Cover Story
Race, space and economics in the West End: The future of Beecher Terrace?
Leonard Sullivan has lived in the Beecher Terrace public housing development for 17 years. The 77-year old former Eli Lilly machinist is known simply as “Pops” to his neighborhoods. He spends most days sitting on the white plastic chair he keeps on the small porch of his one-bedroom apartment on Liberty Court, a self-appointed neighborhood…
Visually Speaking: this week’s art news and events (5/25/15)
[The above image is of Daniel Pfalzgraf, the new curator at the Carnegie Center.] Art news —The Good Garbage Center for Creative Reuse Center will be celebrating a grand re-opening at their new location, 2216 Frankfort Ave., during the May 29 FAT Trolley Hop from 6-9 p.m. (goodgarbage.org). —Mural artist Lydiaemily is creating a mural…
LEO Playlist 5/25
1) “Blue Ridge Mountain” by Hurray For The Riff Raff, who will be at Headliners on Friday, May 29. 2) “House Of Stone” by Mandolin Orange, who will be at Zanzabar on Wednesday, May 27. 3) “Downtown” by Whitehorse, who will be at Zanzabar on Friday, May 29. 4) “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire,…
#BlackLivesMatter Rally on Big Four Bridge focuses on women and transgender people
Antwynette Houston was returning home from a trip to Indianapolis in August 2013 when she stopped at a Thornton’s at 3 a.m. to grab a snack for her 9-year-old son. While she waited in the parking lot, Houston was confronted by off-duty Louisville Metro Police Department Officer Scott Sturgeon. He told her that she was…
A Q&A with photographer John Nation
[The above image is “Hail in the Garden” by John Nation.] There are certain artists in the Louisville area who have shaped our community. John Nation is one, largely because he was the main photographer for Louisville Magazine for most of his professional career. LEO: You studied art in college but were not a photography…
LEON: City officials surprised to find binge drinkers in Bourbon capital of the world
City officials are scrambling to understand why Louisvillians are getting more drunk, more frequently, after a health report was released last week. The report illustrated a startling trend, highlighting the disconnect between what officials deem to be a problem, and what Louisvillians view as a good time. Chris Poynter, spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, emphasized,…
LEON: Poll: Increase in binge drinking due mostly to ‘It’s awesome’ and easier hook-ups
A recent survey of 100 people who are binge drinking more than they used to found that the two primary reasons for their climb in consumption are that “It’s awesome, or why not?” and that it is easier to hook up with strangers at bars. Terri Turner, the spokeswoman for Enjoy Today — a trade…
LEON: Republican nominee turns the Buddha back on Conway
The Republican nominee for governor has already started his attacks on his Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, releasing his first campaign ad this morning called “Obama Buddha.” The ad accuses Attorney General Conway of being part of a secret political society that calls Libertarianism a “hoax” and Rand Paul a “false idol” of Libertarians. The commercial…
‘Now, Then & Forever’: ?A conversation with Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is in the envious position only a small number of music acts ever reach. As a group that put together an extended string of albums and hit singles in the 1970s and ’80s, Earth, Wind & Fire could tour as long as its members want without ever worrying about making new…
b-sides: Rye Back Porch Sessions
For the fourth year, Rye — located at 900 E. Market St. — is presenting the Back Porch Sessions, a monthly concert series featuring a sharp and eclectic lineup of local talent. Taking place every third Thursday — May through September — in Rye’s parking lot, the free series is a surefire way to see…
Dream Eye ?Color Wheel: Dream Eye
(self-released) It’s hard to get a clear read on what exactly the psych-rockers in Dream Eye Color Wheel are shooting for, which makes it all the more intriguing. There is a lo-fi quality that provides some useful insight into their process; it suggest a dedication to craft over polish. This is not to suggest that…
Tall Squares: So Heavy for ?So Long
(self-released) Image-wise, Tall Squares is the embodiment of the term “slacker rock,” but there’s more to it than cigarette butts and empty beer cans. A gripping live act, the trio’s debut album employs a low-fi approach that recalls late 1970s prog and punk — think sprinkles of Television and (not surprisingly) Richard Hell and the…
Deviance: A New Planetary ?Perspective
(self-released) For many people, the death metal genre conjures up images of Cannibal Corpse and gore-focused bands. However, death metal has evolved considerably since its primal beginnings in the 1990s. Joining this modern branch of the genre is Deviance, the solo project of Louisville native and former special ops sniper Michael Uhlig. Beyond the stunning…
My Morning Jacket: The Waterfall
(ATO Records) My Morning Jacket is able to move in dozens of different directions, but can still keep their backbone, always sounding distinct — and that’s as obvious as ever on “The Waterfall.” Not that they’ve always been perfect. But the point is, that, when that perpetual exploration strikes, it’s gold. Whether it’s weirdo synth…
Plugged In (May 20 – May 26)
WED May 20th Diamond Pub (Concert Hall): Butcher Babies; 7:30 p.m. Diamond Pub (St. Matthews): Devereaux Trio; 10 p.m. Expo Five: The Contortionist, Chon, Auras, Bad People, Pinfeather; 7 p.m., $15 Gerstle’s Place: Kimmet & Doug Hideaway Saloon: The Pranksters; 10 p.m., $3 Highland Taproom: Open Mic Night Jim Porter’s: DJ TLC’s Line Dance Party;…
Tapes ’n’ Tapes
I remember getting my first cassette. It was a homemade rip that my mom made me with Springsteen’s “Born In the USA” on one side and Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer” on the other. High speed recording was in at the time, and as long as you didn’t mind a little audio deterioration, you could get two albums…
THEATER: Shakespeare Behind Bars
It’s a longish drive out to the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex, and I was feeling pretty pessimistic about this season’s Shakespeare Behind Bars (SBB) production of “Pericles, Prince of Tyre.” A few days earlier, I’d read the play (for the first time) and had come away — like generations of critics — with the impression that…
ART: Backstage with Wendy Whelan?… the photographer
Meet WendyW, Instagram photographer. Since 2008, Wendy Whelan, the former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, has taken viewers behind the red velvet curtain with her iPhone photographs. PUBLIC, the gallery of Louisville Visual Art (formerly the Louisville Visual Art Association), and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts have partnered to bring…
COMEDY: Vince Morris sees as much ?as he can
There’s something exciting about watching Vince Morris onstage. I’m not sure if it’s charm, or intelligence, or just the logical angle at which he views the world — whatever it is, it’s exhilarating. And it is that intangible quality that has directed his career to performing on B.E.T., Def Comedy Jam and The Late Late…
Video Tapeworm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS THE NANNY: THE COMPLETE SERIES 1993; $94.98; UR Okay, we admit it: Fran Drescher has a voice like fingernails on a chalkboard, and the idea that a millionaire Broadway producer (Charles Shaugnessy) would hire her to raise his children is beyond the pale. So why do we love this damned show?…
We lock eyes with the bison ?and the bison wins at Feast BBQ NuLu
“Hey, let’s go over to the new Feast BBQ in NuLu and get some delicious brisket!” A slice of gently smoked, tender brisket sounded good, or at least it did until I settled down at a long table in the back of the room and glanced up. There on the wall was a buffalo head,…
Brewing beer with Paul in his ‘grandma’s basement’
We’re living in a time in the great city of Louisville, unique to many places, where you can have an idea, put it to work, and it just may succeed. Louisville is a fantastic place for passionate and creative minds to flourish, because it seems as though everyone genuinely cares about seeing their neighbors prosper…
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
The entire world came to a standstill Monday … Barack Obama, the “leader of the free world,” the President of the United States joined Twitter. In a day and age where nothing is really “official” if it’s not on social media, this Twitter account was a very big deal. Such a big deal that it…
Noise and mystification
Liberatory scholar Paulo Freire wrote extensively on how oppressive societies are maintained. One of his interesting ideas was mystification — “the process by which the alienating and oppressive features of a culture are disguised and hidden. False, superficial and naïve interpretations of culture prevent the emergence of critical consciousness.” In the wake of Michael Eric…
The hospitals are to blame
Last week The Courier-Journal published an article that misleads and misrepresents the effects of Obamacare on hospitals in Kentucky. In truth, to call this an “article” does a true disservice to real news articles. Its premise, based solely on a report done by a hospital trade association (essentially a pro-hospital lobbying organization) — The Kentucky…
Inbox – May 20, 2015
PVA Grief Enough noise about property taxes. Two things are clear as the nose on your face: First, a house is worth exactly what the current owner paid for it, not what some appraiser dreams up, even if he or she uses a fancy computer program. And second, unelected officials shouldn’t be allowed to jack…
