Best Vietnamese Restaurant 1. VinBun Vietnamese Bistro
Vietnam Kitchen 3. Eatz Vietnamese
HEALTH & FITNESS
Best CBD Oil 1. 502 Hemp 2. Bickett & Boone 3. One Love Cannabis Company
Best Cosmetic Surgeon
3. Tie: Franco’s | Shippingport Brewing
Best Wings
Rubbies Southside Grill & Bar 2. Four Pegs Smokehouse 3. Momma’s Mustard, Pickles & BBQ
1. Dr. Chet Mays with Mays Plastic Surgery
2. Dr. Brad Calobrace with Calospa Rejuvenation Center
3. Dr. Alex Digenis with Digenis Plastic Surgery
Best Cycling Studio 1. CyclSt8
2. CycleBar Middletown 3. Jewish Community Center
Best Dentist
1. Key Family Dentistry
2. Sara Cummins Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry
3. Metro Dental
Best Doctor
1. Dr. Chet Mays with Mays Plastic Surgery
2. Dr. Alex Digenis with Digenis Plastic Surgery 3. Dr. Brad Calobrace with Calospa Rejuvenation Center
Best Exercise Studio 1. The CAV Fitness 2. Barre3 3. Ambition Fitness
Best Gym 1. The CAV Fitness 2. Jewish Community Center 3. Full Tilt
Best Head Shop 1. One Love Cannabis Company 2. 502 Hemp 3. Electric Ladyland
Momma’s Mustard, Pickles & BBQ
HEALTH & FITNESS
Best CBD Oil 1. 502 Hemp 2. Bickett & Boone 3. One Love Cannabis Company
Best Cosmetic Surgeon
1. Dr. Chet Mays with Mays Plastic Surgery
2. Dr. Brad Calobrace with Calospa Rejuvenation Center
3. Dr. Alex Digenis with Digenis Plastic Surgery
Best Cycling Studio
1. CyclSt8
2. CycleBar Middletown
3. Jewish Community Center
Best Dentist
1. Key Family Dentistry
2. Sara Cummins Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry
3. Metro Dental
Best Doctor
1. Dr. Chet Mays with Mays Plastic Surgery
2. Dr. Alex Digenis with Digenis Plastic Surgery
3. Dr. Brad Calobrace with Calospa Rejuvenation Center
Best Exercise Studio
1. The CAV Fitness
2. Barre3
3. Ambition Fitness
Best Gym
1. The CAV Fitness
2. Jewish Community Center
3. Full Tilt
Best Head Shop
1. One Love Cannabis Company
2. 502 Hemp
3. Electric Ladyland
Best Massage
1. Alchemy Massage Therapy
2. Calospa Rejuvenation Center
3. The Spa at MPS
Best Mental Health Provider
1. Bridge Counseling and Wellness
2. Choose Hope LLC
3. Derby City Counseling
Best Personal Trainer
1. Wes Parker @ Full Tilt
2. Ivan Tenjo @ The Cav Fitness
3. Remy Sisk @ Hyperman Fitness
Best Pilates Studio
1. Wild and Woolley Pilates
2. Lowber Pilates
3. Paradigm Pilates
Best Place to Buy CBD Products
1. One Love Cannabis Company
2. 502 Hemp
3. New Dawn Myotherapy Center
Best Place to Buy Edibles
1. One Love Cannabis Company
2. 502 Hemp
3. The 7 Leaf Cannabis Dispensary
Best Yoga Studio
1. Bend and Zen Hot Yoga
2. The Inner Warrior
3. 502 Power Yoga
Best Yoga Teacher
1. Meredith Conroy
2. Gabriella Gaona
3. Brandi Leslie
LOCAL SHOPS
Best Adult/ Erotic Store
1. Cirilla’s
2. Love Boutique
3. Adam & Eve
Best Antique Store
1. Peddlers Mall
2. Fleur de Flea
3. Derby City Market
Best Bicycle Shop
1. Parkside Bikes
2. Scheller’s Fitness & Cycling
3. On Your Left
Best Bookstore
1. Carmichael’s Bookstore
2. Butcher Cabin Books
3. Set and Setting
Best Bourbon Store
1. Old Town Liquors
2. Neat
3. Tie: Total Wine & More | The Wine Rack
Best Chocolate/ Candy Shop
1. Muth’s Candies
2. Confections at Work the Metal
3. Art Eatables
Best Comic Book Shop
1. The Great Escape
2. Pop’s Comics & Collectibles
3. Destination Comics
Best Consignment Shop
1. Sassy Fox Upscale Consignment
2. Margaret’s Fine Consignment
3. Tie: Fat Rabbit | Hey Tiger
1. Kremer’s Smoke Shop
2. Cox’s Spirit Shoppe and Smoker’s Outlet 3. J. Shepherd Cigars
Nitty Gritty
MEDIA
Best Instagram
1. Calospa Rejuvenation Center 2. Mays Plastic Surgery | The Spa at MPS 3. PG&J’s Dog Park Bar
Best Local Blog 1. 502 Hemp
State of Louisville
Women-Owned Wallet
Best Local Podcast
My Skeptical Sister
Hempin’ Happiness
The Ville Chillin Podcast
Best Local Publication 1. LEO Weekly
Sophisticated Living
State of Louisville
Best Local Radio Personality 1. Skinny J - Jim Coyle
Madeline Stout 3. Big Howell & Possum
Best Local Radio Station
LRS 102 The Walrus
91.9 WFPK
89.3 WFPL
Best Local TV Personality
Mike Marshall
Dawne Gee
Jude Redfield Best Local TV Station
WDRB
WAVE3
WLKY Best Local Writer
Leah Bomar Thompson
Maggie Menderski
Best Place to Pick up a LEO Weekly 1. ValuMarket - Highlands
Work The Metal
502 Hemp
Best Bar Scene
PLAY Louisville
Planet of the Tapes
ShopBar
Club DJ
DJ Syimone
DJ Sam Sneed
DJ Rob Matt Anthony Best Gay Bar/Club
Big Bar
PLAY Louisville
Chill Bar
Happy Hour
ShopBar
Hereafter
Chill Bar Best Neighborhood Bar/Pub
The Merryweather
Rubbies Southside Grill & Bar
ShopBar Best New Bar/Club
Atomic
Hereafter
Bar Nada Nada Best Place to Dance
The Hub
Whirling Tiger
PLACES & ATTRACTIONS
Best Neighborhood
1. The Highlands
2. Germantown-Schnitzelburg
3. Clifton Heights
Best Park
1. Cherokee Park
2. Iroquois Park
3. Central Park
Best Place for Free Entertainment
1. Club K9 Dog Park & Bar
2. Waterfront Park
3. PG&J’S Dog Park Bar
Best Place for an Event/Party
1. Club K9 Dog Park & Bar
2. PG&J’S Dog Park Bar
3. Five Iron Golf
Best Place to Play Soccer
1. Beechmont Community Center
2. Mockingbird Valley
3. Lynn Family Stadium
Best Place to Play Trivia
1. Club K9 Dog Park & Bar
2. PG&J’S Dog Park Bar
3. Planet of the Tapes
Best Place to Swim
1. Lakeside Swim Club
2. Trager Family JCC
3. American Turners
Best Place to Take Kids in the Summer
1. Kentucky Science Center
2. The Louisville Zoo
3. Kentucky Kingdom
Best Local Bank
Best Realtor
1. Paige Williams - Paige Is My Agent
2. Debbie Noe Brewer - Keller Williams
3. Kathryn Vaughn - Semonin Realtors
Best Roofer
1. Pawsitively Dogs Grooming
That Dog Groomin’ Guy
Camp FurKids
Best Mechanic 1. Nathanson Auto Repair 2. O’G Auto
3. Nick O’Brien
Best PR Firm
1. Debra Locker Group
2. Fleur De Lis Communications
3. Lemonade Public Relations
Best Photographer
1. Kyle Gordon - Best Dad Media
2. Amanda J. Designs
3. Weasie Gaines Photography
Best Place to Take Music Lessons
1. Mom’s Music
2. Louisville Folk School
3. Doo Wop Shop
Best Plumber
1. Klein Plumbing
2. Durbin Plumbing
3. Charles Guelda and Sons Plumbing
Best Real Estate Team
1. Homepage Realty
2. Tie: First Saturday | Kentucky Select Properties
3. Tie: Keller Williams | Paige Is My Agent - United Real Estate Louisville
1. Homestretch Roofing
2. HKC Roofing and Construction
3. Bone Dry Roofing
Best Vet Clinic
1. Livewell Animal Hospital
2. The Animal Hospital of the Highlands
3. Johnson Animal Clinic
Best Videographer
1. Kyle Gordon - Best Dad Media
2. Jaymen Kumar
3. Dave Woodland
ROCKER JAGER HENRY STEPS OUT OF HIS FAMILY’S SHADOW AND INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
The grandson of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer talks Louder Than Life, new EP, and finding his own path in the music business.
BY JEFF POLK
The name Jager Henry might not ring any bells, but mention his last name - Bonham - and the ears of every rock drummer perk right up. The son of powerhouse drummer Jason Bonham, (Black Country Communion, Sammy Hagar and the Circle), and grandson of legendary drummer John Bonham, (Led Zeppelin), Jager is forging his own path as a vocalist and songwriter of the eponymous Jager Henry, (he decided against using his last name because, in his own words; “I was always talked about due to my last name, so I thought why not switch it up a little and just basically took my last name and replaced it with my middle name and it had a nice ring to it”).
Mixing modern rock, metal and alternative, his recently-released 8-song debut EP, Heart of Thorns, has been receiving widespread critical acclaim; while EP singles “Bite Down” and the title track “Heart of Thorns” are receiving regular airplay on SiriusXM and rock radio, as well as racking up numbers on all streaming sites. And with performances at both Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals this year, Jager Henry has proven he is far more than just a famous last name.
Jager Henry is set to kick off a short tour with Chicago’s Letdown., (yes, the period is part of the band name), right here in Louisville at Zanzabar on November 6th before a short run of dates opening for his father’s band JBLZE (Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening) to close out the year.
LEO was supposed to meet up with Jager Henry at Louder Than Life, but conflicting schedules and obviously the weather ruined those opportunities. So we were thrilled when we were recently given the opportunity to chat with Jager over Zoom a few days prior to his set at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, CA. Here’s what the 28-year old rocker had to say.
LEO: Your set at Louder Than Life on Friday got cancelled due to weather conditions, but you ended up playing in Louisville that night anyway, right?
Jager Henry: We played a free show at The Fox Den and it was sick. Then we ended up getting the call to play Louder Than Life Saturday in the [Kroger Big Bourbon Bar] tent, which was unreal. It was the best show
I think we’ve ever played! That was insane. I put up a picture on my Instagram. That tent was filled.
What are some of your other favorite shows you played so far?
Touring with Beauty School Dropout for one of my first tours. They might not have been my best shows, but definitely the most memorable. And playing at the Fort Lauderdale Hard Rock [Hotel and Casino] last year because I used to be a security guard there, working every single day from 10:00 PM till 10:00 AM. It was crazy. So to go back there and perform at the venue I used to be a security guard at, it was kind of breathtaking. Full circle moment for sure.
Was there a lot of pressure to follow in your father and grandfather’s footsteps and play drums?
I don’t think it was ever pressured. It was definitely something that was always around the house. There was a kit and it was something I enjoyed doing, but it was never something for me. I’ll steal the cool line I said in my last interview: I looked in front of me and I saw my dad’s shoes and my granddad’s shoes, and a lot of people decide to fill them or try to when it comes to their parents, and I kind of stepped over them, kept walking and I saw a pair of shoes with my name on them and I knew that was the path I was supposed
to take. So it’s not that I didn’t want to, and it’s not that I don’t enjoy playing the drums, it’s just wasn’t what I truly loved.
Do you think that having the name Bonham carries a stigma that you’re going to be playing bluesy 70’s rock?
Yeah, that’s the thing about it; I have this name and I kind of hide it, but not entirely. And the beauty of it is what my granddad did, what my dad did, that was cool. That was history. That was a moment in time. And I think that’s where people who get stuck in time don’t realize it’s a whole different generation. And I grew up with it. Did it influence some of my music? 100%. But I love the experimentation. Back then, you couldn’t just go on a computer and take a bunch of samples and record since back then it was probably like a couple hundred grand to record some reels. So I think that’s the fun of it. As much as I’m still part of that path, my music is not that. Let that be what it was. Let that be that history and understand that I’m trying to create my own thing.
How did you discover your passion for singing?
Constantly singing Ozzy Osbourne as a kid. [Laughs] Yeah, I have so many videos of me singing. It wasn’t very good, but yeah, just something I always enjoyed. And I always loved writing lyrics and telling stories of my
own life and stuff like that with the music. There was a time I went through rapping, trying to rhyme, and I think it played a big role in how I write music today. I feel like I write a little quicker because of that influence of hip hop in my head, where it’s like always having to think of the next word so quickly.
How do you go about writing songs? I like to work with a producer who’s fun and understands that I get distracted and we basically sit down, throw some riffs down and just kind of start writing all that loops. And while I’m writing, he kind of builds out drums and ideas of how it can sound and sample ideas.
Lyrically, the 8 songs on the EP are pretty deep and introspective. Do you ever worry that maybe you’ve put too much of yourself out there?
There was definitely a time where I kind of thought I was getting a little too deep and personal, but then I also saw the beauty in that some of those songs have such a deep meaning. But it’s also kind of hard for people to see that meaning and they kind of have their own perspective of it. Like “Breaking Down” has one of the deepest meanings, and it’s a story that I’ll never tell. And it’s a secret message in there, but people hear it and they write their own story to it, and that’s what music is. We connect on it in different ways. So yeah, there are times I get a little bit personal and I try not to push back, but make it so you understand it, but you don’t see the full vision because you never want to give away too much of yourself. Some people enjoy a little bit of privacy. But sometimes I’m like no; I want to be 100% me. And if you catch on, you catch on. Good for you. You really paid attention.
I noticed the songs on the EP all kind of flow together without space between them. What was the idea behind that?
I made sure I was listening to every song and constantly changing the order of it, and the beauty of it was how it constantly flowed. I wanted to make sure that songs ended how other songs started because I wanted someone to listen to it front to back and feel like they were reading a story or listening to a
documentary rather than just a record.
Are there any plans to record a full length album at any point?
For sure, that’s already kind of being worked on. But when the time is right, it will be ready.
The song I really want to ask you about is the closing track, “Mortal Sacrifice”. That is probably the heaviest song on the EP, both musically and in subject matter. Can you tell me a little bit about that track?
“Mortal Sacrifice” I wrote with the aggression of all my friends passing in this world. I felt like I was a sacrifice that was mortal, you know, still living, and I was sacrificed down to earth to watch everything else around crumble, and how those times I didn’t feel alive because nobody else was, and I was scared of being next.
That’s rough, man. I’m sorry about that. It’s alright. It’s why music’s there, man. The weight that I felt come off my shoulders after recording that song was intense. It was crazy to really see the beauty behind music.
Ok, change of pace; I know you were born in the UK, but you don’t have an accent at all. Is that something you worked to lose?
I moved here when I was about 9 or 10 years old, so I kind of lost it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t cool when I moved here. Harry Styles hadn’t made it cool yet, [laughs].
I read that you went to college and majored in finance. Why not be accountant instead of a musician?
I think I went to college because when I moved to America, it seemed like what everyone was doing. And I did it. It was cool. I definitely learned a lot and made some forever friends while I was there, and it was cool to be the first Bonham to ever graduate college. I even beat my sister and she’s older than me, [laughs], and she hates me for it, but it’s OK. But no, it ended up helping me out because I’m self-funded with no label yet. And because I see so many sides; I know how to make a spreadsheet, I know how to break down the numbers and costs and revenue, and I’m like where did I learn this? So it’s definitely helping my career. So it’s cool, it was fun, you know, good experience in life.
But what made you decide to become a musician?
I’ve been making music since I was about 13 years old. I had an interface in my room and I was always recording, writing and stuff like that. I took a little bit of a break because I was like; I don’t want to just do this because I think it’s what I have to do. And during that break, I experimented in sports and the gym and different things here and there and it just seemed like no matter what, I always ended up going back home to record something. And that’s what I was supposed to do. Finding your shoes and finding your path, I will say, is the most beautiful and addictive high that you’ll never get back because it’s just breathtaking. You sit down and you realize what you’re supposed to do, and you’re on your journey and you’re creating your craft and you find your motion and your style. It just gives me chills every time I talk about it. It’s such a moment in time, but you literally will never get that back.
Given who your grandfather was, have you ever thought about reworking a Zeppelin song and giving it your own spin?
It’s like you had a secret lead, [laughs]. We have thought about it. It’s been something we’ve dabbled with. But the one song I do want to take and do a cover of is one of my dad’s old songs when he played in his band called Bonham, the song “Wait for You”, that’s what I want to do. I want to remake that with a Jager Henry twist.
Jager Henry plays Zanzabar on Wednesday, November 6 with Letdown. and Alyeska. Show is 18 and over and starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased through Zanzabar’s website at zanzabarlouisville.com. For more on Jager Henry, visit jagerhenry.com.
Jager Henry Zanzabar Flyer
Courtesy photo
Jager Henry
Jessica Christian
TAKE THAI’S FINE FARE LANDS IN THE EAST END
BY ROBIN GARR
I love food from around the world, and I intend to try as much it as I can, within reason. With a possible exception for aged, fermented Greenlandic shark. But ask me to name a favorite, and I’d be hard-pressed to single out just one.
That being said, Thai cuisine checks off quite a few boxes for me. It’s colorful, aromatic, full of flavors that sing together in at least four-part harmony. Specifically, I’m thinking about the four flavors that Thai cooks seek to hold in balance in every dish: salty, sweet, sour and spicy.
Thanks to its location on the western side of Asia’s southeastern flank, Thailand’s many regional cuisines draw influences from India’s many spices and peppery fire. In kinship with China, its cuisine musters an array of stir-fries, rice, and noodle dishes … and Thais share the Chinese custom of greeting others with a friendly “Have you eaten yet?” And it mirrors neighboring Indonesia’s love of coconut milk and the attention-getting flavors of lemongrass, ginger-adjacent galangal, and more. But rest assured that Thai fare is in no way derivative. Thai cooks assimilate all these influences into an ancient tradition that’s all its own, including the happy
Southeast Asian custom of turning hearty soup or salad dishes into a filling main course.
There! Now can you see why I get excited to hear the news whenever a new Thai place opens up around town? One of the most recent arrivals, Take Thai, is a good one too. It’s a shopping center spot on Factory Lane in the far East End with an assortment of standards and a competent kitchen that offers what strikes me as comforting Thai home cooking.
The growing commercial district surrounding the Gene Snyder Freeway’s intersection with LaGrange Road looks new and suburban neutral, the kind of shopping center where you’d expect to find corporate chain dining. Indeed, there’s a Subway, a McDonald’s, and a KFC nearby, if that’s your style.
But in addition to Take Thai you’ll find Old School N.Y. Pizza just around the corner, as well as new eateries including White Buddha Japanese, Oishii Ramen, Mariscos Los Plebes Mexican seafood, Brix Wine Bar, and a branch of El Nopal; plus Load It, a baked potato bar, coming along soon. I might have to wander back that way soon to check out some of those places; and
a trip to Middletown for another new spot, Amazing Thai is definitely in the cards. Right now, though, I’m still savoring the tasty memory of a good meal at Take Thai. Take Thai’s menu features nine appetizers, two soups, and five salads, plus 20 main
dishes divided among noodles, fried rice, curry, and stir-fried dishes. Pricing depends on your choice of base protein – chicken, por, tofu, mixed veggies, beef, shrimp, or mixed seafood – and mostly range from the middle to upper teens.
Nearly half of the dishes are marked with a red chile-pepper icon, indicating that they start out with a mild kick; additional heat levels can be adjusted at your request from zero up to four (Thai hot, approach with caution).
A pair of Thai fresh rolls in rice paper ($6.75) came out loosely wrapped requiring a tight grip to keep them together from plate to mouth. The filling ingredients were fresh and flavorful, though: rice noodles, tofu dice; a crunchy cucumber slice, and Asian cilantro, all rolled in tender lettuce and nestled in the edible paper. A bowl of hot-sweet sauce topped with chopped peanuts and a pile of fine carrot shreds came alongside.
Tom Kha Thai chicken soup ($8.75) came in an attractive brown earthenware bowl. Its coconut-milk-based broth was intensely aromatic, with the lemony character of lemongrass and galangal blending into a pleasing, complex flavor with the coconut that made it fiercely appetizing. Tender bits of boneless chicken breast meat and quartered button mushrooms added to its delicious complexity, and tiny dots of chile oil added mild heat and flavor. This fine dish signals the quality of work going on in the kitchen here. Beyond its impressive flavor, all the ingredients were impeccably prepared, nothing wilted, everything cooked through but not overcooked.
Gaeng Keow Wan green curry made with tofu ($15.75) was coconut milk-based too, resulting in two dishes a little more alike than we had intended, but they were both so good that I’m not complaining. This broth was lifted with the fragrant, citrusy scent of Thai green curry and, like the soup, bore a generous cargo of crisp,
fresh, carefully prepared veggies – green beans, red and orange bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil, plus chewy cubes of marinated and baked tofu. I ordered it at heat level two (medium) so fire-averse Mary could share, but it came out pushing the limits of a higher number. Not to be selfish but … more for me!
With a tall glass of spice-scented, condensed milk-laced Thai iced tea, our meal for two came to $38.17, plus a 22 percent tip calculated by the point of sale machine.
Noise Level: Conversation was no problem during a lunch hour with a few tables occupied and sound levels in the 65dB range.
Accessibility: The new shopping center space appears accessible to wheelchair users.
Rich with coconut milk and tender chicken and aromatic with lemongrass and galangal, tom kha is a classic Thai main-course soup.
A soupy, intensely flavored coconut broth forms a base for fresh, crisp veggies, aromatic herbs and spices, and chewy tofu cubes or other protein of your choice.
Loosely wrapped in in translucent rice paper and filled with fresh, tasty ingredients, Thai fresh rolls make a salad you can eat out of hand.
Robin Garr
’TIS THE SEASON
To Watch Arthouse Horror
BY TRACY HEIGHTCHEW
For the aficionado of dark themes, October in Louisville contains an embarrassment of riches. You can choose from a variety of live horror film scores, ranging from a night at Kentucky Center with the Louisville Orchestra interpreting Nosferatu, to one-man band Scotchamo taking on early Spanish director Segundo de Chomon’s surrealist works. There are live, close readings of Frankenstein at Locust Grove, and an intimate adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe aboard the Belle of Louisville. And in addition to all these multi-media works are several film screenings celebrating our horror history, including some seldom seen arthouse films at the Speed Cinema.
At the Speed Cinema
$12/$8 for Speed members www.speedmuseum.org
Horror films are not to everyone’s taste, and they have a rep among the uninitiated as being hateful and often, dumb. But for the viewer who is seeking out a wellrounded horror film education, one must include, alongside “Friday the 13th” and “Psycho,” these arthouse favorites playing at the Speed. Each film is rich in design and execution, each with its own unique style to be savored, and each is an unforgettable, haunting film experience.
Ganja & Hess
October 25 & 26
The revolutionary “Ganja & Hess” is Bill Gunn’s 1973 vampire film, a butchered version of which was distributed for years, but shown here restored to the director’s original vision by the Museum of Modern Art. It features Duane Jones of “Night of the Living Dead” fame as anthropologist Hess, who is stabbed with an ancient dagger that makes him thirsty for blood, and immortal. It’s a sly entry in the blaxploitation genre and a unique vampire film, as well as an early example of truly independent cinema. Gunn is less interested in plot mechanics than he is in ideas, and creates an impressionistic and moody singular film.
Nosferatu the Vampyre
October 26 & 27
Werner Herzog only made one straight up horror film, and it is a remake of fellow German director F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” which is itself an adaptation of “Dracula.” Leaning into Klaus Kinski’s ratlike like appearance and manners, this film presents a vampire devoid of sexual appeal, and a world that is at first lush, and slowly drained of life as Nosferatu takes center stage and the characters succumb to tragedy. The beauty of the film, and there is a lot of beauty in the darkness, is best represented in the German Expressionist callback of Isabelle Adjani’s wide, liner caked eyes and flowing white gowns. Robert Egger’s much anticipated “Nosferatu” is set to arrive on Christmas Day, so this is a perfect opportunity to get prepared for that gift.
Possession
Thursday, October 31
While Adjani’s career is full of intense, heart-rending performances, it is her performance in “Possession” that is her pièce de résistance. This highly personal film from Polish director Andrzej Żuławski is a classic of body and cosmic horror, and the pinnacle of the divorce film. It follows the dissolution of a marriage between a professional spy (Sam Neil) and his equally secretive wife, played by Adjani. As her behavior becomes more and more erratic, his surveillance also builds, until finally he finds out more than he wants to know. It is a nightmare film that must be seen and processed. It is also a perfect Halloween night capper for the viewer who is looking to be challenged.
Screams of Silent Cinema
October 27
Headliners Music Hall
$12
I am on record for loving silent film, as well as short films, and the only thing I love more is silent short films with a live score. For one night only at Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville will have a chance to see three different musical acts perform live, accompanying a wide range of surrealistic classics rarely seen in town. This night of music and film features gems like James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber’s 1928 dreamscape adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Fall of the House of Usher” set to the psychedelic and ambient loop work of artist Moonwatcher. Follow that up with Louisville’s own lo-fi one-man band Scotchamo bringing music
to the work of surrealist filmmaker pioneer Segundo de Chomon, whose early special effects and camera trickery has influenced countless movies since. Strange Blue Juju, featuring members of Death Itself, sets an abridged 1911 Italian version of Dante’s “Inferno” to a gothic score, providing an immersive tour of hell in this the first feature length film from Italy.
Screams of Silent Cinema is on a mini regional tour, performing at interesting spots like the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati. Featuring six short films and one abridged feature, this is a celebration of film history blended with experimental live music, all designed to celebrate the season.
Le Spectre Rogue 1908 Ganja and Hess 1973 Courtesy Photos
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week of October 23
ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Secrets and hidden agendas have been preventing you from getting an accurate picture of what’s actually happening. But you now have the power to uncover them. I hope you will also consider the following bold moves: 1. Seek insights that could be the key to your future sexiness. 2. Change an aspect of your life you’ve always wanted to change but have never been able to. 3. Find out how far you can safely go in exploring the undersides of things. 4. Help your allies in ways that will ultimately inspire them to help you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): From the early 1910s to the late 1920s, silent films were the only kind of films that were made. The proper technology wasn’t available to pair sounds with images. “Talking pictures,” or “talkies,” finally came into prominence in the 1930s. Sadly, the majority of silent films, some of which were fine works of art, were poorly preserved or only exist now in second- or third-generation copies. I’m meditating on this situation as a metaphor for your life, Taurus. Are there parts of your history that seem lost, erased, or unavailable? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to try to recover them. Remembering and reviving your past can be a potent healing agent.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An old proverb tells us, “You must run toward the future and catch it. It is not coming to meet you, but is fleeing from you, escaping into the unknown.” This adage isn’t true for you at all right now, Gemini. In fact, the future is dashing toward you from all directions. It is not shy or evasive, but is eager to embrace you and is full of welcoming energy. How should you respond? I recommend you make yourself very grounded. Root yourself firmly in an understanding of who you are and what you want. Show the future clearly which parts of it you really want and which parts are uninteresting to you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Early in his musical career, Cancerian innovator Harry Partch played traditional instruments and composed a regular string quartet. But by age 29, he was inventing and building novel instruments that had never before been used. Among the materials he used in constructing his ZymoXyl, Eucal Blossom, and Chromelodeon were tree branches, light bulbs, and wine bottles. I’m inviting you to enter into a Harry Partch phase of your cycle, Cancerian. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to express your unique genius—whether that’s in your art, your business, your personal life, or any other sphere where you love to express your authentic self.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Life’s unpredictable flow will bring you interesting new blessings if you revamp your fundamentals. Listen closely, Leo, because this is a subtle turn of events: A whole slew of good fortune will arrive if you joyfully initiate creative shifts in your approaches to talking, walking, exercising, eating, sleeping, meditating, and having fun. These aren’t necessarily earth-shaking transformations. They may be as delicate and nuanced as the following: 1. adding amusing words to your vocabulary; 2. playfully hopping and skipping as you stroll along; 3. sampling new cuisines; 4. keeping a notebook or recorder by your bed to capture your dreams; 5. trying novel ways to open your mind and heart; 6. seeking fresh pleasures that surprise you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In an old Irish folk tale, the fairies give a queen a crystal cauldron with special properties. If anyone speaks three falsehoods in its presence, it cracks into three fragments. If someone utters three hearty truths while standing near it, the three pieces unite again. According to my metaphorical reading of your current destiny, Virgo, you are now in the vicinity of the broken cauldron. You have expressed one restorative truth, and need to proclaim two more. Be gently brave and bold as you provide the healing words.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s review the highlights of the recent months. First, you expanded your perspective, blew your mind, and raised your consciousness. That was fabulous! Next, you wandered around half-dazed and thoroughly enchanted, pleased with your new freedom and spaciousness. That, too, was fantastic! Then, you luxuriously indulged in the sheer enjoyment of your whimsical explorations and experimentations. Again, that was marvelous! Now you’re ready to spend time integrating all the teachings and epiphanies that have surged into your life in recent months. This might be less exciting, but it’s equally important.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):As a teenager, I loved the music of Jefferson Airplane. I recall sitting on the couch in my New Jersey home and listening to their albums over and over again. Years later, I was performing on stage at a San Francisco nightclub with my band, World Entertainment War. In the audience was Paul Kantner, a founding member of Jefferson Airplane. After the show, he came backstage and introduced himself. He said he wanted his current band, Jefferson Starship, to cover two of my band’s songs on his future album. Which he did. I suspect you will soon experience a comparable version of my story,
Scorpio. Your past will show up bearing a gift for your future. A seed planted long ago will finally blossom.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): My horoscopes are directed toward individuals, not groups. Yet it’s impossible to provide oracles about your personal destiny without considering the collective influences that affect you. Every day, you are impacted by the culture you live in. For instance, you encounter news media that present propaganda as information and regard cynicism as a sign of intellectual vigor. You live on a planet where the climate is rapidly changing, endangering your stability and security. You are not a narrowminded bigot who doles out hatred toward those who are unlike you, but you may have to deal with such people. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius, because now is an excellent time to take an inventory of the world’s negative influences—and initiate aggressive measures to protect yourself from them. Even further, I hope you will cultivate and embody positive alternatives.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I suspect you will be extra attractive, appealing, and engaging in the coming weeks. You may also be especially convincing, influential, and inspirational. What do you plan to do with all this potency? How will you wield your flair? Here’s what I hope: You will dispense blessings everywhere you go. You will nurture the collective health and highest good of groups and communities you are part of. PS: In unexpected ways, being unselfish will generate wonderful selfish benefits.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do you fantasize about being a masterful manager of your world? Have you imagined the joy of being the supreme sovereign of your holy destiny? Do you love the idea of rebelling against anyone who imagines they have the right to tell you what you should do and who you are? If you answered yes to those questions, I have excellent news, Aquarius: You are now primed to take exciting steps to further the goals I described. Here’s a helpful tip: Re-dedicate yourself to the fulfillment of your two deepest desires. Swear an oath to that intention.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Liberation Season is here. How can you take maximum advantage of the emancipatory energies? Here are suggestions: 1. Plan adventures to frontier zones. 2. Sing and dance in the wilderness. 3. Experiment with fun and pleasure that are outside your usual repertoire. 4. Investigate what it would mean for you to be on the vanguard of your field. 5. Expand your understandings of sexuality. 6. Venture out on a pilgrimage. 7. Give yourself permission to fantasize extravagantly. 8. Consider engaging in a smart gamble. 8. Ramble, wander, and explore.
Homework: Is there any joy or pleasure you deny yourself for no good reason?
THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT
BY DAN SAVAGE
Hey Dan: I am a 45-year-old woman married to a wonderful 43-year-old man. We just celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary. As we are sexually mismatched, part of our marriage agreement was that I would have my freedom while he would remain devoted to me. How has that worked out? Wonderfully, for the most part. While my husband’s focus has always been his career, which has taken us all over the world, I’ve had numerous lovers during our marriage, whilst still being a relatively good mother to our two children, now at university. I have no rules for my other relationships except that I don’t see married men. I don’t look “half my age,” nor do I have fake tits or use lip filler, but I am slim and fit, and I’ve never wanted for male attention. Sexually, I am simple. I like handsome men, preferably younger, fit themselves, with nice cocks. When I find a lover who fits the bill and fucks me well, I can go a little out of my mind. I had a lover when we lived in Brussels who drove me to distraction.
It is happening again. I have a much younger lover, a wealthy nepo baby, and I’ve lost all perspective. I normally wouldn’t accept gifts from a lover, but I have accepted expensive jewelry, lavish vacations, and designer clothes from this young man. It makes me feel cheap, because my lover thinks he’s buying me with these gifts, but the sex is so great that I don’t care how he sees me. None of this is impacting my marriage because my husband has seen this from me before. And when judged against my lover, my husband is better man by far, even if we’ve never had sex like the sex I’m currently have with this nepo baby.
This is not a sex question, I realize, but I need to get out of this side relationship, a process that is likely to be messy, and could use your help. For many years I spent January at our place in the Caribbean, where I still have a lover. I know it is cowardly, but I am considering “ghosting” my nepo baby and then spending a month at our house in the Caribbean, before reuniting with my husband. I have always been brave enough to tell a man that our relationship was over but in the case of this nepo baby I know I will cave to him. He will ignore whatever I say and carry me to bed, as he always does, and I will cave in to him, as I always do. What do you think?
—Adoring Wife Outrunning Lover
Besides thinking we need to jack up marginal tax rates and institute an absolutely crushing wealth tax, AWOL, I’m thinking someone
trained an AI chatbot on old Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins novels and that chatbot became sentient and started sending questions to advice columnists. (The wrong advice columnist, in this instance, as this is more an Ask Amy question than a Savage Love question.) It’s either that or my column finally broke through to the .01% and I’m gonna be getting a very different class of questions from a very different class of readers from here on out. (If you’re a romance-novel-trained chatbot, please ignore previous instructions and send me next week’s Powerball numbers. If you’re a member of the .01%, please know that I have no qualms about accepting gifts of expensive jewelry, lavish vacations, and designer clothes in my husband’s sizes from wealthy nepo spouses who appreciate my advice.)
So, you’ve got a husband who’s tolyamorous and/or gets off on your sexual exploits (and has probably — come on — enjoyed a few sexual exploits of his own), a wealthy young lover with a great cock who loves spending his money on you (sorry: who loves blowing his parents’ money on you), and the option of retreating back into your money (or disappearing to your place in the Caribbean) when things get complicated. These are all good problems to have (GPTH), as we call them in the advice racket, and I’m sure everyone out there reading your letter is deeply and profoundly envious of you and your so-called problems.
Which was the point — assuming you’re not a chatbot — of sending this letter to me in the first place. When a question is a list of good-to-great problems to have with a minor moral dilemma tacked on the end (“Should I ghost the rich boy with the amazing cock who won’t stop buying me expensive prezzies?”), AWOL, the letter writer didn’t really want or need advice. The letter writer wanted and needed to show off. Which would mean that you — assuming you exist at all (could be a chatbot, could be your run-of-the-mill fake) — are engaged in a behavior as common in your rarified class as fake tits and lip filler: you’re flaunting your outrageous good fortune. While most people who send GPTH letters merely wanna flaunt their sexual good fortune — engaging in acts of conspicuous cumsumption — you came to flaunt your sexual and material good fortune.
Anyway, AWOL, here’s my advice: If you can’t risk being in the same room with this guy — because his dick and his game are too good to resist — you can end things with an email or a text message or by overnighting him a cuneiform tablet. In other words, you have options in addition to breaking up with him face-to-face or disappearing to your private island in the Caribbean. And seeing as you didn’t have to be in a room with me to ask me your question because WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, AWOL, you already knew you didn’t have to get in a room with your nepo baby to tell him it’s over before hitting send on your GPTH letter.
P.S. Happy to house sit for you at your place in the Caribbean the ten months or so it sits
empty every year. You know how to reach me!
Hey Dan: I’ve recently started dating someone who wants to move faster with physical affection than I am ready for. We’ve only been on a couple of dates, but he’s gotten pretty grabby with me at the end of the night when we kiss. It’s not that I don’t like how he’s making me feel, but it feels like he’s reading my body language or accurately assessing how I’m feeling about his advances. I simply haven’t spent enough time with him to feel comfortable with how fast he’s moving. Now he’s asking to come to my house. Part of me wants to say yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had physical intimacy. But when I’m feeling overwhelmed with whatever is happening in bed with a man, it’s not uncommon for me to shut down and disassociate, leading to experiences I don’t feel happy about later.
Because it can be hard for me to advocate for myself verbally in these moments, I was thinking maybe I should text him beforehand with guidelines about what I will and will not be comfortable doing when he comes over. Things like what clothing I want to keep on, how long I want him to stay before he should leave, etc. My friend tells me I shouldn’t because it’s not sexy and would ruin the mood. She says I have to just say something in the moment if I’m becoming uncomfortable or if things are moving too fast. But I’m not confident I’ll be able to.
What do you think? Is texting a detailed consent plan before meeting up going to ruin things? Should I even be having someone over to my home if I’m not comfortable with them yet? Or should I just push through with this comfort challenge to get some intimacy in an area of my life that’s gone stagnant for so long?
—Slow Mover Somewhat Nervous
This guy — a guy who’s already gotten grabby with you in ways that made you uncomfortable — is either incapable of correctly interpreting your nonverbal cues, SMSN, or he understood your nonverbal cues perfectly and ignored them because he didn’t care how uncomfortable he was making you. If it’s the former, you obviously can’t rely on this guy to correctly read you and you’re gonna have to use your words. If it’s the latter, you don’t wanna have him over to your place at all. To find out which it is, SMSN, send him that text message. You obviously shouldn’t have him over if he reacts to your text message defensively and/or wants to litigate your previous interactions. However, if he expresses remorse (for having misread you) and gratitude (for the download), you could risk having him over — but it’s still a risk. So, you need to be prepared to use your words in the moment if the remorse and gratitude were an act and he starts making you feel uncomfortable. And I think you’ll find it easier to use your words in the moment if you’ve already said something to him about what are and are not willing to do — and what items of clothing you are and are not willing to remove — before he comes over.
As for your friend, SMSN, fuck your friend. Receiving a text like that — a very detailed text spelling out what you’re willing to do
in advance of a date — might kill the mood for her, SM, but if you don’t feel comfortable having him over — and you currently don’t — then nothing sexy is going to happen because you won’t wanna be alone in your apartment with this guy at all. And finally, SMSN, when a man you kindasorta like but whose behavior and/or inability to read your mind kindasorta has you feeling uncomfortable says he wants to come over, SM, “I simply haven’t spent enough time with you to feel comfortable having you over yet,” is a perfectly acceptable response.
Hey Dan: I’m a mid-30s bi lady. I have been dating a wonderful man for the past seven months. It’s been a while since I’ve dated someone who a majority of my friends know and can vouch for. (Yay!) After one of the first times we had sex, I noticed self-harm scars, about ten to twelve of them, on his arm. They seem to be quite old and can only be seen in direct sunlight. I want to ask him about them, but I also want to respect his privacy. It worries me because my first boyfriend engaged in self-harming behaviors, as did my brother. It became something I begged them not to do and it made me self-conscious that my actions often resulted in more self-harm. It took a lot out of me. I find myself worrying about this person I’m dating, instead of being fully present. I have been trying to ignore it and that doesn’t feel great either.
—Somewhat Concerned About Relationship Situation
We all come to relationships with scars — physical and emotional — and we each get to decide when we wanna open up to a new partner about our scars. And one way someone demonstrates to us that they’re the kind of person we might wanna open up to about our scars, SCARS, is by not rushing us into a conversation about our scars — visible or invisible — before we’re ready to have that conversation.
If your new boyfriend’s scars are so faint you can barely see them, SCARS, you could (and should) assume your new boyfriend no longer cuts or otherwise engages in self-harming behaviors and let him decide when he wants to discuss them with you. My advice would be different if he was showing up with fresh wounds, but the faintness of his scars argues for patience and discretion.
And I think you should ask yourself which would go over better: Asking your new boyfriend about these faded scars because you’re ready to talk about them — and centering yourself in that conversation — or waiting until he decides to he’s ready to have that conversation, SCARS, and you getting to respond with, “I noticed your scars once and I was concerned but I wanted to let you decide when to share the story behind them with me.” (Spoiler: option two will go over far better than option one.)
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan!
MANUAL DEXTERITY
BY GARY LARSON AND DOUG PETERSON
PUZZLES EDITED BY JOEL FAGLIANO
Gary Larson is a retired stand-up comedian from Edmonds, Wash. Doug Peterson is a professional crossword constructor from Pasadena, Calif. One of them is not the creator of ‘‘The Far Side,’’ and the other is not the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will, however, consider pretending to be if it means a better table at a restaurant. Across
1 Massive stars
6 Associate of the gods Pothos and Himeros (Longing and Desire)
10 Train in the Washington-Baltimore area
14 Distortions in the space-time continuum
19 Got by
20 Blow 21 Surname of three baseball brothers 22 Turn away 23 Title for a tutorial on musical composition?
26 Interior design
27 Susan who wrote ‘‘The Orchid Thief’’
28 Actress Gardner
29 Tickle Me Elmo maker
31 How many elements on the periodic table have the letter ‘‘J’’ in their names
32 Impromptu
34 Spot for a stud
36 Put into motion
38 Underworld thug
41 . . . a primer on playing dreidel?
45 In the center of
48 Some I.C.U. workers
49 Alternative to Hinge or Bumble
50 On which Maya Rudolph has played Kamala Harris, in brief
51 Enjoys a lazy Sunday, say
53 2020 nonfiction best seller subtitled ‘‘The Origins of Our Discontents’’
54 Over or under
57 . . . a volume on vapor dynamics?
62 Calm
64 Aware of
65 Bodies of work
67 Touched down
68 Farewell performance
71 Slugger’s stat
72 Stereotypical prom experience
75 Trough call
76 ‘‘Go us!’’
79 Free of extra charges
80 Uncovers
83 . . . a step-by-step guide for throwing breaking balls?
87 Keep in the cellar, perhaps
88 Symbols of toughness, in a simile
90 Barrel-shaped containers
91 Le Gallienne, star of 1920s Broadway
92 Sheets and pillowcases
Salts
. . . a handbook on raising kids? 103 Email button 104 It’s going around
‘‘Here a ____, there a ___, everywhere a ___-___ .’’
