A Q&A WITH COMEDIAN BILL BURR | PAGE 28 SEP.14.2022FREE WHAT CONSENT DECREES LOOKED LIKE IN OTHER CITIES | PAGE 9 FALL MUSIC FESTIVAL ISSUE A DINING PREVIEW FOR BOURBON & BEYOND UNDER-THE-RADAR BANDS THAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS AT BOURBON & BEYOND AND LOUDER THAN LIFE
2 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 presented by: FOUNDER John Yarmuth EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Scott Recker, srecker@leoweekly.com A&E EDITOR Erica Rucker, erucker@leoweekly.com DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Ethan Smith, esmith@leoweekly.com STAFF WRITER Josh Wood, jwood@leoweekly.com STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Carolyn Brown, cbrown@leoweekly.com ART DIRECTOR Talon Hampton, thampton@leoweekly.com CONTRIBUTING VISUAL ARTS EDITOR Jo Anne Triplett, jtriplettart@yahoo.com OFFICE MANAGER Elizabeth Knapp, eknapp@leoweekly.com 974 BRECKENRIDGE LANE #170. LOUISVILLE KY 40207 PHONE (502) 895-9770 Volume 32 | Number 11 LOUISVILLE ECCENTRIC OBSERVER LEO Weekly is published weekly by LEO Weekly LLC. Copyright LEO Weekly LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Publisher. LEO Weekly is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express permission of LEO Weekly LLC. LEO Weekly may be distributed only by authorized independent contractors or authorized distributors. Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) is a trademark of LEO Weekly LLC. ON THE COVER CONTRIBUTORS Dan Canon, Jeff Polk, Tyrel Kessinger, T.E. Lyons, Lara Kinne, Jon Larmee, Kevin Gibson, Dan Savage. Writer Illustrations by Yoko Molotov ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Marsha Blacker, mblacker@leoweekly.com EUCLID MEDIA GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Andrew Zelman CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy www.euclidmediagroup.comVolhein Q&A WITH COMEDIAN BILL BURR FALL MUSIC FESTIVAL ISSUE COVER BY TALON HAMPTON
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In this situation, less is more. Decrease the population in jails, decrease the need that makes crime seem like an option and decrease the budget of LMPD officers and move that money toward the needs of the citizens.We’ve overfunded our justice system in all the wrong ways and we can’t seem to figure out why those things haven’t worked, but yet we think the only way to
Violent offenses where there is clear and present danger to thatandbasicaddressesabuildingthetoI’mdamn-nearmostAndIthecommunitytheisonlyreasoncanthinkof.whileIthinkjailsshouldbeempty,notopposedupdatingcurrentinwaythathealthsafety.Theissueispoverty,mental
Capitalists spend their way into
By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com
MARCMURPHY
SOME city officials and corrections leaders want a new jail. A consultant report from 2016 estimated it could cost $300 million to build it. THREE HUNDRED MILLION. And it would likely be more now. The math isn’t mathing. The math, passed to the city and jail officials via consultants they hired, sounds like a way for pro-penal system folks to cash grab off the backs of local taxpayers. The complaints of those pro new jail are that the current jail building is 54 years old and isn’t built to house more than 1,400 people a day which is the daily populus of the jail in recent months. And, now that ten people have died since last November, they’re ready to push a high price tag on local taxpayers without offering answers as to why inmates haveHowdied.much of the issue could be that some of those in jail shouldn’t be there in the first place?
monetary issues and then want to squeeze money from the people who have the least. Authoritarians do the same with criminalizing things that shouldn’t be criminal.
The ACLU certainly seems to agree, as do other activists. To be honest, jail should be used sparingly.
illness and addiction have been weaponized in America as jailable offenses. The system created its own problem and now is looking for yet another bailout. It’s really little different than the bank bailout, or the big auto bailout.
VIEWS
LESS IS MORE. ABSOLUTELY NO, TO A NEW JAIL.
fix it is to toss more money in a bottomless well. I’m sorry but again, the math isn’t mathing.Citizens of the city should tell their council members that this coming “proposal” is unacceptable in any form without attention to the very basic and real ways to reduce the danger in our jails and reduce the population of American people we lock up because they are poor, sick and desperate. It’s shameful. •
Why are people in jail for crimes that present absolutely no corporeal danger to those around them? It’s a waste of space and creates the danger they claim it is to have an overcrowded jail. It’s nonsense to think that the only remedy is to throw money at more space to lock people up, which does two things — give LMPD more reason to increase the population of the jail to the next capacity and then discourage the real discourse which shouldn’t bethetheincreasingsizesofourjailsbutimprovingquality of our criminal justice system overall, and thoroughly moving away from incarceration as penalty overduework.andreform/abolitiontowardrootcauseAmericaislongforanoverhaul of the “justice” system. It hasn’t worked for a long time and has done more damage than good, especially for Black and Latino people. That we think increasing the budget of the abuser is somehow going to fix the issue, is asinine. If addiction is killing addicts in jail, increase the ability for them to access treatment instead of locking them up. Fix the root causes of so-called criminal activity with the millions and stop throwing giant cash drops of money at limited, ineffective solutions.
hometown.Whilethe damage from these events in Western and Eastern Kentucky is unprecedented, the work being done by our educators is not. Our schools opened their doors to serve, and our teachers, as they always do, answered the call.
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By Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman | leo@leoweekly.com
During my visit, I ran into Floyd County’s superintendent as I was touring the damage; she was personally delivering meals to the homes of her students.
VIEWS IT’S TIME TO HELP THE HELPERS
Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman | OFFICIAL PHOTO
Walking into Letcher County High School gave me cold chills. The gym was packed with donations and volunteers. It was busier than a Best Buy on Black Friday. I met Harley, a 2022 Letcher County High School graduate who was about to head off to college. She shared stories of how she and her neighbors formed human chains in rushing water and kayaked to houses to save people who were
Jacqueline Coleman is the lieutenant governor of Kentucky.
Team Kentucky, as we begin a new school year, let’s take Mr. Rogers’ advice one step further: Let’s rededicate ourselves to helping the helpers.
6 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
We Your Vote!
“LOOK for the helpers” is sound advice we have come to rely on in the aftermath of tragedy. The phrase originated from Nancy McFeely Rogers, but her words were later popularized by her son, Fred Rogers, in his book, “Mister Rogers Talks with Parents.”
We tell our children to look for the helpers in circumstances that are too complex for them to understand, too difficult for us to explain or, in many cases, both. Kentucky has had more than its fair share of tragic natural disasters in the last few months, from the historic Western Kentucky tornadoes in December 2021 to the Kentuckybreakingrecord-Easternfloods in July.Team Kentucky is fortunate to have an abundance of helpers, including the brave heroes from the Kentucky National KentuckyGuard,Emergency Management, Fish and Wildlife and the first responders from across our commonwealth who volunteered their time and resources. But as a new school year begins, Gov. Beshear and I want to focus on one group that deserves our eternal respect and gratitude: Kentucky’s schools. On a regular day, our schools are a lifeline, and teachers are the heartbeat of their communities. In times of tragedy that takes on a whole new meaning. Schools are our safe havens, and the people in them are ourThehelpers.looks of despair on Kentuckians’ faces after these disasters is something I will never forget, but I found hope in the helpers from our schools. After the tornadoes, as Pennyrile and Kentucky Dam Village state parks filled up with families seeking temporary housing, we found ourselves days away from the holiday season. A group of teachers from Marshall County went door to door collecting Christmas wish lists from the displaced families to ensure that kids who lost everything had something to celebrate.
It is undeniably true that there are many long overdue policy and structural changes needed in the teaching profession, like better pay, manageable class sizes and a normal workload. I will continue fighting for those things every day. What our teachers also deserve – outside of legislation and budget improvements – is to have their support reciprocated. A thank you email, a kind word when you see them, an offer to volunteer in their classroom or a positive social media post do not require bold action or cost anything but will make a huge difference to a stressed-out teacher.
Want
Shortly after the flooding, the governor and I visited Floyd County. One of their schools became a makeshift laundromat where school leaders washed clothes.
IweekshighHarleystranded.graduatedschooljustsixbeforethis.alsometaschoolgroupfromAshland,athree-hourdrivefromWhitesburg,whowerepackingsuppliesandwork-inglikeitwastheir
•
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 7
live grenade into someone’s PSL).
Once you know what else is out there, fully girded coffee unions don’t sound so silly. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that they are a prudent, even necessary feature of our increasingly stupid sociopolitical universe. There is little doubt that brownshirt baristas are already armed to the gills and would happily take over a soft-target coffeehouse upon the boss’s say-so. Better to have a coffee militia and not need it than to need one and not have it. •
I mention Black Rifle by name only because they are the relative moderates in this scenario. “Denouncing extremism” seems like an odd move for a company whose brand is beforeyourequireswindow.cocktailratherbyentitiestruepromptedTimesdidultranationalism,flag-humpingbutBlackRifleitanyway,inaNewYorkarticlenoless.Thisbacklashfromthepatriotsofthecoffeebiz,IwillnotmentionnameherebecauseI’dnothaveaMolotovthroughmyofficeOneofthemyoutoclickthatdidn’tvoteforJoeBidenenteringitswebsite.When its
Dan Canon is a civil rights lawyer and law professor. His book “Pleading Out: How Plea Bargaining Creates a Permanent Criminal Class” is available for preorder wherever you get your books.
In addition to the increase in wages, retirement plans, health benefits and better working conditions that coffee unions will undoubtedly ask for, why not add a semiautomatic rifle and basic combat training for every new hire? Arming of drink artists should easily pass muster as a reasonable safety measure in 21st-century America. Coffee shops aren’t necessarily a top target of mass shooters, but they get hit every now and then, and you never know what the next mass-shooting fad will be. Besides, isn’t violent crime on the rise or something?Anyway, crazed criminals are not the only danger facing our java slingers. A disciplined fighting force might make angry customers think twice about throwing their drink back through the drive-thru window (I am told this sort of thing occurs with some regularity). Hot coffee can cause thirddegree burns, so chucking it at someone sounds like deadly force to me, and under the ridiculously broad self-defense laws of Kentucky and Indiana a barista could be well within their rights to blast away in response. I’d go so far as to say a wellarmed coffee militia would greatly improve customer relations overall. If you’re the kind of dickhead who regularly berates service-
HEINE BROS. workers are to be congratulated for their recent success in unionizing all seven area locations. They join in coffee camaraderie with the more than 200 Starbucks shops that have organized in the last year, along with a slew of other regional chains and a smattering of worker-owned cafes, including our own Old Louisville Coffee Co-op.When so much seems so bleak, and those in power so apathetic, the rejuvenation of the American labor movement is one of the few events that could conceivably turn things around. There’s still a long way to go, though. Only a small fraction of Starbucks stores nationwide are unionized, and less than 2% of all food service workers belong to a union. What if we add a little accelerant to the roaster, an extra espresso shot to our solidarity latte, some caffeine to our extended metaphor, etc.? Progress-minded baristas can do just that in their upcoming contract negotiations by insisting on the right to form not just coffee unions, but coffeeHearmilitias.meout.
industry employees, you might lighten up a bit if you knew it was a decorated sharpshooter who fucked up your drink.
Let’s start with Black Rifle Coffee. The company name is perplexing enough if you haven’t yet embraced the idea that caffeine and combat are a natural combo. The apparel section of their website features designs that don’t seem to have anything to do with coffee — hats with guns superimposed over flags; a shirt that says “Live Free or Die.” Their coffee names themselves are pretty much just bumper-sticker slogans — Thin Blue Line medium roast; Gunship light roast; AK-47 espresso. The whole vibe of the website is “own the libs for drinking frou-frou beverages.”
These are scary people. A lot scarier than a somewell-trainedheavily-caffeinated,19-year-oldsocialjusticewarriorwithaunioncardandanAR-15(andmaybeasur-face-to-airmissileortwo,asit’sonlyamatteroftimebeforechuddecidestodrone-dropa
8 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 VIEWS THE MIDWESTERNIST COFFEE MILITIAS
But the biggest reason to arm up is the rising threat of right-wing extremist coffee shops. You don’t want to get caught flatfooted when fascist baristas storm your café, steal your beans, burn your pride flags and scald your milk.
By Dan Canon | leo@leoweekly.com
If you’re having a chuckle or rolling your eyes at the idea of coffee militias, perhaps you are blissfully unaware of just how stupid everything has gotten. You are to be forgiven if so, because things are fantastically, unfathomably stupid. So stupid, in fact, that “coffee fascism” is a real thing that we should take somewhat seriously. I’m not talking about all those tattooed-and-pierced, abstinence only, hate-the-sin-type Christian coffee shops. I’m talking about the straightup, militant, far-right beanery.
Twitter account was suspended, fans took to shady message boards to proclaim that it was “way past the point of stacking bodies” and to celebrate Senator Joseph McCarthy as an “American hero” who was “right all along.” You can buy mugs that say “GOD’S ARMY” and “NUCLEAR MAGA” from one Georgia coffee seller. Another company from right here in Indiana has gained some notoriety for being outright Nazis who brag about not being kosher certified. Their logo is a swastika made of coffee beans.
In such investigations, the DOJ looks for patterns or practices of constitutional violations: things like excessive use of force, racially-discriminatory policing, illegal searches and seizures and interfering with the expression of First Amendmentprotected free speech. If such violations are found, the DOJ will likely propose a consent decree: a negotiated agreement between the city and the federal government for the city to address those violations while being monitored.“Itgives the federal government a way to address those things in police departments that either cannot or will not address the problem and fix it themselves,” said David Harris, a University of Pittsburgh professor of law who studies police behavior and consent decrees. “So it has great utility and is one of the very few things you can do to take policing as a system, as an institution, and try to proactively fix it looking forward.”
LMPD Chief Erika Shields and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer at a police academy graduation on Sept. 12. | PHOTO BY CAROLYN BROWN.
LOUISVILLE,
After a series of police killings — including an incident that saw officers kill two unarmed Black people by firing 137 shots at the vehicle they were in after a pursuit triggered by the sound of a car backfiring — Cleveland’s mayor asked the DOJ to come in and investigate
KENTUCKY — LOUISVILLE METRO POLICE POPULATION:DEPARTMENT 628,594 NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS: 1,019 CAME UNDER CONSENT DECREE: TBD
THORNS&ROSES
WHAT CONSENT DECREES LOOKED LIKE IN OTHER CITIES
In the coming weeks, the Department of Justice is expected to release the findings of its investigation into whether the Louisville Metro Police Department engages in practices that violate the United States Constitution or federal law.
Eastern Kentucky needs all the help it can get after July’s deadly oods. Oct. 11’s Kentucky Rising concert in Lexington featuring country stars Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton and Dwight Yoakam will donate 100% of net proceeds to ood recovery in Eastern Kentucky. And here in Louisville, Bourbon & Beyond will donate all proceeds from lawn chair passes to the American Red Cross of Kentucky to help with ood relief.
By Josh Wood | jwood@leoweekly.com
Harris added that while an individual event — like the police killing of Breonna Taylor — can trigger a DOJ investigation, the DOJ focuses on broader patterns of misconduct instead of individual incidents. (In DOJ criminal investigations separate from its pattern or practice probe, seven LMPD officers have been charged in misconduct cases so far thisTheyear.)fixes
So far, Louisville has tried to get ahead of the findings by implementing numerous reforms, which city officials have said could potentially shorten the length of a consent decree, which have the potential to drag on for many years.
Danny Murphy, a consultant hired by the city who previously oversaw consent decree reforms and compliance in Baltimore and New Orleans, told Metro Council last year that Louisville could expect to pay $8 to $10 million per year under a consent decree.Harris, the policing expert at the University of Pittsburgh, said that consent decrees are indeed expensive undertakings and often fall on cities that are already stretched thin financially.“ButIthink what people fail to understand is: If this costs a lot, so does terrible policing. It’s just that that cost is foisted onto poor people
For the rst time since 2019, Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life will be on back-to-back weekends. After COVID wrecked concerts and events for such a long time, this will be a boon for the local economy, from the biggest players in the tourism industry to the small food truck who banks on these events to stay in business.
CLEVELAND, OHIO — CLEVELAND DIVISION OF NUMBERPOPULATION:POLICE367,991OFPOLICEOFFICERS: 1,400
THORN: UK’S ‘BOYS WILL BE BOYS’ RIOTS
Following federal charges against four LMPD ofcers over the killing of Breonna Taylor — charges that included revelations about o cers lying to secure a warrant — new life was breathed into calls to drop remaining charges against protesters who called for justice after her death. However, according to reporting by the Courier Journal, Je erson County Attorney Mike O’Connell says the remaining 170 cases don’t meet his o ce’s “criteria for dismissal” and will be prosecuted. A group of 26 protesters who blocked o the Clark Memorial Bridge in June 2020 are scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 3.
AS THE DOJ WRAPS UP ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE LMPD, A CONSENT DECREE IS EXPECTED IN LOUISVILLE
demanded by consent decrees often take the shape of widespread reform, new technology and inflated police budgets.
THE BEST & MOST ABSURD
As Louisville prepares for the release of the DOJ’s findings and anticipates conversations about a consent decree, LEO Weekly took a look at the experiences of three other cities of (roughly) similar size that have seen their police departments come under consent decree.
CAME UNDER CONSENT DECREE: 2015
UK’s football team beat up on Florida on Sept. 10 and, predictably, hoards of drunk college kids dressed in their frat boy best descended on Lexington’s State Street to light couches on re and ip somebody’s car. Despite the clear mayhem, the disregard for law and order and the damage to private property, there was no tear gas or pepper balls and no arrests were made. Meanwhile, in Louisville, protesters are still facing charges for peaceful acts of civil disobedience. In Kentucky, protesting the killing of a Black woman by the police is considered a riot. But a bunch of white kids ipping cars because their sportsball team won? Boys will be boys.
THORN: PROTESTERS STILL BEING PROSECUTED
ROSE: BIG NAME CONCERTS DONATING TO FLOOD RELIEF
ROSE: EIGHT DAYS OF MUSIC FESTS
WORST,
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 9 NEWS & ANALYSIS
generally, communities of color who suffer under unconstitutional policing. They pay that price,” he said. “So when you ask ‘what’s the dollar cost?’ you have to ask ‘what’s the alternative?’ too.”
With Cleveland in its eighth year of a consent decree, patience is wearing thin for some. Last month, first-year Mayor Justin Bibb, a Democrat, called for an exit.“The quickest we can get out of this decree, the better it will be for the police department and the taxpayers, so we can kind of use that money to reinvest back in the community in the long term,” he said at a press conference according to northeast Ohio public news radio station
The department came under DOJ investigation in 2015 following the killing of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man who died from injuries he sustained while being transported by police officers. While police said Gray was arrested for having an illegal switchblade knife, the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City later said the knife he had was legal.
we don’t know for sure what the outcome’s going to be,” he said.
However, Goodrick said, in the shortterm, police departments can sometimes see dramatic change with federal oversight and that he believes the consent decree process has engaged the community more than before.
POPULATION: 376,971 NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS: 1,000 CAME UNDER CONSENT DECREE: 2013
Meanwhile,charges.the city has registered at least 300 homicides for seven consecutiveLikeyears.Goodrick in Cleveland, Kelly said he sees a see-sawing cycle between calls for reform and police using narratives of rising violence to push back againstDatareform.echoes his feelings about the relationship between the community and police remaining bad following the consent decree; A public perception survey of Baltimore residents that was commissioned to comply with the consent decree found that 60% of respondents did not believe BPD made the city safer. In that same survey, 51% said police did not treat people with respect.
As part of the consent decree, the Cleveland Community Police Commission was created to bring community input into police reform. Jason Goodrick, the executive director of that commission, has doubts about the long-term effectiveness of consent decree reforms though, saying that police departments nationwide are resistant to lasting change.
10 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
intoSoonnon-compliance.aftertakingoffice in 2010, then-New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu asked the DOJ to investigate his city’s police department, writing that many considered it “one of the worst police departments in the country” and asserting that “nothing short of a complete transformation” was needed to keep citizens safe.
“It’s not a permanent infrastructure to monitor the police,” he said. “A city is dependent on these independent monitors to sort of mandate compliance. As soon as they leave, whatever small degree of compliance they offer — which I think is less than they claim — goes away. •
The DOJ declined to prosecute any officers in Gray’s death, saying there was insufficient evidence. But in 2016, the DOJ said its separate wide-ranging investigation into the Baltimore Police Department found a pattern of civil rights violations, with officers using strategies that unlawfully subjected African Americans to higher rates of stops, searches and arrests. They also said there was a pattern of excessive force and interference with the right to free expression.
“The NOPD has long been a troubled agency,” the DOJ said in its opening words of the 2011 findings of their resulting investigation. “Basic elements of effective policing — clear policies, training, accountability and confidence of the citizenry — have been absent for years. Far too often, officers show a lack of respect for the civil rights and dignity of the people of New Orleans.”
In December 2014, the DOJ said they found a pattern of excessive force in the Cleveland Division of Police that was fed by a lack of accountability, inadequate training, ineffective policies and a lack of community engagement. The DOJ also wrote that CDP officers “carelessly” fired theirJustweapons.weeksbefore the DOJ report came out, a Cleveland police officer shot and killed 14-year-old Tamir Rice, a Black child who was carrying a toy gun in a city park.
Just before the consent decree was approved by a federal judge in 2017, the eight members of the Baltimore Police Department’s elite Gun Trace Task Force were arrested on federal racketeering charges, with members stealing narcotics and cash from drug dealers and shaking down motorists in incidents now immortalized in the HBO mini-series “We Own ThisTheCity.”city’s woes have continued since the consent decree started in 2017.
The city came under consent decree in 2013.Matthew Nesvet, an anthropologist and police reform expert, spent a year working in New Orleans as a consent decree monitor. That experience left him with a bad taste in his mouth, questioning the effectiveness of the consent decree and the possibility of real change to occur.To meet metrics for community engagement, he said, precincts would share pictures of officers interacting with members of the public. On another occasion, he recalled, monitors observed and said nothing when police emailed a safety warning about a Black Lives Matter protester who was critical of the police on social media despite no indication of criminal activity. To Nesvet, it felt like officers weren’t changing the way they were policing the city, just the kind of paperwork they filled out. And the monitors, consultants and companies offering technology solutions were “a revolving door of government contractors” cashing in on a lucrative cottage industry.
“You’re going to see short-term change, you’re going to see an increase in the awareness, increase in dialogue, increase in community involvement — all of those are positive. But then the downside: They’re long, they’re costly,
In response to a motion filed by the city to end the consent decree, the federal judge overseeing the agreement warned that the department’s ongoing staff shortage of hundreds of officers was an “emergency” that was dragging the force
BALTIMORE, 2017CAME2,400NUMBERPOPULATION:— BALTIMOREMARYLANDPOLICEDEPARTMENT576,498OFPOLICEOFFICERS:(2021)UNDERCONSENTDECREE:
After nearly a decade under consent decree, New Orleans is another city trying to escape its federal oversight.
To Baltimore community organizer and Citizens Policing Project Director Ray Kelly, the city’s five years under consent decree have been a glacially slow process that has not seen relations between police and the community improve.“Theprocess is excruciatingly slow,” he said. “It’s understandable when we’re talking about 150 years in a lot of cases of oppressive policing and that culture.”
“Police are very good at outlasting the political, short-term need for them to reform. And you typically see the same cycle of reform, then police using increasing crime and a fear of crime as a reason to lessen reform,” he told LEO Weekly. “It’s like a circle of life that continues over and over in city after city.”
“The consent decree handcuffs our officers by making their jobs harder, pestering them with punitive punishment and burying them with paperwork that is an overburden,” she said in early August, according to NBC News.
the department in 2012.
Of those three mayors, one was sentenced to three years in prison on fraud and tax evasion
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Last month, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell called for an end to the consent decree, saying it was an “overburden” on officers on the force today, who were in no way responsible for the actions of officers who landed the city in the DOJ’s crosshairs.
Since coming under consent decree, the city has run through four police chiefs and three mayors. Of those police chiefs, one resigned after being charged with failing to file tax returns for three years. He would later spend 275 days in prison.
But despite the shortcomings of the consent decree, Kelly thinks it is necessary.“Ithink people have to recognize this is systemic and cultural change and it takes time,” he said. “I in no way, shape or form feel that we don’t need the consent decree. Because the alternative is mistreatment of Black people all around the country as there’s always been.”
WKSU.There is also significant pushback from the police union, the Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association, which called Cleveland’s safety director a DOJ “puppet” last year after 13 officers were fired for misconduct.
NEWS & ANALYSIS
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 11
FOR the first time since 2019, Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life will happen on back-to-back weekends. Both Danny Wimmer Presents music festivals were called off in 2020 after the coronavirus shut down events everywhere, and, in 2021, the company decided to only bring back Louder Than Life. This year, between the two fests, there will be eight full days of star-studded lineups. From Sept. 15-18, Bourbon & Beyond will bring alt-rock, indie and roots acts like Jack White, Pearl Jam and Alanis Morissette to the Kentucky Exposition Center, followed by the hard rock and metal fest Louder Than Life featuring Nine Inch Nails, KISS and Red Hot Chili Peppers the next weekend from Sept. 22-25 at the same outdoor venue.
UNDER-THE-RADAR BANDS THAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS AT BOURBON & BEYOND AND LOUDER THAN LIFE
While the big-name artists eat up a lot of the attention and praise at major music festivals, the early-day acts — and the element of discovery that comes along with them — can be what makes these weekends truly special. With that in mind, we created a list of artists who might be flying under the radar in terms of mass popularity, but are well worth your time and effort to pull up to a stage early. The acts are in chronological order.
BreakfastJapanese
Elle KingBourbon & Beyond
Buffalo Nichols Bourbon & Beyond
Oak Stage | 12:30 p.m.
–Lara Kinne
Bourbon & Beyond
Japanese Breakfast.
S.G. Goodman.
An early time slot on Thursday at Bourbon and Beyond isn’t going to afford him many new fans, but Buffalo Nichols might be the most important artist playing Bourbon & Beyond this year. Born in Houston, raised in Milwaukee and now living in Austin, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols was looking for a way to, in his words, “bring the blues of the past into the future.” On his debut self-titled album released last fall on Fat Possum Records, the 30-year old singer/songwriter/guitarist has certainly captured that and more. Steeped heavily in the Delta blues of the ‘30s and protest folk of the ‘60s, Buffalo Nichols infuses traditional blues with an urgent, contemporary message. Nowhere is this more evident than on the track “Another Man” when he sings, “Don’t need to hide behind a white hood, when a badge works just as good, another man is dead.” This is roots blues for the Black Lives Matter era. Says Nichols: “I want more Black people to hear themselves in this music that is truly theirs.” Far more than a revivalist, his is a message that needs to be heard. —Jeff Polk
Friday, Sept. 16
Barrel Stage | 3:35 p.m.
GoodmanS.G.
Through magnificently lush soundscapes, Japanese Breakfast crafts some of the most dynamic and inventive indie rock that’s currently out there, bending multiple genres but settling somewhere close to blissful, searching dream-pop that’s both catchy and has a sharp, thoughtful edge. The 2021 album Jubilee encompasses that versatility, with stylish and limitless intentions, and lyrics with stopping power. Michelle Zauner — the driving creative force behind Japanese Breakfast — has a resume that’s as varied as her music. Her memoir, “Crying in H Mart,” is a New York Times best-seller; she’s directed music videos for bands like Charly Bliss; and she scored the ambient soundtrack for the beautifully-designed exploration video game “Sable.” Japanese Breakfast has been on fire for the last two years, and you don’t want to miss out on this sort of momentum. —Scott Recker
Among the abundance of music you will see at the return of Bourbon & Beyond this year, S.G. Goodman should definitely be on your list. Riding on the high of her sophomore album, Teeth Marks, released in June, the songwriter/guitarist from Hickman, Kentucky writes in the spirit of her Southern roots, with a distinctive voice and psychedelic force reminiscent of Grace Slick. Goodman’s soulful approach to rock and roll evokes familiar experiences and hopes from growing up in the South, observing the details of cicada choirs, the detriments of the opioid crisis and being a queer artist in a small Mississipi River town. “I just write what I see,” she said in an interview with Rolling Stone. But, coming back to Kentucky has always been a source of inspiration for her, adding that, “Being back in Kentucky is a very safe and, kind of, normal place for me to get inspiration and write.”
Bourbon & Beyond
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Barrel Stage | 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 15
You probably know Elle King from her 2015 hit “Ex’s & Oh’s,” a whistley countrypop anthem about long-ago lovers who “won’t — let — go!” How fitting — her uniquely smoky, raspy voice itself has its own staying power. It’s easy to picture hearing her in a Nashville bar, but you should check her out at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Bourbon & Beyond’s Barrel Stage. You might hear tracks like “Out Yonder” that are closer to traditional country; bluesy tracks like “Baby Outlaw;” folksy songs like “Kocaine Karolina;” or more poppish tracks like “Good Girls” (which debuted on 2016’s “Ghostbusters” reboot) that would suit a night on the town with female friends. In any case, King finds a home for her vocals across genres. We think her set will find a solid home onstage in Louisville this weekend. — Carolyn Brown
Saturday, Sept. 17
Thursday, Sept. 15
Oak Stage | 1:10 p.m.
While the nostalgic appeal of Louder Than Life will always include the usual monsters of rock that have dominated recent decades of alternative music — and the tattered notebook covers of teenage millennials — the festival also welcomes new talent. Plush (not to be confused with the South African ‘90s band of the same name) is a New York-based four-piece with only one mission: “To bring the heart of rock back to the mainstream,” says lead singer/guitarist Moriah Formica. “Plush hopes to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams, regardless of whatever challenges may lie in the way.” She, alongside guitarist Bella Perron, bassist Ashley Suppa and a few revolving drummers is currently on tour opening for Alice in Chains and Bush; their self-titled debut released last year gained attention with the charting singles “Better off Alone” and “Will Not Win,” and with the oldest of them only being 21, it’s clear that Plush is just getting started with that goal. –Lara Kinne
—Erica Rucker
Sunday, Sept. 18
Sunday, Sept. 18
Plush
Bourbon & Beyond
Jukebox the Ghost
The alt-indie-ish trio Jukebox the Ghost has two bios on their website: one says, “WE HAVE BEEN A BAND FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS. WE HAVE RELEASED FOUR ALBUMS. ONE OF THEM TWICE! WE LIKE TOURING. WE TOUR A LOT. WE HAVE PLAYED ALMOST A THOUSAND SHOWS.” The other talks about how they are a “trio of piano pop wizards” who get lots of inspiration from Queen, to the point where, every year, they perform half of a show in costume and in character as the legendary British band. You can hear that influence on tracks like “Jumpstarted,” which sounds like it could’ve come from Freddie Mercury himself. Another track from the same album, “Fred Astaire,” is less overtly Queeny, but it’s still a catchy, upbeat, indie-pop love song. In any case, their tracks are lighthearted, sweet and feel-good. —Carolyn Brown
Thursday, Sept. 22
Loudmouth Stage | 12:30 p.m.
Bluegrass Situation Stage | 2:40 p.m.
Barrel Stage | 3:30 p.m.
Yola.
Louder Than Life
Bourbon & Beyond
Jake Blount is a scholar of Black American music and will certainly educate you about how “roots music” really got its roots and he’s right. Roots music in all of its iterations cannot be separated from instruments and melodies that came from the hands and voices of Black people. His music is perfect for fans of the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou” because his songs feel old, simple with true earthy folkiness. Some are covers of folk classics and others are his own brand of roots futur ism that looks forward to what folk and Black music will be as the world continues to change economically and because of climate change. Blount is different, maybe not for everyone, and his music doesn’t shift time in the way that Yola’s does, but its simplicity and direct message makes it worth that time to listen. His playing is skillful as well, so if you enjoy good mandolin, banjo and fiddle, you will certainly like what Blount is bringing to the stage. Listen closely for his rendition of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” “Minimum Wage is a Gateway Drug” and “Old-Timey Grey Eagle.” —Erica Rucker
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Yola Bourbon & Beyond
Jake Blount
Sunday, Sept. 18
Former Adele classmate and serious vocal powerhouse Yola will return to the Bluegrass yet again on the Sunday of Bourbon & Beyond. This is a set that absolutely should not be missed by anyone. However, if you are onsite when she walks onto the stage, you will pay attention because Yola commands it. Supporting her album Stand For Myself, produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Yola will take you from dancing to the heights of emotion with the strength of her wonderful voice. Just be prepared to yell, dance and maybe shed a few tears at a moment of pure bliss and the gift of Yola performing again in Louisville. Songs to keep an eye out for include “Dancing Away in Tears,” “I Don’t Wanna Lie” and absolutely her rendition of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” which honestly could have been her song and equally as magical as Elton John’s version.
Barrel Stage | 1:55 p.m.
After moving back to their father’s home in Southern California from NYC during the early days of the pandemic, brothers Myles (drums) and Layne (vocals and bass) made the most of their downtime by writing and creating music. Since then the two-piece band has played several shows in the U.S. as well as overseas, including sets at both Reading and Leeds festivals in England, and at Lollapalooza and BottleRock. Not bad for a couple guys in their early 20s with only one official song, “As The Sun Sets,” available. Although it probably doesn’t hurt that they just happen to be the sons of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. But this is no secondrate Metallica clone, Taipei Houston have taken a completely different approach and have created a sound that is uniquely their own; a fuzzed out, energetic mix of garage rock, grunge, alternative and metal. It’s a huge sound that you’d expect from a full band, belying the fact that there are only two members here. There is certainly a lot more to this band than their last name. —Jeff Polk
Thursday, Sept. 22
Thursday, Sept. 22
The DeadsDead
Friday, Sept. 23
Disruptor Stage | 6:20 p.m.
Louder Than Life
You get some of everything within the big realms of rock and metal at Louder Than Life, but if you want straight-up super-heavy deathcore, check out Suicide Silence. Expect a lot of moshing and a lot of nostalgia — the band debuted two decades ago. Although lead vocalist Mitch Lucker died in a motorcycle accident in 2012 and was replaced by Eddie Hermida a year later, the band has continued to snarl and scream for fans ever since. They’ll take the Revolver Stage at 5:15 p.m. on Friday (not long before Crown The Empire, one of our other recommendations.) Some fans might question why we’d call them “under the radar,” but we hope their LTL set will make sure they don’t stay that way. — Carolyn Brown
The Dead Deads.
Thursday, Sept. 22
Firstly, it’s pronounced “Horror” and it is screamo, punk, hip-hop hardcore and if you miss the growl of DMX, then you best not miss Ho9909 at Louder than Life. These New Jersey punks, THEOGM and Eaddy, formed a band and recruited Black Flag drummer Brandon Pertzborn. Ho9909 is what the legacy of rappers like DMX, Public Enemy, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard has wrought. Thank you tiny baby Jesus because Black folks have plenty to be angry about and what better vehicle than punk and hardcore fused with hip-hop. The sound is aggressive (obvs), angry and goddamn it, it’s so good. It’s nice to see the anger of the streets and the human condition come from a blend of musical worlds that only on the surface seem disparate but truly have much in common. Listen for “Knuckle Up,” “Lights Out,” “Twist of Fate/Cobra” and “Time’s Up.” As the band says in “Knuckle Up”: “You motherfuckers better knuckle up / Cause Imma lose my shit.” It’s totally the mood when listening to Ho9909. —Erica Rucker
You’ll see them there early Thursday morning, anxiously waiting for the gates to open. Many of them paying full festival ticket prices only to see one band. Strange looking people with X’s painted over their eyes. They call themselves The DeadCorps, and they are rabidly devoted to the Nashville-based all-female power trio The Dead Deads, developing an entire subculture based around the band. Mixing everything good about grunge, hard rock, indie, pop, classic metal and punk, The Dead Deads have created a monstrous, catchy-as-hell sound that is uniquely ener getic, poppy and upbeat while simultaneously being heavy and hard-hitting. Seriously, there is something here for everyone regardless of your musical preferences. This is one of those bands that’s almost impossible not to love immediately on the first listen. Having already received accolades from pretty much every major music magazine and counting members of bands such as Slipknot, KISS, Halestorm, Seether, Cheap Trick, Bush and Helmet among fans, even with the unfortunate time slot The Dead Deads deserve your attention. This is more than a band, this is a movement! —Jeff Polk
Louder Than Life
Revolver Stage | 5:15 p.m.
Revolver Stage | 1:05 p.m.
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SilenceSuicide Louder Than Life
Louder Than Life
Revolver Stage | 3:25 p.m.
Taipei Houston
Ho9909
Disruptor Stage | 2:50 p.m.
Disruptor Stage | 4 p.m.
carolesdaughter
Sunday, September 25, 2pm
By having an almost endless catalog of several decades of music at their fingertips through streaming services, this generation of musicians naturally seems to jump across and bend genre borders. carolesdaughter mixes emo punk, indie pop, autotune hip-hop and sounds a little like if Machine Gun Kelly ghostwrote for Lana Del Rey. There’s angst and sincerity in her voice, while the lyrics have a straightforward and intense honesty. With an anthemic pop prowess that’s catchy and a degenerate attitude that’s magnetic in a gritty, unafraid way, carolesdaughter has a familiar and inviting sound but a unique delivery because it’s so brutally transparent and personality driven. And, honestly, that’s sort of the connective tissue between all of the acts at Louder Than Life: There’s a variety of styles and ages from the acts, but everyone playing isn’t afraid to fly the flag that makes them uniquely different.
— Scott Recker
Friday, September 23, 8pm
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Sunday, October 2, 2pm Brown
502.584.4500Theatre|KYOpera.org
Tuesday, September 27, 1:30pm
The Native Howl Louder Than Life
Out of the more than 100 bands playing Louder Than Life this year, arguably none have a more distinct sound than Leonard, Michigan’s The Native Howl. So much so that they have created and defined their own genre — thrash grass. By combining the aggressiveness and intensity of thrash metal with the melodicism and precision of bluegrass, they have succeeded in creating a perfect marriage of two completely opposite styles of music that, in theory, should not work together in any way, shape or form. Yet it does, and with spectacular results. Since forming in 2013 the band has recorded four albums, two of which cracked the top five on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart, and completed several North American tours with the likes of Clutch, GWAR and Black Label Society. Earlier this summer the band won the debut season of the music competition show “No Cover,” impressing judges Alice Cooper, Lzzy Hale, Gavin Rossdale, Tosin Abasi and Bishop Briggs, earning them a recording contract with Sumerian Records. Their latest single, “Sons of Destruction,” their first release with Sumerian, was just released in August, and they are set to deliver one hell of an unforgettable set at Louder Than Life this year! —Jeff Polk
Sunday, Sept. 25
Louder Than Life
The
Disruptor Stage | 5:55 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 23
Crown The Empire has a knack for pop-punkish power ballads that hearken back to the glory days of emo — you’ll hear shades of Pierce The Veil and All Time Low. The group is technically a “modern post-metalcore” band; there’s no shortage of breakdowns in their work, but the way they use melodic vocals alongside harsh ones makes them a good entry point into metalcore (and more intense genres like deathcore.) If you want to check them out before then, start with “The Fallout” and “Machines.” You’ll be singing along with the passion of your 15-year-old self at a concert in no time. — Carolyn Brown
Mimì& Rodolfo& Musetta& Marcello& Colline& Schaunard.
Crown The Empire Louder Than Life
Sunday, Sept. 25
Thursday, September 29, 8pm
Ed Lee.
@leoweekly
Visit InspireSleepEvents.com to register for a free event.
By Jon Larmee | leo@leoweekly.com
The biggest performances might echo from the fairgrounds to Buechel, but the most indulgent ones will be strictly onsite. Entry to the Rocks Room is a perk unlocked by making a transaction with Zelle, a hoop worth jumping through given that the venue will host intimate bourbon tastings, music performances and a four-course dinner by none other than Chef Lamas. Ceviche’s on the menu, of course, but so is a choice of skirt steak, salmon and vegetable chaufa entrees.
Boone’s Bourbon Speakeasy
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How easy can you reasonably speak at a music festival? Will the doorman be able to hear you over the ruckus? If you can find this oasis, promoters assure us to “expect the unexpected” where bartenders are on hand to create a bespoke cocktail based on your favorite flavor profiles. Just remember to speak up once you get in.
If you’re like me — that is, strapped for cash and time and content with the hearing loss you’ve already earned — let me give you the culinary highlights.
Rocks Room — Chef Anthony Lamas
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A DINING PREVIEW FOR BOURBON & BEYOND
FESTIVAL producer Danny Wimmer Presents has made good on its promise to curate a quality lineup of live music, bourbon panels and spectacular food. While this weekend’s Bourbon & Beyond festival from Sept. 15-18 is a blend of three crafts, aficionados could agree that each could stand as a single-barrel outing.
“If it’s not raised right, it can’t be delicious” would be a bold claim at any other festival for lushes, but the guys at Porter Road are undoubtedly in the right place. Their pasture-raised pork (product of Rittenberry Farms in Burna, Kentucky) looks more like steak than the pale, factory-farmed cuts at the grocery. Show up, take notes, and put in an order for delivery when you get home.
Thursday, Sept. 15
Headlining Music Acts: Kings of Leon and Brandi Carlile
3-4:30 p.m. | Louisville Cocktail Competition
4:35-5:05 p.m. | Damaris Phillips: Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy
A CIA grad (Hyde Park, not Langley) and James Beard House alumna, Ouita Michel models Southern hospitality at the idyllic Holly Hill Inn. And like any aunt coming to town, it’s only right you stop by for a visit.
Friday, Sept. 16
Without adding the Beastie Boys to the lineup, there’s no better way to say “hey ladies” than inviting the Salvatore brothers, “The Vampire Diaries’” Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, to talk about their hand-selected bourbon.
Called to order by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, five bourbon brands are competing to be the key ingredient in Louisville’s namesake cocktail. Accompanying the mayor are Fred Minnick (author and bourbon critic), Samara B. Davis (Black Bourbon Society), Chris Santos (“Chopped,” The Food Network) and Peggy Noe Stevens (Bourbon Women). Whoever wins, and whatever their creation may contain, let’s hope the writers of “Call Me Kat” are taking note. Louisvillians deserve a better representation than a city of mint julep imbibers.
Joke’s on me, Phillips has a cookbook by the same name. But it is the story of adapting recipes out of love, so the demonstration is sure to be as great as any screening.
Headlining Music Acts: Jack White and Alanis Morissette
4:35-5:05 p.m. | Big Green Egg’s James Peisker and Chris Carter
2:30 - 2:55 p.m. | Ouita Michel x Tyler McNabb of Holly Hill & Co.
18 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 Kathysshoppe.com OFFER EXPIRES 9/30 Monday - Saturday Find us Facebookon&Instagram
4-4:30 p.m. | Vampires & Bourbon: The Brother’s Bond Story and Success
My first impression of this demonstration by Louisville’s own chef and T.V. personality was: she’s doing romantic comedies now? From there, it was the obvious questions. Who’s playing Vegetarian Boy? Is the main theme going to be Erykah Badu’s “Southern Girl” or a Weird Al-ified cover of Estelle’s “American Boy?” Does this take place in the same cinematic universe as “Ratatouille?”
So here’s the deal: you show up, you get to taste a cigar and a complementary rye whiskey. Some well-versed folks like Julian Van Winkle (Old Rip Van Winkle), Carrie Van Winkle Greener (Pappy & Co), Mark Ryan (L.A. Poche Perique Tobacco) and Josh Roque (Drew Estate) chat about the science, history and branding behind the pairings.
Saturday, Sept. 17
1:30-2 p.m. | Sam Fore x Neil Finn
5:30-6 p.m. | Ed Lee and Special Guest
5-5:45 p.m. | SMOKIN’ and SIPPIN’: Pairing Cigars With Whiskey Moderated by Mark Miller (Smokeasy Mobile Cigar Lounge)
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 19
Lexington-based pop-up artist Sam Fore told me that she “might be the only chef at Bourbon & Beyond with a hammer in [her] kit.” Why? She’s making sorghum-and-coconut-stuff rice balls for her demonstration. The sorghum, she tells me, has a similar flavor to a Sri Lankan syrup called kithul, making for a great fusion opportunity.
Headlining Music Acts: Pearl Jam and Greta Van Fleet
You’re getting a double dose of unwinding in the waning summer breeze; take whatever they’ll give you.
Sunday, Sept. 18
Ed Lee’s eponymous Lee Initiative has provided assistance during the COVID lockdowns, helped raise millions to promote representation in the dining industry, and even supported response efforts to the flooding in Eastern Kentucky. Whatever he and special guest Matt Jamie (Bourbon Barrel Foods) are dishing out, I’m willing to taste. If you make it to the show, be sure to raise a toast.
Headlining Music Acts: Chris Stapleton and The Doobie Brothers
6-6:30 p.m. | Dant Crossing, Dave Danielson: Be er In The Bluegrass
If there were a prize for Most Obvious Choice to present at a bourbon and food event, Chef Dave Danielson would take home gold. Danielson’s the author of “The Bourbon Country Cookbook” (co-authored by Tim Laird), the foreword of which was written by another heavy-hitter of the event: Ed Lee. After closing up shop at The Old Stone Inn and stepping down as executive chef at Churchill Downs, Danielson is presenting on behalf of Dant Crossing, a new event venue in Gesthemane. He’ll be in town to talk about the Bluegrass’s best products.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17
The Schnitzelburg Fall Walk is an all-day neighborhood multi-block party that features a market and live music in an area packed with great bars. It kicks o with a Flea O Market at 11 a.m. at Monnik Beer Co. (1036 E. Burnett Ave.). Starting at 6 p.m., Monnik will also have a live music stage featuring performances by Turbonut, Tall Squares, Buck the Taxidermist and more. Starting at 4 p.m., the Merryweather (1101 Lydia Ave.) will also have a stage featuring Rude Weirdo, Ted Tyro, Future Fossils and more. —Scott Recker
Planet of the Tapes | 640 Barret Ave. | planetofthetapes.biz | 6 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Free | 21+ The ‘80s are you.“Safetyothers“PurplegaveCelebratemusic,crafts,poplatestShepardHollyTapesRadfestlifeenoughculture.ventourescentstopopularforeverthanksblindingandthead-ofseriousvideogameFolkscannotgetofatimewhenseemedtotallytubular.atPlanetofthewillbehostedbyWhoArtandJasonArtworX.It’stheandgreatestinretroculturefunwitharts,costumecontests,moviesandmore.thedecadethatus“TheReex”andRain,”asyoumeetwhocan’twaittoDance”alongwith—EricaRucker HOT AIR FALL IS HERE PRIDE RAD
The Schnitzelburg Fall Walk
The Gaslight Festival
RadFest: A Back 2 the ‘80s Event
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17 Louisville Pride Festival
Various locations in Je ersontown | jtownchamber.com/gaslight-festival | Free | Times vary This festival in Je ersontown has quite the collection of events, but the weekend is when things really get going with a balloon glow, car show, pipe smoking contest, live entertainment, local art for sale and plenty of drinks and food. —Ethan Smith
FRIDAY, SEPT. 16-18
20 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
STAFF PICKS
Various Locations | Search Facebook | 11 a.m. | No cover
Louisville Pride Foundation | Bardstown Road | louisvillepride.com/festival | Free | 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24 - 25
This might be a smaller pride festival than the big one at Waterfront Park, but rest assured there’ll still be plenty of glitter, glam, ags and drag. Have fun supporting the LGBTQ community and local businesses. — Carolyn Brown
—Jo Anne Triplett
THROUGH SEPT. 25
Really Really Free Market
PYRO Gallery | 1006 E. Washington St. | pyrogallery.com | Free
The recent paintings of Aaron Lubrick are in his usual themes of nature and people. He prefers to depict daily interactions from his world of being an artist, art teacher and father. “As an artist whose practice is embedded in the traditions of landscape painting,” he says, “I am interested in [art] that explores our very human relationship with nature in a contemporary context.” Also showing is The Allied Drawers Consortium (Lubrick is a founding member). —Jo Anne Triplett
This free street festival is returning for its 12th year, following a pandemic hiatus. It’ll feature live music, a play area for kids and more than 85 booths with local vendors.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24
We all need a little magic in our lives. The seven artists in this group exhibition are showing us how it can be done. Artist and gallerist Angie Reed Garner says she needed more magic in her life after recent events. “I dug deep for my magic, addressed some issues, talked to people, and manifested some wonderful things through one kind or another of painstaking daily labor and attention,” she said. “Other people dug deep in di erent ways; I saw them doing it, whether they knew it or not, and it gave me hope. Here’s a show about it.”
‘A��ırmations Of Color And Life’ By Aaron Lubrick
STAFF PICKS
FREE
NATURE
NuLu | 600-800 blocks of Market Street | nulu.org/Nulu-Fest | Free | 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
‘rest stop’ by Angie Reed Garner. Oil on canvas.
‘�ınd magic’
— Carolyn Brown
NULU
THROUGH SEPT. 25
A previous NuLu Fest. | PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROHM.
garner narrative contemporary ne art | 642 E. Market St. | garnernarrative.com | Free
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 21
MAGIC
Joe Creason Park | 1297 Trevilian Way | Free | 4 p.m.
“Nothing in life is free” is a lie. The Really Really Free Market is really really free and all the items available for choosing will be really really free. There is no trading, no bartering and absolutely no money exchange. The Louisville Anarchists host this anti-capitalist market several times a year organized around their principles of “mutual aid, cooperation, and voluntary association.” However, anyone at any time can do a RRFM. It’s an event with roots in New Zealand and Asian Food Not Bombs groups. The event has spread worldwide and happens all over the United States. —Erica Rucker
NuLu Fest
‘Big Rock’s Bathers’ by Aaron Lubrick. Oil on canvas.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24
LEO Weekly is hiring part-time distribution drivers. Must have a valid driver’s license, clean driving record, a reliable vehicle with cargo space and availability to drive every other week on Wednesdays starting at 7am until route is finished.
looking to earn some extra cash?
Devin Person at a previous Wizard Wednesday. | PHOTO BY CAROLYN BROWN.
‘Florence’ by Anna Erwin. Ink, watercolor, cut out drawings arranged in acrylic oating frame.
— Carolyn Brown
STAFF PICKS
THROUGH OCT. 2
Wizard Wednesday
Illustration by John J. Cobb
BODY MAGICALPOSITIVE
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 28
Professional wizard Devin Person — seriously, he’s a dude who works as a wizard — wants you to know that your magic is real, too. To that end, he hosts Wizard Wednesday, a monthly laid-back night at Old Louisville Brewery that’s all about the enchanting power of, well, enchantment. Dress up like a wizard, get a tarot reading, get a drink and meet the wizard himself.
There is a lot of talk today about featuring all variations of the human body in art and advertising. The body positivity movement comes at a time when the average female wears a size 16 and is 5-foot-4. Certainly not the size 2 of most 6-foot models. Artist Anna Erwin understands this; in her debut solo show at Revelry, her oating gure drawings represent a range of body sizes. “The driving force behind all my pieces is to ignite a love for being in one’s own skin and to appreciate every line the curve of the body makes,” she said. —Jo Anne Triplett
Email eknapp@leoweekly.com for more information.
Revelry Boutique + Gallery | 742 E. Market St. | revelrygallery.com | Free
‘Body Electric’ By Anna Erwin
22 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
!! must be reliable !! serious inquiries only
Old Louisville Brewery | 625 W. Magnolia Ave. | oldlouisvillebrewery.com | Free | 6-10 p.m.
“It’s about the feeling of being past your prime, of trying to stay relevant or exist in a world that you don’t feel like you belong in anymore,” Desper said. “When it feels like everyone and everything has progressed or moved forward and it feels like you’ve done
“If anything, I hope that anyone feeling similar to how I was when I wrote that song could hear it and not feel so alone, let out some frustration with it, and understand that feeling that way in itself is a blessing,” Desper said. “You can’t have good without the bad. And you can’t feel good again if you really do become expired.”
Scrooge Mandella’s “Expired” appears on their album, Feceshitly, Yours | PHOTO FROM BANDCAMP.
the time. Before the music came into play, I could hear it in my head putting emphasis on what was being said. It really felt like a big deal to get this song out because I wasn’t sure of my future, and we hadn’t really released a song like it before.”
EVERYONE feels like they’re treading water sometimes, but not everyone can write a song about it. But, of course, not everyone is Scrooge Mandella vocalist/guitarist Brian Desper, who says if you’re looking for an ode to existential crises, then look no further.
Desper also hopes by detailing his mental strife and setting it to music, others might be able to gain something from this battle with his inner demons and self-doubt.
“Our more popular songs are about things like overpopulation or working in warehouses or police brutality, so getting the reception we did from a song about basically having an existential crisis was a nice surprise,” Desper said.
begins dangerously confident, boiling to a riled aggression, before settling down with a warm, ear-wormy refrain. An argument could be made that the song itself is a mirror of the emotional rollercoaster that is selfdiscovery: realization, denial, melancholic acceptance.“Thelyrics came first and kind of drove everything forward from there,” Desper said. “I was at a low point mentally and started writing down how I felt. It started as a note in my phone for me to vent to myself and reflect on how I’m feeling. I have a lot of wasimportantupwhatSometimesthose.Iendwritingsticksaroundlongenoughandbecomesasong.Withthisone,themelodycamequickly,andIjumpedonturningitintoasongbecauseofhowittomeat
•
By Tyrel Kessinger | leo@leoweekly.com
“EXPIRED” BY SCROOGE MANDELLA
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 23 ZANZABARUPCOMINGEVENTS 15 AUSTIN MEADE 17 TONSTARTSSBANDHT + ANDREW RINEHART 18 KING BUFFALO + OGINALII 20 THE 502S + HAPPY LANDING + SAMUEL HERB 21 FLASHER 22 ANEMIC ROYALTY + SUNSHINE + GOLOMB & TURBO NUT 23 THE DESLONDES + TODD DAY WAIT 2524 THE HEAVY HEAVY + BROOKS RITTER STAR TREK TRIVIA 26 ILLITERATE LIGHT + DEAU EYES 27 JAVA MEN 28 ALICIA BLUE 29 ALEX DUPREE + ANNIE BLACKMAN + S.RAEKWON 03 WEDNESDAY + TRUTH CLUB ZANZABARLOUISVILLE.COM LIVEARCADEFOODMUSIC 2100 S PRESTON ST SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ON SALE NOW NIKKI LANE ( 10/04 ) MARK CHARLES ( 10/08 ) TITUS ANDRONICUS ( 10/14 ) TROPIDELIC ( 10/29 ) *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 Wellness/Preventative care Dentistry • Surgery Grooming • Senior Pet Care GET $20 OFF THE FIRST EXAM!* *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 VCA FAIRLEIGH ANIMAL HOSPITAL 1212 Bardstown Road • Louisville, KY 40204 502-451-6655 VCAfairleigh.com @vca_fairleigh @vcafairleighanimalhospital www.vcafairleigh.com MUSIC SONIC BREAKDOWN
“Expired” is two minutes of smart, catchy punk that deftly meshes the best parts of the genre from Anti-Nowhere League to Fugazi and even Green Day (though Desper called this a “subconscious inspiration”). Despite its brevity, the song takes the listener on a journey, punching in with a powerful staccato drive before ripping into a mid-tempo wave of jangly punk progressions while Desper’s vocals cut through like a sharp knife, playing off the dynamic musical shifts in the song. He
happyside,introspectivetheirknownbandclaimsDesperhave.”theyeffecttheoreitherfromhappinessgetyouthingsandtoyoueverythingwanteddoinlifenowthethatdotobyorgetaregonedon’thavesamethatusuallyThoughtheisn’tformorehe’stosee“Expired”
has helped the band garner some attention.
It’s odd to be old enough to see a revival of a music style that doesn’t really seem like it happened all that long ago. However, it’s been 30 years, (god that is painful to say), since grunge ruled the airwaves. Now Louisville’s In Utero is giving it a kick in the ass with their debut full-length spiral. Started as a passion project by vocalist and guitarist Davin Jones (who would also serve as songwriter, engineer and producer on this album), In Utero has now become a two-piece after taking on drummer Dom Zanotti. The Nirvana influence is obvious here; however, it’s the not-so-subtle touches of bands like Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney and Babes in Toyland that sets In Utero apart. Jones’ somewhat raspy, yet strong vocals occasionally go into punk-rock-style shrieking, with lyrics ranging from, in Jones’ words, “a place of deep introspection and other times as nonsense,” backed by the melodious crunch of the guitar and thunderous drums. The raw, rough-around-the-edges production helps give an authentic impression here of the unrefined nature of what originally made grunge great.
hereinstrumentalistSinger/songwriter/multi-NickTealeabsolutelyshinesonhisdebutfull-lengthalbum,
STILL IN LIMBO NICK SEARCHTEALEBANDCAMP
Limbo, the follow-up to last year’s EP, Love Was. Eclectic mix is an understatement, but in the best possible way. Ten acoustic guitar-driven, genre-spanning tracks dealing with themes of introspection, love, insecurity, mercy, justice and power structures, all centered around Nick’s strong, full vocals that “range from Johnny Cash lows to Steve Perry highs,” as Teale so perfectly puts it. Each song gives the listener a unique experience different from the previous, yet all somehow blending together beautifully. Whether it’s the jazzy, ‘70s funk rock feel of “Don’t Let ‘Em Take The Temple,” the adult contemporary “Whatever It Takes,” the bluegrassy, folky, Americana “Rectangles,” the poppy, jazzy, Latin with an R&B flare of “Limbo,” the Southern rock-tinged “Water Ski” or the completely-out-of-left-field Arabic-influenced hip-hop track “Solomon’s Verse,” there is a little something here for everyone.
24 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 WE'RE HIRING www.fhclouisville.org/careers fhclouisville 502-774-8631 We serve the working poor, the uninsured, those seekinghomelessness,experiencingrefugees,immigrants,andanyoneaffordable,highqualityhealthcare. YONDERHOTSTRINGMOUNTAINBANDBROWNSMACKDOWN|HOUSEPLANT9/28 MEMBER SUPPORTED PUBLIC MEDIA • WFPK.ORG OUTSIDE ALCOHOL IS PROHIBITED. NO COOLERS, GLASS OR PETS ALLOWED WATERFRONT PARK’S BIG FOUR LAWN • EVENT BEGINS AT 5PM • FREE ADMISSION
Still In
He’s a little bit country, and he’s a little bit rock and roll… and folk, jazz, bluegrass, pop, Americana, contemporary, Middle Eastern and Latin. Pretty much a little bit of everything.
SPIRAL IN SEARCHUTEROBANDCAMP
MUSIC LISTEN LOCAL: FOUR NEW MUSIC REVIEWS
By Je�f Polk | leo@leoweekly.com
“KID SINGLEBRUISES”
Louisville-based scream-pop duo GRLwood has been known to write some sarcastically funny, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. This is not one of those songs. Built around a slower-paced, grungy, lo-fi, indie-pop tune, “Kid Bruises” (the first single off GRLwood’s upcoming EP Simple Candy) is a full-on heartbreaker revolving around a child abused by her mother, contemplating suicide when her grandmother dies so she doesn’t have to go alone. When vocalist/ guitarist Rej Foerster follows up the quiet refrain of “Don’t tell grandma” with an absolutely ferocious scream of “That I want to kill myself,” you don’t just hear it, you feel it. All the pent-up rage, anger and hurt all comes spilling out in one moving, emotional, empowering, brilliant moment. Regarding the lyrics, Rej Foerster says, “I want this song to help people feel not alone when they are going through it. And that’s a really isolating feeling that can drive some people really far. I hope by giving that desperate feeling some vocabulary, it can help someone express what they are feeling in a creative external way instead of letting it eat them from the inside out.” Easily one of GRLwood’s most powerful performances yet.
Louisville newgrass fusion sextet Hot Brown Smackdown is back with a sneakpeak of their next, yet-to-be-titled sophomore album to be released later this year. Not only is “Empire” the first studio track to be released since last year’s self-titled album, it is also the first song to feature the contributions of violinist/songwriter Ellie Ruth Miller, who officially joined the band late last year. Given the number of shows this band does locally, I’m assuming pretty much everyone is at least vaguely familiar with them at this point. For the few who aren’t, Hot Brown Smackdown’s songs typically lie somewhere between progressive bluegrass, rock and jazz. “Empire,” however, leans a bit harder into their jazz influences while still seamlessly blending in their jam band, rock and bluegrass influences. Imagine a combination of Billy Strings, Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead and Miles Davis all in one song. That will get you somewhere close to the sound here. This is a smooth, sweet, easygoing track that is as perfect for kicking back and relaxing as it is for getting up and dancing.
“EMPIRE” SINGLE
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 25 AMERICAN BRANDY, GIN && ABSINTHE DISTILLERYEXPERIENCEBOURBONAMERICANDISTILLERYBRANDYAGEDINKENTUCKYBARRELSSONICAGING:LISTENTOTHEBARRELSROCK‘NROLLEXPLORETHESKYDECK&TAKEINTHEVIEWSOFDOWNTOWNLOUISVILLE1121E.WASHINGTONSTLOUISVILLE,KY40206COPPERANDKINGS.COMVOTEDBESTLOUISVILLEDISTILLERYMUSIC
HOT BROWN SMACKDOWN SEARCH SPOTIFY
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But they were quite good. In short, I know where I’ll be getting my game-day wings going forward.
But what might go unnoticed is the food — Virtue’s owners in recent weeks opened a second location in the Clifton neighborhood, and lunch will be a focal point of the new spot.
26 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
seafood.Ihitthe
The fare? Southern favorites like wings and fried
But the dancing would come later (well, not for me). I perused the menu and was hit by the many sauces and dry rubs Virtue offers for its wings: barbecue, hot barbecue, Buffalo, lemon pepper, lemon pepper Buffalo, Grippo’s — you get the idea. There’s also Accident (a
new Virtue location on lower Brownsboro, which until recently was home to Trifecta, specifically to try out the wings, and ended up going back the next day. For those who had patronized Trifecta, the interior of the place has been transformed into a more open space with an orange and black color scheme. A lounge with several couches sits on one side of the room, a few tables offer dining space, and a long reclaimed-wood bar fills the back of the room. Up front, there’s plenty of dance floor.
VIRTUE BAR & LOUNGE opened on Oak Street nearly five years ago and remains a big attraction as a nightclub and hookah lounge.
For my part, I noticed the salmon bites. I decided to return to try one or the other, and when I went back, I struck up a conversation with one of the owners, Toney. I told him I was keen to try the salmon bites, and he said, “You have to try the catfish.”
Virtue Bar and Lounge 911 Wings. | PHOTOS BY KEVIN GIBSON.
Decisions, decisions. Toney hooked me up not only with the salmon bites, but a couple bites of other items as well. Long story short, Toney was on the money. The fried catfish nuggets were prepared classic Southern style, with crispy cornmeal batter laced with plenty of salt and pepper. They were fried perfectly, with the fish inside
By Kevin Gibson | leo@leoweekly.com
“The meat falls off the bone,” she said.
RECOMMENDED NEW VIRTUE BAR & LOUNGE ON BROWNSBORO OFFERS SNEAKY GOOD WINGS, CATFISH AND MORE
FOOD & DRINK
She was right, though. I got an order of six, and the aroma of the fiery red-orange wings immediately tickled my nostrils, preparing me for what was to come. I examined the wing sauce and noticed red pepper flakes and even pepper seeds, along with black pepper.Idove in, and yes, they were hot, but mostly they were popping with flavor. And the best part was that, while they were only medium-sized wings, they were cooked crispy, plenty juicy inside and obviously fresh, quality chicken. Thirty minutes later, my lips were still burning.
I asked Nisha her favorite menu item, and she talked up the turkey legs, which come in various ways, whether by itself like you’re at a Renaissance faire or as a meal, paired with greens and macaroni and cheese.
At one point, the cook came out of the kitchen glanced at me as she walked by, saying, “I can’t believe you’re eating those.”
“They’re real hot,” bartender Nisha warned. I was undeterred.
blend of lemon pepper and Grippo’s, literally created by accident) and Henny, with a Hennessy Cognac-based sauce. Because I like it hot, I chose the 911 version.
may be on tap for my next visit. (You can even get the turkey legs with Grippo’s seasoning — it’s called “The PawPaw.”) There also are a couple of salads on the menu as well as other vegetarian options.
flaky, fluffy and delicious. It was like Sundays at my grandma’s house.
The house sauce, sort of a Cajun-style aioli, adds a tangy aside, but honestly, that fish needed no help. I couldn’t get enough. And one of the curveballs that Virtue Bar throws at its diners is that you can get many of the fried dishes with Grippo’s seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning and others. I got a couple bites of the Grippo’s catfish, and, well, let’s just say it was a unique experience. I prefer it straight, but for those who love the Grippo’s fries found at places like Hammerheads, this is worth a try. (Note: there’s also a “giant catfish sandwich” on the Themenu.)salmon
bites also were tasty — sort of a meatier version of a salmon croquette, in sphere form. It actually seemed more attuned to the house sauce than the catfish, at least for my palate. And if you like fried mozzarella sticks, the version at Virtue have a little spice to the breading. Quite interesting.Upanddown
the menu, it’s finger foods, like fried shrimp, eggrolls, hush puppies (made with kernels of corn), a few sandwiches and of course the turkey legs, which
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 27 FOOD & DRINK
• VIRTUE BAR & LOUNGE 1971 Brownsboro Road 502-290-0830
Cat sh nuggets at Virtue Bar and Lounge. | Photo by Kevin Gibson.
Toney said, in addition to lunch and dinner hours Wednesday through Sunday, the restaurant will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and serve tacos. On Sundays, NFL will be shown on the many flatscreen TVs. Of course, at night it’s party time. But if you’re looking for a tasty meal, you can stop in all day — and there’s even a drive-through window for convenience.
Instead of the sardonic, “cantankerous” Burr, we met a thoughtful, and, yes, unfiltered skeptic who, despite the controversy it might cause, often states the obvious and offers a lens on situations and humanity that renders them funny and sometimes uncomfortable. In the discomfort is where Burr often finds his critics and those who want to tone-police him. But Burr is recounting his human experience in the way that he sees it. He isn’t punching down or up, but punching to understand his life and the lives of others, whether you like how he says it or not.
I remember learning, on that one, you don’t always have to chop somebody’s head off, you do something a little playful, make
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.
BILL BURR ON ANGER, ALLIES AND ‘STRIKING OUT’
By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com
YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT GROWING UP, BEING A REDHEAD KID AND BEING A SORT OF OUTCAST AND SHY. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE SO BOLD AND HONEST ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING?
It’s just something I worked on because I knew if I was self-conscious and afraid the crowd would sense it and I would attract what I figured, which was not doing well. So, I also realized that I actually wasn’t this shy kid. I was actually a strong person. I just had been emotionally beat down and whatnot as a kid. It just took me a while to kind of uncover who I really was rather than who I became.
I WATCHED THE ‘FEARLESS’ INTERVIEW WITH TIM FERRIS WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT A SHOW IN PHILADELPHIA THAT WASN’T GOING SO WELL AND YOU RESPONDED BRILLIANTLY. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER MOMENTS WHEN THAT SAME SORT OF SPONTANEITY TURNED A SHOW AROUND FOR YOU?
LEO: WHEN I’M LISTENING TO YOUR COMEDY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRIKES ME IS THAT IT IS VERY SORT OF THE MOMENT AND IN THE PRESENT, AND THAT FEELS SOMEWHAT PHILOSOPHICAL. DO YOU THINK A LOT ABOUT PHILOSOPHY AS YOU CREATE YOUR SHOWS?
SO, THE STAGE ALLOWS YOU TO BE UNFILTERED SO YOU WON’T GET BEAT UP?
COMEDIAN, podcaster and actor Bill Burr is often noted for his angry persona and his ability to tread on the tenderness of others in our sometimes too verbally-careful society. He admits that he has to work on his anger. However, a quick analysis of the current political, economic and social climate in the world, particularly the United States, shows it is easy to see how Burr can be set off on a tirade. We should all be pissed. LEO got the chance to catch up with Burr ahead of his Louisville date on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the KFC Yum! Center.
Yeah, or just to be heard. One of the hardest things in the world is to be heard. That’s one of the great things both ways with stand-up comedy is when I tell a joke and you laugh, it makes me feel heard. And if you’re relating to what I’m saying, then you feel understood or maybe less crazy that someone else shares your thoughts.
28 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The first thing I thought of is a show in Spanish Harlem, back in the day. This guy, Smokey, booked me up there. I was the only white guy on the show, and the crowd was all Black and Puerto Rican, and I don’t know, I got into it with some lady on stage. I was in the middle of my joke and she threw her shoe at me. It was like a lecture hall where the stage was lower than anybody else. So, she kind of hook-shotted it down at me and, and I was like lunging forward, acting out this bit, and it hit me on the inside of my leg. At first I got mad and you kind of felt this tension like, ‘Oh, shit’s gonna happen.’ I was able to turn it around because the shoe was all messed up. So I said, ‘You know, at first I was gonna get mad, but then I looked at the shoe. I realized this isn’t about me.’
Bill Burr: I have to be honest with you. I don’t really know what the definition of philosophy is. That’s probably a good thing. But, as far as my mindset, when I shoot these specials, you’re just capturing what my hour looked like on this particular night. Like, this is how it came out. So, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I don’t care if it’s topical stuff in there. I’m just capturing where I was at.
Well, I’m kind of the same guy. I don’t walk around acting crazy like I do onstage. [pauses] I think I understand women a lot more than I ever did, which is not a lot. I’m kind of learning different stuff offstage but then I can joke about it onstage. I look at
every little perceived slight to me as just material.
I THINK THAT IS ALSO ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS, AS A WRITER. EVEN IF THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE, YOU KNOW THEY FELT SOMETHING.
I saw something the other day talking
it about, maybe, yourself. I learned that watching Bob Barker when he would do “The Price is Right.” If someone would say something really stupid or make a dumb bid, he would put part of it on himself. He would be like, ‘You know, now wait a minute, Erica. Let’s think this out,’ like he was part of the bad decision.
IT’S FUNNY WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT YOUR WIFE PUTTING UP WITH YOU. HOW DO YOU SEPARATE BILL BURR THE COMEDIAN AND BILL BURR, HUSBAND AND FATHER?
Bill Burr called his LEO Interview, “One of my favorite interviews I’ve done in a long time.” Catch him September 29 at the KFC Yum! Center. | PHOTO FROM BURR’S SPECIAL, “I’M SORRY YOU FEEL THAT WAY.”
about my work that said, ‘Bill Burr strikes out again.’ I bursted out laughing. They don’t like my work. How long is this saintly person going to hang in there with me before they realize they don’t like my work?
LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 29 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
HOW DO YOU DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN SAYING WHAT IS OBVIOUS WITHOUT SHAMING OR HURTING SOMEONE’S FEELINGS?
I don’t pay attention to any of that because that’s just a bunch of white people pretending that they care. You know, like all those white people who hashtag BLM, and then that’s all they did. They’re like, ‘I’m an ally, Black people can depend on me to speak up.’ It’s like, ‘You didn’t do anything.’
I’m 54 years young. Just because they are quiet, doesn’t mean they aren’t listening or that it’s necessarily a negative thing. It’s just part of the ride that you’re taking them on. And, uh, you know, there’s way more colors to standup comedy when you explore it other than going up there, having people laugh their asses off. There’s a whole bunch of things that you can do from the totally absurd and sophomoric to maybe what Chappelle does.
•
Comedian, Podcaster, and actor Bill Burr | PHOTO BY KOURY ANGELO.
I actually read an incredible book called, “Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy.” It’s a good book for a white person to read.
If I’m being an asshole, somebody should call me an asshole and let me know that I’m being an asshole, as opposed to picking a word that won’t hurt my feelings when they convey that information. I got my shit I need to work on. You know, when somebody calls me an angry lunatic, I don’t be like, um, “Could you actually just say, ‘a heated Caucasian?’” I’ve got a temper and I need to work on it.
Catch Bill Burr at the Yum! Center on Thursday, Sept. 29 or on his podcast, “Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast” at billburr.com/podcast. Tickets for the Yum! Center performance start at $51.50 plus fees.
If you watch Dave, he will have very silly immature jokes mixed in. It’s why I enjoy watching him. ‘Cause he can make a really deep point, but then quickly follow it up with something totally absurd, which I think is a nice sort of balance, almost like a meal.
SO WE’RE IN THE SAME AGE GROUP-ISH, AND GROWING UP IN THE ‘70S AND ‘80S, THINGS WERE DIFFERENT. LANGUAGE WAS DIFFERENT. HAVE YOU TOLD A STORY WHERE THE AUDIENCE WAS JUST LIKE, ‘I CAN’T HANG WITH THAT’ BECAUSE OF HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED?
Chin and Lin are astute at gathering and connecting the disparate pieces of a puzzling and perilous 21st-century syndrome. At around the beginning of the millennium, anti-terrorism concerns in China give rise to a nationalist spirit that at first might not seem different from boom-and-bust cycles that have come before. (This includes repression of Uyghur ethnic communities far from Beijing; in decades past they have subtly declared and off-handedly been given
DOES the world seem disturbingly chaotic these days? If you find it difficult to handle, there are people who have ideas to alleviate your suffering. The key, as one of their bright lights has written, is “standardizing people’s behavior and liberating them in order to establish a beneficial order.” And what seems the most probable way to turn that key? “A comprehensive systems engineering project.”These dreams of a society,stableand of its Joshauthors/journalistsSocialaQuestInsidelancebooknewlyChina.ity,placentfromsimplydissidentspeopleprivacy)(andgaininganbeingachievementbasedonoverwhelm-campaigntoknowledgeobliterateofallwhoareordifferentacom-major-comefromInthereleased“Surveil-State:China’stoLaunchNewEraofControl,”ChinandLiza
And if my reaction might be forgiven: The fact that elements of encroaching totalitarianism (related to the data analytics) came about because IBM couldn’t make hardware sales after the 2008 recession, so some of their most enterprising professionals cast about in search of customers for their service/training offerings until they tripped into Chinese hardliners who preceded Xi
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
which allows you to read through without prematurely igniting paranoia and inviting finger-pointing. This doesn’t mean that the authors entertain exercises in wishfulfillment or projecting in the name of even-handedness — but it’s undeniable that greater knowledge about people and their habits can be used to improve security as well as day-to-day services, demonstrated in the city of Hangzhou with an acceleration of rescue operations to blazing, life-saving speed. And the heartbreaking clampdowns experienced by the Uyghurs are brought into focus with a clearer eye than would be had by making social programs and even communism into stick-figure villains: In what might seem at first to be sidebars, capitalism feeds into how information-age tools and techniques make a corrupt muddle out of what might have been improved quality of life in a more-democratic Uganda.
•
A variety of ticket options are available, including dinner at the Ali Center. Further information is at 502-584-7777 or www. kentuckyperformingarts.org.
Jinping? Well, that’s a bit of a hoot worthy of a Vonnegut novel. By the way, plenty of other American corporate needle-movers of the information age come off as bad, or worse.
Lin prove themselves up to the challenge of keeping current with a subject that is particularly fast-moving (though some of the seeds were planted centuriesCo-authorago).Chin will appear as part of the UofL Kentucky Author Forum on Thursday, Sept. 29, in a program beginning at 5 p.m. CNN Contributor Evan Osnos will join in the conversation at the Bomhard Theater.
By T.E. Lyons | leo@leoweekly.com
degrees of autonomy.) Coincidentally, information-gathering tech and the algorithms to analyze resulting data are growing by giant leaps — led by America’s Silicon Valley. Soon the most zealous of regional Communist Party leaders show they can increase peace in their respective precincts by installing more street-level cameras and more quickly rounding up the disaffectedbookvaluepork,ityeducation”awaytoonyourgence)artifijustobserversrequiremightprotestor,menformertheexemplifiaspresentWeinperceived(whetherorpractice).approachday,andaffectinglyedbyplightofaTianan-Squareitonlysome(orautomatedcialintelli-detectinginsistenceeatinghalalgetyoucartedtoa“re-facil-andforce-fedorworse.Partoftheofthisisitscalm,
30 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
Josh Chin.
AUTHOR FORUM ON CHINESE SURVEILLANCE
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LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 31 ETC.
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PARLOR TRICK York Magazine Crossword
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BY MATTHEW STOCK AND WILL NEDIGER | EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ No. 0320
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Rococo painter of ‘‘Allegory of the Planets and Continents’’ They might be pregnant Organic energy compound, for short ‘‘Mi ____ es su ____’’
25 Persuades a customer to pay more 26 ‘‘Or so’’
46
Times
ACROSS
72 Hang out on a line 73 U.K. award bestowed by the queen
Kent 104 Sports
33 Suffix with official
78
21 Klein who wrote the best seller ‘‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate’’
13 It covers more than 30 percent of the earth’s surface
38 ____ K. Smith, poet who won a Pulitzer for ‘‘Life on Mars’’
31 Hoppin’
49
40 Cosmetic that can be applied with a brush
58 What ‘‘10’’ can mean Extra Rolled one’s r’s, say Linguistic unit
1 Home of St. Clare Starfleet weapon Election night calculation . . . or what’s traced by the circled letters
8
DIXIE AUTO SALES (502) 384-7766 (NEXT TO ZIP’S CAR WASH)
There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to Savage.Love.
He was apparently willing to overlook your snooping, SMELLTEST, seeing as you’re still together. And you were apparently willing to overlook the mountain of incriminating evidence you found on his phone. While you honored his “no contact with exes” rule from the start, he was swapping texts, sexts,
I haven’t had a chance to snoop through Harry Styles’ phone, SMELLTEST, so I can’t definitively say that no straight guy has ever sent another straight guy his dick pics. (Or spat on another straight guy at a film premiere.) And seeing as lots of straight men enjoy playing “gay chicken” these days (and posting the videos to TikTok), it stands to reason that some straight guys may be swapping dick pics and ironic messages about how badly they want each other’s cocks for the lols. But I don’t think that kind of behavior is common among straight guys, particularly straight guys in their 40s.
REPOSSESSION SALE
11:00 A.M.
2007 Honda Accord 1HGCM56327A065549
Leo's Towing & Recovery, LLC at 510 E.Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 with phone number 502-727-9503, has intention of obtaining title to a blue in color 2008 Ford Escape bearing VIN #1FMCU93178KA49928 registered in name of Leanne Downes last known address 116 Wyndamere PHT#33, Georgetown, KY 40324. Lienholders: None. Owner or lienholders have 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.
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There were also messages detailing how much they admired and missed each other’s cocks, and my boyfriend said he wanted to fuck other women with his friend. When I asked him about his relationship with this man, he said that they are just good friends, and that this kind of sexting was “something straight guys do.” I don’t think any of my past straight boyfriends ever talked about missing other guys’ cocks, but this is the first boyfriend whose phone I ever checked for shenanigans. Is this something straight guys do?
I don’t care if my boyfriend was bisexual, but I don’t want to be lied to. And I really don’t want to be the crazy girlfriend, but my boyfriend had framed photos of this particular guy in his house that I made him remove. I also asked him to cut off all contact with this man. This is all fresh in my mind because we ran into this guy the other night. They kept telling each other how good they both looked and my BF was visibly nervous the whole time. Is my boyfriend telling me the truth? Do straight guys who don’t have any sexual interest in their friends send them dick pics? My BF is in his mid-40s. He knows I’m bi. The “no contact with exes” rule was his idea, not mine, and I think this guy counts as an ex and should remain blocked. Do you agree?
If this friend is the only guy your boyfriend has ever messed around with, SMELLTEST, if that one guy’s cock is the only cock he’s ever wanted to push past his tonsils, your boyfriend is free to round himself down to straight. I also don’t think having messed around with this one dude makes them “exes” in the romantic/dating sense of the term, and I think you should let your boyfriend put his picture back up. Finally, SMELLTEST, what the two of you are doing—this guy with his no-contact rules about exes and his lies, you with your snooping and demands to take down photos—sounds so exhausting. Is this a relationship or a police state? If he can manage to remain monogamous and gets a charge out of swapping dick pics with an old friend, what harm is there in that? Why not let him have that? And if the guy was hot… why not let both of them have you?
CLASSIFIED LISTINGS
P.S. I hope those videos you BF sent his friend of him having sex with other women were taken with the consent of those other women and that he had their permission to share those videos with his friend.
At the time I checked his phone, I also found strange messages to one of his male friends. My BF sent this guy nudes and videos of him having sex with other women. (This was before we met.)
By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage
Leo's Towing & Recovery, LLC at 510 E.Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 with phone number 502-727-9503, has intention of obtaining title to a silver in color 2008 Kia Rio bearing VIN #KNADE123486307452 registered in name of DEE Auto Sales, 8304 National Turnpike, Louisville KY 40214. Lienholders: None. Owner or lienholders have 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.
32 LEOWEEKLY.COM // SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
SAVAGE LOVE
CELIA
and photos with his exes the whole time, lurking on dating apps, and maintaining multiple Instagram accounts. You concluded he hadn’t cheated on you— he just broke his own stupid rule—but in my experience, SMELLTEST, “rules for thee, not for me” types are rarely very good at honoring monogamous commitments over the long term. I’m not saying he’s cheated on you already, but if not getting cheated on ever is important to you… he might not be the guy.
Listenquestions@savagelove.nettoDanontheSavage Lovecast.
Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage.
Q: I’m monogamous and have been dating my boyfriend who identifies as straight for a little over a year. He told me that he had a strict “no contact with exes” policy when we first met. Due to some sketchy behavior, lies and gaslighting on his part— regarding contacts with his ex-girlfriends, open dating profiles, and multiple private Instagram accounts—I checked his phone, and my suspicions were confirmed. He didn’t cheat but there were some inappropriate messages that he apologized for. He blocked all his exes and is on the straight and narrow now.
As for his claim that swapping dick pics and compliments are things straight guys do…
POLICE STATES
A: Your boyfriend made the rule—no contact with exes (not even eye contact on the subway?)—but at some point, after the lying and gaslighting, you became the enforcer: digging through his phone, ordering him to block his exes, take down framed photos, etc.
HELP WANTED
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LEGAL
Straight Men Exchanging Long Lusty Texts Exuding Sexual Tension
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Leo's Towing & Recovery, LLC at 510 E.Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 with phone number 502-727-9503, has intention of obtaining title to a red in color 2004 Ford Mustang bearing VIN #1FAFP4446YF102492 registered in name of last known address 848 S.Second Street, Louisville, KY 40203. Lienholders: None. Owner or lienholders have 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.
ETC.
My hunch is that your guy had and enjoyed a few MMF threesomes with this guy before you met, and it was in that context—with a woman in the room to heterosexualize any incidental homosexual contact— that he came to appreciate his friend’s cock. Seeing as you dug through his phone long enough to find all the dating apps he’s on, all the messages he’d been swapping with ex-girlfriends, and all those fake Instagram accounts, SMELLTEST, if he was bisexual you probably would’ve found messages he’d sent to other men and his Grindr, Scruff, and Sniffies accounts too.
Sweet cat alert! Introducing the lovely, Savannah. If you've been looking for an aloof, snooty companion - keep searching! Savannah is a dream come true. This three-year-old kitty came to the Kentucky Humane Society when her owner could no longer care for her. Savannah is a young cat who, despite her meatloaf body size, is prone to zoomies every now and then. She is hoping her new owners can accommodate an energetic kitty who needs to have playtime sessions throughout the day. Savannah hasn't been around dogs, cats, or children. However, her previous owner let us know that Savannah's darling and gentle personality was perfect for when she fostered orphaned kittens at a vet office before she was adopted! If you've been wanting a sweet and playful kitty who has plenty of love to give then come see Savannah today at the Kentucky Humane Society’s Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, or learn more at https://www.kyhumane.org/adopt/cats/. She is spayed, micro-chipped and up-to-date on her vaccinations.
SAVANNAH
Meet the ever lovely Celia! Celia is a three-year-old Mountain Cur mix who weighs 45 pounds and is in the market for a loving family. This brindle beauty came to the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter and has been stealing the hearts of staff and volunteers ever since! She has a playful disposition and loves going for walks, learning new tricks, and eating delicious doggy snacks. Celia has proven too overbearing for cats but LOVES playing with dogs! She does have a rough play style (kangaroo boxing, wrestling, and tag are her favorites), which isn't suited for every pup. If you have a dog at home, it would greatly benefit the family to do a meet and greet in order to see if they have compatible styles. Come visit this cutie today at the Kentucky Humane Society’s Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, or learn more at https://www.kyhumane.org/adopt/dogs/. Celia is spayed, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all vaccinations.
ROBINSONRACHELBYPHOTO
