Cover Story
Soldier’s pay?
Chapook Dizayee can’t get a cell phone signal. It’s July 10, 2004, and the 43-year-old Kurdish military contractor is waiting for a call from his wife, Lailan, who is five months pregnant with their daughter. Technology being what it is, Chapook’s T-Mobile service can’t penetrate the walls of Fort Benning, Ga., so he paces around,…
Big man on campus
What a difference a Dieng makes. Gorgui Dieng is a 6-foot-10 freshman center from Senegal who, one fine day a couple weeks ago, was suddenly declared academically eligible to play basketball for the University of Louisville. Dieng reportedly scored high on college entrance examinations, speaks several languages and is the kind of student from overseas…
Keep laughter alive
When Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert announced their rally, my wife Mary and I immediately made plans to attend. Now that our kids are grown up, we have to turn elsewhere for comedy, so we dashed off to Washington, D.C., to cheer on fake newsmen at a pretend rally. Like Stewart and Colbert, we didn’t…
Video TapeWorm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS: METROPOLIS 1927; $29.95, UR Possibly the most famous silent movie of all time: Fritz Lang’s masterwork, once all but lost but now available as “The Complete Metropolis.” In a towering city of the future, an idle ruling class is unaware that, underground, dehumanized workers toil and die to support their carefree…
Comedy: Dane above the ruins
When people describe comedians as controversial, they usually mean a brand of comedy that pushes political and social boundaries beyond the public’s comfort zone. Dane Cook isn’t that kind of controversial. With four platinum albums under his belt and having been forced to perform in arenas for the past four or so years, he is…
Music from Italian TV
Over the past year, The Phantom Family Halo released its Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die double-album and subsequently played a number of epic shows in town. Music from Italian TV continues with a pleasantly confusing blend of styles in a more concise format. Staples of their live show, like “It’s OK About the War…
Dear John
Growing up in Lawton, Okla., John Gage’s introduction to the world of sound came when his father, Ray, an illiterate cement mason, unwound from a day’s work by blowing harmonica. Dad only performed for 15 to 20 minutes before turning on his weekly ritual — Friday night boxing matches. But to his son, Ray’s hobby…
One Less Heartless to Fear
Another most-welcome return to disc by important figures. Jason Noble, Jeff Mueller, Todd Cook and Kyle Crabtree are delivering the group’s first collection in five (very tumultuous) years. Though Shipping News is known foremost for moody workouts of slow-burning metal machine musculature, on this set, you’ve got to listen carefully to hear much of their…
For a good country-fried steak, go to Goose Creek Diner
I wouldn’t want to say that my food preferences are those of a city boy, but let’s put it this way: In years of dining at my parents’ table, I never realized grits were served with breakfast until I ran into this odd practice elsewhere. And I was a fully grown adult before my first…
Jerry’s kids
On the heels of mayor-elect Greg Fischer’s narrow victory, the Metro Council welcomes three freshmen members as Democrats increase their control. Bye-bye, Doug In the closely watched race for the 25th District, Democrat David Yates unseated Republican incumbent Doug Hawkins by 51 to 49 percent. The campaign was a nasty back and forth, with Yates…
Art: A-peel to tradition
One of the rooms at the Tim Faulkner Gallery is looking especially yellow these days — and kinda fruity. Bananas. Lots of bananas. What’s this guy’s deal? Why so many images of this golden potassium-packed phallic fruit? There are 52 of Ryan Burns’ banana paintings to be exact, one for each week of the year.…
Inbox — Nov. 10, 2010
Yarmuth Worship Hours after the Nov. 2 elections, I feel compelled to make two very important points: 1) I absolutely, irrevocably do not and will never have heroes. 2) John Yarmuth is my hero. If the Democratic Party needs an ideal model to rely on to regain its footing and its House majority, our guy…
Bridges Project going nowhere slowly
A panel of the bi-state Bridges Authority last week concluded its case for the need for speed in eight figures: “Every month of project acceleration results in more than $10 million savings on total project costs.” Conversely, every month of delay costs $10 million. It was the boldest message of the Finance and Construction Planning…
The Taste Bud: Life (and lunch) at Bucket’s is never serious
Jodie Smith’s words permeated the air much like the tantalizing aromas emanating from the nearby kitchen. “If you get the burger, you won’t be disappointed,” Smith, working a recent lunch shift at Bucket’s Bar & Grill in downtown Jeffersonville, told me. Sold. Bucket’s sits on the corner of Watt and Seventh streets, across from the…
KBS turns 22
Saturday’s show at Vernon Club (1575 Story Ave., 584-8460) is headquarters for Kentuckiana Blues Society, which turns 22 this year. Jimi V. and Screamin’ John Hawkins, The Stray Cat Blues Band and Shaun Murphy Band are all scheduled to perform. Show details are at www.vernonclub.com. Showtime is 6 p.m., cost is $5. Oh, Boyd As…
Will you love me tomorrow?
Arguably the greatest single achievement by the writing team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, the song avoids any specific sexual reference, but you don’t have to be a young woman of dating age to read the heartbreaking truth between the lines. The rules in gender relations had changed drastically and irrevocably, and the ramifications…
The Jamerican Dream
Produced by Jon Conver, this is the dancehall splash from Earlington Taylor, aka Jamerican, who was born to a teenage mother in Kingston and raised there until he was a teenager himself. Behind the scenes, this album belongs to Louisville as much as it does Kingston. Recorded here by Taylor, Conver and guest singer Carrie…
Staffpicks
Nov. 10-12 Per Nørgård Margaret Comstock Concert Hall University of Louisville www.schirmer.com Free; 8 p.m. Born in 1932 and a winner of the 2000 Wilhelm Hansen Composer Prize, Danish composer and conductor Per Nørgård (pronounced PAIR-Nergore) anchors the culture jam that is U of L’s New Music Festival. It’s an appropriate invite: In 1960, Nørgård…
Two
Well, the phrase “chip off the old block” didn’t appear for no reason, and these chips fall where they may — in this case, a clear and beautiful bed of harmony-driven folk. Abigail and Lily Chapin are daughters of three-time Grammy winner Tom Chapin, grandkids of jazz drummer Jim and nieces to singer-songwriter Harry Chapin.…
Plugged In
Readers are strongly encouraged to call ahead to verify these listings. To get your club, comedian, musical act or karaoke listed, please send e-mail to mherron@leoweekly.com with PLUGGED IN in the subject line. The deadline is NOON THURSDAY the week before the show happens. We do not accept listings via social networking sites. Wed. Nov.…
Web Exclusive: Q&A with Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin is known as much for his unpredictable temperament and his big mouth as he is for being one of the most hailed comedians of his generation. That cocktail of attributes has garnered him a lot of praise and countless comparisons to his idol, the late Richard Pryor. Breaking onto the scene in the…
Book: Rob Sheffield revisits the comforts of the ’80s
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut By Rob Sheffield. Dutton/Penguin Publishing Group; 288 pgs., $25.95. If you’ve read Rob Sheffield’s first memoir “Love is a Mix Tape,” then his latest offering, “Talking to Girls about Duran Duran,” will initially offer lots of existential quandaries for…
