Cover Story
The Great Barrier
There is such a thing as too big — especially when you’re paying by the inch. And particularly when the product is ugly and obsolete, not to mention slow, noisy and hazardous to erect. Those are the biggest beefs of neighborhood leaders and preservationists against a proposed downtown bridge and the relocation of a mega-junction.…
The Taste Bud: What’s better than cheap tacos and Mexican Coke?
Mexican Coke has become something of a fad here and in many other parts of the United States — and no, I’m not talking about some sort of illegal drug trade. You know Mexican Coke if you’ve been into any taquería around the Metro area — or possibly even if you’ve been to Sam’s Club…
Rust in the Abyss
Unless you’re attending one of those “An Evening With …” shows, a rock concert usually involves sitting through at least one opening band. And if you’re a metal fan in Louisville in 2010, it might mean sitting through three, four or even five opening bands before the headliner hits the stage. More bang for your…
Video TapeWorm
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS: CRUCIBLE OF TERROR 1971; $19.95, UR A classic, once-lost horror film with a truly scary back story. Mike Raven, a successful pirate DJ and celebrated occultist in England, stars as the insane sculptor who combines murder, dismemberment, sorcery and sex in his masterpieces. He became something of an overnight horro-sensation. Then,…
Staffpicks
Thursday, October 7 Alison Brown Quartet IUS Ogle Center 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany 812-941-2525 $26.50; 8 p.m. Alison Brown is a stellar model for musicians today — and has been practically from the start of her career. It’s been decades since Brown’s first Opry appearance and her stint as banjo player for bluegrass-pop…
Tiger Suit
Full of piss and vinegar, that Kate Victoria. She goes off on an environmental tear in “Uummannaq Song,” likely named after the town in Greenland, an island nation scarred by global warming. Later, she borrows a little Neko Case-style gallop in the first half of “Push That Knot Away,” but is at her most radio-friendly…
Moreland & Arbuckle
Last month, Dustin Arbuckle realized a dream: His group, Moreland & Arbuckle, opened for ZZ Top at New York’s Beacon Theatre. “We couldn’t ask for things to be too much better,” the blues harp player says. Buddy Guy, Los Lobos and Robert Cray are a few other titans M&A has shared stages with. They also…
Inbox — Oct. 6, 2010
Equal Rights Now Domestic partner benefits for Louisville Metro LGBT employees have predictably become a key issue in our 2010 mayoral election. As a gay man, I support extending those benefits as soon as possible. In fact, I’ve asked my councilperson to sponsor/co-sponsor a resolution that extends those benefits comprehensively. Greg Fischer and I share…
Mr. Pollo Restaurant offers a simple and safe taste of Peru
Ahh, the cuisines of Peru. Some of my most memorable food experiences occurred in this hospitable South American land. Like the time we stayed over in Cuzco, high in the Andes, after a trip to Machu Picchu. Bored by our hotel’s American-style dining room, we went in search of something more authentic: pollo a la…
Sound bites of reason
According to my star chart, the water bearer of Aquarius was chased out of the sky blubbering the final verse of “Kumbayah” to usher in the dawning of the Age of the Smartass whose constellation vaguely resembles a giant finger searching for an eyeball to poke. Satire, irony, sarcasm, invective and really loud people have…
Buried
Buried, the new album by Avalanche, is one of those records that makes you feel like a dick for not liking it. They tried to write some Rolling Stones and AC/DC songs, and even took special care to dedicate them to fast cars, women and rock ’n’ roll. What’s not to like? Well, here’s where…
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. Oct.…
Isla
London’s Portico Quartet explores realms of free, jazzy experimentation. Isla, their follow-up to 2007’s Knee Deep in the North Sea, bears one enduring feature: the hang (pronounced hong), a UFO-shaped percussion instruments that sounds like a cymbal crossed with a gong crossed with a steel drum. The hang, played by Nick Mulvey, is ubiquitous on…
Out of the ash they rise
Walter Powers stood before a panel of Environment Protection Agency representatives and a crowd of hundreds at the Seelbach. Gripping the sides of a wooden lectern, Powers drew a faint, almost wheezing breath. His voice, shaky but steady, resonated throughout the hanger-sized conference room. “I work at an active landfill that did accept coal ash…
Web Exclusive: Q&A with Felipe Esparza
The list of people who can say they’ve appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” is getting pretty long after eight years on the air — but the list of people who can claim they’ve won “Last Comic Standing” is still small. Felipe Esparza is the newest addition to that esteemed list, having won the most…
Industry Standard: Insider info for those who dine out
With a wealth of independent restaurants gracing the regional dining scene, local foodies have a surfeit of prix fixe dinners to choose among. Last week, I counted at least five beer-paired multi-course dinners for Louisville Craft Beer Week, and it seems we are offered at least two wine or beer-paired multi-course dinners every month. Here’s…
Jerry’s kids
Warren Jackel has bought, rehabilitated and rented mostly in west Louisville for the last two decades. But after an advertisement in The Courier-Journal named him a deadbeat landlord, the real estate owner says he’ll never fix another home again. “It isn’t worth it because it’s such a hostile environment. Here I am doing the best…
Listen to our kids
These questions are at the forefront of the minds of community leaders and individuals who are willing take the recent tragedies in the United States surrounding gay teen suicide and create positive change in the lives of our kids. The issue of anti-gay bullying and the serious effects it has on the well-being of children…
Savages
After an opening that hews too closely to The Black Keys, guitarist/singer James Dean Wells, aka Clark Westfield, and drummer Quinn English, aka Puppy Mills, find their voice in the overabundance of guitar-drum duos in “Try to Understand.” On the surface, the song is sonically joyous, thanks to horns from World Inferno Friendship Society. Lyrically…
Film: Revenge of the nerd
The Social Network Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Joseph Mazzello and Armie Hammer. Directed by David Fincher. Rated PG-13; 2:00. LEO Report Card: A+ “The Social Network” is somewhat miraculous. We begin with all the elements for “Revenge of the Nerds” or a cheap TV exposé: the true story of neurotic college sophomore…
Film: Secretariat — A tale true to the turf
Secretariat Starring Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, Dylan Baker and Margo Martindale. Directed by Randall Wallace. Rated PG; 1:56. Starts Friday at theaters everywhere. The stable is down on its luck. The horses aren’t winning, and the bank is about to take everything that’s left. Or, the beat-up jock and the old trainer are…
The Apothecary EP
The line “got some good friends that died today” is probably intended to resonate as some Hemingway-styled understatement, but the uninterested way Nick Loss-Eaton delivers it is just that: uninteresting. As the creative force behind Brooklyn neo-Americana act Leland Sundries, Loss-Eaton’s restraint is the group’s defining feature. His baritone sits in the same froggy regions…
