Cover Story
10 Albums to Listen To Before Going To Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life and Hometown Rising
A wide variety of bands and musicians are performing at what’s being referred to as the Trifesta, the back-to-back-to-back weekends consisting of the country festival Hometown Rising (Sept. 14-15), the classic rock-leaning Bourbon & Beyond (Sept. 20-22) and the hard rock/metal focused Louder Than Life (Sept. 27-29). There’s classic rock royalty. Country favorites. Local punk…
The Anger And Beliefs That Fuel Knocked Loose
After the release of their most recent album, LEO, the hometown alt-weekly of Knocked Loose, interviewed the hardcore band. We’ve updated this feature with some new information regarding their recent single and upcoming album to accompany a discussion of how religion impacts their lyrics. Knocked Loose’s New Album & Single “Blind Faith” Knocked Loose is back…
10 Things To Do Under $5 This Week In Louisville (9/9)
TUESDAY, Sept. 10 KMAC Poetry Slam KMAC Museum Free | 7-9 p.m. Local poets speak their truth aloud in this poetry slam competition hosted by Lance G. Newman II. Ten will perform before a panel of judges. See who wins this month. This event is free to watch, but $7 to compete. The Universal Roast…
5 Things To Do In Louisville This Weekend (9/6)
FRIDAY, Sept. 6 PeteFest 2019 Jones Fields $35+ | Times vary Starting on Friday, PeteFest is three days of music and mental health advocacy. Created in honor of Pete Jones, a local percussionist who died by suicide in 2016, PeteFest melds Jones’ love of music with activities such as morning yoga sessions and a suicide…
A comic’s inside view of the 2019 Midwest Queer Comedy Festival in Louisville
“Kathy Bates is hot!” That’s not the kind of heckle I’m used to hearing. Megan W. Cottington was on Purrswaytions adorable stage, doing a bit about adolescent crushes, and an audience member couldn’t keep her feelings to herself. Normally, heckling is discouraged. It throws us off our game as comics, disrupts our rhythm. And, usually,…
10 concerts you shouldn’t miss in September
Jade Bird Saturday, Sept. 7 Mercury Ballroom British singer-songwriter Jade Bird can turn contemplative folk into soaring rock and roll, with versatile musicianship, sharp lyrics and powerful vocals. Strand of Oaks Wednesday, Sept. 11 Zanzabar Strand of Oaks is the indie-rock project of Tim Showalter, who has managed to combine the atmospheric, experimental fuzz of…
J.D. Shelburne Talks Nostalgia, Religion And How Country Music Is Changing
Taylorsville native J.D. Shelburne picked up the guitar at 19 after his grandmother passed away and fell in love with the instrument immediately. Shortly after, he started to pick up sporadic gigs at small bars, but lately he’s been on a hot streak, performing at big venues like the Ryman and the KFC Yum Center,…
John Oates talks about playing the hits, living in Nashville and George Harrison
Working collaboratively to become the most celebrated duo in rock and roll history, Daryl Hall and John Oates have kept busy these last five decades, mainly by fashioning singles that were ready-made for the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Among that act’s staggering number of hits are ubiquitous tunes such as “Kiss on My List,” “You…
A Leader In The Weed Battle
On Sunday, May 6, 2012, Vice President Joe Biden went on “Meet the Press” and declared he believed same-sex marriage should be legal. “What this is all about is a simple proposition. Who do you love,” he said. At the time, only six states recognized gay marriage. And President Obama, Biden’s boss, up for re-election…
Fredo’s, Bevin’s Weak E. KY Rally Gives Hope
Not you again? I thought we got the boot from this gig? What gibberish are you talking now? Have you finally decided to start drinking? Are you telling me that Yarmuth asked someone to fill our space — someone who then took the opportunity to write reasoned and fair commentary? I read it, just assumed…
Opioid Court Victory Won’t Touch Real Criminals
As I write this, lawyers for Johnson & Johnson are furiously crossing i’s, dotting t’s and billing hours for the appeal they will undoubtedly file after an Oklahoma judge stung their client for $572 million last week. Johnson & Johnson began a strategic campaign in 1994 to convince doctors that they were undertreating chronic pain…
New Strand Of Oaks Has Louisville All Over It
Timothy Showalter likes to talk, “especially when it’s about Louisville.” Known for being the architect of Strand of Oaks, the Philadelphia-based indie-rock singer-songwriter broke on the scene nearly 10 years ago, but Showalter credits his latest release, Eraserland, to Louisville and to the city’s renowned La La Land Studios, where it was recorded. “For me,…
PeteFest uses music to fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues
“Stomp the stigma” is the motto of PeteFest, an annual music festival started in Louisville three years ago to foster the mission of the Pete Foundation for Depression Prevention. Named for 23-year-old percussionist Pete Jones, who died by suicide in 2016, PeteFest combines music, art and community engagement with the ultimate vision to fight the…
Evil Trump Hurt Businesses, Hero Bernie Saved Them… Or Did They?
Trump: Good for business. Bernie: Bad for business. Right? Wrong! On Aug. 21, Trump visited Louisville, shutting down several downtown streets and the entire Interstate as he traveled to and from the airport and the Galt and Seelbach hotels. This sent tourists and city professionals scattering (many downtown employees worked from home), taking away business…
Thorns & Roses: The Worst, Best, and Most Absurd
Rose: Louisville’S Weed Warrior Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell gets a rose for directing his office to not prosecute people caught with small amounts of pot if that is the primary charge. He based his decision on the fact that African Americans are disproportionately targeted, and it frees up resources to prosecute real criminals. Thorn:…
The Wurst Is Good At The Hall On Washington St.
Many years ago, we were wandering around Europe on a Eurail Pass, when one of us said, “Let’s go to Munich,” just on a whim. That’s how I found out what a beer hall is and Oktoberfest, too. Ah, memories. Memories of friendly Germans lined up along long communal tables, drinking excellent beer out of…
Bar Snobbery Is So Out
When I set out a few weeks ago to write about the spiked seltzer water revolution taking over the summer of 2019, I found myself in a tailspin of online threads, memes and industry banter. Through it all, what I found so interesting was the level playing field among folks championing for the same libation.…
‘Sick Gray,’ Daring
“A Sick Gray Laugh” by Nicole Cushing (Word Horde; 298 pages, $16.99) Guaranteed: It’ll be a long time before you see another book like this. All flavors of metafiction are sprouting up these days, but this is unique. If you’re ready to see an author with demonstrated talent for exploring emotional disturbance try for something…
‘The Exceptionals’ Will Keep You Thinking For Days
Most parents believe their child is special, but what if they could ensure — at conception — that they had an exceptional child? The idea of sperm banks and even profiles on sperm donors to get a sense of personality and genetics is nothing new to our modern world. But Bob Clyman’s play, “The Exceptionals,”…
Savage Love: Physical Ideal
Q: I don’t listen to your podcast religiously, but as soon as I told my best friend this story, she said, “That’s a question for Dan Savage!” Backstory: I have a monogamous partner who I live with. It’s a heterosexual relationship, but we are both bisexual. That little inkling of homosexuality really drew me to…
