Cover Story
Born, bred and bourbon fed: Industry power players on our native spirit
Occasionally, when I bring the utmost deeply American amber nectar that we call bourbon to my lips, my mind will wander to thoughts of the originators. Unbeknownst even to themselves, they were symphonists, creating and aligning an orchestra, solely by marrying their corn crops — their livelihood — with Kentucky limestone water and allowing them to…
Everyman’s Story
Every gay man has his coming out story.
LEO Playlist 8/31: The Deloreans, Def Leppard and more
1) “I Was Here” by Cabin, who will be at Zanzabar on Friday, September 4. 2) “As Long as It’s You” by The Deloreans, who open for Cabin. 3) “Road Song” by Quiet Hollers, who will be at the PRF BBQ on Saturday, September 5 at The Cure Lounge. 4) “Old State Road” by The…
Visually Speaking: This week’s art news and events (8/31)
[The above image is “Cherries and Lace” by Debbie Welsh.] Art news The Kentucky School of Art has changed its name to the Kentucky School of Art + Design at Spalding University (KyCAD). Call for art: The 22nd African American Art Exhibition at Actors Theatre is seeking submissions. The deadline is Oct. 16. For more…
The 6 best local songs of the month
Cher Von – “Kuhh Duuh” Trying to explain Cher Von’s music in words is like trying to explain the color orange to the blind. To listen to her songs is to embrace the austere beauty of sound. There is something so incredibly organic and alive about “Kuhh Duuh,” a shifting landscape of sampled vocal melodies,…
LEO Podcast #2: Yaron Sideman
For the second episode of our new podcast, Israeli Consul General Yaron Sideman spoke with executive editor Aaron Yarmuth about Israel’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. The LEO Podcast will be weekly, with a new interview released every Friday, until we end the first season sometime in November.
A Q&A with comedian Lindsay Boling
Lindsay Boling is coming home. The Louisville native, born and raised among our rolling streets is returning to the scene of the crime. Starting at local open mics while she was still a student at UofL, Boling soon became one of the shining stars in the scene before moving to New York in 2012. She…
‘Bourbon Curious’ is a transparent look at whiskey for enthusiasts and beginners
By now, if you’re a bourbon enthusiast, you’ve probably become familiar with the name Fred Minnick. A Wall Street Journal best-selling author for his 2011 book “Camera Boy: An Army Journalist’s War in Iraq,” Minnick has since established himself as one of the top bourbon writers on the planet. His ground-breaking book “Whiskey Women: The…
Joe’s Older Than Dirt (and so is his vintage whiskey)
When Gary Gish bought Joe’s Older Than Dirt from the original Joe himself (who happened to be Gish’s neighbor), it was just an old drinking shack off to the side of the road. So Gish decided to spruce up the place a little bit and add a few personal touches. “Dad, [Gary Gish] had been…
‘NEAT’ documents the bourbon industry from corn to cocktail
AJ Hochhalter is a born-and-bred Kentucky boy with a love for bourbon. Though he’s a film composer by trade, Hochhalter is the driving force behind “NEAT,” a bourbon documentary currently shooting all over Kentucky. The crew is following the famous fluid from “corn to cocktail.” “NEAT” secured funding from The Kentucky Department of Travel and…
Kentucky Bourbon Festival is a whiskey wonderland
In Kentucky, it could be said that bourbon is the lifeblood of the state. And nowhere is that more true than in Bardstown, Kentucky. Every year this small town of 12,000 hosts about 50,000 people for their annual Bourbon Festival. “The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is six days of bourbon, America’s only native spirit, local and…
No rules: A conversation with Teal Grapefruit
Finding a fresh sound is a rare and beautiful thing, but Teal Grapefruit definitely has their own flavor. Somehow they manage to balance a sublimely chaotic post-punk vibe, like This Heat or early Wire, with a pop sensibility and propensity for proto-metal, a la Black Sabbath. If that sounds like a careful tight rope act,…
b-sides: Cards Fest
This last Monday marked the end of the summer for University of Louisville students, and the collective sigh could be heard for miles. Whether you want to be in class or you dread the obligation, the responsibility of college weighs heavy on everyone. So what better way to take a load off than by joining…
Plugged In (Aug. 26th – Sep. 1st)
WED Aug 26th 4th Street Live!: Lunchtime Live!; 11 a.m. 8Up: DJ Matt Anthony; 7:30 p.m. Baxter 942: Full Contact Karaoke; 10 p.m. Bistro 1860: Will Wilder’s Guitar Jazz; 7 p.m. Bistro 42: Shane Dawson; 8 p.m. Brownies The Shed (Hurstbourne): Karaoke; 10 p.m. CenterStage: 9 to 5: The Musical; 7:30 p.m. El Nopal (Crestwood):…
Colman Domingo on the challenges and rewards of directing August Wilson’s ‘Seven Guitars’
Where in the world is Colman Domingo? And what is he doing? The short answer: He’s everywhere and doing pretty much anything — acting, writing, directing, dancing — that a person immersed in performance-based storytelling can do. This week, you can see Domingo playing a character named Strand in AMC’s new series “Fear the Walking…
The puppets who came to town and sang murder ballads
Most of Louisville’s independent theater scene doesn’t know it, but on Thursday, August 20, Chicago’s mixed media performing ensemble/puppeteers Rough House theater came to town. Rough House threw down the gauntlet, dropped the mic, kicked ass and chewed bubble gum. Puppetry is a uniquely theatrical art form. Some kinds of puppets, like the ubiquitous muppets,…
Hometown comedian Sarah Hyland couldn’t be happier that her Laughing Derby show coincides with the State Fair
Sarah Hyland is Louisville through-and-through. Born and raised in The River City, Hyland moved to Chicago and studied improvisation at the famed Second City and began doing stand-up at the legendary club Zanie’s. She eventually moved to Los Angeles and appeared on “Mad TV” and Ashton Kutcher’s MTV moment of zeitgeist “Punk’d.” She has continued…
Video Tapeworm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 2015; $29.98; R While the original 1979 “Mad Max” was a groundbreaking film, and it’s 1982 sequel, “The Road Warrior” stands as one of the best-damned movies ever made, later issues were lackluster at best. But not this one! And why is this reboot so good? Well,…
Gone Bird: Lone free-ranger found barefoot in the park
On a swift jaunt around the Scenic Loop of Cherokee Park, I met a handsome stranger who’d probably wandered from his home someplace nearby. His bold stature, and vibrant comb and wattles hinted that he’s probably a cockerel, a young male chicken under a year old. How fortunate I was to visit Cherokee and to…
Family meal
Did you know that many professional cooks have poor eating habits? We taste dishes over and over all day while we tweak and verify for consistency. We nibble at our mise-en-place: a few roasted pine nuts here, a few slices of prosciutto there. A plastic tasting spoon shoved in your face with a “Taste this…
The generation lacking ‘soft skills’
Recently, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce released a report entitled “Kentucky’s Workforce Challenges: The Employer’s Perspective.” This report, receiving lots of media attention, provides research data gathered from a survey completed by Kentucky Chamber members aimed to add insight to the phenomenon that’s simply summarized as “too many people without jobs and too many jobs…
Donald Trump and the dumbing of America
What is it about America and fools? Donald Trump is the latest would-be leader to don the dunce’s cap and fling himself into the public arena … and Americans love him! Even though few people initially believed Trump could actually secure the Republican nomination, he is the current primary front-runner. Trump has catapulted himself to…
Parsing the Israeli Consul General’s LEO visit
Last week I had the honor and opportunity to discuss the Iran nuclear agreement with Israel’s Consul General, Yaron Sideman, who came to voice his, and represent Israel’s, opposition to the deal. The 45-minute conversation revealed several perspectives and points that shape the way opponents of the deal seek to undermine and destroy it, which…
Your Voice
ON “LOST AND FOUND: THE LOST BOYS OF SUDAN FIND THEIR WAY IN LOUISVILLE” Important story when we think about immigration. What horrors these young men experienced, what strength they gained in enduring them, so much they can contribute to the U.S. Yet we spurn them. —Bruce W. Scott, Aug. 20 ON “LOST AND FOUND:…
