Every Wednesday when LEO Weekly hits the streets, you’ll find every article at leoweekly.com. But, throughout the week, our website features even more exclusive stories and extras, including long-form articles, Q&As, photos, podcasts, videos — different ways to tell the stories of Louisville. From our daily coverage of the Forecastle Festival to political analysis to 4,000-word odysseys into the city’s food scene, there’s a lot to choose from and many surprises. In this, our annual Best Of The Web issue, we are printing a few of our favorites. Here’s our selections from 2018.
As Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer enters his third and final term, six LEO writers laid out what they want him to accomplish for his legacy. They include Casey Shepherd, who explained why we need to fix the sewer system, Cassia Herron, who urged the mayor to use technology to help erase Louisville’s food deserts, and Aaron Yarmuth, who told the mayor why he needs to help pass an impactful tree ordinance.
The Falls City Market opened last spring in the new Omni Hotel, surrounded by hope and criticism over whether it would add fresh produce and grocery options downtown or be a boutique store catering to tourists. That juxtaposition is the focus of Michael C. Powell’s story from March, “Mirage or solution: Can Falls City Market help Louisville’s food desert?” It is part of Powell’s award-winning Welp series.
The two-part Photastic Voyage continues Powell’s Welp series, although this one’s more lighthearted, showing the column’s range. In the two-part Photastic Voyage, Powell visits and rates Louisville’s long-time pho restaurants and the growing influx of new ones.
Read about The Kilroys, a group that works to fight theater’s historic bias that greatly favor white men in creative roles and production. This is Eli Keel’s coverage of the panel discussion at the 2018 Humana Festival for New American Plays with Zakiyyah Alexander, Meg Miroshnik, Joy Meads and Kelly Miller, four founding members.
The inaugural Pride at the Speed Museum raised funds and awareness for LGBTQ UofL students. Author Deena Lilygren wrote about the event and how it was a success, with a fashion show, arts performances and a packed house — a night to be proud of.
When Fleetwood Mac announced it was touring, it came with another surprise — they had parted ways with Lindsey Buckingham, another in many changes for the group over its decades-long career. But, despite that, LEO editor-at-large Scott Recker found the new-look Fleetwood Mac — with newcomers Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) — still shined when they came to the KFC Yum Center.
The always-controversial Billy Corgan reunited the Smashing Pumpkins, and, when the band stopped into the KFC Yum Center, Nathan Mayberg wrote about the band’s memorable 31-song set that indulged heavily in their most-famous records, building the sort of grunge opera that defines the Pumpkins at their best.
Contributing arts editor Jo Anne Triplett has been interviewing artists for her online Q&A series for many years. We pulled three of our favorites from 2018 — conversations with Jaime Corum, Jason B. Burnett and Debra Lott.
