LEO Weekly June 22, 2022

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20 WHERE CITY PROMISES MADE DURING THE BREONNA TAYLOR SETTLEMENT STAND | PAGE 6

OF THE BEST BARS AND RESTAURANTS TO EAT AND DRINK OUTSIDE AT IN 2022

A Q&A WITH JIM JAMES BEFORE MY MORNING JACKET’S LOUISVILLE CONCERTS | PAGE 25 LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022 1

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

VIEWS

“LET IT BURN”: AMERICA IS IN DECLINE AND WE SHOULD REJOICE FOR THE CHANCE TO START OVER

By Erica Rucker | Erucker@leoweekly.com I WROTE a story called “Sunset in America” for my Medium page a couple of years ago.

I was writing in support of the blossoming protests against police violence that were happening in Louisville and then across the nation. As we approach the Fourth of July, I want to quote myself and expand on this idea because the energy of those days, is needed now as much as it was then.

“To quote the asshole fire chief who let 11 black people including children burn in a Philadelphia building in 1985, ‘Let the fire burn.’ Let the riots and the protests continue.

Fuck it up, kids. If you march in peace, march in peace, but I’m not going to tell anyone how to be angry. To remake a nation we have to begin by destroying the symbols of its empire. America is a nation founded and consistently changed when its citizens decide enough is enough and begin to chip away at the systems that have held too many of us under its foot for so long. This has never happened without a riot.”

This time it isn’t simply police violence that needs to shift in America, but America that needs to shift. From top to bottom, side to side, this nation is due for a reckoning. It is due to be remade — from the people who hold the seats of power to the documents

that govern that power. This nation is on life support because too many fail to see that it’s a place that does not need resuscitation. It needs to die of natural causes.

With repeated mass shootings, continued police violence (and inaction), inflation caused by greedy speculation and a former president who thought printing money was an answer to not having enough, the fact is: America is and has been ailing for a long time.

The country that we want and deserve hasn’t been born yet and it is our collective duty to create that nation that really lives up to what “America” idealizes itself to be… but how?

We have to stop holding on to the past, and look toward what comes next. Period.

The past may hold some value, but some ideas from the past are not serving us well now. Certainly, the Second Amendment is one of those areas that has been misused and misinterpreted for political gain and now citizens of this country are dying because of it.

The Constitution, along with our attitudes about guns and the acceptability and inevitability of death need to be changed. We aren’t safer because of the Second Amendment, we’re so far from safe, in fact.

Referring back to my Medium piece, I

really think it is time to say: “Goodbye, America the Empire. We really do want America, the Beautiful but that can’t happen with a piece of paper and no crayons. This nation needs to make good on the promises it made to all of us.”

I’m not sure what else to say or how to impress upon anyone that the pace of America’s decline is exhausting and the only way to stop it is to change how we do this experiment we call The United States of America. I’m tired of yelling at Republicans. I’m tired of yelling about Jesus freaks who don’t truly follow or care about Jesus’ message. What good does any of that do?

More than any of that, I’m tired of

reading in the news about mass amounts of babies, teens or elderly people being shot to death by individuals who’ve been reared in a culture that says guns are the glory and to the gun we give our unabashed allegiance.

We can’t blame mental illness for the insanity and result of gun worship in this country.

So, on the anniversary of our nation’s freedom, I propose that we stop yelling in our echo chambers, stop trying to change each others mind and start trying to change this country into one that we would all like to live in and leave to our children so that they may be safe, loved and, theoretically, live to a happy and ripe old age.

I’m not naive, I know that’s not coming without battles, but, if we’re going to have it out, let’s do it so that we can move on.

Let America burn so that the seeds of rebirth have room to sprout. •

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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VIEWS

THE THAW

By Joan Shelley | leo@leoweekly.com

I HAD no idea we were making a life raft the cliff.

I still worry for my daughter, that I have when we formed a small songwriting group brought her to a corrupted place. I was in early March 2020. We met once in person haunted by a quote by Norwegian philosoand then the meetings went to screens, writpher Peter Wessel Zapffe: “To bear children ing a song per week based on prompts we into this world is like carrying wood to a came up with together. We started the group burning house.” I want all my actions to not knowing the essential part it would play show her the beauty here, all my actions to supporting our mental health during all that be water on the burning house of the world. would happen in that first year. We proShe is so full of joy and wonder, beaming cessed the grief and isolation and political her smile at everyone she meets, not knowdespair. We found something to make from ing that the people she beams at are running the shattering pieces. Where lockdown took her off the cliff. the wind from our sails, there seemed to be Then I noticed that all of the like-minded magic in asking something of each other. people I knew couldn’t even bear to hear I had to leave the group when my mornthe news anymore. “I’m taking a break,” ing sickness made it impossible to Zoom. they said. While I deeply empathized, I was I had a child; my first. I didn’t know that chilled at the realization: If all the sensiI would be a mother in this life. After the tive people out there were doing the same soft opening of the world, our group disthing… then who was steering the ship? solved, everyone returning to their various What if all the kind people I knew were circles and realms. I soaked up the smells stuck in their grief and anger, paralyzed like and sounds of my newborn, completely me? immersed in the raw nerves, hers and mine.

So I thought: What if we could harness Then the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report came in saying it was that special power that we found in the songwriting group? The asking. Something almost too late. This was a crisis we could to help some of foresee, but if we got the soft-hearted to the “wall” there Then the people grieve and would be no chance to vent anger; to to give our children Intergovernmental turn that energy into the world as we Panel on Climate something positive, knew it: the pollinators, the butterflies, Change report came in something tangible?

It didn’t have to be the migrating birds, saying it was almost big; just an intimate the seasons. It group that would seemed that we were too late. This was a ask each other to a disaster-driven society, programmed crisis we could foresee, show up together.

To create things that to keep going with but if we got to the would unfreeze and the status quo until To make we hit that wall. But “wall” there would be unparalyze. something beautiful, if we let the disaster because it would teach us, there would no chance to give our matter to us that we be no chance to learn children the world as tried. this lesson, to adapt.

The idea for an It was keepwe knew it: the pollina- intimate circle has ing me up at night since blossomed into during an already tors, the butterflies, something bigger sleepless time with the migrating birds, the and far more extroa newborn. I kept verted than I could wondering how seasons. have expected: a to cope with this parade with puppets, immense stress that music, and a lot to say… publicly. Honestly made action seem impossible — the kind of I don’t feel ready; my hands already full action that might keep us from running off

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

A portrait of Joan Shelley.

with my 1-year-old and her needs. I am hesitant to lay my hopes bare in a city where cynicism runs deep. A place where people have scoffed at the idea of a clean Ohio River. Impossible! Childish to even think of it! The fear that our parade, our expression of hope, would just be swatting the hornet’s nest — making people who don’t already agree with us more resentful and unwilling to help stop the exploitative actions that have been poisoning our soil, water, air, and community. Taking profit as the measure of what is “good,” what is “progress.”

I still want that intimate group to process all that is painful and frustrating. But, on this occasion, I feel asked once again to open outward instead, to put energy towards a beautiful vision of what this city could be: healthy, just, and beautiful — something greater than “bourbonism” and fossil fuelbased industry and infrastructure, something beyond polluting ourselves and our place for

profit. My hope is that this parade will help strengthen that vision and unfreeze a few more of us. Because this is the only thing worth working for.

I look at my beaming daughter, on the verge of walking and overcome with delight as she stands up for the first time in a crowd; her father and I constantly scrambling after her to keep her from falling. I think, “I don’t have spare time for a parade or a protest.

None of us do.” But if you expand the scope of your vision just a little, we don’t have time for anything else.

This article originally appeared in the Our Good River zine, available at www. greenstreetsky.org. The Our Good River Climate Parade will take place at 3 p.m. on June 25 at 3pm. It starts at Injustice Square (Jefferson Square Park).

Joan Shelley is a singer-songwriter and activist. Her new album, The Spur, will be released on June 24. •

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

HERE’S WHERE 3 CITY PROMISES MADE DURING THE BREONNA TAYLOR SETTLEMENT STAND

By Josh Wood | jwood@leoweekly.com

THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD ABSURD: TRUMP ENDORSES CAMERON FOR GOVERNOR Eleven months ahead of the gubernatorial primary, longdisgraced former president Donald Trump gave Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in the 36-year-old’s quest for the Governor’s mansion. The endorsement was a thumb-on-the-nose snub to the more flamboyant Trump-adoring Republicans running in the race (like the gun-loving Dry Ridge state Rep. Savannah Maddox, who is running as an “authentic Republican” and features Trump in her campaign ad, or northern Kentucky attorney Eric Deters, who attended Trump’s $75,000-a-head Derby fundraiser and is hosting a pro-Trump “Freedom Fest” later this year). The endorsement was made even more absurd by its timing during the U.S. House select committee’s investigation of Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Protesters raised their fists in solidarity during a protest in May 2020. | PHOTO BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON.

ON Sept. 15, 2020 — just eight days before the announcement that no officers would be charged in Breonna Taylor’s death — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer took the podium at Metro Hall to announce a $12 million settlement with the family of the 26-year-old Black ER tech who was killed by the Louisville Metro Police Department.

The lawsuit settlement was not just about money: As part of the settlement, Fischer said, the city had agreed to make “several important policy changes.”

The first three changes Fischer mentioned, just moments after he announced the settlement, all had to do with improving the relationship between the police and a community that had little trust in the police.

Taking off her Breonna Taylor face mask to speak at the podium, Taylor family lawyer Lonita Baker

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THORNS & ROSES

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

said that a financial settlement was “non-negotiable” without significant reform.

“We sought forth as we went through negotiating the terms of this settlement… to engage police officers within the community, not just when they are dispatched to runs, but to get out, to volunteer in those communities in which they serve, to get to know their communities in other settings,” she said. “To live within their communities. To dispatch social workers when they’re needed for mental health crises.”

Two years after the outbreak of mass protests over Taylor’s death — and almost two years since the announcement of the wide-ranging police reforms — LEO Weekly checked up on the implementation of those community-focused policing changes.

POLICE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE

Flanked by Baker, the first change that Fischer announced was about getting more police officers to live in the neighborhoods where they work.

“First, to build stronger community connections between our police officers and the people they serve, we will, one, establish a housing credit program to incentivize officers to live in certain low income census tracts within the city,” he said.

In the contracts between the police union and the city that were signed last year, a provision was included whereby police officers who purchase a primary residence in a low or moderate income census tract would be eligible for $5,000 in downpayment assistance.

According to the map provided in the police contracts, the eligible

ABSURD: THE MAYOR GOT PUNCHED… During an event at Fourth Street Live this weekend, Mayor Greg Fischer was sucker punched. Fischer was knocked down, and directly afterward a member of what appeared to be the mayor’s security chased the man briefly before letting him walk away. From a viral video of the incident obtained by several news outlets, there didn’t seem to be a build up to the punch — no argument, no words harsh words exchanged. The man appeared to be causally strolling by, before pivoting and planting a single right hand on the mayor. Until we know more, everything is speculation, but there’s a high probability the man just wanted to get a quick hit in on Fischer, which is an absolutely wild way to catch what’s likely to be high-profile and serious assault charges. The mayor resumed his duties the next day, and a spokesperson told the Courier Journal, “The mayor says he is glad he can still take a punch.” But, as the CJ pointed out in the very next line of the story, “The response doesn’t address the fact that the attacker could just have easily been armed with a knife or gun, resulting in a potentially much more serious outcome.”

THORN: AND THE NATIONAL HEADLINES WERE BAD To add to the mind-blowing clusterfuck of a situation, in comes a few national media outlets with some terrible and irresponsible headlines. Of course, Fox News was a culprit, using the headline, “Louisville mayor punched in random retail store attack.” It appeared the mayor was standing outside at Fourth Street Live, and it’s unclear (and pretty unlikely, quite frankly) that it was a random attack. The Washington Post had a headline that read: “Louisville mayor punched by man in second attack on local Democrats.”

The Post is referencing the February assassination attempt on Democratic mayoral nominee Craig Greenberg, which, without that context, makes it sound like the situations are related, and local Democrats are being targeted by a certain group. PSA: A top-50 mayor getting socked in the face is enough juice for a headline.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

zones cover large swathes of the city, including the entirety of downtown and the West End. Despite the offer of cash assistance in a seller’s real estate market, the program has not been popular.

During an LMPD budget hearing at Metro Council on May 24, District 21 Councilwoman Nicole George asked the department’s leadership if anyone took advantage of the downpayment assistance program.

“Not that we know of, no ma’am,” said deputy chief Paul Humphrey.

George responded by saying that was “disappointing” but “an opportunity.”

Contacted by LEO, LMPD said the number of officers who took advantage of the downpayment assistance remained zero. The department did not respond to questions about how widely advertised it had been and if officers had shown interest in the program.

VOLUNTEERING

The second community-focused police reform announced by Fischer in September 2020 was a program to encourage volunteer work by officers.

“We will encourage officers to volunteer two paid hours every two-week pay period during their regular work shift at an organization in the community that they serve,” said Fischer.

Like the housing incentive, the onthe-clock volunteer work program was written into last year’s police collective bargaining contracts.

In a written response to questions from LEO, LMPD’s deputy chief Humphrey said the department did not track officer participation in the program.

He added: “Officers are highly encouraged to volunteer and participate in community programs. We recently created the Police Activities League to have structured programs for officers to have meaningful and productive interactions with [youth]. We have numerous officers who volunteer with multiple organizations such as the Greater Saint Mark Church Thanksgiving meal delivery, Shop With a Cop, reading with children at churches.

Many of these activities are done with LMPD while many officers volunteer on their own.”

Humphrey referred LEO to LMPD’s social media pages to get a better understanding of the volunteering activities officers participate in.

The Police Activities League that Humphrey mentioned was launched in

January of this year in an effort to build bridges between police and youth. On its website, the league lists boxing, running, archery, fishing, basketball and cooking as activities being offered this year. In the future, according to the league’s website, it will gauge interest in other activities, including a book club, wrestling, mixedmartial arts, camping, chess and electronic gaming.

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SOCIAL WORKER EMERGENCY RESPONDERS

Likely the most complicated of the community-related police reforms announced by Fischer two years ago was the intent to have social workers respond to some emergency calls.

“We often ask our police officers to not only keep the peace, but to deal with challenges that society has failed to address. From mental health to homelessness, to substance abuse and everything in between. That’s not fair to our officers.

That’s not the right way to address these challenges,” said Fischer at the time.

“That’s why we will create a program to include social workers at LMPD so they can provide support and assistance on certain police runs where their assistance can be helpful.”

After much study and planning, a limited pilot 911 deflection program offering a non-police response to some emergencies started taking calls in March of this year.

The program is currently operational in LMPD’s 1st and 4th Divisions. The 1st Division covers Portland, downtown, Russell and Phoenix Hill while the 4th Division covers South Louisville, Old Louisville, Shelby Park, Smoketown, Germantown, Schnitzelburg and several other neighborhoods.

Under the deflection program, people experiencing a mental health crisis themselves, or a person with someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, can have their 911 call routed to a “crisis triage worker” at MetroSafe.

If an in-person response is deemed necessary and the situation is determined to be safe, a non-police mobile response team is dispatched.

Between March 21 and April 25, the program saw more than 70 calls according to records obtained by LEO through Kentucky’s open records law.

If successful, officials hope to roll the program out citywide. •

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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20 OF THE BEST BARS AND RESTAURANTS TO EAT AND DRINK OUTSIDE AT IN 2022 OTHER than when the sporadic sweltering heat wave swoops in and makes our lives miserable, it’s outdoor dining season in Louisville. So, we asked our writers where they will be spending their summer eating and drinking around town. Below, we’ve identified 20 of the best spots.

This is not a comprehensive list. This is not a ranked list. Instead, this is a guide to get you out and exploring. There are some classic staples and some new kids, but either way, you’ll be able to soak up some sun and good times at these local businesses.

PHOTOS BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON AND CAROLYN BROWN

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

LEO

SEÑORA AREPA 721 E MARKET ST.

I feel like I use the world magical pretty often, but it’s a feeling I seek often, and when I first walked onto the patio at Señora Arepa in NuLu, I felt like I had entered a tropical paradise. It is simply gorgeous and definitely a place built not only for enjoyment but with selfies for the “Gram” in mind. There are walls covered in leaves with neon signage and other Instagram-ready photo corners. It’s easy to toss a few tropical plants and some colors on a patio for a tropical feel, but it isn’t easy to create the truly beautiful experience that comes from dining under the fans, the misters and the density of foliage that Señora Arepa has created. Furthermore the food… the food… the food. Venezuelan arepas, empanadas, pepitos, cocktails, juices and more make this place perfect for lunch or dinner. You will certainly not leave hungry. —Erica Rucker

RESTAURANT

ROUND-UP BOOMBOZZ PIZZA & WATCH BAR

1448 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Ky. 502-458-8889 Boombozz.com Summer Music Series Live Music on the Patio Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday Evening.

Singer Songwriter Open Mic Every Tuesday from 9pm to Midnight.

BURGERIM

SHOPBAR

950 BARRET AVE.

I have to say it, ShopBar is what patio dreams are made of.

Located in the Original Highlands neighborhood, ShopBar has many patio seating options of different sizes so you can enjoy your time whether you’re with one friend or five. To accommodate changing seasons, they have fans and umbrellas in the summer and heaters in the winter, as well as an actual fireplace. Being able to visit most of the year makes it even more dreamy to me. Once you get settled in with a drink (specifically, a Stop Collaborate & Lemonade if you ask me) you’ll find they have daily food truck offerings that rotate consistently. I’ve honestly found some new food truck favorites this way. So why is it called ShopBar? There is a boutique shop next to the bar offering local, handmade, and vintage items for sale. This is not one you want to pass up. —Leah-Jane Schultz

3733 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40207 (502) 901-1101 burgerim.com “Burgerim Louisville KY is a thriving high-end, fast-casual brand concept located in East Louisville offering a family style menu for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Gourmet Fusion Burgers are made from scratch, cooked to order, fresh never frozen beef patties and locally sourced. Customers can order a family box with wings and burgers, as well as milkshakes and craft draft beers.”

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

5700 Captain’s Quarters Road, Louisville, Ky. 502-228-1651 cqriverside.com “It’s a one-of-a-kind riverside dining experience. Drive or boat in and enjoy the outside bar and mulit level riverside decks. Feast on the chef’s selection of fresh seafood favorites, steaks, gourmet pizza and light sandwiches or unique appetizers.”

COALS ARTISAN PIZZA

Locations in St. Matthews and Middletown coalsartisanpizza.com “Coals has been serving some of the best pizza to Louisville for over 11 years now. Patio dining, Happy Hour, Weekly bar and food specials”

741 East Oak Street squarecutrestaurant.com “An open kitchen restaurant featuring seasonal ingredients with Italian flair, house made charcuterie, craft cocktails and Roman style pizza.”

SUGAR ROOM

COMMON HAUS HALL

134 Spring Street Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130 commonhaushall.com “Common Haus Hall is a Bavarian inspired Bier Hall and eatery. Inspired

by German cuisine and Kentuckiana german heritage featuring a diverse family friendly dining, patio and rental hall experience. Open with 3 dining rooms, huge patio, and catering and large party capacity.”

FOUR PEGS

1053 Goss Avenue Germantown, Louisville, Ky. 502-634-1447 fourpegs.net Four Pegs Smokehouse boasts the best smoked meats in the city. Come by and enjoy their expansive beer and cocktail lists! Open 7 days a week.

SIMPLY THAI

SQUARE CUT

1150 South Shelby Street sugarroomsugarroom.com “Soft serve ice cream with a fun twist of flavors.”

VINCENZO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

150 S. Fifth Street 502-580-1350 VincenzosItalianRestaurant.com “Celebrating its 35th year as a stalwart of Louisville’s downtown restaurant scene, Vincenzo’s continues to welcome guests to share in a true Italian meal. Guests often rave about the true Italian taste of Vincenzo’s food. Favorites on the dinner menu include Crepes Agostino, Spaghetti with South African Lobster Tail and Grilled North Atlantic Salmon with a dill cream sauce.”

ZANZABAR

St. Matthews 323 Wallace Ave. 502-899-9670 Middletown 12003 Shelbyville Road 502-690-8344 simplythaiky.com “Come in and cool off with our Thai Iced Tea or One of our hand crafted signature cocktails. Hosting a summer gathering? Order a custom sushi platter with rolls of your choice!

Perfect for all your summer events, meetings, and celebrations!”

2100 S Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 635-9227 Zanzabarlouisville.com Food, Live Music, Arcade

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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ZANZABAR ZANZABARLOUISVILLE.COM

UPCOMING EVENTS 23 24 25 26 02 05 07 08 09 11 12 13 15 16

2100 S PRESTON ST

JUNE / JULY

LOGAN HALSTEAD NOLAN TAYLOR TYLER LANCE WALKER GILL KARAOKE ROULETTE FOOD YOUNG WIDOWS FOTOCRIME FOOL’S GHOST SUGAR HIGH SHOW: A BURLESQUE VARIETY BENEFIT YOUNG ROMANTICS JAVA MEN LIVE MUSIC KNOTTS GENEVA JAKE HOOT BORN CROSS EYED MUSIC OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD JOSHUA RAY WALKER ARCADE VISION VIDEO SCARY BLACK SHAWN JAMES GRAVEDANCER SHINER SWEET COBRA FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS HOT GARBAGE

COMMON HAUS HALL

134 SPRING ST., JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA

There’s nothing like a summertime bike ride with a friend.

One of my favorite casual routes — what qualifies as casual may vary — is riding from Bowman Field to the Falls of the Ohio. But what plagued the ride for the longest time was a great stop for lunch. Eating indoors can make you feel a little self-conscious after the trek, so a place with a patio, something light on the stomach, and maybe a beer (don’t tell mom) would’ve made for a perfect afternoon. With a triple-decker patio, a snacks and shareables menu that doesn’t miss, a phenomenal beer list, and the masterful brand of hospitality from the folks that gave us Pints&union, it’s as if Common Haus answered the call. I’ve been texting friends to plan a few opportunities to say thank you. The elevated decks also serve as a premium vantage point for people watching if you’re the type that’d rather camp out for a while and enjoy more of the beer menu. —Jon Larmee

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CHIK’N N MI

1765 MELLWOOD AVE.

IN CONCERT

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

Back when this place was the L & N Wine Bar, the outdoor patio was little more than a smoking section. The building has passed through several hands since. Now that the resident eatery is the popular Chik’n & Mi, this patio has evolved into a lovely setting befitting the building’s original status as a 19th century farmhouse. A nicely manicured hedge and a picket-style white fence surround a tree-shaded dining space that winds around the corner of the restaurant building. Pair this pretty scene with Chik’n & Mi’s Laotian spiced fried chicken and Asian-accented comfort food, and you’ve got a splendid destination for dinner in the open air. —Robin Garr

FRANKFORT AVENUE BEER DEPOT GUACA MOLE 3204 FRANKFORT AVE.

Beer. Barbecue.

Putt-putt. You can’t ask for much more on a hot, sunny day than what the Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot (or FABD, to those in the know) offers up. The barbecue can be a little hit or miss if you’re a smoked meat snob like me. But the sides are mouth-watering and the beer is cheap and the vibes are good. The small mini-golf course tucked behind the building is a little rutted, but it’s free to play and the deterioration of the course really separates the amateurs from the true champions. If you’ve ever driven the length of Frankfort Avenue with your windows down you probably already know where it is; The wafting smells from the street-side smokers out front are so good they’re distracting. And if somehow you haven’t noticed it before, the casual BBQ joint is right on the Louisville/St. Matthews border, just a little ways down past the Crescent Hill Reservoir.

Summer is obviously the idyllic time to enjoy FABD’s patio, but a fire pit out front means cooler evenings in the spring and fall can be in play as well. —Josh Wood

900 E MARKET ST.

It’s not often that one eats dinner underneath a bright orange mural of Frida Kahlo, but that’s what this eminently Instagrammable NuLu restaurant is all about: memorable visuals. Of course, that extends to the food, too; pardon the cliche, but the restaurant itself is a feast for the eyes. Derby Festival poster artist Kacy Jackson brought the mural to life, and now Frida gazes out into the distance above the popular rooftop patio. The space comes with egg chairs, couches, misting sprays, a tiled bar, string lights, hanging planters and brightly-colored furniture. In other words: even on a hot night, it’s one of the coolest places in the city. —Carolyn Brown

134 Spring Street Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130

Bavarian Beer Hall

COMMONHAUSHALL.COM LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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TEN20 CRAFT BREWERY 1020 E WASHINGTON ST.

Compared to other cities in the region, Louisville has some pretty dense, connected neighborhoods without a whole lot of dead space. That makes it tough in the heart of some areas in the urban core to have a building with an expansive, isolated feel, but TEN20 — located a block away from Main Street in Butchertown — feels like it’s on its own little island. The front patio has long, beer hall-style wooden tables and a few smaller ones, with some places meant to catch some sun, and others for the shade.

The upstairs deck is still under construction, but it will add sweeping views to an already really relaxing and vibrant outdoor space. —Scott Recker

Monday - Saturday OFFER EXPIRES 7/16

Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Kathysshoppe.com

Meet our big baby Zina! Zina is a one-year-old Cane Corso who weighs ZINA 92 pounds and has beautiful blue fur with a tiny nubby tail. This precious princess came to the Kentucky Humane Society when she wasn't getting along with the other animals in the home. Now Zina is ready to be spoiled as someone's one and only baby! After all, that's exactly what Zina sees herself as. A tiny, definitely not 92 pounds, baby! She loves to cuddle and will happily pretend she's a small lapdog if it means getting as close to you as possible. Zina's former family says she is house-trained, crate trained, loves to go for walks/hikes, will entertain herself with her toys for hours and is a big couch potato after her walk is done. If you're in the market for a gorgeous lady to be your sole buddy, come meet Zina at the Kentucky Humane Society’s Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, or learn more at, www.kyhumane.org/dogs.

Zina is spayed, micro-chipped, up-to-date on vaccinations and approved to go home with kids age 5 and older.

Meet our handsome pal, Todd! Todd is a one-year-old Shorthair kitty who weighs 12 pounds and is looking for a loving home. This delightful gentleman found himself at the Kentucky Humane Society when the resident cat in the home was not his biggest fan. Todd was bummed about returning to the shelter at first but it's all water under the bridge now! He's looking forward to finding a true forever home with cats who won't find him TODD intolerable. Todd is a little shy when you first meet him and you can usually find him hanging out in the back of his cage napping. If you talk softly and call to him though, he will approach you for lots of pets and love! Todd has been around other cats in the past and has done well with a slow introduction. He has not lived with dogs before so we're not sure how he feels about dog pals. If you're looking for a sweet, shy, affectionate pal to keep you company, come say hello to Todd at the Kentucky Humane Society’s Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive or learn more at https:// www.kyhumane.org/adopt/cats/. Todd is neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all vaccinations.

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

SOUTH SEAS 1301 STORY AVE.

Located just a few blocks from Lynn Family Stadium, South Seas is a new addition to Butchertown.

Open for brunch and dinner, their unique tiki-inspired vibe shows up everywhere from the menu to the decor. The menu is seriously stacked, too. We’re talking Mai-Tais, tropical fruit pancakes, Hawaiian tortas and more. As soon as you walk in the door, you’ll feel like you’re in a tropical paradise. The best part?

Outdoor seating. They have an incredible deck and a turf seating area filled with plants and bright umbrellas to add to that tropical feel. They even have a walk-up window you can order from on their patio. Next time you’re headed to a local soccer game or just want to feel like you’re on vacation, be sure to take the time to have a drink and some tacos in paradise. —Leah-Jane Schultz

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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V-GRITS AND CHIMERA BREWING 1025 BARRET AVE.

SUMMER

MUSIC SERIES - Live Music on the Patio -

Music Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Evening on the patio.

Singer Songwriter Open Mic Every Tuesday from 9pm to Midnight.

V-Grits and its partner microbrewery, Chimera Brewing, draw a loyal crowd with Chef Kristina J. Addington’s exceptional all-vegan cuisine and vegan craft beers to go along.

Addington’s skill at crafting tasty meat-like dishes from vegetable matter has gained V-Grits fans even among obligate carnivores, who eagerly consume vegan dishes when they’re as good as this. The restaurant building started life and served many years as a dry cleaner before an Iranian restaurant moved in years ago. The Monkey Wrench took over later and earned a loyal core audience before it closed, giving way to V-Grits in 2018.

Monkey Wrench’s management had the brilliant idea of converting the building’s flat roof into a large outdoor-dining venue, and it proved hugely popular. Knowing when they had a good thing, V-Grits kept the inherited space and tuned it up even more. “It’s beautiful up there,” Addington said in a Facebook Messenger conversation. When the current spectacular heat waves cool a bit, V-Grits plans to host live-music concerts in the open space.

What’s more, V-Grits also offers a group of outdoor tables out front of the building for the benefit of those who can’t or prefer not to climb the flight of stairs to the rooftop space.

—Robin Garr

NOUVELLE 214 S CLAY ST.

Eva Kate & Mark Conover Matt Howard 1448 Bardstown Road ~ The Highlands LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

Tucked away in NuLu is one of the worst kept secret patios in Louisville, belonging to Nouvelle Bar & Bottle. Nouvelle allows you to sip wine while there or purchase a bottle to take home.

Their staff is excellent in helping you choose what you want, and expanding your wine palate. They even have a cocktail menu with one of my favorites, an espresso martini. When you arrive, be sure to take a seat on their incredible back patio, including beautiful trees and string lights throughout. The view of this patio after dark, honestly, makes you feel like you’re in Europe. Deciding what wine you want to drink is one thing. You may not always order the same way, but you absolutely can’t go to Nouvelle without ordering one of their cheese and/or charcuterie plates. This is a spot that should be at the top of your list. —Leah-Jane Schultz

EDEN & KISSI/PHILLY’S BEST FROZEN DESSERTS 3912 BARDSTOWN ROAD

Eden & Kissi has been my favorite neighborhood restaurant since moving back to the area in 2020. Everything about the place is enjoyable. Amazing menu. Loving portions. Obscenely good sauces. Warm personalities on both sides of the counter.

And, of course, that monster grill that sits out front. Whether you pass by in a car or on foot, the smell of it catches your attention. Everything comes off that grill fresh, which means you’re going to have to give it a minute. But there’s yet to be a minute I wasn’t thankful for waiting. And now that winter’s passed, the weather’s given me an excuse to double dip with my indulgence. I put in an order at Eden & Kissi, walk next door to Philly’s Best for water ice (there’s no shortage of great flavors there either), and take a seat somewhere between the stores and the grill. If you time it right, you can be a respectable way through a pint of water ice when the guy coming back from the grill tells you, “Lunch is right here.” —Jon Larmee

@leoweekly

NULU MARKETPLACE 823 E. MARKET ST.

Nulu Marketplace, located in the 800 block of E. Main and E. Market Street, is basically a hub of great businesses.

Opening with just a few businesses in early 2021, they have since become a local hotspot. They have one of the best outdoor seating areas in the city. Their huge patio courtyard allows you to shop around, eat and have drinks, all in a central location. The places you can enjoy in the Marketplace include West Sixth Brewing, The Craftery, Gertie’s Whiskey Bar and Sports Bar, The Local Seltzery, Emmy Squared Pizza, Clayton & Crume and more. What I like to do is go with a group of friends, grab the food and drinks we want, and meet back at a table to enjoy the day in their incredible courtyard. Even better, the courtyard is dog-friendly! —Leah-Jane Schultz

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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JOIN US FOR SOME SUMMER SIPPIN' IN J-TOWN ON JULY 16TH!

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW PURCHASE DISCOUNT TICKETS AT RUCKREIGEL JUNE 24TH FROM 4-7PM

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Summer & Seasonal Beers Local & National Craft Breweries TRULY Beyond Beer Bar 3rd Turn Kentucky Beer Garden LIVE Music | Food Trucks

FESTIVAL LOCATION: 10434 WATTERSON TRAIL TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR LOCALLY @ COX'S & EVERGREEN LIQUORS

J-TOWN SUMMER BEER FEST 7.16.22 | 4-8PM | Gaslight Pavillion jtownbeerfest.com LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

BRASSERIE PROVENCE 150 N HURSTBOURNE PKWY

The Forum shopping center — which Provence anchors on one end — is probably the least expected setting on this list. Its view of Shelbyville Road wouldn’t win any photo competitions, but the owners have made due with what they’re given to brilliant effect. The building’s overhang provides shade for most of the patio’s dozen tables. Sitting there, in the shade, diners are treated to the spoils of the summer breeze and the aroma of herbs in the planters. I’m not sure if the garden on its own is enough to warrant a wine pairing, but staff always has a suggestion to go with the meal.

And, as it turns out, Provence’s seasonal menu just got a refresh. One of Chef Gosden’s new offerings, shrimp kebabs served with couscous and saffron aioli, was recommended with a rosé. Once your entrees arrive, it’s clear how integral the patio setting can be to the menu, and how it elevates a fine dining meal to what it is supposed to be: a complete experience. —Jon Larmee

8UP

350 W CHESTNUT ST.

You don’t eat at the rooftop restaurant 8UP because you want a casual last-minute hang with friends; you go to 8UP when you’re trying to impress somebody — a client, a boss, a date, a soon-to-be fiancé. The restaurant is somewhat of a splurge, but you don’t have to be a Barnstable Brown guest to afford 8UP’s skyline views.

That said, it’s not uncommon for people to head up to the rooftop just to take selfies, and 8UP does host the occasional silent disco. But what the restaurant is arguably most famous for is, of course, its transparent and themed winter-season “igLOUs” — and reservations can go quickly. They, too, are a splurge, but split the cost with a bunch of friends to share a unique “indoor outdoor dining” experience. —Carolyn Brown

RIVER HOUSE 3015 RIVER ROAD

Pricey? Yes. But the views over the Ohio River are unparalleled and the seafood is as good as it gets in landlocked Louisville.

Reservations are encouraged to help you get a seat outside, but River House warns that even with a reservation they cannot guarantee outside seating. If you show up without a reservation, you can sit at one of the outside bars if there’s space available or, alternatively, grab a drink and head down to the Adirondack chairs on the lawn overlooking the river while you wait for something to open up. I usually forget about the menu and just order a few East Coast oysters and pick a daily special that sounds good. Sitting at the zenith of fancy date nights and rich people eating, the people watching can be fantastic and you never know who you’re going to see there. (One time I was there, Attorney General Daniel Cameron was eating at the table behind me.) —Josh Wood

PORCINI

Winning LEO Readers’ Choice Best Thai Restaurant since 2009.

Middletown 12003 Shelbyville Rd. 690-8344

St. Matthews 323 Wallace Ave. 899-9670

H a p py H o u r M o n – T hur s | 4: 30 – 7p m C a l l f o r R e s e r v at i o n s w w w. Simp l yT haiKy.co m

2730 FRANKFORT AVE.

I’ve been following Porcini almost since the beginning: On a trip back home from my time away in New York City during the early 1990s, I stopped in to review this hot new spot for a New York Times travel piece about Louisville at Derby time. I liked it then, and its Italian style didn’t seem provincial even to a newly minted New Yorker.

When we returned to Louisville a few years later, we bought a house in Crescent Hill only a few blocks away, so I’ve been able to keep up with Porcini as it became a landmark on the emerging Frankfort Avenue restaurant row. As the original restaurant expanded into a smaller adjacent building, it took advantage of open space just to its east as a larger outdoor dining area than its original table or two out front. Over time, that space has developed into something much more stylish and comfortable: A wall-size mural of the Tuscan countryside highlights the space. A permanent roof overhead offers protection from the rain. Wall panels can move into place during wintry weather, and ceiling fans and infrared heaters also extend the season. In the best of weather, though, the patio remains open for the enjoyment of breezes and the busy scene on the avenue. And, of course, Chef John Plymale’s excellent Italian fare. —Robin Garr

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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GARAGE BAR 700 E MARKET ST.

The iconic Louisville bar used to be an auto service garage, and it has kept its history as a theme, with the shells of muscle cars out front, while the building still looks like it still might be a place to pull in for an oil change. But, on a sunny day, it’s one of the best spots in town to grab a beer and a pizza, with plenty of space and various types of seating. And, after you’re replenished, there’s an outdoor ping-pong table, so you can work up another appetite to go back inside and order some more of that addicting wood-fired pizza. —Scott Recker

K9 DOG BAR

9316 TAYLORSVILLE ROAD

"Always Fresh, Locally Sourced Ingredients, Hand Crafted Patties, Made to Order"

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3733 Lexington Rd Louisville, KY 40207 (502) 901-1101 (502) 901-1102 Mon - Thur: 11:00am - 8:30pm Fri - Sat: 11:00am - 9:30pm Sun: 11:00am - 9:00pm LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

The first time I went to K9 on a scouting trip, I stood shyly by the bar. “Am I allowed in without a dog?” I asked, “I’m okay paying the cover charge.” (Single day memberships are $10.)

It’s okay, she told me, humans get free entry.

I asked the bartender how often people come by without dogs. All the time, she reassures me, and they always feel out of place. She compares off-leash humans to single people at the playground.

Luckily, patrons don’t stare suspiciously there. They’re just happy to see someone else ready to throw a ball. A few mounted TVs, trivia nights and visiting food trucks; K9 isn’t much different from the average bar. It’s a casual spot without the worry of a bad cover band showing up. A slow-paced stay over where you don’t have to encounter as many bad sports opinions. And where else can you meet a Doberman with a fading pedicure? —Jon Larmee

SEVICHE

1538 BARDSTOWN ROAD

The patio at Seviche holds a special place in my heart. Once upon a time, it was the site of one of the most lovely conversations I’ve ever had with a friend where we finally began to see in each other the metamorphoses we were both experiencing. It allowed us to become great cheerleaders in each other’s lives. The patio is on busy Bardstown Road, but at night under the light of flickering candles, it’s magical, romantic and the perfect place for the unexpected to happen. It helps that the food is special and the chef genuinely cares about what he’s preparing. The Seviche patio makes a great date night or gathering spot with close friends. It’s close enough to stroll to some local bars and offers an intimate oasis in the midst of the often chaotic Highlands nightlife. —Erica Rucker

IRISH ROVER

2319 FRANKFORT AVE.

Another wellestablished Frankfort Avenue spot that I’ve enjoyed almost since it opened, the Irish Rover came to town in 1993, just a few months before I returned from New York. A local friend told me that my re-entry might be eased by the news that this signaled a growing restaurant row right in the neighborhood, and she was right! The lovely building, the genuine Irish food, the dark, friendly bar and the pub scene reminded me very much of the Emerald Isle. And that was before you could dine on the patio out front of the building during good weather. The historic two-story red-brick building and its adjacent parking lot sit well above Frankfort Avenue, allowing a good view of the busy street scene as you enjoy summer breezes along with your pint of Guinness and scotch egg or fish and chips. Full-service dining is available on the front patio, and there’s also a quick-service beer garden under a tent at the rear of the lot. Diners may choose to sit down at a table out front for a meal, or walk up to the bar and grab a table in the beer garden to enjoy a drink or wait for a carryout order. Irish hospitality is the name of the game here, and that has made the Rover a favorite local destination. —Robin Garr

presents

oc

Book by Enda Walsh Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by John Carney Directed by Remy Sisk

June 24 - July 3

Tickets at timesliptheatre.org

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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PHOTO ESSAY

THE KENTUCKIANA PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE RETURNED TO DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE

By Carolyn Brown | cbrown@leoweekly.com ON Saturday, June 18, thousands celebrated love and community as the Kentuckiana Pride Festival & Parade returned to its first “typical” event since 2019.

Unlike 2021’s in-person festival, which happened in October, and 2020’s festival, which happened in June but virtually, the celebration this year was fully in-person and happened during Pride Month.

Even so, this was a one-day festival instead of the two-day event it had been in previous years, but the crowd showed up just as much — in fact, organizers said, this was a record-breaking year for attendance.

After the parade came the festival on the Big Four Lawn at Waterfront Park, where there were drag shows, musical performances, crafts and activities for kids and more.

Check out LEO’s photos of the parade and the first few hours of the festival. •

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

PHOTO ESSAY

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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STAFF PICKS THROUGH JUNE 23

art[squared] exhibition and sale

‘Butterflies’ by Sebastian Duverge.

Mixed media on canvas.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

Nightmares Can Come True…

Art Sanctuary | 1433 S. Shelby St. | Search Facebook | $5 | 9 p.m.

This collaboration between The Dark Market and Radio Arcane celePARTY brates all things nightmarish via a gloomy dance party that is set to honor the “glum drudgery of our dreadful existence.”

So, if those are the vibes you need to flow through you, this is your crowd. And this is a monthly event, so you can keep coming back for more.

—Scott Recker

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

New Albany Gets Warped

The Enchanted Forest | 41 West 1st St., New Albany | Search Facebook | $12 advance, $15 at the venue | 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

It’s not the actual Warped

JAM Tour, but local pop punk

party band Throwback Thursday will be bringing all your favorite emo-era hits from Paramore, Sum 41 and A Day to Remember. A few other local musicians will also be taking the stage, so keep an eye out for familiar faces from Foxbat and Slum City. Don’t forget to dress up: it’ll be the night for black fingernail polish, fishnet sleeves, eyeliner and anything else you used to buy at mid-2000’s Hot Topic. — Carolyn Brown

Louisville Visual Art | louisvillevisualart.org/artsquared Louisville Visual Art’s 2022 online art auction is one SQUARED for the books. Over 300 artworks (a record) have been donated to support various LVA programs, such as the Children’s Fine Art Classes, Mural Art Program and Artist Resource Series. By the time you read this, the auction will have started (on June 21 at 6 p.m.) with it ending on June 23 at 9 p.m. The 8-inch square works have a starting bid of $75. In the past, art[squared] has been anonymous. Not anymore; all art is now labeled with the artist’s name. You can view the work online as well as in person at KORE Gallery, 942 E. Kentucky St., on Wednesday, June 22, and Thursday, June 23, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. —Jo Anne Triplett

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

It’s Britney Brunch

Le Moo | 2300 Lexington Road | lemoorestaurant.com/drag-brunch | $40 plus tax and gratuity Don’t be the last to know and join Anya TOXIC Androvna, Champagne, Eris Jolie and Umi Naughty for a brunch riot celebrating the queen of chaotic, Britney Spears.

Promise this event won’t be deleted like her Instagram but will be “Stronger” with Britney songs, looks and moves. The ticket provides brunch and raucous entertainment by the performers. Nothing “Toxic” here, just a good time, “Everytime.” —Erica Rucker

STAFF PICKS

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

Color Run 5K

Waterfront Park | 129 River Road | thecolorrun.com/locations/louisville/ | Prices vary | Race starts at 8 a.m.

In 8 days, the happiest 5K on the planet gets on HOLI its mark and gets ready to run. The Color Run takes the color powder often seen in the Hindu celebration of Holi and incorporates that into a race. The event is untimed and held each year to ‘make the world a happier place. ‘ Ahem, color therapy, anyone? Once you cross the line at the end of the race, the Finish Festival takes over with vendors, music, dancing and more. —Erica Rucker

WFPK Waterfront Wednesday 20th Anniversary Season with War Big Four Lawn, Waterfront Park | 401 River Road | wfpk.org/2022/waterfrontwednesday/ | Free | Gates at 5 p.m., music at 6 p.m.

Wombo, Bendigo Fletcher and War will SUMMER JAM provide the chill, summer-ready tunes at this month’s Waterfront Wednesday. Also part of the event is Waterfront Wednesday’s first ever Young Professionals Night. Bring business cards and get ready to network in a dedicated space where you can also get free swag. —Carolyn Brown

War plays Waterfront Wednesday on June 29.

The Color Run gets on its mark this Saturday at 8 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29

Willie Nelson & Family

SATURDAY, JULY 2-3

“Fanny: The Right to Rock” at Speed Cinema

Speed Art Museum | 2035 South 3rd Street | speedmuseum.org/cinema/ | $8 for Speed members, $12 non-members | 3-4:30 p.m.

The members of the influential all-female band Fanny haven’t always been given their due in rock history, but this documentary aims to showcase their history and LEGACY legacy. Vax card or negative COVID test required. — Carolyn Brown

Iroquois Amphitheater | 1080 Amphitheater Road | Search Facebook | Prices vary | 7:30 p.m.

What’s even left to say about Willie Nelson at this point? He’s country music royalty, a stoner legend and someone who’s been around so long and is so impossibly LEGEND talented and cool that he seems more fictional than real at this point — way too interesting to be walking among the rest of us jabbering flesh bags. His sets generally consist of his own timeless originals and the songs of his fellow outlaws. At 89, he’s still on the road, which is somehow both a miracle and not that surprising at all.

—Scott Recker

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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STAFF PICKS

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THROUGH JULY 3

‘The Sum Is Greater Than Its Parts’

PYRO Gallery | 1006 E. Washington St. | pyrogallery.com | Free The headliner of this exhibition is ceramic sculptor John McCarthy. But, GALLERY as a member of PYRO, he’s not alone; others in the show are his fellow co-op artists. The theme (see the exhibition title) makes this a lively group of artworks, with everyone pushing their own creative envelopes.

“Choosing to work this way may nudge us, as artists, to the edge of our comfort zone and to broaden our experience,” said McCarthy. The artists’ reception is on Friday, June 24, from 6-9 p.m. with a talk on Saturday, June 25, at 11 a.m.

—Jo Anne Triplett

‘The Fun Parts’ by John McCarthy. Clay.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

THROUGH AUG. 14

‘Sandra Charles: The Reality Of Our Essence’ KMAC Museum | 715 W. Main St. | kmacmuseum.org | Prices vary Louisville artist Sandra Charles is well known for ESSENCE her portrayals of Black women. Once a batik fiber artist, she now uses what she learned about color and pattern to highlight her oil paintings.

Charles states, “My art speaks for me. Each painting focuses on the expressions that represent our history, expectations, selfmage and the essence that lies behind the façade of society’s perceptions.” As a result, each work is a celebration of what it means to be a modern African American woman. —Jo Anne Triplett

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‘Truth and Reality’ by Sandra Charles. Oil on canvas.

MUSIC

MY MORNING JACKET RETURNS TO A LOUISVILLE STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS WE SPOKE TO JIM JAMES IN ADVANCE

By Scott Recker | leo@leoweekly.com FOR MORE than 20 years, My Morning Jacket has morphed their gigantic psych-rock sound into an entire universe, creating an expansive discography that shines with versatility and innovation, all while being one of the most storied live bands of a generation.

And despite receiving international acclaim, you’re likely to see members of the band still pop up in the crowd of a concert by an underthe-radar local band. That ethos transfers into this weekend, when My Morning Jacket will play a two-night stand in town, the first shows by the band in Louisville in six years. There will be local openers, local food trucks and a local nonprofit will receive proceeds.

On Friday, June 24, My Morning Jacket will perform an already sold-out show at Iroquois Amphitheater. Kiana and the Sun Kings and River City Drum Corp will open, and the show will benefit Change Today, Change Tomorrow, a Louisville-based nonprofit working to fight racial injustice.

On Saturday, June 25, the band will play at Waterfront Park. Louisville Leopard Percussionists and Producing a Kind Generation are set to open. Tickets are $59.50 before fees.

Before the concerts, LEO caught up with frontman Jim James.

LEO: The two-day, back-to-back shows are My Morning Jacket’s first shows in Louisville in six years, and you guys seem to be going all out for them, with the local bands, the local food trucks, the local nonprofits, et cetera, et cetera. What sort of inspired going all out, instead of a quote-unquote ‘normal’ show?

Jim James: Well, Louisville is the heart and the soul of the band — it’s where we started, it’s where most of us still live. We try to do it everywhere we go, to engage the local community, to some aspect. But, obviously, here in Louisville, since this is our hometown, we really just wanted to highlight some stuff that’s going on in town, so people can kind of see and bathe in how special of a place it is. It’s such a cool thing for people to get to come together like this, and I feel like we all — myself included as a concert-goer — we all know how powerful it is to get together with people again, after the lockdown and pandemic and stuff. So, that’s just something that we’re trying to make as joyous and as much of a celebration of the local community as possible.

On a similar note, I think I saw you at Poorcastle [a small, all-local-acts music festival], and I know you spend some time at the midsized venues like Headliners and Zanzabar: What’s important to you about sort of staying connected to the local music scene as much as possible and showing up?

Music is what fuels my life. I feel like there is so much great creativity here in town. There’s always so much amazing stuff going on, so that’s just part of what makes me inspired and what I love about life, is just that connecting with music, and I feel like it’s something that I almost can’t stay away from. There are so many people doing so many great things here — so many great venues and bars and Poorcastle and Forecastle.

There’s so much great stuff on every scale.

Let’s talk a little bit about the latest album, self-titled. It seems to have a lot of social and political urgency on it. Can you break down some of the themes on that record?

There’s a lot. I’m thinking about where to even start. I really feel like we want to be a source of peace and love and acceptance, and I really feel like one of the main things that I always think about, and I feel like I talk about it a lot is just like, ‘How do we not get eaten alive by technology?’ And, “How do we use technology as a tool to learn to love each better and be more accepting and more tolerant and more inclusive in our lives in the real world?’ A lot of times, I feel, technology has only divided us in a lot of ways, and made the world a meaner place. I meditate a lot on that, and write about that a lot.

This deep into the band’s career, why was the album released as self-titled? Was it a reinvention of sorts? I’m always interested when bands have a later album titled: ‘self-titled.’

Yeah, yeah, it had been while since we had released anything, and there was a time when we took a hiatus and weren’t really sure if we were going to keep going or not, and it just felt really great to know that when we got back together that we’re still united and still love playing music together. So, it just felt like a good time to use your self-titled card option. I’ve always just loved that every band has a self-titled record — there’s just something so special about that to me, so it just felt like the right time for us to do that.

My Morning Jacket on the 2015 Forecastle stage. | PHOTO BY NIK VECHERY

Let’s backtrack to the beginning of the pandemic. During the shutdown, during the heart of the pandemic, what did an average day look like for you? And what was your creative process like during that?

It was really brutal for me. It sent me into severe depression. I don’t deal well in isolation, and I was just completely isolated. I was pretty freaked out, too. I know that people had different degrees of how strict they were and how freaked out they were or were not. There were just, like, months where I didn’t even give anybody a hug, so it was a brutal time for me and I was just super depressed and I wasn’t really creative at all.

In hindsight, it’s been a really great lesson in gratitude — just trying to stay grateful for the people in your life, and being grateful to be able to do concerts again and being able to go out again and see people. It just really fills me with a new gratitude and I’m really just trying to live day-by-day and be grateful for the simple things.

Because, during the pandemic, that’s all you had — maybe the walk that day or maybe the album you’re listening to, or the book you’re reading.

You knew there wasn’t going to be anything else, because you were kind of trapped and I think it was a good lesson in gratitude.

What was the catalyst of getting you through the threshold of creating again? Or gathering back up with My Morning Jacket? Was there a moment, or was it just sort of things deflating and calming down a little bit?

The My Morning Jacket piece of it was hilarious because we were all revved up and ready to go [right before the pandemic]. We had already record the album and — I finished mixing it during the pandemic, but we had already recorded it — so we were all ready to go in 2020,

and so we had to shut that down. That was kind of easy to come back to life because we were so excited to get the album out and play shows again and stuff.

For me personally, I just have come to this acceptance that there are a lot of things that I can’t control. I think that we all want to have more control over our lives than we do a lot of times. But, with creativity, I just have to sort of ride the wave, because sometimes it’s gone and sometimes I’m lost in depression and I don’t ever think I’ll pick up a guitar again. And then the wave will change and I’ll feel super inspired and I can’t not pick up a guitar and I can’t not go in the studio, working myself insane. So it’s like, I just kind of try to ride those ups and downs.

You touched on this a little bit earlier, but I still wanted to ask it: At this point in your career, what do you hope people take away from your music? Or, how do you hope the music inspires or impacts a person?

Well, music has kept me alive, so I hope our music can be a part of doing that for other people. I hope that, in their dark hours, what we do brings people comfort. And, in the celebration times, people enjoy celebrating to our music too.

That’s part of what makes the live music thing so powerful for all of us: That feeling that you get to experience with your favorite music, and that you get to experience it with other people that you’re connecting with. I think it just kind of takes us back to a very primal, natural thing. I hope when people come see us, or listen to our records, they find the comfort, the joy, the celebrating and the mourning, the grieving and all of those things that sometimes are hard for people to talk about, or hard for people to do, but music somehow gives you that energetic push that you need. • LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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FOOD & DRINK

RECOMMENDED

FOR A TOP-NOTCH SICHUANESE MEAL, GO TO JASMINE

By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com CHINA’S 1.4 billion population in 2022 is roughly four times the size of our 335 million people, and they enjoy at least eight major regional cuisines dating back thousands of years.

So why is it, if we don’t think twice about enjoying the varieties of American fare — Southern chow, Cajun cuisine, Texas barbecue and so many more of our own regional cuisines — that most Americans for many years assumed that all Chinese food was summed up in the menu at the local chop suey house?

Years ago, this narrow vision started to change a little. We got a few fancy Chinese places offering dishes that we thought were authentic. Then came some regional spots offering the spicy dishes of Sichuan and Hunan, often combined in a single eatery.

The cognoscenti started to sniff and look down their noses at chop suey and fried rice.

You can still get those dishes around town, of course, at a neighborhood Chinese eatery or even buried in the extensive menu of a fancier place. Lots of people love it.

Let’s not shame them.

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

It comes down to this: There are probably more Chinese restaurants around Louisville these days than ever. Many are immigrant-run fast-food Chinese spots that seem to set up near just about every supermarket in town.

But Louisville’s heyday of serious regional Chinese eateries with skilled chefs who came from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or the Chinese mainland seems to have crested years ago, perhaps marked by the 2008 closure of the fabled Red Pepper Chinese.

Now that it’s easy to find fast-food Chinese just about everywhere, and now that our growing crowd of immigrant neighbors offers us a wider choice of world cuisine than ever before, it seems that we don’t often think about going for serious Chinese anymore.

But when I do hanker for a memorable Chinese meal that goes beyond the standard shopping-center menu, I’ll happily make the long trek out past Middletown for an outstanding meal at Jasmine Chinese Cuisine.

Breaking with the old tradition of offering two menus, one for Westerners and

A beautiful presentation and startling, complex, cool yet gently fiery flavors make cold cucumber salad a memorable gift from Sichuan. | PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.

Mapo tofu, another Sichuan standard, is a simple but appealing preparation of silken tofu cubes bathed in a glossy, thick sauce with black beans and plenty of spicy red-chile flakes.

FOOD & DRINK

Tea-smoked duck, an iconic Sichuanese dish, brought a subtle, astringent smoky flavor to deliciously meaty duck and crisp skin.

another for Chinese patrons, Jasmine brings it all together with about 200 dishes on the Chinese menu, each dish described in both Chinese and English.

If you’re in the mood for old-school Chinese-American fare, you can find it here in dishes like chicken or pork fried rice

($9.99), chicken or pork foo young ($10.99), or chicken moo goo gai pan ($10.99). At the other end of the scale, rarities like Sichuanstyle beef maw and tendon ($10.99), pig ear ($8.99) or salt and pepper beef tongue ($9.99) are yours for the asking. Most entrees are $8.99 to $12.99 and fall between

those extremes. Daily lunch specials range from $7.59-$8.99.

Jasmine also offers an extensive list of sushi specialties, including about 50 makizushi rolls. But it’s really hard for me to come to Jasmine and order anything but Sichuanese.

We started with cold cucumber salad ($6.99), which sounds simple but is anything but. Fresh cucumbers had been seeded and cut at an angle into long half-moon slices, then artfully assembled into a neat, pale-green mound, topped with a pile of lemongrass rounds, snipped green onions, and shreds of ginger, then drizzled with a soy sauce and chile oil dressing. The tangysalty-spicy flavor combination was remarkably subtle and complex.

Tea-smoked duck ($19.99) is made with a multi-step process. It involves a dry-rub marinade of Sichuan pepper, salt, ginger and garlic, followed by a quick dip in boiling water, then a few minutes of smoking over black tea leaves in a closed wok, and finally a deep fry to crisp the skin.

What appeared to be a whole duck was chopped into chunks through the bones and neatly arranged on a white oval platter. The skin was as crisp as fatty duck skin can get, reminiscent of pork cracklings, and the meat

was juicy and delicious. The tea-smoke flavor is more subtle than forward, but the complex mix of smoke and astringent Sichuan peppercorns make this dish memorable.

It comes with a small tub of thick, sweet hoisin sauce for dipping.

Another characteristic Sichuanese dish is mapo tofu ($10.99), a dish that purportedly originated in Chengdu, Sichuan, in the 19th century and got its name — literally “pockmarked grandmother’s tofu” — from the restaurateur’s wrinkled face and the similar dots of red chile flakes and black beans against snow-white tofu. That description fits Jasmine’s version, which cloaked about 16 inch-square cubes of tender silken tofu in a glossy, cornstarch-thickened sauce scented with Sichuan pepper and loaded with spicy chiles, tiny black beans and strips of green onion.

Our meal for two, with plenty of leftovers, came to $40.25 plus a $9 tip. •

JASMINE CHINESE CUISINE 13825 English Villa Drive 244-8896 jasminelouisville.com

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TIME SLIP CLOSES SEASON WITH AN ADAPTATION OF THE FILM ‘ONCE’

By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com

TIME SLIP THEATRE has a new home and a new show, its final of the season. The new show is a stage production of the awardwinning film, “Once,” made famous by its flagship song, “Falling Slowly.” The film stars singers Glen Hansard and Markéta Iglová.

LEO got a chance to catch up with Remy Sisk, who is directing the play at Time Slip.

LEO: Talk about the new venue.

Remy Sisk: Time Slip Theatre is located at 1501 Story Avenue in the space formerly occupied by LetterSong Calligraphy Studio.

Over the last several months, we have converted the space to an intimate black box theatre with versatile configurations and seating up to 55. Louisville has a major performing arts venue problem, and Time Slip is proud to now be able to offer this space not only as its own headquarters but also as an option for other companies who may want to produce shows at this venue.

Additionally, the story is just captivatingly beautiful. It’s impactful in its subtlety and cathartic in its nuance — the relationships are at once both subdued and staggeringly human. The script, to me, is a masterclass in emotional peaks and valleys; as soon as you start to cry and feel the heaviness, it lightens up and lets you laugh. It’s a really beautiful emotional ride for the audience and I’m so excited to share it. Another added element to this show is that actors are expected to play instruments, so it’s been fun seeing musical theatre actors pick up new skills while also seeing some talented musicians learn some musical theatre ability. Again, that blend of music and story really permeates this entire production in a way unlike I’ve ever seen before.

What will the new venue allow for Time Slip Theatre?

Having our own black box allows us to be a bit more ambitious with frequency of programming. With other options so limited, it can be difficult to plan a full season when you don’t know where you even have available to do it. But this space allows us security of knowing we have this black box available. It also allows us to build bridges with other theatre companies who may want to use the theatre for their own shows.

Furthermore, it gives us a home for our after-school and summer programming for kids. We just wrapped the spring semester, and having a space for those kids to rehearse and then perform in is huge for that side of the company.

The chemistry of the main characters is very important. How do your lead actors fulfill this?

Tyler Akin and Kylie McGuffey are giving two of the most defined performances I have ever seen in Louisville. The way these two actors have so completely navigated the emotional weight between these two characters is truly astonishing; as the relationship between the Guy and Girl — yes, those are the characters’ names!

— shifts, Tyler and Kylie have been able to take those beats and tun in what is to me a very human, very real, very genuine connection. It’s exceedingly rewarding as a director for me to see the two of them flourish so completely in these roles, accentuating the dynamics of their spoken scenes with songs that are just teeming with feeling. There are two scenes in Act II where the two of them simply take your breath away with the way they have defined this connection between these two people and I cannot wait for audiences to experience it.

The new show is ‘Once.’ What inspired you to do this play?

What strikes me most about ‘Once’ is how it blends music-making and storytelling. I felt like producing a show that brings those two elements so inextricably together would be very special and a nice complement to our darker shows of the season (‘Murder Ballad’ and ‘Cruel Intentions’).

Why did you think now would be a good time for this performance?

At its core, ‘Once’ is a story about rebirth. It’s a story about resurgence, about renewal and ultimately about rediscovering hope. I think that is what this world needs right now. It acknowledges and validates feelings of heaviness, loneliness, emptiness but then illustrates how possibility

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LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

Time Slip Theatre’s “Once” stars Tyler Akin and Kylie McGuffey. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY TIME SLIP THEATRE.

always remains. I think that deep catharsis — of seeing someone having given up on themself and then watching as they are able to rediscover who they are — will be hugely impactful to audience members. The journey of these characters is immensely relatable and indeed often emotional, but ‘Once’ doesn’t try to make you sad; it’s a joyous celebration of renewal, of creation and of hope, and I think people are going to leave this show really having felt something important.

What other plays are coming up this season (or next?)

‘Once’ is the final show of Time Slip’s inaugural season! We’ll be announcing Season 2 on opening night of ‘Once,’ so stay tuned! We’ve got some straight shows and some musicals and, of course, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ in October and April.

Time Slip Theatre will perform “Once” from June 24 to July 3. Tickets are $24. For more info, visit timesliptheatre.org. •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FARRAH ALEXANDER’S ‘RESISTANCE IN THE BLUEGRASS’ SHARES THE STORY OF UNDERESTIMATED KENTUCKY ACTIVISM

By Melissa Gaddie | leo@leowweekly.com KENTUCKY writer Farrah Alexander has released “Resistance in the Bluegrass,” her follow up to 2020’s “Raising the Resistance: A Mother’s Guide to Practical Activism.” As her writing has long concerned itself with the ideas of feminism, social justice and parenting, it’s no surprise that her latest work returns to the same themes. “Resistance in the Bluegrass” turns Alexander’s lens toward people in our Commonwealth who are working toward addressing the issues that Alexander, and presumably her readers, are passionate about in their home state. I reached out to Alexander to ask her a few questions about the book’s subjects, because I was interested in knowing how she chose whom to write about and if there were others whom she might choose to profile in future books.

The book is divided into chapters about the issues of poverty, education, LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice and more, introducing the reader to Kentuckians alive and ancestral who work(ed) within their communities to effect positive change.

The book opens up with a powerful introduction from state Rep. Attica Scott, and sets the tone for the remainder of the book. Her introduction masterfully references Kentucky’s history of resistance from Harlan to downtown Louisville, and the issues activists have long fought for or against across the state.

“I couldn’t possibly include every incred-

ible Kentuckian who has fought or is fighting for positive change, unfortunately,” said Alexander. “I focused on different topics [racial justice, environment, women’s rights, LGBTQ, etc.] and interviewed some change-makers at the forefront of those fights including some anecdotes from past Kentuckians who influenced their activism.”

The Kentuckians Alexander chose to profile are diverse and she presents their stories plainly, which makes this book suitable for young adult readers as well as adults. At the end of every chapter, Alexander takes the story of those profiled and sets forth a clear, concise path for how the reader can take inspiration from these stories and carry that same energy forward to continue manifesting positive change within their own communities. I specifically appreciated these roadmaps because it makes it so easy for a reader to take action in their own lives, and it also demonstrates that anyone can take the steps to make their world a better place.

“When it comes to areas of advocacy, there are certain Kentuckians who always show up and those were the people I generally wanted to highlight,” said Alexander. “Kentucky is drastically underestimated in terms of activism. Each chapter could have easily been a book in itself.”

There are many things to admire in this book. The biographical information of its subjects is compel-

GET YOUR Farrah Alexander. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUTHOR.

lingly presented and the stories of their resistance are uplifting and inspiring. As Scott mentions in her introduction, the stories in “Resistance in the Bluegrass” center themselves in the positive and demonstrate that across the Commonwealth regardless of city or “holler,” have or have-not, that the driving force behind every Kentuckian profiled was to create a better world for their community.

“In writing this book, I definitely developed a deeper appreciation and have become fiercely defensive of Kentuckians,” said Alexander. “I think often activists in red states have grit and passion for their causes that are incomparable to progressives in blue states. It was really an honor to tell their stories, and I’d be happy to tell more of them.” •

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Full list at LEOWEEKLY.COM/DISTRIBUTION LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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— Put on ice Traffic control org.

Disco ____ (iconic garment for Lady Gaga) ‘‘Chandelier’’ singer, 2014 Longtime record label Annexes Rube Goldberg machines, e.g.

Like some vaccines A, in Berlin Incline Expansive work of art, usually Disreputable Annual Austin festival, familiarly ‘‘This is too much’’ One to be dethroned One being coddled, maybe Lacking any adulteration Zing One who may have attachment issues?

Small Nintendo console, once Spring month in France ____ 1, Yuri Gagarin’s spacecraft Cries in a tattoo parlor Frothy coffee invented in Greece — Sign of resistance Some bank deposits Foul mood Pelicans’ home, informally —

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Girl in a tartan Miner discoveries Relative of ‘‘Hey!’’ March Madness ‘‘trophy’’ Road goo Maliciously reveal personal info about online ‘‘Mais ____!’’

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1 Twins, e.g., for short 2 Site with tech tutorials 3 Gets out of a grave situation?

4 Scores for place-kickers 5 Mental health org.

6 They’re thumped at supermarkets 7 Balls 8 Overly simplistic 9 Bake-off equipment 10 Major-____ (pro ballplayer) 11 OB/GYNs, e.g.

12 Application 13 Royal pain 14 Circus apparatus 15 Laugh or cry, say 16 ‘‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’’ sounds 17 N.Y.C. retailer with a famed holiday window display 19 Rum ____ Tugger (cat in ‘‘Cats’’) 23 Like a romantic evening stroll, perhaps 28 [someone else’s error] 30 Cause chaos 32 — 33 ‘‘That’s it?’’

35 Camping shelter 37 Only person to win an Oscar, Emmy and Tony in the same year (1973) 38 Kitty ____, stunt performer once known as the ‘‘fastest woman in the world’’ 39 Four-limbed animals 40 ‘‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’’ biter 42 Plato’s P 43 Halloween decorations that can be made with cotton balls 46 Heavy metal’s ‘‘Prince of Darkness’’ 47 ‘‘Am ____ only one?’’

48 Level 49 Some skin-care products 52 Power up 53 A.L. East squad: Abbr.

57 Slice, for one 58 Give the ____ 60 Stopover 62 —

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1 Rock subgenre named for its vocal aesthetic 8 Like some space-saving beds 14 Styles that are picked, informally 18 Amateur 20 Disinclined (to) 21 Royal figure of sci-fi 22 Grammy for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘‘DAMN.’’ or Cardi B’s ‘‘Invasion of Privacy’’ 24 Shuts down 25 American, abroad 26 Apt name for a worrier 27 Moving toward equilibrium, in biology 29 Legerdemain 31 Horse color 34 Prepares for a Ms. Olympia competition, say 36 Tiny foragers 37 ‘‘Here’s an example .?.?. ’’ 41 Insect with distinctive pincers 44 Without stop 45 Subj. for some future bilinguals 46 Sources of music in musicals 50 Splinter group 51 Brewing brothers 54 Capital of Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture 55 It might be broken in overtime 56 Waits to publish, as an article 59 Second-rate 61 Pronoun pairing 63 Loop trains 64 Hornswoggle 67 De-creased 69 Luxury Hyundai 70 ‘‘Still da ____’’ (Trina title track of 2008) 72 Fluster 74 Kind of squash 77 One using cloves or garlic 79 What gets filled at a shell station?

80 Monthly condition, for short 83 Hairstyle protectors 85 Tabbouleh topping 87 Build, as interest 89 Kind of test 90 Board figure, informally 92 Recipe unit 95 Goddess in a peacock-drawn chariot 96 Marilyn Monroe wore a fuchsia one while singing ‘‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’’ 99 Beverage that was a medieval source of nutrition 100 ____ President 101 Literary protagonist raised by wolves 102 ‘‘The Sound of Music’’ household 105 ‘‘Horned’’ creature

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BY ROSS TRUDEAU | EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

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WATCH YOUR STEP!

107 Turn one’s back on 109 Laces (into) 110 Apelike 112 University of Montana city 115 Weasel word?

118 ____ Fielding, co-host of ‘‘The Great British Bake Off’’ beginning in 2017 119 Suffering from a losing streak, in poker slang 122 Secret exits represented five times in this puzzle’s grid 125 ‘‘Bus Stop’’ playwright 126 Camping shelter 127 Advocates 128 Romanov ruler 129 Vulnerable 130 Most likely to inspire ‘‘thirst’’

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The New York Times Magazine Crossword

PHOTO BY RACHEL ROBINSON

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SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

PRIDE AND PREFERENCE

I’m taking a week off, so this week’s “Savage Love” is a reprint of a column that was originally published on January 13, 2016. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Pride. Please be careful out there. — Dan

As a queer man of color—I’m Asian—I feel wounded whenever I am exposed to gay men in New York City, Toronto, or any city where white gay men dominate. Gay men, mostly whites and Asians, reject me because of my race and no one admits to their sexual racism. I understand that sexual attraction is subconscious for many people. But it is unfair for a gay Asian like myself to be constantly marginalized and rejected. I fight for gay rights, too. I believe in equality, too. I had the same pain of being gay in high school and the same fears when coming out, too. Why is there no acceptance, no space, no welcome for me in this white-painted gay community? I’m six-foot-one, 160 pounds, fit, and very good-looking.

What can I do? I might as well be a sexless monk.

Enraged Dude Details Infuriating Experience “I relate to a lot of what EDDIE is feeling here,” said Joel Kim Booster, a Brooklyn-based writer and comedian.

“The double-edged sword of living in a city with a large gay community is that the community gets so large that we finally have the opportunity to marginalize people within it.”

Jeff Chu, a writer who also lives in Brooklyn, can relate: “Racism still thrives in the gay community, just as in broader society,” said Chu. “Many of us who are Asian American come out of the closet and walk into this weird bamboo cage, where we’re either fetishized or ignored. Many times I’d go into a gay bar and see guys playing out some gross interracial porno in their heads—with

me playing the part of their Chinese pocket gay. Others (the ones I was interested in, to be candid) would act as if I were wearing an invisibility cheongsam.”

Chu feels there’s plenty of blame to go around for this sad state of affairs.

“It’s the gay media,” said Chu. “It’s Hollywood. Even with all the LGBT characters we have on TV now, what images do we have of Asian American ones? It’s that LGBT-rights organizations still haven’t diversified enough, especially in their leadership. And it’s all of us, when we’re lazy and don’t confront our own prejudices.”

Booster and Chu are right: Racism is a problem in the gay community, some people within are unfairly and cruelly marginalized, and we all need to confront our own prejudices.

Even you, EDDIE. You cite your height (tall!), weight (slim!), and looks (VGL!) as proof you’ve faced sexual rejection based solely on your race. But short, heavy, average-looking/unconventionally-attractive guys face rejection for not being tall, lean, or conventionally hot, just as you’ve faced rejection for not being white.

(The cultural baggage and biases that inform a preference for, say, tall guys is a lot less toxic than the cultural baggage and biases that inform a preference for white guys—duh, obviously.)

“As a stereotypically short Chinese guy, my first reaction to reading EDDIE’s letter? Damn, he’s six-footone! I’m jealous,” said Chu. “And that’s also part of the problem. I, like many others, have internalized an ideal: tall, gym-perfected, blah blah blah—and, above all, white.”

Booster was also struck by your stats.

“It’s hard for me to wrap my head around any six-foot-one, fit, VGL guy having trouble getting laid,” said Booster. “On paper, this is the gay ideal! I don’t really consider myself any of those things—and I have a perfectly respectable amount of sex.”

Booster, who somehow manages to have plenty of sex in New York’s “white-painted gay community,” had some practical tips for you. “EDDIE should stay away from the apps if the experience becomes too negative,” Booster said. “If logging on to a hookup app bums him out, take a break. Being a double minority can be isolating, but living in a big city can be great. There are meet-ups and clubs and activities for all stripes. Join a gay volleyball league—truly where gay Asian men thrive—or find one of the many gay Asian nights at one of the gay bars around the city. They’re out there.”

Chu has also managed to find romantic success in New York. “I’ve been where EDDIE is, except shorter, less fit, and less good-looking, and somehow I found a husband,” said Chu. “The monastery wasn’t my calling, and I suspect it’s not EDDIE’s either.”

A quick word to gay white men: It’s fine to have “preferences.” But we need to examine our preferences and give some thought to the cultural forces that may have shaped them. Do yourself the favor of making sure your

preferences are actually yours, and not some limited and limiting racist “preference” pounded into your head

by TV, movies, and porn. And while preferences are allowed (and gay men of color have them, too), there’s no excuse for littering Grindr or Tinder or Recon—or your conversations in bars—with dehumanizing garbage like “no Asians,” “no Blacks,” “no femmes,” “no fatties,” etc. (But “no Republicans” is fine.)

The last word goes to Booster: “A note to the rice queens who will undoubtedly write in about this man: We like that you like us. But liking us solely because of our race can be uncomfortable at best, and creepy as hell at worst. In my experience, it’s perfectly okay to keep some of those preferences behind the curtain while you get to know us a bit as humans first.” questions@savagelove.net Listen to Dan on the Savage Lovecast.

Follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage.

Columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at savage.love.

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS LEGAL DISH Wireless proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at a top height of 150-feet on a 116foot rooftop at the approx. vicinity of 5100 US Highway 42, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40241. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Jennifer, j.lewishobgood@ trileaf.com, 1515 Des Peres Rd, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, (314) 997-6111.

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a 34-foot utility pole communications structure at the approx. vicinity of 632 Iowa Avenue, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40208. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Jennifer, j.lewishobgood@trileaf.com, 1515 Des Peres Road, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314- 997-6111.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

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On Friday, June 10th Pandora Produccons celebrated her 25th Anniversary with a Gala Celebraaon.

At that event, In honor of her milestone, the company named individuals who’ve made an impact in the LGBTQIA+ community. We’d like to recognize those important individuals here!

Pioneers Michael Aldridge Lynnie Meyer Issys St. James Jaison Gardner Kevin Borland Marta Miranda Amirage Saling Lisa Gunterman Brian Buford Diane Moten Craig Sherman Eric Haner Robert Byrd Mickey Schickel Nelson George SSnson Jack Kersey Dr. Brad Calobrace Kelly King (Rex Altman) Alicia Pedriara Elizabeth SSth Lindy Casebier Maria Price Victoria Syimone Taylor Carol Kraemer Larry Lar Chandler Tony Prince Grayson L. Tucker David Loo Rev. Dee Dale Tina Ward Pugh Carla Wallace Robbie Lynn Reva Deveraux Becky Roehrig David Williams Pam McMichael Kathy Dobbins Jeff Rogers Dawn Wilson Dona Meers Sam Dorr Mark England Founders of KYana Pride Founders of Voices of Kentuckiana Founders of Gay Men’s Chorus Founders of Louisville Pride Foundaaon Founder LGBT Film Fessval

Torchbearers

Rachel Parsons-Wells Michael Adams Ann Deibert Monique Reid Mark Baridon Michael J. Drury Kehontas Rowe Greg Bourke & Michael de Leon Aletha Fields Mike Slaton Bianca Bowser Robert Barry Fleming Ernesto Scorsone Jon Brown Maurice Tsulasgi Gator-Blanchard Stacey Steinbock Kevin Bryan Chris Hartman Dr. Kaila Story Coffery & Val Jones Ann Co Marcosson Sam Ma Shannon Corbin & Shelley Santry Angel McCoughtry Rowdy Whitworth & David Graham Nick Wilkerson Daniel Cole Micah McGowan Bridge 19 (Audrey Cecil & Amanda Lucas) Yer Girlfriend (Laura Shine)

Rising Stars Dusty Ray Boooms Blaz Bush Talmage Collins Ryan Combs Osha Cowley-Shireman Phelix Criienden J P Davis D Teague Delong Hannah Drake LEOWEEKLY.COM // JUNE 22, 2022

Erica Fields Leah Halston Keturah Herron Mysskal Jackson (Missy) Spencer Jenkins Jade Jolie Zach Meiners Tanner Mobley Emily Noonan

Sarah Nunez May O’Nays Sann Ramirez Scoo Schaalein Kelsie Smithson Evan Stoner Emily Tarquin Aaron Weathers Eric Wentworth