Cover Story
Otis Junior, ?‘the future holds ?nothing but possibility!’
Otis Crawford Jr., known best as Otis Junior, grew up in a house filled with music, where his mother was a singer, and there were plenty of instruments. Coming up in North Carolina, he moved to Louisville at 9 with his mom, dad and two older sisters. By 13 he got a hold of his…
Stream the Hot Prowlers’ new single ‘Phantom Familiar’ early
“Phantom Familiar”— an early single from the Hot Prowlers’ forthcoming record Neon — is a big and driving piece of fiery rock that dips into the well of ’80s slinky, spacey synth, but it also maintains a punk(ish) backbone that somehow simultaneously makes the song both dark and inviting. Neon will be released on July…
Our 6 favorite local songs from May
Otis Junior + Dr. Dundiff — Reaching Any month that features new material from Otis Junior and Dr. Dundiff is an excellent one indeed. This is a sweet R&B banger, Reaching, for a Jakarta Records mixtape, a potent reminder of their acumen as a musical duo. Otis Junior has a voice made of satin and…
10 things to do under $5 this week in Louisville (5/30)
Monday A Beer Event Against the Grain Brewery Free; 12 p.m. Pop into Against the Grain Brewery on Memorial Day for A Beer Event. Barbecue sandwiches, sausages, baked beans and homemade chips will be available. Extra American Pale Ale will be flowing the whole day. But if that isn’t enough to lure you in, DJ…
5 things to do this weekend in Louisville (5/27)
FRIDAY Night Climbing Jefferson Memorial Forest $15; 7 p.m. Deep in the Horine Section of Jefferson Memorial Forest is a 52-foot climbing tower that is a challenge during the day, but even more so at night. So for those of you with the confidence to tackle it, Jefferson Memorial Forest is offering night climbing for…
A Q&A with comedian Shane Mauss about interviewing scientists, being shy and psychedelics
You may recognize Shane Mauss, who performed at the Laughing Derby last night — he’s been on your television and in your Netflix cue for a while now, and he’s also one of the few voices in stand-up that truly marries intellect with humor. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Shane exploded on the scene when…
Break on through: In the studio with White Reaper
“I think we’re trying a little harder,” Tony Esposito, singer/guitarist of White Reaper, told me back in February during the first of three weeks of sessions for a forthcoming record at La La Land Studios. “On the last record, I think, a lot of time, on guitar and bass, we’re doing the same thing. But,…
From Abbey Road to Cropped Out: A 2016 Music Festival Guide
It’s that time of year again, when the sun shines bright on our old Kentucky home, and festival season is upon us. We have looked for festivals in our great state and immediate surrounding area that occur during the nice months of the year. We’ve focused on only those that make music their central draw,…
Five music festivals worth traveling (a reasonable distance)
I’m not sure if the festival bubble will burst (or if it already has to some extent), but, as of now, there are plenty to choose from, covering all sizes and price ranges and extending far beyond Bonnaroo and Coachella. Here are five festivals between one and six hours away that are worth traveling for.…
Thorns & Roses: The Best & Worst (5/24)
Grave disappointment (Thorn) Not that we are shocked, but the Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville has rejected the headstone design submitted by Michael De Leon and Greg Bourke, whose legal case helped lead to the historic Supreme Court ruling that says states must allow gays and lesbians to marry, and must recognize those marriages. Their design…
‘Mr. Wright’
A couple months ago, we started playing a song on WFPK called “Mr. Wright,” from the super-pairing of Les Claypool of Primus and Sean Ono Lennon. Since we regularly play both artists, the announcement of their new project was instantly exciting. Being experimental artists, we weren’t expecting any kind of typical radio single, which is…
‘Getting Out,’ a remarkable play in revival
Nearly four decades after “Getting Out,” Marsha Norman’s first play, premiered at Actors Theatre (as part of the 1977 Festival of New Plays), it still has the power to shock — though for quite different reasons these days. Back then, the mere existence of a serious, naturalistic drama about a woman newly released from prison…
Eso! City’s first Argentine tango festival
Embrace. Legs slightly bent. Lead and follow. Front steps, back steps, then to the side. Pivot. The dance called the Argentine tango is basically synchronized walking. Yet few could confuse these sensuous motions with a brisk stroll. It takes years to master, but is instantly beautiful to watch. If that sounds interesting, then get ready:…
Heckle comedian Steve Hofstetter at your peril
There are two rules when it comes to attending a comedy show: 1) Tip your waitstaff, and 2) never, ever, heckle the comedian. If you have no shame and need more motivation not to heckle, go to YouTube, and look up Steve Hofstetter. You will find clip after clip of him owning one heckler after…
How to fix Louisville traffic, get more people out of cars
“Half-hearted city planning is in some ways worse than no city planning at all for it gives the impression that … some careful eye is overseeing all the city’s developments.” —Lewis Mumford, 1945 Almost two decades ago Cornerstone 2020 was introduced and adopted. This forward-thinking document described a community-crafted strategy to encourage development appropriate to…
New Wave Burritos, these guys are pros
You’re six drinks in at your favorite Germantown dive, it’s past midnight and your Vietnam Kitchen clay-pot catfish dinner is but a delicious and distant memory. You’re hungry, your choices are limited, and there’s a three-hour wait for a consistently less-than-fantastic delivery pizza from Spinelli’s. You go for a pit-stop in the men’s room contemplating…
Bring a pen
With the current dearth of applicants for the many good restaurant jobs in our city, you’d think a job-seeker could walk into almost any restaurant and get a job on the spot. And they just about could, but there are a few behaviors a hiring manager just can’t overlook in a potential employee, no matter…
Bluegrass VegFest: ‘a very vegan-friendly city’
I asked Kristina Addington, owner of V-Grits vegan food truck and co-organizer of the upcoming inaugural Bluegrass VegFest, if she ever craves a burger. There followed what some might refer to as a pregnant pause. “No,” she finally said. “But I’m a little bit different, as a chef. I missed a lot of foods because…
Ken Ham, pack up your goofy set of tricks
Ken Ham, why you gotta’ be like that? Why so sticky-rich with the bafflement and inarticulate? What’s with the coverall catch-phrase of childish cheese “were you there?” that you throw at scientists like you just dropped the rhetorical mic?! Broheim, you obviously bought that chestnut with a wooden nickel from a debate team dropout-turned-used-car-salesman ……
Alright, already
By the time this hits the press, Louisville will be in full recovery mode from a weekend spent with the National Rifle Association. Gun lovers will have guffawed frothy-mouthed over the latest weaponry, and choked on their right-wing psychobabble about guns and God. They will have danced scornfully about the name and image of our…
We hear you LEO nation!
A couple of weeks ago, before being invaded by the NRA, Louisville was visited by Bernie Sanders, who was campaigning ahead of Kentucky’s primary. Finally, it was Louisville’s turn to “feel the Bern!” As editor of LEO, and an occasional political commentator, it seemed like the appropriate time to offer my commentary on the state…
Your Voice
On Welcome NRA — Three things to know about guns in Louisville I really don’t think the people who are shopping at the gun shows are the ones killing kids in the West End. I’m not afraid of the NRA. I’m afraid of the people in my own community. —Julie Page What’s the deal LEO?…
