Cover Story
The cow gives birth to a baby elephant
“The more I am able to affirm others, to say ‘yes’ to them in myself, by discovering them in myself and myself in them, the more real I am. I am fully real if my own heart says yes to everyone.” —Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander “Merton was a man who understood how…
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Open letter from Wendell Berry & Bill McKibben
Dear Friends, There are moments in a nation’s and a planet’s history when it may be necessary for some to break the law in order to bear witness to an evil, bring it to wider attention, and push for its correction. We think such a time has arrived, and we are writing to say that…
WEB ONLY: Loosely connected thoughts on Louisville’s crisis of economy
In one of the better late-era episodes of “Seinfeld,” George Costanza, in a fit of pity, delivers a chair to the always-standing security guard at the Manhattan clothier owned by his wealthy soon-to-be uncle-in-law. Meeting resistance, George tells the store manager he’s practically the owner’s nephew, that one day he’ll own the place, and on…
Army of One
One unfortunate result of the alt-country boom has been that anyone with an acoustic guitar and a passable Jim James bleat can take up the mantle of “earnest troubadour” without having much feel for the music itself. But Louisville’s Neil Hulsewede is not kidding about his country cred: His solo debut Army of One is…
Video TapeWorm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS PETTICOAT JUNCTION: THE OFFICIAL FIRST SEASON $40.95, UR This aw-shucks innocent bit of T&A TV was way ahead of its time. Just your basic family-friendly cornball collection of “Beverly Hillbillies” and “Green Acres” characters, livened up by three scrumptious babes a-skinny-dippin’ over the opening theme song. What more could you want…
Wii Fit diary
Day one: I finally found a Wii Fit online and snapped it up. It should be here in a couple of days. I’m really excited because I’m sure it’s going to succeed where the treadmill, stationary bike, sit-ups, crunches, jogging, hiking, cycling and YMCA membership have failed, because it’s a virtual workout instead of a…
My First Deposit in the Hip Hop Game
Enter Password: ****Type of Transaction: Balance RequestBalance: Anonymous synthesizer beats: 27 TracksCliché lyrics of the “snap” variety: 27 TracksBusy production louder than vocals: 27 TracksExhausting length of one-sided songs: 73:59Available Funds: Insufficient
Mug Shots
In the continental brewing tradition that informs our beery American ethos, the arrival of cold weather heralds the release of strong ales and lagers. In a touch that predates the use of hops, some are spiced, placing them firmly within the parameters of Christmas food and drink. Louisville Metro’s five craft breweries offer creative annual…
Anna Shepherd
The self-titled debut from Bardstown singer-songwriter Anna Shepherd is a perfectly executed EP. This collection is direct and enticing, and it becomes obvious that she has weeded out any filler that can often make such a casually paced album drag. Throughout, Shepherd tips her hand as to what exactly she might have in store but…
‘Let the Right One In’ revamps the vampire
(Starring Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson and Per Ragnar. Directed by Tomas Alfredson. Rated R; 1:54. Starts Friday at Village 8 Theatres. LEO Report Card: A-) I can say with absolute certainty that I wasn’t swayed by the hype surrounding “Let the Right One In.” A Swedish (vampire) coming-of-age movie, the thought…
The Detail
A friend reminded me of a joke the other day: If a nuclear bomb hits the United States, head to Louisville — it takes two years for anything to reach us. Listening to The Detail does conjure feelings of being stuck in the past, or at least arriving late to a kick-ass party. Singer-guitarists Stephen…
Turn to Clear Vision
The first time you hear Deer Meet’s Turn to Clear Vision, you may get visions of booted feet kicking amplifiers over. Those belong to Jimmy Angelina. Deer Meet is definitely Angelina’s project. As the title suggests, the production is clean, sparse and dominated by Angelina’s guitar work. The tunes are tight, focused affairs, reminiscent of…
Slash and burn
For actress Joy DeMichelle Moore, playing a lead role in “A Raisin in the Sun” is especially meaningful given the grim state of the economy. “In this economic time, everybody can relate to the play,” says Moore, a Louisville native and alumna of Louisville’s Youth Performing Arts School. “It’s a show that is about economic…
Aftertastes
Dakshin Indian Restaurant, Eastland Shopping Center, 4742 Bardstown Rd., 491-7412. This recent arrival ranks as a favorite among the region’s Indian community. The menu is said to include at least one dish from every Indian state, from Tamil Nadu and the Malabar Coast to Kashmir and the Himalayas. (Reviewed 10/1/08; Rating: 86) The Colonnade, Louisville…
Country’s ambassador of filth; Ra ra ra
Larry Pierce hasn’t settled on a title for his next album, due in the spring, but he’s kicking around some ideas. “I’m thinking Dirty-Minded Bastard or Sick-Minded Bastard,” he says. Either would fit: Since 1993, Pierce, a retired auto parts factory worker from Middletown, Ind., has toured the nation playing “dirty country.” Now, his fame…
Friendly foes
In less than a month, the Metro Council will select a new president, and the annual jockeying to take over the gavel has officially commenced. Current President Jim King, D-10, has voiced interest in retaining the position, which would make him the first council member to serve consecutive terms in the leadership role. Also entering…
B-Sides
That Mike is GreenLouisville MC Mike Davis, better known as Kid Mike, will have a track on a new mixtape put out by DJ Green Lantern, the DJ for Eminem and 50 Cent, among others. The song “Stackin’ Chips” appears on DJ Green Lantern Presents: Monster Mash Part III, which hits stores nationally Dec. 14,…
What a Week
So who made Metro Councilwoman Judy Green the fashion police? The District 1 Democrat disapproves of saggy pants, and wants to propose a council resolution frowning on the droopy drawers epidemic. In addition to calling the unfortunate fashion statement “degrading” and “indecent,” the councilwoman went so far as to suggest the trend has a history…
What a short, strange Christmas trip
(The Alley Theater presents “O’ Santa’s Beard, Where Art Thou?” Written by Jak Son Renfro and performed by the Frozen Bottom Boys. Continues through Dec. 20 in the Alley Theater at City Block. All shows at 7:30 p.m. For info, call 589-3866 or visit www.alleytheaterlouisville.com.) Writing a new Christmas show without irony and without ripping…
Staffpicks
Dec. 10-14 Comedian Tim Northern Actor and comedian Ben Stein said of Tim Northern, “I love the fact that he assumes his audience has a brain.” And as is the biased opinion of LEO’s editors, they also assume their readers have brains. Northern, a comic who has traveled one coast to the other, splashing…
Gay, in two acts
Act I: “Gay day is finally here” Dec. 10, which could be today, is national “Day Without a Gay” day. Day Without a Gay is intended as a nationwide protest; all queers and their straight allies are encouraged to participate in this daylong “economic boycott” to prove not only our worth, but our power, too.…
Suspect investigation
Inside a dimly lit conference room at Louisville Metro Police headquarters, a weathered photograph of Ann Gotlib is projected onto a white screen. The image of the fair-skinned 12-year-old with red hair, freckles, bluish-gray eyes and a slight smile has been disseminated on missing-person posters nationwide and has haunted the city for 25 years. Now,…
Inside The Circle: A B-Boy Chronicle (DVD)
It seems like the “tale of two dancers” story has been told so many times it has turned cliché. Josh and Omar are two aspiring b-boys (hip-hop dancers, if you like) who used to be best friends until they joined rival crews (insert dramatic “Oooooooooh” chorus). Inside the Circle documents their struggles and victories on…
Taking back Taking Back Sunday; Slithering Beast’s Midnight Royalty
Friday, Dec. 12Last October, Taking Back Sunday was in shambles. Guitarist and backing vocalist Fred Mascherino departed the band, citing the group’s inability to get along. Fans wondered if the band would ever return. But out of the darkest of times comes a ray of hope. For the remaining members of Taking Back Sunday, the…
Keep it real
Here’s the deal: Your economy is collapsing, more people than at any time in recent memory are without jobs, you have no money, you are trapped in your job out of some preternatural survival mechanism, and it just got awfully cold. You may be scrambling through this time of abstract devastation without understanding what is…
A holiday to remember
“A girl starts walkin’, guys start gawkin’, sits down next to you and starts talkin’!” I’m rapping into a microphone before an audience consisting of my parents and my 84-year-old grandmother. They’re all smiling politely and looking bewildered. Seeing this, I step up my game, throwing in a moonwalk and a few Eminem-style hand gestures…
Cruisin’ down the (Napa) River
The landscape of Louisville restaurant history is littered with the dry bones of eateries whose owners thought it would be a really good idea to move to a new location and expand to a larger space. The most recent victim, Mazzoni’s, fell just one year short of celebrating its 125th birthday. The home of the…
Community Listings
LEO Weekly is happy to list events of community interest, but if you’re trying to sneak an ad in here, forget it. Items are published on a space-available basis. The deadline is WEDNESDAY at 4 p.m. Send e-mail to listings@leoweekly.com. No listings taken over the phone. Please include a daytime phone number. Timely events must…
Inbox — Dec. 10, 2008
Unions are Necessary It never ceases to amaze me the amount of hostility there is toward unions and the men and women who are members. In full disclosure, I am a member of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, and thus have a vested interest in this topic. Anyway, Francene is typical of those who believe…
