Cover Story
Running down a dream: Raw power, catchy hooks and book bags full of beer with White Reaper
“Get up here … I mean, you can sit down if you want, you paid to get in here,” White Reaper’s singer/guitarist Tony Esposito told the crowd at Newport’s Southgate House Revival in early June — the first stop of a month-long tour that would take them to Seattle and back — before blasting into…
Our 8 favorite sets of Forecastle 2015
Friday Parker Millsap Every day the first set I caught stood out as one of my favorites. And on day one, Parker Millsap, an early-’20s-something that carves out wise-beyond-years Southern gothic folk, impressed me. I’ve known of him for a while and have always been pretty fond of his stuff, but live, he was even…
Photo set: All three days of Forecastle 2015
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Over 100, waves of fuzzed-out punk and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia covers: Four writers recap the final day of Forecastle
[Above photo by Nik Vechery] Zach: The final day of Forecastle 2015 kicked off with an intimate performance from Louisville’s own Twin Limb. For my money, Twin Limb are the next breakout band from town due to their overflowing talent and unique stage presence. If you’ve never seen Twin Limb, they set up as an accordion player…
Time delays, hometown heroes and The War On Drugs: Four writer’s recap day two of Forecastle
[Above photo by Nik Vechery] Syd: A slow heat death suffocates us all. The air is a squalid mess and respiration is more like drinking than breathing. The hippy kids there aged high school to maybe-not-high-school are drinking and smoking like it’s their day job, which, given the fact that it’s summer, it might be.…
Translucent guitars, Cage The Elephant walking around the lawn singing R. Kelly and our favorite sets: Four writers recap day one of Forecastle
[Photo by John Miller] Syd: I’ve been to four Forecastles, all at different locations. The earliest was at Tyler Park back in the day, packed only with locals. From there it has only grown up and out, until it now fills up the entirety of Waterfront Park into a sprawling four stage set-up that can…
A Q&A with Alvvays
Canadian Indie Poppers Alvvays have an easy air about them. Formed in 2012, the band has developed a following, punctuated by the release of their 2014 eponymous, critically-acclaimed album. You can catch them playing an early set on Friday from 1:45 to 2:30. LEO: How did Alvvays start? Was it your first band, or did…
Concert Review: Fifth Harmony (Louisville Palace, 7/15/15)
Arriving at the Fifth Harmony show, the first of their Reflection tour, I had a brief delay at will-call while waiting for my photo credential. As I waited, I caught my first glimpse of the group’s audience — giggling hordes of young teens. The people my age were proudly taking photos of their children’s first…
10 Bands to See Before 6 p.m. at Forecastle
Friday Alvvays — 1:45 p.m. (Boom Stage) Canadian dream poppers Alvvays are exactly what you’d expect from the great North, a cool, breezy blast with an energy that propels them forward. This is chilled-out indie that never shies away from a solid pop hook and a catchy tune, albeit with plenty of melancholia and angst…
Hope And Distress In Kentucky – The Bernie Sanders Rally
If the passion and focus of the organizers, volunteers and performers wasn’t an indication of the push behind Sunday’s rally at the Tim Faulkner Gallery in Portland, the banner certainly was. Local artist Mathieu Blake explained that the decision he and the other artists — Alexandra Pavek, Angela Ramsey and Eclus — made to depict…
b-sides: King Tuff
King Tuff, aka Kyle Thomas, lives up to the expectations of his name. The fuzzed-out proto-metal rocker plays with the kind of garage band intensity that blends a ’60s pop sensibility with loads of harmonized leads, and an acerbic wit to boot. King Tuff is part of the lineup this weekend at Forecastle (Port Stage,…
The Graduates: Speedy Ortiz’s much-deserved rise
What began as a solo project for singer/guitarist Sadie Dupuis grew into a full-sized quartet. Their sound is equally informed by the thick sludgy riffage of grunge and the power of a pop hook. Their newest record, “Foil Deer,” one of year’s finest LPs, was released in the late spring. Dupuis is certainly an ambitious…
Vocal playgrounding: A conversation with Cathedrals
With Cathedrals, there exists a strange hybrid of the electronic and acoustic, a cyborg pastiche that when written out should not work. Their trick, of course, is that it does. In their few years playing together, the duo — vocalist Brodie Jenkins and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Hwin — has managed to blend a disparate array of…
Sly Maturity: A Q&A with Parker Millsap
The sly maturity of Parker Millsap’s lyrics and arranging — and the dark wit and languorous intensity in his Americana songs — are difficult to reconcile as he takes the stage. He’s a handsome figure, but you could almost call him scrawny, between the fiddle player and stand-up bass. Coming out of a devout Pentecostal…
Stay Gold: Catching up with First Aid Kit
This is one of the great “care and feeding of a young band” stories of the new millennium: a pair of Swedish siblings absorb primarily American influences. Then, just barely in their teens, they show off their folk-leaning (but not purist) and very harmonic sound via infectious video performances, including well-selected covers. The performers they’ve…
Big-city dreams: A Q&A with Space Invadaz
Composed of Donte the Gr8 and Buggs The Rocka, Space Invadaz combines some of Cincinnati’s finest emcees into one dope unit, on tour now with longtime friend and sometimes collaborator Talib Kweli. You can catch them this Friday opening for Kweli at the official Forecastle After Party at the Mercury Ballroom. LEO: How did the…
Right About Now: A Q&A with Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli is a hip-hop icon. Since the mid-’90s, Kweli has made a name for himself as a purveyor of thought-provoking music, both as a solo artist and as part of Black Star, and more recently through his political activism. You can catch him this Friday night at the Mercury Ballroom as part of the…
Plugged In
WED July 15th 8Up: DJ Matt Anthony; 7:30 p.m. Baxter 942: Full Contact Karaoke; 10 p.m. Bearno’s Pizza (Bardstown): Petar Mandic; 7 p.m. Brownies The Shed: Karaoke; 10 p.m. Centerstage at JCC: The Who’s Tommy; 7:30 p.m. Diamond Pub (St. Matthews): Devereaux Duo; 10 p.m. El Nopal (Crestwood): Nick Nichols; 7 p.m. Gerstle’s Place: Kimmet…
‘Buster!’ celebrates the life of Louisville activist Louis Coleman
As a playwright, Larry Muhammad serves two muses. He relishes the imaginative freedom he finds in what he calls his “urban” plays, where he delves into fictional scenarios like a sibling rivalry that plays out between two women professional wrestlers (“Booty of the Year”) or a strange episode in the life of a police dispatcher…
The Northern Lights
Tim Northern is one of the most talented, beloved gems in the local comedy community. He has a very fascinating approach with deadpan wit and bizarre heady puns that have made him a hit on network shows like “Last Comic Standing” and “Star Search.” He is also consistently one of the most enjoyable comics to…
Video Tapeworm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS I AM FEMEN 2014; $24.98; UR There are thousands of reviews of this doc on the Net, all saddled with the same tired joke: some variation of “a revealing look.” We shall strive to avoid such childishness. FEMEN is the international movement of topless female activists fighting our planet’s male-dominated political…
Mangia! Mangia! Family Italian in Prospect
My friend Bob has a vowel on the end of his name, and he proudly hails from New Jersey, so when he told me to check out Bistro 42 in Prospect for its great Italian* food, I figure he knows what he’s talking about. Um, what’s with that asterisk on “Italian*”? To put it gently,…
Stout brings its Santa Monica roots to the Highlands
Beer lovers, brew nerds, ale snobs and boozers alike: rejoice! There are new craft breweries and bars/restaurants with a great emphasis on your favorite nectar popping up all over Derby City, and the Highlands’ iconic “Indie Row” certainly isn’t void of the trend. Neighbors to an always hoppin’ LouVino, Stout Burgers & Beers (1604 Bardstown…
Derby City Spirits to launch at Forecastle
Buzz is a good thing (especially when you’re talking about getting your buzz on) and a new local distillery is getting some well deserved buzz leading up to their Forecastle launch. The company, located at 436 Baxter Ave. (formerly the home of classic music venue Brewery Thunderdome), was founded by Jay Blevins and Harrison Hyden.…
United we stand, divided we will fall
“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity… do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” I begin this…
The times they are a-changin’
“Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call; Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall; For he that gets hurt, will be he who has stalled; There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’; It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, for the times they are a-changin’.” —Bob Dylan, “The Times…
UofL accepting donations (to pay President Ramsey’s taxes)
The University of Louisville, despite recent controversies over shady settlement/severance packages and non-disclosure curtains, has transformed itself into a much different institution than the one I knew growing up. What was once a commuter campus with no discernible campus culture has become an attractive destination for college students in a vibrant, urban setting. UofL has…
Your Voice
FACEBOOK: In RESPONSE TO “‘trumping’ prejudice” Except that the [Republican] party is doing nothing to separate itself from [Trump] or his statements, and he’s damn near at the top of the polls. He may be the id of the GOP, but they own him. — Rob Codey, July 8 TWITTER: Cranking out the JAMs Shoutout…
