Cover Story
Literary LEO 2016: The winners of our annual poetry, fiction and photo competitions
Can Literary LEO matter? Experimental, weird, offbeat, gonzo, iconoclastic, socially just, giving voice to those most often voiceless, silenced and oppressed. The first measure in determining whether a people and its government are civilized is how they treat and care for those who can’t fully help themselves. And the second measure of a civilization is…
The 6 best local songs released in January
Jack Harlow — “Never Woulda Known (feat. Johnny Spanish) [prod. Syk Sense]” Just because Jack Harlow is a relatively new kid on the block doesn’t mean that he doesn’t know how to work a track — or for that matter a crowd. Harlow has the benefit of some rock solid production, here by Syk Sense.…
Visually Speaking: This week’s art news and events (2/5/16)
[The above image is by Sarah Tidwell from “Cuteopia!” at Revelry Gallery] Art news The Speed Art Museum is hiring prior to their reopening in March. Visit their website for job postings (speedmuseum.org). Kaviar Forge & Gallery is holding a blacksmithing workshop on forging tongs with Danny Downs on March 12-13. Fee: $375 (craigkaviarforge.com). Artist…
LEO Podcast #19: An interview with Curio Key Club, plus listen to two tracks from their new album
Graeme Gardiner, Zack Kennedy and Drew Miller of Curio Key Club swung by to talk about their new self-titled album (out Feb. 5), and they were also kind enough to let us include two songs from the forthcoming record in the podcast.
Heavy hitters, lighter alternatives and Tribulation: Our favorite winter beers from local brewing companies
Winter decided to finally show up this January, and it arrived in full force. While science may tell you that alcohol does not actually warm you up, there is no better way to knock the chill out of the air than a nice beer. The good news is that there are plenty of excellent options…
5 things to do in Louisville this weekend (1/29)
FRIDAY Re-Opening of Crescent Hill Trading Company The Crescent Hill Trading Company Free; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. While you’re out enjoying the Frankfort Avenue Trolley Hop, make sure to stop by the newly remodeled Crescent Hill Trading Company for their grand re-opening. This vintage store has been been a staple of Crescent Hill for 14 years…
UofL Basketball Roundup: Oh my, Donovan Mitchell!
Aaron: Oh my, Donovan Mitchell. I’ve seen a lot of dunks in my day, but I can think of only one that rivals the one I saw Mitchell put on Florida State — Montrezl Harrell in the ’13 National Championship game. I’ve heard others bring up Kyle Kuric at Marquette, which I agree was pretty…
Legislation to watch: ?LGBT+ rights and reproductive freedom at stake
Restricting reproductive rights Currently in Kentucky, a woman must first go through an “informed consent” process before receiving an abortion. This requires that she consult a doctor (either by phone, teleconference or in-person) about the procedure and then wait a full 24 hours to consider her options. Many, including Senator Reginald Thomas, D-13, would argue that…
Carefully-crafted and ?well-constructed: ?A conversation with Karass
It’s funny to think that an instrumental band can be identified by their sense of humor, but Karass delivers. The Louisville indie veterans show that in the way that they present their music — always carefully-crafted and well-constructed, but with a sense of whimsy. That sensibility is immediately apparent in talking with them, as they…
Every little thing: A conversation with Justin Paul Lewis
“Louisville’s music scene has always been great,” local singer-songwriter Justin Paul Lewis says of the artists that Free Week intends to celebrate. “It’s always kinda been hidden, but now with so many other things putting Louisville on the map, it’s really bringing the professional out in everyone. And I don’t think that it’s just the…
In the moment: A conversation with Jordan Jetson
It seems like every year Louisville hip-hop gains more and more traction in a city rife with talent. Jordan Jetson, a member of the United Legions of Doom collective with his cousin 1200, is an emcee of remarkable skill, whose debut album “Inner City Gods” made waves this summer with an easy lyrical flow and…
Break’s over: ?A conversation with Jalin Roze
“I feel like the culture as a whole has grown to be so united. I feel like talent recognizes and appreciates other talent, so I think good art and music — whatever genre — people are going to gravitate towards it,” says Jalin Roze about the current state of Louisville’s music scene, which has recently…
Plugged In
Wed Jan 27 8Up: High Sounds with DJ Matt Anthony; 7:30 p.m. Baxters 942: Full Contact Karaoke; 10 p.m. Bearno’s (Highlands): Ryan Conroy; 8 p.m. Brooke & Billy’s: Tyrone Cotton; 6 p.m. Corner Restaurant & Bar: Brent Mathis; 5 p.m. Gerstle’s Place: Kimmet & Doug; 9 p.m. Goodwood Brewing: Open Mic Night; 7 p.m. Hard…
Ari: Who Cares?
(self- released) The title of Ari’s newest seems a bit inappropriate. On the one hand, it serves to reinforce the kind of teen angst that denies emotion in some kind of off-handed coolness, but no one rages this hard if they don’t care. So perhaps the question isn’t the blithe, apathetic dismissal that it may…
Dr. Dundiff & Friends: WYAVHCANY
(self-released) I suppose that Wishing You A Very Happy Christmas and New Year counts as a holiday album, although that relationship is tenuous as such. Again, Dr. Dundiff serves as a curator to some of the finest emcees in the city, cultivating a righteous ensemble of talent and like-minds. The production is smooth as silk…
Nick Burke: Collections
(self- released) It comes as no surprise that the newest EP from Nick B, a multi-instrumentalist and integral part of the music of 1200, would be an elegant and measured affair. The tracks here range from jazzy instrumental hip-hop that privileges relaxed grooves and complex textures to grittier fare seemingly tailored to the guest emcees…
Bryson Tiller: T R A P S O U L
(RCA) After spending a considerable amount of time with “Trap Soul,” it’s easy for me to conclude that you can’t pin Bryson Tiller down to one particular genre. His blend of acrobatic singing and ferocious rapping over hard-hitting trap beats sounds unlike anything I’ve heard in years past, serving as a refreshing combination that can…
Wayward Actors put on a ‘Killer Show’ at The Bard’s Town
Murder, murder – Makes your heart thump! Murder, murder – Makes your nerves jump! Murder, murder – Makes your blood pump, Bloody murder In the night! — “Jekyll & Hyde,” by Frank Wildhorn, Steve Cuden and Leslie Bricusse We love our murders, yes we do, whether they’re committed in cozy novels, ancient ballads, glossy Hollywood…
Bevin’s destruction of KAC would mean loss of NEA funds and statewide cultural devastation
We all have our lists of things we dislike. For the arts community, top complaints are censorship and a lack of voice. We cherish advocacy that promotes creativity. So when the rumor mill lit up last week with news that Gov. Bevin’s new budget would defund the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC), arts people across the…
Filmmaker returns to Louisville after ‘Meltdown’
Jacob Mulliken is a Louisville-born filmmaker who grew up in Bowling Green, went to college in Santa Fe, made a movie in Pennsylvania and has returned home to Louisville upon the release of his first full-length feature film “Meltdown.” The writer/director/actor of the film had been kicking around doing theater and television roles (including a…
Video Tapeworm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS BRIDGE OF SPIES 2015; $16.99-22.99; PG-13 Tom Hanks continues his modern everyman run as James Donovan, the real-life low-key lawyer connived into a high-stakes chess game with the Soviet Union in 1960. The Russkies had just shot down Francis Gary Powers, the Jenkins, Kentucky, native piloting America’s top-secret U-2 spy plane…
New Roots Fresh Stop Markets grow ?community-driven food justice
Food justice is often overlooked as a component of social justice, but many neighborhoods still ache from decades of geographic and socioeconomic segregation — even in the bustle of progressive cities like Louisville. Current food policies often prioritize full bellies over optimally nourished ones, leaving people hungry. Karyn Moskowitz was once new to the idea…
Humble
I started a new job a couple of weeks ago. The kitchen there is populated with young cooks, many much younger than me. I’m the oldest person working in the back of the house. At this point in my life, that’s not notable. Restaurant cooking is a young person’s game. As in any new job,…
The evolution of ?the gay bar
I’m not entirely sure what your nightlife schedule looks like, but I’ve been noticing a trend since, well, I was of legal drinking age. The last time I went out for a Sunday Funday on the town with my friends, we patronized both Big Bar for a frozen mimosa and Nowhere Bar for a few…
Hope and change ?eight years later
And so it begins, ends and begins again. The pre-fight chatter is almost over. Iowans officially kick off the long struggle for party delegates with their convoluted caucuses on Feb. 1. On the Democratic side, self-proclaimed socialist Bernie Sanders is giving Hillary Clinton a run both in Iowa and New Hampshire. Though his candidacy seemed…
Your jury or mine?
The Sixth Amendment, while not as glamorous as the First and not as controversial as the Second, may seem one to easily dismiss if you’re not a criminal or part of the legal system. Yet its impact on racial, and arguably social, equality can’t be overstated. The U.S. Constitution guarantees an accused the right to…
We can’t afford to not fund the arts
“We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” I quoted Professor John Keating, played by Robin…
Your Voice
How to kill compassion The foulest way to kill compassion is to make it official; the second is give awards for it; the third is to cast compassion as a competitive endeavor. Is compassion best served when public entities funded by tax dollars like the University of Louisville Law school declare themselves officially intent on compassion? Is compassion best served…
