Peter Wesley & P. Rick (Dual Album Release) Friday, Jan. 4 Kaiju Sharp and versatile hip-hop artists Peter Wesley and P. Rick will each kick off 2019 with a new record. Wesley, who released the excellent Give Me The Ball & I’ll Do The Rest last year — an album about moving past the dark times and believing in yourself — will drop 1st Edition Charizard. P. Rick will put out Catvidz.lol (Tales From A Caterpillar). There will also be performances from Dave.Will.Chris., J Murff, Dom B, Touch A.C. and APEX.
Amanda Shires Wednesday, Jan. 9 Holy Trinity Clifton Campus (Winter Wednesday) The January installment of WFPK’s free series Winter Wednesday features Amanda Shires, who released one of the brightest records of 2018, To the Sunset, a genre-bending LP that mutated the roots of Americana songwriting into big, atmospheric, War On Drugs-style indie rock. Bendigo Fletcher opens.
Quality Cable (Album Release) Friday, Jan. 11 Zanzabar With golden-hooked indie that incorporated elements of psychedelic rock and jazz, Quality Cable’s first EP, Static, made them a local band to keep an eye on. Now, they are releasing their second EP at this show. Jeez Loueez and The Last Orgin open.
Louisville Rock Lottery 3 Saturday, Jan. 12 Headliners The Louisville Rock Lottery — one of the city’s best annual music events — is a scene-building exercise and concert that takes 25 area musicians and randomly turns them into five bands for a one-night-only performance. At 10 a.m. on the morning of the show, the musicians are broken into the bands, and at 10 p.m. that evening, they take the stage to each perform three songs that they wrote in those 12 hours. From a political rock opera to a band called Synth Party, the results have always been impressive.
Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters Friday, Jan. 18 Gravely Brewing Co. Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters really hit their stride with 2018’s All Damn Day, a lean and melodic alt-country gem of an album that features these evocative, yet open-ended story songs that build giant worlds with plenty of room for interpretation. Kristina Murray opens.
Tycoon$ of Teen, The Delighters, Juanita Friday, Jan. 18 Odeon The Tycoon$ of Teen —a fuzzed-out punk band with great hooks — will be joined by the venerable garage-rock band Juanita, as well as The Delighters at this all-local show.
Bjork Ball Saturday, Jan. 19 Art Sanctuary An immersive concert and dance experience, featuring renditions of Bjork’s music by Orchestra Enigmatic, Carly Johnson and In Lightning, followed by a dance party. The event also features art installations, and guests are encouraged to be creative with what they wear.
Noah Barker, Otis Junior Thursday, Jan. 24 Care Less Lounge Versatile jazz musician Noah Barker can veer from traditional to experimental, and Otis Junior has a silky-smooth, soulful voice, making this a great avant-garde show from musicians who’ve studied the past to help define the future.
Kirsten Peckham (Release Show) Friday, Jan. 25 Kaiju “God, the Girl” and “Black Lung,” the two already-released singles from Kirsten Peckham’s forthcoming album, KP Time!, are catchy, yet slightly — and affably — rough-around-the-edges folk songs that balance golden-hooks, a brilliant voice and production that adds a subtle garage-rock sensibility. With guests Sweatermeat, The Kids Born Wrong and Step Twins.
School of Rock: We Will, We Will Rock Lou! Saturday, Jan. 26-27 Zanzabar The students of School of Rock Louisville — a performance-based music school for kids of all ages — dove down a ’70s rock rabbit hole and will be performing their favorite songs from Heart, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and more. Both shows are matinees, so be sure to check times in advance.
