Stop And Be Still (2015)
In 2015, I wrote this for my LEO column: Fun With Shrapnel about taking a time out. As Labor Day has just passed, it seems appropriate to remember that sometimes pausing is just fine. This is a reshare of that piece. I hope that you find a few moments for yourself when you need them…
Pharoah gets his Derby, but will he win the Triple Crown? … (plus other observations from the 141st Run For The Roses)
Another Kentucky Derby in the books – the 141st Run for the Roses – and one wonders where this one will stand over the long arc of Derby history. If American Pharoah goes on to sweep the Triple Crown, then this 2015 Derby would certainly take a special ranking, noted on the mint julep glass…
Sinbad, anchovies and destiny: A Q&A with comedians Kyle Gordon and Rick Morgan of the improv group Toots
Kyle Gordon and Rick Morgan are the brains behind Toots, one of the most well-respected and buzzed about improv comedy troupes in the country. Hailing from New York City (and affiliated with Upright Citizens Brigade Theater), they are on their first tour of the “fly-over states,” hitting up Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky. Kyle and…
LEO Playlist 4/4
1) “The Real Me” by The Who, who will be at the KFC Yum Center on Saturday, May 9. 2) “Zero in the City” by Great Lake Swimmers, who will be at Zanzabar on Sunday, May 10. 3) “Empty Nesters” by Toro Y Moi, who will be at Headliners on Saturday, May 9. 4) “Wolf…
Visually Speaking: This week’s art news and events
[The above image is “Choose This” by Jill Ault from the exhibition “Form, Not Function” at the Carnegie Center.] Art News — Call for art: The Kentucky Watercolor Society is accepting entries for its Aqueous USA Show. Visit kentuckywatercolorsociety.org for more information. — Architectural historian Steve Wiser is presenting four lectures on “Historic Houses of Louisville.”…
The basics, the favorites, the long shots and the picks: A quick guide to betting on this year’s Kentucky Derby
The 141st running of the Kentucky Derby has a stellar field of 20 three-year-olds that will line up seeking to take home the roses and win the first jewel of racing’s Triple Crown. 100,000 fans will pack into Churchill Downs and gamblers around the word will be firing up an online wagering account (perfectly legal!) and…
Derby Fever, Derby Day and The Run for the Roses
The Kentucky Derby isn’t one of those things that started small and grew bigger over time. Oh, it certainly has gotten bigger – bursting at the seams today at Churchill Downs, and telecast to millions around the world. But in no way did it start out small. The very first Kentucky Derby, in 1875, was planned to…
Kentucky Komon: Louisville’s native beer
About 150 years ago, give or take, something new emerged in Louisville’s emerging brewing scene. It was a beer no one in the city had ever tasted before. In fact, it was a beer no one in the entire world had tasted before. In those days, and for decades to come, it was often called…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Bar Listings
Butchertown/Clifton/Crescent Hill Apocalypse Brew Works: 1612 Mellwood Ave., 495-4843, apocalypsebrewworks.com, Brew Pub. BarCode1758: 1758 Frankfort Ave., 290-9061, facebook.com/pages/BarCode1758, Restaruant/Bar. Big Al’s Beeritaville: 1715 Mellwood Ave., 893-4487, Neighborhood Bar. Bistro 1860 Wine Bar & Spirits: 1765 Mellwood Ave., 618-1745, bistro1860.com, Wine Bar/Restaurant. Bourbons Bistro: 2255 Frankfort Ave., 894-8838, Restaurant/Bar. Clifton’s Pizza: 2230 Frankfort Ave., 893-3730, cliftonspizza.com,…
Pharoah says, ‘Bet me.’
You know when you cross Central Avenue on your way into the track on Derby Day, there’s a big P.A. system with a helpful voice saying something like, “Welcome to Churchill Downs. Infield use Gate One. Clubhouse boxes Gate Five. And you can’t bring in umbrellas or that bottle of booze you’ve so cleverly hidden…
Nightlife Guide 2015: 8Up Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen
Traveling to the eighth floor of the new Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Lou feels almost as if you’re stepping into the likes of a Kentuckified Las Vegas or NYC. 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen boasts panoramic, unparalleled views of Louisville and the Ohio River, and whether seated in the dazzling dining room or on…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Third Street Dive
Odds are, if you’re visiting town and find yourself out after Derby, you’ll end up at Fourth Street Live, but if things get crowded and crazy, slide one street over to Third Street Dive — a comfortable little spot with cheap drinks and a gritty vibe. With wild punk bands, pool tables and a vintage…
Nightlife Guide 2015: The Post
Albeit newly opened in January 2015, The Post, a New York-style pizzeria, fits right into Germantown just like a Catholic Church next door to a hipster family next door to a Nascar fan. While the neighborhood vibes of Goss Avenue abound on the large patio and the pizza is delicious and incredibly moderately priced, the…
Nightlife Guide 2015: The Outlook Inn
A 41-year-old, family-owned dive bar establishment, The Outlook Inn claims to be “the only honest saloon in the Highlands,” according to owner, Ralph Bridgers. Winner of LEO’s Bloody Mary Battle in 2014, The Outlook has staked its claim on not only our favorite breakfast staple item, but also the perfect spot for a night cap…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Saints
There are seldom-known commodities in Louisville and in life … like Saints Pizza & Pub. If you are looking for sports, trivia night, salsa dancing or if it’s just a beautiful day for a drink outside, Saints is your spot. More importantly, like a local Cheers where “everybody knows your name,” the staff from management…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Overtime Sports Bar & Grill
When and if you’re gallivanting near campus, be sure to stop in where Hooters and The Back Door collide on Central Avenue at Overtime Sports Bar & Grill, where you can choose from a vast array of solid bar food, 24 beer taps and undoubtedly indulge in server Tatiana’s volleyball shorts. With over 30 TV’s…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Monkey Wrench
A mural of Louisville’s native son, Hunter S. Thompson, embellishes the side of Dennie Humphrey’s eclectic hillbilly headquarters. The site of the city’s first GonzoFest, the Wrench also has the coolest rooftop bar in the Highlands. And as these are the people who dreamed and realized GonzoFest, well … what more do you need to…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Crescent Hill Craft House
A new and welcomed addition to the warm and neighborhood-y feel of Crescent Hill, Crescent Hill Craft House recently laid roots on Frankfort Avenue, where Dark Star Tavern lived for many a Dead-head year, with an emphasis on local beer and food. A bit more trendy and less patchwork skirt than the location’s previous resident,…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Against the Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
At the entrance of Louisville Slugger Field — which plays host to the Bats baseball team and now the Louisville City Futbol Club — and the outskirts of the ever-trendy NuLu neighborhood, you’ll find the innovative and delectable brews that put Louisville on the international pint map. With an ever-changing list of house-made and uber…
Nightlife Guide 2015: Where to do? yer drinkin’
Whether you’re a local or just passing through for Louisville’s famous horse race, we’re betting that you’ll be doing some drinking this Derby week, and we here at LEO wanted to do our part to contribute to the debauchery by providing you with our annual Nightlife Guide — a comprehensive listing of all the city’s…
Derby weekend roundup: The best concerts in town
Naturally, this weekend is going to be nuts. And, as the town is flooded with people and saturated with events, it’s going to force you into making tough choices into terms of trying to fit everything into your schedule. While everything is orbiting around the Derby, there are some really good concerts not to be…
At a later date: ?An interview with Peter Hook
Since his start in the mid-’70s, Peter Hook has kept busy. His first band, the post-punk pioneers Joy Division, ended only after the untimely death of frontman Ian Curtis, which not only prompted the start of New Order, but also spawned the 2007 film “Control.” In the time since, Hook has worn many hats. He…
Plugged In (Apr. 29 – May 5)
WED April 29th 8UP: DJ Matt Anthony; 8 p.m. Baxter 942: Full Contact Karaoke; 10 p.m. Gerstle’s Place: Strung Out Loud, Kimmet & Doug; 5 p.m. Headliners: Peter Hook & The Light; 9 p.m.; $20 Hideaway Saloon: Ashley Martin; 10 p.m. Jack Fry’s: Ray Johnson, Dave Wilson, Jenna Mattingly; 7 p.m. Joe PalmRoom: DJ Wen…
COMEDY: Craig Gass: the voices in his head
If you make your way through the Internet to Craig Gass’ website, at the very top of his bio page he has a quote from his close friend and men tor George Carlin: “When you’re born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front row seat.”…
BOOK: New rural noir by David Joy
‘Where All Light Tends to Go’ by David Joy (Putnam; 261 pgs., $26.95) Rural Noir, and its literary kin the updated Southern/Appalachian Gothic, may never have had such a moment in American cultural significance. Of course you can find that there have been keepers of this flame going all the way back to when Faulkner…
Video Tapeworm
TWIN PEEKS FIFTY SHADES OF GREY 2015; $19.98; R This week we’re taking a cue from all those lazy corporate news outlets (you listenin’ CNN?) And just reprinting a bunch of social media comments. It’s easy money. Twitter’s @Bound2Pleas tweets, “Christian Grey comes from Dakota? Me 2!”, while @ChastityBlows tells us, “VFD used jaws-o-life to…
Urban Farmers Dig Derby Season
Urban farmers crave Derby season not just for the two weeks of celebrations, strengthened sense of community and the world’s most legendary horse race. For locavores eating from the yard, it’s finally time to get our hands dirty and work our juleps off in the garden. Gardening experts advise to know your area’s last frost…
Navigating a tasting event and ?a bit of other Derby advice
Derby Derby Derby Derby Derby! For those of us in the biz in Louisville, it’s New Year’s Eve plus the Fourth of July times Easter Brunch this week. At least it’s not Derbygeddon this year (Derbygeddon is the nickname given to the years in which Derby and Mother’s Day fall on the same weekend. Yikes!).…
Where’s the bourbon?
While I rarely eat fast food these days, once in a while something appears on a menu that I have to try, just to see if it’s for real. Well, it happened again last week. While driving down Brownsboro Road, I saw a billboard trumpeting the new Spirit of Kentucky Burger at McDonald’s. What’s Kentucky…
Splendor in the bluegrass
We are pregnant with anticipation of the best Derby ever. Unsettled by angry snows and heavy rains, the River City is swollen beyond its banks. The promise of a verdant springtime replete with new life excites us as we reunite with family and friends who will be fully present to seize every bloated moment. These…
A special kind of Saturday
As a kid, I played every sport I could — basketball, baseball, soccer, golf — and generally was a wild child. Once my growth stopped in the seventh grade — along with my dreams of playing in the NBA — my athletic career turned to golf, which frequently gets snubbed or teased for its un-athletic…
Inbox (April 29, 2015)
Ricky Jones hostile? Like yourself, I have read and enjoyed Dr. Ricky Jones’ columns over his many years writing for LEO Weekly. That being said, I am confused by your assertion that “the hostility in his last column, ‘An Open Letter to Living Black Men,’ seemed to jump off the page.” Perhaps I overlooked something…
