Cover Story
Museum Plaza, Resurfaced
So, a techie, a data analyst and an urban planner walk into a bar. No, no. … How many geniuses does it take to do something big? For years, even generations, Louisville has sought big projects. Whether it be a basketball arena and NBA team, bridges, Museum Plaza or a light-rail public transit system, this…
Industry Standard – Insider info for those dining out
On the anniversary of 9/11 the other week, I was watching a 2002 documentary that began as a profile of a rookie firefighter in New York City and ended up as a film about the larger events of the day. There were lots of scenes from the firehouse in the weeks leading up to the…
Video Tapeworm
This Week’s Twin Peeks GOLDEN TIME: COLLECTION 1 2014; $44.98-59.98; UR We’re constantly amazed at how entertaining these young-adult Japanese anime series’ are. Case in point: this one based on an 11-book tale about a pair of young men – one recovering from retrograde amnesia and whose pre-accident “spirit” appears from time to time –…
COMEDY: Two Comics, One Town
Maria Bamford and Nick Swardson are two of the hottest names in all of comedy these days. You’ve seen both of their faces swiped across cable, network TV and movie screens for the better part of a decade. They have both put out some of the most critically acclaimed albums of our comedy generation (“Ask…
BOOK: Carl Hiaasen brings a favorite character to YA
Carl Hiaasen has several devoted audiences: readers of his Miami Herald column; the adult fans who’ve devoured three decades of satirical mystery-thrillers like “Striptease”; and younger readers who came onboard with the Newbery-winning “Hoot.” Now Young Adult (YA) can claim its own Hiaasen novel—the brand-new “Skink — No Surrender,” featuring a scruffy but sage eco-warrior. …
ORCHESTRA: Storm Large hits the town with Teddy, sings ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ with Orchestra
Storm Large … now, what is she? Rock ‘n’ roll star? Pop star? Sang her big hit in a meadow? Performed at Carnegie Hall with a symphony? Sang it off against other vocal contestants on a TV reality show? Wrote a book? Well, Storm Large appears to be every bit, and all of those things…
CULTURE: IdeaFestival capital, creativity and glamour for art-loving folks
For art-loving folks, the IdeaFestival has become our Kentucky Derby, with anticipation building up all year. What international artists are coming to speak this year? What art will we see? What creativity? … Well, you get the idea. It starts, as all good things should, with a party. Actually, two: the NuLu Fest and the…
Plugged In (Sept. 24 – Sept. 30)
Readers are strongly encouraged to call ahead to verify these listings. To get your musical act listed, send email to sbishiop@leoweekly.com with PLUGGED IN in the subject line, or submit using our online submission form at www.leoweekly.com/submissions. The deadline is FRIDAY at NOON the week before the show happens. We do not accept listings via social networking sites. WED Sept 24th…
Satans On His Way and He Wants His Drugs
It’s easy to want to side-eye this album off its title alone. Only the quality of Filthy Rich’s past work clears this first hurdle. His participation in one of my favorite Louisville records of all time (Actual People’s “Look Harder”) is enough to press play with a clean palate. Touch Armor Class does a good…
Mussolini EP
A quick and dirty short-player, the Bird Zoo alum’s “Mussolini” EP feels infinitely longer than its quarter of an hour. Multiple listens are an effort, as these bleak, joyless tracks plod without energy, seemingly boring the artist in his own delivery. Even Mr. Goodbar of Skyscraper Stereo can’t save the proceedings, as his verse on…
the imagined savior is far easier to paint
Usually, referring to a jazz artist’s “stretching out” implies improvisation. Trumpeter Akinmusire’s new release shows him stretching compositionally as well. He augments his quintet on some pieces with guitar, string quartet or vocalists, creating varied musical textures. Opening gently with a piano duet, “Marie Christie,” he moves to “As We Fight” with sextet, the drums…
Home
Local electronic music is scarce, but Beacons seems eager to change that. With “Home,” their debut album, the duo of Corey Wood and Louis Bowman offer up a nine-track sampling that seems determined to map out the entirety of the electronic music landscape from more ambient offers such as opener “Anatomy Theater,” to the ephemeral…
Full metal spandex
An actual heavy metal band with a wicked sense of humor, Steel Panther has played onstage with an entire constellation of A-list, headlining heavy metal bands. They are currently touring with Judas Priest. LEO: Have you ever been to Louisville? Stix Zadinia: You know what? We’ve never played Louisville. I’m really excited to go.…
Meditations in rhythm: Terry Bozzio brings massive solo drum performance to Louisville
What entails an evening with Terry Bozzio? A multiplicity of beats, rhythms and time, for one. The famed drummer has done it all, performing with names like Jeff Beck, Mike Patton and Korn. He’s most noted for playing on a number of albums with Frank Zappa and being a creative force in the new wave…
Pokey LaFarge, The Tillers, and The Loot Rock Gang coming to Headliners
I caught up with Pokey LaFarge while he was wrapping up his Central Time Tour, playing dates in Chicago, Stoughton, Wis., Minneapolis, Minn., Iowa City, Iowa, and Columbia, Mo., all in just the past week. This Thursday, Sept. 25, the day after his final tour date, he will be back at Headliners along with The…
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), a 15-piece big band led by Wynton Marsalis, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2013, no small feat for a big band. The JLCO returns to Louisville for a performance featuring music by, and associated with, two of the leading figures in modern jazz, Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey.…
b-sides: Howell Dawdy
Howell Dawdy is the alias of Alex Smith, the mastermind behind Lydia Burrell, and the host of the “Probably Not” podcast. Recently, Smith’s efforts were recognized as his Howell Dawdy song “Fire Extinguisher” was nominated for Song of the Year by the Louisville Music Awards coming up this Sunday, and with good reason: “Fire Extinguisher”…
Cropped Out – five years flying the freak flag
This year marks the fifth for Cropped Out, a festival that includes some the weirdest and most adventurous music out there. And they aim to up the ante this year with a lineup that includes seminal space-jazz pioneers, the Sun Ra Arkestra, as well as local greats White Reaper, Anwar Sadat, Vaderbomb and Tropical Trash,…
Staffpicks
1. Wednesday, Sept. 24 Real Estate with Regal Degas Zanzabar 2100 S. Preston St., 635-9227 zanzabarlouisville.com $16 – $18; 8 p.m. Real Estate makes some particularly mellow music; that seems like a slam dunk for the Pitchfork crowd, which I’ll subscribe to in this instance. Like a less-stoner-rock Tame Impala or Kurt Vile, Real Estate makes…
Why demonizing others makes us feel better
I find no advantage in parroting points made by every pundit, blogger or pop social media analyst out there. Even if I feel compelled to comment on an over-analyzed issue, I try to approach it differently. I hope this explains to the many people who’ve asked why I haven’t publicly commented on Ferguson, Ray Rice…
The thrill of privacy
By all accounts, we live in a post-privacy world. Most people today are either walking around with smartphone cameras shooting videos of their naughty bits or having loud phone conversations about their oozing fissures. (To be fair, some do both.) Every purchase we make, text we send, errand we run and search we enter is…
The Fruition Era
This week’s feature story, my first, is about “Resurfaced,” a project orchestrated by City Collaborative, a nonprofit that undertakes short-term, achievable projects to enhance Louisville’s image and liveability. The reason I use the term “orchestrated” to describe their role is not out of disrespect. I know each of the three guys leading this effort, and…
Inbox – September 24, 2014
LEO Weekly welcomes letters that are brief (350 words max) and thoughtful. Ad hominem attacks will be ignored, and we need your name and a daytime phone number. Send snail mail to Inbox, 301 E. Main St., Suite 201, Louisville, KY 40202. Fax to 895-9779 or email to leo@leoweekly.com. We may edit for length, grammar and…
