Cover Story
How Rida Hassan escaped death in Iraq to find a life in Louisville
I’m looking at a photograph, a picture that on the surface looks no different than anyone’s 30-year-old elementary school picture. It’s black and white, faded, creased and too small for the frame that holds it. The boy in the picture is smiling, happy, and if he was anything like his adult self, then he’s also…
LEO Playlist 1/14
1) “Shut In” by Strand of Oaks, who play Zanzabar on Monday, Jan. 19. Don’t miss an interview with the driving force behind the project, Tim Showalter, in this week’s issue. 2) “Sounds of the City” by Lucero, who are coming to Headliners for a two-night stand on Thursday, Jan. 15 and Friday, Jan. 16. 3) “The Last Pale Light…
Six Local Record Labels That You Should Be Paying Attention To
Not only has Louisville been fortunate enough to have a vibrant music scene over the years, but, also, good record labels to help document the various movements that have defined the city. Labels like the recently reconstituted Self-Destruct, Slamdek, Initial Records and the hibernating, but no less vital, Noise Pollution, all helped define their respective…
LEO Weekly 1/7 Playlist
*The LEO Weekly Playlist features the musicians covered in each respective print issue. Enjoy.* 1) “River” by Civil Twilight, who play Headliner’s on Friday, January 9. 2) ”I Am Moving On” by The New Old Cavalry, who play Zanzabar on Saturday, January 10. 3) “Jane, I Still Feel The Same” by Matthew Ryan, who plays…
Completely Obsessed: We Built This City
If I were to ask you what the single worst song in rock and roll history was, a large number of you wouldn’t bat an eye before you replied with a thundering “We Built This City.” For decades now, it’s been regarded as the epitome of sleek, over-produced, commercial rock. I, too, have been guilty…
b-sides: Father Jah/Termanology
Talking with Father Jah, it’s immediately apparent that he has a deep and all-abiding love for hip-hop, be that local or national. A cornerstone of the local hip-hop scene for years now, Father Jah has found success with his rap production group, Unstopable Sound Agency, and has released records on Protect Your Neck Records, the…
Staffpicks
FRIDAY, JAN. 9 Civil Twilight Headliners 1386 Lexington Rd., 584-8088 headlinerslouisville.com $12; 8:30 p.m. Mixing an ambient, dreamy indie rock soundscape with the inclinations of pop and an Arcade Fire-like feel for making sparkling, futuristic rhythms that can be both dark and danceable, South Africa’s Civil Twilight dabble with a lot of genres, but allow…
Twin Limb
Things have been accelerating quickly for Twin Limb, the local ominous, dreamy and extremely compelling former duo, now trio (we’ll get to that in a second), that dishes a heavy dose of dark, layered, almost psychedelic folk that seems to know very few limitations. They’re just finishing up a record — they plan on releasing…
Louisville’s first annual FREE WEEK
Louisville’s first FREE WEEK will feature more than 15 local bands at four different venues over four days. Organized by Do502, with LEO Weekly signed on as a media partner, the event will take place Jan. 28-31, with the New Vintage hosting free music on Wednesday, Zanzabar on Thursday, Headliners on Friday and the Mercury…
The importance of being earnest
A veteran of the Midwest indie scene, Brandon Butler has played with a number of notable acts like Boy’s Life, Farewell Bend and Canyon. Most recently, Butler moved to Louisville, where he met up with Ryan Patterson, Forrest Kuhn and Keith Bryant, all established players of the local punk/indie scene, to form Six Bells. If…
Plugged In (Jan. 7th – Jan. 13th)
WED Jan 7th Brasserie Provence: Brian Curella Duo with Joey Thieman; 7 p.m. Diamond Pub (St. Matthews): Chad and Karsten; 10 p.m. Gary’s on Spring: Walker & Kays; 6 p.m. Gerstle’s: Kimmet & Doug; 9 p.m. Jack Fry’s: Ray Johnson, Dave Wilson and Jenna Mattingly; 7 p.m. Mag Bar: Groove Wednesday with Clay and Duffy…
ART: Global tapestries on display at KMAC
Let me say this right up front: Creating a tapestry is hard work. Artists have to work from the back, relying on a mirror to see what they’re doing, and using thread to make the composition. Labeling it labor intensive is an understatement. Its heyday in western art was during the Middle Ages, when tapestries…
THEATER: Idris Goodwin’s play to premiere on Ali’s 73rd birthday
A couple of years ago, Peter Holloway, executive director of Louisville’s StageOne Family Theatre, phoned playwright Idris Goodwin to propose the idea of writing a play about the young Cassius Clay. In a phone interview from his home in Colorado Springs, Goodwin recalled the moment: “Before he could even get the words of out his mouth,…
Video Tapeworm
This Week’s Twin Peeks NON NON BIYORI 2013; $34.98-59.98; UR This week we present a contrast in “fan service”: a term suggesting the level of nudity, sex, violence and gore in Japanese animated offerings. “Biyori” is a perfect example of the “slice of life” genre: With no fan-service, it is the simple, ongoing tale of…
Mitchell’s Fish Market re-chains, stays about the same
Here’s one reason why I don’t often review corporate chain eateries: They’re generally predictable. Even the good ones don’t change much, unless the stockholders scream for change, and nothing good generally comes of that. Take Mitchell’s Fish Market: I last reviewed it in November 2001, when it and its then-corporate partner Martini Italian Bistro had…
The Taste Bud: Tasting the mystery
I’m normally not a big fast-food guy, but I had to watch in amusement and curiosity when I first saw the Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen commercial for the chain’s new Ghost Pepper Wings. “Taste the mystery,” the woman beckons in the spot, as bright orange, heavily breaded sections of chicken wing bound downward in slow motion.…
LEON: Merriam and Webster ‘literally’ can’t take it anymore
Merriam and Webster have literally given up the fight to define “literally” as something that actually happened. After years of battling with Americans, desperate to find some way of helping them to understand the proper definition and usage, they have conceded — literally, nothing means “literally” anymore. For years the two language leaders have adamantly…
LEON: Herpes epidemic killing millions of oysters
An outbreak of herpes has been spreading among oysters around the world (actually happened). In a matter of days, the virus has killed tens of millions of oysters, primarily in the Pacific Ocean. While experts are scrambling to identify the cause of and possible solution for the epidemic, social media is wasting no time poking…
A kinder, gentler New Year
Last year when it came time for the New Year’s wrap-up/resolution column I was not in a great place. I was grouchy, grading papers and feeling weary of new motherhood. It was so bad that I neglected to greet the New Year, became an emotional knot and subsequently bemoaned my discontent in my column. Not…
Hope for change
“Perhaps we cannot change the world, but I do not want the world to change me,” said Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, Nobel Prize winner and author of 57 books. That is my mantra as we head into a new year of ominous challenges and exciting opportunities. My words and deeds shall also be informed…
The border is drawn
What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the name “Muhammad”? What is the first thing you think of when you hear the name “Ali”? Context plays an integral role in understanding the world, and it plays an even more crucial role in knowing and appreciating who someone is. Knowing someone’s…
Inbox – January 7, 2015
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, 607 W. Main St., Suite 001, Louisville, Ky. 40202. Fax to 895-9779 or email to leo@leoweekly.com. We may edit for length, grammar…
