from having a No. 1 single to having no record deal and no money.” Tantric also plays for free at 6 p.m. at ear X-tacy as part of the Bardstown Bound festival. —Mat Herron
Phoenix Hill Tavern
644 Baxter Ave.
589-4957
www.phoenixhill.com
$10; 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
Roseannadanna Fun Run
So maybe your New Year’s resolution of doing more exercise is out the window until 2009 (I know, you promise), but we’re telling you it’s not too late. Gilda’s Club is hosting the Roseannadanna Fun Run, which is a 5K/10K walk/run this Saturday at 8 a.m. Not only will you be exercising in a fun way, you’ll also support families affected by cancer in our community. All proceeds benefit Gilda’s Club, founded in honor of the late “Saturday Night Live” comedienne Gilda Radner, who’s wanted to give those living with cancer, as well as their families and friends, a place to receive social and emotional support. —Jane Mattingly
Ultimate Sports Basketball Academy
2401 Stanley Gault Pkwy.
583-0075
www.gildasclublouisville.org
$25 adult, $12 child; 8 a.m.
Saturday, May 17
Dig the ’60s
Travel back in time to the 1960s this week with 150 photographs from the archives of Look Magazine. Photographer Stanley Tretick’s work will be on display at the Frazier International History Museum beginning Saturday, and the exhibition contains photographs, documents and cultural artifacts from this defining era in our nation’s history.
Much of the exhibit focuses on three of the most prominent figures of the era: Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Tretick’s photographs capture crucial moments in the lives of these cultural icons as well as the inspiring national landscape that surrounded them. —Aaron Frank
Frazier International History Museum
829 W. Main St.
753-5663
www.fraziermuseum.org
Free with admission; 9-5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.), noon-5 p.m. (Sun.)
Saturday, May 17
Fred Minnick photography
Fred Minnick has photographed everything from the war in Iraq to pizza conventions to the Kentucky Derby. For the first time, Minnick’s collected work will be on display, as it debuts this Saturday at Eclectica Gallery in Prospect. Louisville-based Minnick, 29, is an international writer and photographer whose work at times carefully conveys the powerful and intricate details of the human face, while at others can also capture the intricate textures, colors and beauty in something as simple as a vegetable. Renowned works that will be on display include the warm “Iraqi Farmer,” the jovial “French Cheesemaker” and the dreadlocked “Saint Lucian Man”; Minnick’s recent photographs from the Kentucky Derby will also be included. A preview is at FredPhoto.net. —Kevin Gibson
Eclectica Gallery
9426 Norton Commons Blvd., Prospect
426-5006
www.eclecticagallery.com
Free; 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
Goth Prom 2008
“It’s going to be everything you can remember from your prom, but in a more darker, macabre yet fun way,” says Kynt, the Louisville Gother who, along with partner Vyxsin, puddle-jumped around the world last year in CBS’ “Amazing Race.” The fifth annual all-ages Louisville Goth Prom promises all the essentials — punch, décor, fashion, live music (DJs Count Grozney and Paul Fear spinning the best in Goth, Industrial, Deathrock, EBM and Synthpop), free couple portraits and even the crowning of a Goth King and Queen. Kynt and Vyxsin are the evening’s hosts and will sign their recent cover of Gothic Beauty magazine.
So how does a Goth Prom compare to his high school experience? “Oh, I blocked those memories all out,” Kynt admits. “They’re buried in a far away place somewhere in my psyche. I consider the first Goth Prom five years ago to be my first prom.”
Dust off that old dress or tux, suppress those bad memories and find yourself a date. I’ll be hanging out near a wall. —Sara Havens
Derby City Espresso
331 E. Market St.
442-0523
Free; 7 p.m.-midnight
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21
Good News
Just because the musical firm of Noble, Mueller, Crabtree & Cook hasn’t played out since August 2006 doesn’t mean they’ve been loafing.
For their part, bassist Todd Cook and drummer Kyle Crabtree have been busy with their respective projects (The Gold Jacket Club, Dead Child, King’s Daughters & Sons, etc.). Guitarist/singer Jeff Mueller still runs a letterpress in Chicago, where he’s lived since 1995. Fellow guitarist/singer Jason Noble assisted on the recording of the Jacket Club’s record, while running sound at ear X-tacy’s in-store performances, and helping score Actors Theatre’s production of “The Tempest.”
But the collective known as Shipping News is building itself back up again, despite the perception that this is a reunion show, and they’re playing new material.
“We have a tendency to live in a dirgy, mid-tempo universe,” Noble says, “and we’ve been trying to push ourselves not to do that. I can’t say that’s where everything is going, but the last three songs (we’ve written) have been fast and kinda hard for us to play.”
The foursome plays a free, all-ages in-store show at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. “We’ll be offering hugs and prizes for people who have done their civic duty,” Noble says. “We can’t tell you what the prizes will be. It might be handful of uncooked lentils, but it will be priceless.” The next night, they headline the Pour Haus with Frontier(s) and Young Widows. —Mat Herron
Pour Haus
1481 S. Shelby St.
637-9611
$6; 8 p.m.
Through May 31
‘Since We Last Spoke’ by Quincy Owens
“The last two people to venture up the stairs and to make their way to the gallery were in fact blind,” Tim Faulkner, owner of his self-titled gallery, recently told me in an e-mail. “We’re talking dark glasses and candy-striped canes blind … I thought how strange it was that they were coming into my gallery. Quincy's (Owens) work is heavily layered, and being the artist that he is, he immediately took them and guided their hands to each panel. How cool is that?”
“Since We Last Spoke,” the latest series by Indianapolis-based Owens, highlights his skill with mixed media abstract paintings. This guy’s art is everywhere, most notably in the little art Mecca of Columbus, Ind. There his work hangs among major international artists, including architect Eero Saarinen, sculptor Henry Moore and glass artist Dale Chihuly. Nice work if you can get it. And being friends with Faulkner gets us a chance to see (and touch) his paintings here.
Faulkner is a displaced New Orleanian, by way of Katrina. “Did I mention how much fun I'm having? Take care, I’m not leaving here anytime soon,” he says. He likes us, he really likes us. —Jo Anne Triplett
Tim Faulkner Gallery
815 E. Market St. #4, upstairs
381-1314
www.timfaulknergallery.com
Through June 16
‘Signs & Symbols’
StudioWorks presents “Signs & Symbols,” its spring art exhibition featuring paintings, ceramics and other media created by artists with mental retardation. The items are for sale, with proceeds helping fund the art program. The facility is part of the Zoom Group, a provider of vocational training for adults with mental retardation in Kentucky. —Jo Anne Triplett
StudioWorks
633 S. Fourth St.
582-3331
