March 14, 2023
Meet the 2023 Kentucky Derby Festival Poster Artist Liesl Long Chaintreuil in this week’s new issue of LEO Weekly.
Frazier History Museum Announces 2023 Return Of Summer Beer Fest
Today, Frazier History Museum announced that Summer Beer Fest, a street festival and block party, will return this year on Saturday, July 29, from 5-8 p.m. (or 4-8 p.m. for VIP guests) on Main Street in downtown Louisville. The festival will feature more than 200 beers, live music, vendors, games, and more. In a press…
10 Things Under $10 To Do In Louisville This Week (3/27-3/31)
Editor’s note: this list has been updated. MONDAY, MARCH 27 Metal Monday w/ Guillotine A.D. & StormToker Highlands Taproom Free | 9 p.m. Free sludgy stoner metal from StormToker (Lexington) and death metal from Guillotine A.D. (Athens, GA). Mystery ANY Game Tournament Planet of the Tapes Free | Comedians’ round at 9:45 p.m., open to…
Tim Sullivan’s Sports: A Foul Is A Foul Is A Foul
A foul is a foul is a foul. In the opening minutes or the final buzzer. Whether the outcome is academic or still undetermined. You can’t have one set of rules for the bulk of a basketball game and then tell the officials to let ‘em play at the very end. You don’t want meaningful…
Tim Sullivan’s Sports: Everyone Has A Plan Until They Get Punched In The Mouth
Sometimes college basketball approximates ballet. Other times, it’s bare knuckles and elevated elbows. Friday night, for instance. Alabama’s Crimson Tide arrived at the KFC Yum! Center as the nation’s No. 1 team, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and a solid favorite to temporarily upstate king football at Nick Saban University. And they…
Op-Ed: Anti-Trans SB 150 Passed Because Of Dishonest Tactics
This column mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. The Trevor Project, which aims to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, also has trained counselors available around the clock. Reach them at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/, or by texting START to 678678. As…
3 Concerts To Catch In Louisville This Weekend (3/24-3/26)
A quick note: some readers may wonder why we haven’t put Louisville garage punk band White Reaper, who play Headliners on Saturday, on this list given that we’ve covered them extensively in the last decade, most recently in our March 14 issue. The answer: that show is already sold out. FRIDAY, MARCH 24 Ernie Johnson…
Gov. Beshear Vetoes Anti-Trans “Parents’ Rights” Bill
This story is by the Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. More of Kentucky Lantern’s work can be found at kentuckylantern.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. This story mentions suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call…
5 Things To Do In And Around Louisville This Weekend (3/24-3/26)
FRIDAY, MARCH 24 Dustin Tavella Meet-and-Greet J&B Magic Shop and Theater (610 E. Spring St, New Albany, IN) Free | 12:05-6 p.m. The magician Dustin Tavella, who won Season 16 of “America’s Got Talent,” is performing two shows in New Albany tomorrow (one of which is already sold out), but today, you can meet him,…
Tim Sullivan’s Sports: As Alabama Enters Louisville For March Madness, A Dark History Looms
Though fate currently finds him in charge of the best team in college basketball, Nate Oats knows his place. To coach hoops at the University of Alabama is to stand in the shadow of a sequoia. Football is king on the Tuscaloosa campus, where Nick Saban rules as if by divine right. So when the…
Louisville Laughs: The SUPERLIST Of Louisville Comedy For March 22
[Note: this list comes from our friends at Louisville Laughs.] A list of the upcoming comedy shows and open mics in the Louisville area. If we missed your event, let us know. (Information on how to sign up for open mics at bottom). Wednesday, March 22 7:30 p.m. — Laughs In The Lounge Comedy Open Mic with…
Dining Solo: No Fear, No Shame, Just Do It
Years ago, after I left the newly corporate Courier-Journal, I went to work for a national nonprofit based in New York City. It was a fascinating job that took me all around the country, visiting and reporting on creative grassroots organizations in all 50 states. It was fun, stressful at times, and at the end…
Update: The Princess Goes Show Scheduled for May 19 Has Been Canceled.
Update: This show has been canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Princess Goes (@princessgoesofficial) The actor Michael C. Hall is best known for his role as the titular character in the crime dramas “Dexter” and “Dexter: New Blood,” but he’s also the vocalist for the band Princess…
“Rounding The Circle: The Mary And Al Shands Collection” Opens at the Speed Museum March 24
This Friday, March 24, the Speed Art Museum will open “Rounding the Circle: The Mary and Al Shands collection,” the first major show of collected works from the home of the eponymous late philanthropists. The exhibit is curated by ex-Speed contemporary curator and current Great Meadows Foundation director Julien Robson and will have 116 works of…
Con Huevos Announces Opening Date For Norton Commons Location
Con Huevos, a local breakfast and lunch chain that serves Mexican cuisine, will open its fifth location next Tuesday, March 28, at 10639 Meeting St. in Norton Commons. It will replace a former location of Ramsi’s Cafe On The World. This morning, the restaurant held a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Craig Greenberg, who said…
Reporter’s Notebook: I Did A Police Firearm Training Simulator. I Got Stabbed And Shot A Dude In The Face*.
It’s a Tuesday morning in January and I’m following a man I’ve just met down a corridor in his home, my right hand holding onto a replica Glock 19 at my hip because I don’t have a holster and tucking it into my jeans seems unsanitary given it’s a shared gun. I’m telling myself not…
Louisville’s Non-Police 911 Response Program Expands City-Wide
A program for a non-police response to some behavior-related 911 calls that was launched one year ago will be expanded to cover the entire city, but will still only operate during limited hours, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced on Tuesday. The Crisis Call Diversion Program was previously operational in Louisville Metro Police Department’s 1st, 2nd,…
Tuesday Tracklist: MARINA, Madonna, Dirt Poor Robins, And More (3/21)
In this new weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7-10 of the songs they’ve got on repeat right now. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we’d like? Let us know at leo@leoweekly.com or at the author’s email below. This week’s tracklist comes from intern Gracie…
The Oracle Of Ybor: Family Ties
LEO is dedicated to bringing you engaging, fun, and unique content that crosses many spectrums. From our sister paper in Tampa, Creative Loafing, we’re happy to share the Oracle of Ybor, written by Caroline DeBruhl. Here you may submit your questions about life, and the tarot will help to guide your answers. Got a question…
Queer Kentucky, Along With Partners, Tackle LGBTQ+ Suicide Awareness And Prevention
On Thursday, March 23, Queer Kentucky is hosting a panel discussion about LGBTQ+ Suicide awareness and prevention. The discussion will take place from 8 – 9:30 a.m at Story Louisville (900 E. Main St.). In partnership with Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness Division of Suicide Prevention, The Big Stomp, The Fairness Campaign, and Louisville…
10 Things Under $10 To Do In Louisville This Week (3/20-3/24)
MONDAY, MARCH 20 Metal Monday w/ Artwork for the Blind & Fall Highlands Taproom Free | 9 p.m. A free metal show from two local bands, one of whom (Fall) will be playing their first ever Metal Monday. TUESDAY, MARCH 21 MAGBAR PRESENTS: Hollow Valley-THE IN MISERY TOUR | FT:TAKEN LIVES, MIKE MULLINS MUSIC Mag…
Kentucky Legislature Passes Anti-Trans Bill
This story is by the Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. More of Kentucky Lantern’s work can be found at kentuckylantern.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the…
5 Things To Do In Louisville This Weekend (3/17-3/19)
FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Shamrocks & Shenanigans St. Patrick’s Day Party Louisville (21+) Fourth Street Live! $15 | 5 p.m. Get decked out in green and have some touristy fun at Fourth Street Live!’s St. Patrick’s Day party. All guests will receive a free commemorative mug. SATURDAY, MARCH 18 2nd Annual Burgoo Bash Cook-Off Against The…
3 Concerts To Catch In Louisville This Weekend (3/17-3/19)
FRIDAY, MARCH 17 Hot Brown Smackdown w/Mr. Please Zanzabar $15 | Doors at 7 p.m., music at 8 p.m. It’s an interesting all-local double bill: Hot Brown Smackdown is “newgrass-fusion,” and Mr. Please’s tunes are groovy and/or chill. SATURDAY, MARCH 18 LDB Fest Triple Crown Pavilion (1780 Plantside Dr.) $73.95 | Doors at 11 a.m.…
Louisville Poet Ron Whitehead And Writer Wang Ping Release Collab Video, ‘YES I AM CHINESE & I WILL NOT BOW DOWN’
Yesterday, U.S. National Beat Poet Laureate and GonzoFest co-founder Ron Whitehead and writer and performance artist Wang Ping released a video of “YES I AM CHINESE & I WILL NOT BOW DOWN,” a collaborative spoken-word poem with backing instrumentals from The Storm Generation Band. In the video, Whitehead and Wang speak out against anti-Asian hate…
Waka Flocka Flame Coming To Old Forester’s Paristown Hall On March 31
2000s rapper Waka Flocka Flame is coming to Louisville this month. The infamous recording artist will perform at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall on Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$50 and are available now. The show will also feature The Homies, a Louisville hip-hop group who toured with Jack Harlow last year,…
Kentucky House Approves Book Challenge Bill After Multiple Attempts To Alter It Fail
This story is by the Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. More of Kentucky Lantern’s work can be found at kentuckylantern.com. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House rejected pleas of some Republicans to add a ban…
Thorns and Roses: The Po-Po, Dodge City, Kazetarians, And An Honor To THE Coach
Thorn: The Louisville Metro Police Department After LMPD tried to gaslight the city for years by saying that everything had changed and that cases of misconduct were isolated, the Department of Justice’s 90-page report on the police force released this month was absolutely damning. Patterns of unconstitutional policing. Excessive uses of force. Unlawful arrests. Racially…
Searching For The Sound: Revisiting White Reaper’s First Five Albums
It seems like just yesterday when kids were climbing into the rafters at local venues during those bonkers early White Reaper shows, but now, five albums and a decade into their career, the five-piece band are hard-touring veterans with a fairly deep and definitely eclectic discography. From the breakneck garage punk of the early days…
Edibles And Cannabinoids: Navigating The Alphabet Soup For A Better Buzz
So many different edibles and new cannabinoids names If you think this is the old-school way of making run-of-the-mill edibles, this isn’t that. A small primer below. I’ve gotten lots of questions about edibles. My edible experiences have usually hinged on the answer to the question, “Who has access to lots of shake?” ‘Shake’ is…
Recommended: Meat Or No Meat, The Smokery Has You Covered
A vegan walked into a barbecue joint. What’s the punchline? Actually, there’s no punchline. I’m not a vegan myself. But I can see the ethos: The commercial agriculture that’s necessary to have everyone eating tasty animals is bad for the environment. It’s bad for our health. And it’s pretty obviously bad for the animals who…
Historically Black Neighborhood Ordinance Aims To Stop Government-Funded Gentrification
As a young child, Jessica Bellamy lived on Lampton Street in Smoketown, where her family has deep roots. Her grandmother Shirley Mae Beard founded the iconic Shirley Mae’s Café, a soul food restaurant on the corner of Clay and Lampton streets that is now owned by Bellamy’s mother. During the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras,…
New Comedy Club Coming To Fourth Street Live! This Spring
Louisville is getting another venue for live comedy. Laugh Louisville, a new comedy club on the upper level of Fourth Street Live!, will have its grand opening on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, with headliner Ryan Hamilton (“Happy Face,” Netflix.) The venue will soft-open next Friday, March 24, with the Laugh Louisville Showcase.…
Talk Cinema And An Icelandic Frontier Tale at the The Speed
Director Hlynur Pálmason has created a striking Icelandic travelogue disguised as a 19th-century missionary drama. A beautiful, slow, and steady film, “Godland” is set against a rough and remote backdrop, and examines the struggle between colonizer and colonized, between humans and nature, between spiritual goals and hubris. It is late summer in Iceland, a time…
How The Issues Of “Horse” Speak To Persistent Social Issues
“Horse” by Geraldine Brooks (Viking; 404 pgs., $28) How might we mark time in Louisville this March of 2023? Derby Season is fast approaching—soon the beginning of the pinnacle celebration for the sporting institution that has brought the region its greatest fame and much of its fortune and culture going back to the mid-19th century.…
East Texas Native Rodney Carrington Brings His Unique Humor And Mildly Offensive Songwriting To Whitney Hall
Artist Spotlight: Grassroots comedy This story comes to LEO through our partnership with Audience Magazine: Your Performing Arts Connection. When it comes to the great comedians over the years, names like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, and Eddie Murphy come to mind. More modern names might include Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, Ron…
“America’s Got Talent” Winner To Perform At New Albany Magic Shop
Magician and “America’s Got Talent” winner Dustin Tavella will perform in New Albany at J&B Magic Shop and Theater next Saturday, March 25, at 7 and 9 p.m. He’ll also have a free meet-and-greet at the magic shop on Friday, March 24, from 12-6 p.m. Tickets are $100. (As of this writing, the 7 p.m.…
A Tale Of Two Jails: A Look At The History Of Jails In Louisville
As LEO previously reported, in a 14-month period, 13 deaths occurred at an overcrowded Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, including one suicide by an inmate who had been left alone in a cramped “attorney booth” which, unlike a normal cell, does not have beds, running water or toilets. Add this to a beleaguered Metro police…
Jumping Into Spring And The Kentucky Derby Festival With Local Artist Liesl Long Chaintreuil
With the start of spring, the Kentucky Derby Festival is gearing up to begin. LEO sat down with local artist Liesl Long Chaintreuil to discuss her experience creating the 2023 Kentucky Derby Festival poster. After a few minutes talking with her, it doesn’t take very long to understand why the Festival reached out to Long…
‘Round the Fire: It’s a Beautiful Day
Social workers are often called to the job by experiencing trauma in their own life history; I was born from trauma, so it’s my natural state. My mother was born a matriarch and was skilled in protecting those she loved, not out of choice, but necessity. I feel that this is why she slipped so…
The 2023 Louder Than Life Lineup Is Here: Green Day, Foo Fighters, Tool, Limp Bizkit, And More
Louder Than Life released its 2023 lineup today, and we’re absolutely psyched. Besides headliners like Foo Fighters, Green Day, Pantera, and Tool, this year’s lineup also includes Louisville’s own White Reaper, Guerrilla Warfare, and Devil’s Cut. The larger-than-life music festival returns to the Fairgrounds at the Kentucky Expo Center from Thursday, Sept. 21, through Sunday,…
Louisville, At The Very Least
Editor’s Note What a wild couple of weeks in Louisville. The Department of Justice’s report delivered a scathing assessment of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Now we await the consent decree to be negotiated. Activists, like LEO’s occasional columnist Hannah Drake, have taken to social media to reiterate the fact that Black people in Louisville…
PNC Broadway In Louisville Announces 2023-2024 Season
This morning, PNC Broadway In Louisville announced the slate of shows that will make up its 2023-2024 season. Tickets will be available later this year. All descriptions quoted below come from the show listings. Here’s the list: Wicked Sep. 20 – Oct. 8, 2023 “WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land…
Louisville Laughs: The SUPERLIST Of Louisville Comedy For March 15
[Note: this list comes from our friends at Louisville Laughs.] A list of the upcoming comedy shows and open mics in the Louisville area. If we missed your event, let us know. (Information on how to sign up for open mics at bottom). Wednesday, March 15 7:30 p.m. — Laughs In The Lounge Comedy Open Mic, The Caravan…
After Previous Refusal, Louisville Police Agree To Cooperate With Oversight Body
In what Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg described as “an important step” towards trust and transparency, the Louisville Metro Police Department has agreed to cooperate with the investigations conducted by the Office of Inspector General, which was created to provide oversight of the department and investigate citizen complaints of officer misconduct. “One of the issues that…
Louisville’s Hip Hop Sweet Shop Owner Makes Appearance On The Kelly Clarkson Show
LaFesa Johnson, owner of Hip Hop Sweet Shop, appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Monday, March 13. Johnson appeared on the show as part of Clarkson’s “What I’m liking” segment that looked at how Hip Hop has spread through all parts of American culture over the last 50 years. The show is part of the…
Tuesday Tracklist: Shitfire, The Dubliners, John Legend, And More (3/14)
In this new weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7-10 of the songs they’ve got on repeat right now. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we’d like? Let us know at leo@leoweekly.com or at the author’s email below. Due to busy schedules, this…
Kentucky Shakespeare Releases Schedule For Spring 2023 “Hamlet” Tour
Kentucky Shakespeare recently released the schedule for its 2023 Shakespeare in the Parks tour, whose featured production is “Hamlet.” The tour will stop at dozens of parks in the Louisville area (and beyond) this April and May. All shows are free and family-friendly. Check out LEO’s photos of the production. Here’s the current schedule: Saturday,…
The Legacy Tour To Make A Louisville Stop At The KFC Yum! Center With New Edition, Guy, Keith Sweat and Tank
This party is for the old heads. On Friday, April 14, New Edition, Keith Sweat, Guy and Tank are coming to the KFC Yum! Center, and you won’t see a better-coordinated crowd of clothing, shoes, and hats ever in your life than you will be guaranteed to see at this show. The jams you will…
“Drag Is Not A Crime” Town Hall To Address SB 115 Tonight
Tonight, local drag performers, leaders of local LGBTQ nonprofits, and other speakers will present a live informational talk and Q&A on the anti-drag bill making its way through the Kentucky legislature. Drag Daddy Productions will be hosting Drag Is Not A Crime: A Community Town Hall at Art Sanctuary at 6:30 p.m., followed by a…
Feds: Louisville Police ‘Routinely’ Engaged In Unconstitutional Practices, ‘Harmed’ Black Community. Consent Decree Coming.
In a damning 90-page report released on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said it has “reasonable cause to believe” that the Louisville Metro Police Department engages in unconstitutional policing, including discrimination against members of the Black community, violating the rights of people engaging in free speech activities critical of the police and by “routinely”…
