LEO Weekly Feb 1, 2023

FOUNDER

John Yarmuth

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Erica Rucker, erucker@leoweekly.com

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Lincoln Wright, lwright@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

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Marsha Blacker, mblacker@leoweekly.com

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Kimberly Bramlett, kbramlett@leoweekly.com

THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE IN LOUISVILLE’S FUTURE

By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com

AS WE look out into the American abyss — Black bodies and Black trauma are still paraded in the streets and across our screens. Little seems to change in the system that creates these scenarios, and we’re grappling, yet again, with the “How much more?” question. How much more can we take? How many more Black bodies will be sacrificed to this system? The number has to be finite, but when will we see the final integer tick across our television screens or pop up as a tweet on our phones?

As I started to plan this issue of LEO, knowing that it was falling on the first day of Black History Month, I wanted to consider what it meant to have a Black future here in Louisville. So often, daily survival keeps us from considering what we might become in the future. When I say we, I am speaking directly to Black people as a Black woman. What will we be in the future? We will be in the future. That is a certainty.

Artist Alisha B. Wormsley declared in her 2017 billboard in Pittsburgh’s now-gentrified East Liberty neighborhood, “There are Black people in the future.” The statement seems obvious. Of course, Black people are part of the future. This statement, however, gave agency and space to Black people to claim their part in the future. It spoke to the need for Black folks to look ahead and make the future be there for us, not just that we need to exist for the future. We will be a part of it and it better make room for us because we’re coming.

Wormsley follows in the footsteps of many Afrofuturists, including Sun Ra, who our new film writer, Tracy Heightchew, discusses in her piece about “Space is the Place,” playing Thursday, Feb 2, free at the Speed Cinema. The film gives Sun Ra center stage to offer Black people a chance at a world that leaves “Earth” and all of its dangers behind.

This issue examines Black future through our stories, our music and our art. Since this is also the LEO Winter A&E issue, it created the perfect chance to put these pieces

together.

There are two features in this issue, one a story from the Louisville Story Program’s newest book, “If You Write Me a Letter, Send It Here” due in April, which gives people from the Russell neighborhood a chance to tell their stories amidst the current shifts in their landscape; and the other an Interview-Magazine-style piece where Kiana Benhoff of Kiana and the Sun Kings interviews another musical artist, Cyr Wilson of Live Action about the musical divide in Louisville. It takes two artists, seemingly from different musical genres, and allows them the space to talk about challenges and opportunities. The issue is unique in that much of it is centered clearly around a theme. It is a more curated LEO than many previous, but I think the cohesion in the stories, the opportunity for a Black future to be imagined or experienced, is something quite special. If space and money were never an issue, I could have added so much more to this book, and so many more voices. With that said, I’m quite proud of the work and the stories. This is another issue that you can spend time with over a favorite hot mug, glass of wine, or whatever you drink (or don’t) while reading your LEO.

The stories will show up online, but the paper is something unique this time. Our cover art by Alexis ‘Stix’ Brown is a window into what could be and a nod to what has been. As she says in her interview, “My work challenges its viewers to emerge with something tangible for our elders to be proud of, a safe space for our future generations to navigate confidently, and to compliment the unwavering spirit of our brave Ancestors.”

This issue creates a space, something tangible for our elders to be proud of, something of a safe space, I hope that in some small way, this issue complements the spirit of those who came before me, who gave me their shoulders to stand on, and who still support the work that happens at LEO in creating room for voices that should be heard. •

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CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AND WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

ANNUAL PHOTO EXHIBITION

Women and Prison

Opening March 8

Shining a Light is an annual photography contest and exhibition that highlights important human rights issues for women on a global scale around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender Equality. This year, the Ali Center asked participants to submit photographs that illustrate the unique ways in which incarceration affects women prisoners. We invite you to celebrate Women’s History Month with this compelling exhibit.

Shining a Light is included in the museum’s regular admission price.

For more information, visit alicenter.org

502.584.9254 | 144 N. Sixth St., Louisville

SIR, A LITTLE TRANSPHOBIC...

Just when we all thought Leo couldn’t sink any further from it’s grandeur during John Yarmuth’s Editorship, you give your thorns rating to proposed bills in the legislature. Have you literally lost your mind and any credibility you might have had ?????

Do you honestly think that requiring students to use the restroom of their birth gender, makes life hell for LGBTQ folks ????????? REALLY ?? Were you raised by wolves ?? EVERY parent has already taught that to their child before they ever start to school (except in your delusions apparently).

Do you honestly think MEDICALLY TRAINED EXPERTS should NOT be allowed to use their training (training that you don’t have) to decline performing harmful procedures ?? So, you think that patients that want radical procedures that have rami cations they can’t possibly understand, should be allowed to force Doctors to do something, just because they want it, just as a spoiled brat thinks they should get everything they want ??????????????

Do you honestly think that permanent unnecessary irreversible surgeries should be legally allowed for minor children, when we know that the human brain is not fully developed until about age 25, and few of us don’t radically view the world di erently, as adults than we did when we were immature children ???????????????????

IF you honestly believe that any of

these bills harms LGBTQ folks for even a second, then you truly are one of the few older adults that has not gotten wiser as you’ve aged. You are clearly pandering to the young skulls of unformed mush that applaud your writing. I pity your friends and family.

—Ronnie Roberts

Unequivocally, we believe that people should feel safe, comfortable and receive the care they believe they need from their physicians. Also, those decisions should only be between a patient and their physician. We never support legislation to place anyone in harm’s way. It’s easy to mind our own business, but KY’s Republican legislature seems to nd that increasingly di cult — really goes against that personal freedom stance they spout a lot.

DISGUSTED

you are disgusting your leo columns and hate for America are sad. Why not move?

—Nicholas Parrino

It’s expensive.

SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS

So great to have Tim Sullivan back writing here in Louisville. He was not only just a great sports writer for the CJ, but one of the best writers period. It is going to be wonderful to read his singular voice on whatever he feels is a worthy story to tell.

—Rick Hill

We’re pretty excited about it, too.

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Photo by Jahid Apu

This space is for you. Sometimes, we talk back.

The festival is showcasing a spectacular hybrid season featuring 15 top-rated, thought-provoking films and 1 short film. In addition, the festival will present 7 special event programs.

INVEST MORE THAN $30 MILLION TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING

By Gracie Vanover | leo@leoweekly.com

THORNS & ROSES

THORN: KELLY CRAFT’S EMPTY EMPTY CHAIR AD

In a recent ad, Republican gubernatorial candidate (and wife of a coal magnate) Kelly Craft talked about how families across the Commonwealth had an empty place at their dinner table because “fentanyl and other dangerous drugs have stolen our loved ones away.” She said that as a mother, she had experienced that empty chair at her table. With the somber tone, the emotional piano music and the shots of empty chairs, a rational person could infer she was talking about having a child who died due to addiction or overdose. But when pressed on the issue, Craft said the ad was nothing of the sort — that it was about a living family member, not somebody who has passed

ABSURD: CRAFT’S MANUFACTURED KENTUCKY BORDER CRISIS

If Kelly Craft’s “empty chair” ad hadn’t been so dishonest, her unhinged ad about the “border crisis in Kentucky” probably would have have made more of a splash. “We may not be able to build a wall like this around Kentucky,” she says in the ad while standing in front of a portion of Trump’s failed border wall. “But my top priorities as governor will secure our state’s borders, back up our police. And if you’re a drug dealer — I’m coming for you.” In a Craft administration, are we going to install a border checkpoint on the Second Street Bridge?

IN WHAT he described as a “historic” announcement on Jan. 26, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city will invest more than $30 million in addressing homelessness and affordable housing.

The funds will be split between eviction prevention and creating new affordable housing units. Additionally, Greenberg said, the city will build a “community care campus” in the Smoketown neighborhood on land it has agreed to purchase for $6.9 million.

Greenberg said the initiatives “should change the face of our city, allow us to confront some of the leading causes of chronic homelessness, help keep people in their homes

and provide much needed permanent and affordable housing.”

He added: “I’m very excited to announce a plan that we believe is unique, [and] something that we believe is the first of its kind in the country that will be a national model for other cities [to] follow.”

RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND EVICTION PREVENTION

Under the plan, $8.25 million will be funneled into immediate eviction prevention assistance to keep people in their homes. The Association of Community Ministries will be given $5 million to provide direct rental assistance to thousands of local

families and individuals facing eviction, specifically for households who have applied for assistance through the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund.

In December, Louisville was allocated $38 million in eviction relief funds by Gov. Andy Beshear. Greenberg has faced criticism in recent weeks for “sitting” on those funds while thousands faced potential evictions. During his Jan. 26 address, he appeared to acknowledge these concerns that many have expressed.

“We have been working as fast as we can, and we know that far too many people in our community have been stressed and worried as they have applied for funding

ROSEBUD: GREENBERG ADMINISTRATION’S INVESTMENTS TO

COMBAT

HOMELESSNESS

Mayor Craig Greenberg recently announced that Louisville will invest tens of millions of dollars to address homelessness and a ordable housing. The move, which Greenberg said “should change the face” of Louisville, includes the city’s purchase of a number of properties in Smoketown, including the Vu Hotel and C2 Event Venue. Those properties will be used for a “community care campus” for people experiencing homelessness. After the announcement, however, WDRB reported that the city agreed to buy the Vu Hotel, C2 Event Venue and other buildings from a top Greenberg donor who had previously tried to sell the properties to the city under the Fischer administration, which balked at the idea. Greenberg told WDRB the city’s purchase of the property had “nothing to do” with the donor’s support.

THORN: L&N FEDERAL CREDIT UNION STADIUM

Nobody’s going to call it that.

ROSE: YO-YO MA’S TRIP TO KENTUCKY

just cool.

Playing a show inside Mammoth Cave is

THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD

NEWS & ANALYSIS

over the past several months for rental assistance,” Greenberg said. “To those who have applied: thank you for doing the right thing, and on behalf of our state and local governments, I am sorry it has taken so long. Moving forward, we are going to continue to act with the haste that we have so far, to continue to provide the support that we can.”

The Louisville Urban League will also be receiving $2 million to assist clients with security deposits and their first month’s rent starting Feb. 20. Another $1.25 million will go towards “mediation assistance and legal fees for families and individuals navigating the complexities of eviction court,” according to a press release sent out by the mayor’s office.

Louisville Urban League President Kish Cumi Price said she hopes the funds will help address “gaping holes” in the current relief system.

“I will also attest to the fact that I know what it’s like to be on the side of not knowing how you’re going to provide for your family and not knowing you know how you’re going to have what you need, so this is a really core issue that we need to be solving quickly,” she said.

Greenberg said those who are eligible for eviction prevention assistance should have already been contacted by email within the past few days, but that they will continue to reach out to those who qualify.

“COMMUNITY CARE” CAMPUS CREATION

Greenberg also announced that the city has reached an agreement to purchase property for a “community care campus” in Smoketown for $6.9 million, which the city says is below the property’s assessed value.

“This space, when it’s complete, will accommodate well over 150 people. There will be centralized nursing stations. There will be securely locked medical supplies and prescriptions, a kitchen, a laundry facility and much more,” said Greenberg, adding that the space will also offer temporary housing.

The proposed care campus will include a “medical respite facility” that will act as a safe place for hospitals to discharge currently homeless patients who require ongoing medical support. The city hopes

that the campus will “bridge the gap” for homeless people who are discharged from hospitals, pointing out that the average wait time for a shelter bed or permanent housing is 90 days.

The property, which is located along Breckinridge Street and bordered by Floyd and Brook streets, includes the Vu Hotel and Guest House as well as the C2 Event Event Venue. It co-located with the Hope Village, the city-sanctioned “safe outdoor space” for individuals experiencing homelessness that opened last year. One of the property’s buildings will require at least $9 million in renovations, Greenberg said, and the overall cost of the campus remains unclear.

Riggs Lewis, system vice president for Norton Healthcare, said the location was settled on by partners after analyzing where Louisville’s homeless population lives. He added that 80% of the homeless live in the I-65 corridor near downtown Louisville. The city is partnering with Norton Healthcare, UofL Health, the Coalition for the Homeless and other organizations in creating the campus.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS TO COME

The final leg of Greenberg’s new plan is to address the shortage of over 30,000 units of affordable housing in the city. To do that, he said, $24 million will be put towards permanent affordable housing. Those efforts will focus on creating opportunities for households that are below 50% of the area’s median income.

In Greenberg’s mayoral campaign last year, he said he would build 15,000 affordable housing units and prioritize the development of vacant lots and abandoned buildings.

The city is currently seeking partners to build these affordable housing units. The applications for those interested are due March 10.

“We will move as quickly as possible after that and hope to make very rapid announcements about how that money will be deployed, so that these units of housing that we hope to leverage with other sources of funding can get in the ground, can be built, and can open to start changing people’s lives immediately,” said Greenberg. •

IF YOU WRITE ME A LETTER, SEND IT HERE: VOICES OF RUSSELL IN A TIME OF CHANGE.’

By Steven Edwards/Louisville Story Program | leo@leoweekly.com

IN APRIL 2023, the Louisville Story Program will release “If You Write Me a Letter, Send It Here: Voices of Russell in a Time of Change,” an anthology of first-person narratives by 25 Louisvillians with ties to the Russell community. With the support of the Louisville Story Program, these authors developed compelling, skillfully-crafted chapters that document the culture, community, and history of Russell through the lens of their firsthand experience.

Louisville’s Russell area was once home to the city’s heaviest concentration of thriving Black businesses, cultural institutions and prominent Black residents. While the systemic historical and cultural violence of redlining and urban renewal transformed Russell into an area of concentrated poverty, it remains central to Black life in Louisville.

The city recently demolished Beecher Terrace, a thirty-acre housing project built in 1939, and is replacing it with an extensive mixed-income development. Alongside this redevelopment, many other investments are moving forward in the area. Almost $1 billion in investment is transforming the neighborhoods. Russell residents express hope, skepticism and a renewed commitment to directing outside development to their collective will and benefit.

With so much change underway, the Louisville Story Program spent three years partnering with the authors of “If You Write Me A Letter, Send It Here” to document the many rich layers of history and culture in the neighborhood, past and present.

The following excerpt comes from a chapter called “Hope Grown, Hope Harvested” by Steven Edwards, an educator, mental health specialist, veteran, and property owner who started a community garden in Russell in 2020.

For my forty-first birthday I said, “I want to

buy a piece of land,” so I bought a $3,00 vacant lot at 513 South 26th St that had been abandoned for as long as I can remember. There was nothing on it but a little shack and a lot of tall grass. When I first got the property and was thinking of building a community garden, a guy stopped by and said, “Oh, you just bought this? You gonna build some apartments or something?” But we don’t need any more houses in West Louisville. We need communities. Everybody’s plan is just to build a whole lot of houses, but they don’t build an economic structure. They don’t build anyplace where we can come together as a community and heal. When there’s just a lot of houses, when you don’t even know your neighbors, that’s just a `hood, not a neighborhood. At Hope Garden, I’m trying to create an atmosphere where people get to meet their neighbors.

I didn’t know anything about planting or harvesting when I started. I learned how to garden because I want my kids to be healthier and to understand that food is medicine. I’m not a big vegetable eater, but I’m working on it. It’s new to me. I have my good days and my bad days. So I mowed my lot and tilled up the land. I went to a garden center and got some cabbages, greens, squash, and tomatoes and just planted them. I had no idea what I was doing. It always seemed like I looked stuff up on YouTube a week after I really needed to know the information. If I’d have done this in April, I wouldn’t be having this problem right now. Thank God for YouTube. My broccoli never did turn out right because I didn’t know anything. My cabbage got eaten up by butterfly larvae. But my greens, tomatoes, and peppers were beautiful.

I teach gardening classes now. We learn about how to garden and the difference between fruits and vegetables, different acidities of soil and how that affects what you’re growing. I don’t have the capacity to do a garden to feed everybody, and my goal isn’t to have a

lot of people working in the garden. It’s more to bring awareness and resources to gardening so you to keep a garden in your backyard. The first year I gave out like 250 seedlings.

garden because I thought it could help me

and anxiety of life, trying to figure out where I fit in this world. It was me healing me. I found that gardening relaxes and frees your mind. It gives you time to be by yourself but not self. Everybody’s biggest fear is being alone. When you’re scared of the dark, what you’re really scared of is being alone, right? With gardening, you’re alone, but you can work through your thoughts because you have something else there comforting you.

There’s also a communal part. Somebody will come up and say, “Hey, what are you planting?” Then you have a conversation about planting tomatoes. They say, “I used to have fried green tomatoes over at my grandma’s house all the time,” and that conversation turns into this healing thing, because you’re talking about something good, something natural. That little bitty interaction just triggered a happy memory and both of us feel satisfied because we just made a connection on something. That little conversation helped heal everybody in that environment.

People in the community come up and talk to me all the time when I’m gardening. They’ve told me their stories, and the stories are amazing. I’ve met people over there who are struggling. I’ve listened to their stories. They’re deep. They’re humans with real lives and families. I’ve been a teacher and a mental health counselor for twelve years. I’ve never ever heard anybody say, “When I grow up, I want to be on drugs, and not be able to take care of my family.” I’ve never heard anybody say that. Society has let these people down. They’re doing what they’re doing mostly because of trauma.

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The community around the garden reminded me a lot of the trauma I saw growing up. I saw all the same stuff where I grew up on Hemlock St.: drugs, prostitution, a lot of pay-today-staytoday type houses. I thought, Be who you needed when you were younger. This garden is what I wish that people would have done for my neighborhood. On B96.5 they used to always say, “If you can’t change the people around you, change the people around you.” I like serving. That’s what I like about me, that I serve. That’s my “pay it forward.” We started thinking about the healing part of the garden, and somebody asked about doing yoga, so we started it right there. I cut the grass on the two lots next to mine so they could have enough room, and now we have Tai chi over there every Wednesday. We do health fairs. We have people giving out

Narcan for drug addictions. We have people doing blood pressure testing. We have Humana there updating people on some of the policies that can help. We have a free clothes table for people who just want clothes. We give away food at Thanksgiving. We have resource fairs and do the seedling giveaway. There’s HIV testing and needle exchange at the garden now. So not only have people had direct benefit from the gardening part of it, but also the health services and mental health services. It’s just been a really beautiful thing. •

*A free, public book launch celebration for If You Write Me a Letter, Send It Here is slated for April 2023. Details at louisvillestoryprogram.org.

Steven Edwards in his garden in Russell. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY LSP

DON’T SLEEP ON LOUISVILLE’S GOSPEL SCENE

Kiana Del of Kiana & the Sun Kings talks with mul -instrumentalist, composer, and music director Cyr Wilson of Live Ac on about the ci ’s musical divide.

By Kiana Benho�f | leo@leoweekly.com

AT a vocal rehearsal for Cyr’s upcoming debut project, Time, he, vocalist Devin Holly, and I drifted off into a conversation about

Louisville’s music scene that covered everything from the generational divide across genres, to the ‘venue crisis,’ to pondering

why we don’t have ‘sheds’ anymore (more on that later.) The concept of a shed got us into how similar jazz and gospel are, not just

in technicality, but in culture. Jazz and gospel are Black artforms, both born out of resistance and a need for connection and community. Getting into the music theory behind it all, they’re harmonically and rhythmically similar to each other, often drawing on the same AABA forms and chord changes. Two sides of the same coin.

Upon hearing ‘gospel,’ or ‘jazz,’ some might have a stereotypical idea of what sitting inside that sound world feels like: red faux velvet packed tightly on brown wooden pews, the sea of voices mixing between congregation and choir, a strong Black voice preaching call-and-response Bible verses, the smell of age. Perhaps you fall into the throes of a little, dark basement club — smoke illuminated by pink lights and the warmest saxophone crooning quietly over a droning bassline. Although these scenes provide comfort, they’re no longer the sole source of where you can get lost in those worlds. In 2023, there’s a myriad of clear gospel and jazz influence in our current music — from hip hop to R&B to pop hits. And yes, we have a Spotify playlist to prove it. We’ve affectionate-

ly named it ‘joyful noise,’ and you can listen with the QR code near the end of the article.

We realized we had spent far too much time cutting up and not enough time rehearsing, but the conversation got me thinking: why are we sleeping on Louisville’s gospel scene and the incredibly talented musicians within it? Why don’t we collaborate more outside of our chosen genres, and what happened to the sheds?! As a voice crooned, a bassline droned, and the bustle of a crowded cafe sang in the background, I sat down with Cyr at Bean Coffee on a rainy Monday to get the scoop.

Kiana Del: We’re on the record now. Alright, Cyr… how ya doin’?

Cyr Wilson: I’m doin’good, how about you?

I’m pretty good

Thanks for having me on the show. [laughs]

You’re welcome. [laughs] Tell us a bit about yourself musically – inside and outside of the sanctuary.

Alright, so… try’na sound bougie. Basically, I’ve been playing since I was two years old… started doin’recitals. My mom put me in lessons and then I joined Louisville Leopard Percussionists when I was in elementary school and went through that… did the band thing. Then, about eighth grade is when I started my worship stuff. That’s why I started to play bass at the church and get

involved in worship teams. Same time I’m doin’that, I’m doin’the marching band thing.

Wow. You been busy your whole life

My whole life. I never stopped! Growing up in the gospel scene I was playing bass at the church ‘cuz that’s what they didn’t have. I was a drummer originally, but they didn’t have a bass player so I learned to play bass. I went on to learn how to play piano. When I went to college, I went to the University of the Cumberlands. Out in the COUNTRY! That’s when I got into CCM — that’s contemporary Christian music — it’s real big up there. Gospel-wise, I have this really weird split of traditional gospel music and CCM background and they mix in a really interesting way.

Yeah, ‘cuz CCM is real… like folk-y?

Yeah, folk-y and rock. Those now collide. That’s kinda what we do at Hill Street.

Hill Street Baptist Church, that’s where you’re the music director?

Yes! Hill Street Missionary Baptist Church of GOD. On the other side, I started getting in the marching band thing. I did marching [all through middle and high school], went on to go march drum corps.

Seriously?! Who’d you march with?

Legends Drum & Bugle Corps. Contracted with Blue Knights

and contracted with Cavaliers, but I got injured.

Cavaliers?!

Yeah, I had to take those summers.

I used to go to DCI [Drum Corps International] like every year.

Oh! I was out doin’ that for a couple years. Then I did indoor, I was doing WGI [Winter Guard International]. Never saw a weekend! Did that for three years with Legacy, and once I graduated college I went and taught. Real connected with the marching arts and that scene. In gospel, when I came home, I became the MD [music director] first at Christ Kingdom Fellowship, then I just recently accepted my posting at Hill Street.

Congratulations!

I appreciate it. Yeah, that’s kinda the tracing!

How does that inform the music you write for Live Action?

Alright, that’s a really good one. To understand Live Action’s identity, you have to understand the people in it and where they come from. You know my background — a lot of marching arts, a lot of jazz, a lot of gospel. Mostly gospel. When I was at Christ Kingdom Fellowship, it’s where I got connected with a lot of the Live Action guys. Christ Kingdom was me, DéQuan Tunstull, he played keys, I was playing organ.

AKA Ray Keys!

Taylor Raven Cinderella David Walton The Prince

Hidenori Inoue The Stepfather

Raaay

Keeeyyys! Right!

Then, Cam Gooden [bass guitar] — DéQuan actually brought Cam on. Then, I knew Deavan from the church we used to go to. We all played at church together for about a year and a half. Then, I started writing music and I was like, ‘Aw, these are the dudes to do this!’ DéQuan of course, and Cam, big jazz backgrounds. Then DeAven [Allen, drums] and me had a lot of gospel. Then we picked up CJ Cantrell, and he’s deep in gospel organ, You’ve got three of us that are really heavily gospel players and two that are really heavily jazz players, and that makes it. That’s how we get that ‘Live Action’ sound.

And DeAven’s like 16?!

Yeah, he’s 16, so he doesn’t get to do all the fun things, but he is the drummer on the record.

Wow, yeah. You’re an educator as well… and I think that teaching really keeps my own skills sharp. I learn a lot from my students. How does teaching influence your playing or your writing or both?

Teaching forces me to expose

erwise listen to.

That’s huge! Oooh, yeah. When a lot of people ask me, ‘What are you listening to?’

‘Who are your influences?’ My answer is usually I’m listening to whatever I have to learn that week.

To teach?

Yeah, or to play! Being the MD at Hill Street, that’s a new set every week. I also play at a church in Bowling Green every so often, That’s another setlist.

I’m gettin’ seven, eight songs a week. Then, when it’s time for me to teach and I have to teach world music, for instance, then it’s like, ‘Okay, well, we’re doing Africa right now so I need to go research some of that for class.’ Then I find cats like [inaudible] and take this little harmony or take this motif and mix that in.

Nice, very cool. Who are you really diggin’ right now?

Honestly? Ray Keys! I worked him into my curriculum. Actually I teach his stuff at Shawnee [high school]. He’s the main thing

myself to things I wouldn’t oth-

playin’on my playlist right now. What do you listen to to get inspired?

Y’know, that comes from the church music. Talking about Time, Time is your upcoming project!

Right! The first song on that, the title track, when I think about that chorus, that’s a gospel walk-up. That is literally something I learned to play for church. We just pull that into the project. The gospel stuff is what’s pushing that project — that and R&B. Nice. Let’s not even get into general public. I’m thinking of musicians first. If

you were to offer me a jazz duo gig right now, I would have a handful of cats in my head, but only one of ‘em plays in church — being Ray Keys — but gospel musicians like REALLY GOT IT, y’know what I mean? Why do you think there’s such a divide between gigging musicians playing what we’d call ‘secular music’ and church musicians?

I think there’s two answers to that. The first answer is religious shame. For years when musicians in the church have played in these secular venues and avenues, they’re

very looked down upon in the church community. The ‘church folk’ are thinking, ‘This is something that should be reserved for our God, and it shouldn’t be done anywhere else.’ On that other side of that, you got church musicians who need to pay bills. Y’know… the church shouldn’t be a business, but if the church isn’t payin’ you, you gotta make your money somewhere. They started to play in clubs. We started to see that in the ‘20s; then, as it progresses it keeps happening.

The other side of that is… looking at it from the outside perspective, the jazz scene

Cyr Wilson of Live Action in action. | PHOTO PROVIDED BY WILSON.

can seem elitist.

Yeah. Absolutely it can.

It’s separated by education, but mostly by exposure. What I mean is, being in the gospel world, I have played with people far better than me, but they don’t know any of the theory of what they’re doing. They don’t understand what they’re doing. They know the sound they want and they can execute that sound, but when it comes to throwing a chart in front of you, can you read the chart? No. Can you read the music? No. Do you understand what extensions are? If I say I need a ‘B-flat thirteen,’ do you know what that means? No, they don’t, unless they hear it. That’s another thing that keeps the gospel people out. We don’t understand it and we don’t want to be labeled as stupid or ignorant. It’s a different scene.

It’s just so wild, because I have seen a musician who came up in the church listen to two minutes of a song and play it down, whereas sometimes when I work with jazz musicians they’re like, ‘Do you have the chart, do you have the changes, can I look at this?’And that’s no dig at one way or the other, it’s just wild that we’re not collaborating more. Even though it’s two different sides of the brain, they could just mesh so well, and I think they do in your project, for sure. Do you think the divide exists on both sides? Do you think sometimes church musicians prefer not to work with secular musicians?

Most definitely! [chuckles] One of my mentors, Jarrell Baggard — insane pianist. There are some things his brain does that are crazy! I was playing “Ladies Rock the Night” for Erica Denise and [we needed someone to make the tracks], so I thought, ‘I’ll call Jarrell,’ ‘cuz he makes the loops for church!’ I then found out that was the first time he had done anything in a club, and he’s at least 10

years older than me. You’re lookin’at midthirties, and you’ve never played a secular gig in your life?! They’ll stay away. The gospel musicians will stay away from it.

That’s another thing, because it’s a wellrounded… I want to say education, but you learn by trade playing gigs. Say you never set foot in a classroom, the best way to sharpen your skills is to play a bunch of different types of music. I think that applies to church musicians and secular musicians. They need to expand outside of their boxes, too, to gain a better understanding of what they’re playing.

Absolutely right.

We talk about crossover all the time. I was just talking about a jazz/punk crossover the other day — Chance the Rapper is a main example of secular music that is heavily gospel-influenced. Why is that so difficult to achieve on the local level?

Well, part of it is the avenues. Where do we do it? But the other part of it is how do we do it? I’m in a very unique place myself where I have the ability to speak on both sides of that, almost like a —

Both: Code switch!

Yeah! When I’m talking to DéQuan [Tunstull], I’m talkin’ numbers, I’m talkin’ chords, I’m talkin’ voicings… when I’m talking to CJ [Cantrell], it’s like, ‘Look at my hands!’ When you put people in a world without a bridge like that, it’s very intimidating for either side.

What is the bridge?

Just somebody that can speak both sides… It’s almost like having an ASL interpreter — we know we’re trying to say the same thing, but we’re speaking two different languages. You need somebody there to [connect it] if you want it to be successful.

Right. Then I think the musicians that want to be a part of both sides need to be

more open to accepting both schools of thought.

I agree!

Right, yeah. We can’t say that one is more correct than the other. Y’know, sometimes music theory can be very limiting and you just need to be able to hear, y’know? It doesn’t matter how much you can write down on a page if when you play it feels robotic.

And you know as well as I do that theory is the aftermath of the creation. When you go back and look at the theory behind jazz, this is the stuff that the gospel dudes were already doing!

Oh my god! [laughs] Sometimes I come to an impasse and one of my bandmates will say, ‘Well, it’s not theoretically correct,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, but am I trying to abide by the white man’s music theory or am I trying to make ‘em feel somethin’? Y’know what I’m sayin’?

Right! Don’t it sound good?! That’s what it is!

Does it work though?! (laughs) What is a shed?

A ‘shed’ is… random people get together and just play. Playin’licks, doin’all this stuff we don’t get to do on Sunday. You just trade off, people will get up and switch out and share gear… it’s crazy! It’s crazy.

That’s beautiful. Can you talk a bit about the importance of shed culture and how we need to get back to it?

Shed culture connects us, [for] one. Human-to-human connection… I’ve met some of the most incredible drummers I’ve ever seen ‘cuz I just pulled up at a shed. Everybody is different. We all have our own fingerprint. There’s been times where [a drummer at a shed] will play something and I’m like, ‘Alright! Let me go write me go write that down.’ We can trade voicings

UPCOMING EVENTS

FEBRUARY 8-19, 2023

or they’ll show you things and it adds to [your] knowledge. So you got your interpersonal connection, you got your knowledge sharing. Beyond that, you have different communities of musicians coming together to make new sounds on top of that. That’s how you get stuff like the Live Action joint — three different church sounds coming together in one group.

FEBRUARY

And it’s intergenerational! I think that’s so important. I cannot stress how important it is to collaborate with musicians outside of our age group… It’s like synergy.

And it’s a new sound! Because the OGs play a lot different than we do.

they looked up to. And maybe they made a fool of themselves, y’know what I mean? Like, the Miles Davis at 16, 17 was not the Miles Davis that we listen to on Kind of Blue. [You have to be] allowed the space to mess up [so you can learn.] I think that’s important. If you could only give Louisville ONE reason why they shouldn’t sleep on our gospel scene, what would it be?

FEBRUARY

Yeah… it is my life’s mission to combat the elitism — in our jazz scene, but in music in general —with intergenerationality. Y’know, the cats that I look up to in the jazz world were being invited on the bandstand by cats that

The one reason is that Louisville doesn’t have one style. [When] you go to New York they play one way across that whole state. When you go to Chicago, they play one way. When you go to Dallas, they play one way. When you go to LA, they play one way—

Don’t have the other-state people fightin’ me now!

Nah, it’s true! In Louisville, we don’t have a strong ‘this is how we play.’ You get a mixture. When I was playing at First Baptist Jeffersontown, [there was

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION LATINA SISTER DRAMEDY IN THE BINGHAM THEATER

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING FOLLOWED BY LIVE CONVERSATION WITH RON WHITEHEAD AND NICK STORM IN THE PAMELA BROWN AUDITORIUM

22 AT 7PM

FUNDRAISER EVENT LIVE THROUGHOUT THE THEATER COMPLEX

25

Kiana Benho who plays under the moniker of Kiana Del with Kiana and the Sun Kings. |PHOTO PROVIDED BY KIANA BENHOFF

Mississippi organ style and this New York piano style sittin’ on top of a pocket drummer from New York sittin’on top of a bass player that grew up listenin’ to those three play together. That’s what sets Louisville apart and it makes us adaptable. We can fit into other peoples’ sounds ‘cuz we have to do it here anyway. How do you support the gospel community musically if you’re not religious?

I think it’s important to remember that religion is a piece of the culture and to look at it through a cultural lens. The philosophy we have at Hill Street is ‘just come.’ If you are religious, great. If you’re not religious, come. If you find your religion here, that’s awesome, we’re here for that, we’re going to support that growth. But at the same time, off the top of my head of the four of us that play Hill Street every week, only two of us are actually religious. They’re still here, they’re still learning,

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

and it’s very easy to transfer that outside.

I also understand that not every church is inviting like that and it’s honestly a problem in the gospel community, not the church music community, but the gospel community as a whole.

[Separating ourselves from the sinners is] not the message. Our message is to go where the sinners are. We’re not supposed to partake in those activities but to go out where they are. It should be more of an outreach. It’s insane how many churches have ‘missionary’ in the title but they don’t leave their building. I think it’s important that we make a space for people to come into the church. You don’t need to be a member to come sing at Hill Street. •

You can keep up with Cyr and Live Action on Instagram by following @liveaction502. Keep an ear out for his upcoming debut project Time.

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DROP THE CURTAIN. RAISE THE ROOF.

Return and rejoice at the opening event of the 2023 Kentucky Derby Festival. Get a first look at the Official Poster, meet the artist and shop our 2023 Official Products while tasting craft cocktails to select the 2023 Four Roses Rose Julep. VIP tickets will get a 2023 Official Poster Pin!

STAFF PICKS

THROUGH FEB. 5

‘Our Kentucky Home: Hispanic/Latin American Visual Art In The Commonwealth’

The Kentucky Center | 501 W. Main St. | kentuckyperformingarts.org | Free

The Kentucky Arts Council, in partnership with alDia en América and Casa de la Cultura Kentucky, has organized an exhibition of works by Hispanic/ Latin American artists from Kentucky. The 20 artists are part of the 4.6% of Kentuckians who identify as Hispanic or Latino. The 36 paintings, mixed media and photographs have toured the state from November 2021, with Louisville as the last stop. The exhibition is available to view on Friday, Feb. 3, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 5, there is a public reception with the artists from 3-5 p.m. —Jo

Anne Triplett

THROUGH APRIL 1

‘From Audubon To Sisto’

Carnegie Center for Art & History | 201 E. Spring St., New Albany | carnegiecenter. org | Free

Yep, it’s that Audubon. John James Audubon’s in uential 1827 book “Birds of America” features some of the best bird art in history, including drawings from his time in the Louisville area. The Carnegie Center is showing its two original prints side by side for the rst time in this exhibition of highlights from its permanent collection. It features almost 200 years of art and objects, some recently restored as well as newly acquired pieces shown for the rst time. The most current work, “Fancy Shawl Dance” by ber artist Penny Sisto, bookends the timeline. —Jo Anne

Triplett

THROUGH FEB. 26

‘Girl And Her Animals: Paintings By Katrina Johansen’

Darby Forever Gallery at Surface Noise | 600 Baxter Ave. | Search Facebook | Free

Georgetown, Indiana, painter and sculptor Katrina Johansen occasionally lives in a dream world. Her time spent there results in large fantastical paintings of mythical scenes. The show’s closing reception is Sunday, Feb. 26 from 6-8 p.m. In keeping with this human and animal theme, Surface Noise record shop recently renamed its art gallery after the owner’s late border collie. —Jo

ANIMALS

Anne Triplett

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Space is the Place

Speed

What you need to know, rst, is that, while “Space is the Place” looks into a Black future with space as the setting, it o ered Black people a vision for ourselves in a future, a sometimes di cult concept for many as daily Black life in America is tough. The second thing you need to know is that all futuristic, wild clothes and language riddles aside, Sun Ra is a master musician, and has a solid grasp on the composition, as well as the vision for how it is presented. Seeing “Space is the Place” is essential for jazz fans, for Black people and for giving yourself license to imagine what might come next for humanity. —Erica

Rucker

Duverge “Three Dancers”

Barred Owl by John James Audubon.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

XXXOOO with Va Va Vixens (18+)

Art Sanctuary | 1433 S. Shelby St. | vavavixens.com | $35-$45 | Doors at 7 p.m., show from 8-11 p.m.

Local circus/burlesque company Va

Va Vixens is sure to bring va-vavoom to your Valentine’s Day. At this adults-only show (the rst of six performances over subsequent weekends), there’ll be burlesque, aerial acts, dancing and plenty more seductive entertainment. — Carolyn

Brown

TUESDAY, FEB. 7

89.3 WFPL Presents: The Moth — VICES

Headliners | 1386 Lexington Rd. | headlinerslouisville.com | $15 | Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

ADDULTS - “Basement Full of Birds” Cassette Release!

Kaiju | 1004 Oak St. | Facebook.com | $10 | Doors open at 8 p.m.

As someone who had a cassette player in their 2001 Honda, you could say I appreciate a good physical copy of music over a download any day. Kaiju is hosting a cassette release show for all the music relics like me with featured band, ADDULTS whose releasing their rst album “Basement Full of Birds,” and two other Louisville bands (Parisher and Bon Air) are playing their new music at the release. Take the opportunity this Saturday to revel in some nostalgia from some local bands.—Giselle Rhoden

MUSIC

STORY TIME

Local storytellers will share veminute tales about times when they indulged in something they shouldn’t have, made a bad choice, or were so virtuous that it turned against them. No good deed goes unpunished, right? Some bad ones certainly do, though. Hear all about it — or share your own story. — Carolyn

Brown

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

Gates to Hell Record Release

Portal | 1512 Portland Ave. | Search SeeTickets.com | $20 | Doors at 5 p.m., music at 6 p.m.

Good old-fashioned metalcore throwdowns in honor of local band Gates to Hell releasing a new album. Openers include Year of the Knife, Mutilatred, Sentenced 2 Die, Damnations Domain and Two Witnesses. Mosh your face o . — Carolyn Brown

MUSIC

Addults are playing at Kaiju.

Va Va Vixens invite you to fall in love at XXXOOO.

I’ll be honest, I’m not the best at planning for Valentine’s Day, but Highlands Tap Room has me covered over the weekend with their art show that’s guaranteed to make your heart explode. Bring your sweetheart to buy art from local artists, and it’s all Valentine’s Day themed. The Tap Room will also have food and drink specials available for those who don’t like to browse on an empty stomach. —Giselle

Rhoden

MUSIC NEWS ROUNDUP

By LEO Sta�f | leo@leoweekly.com

If you’re not following leoweekly.com, you need to start. It’s the way we keep you most informed and current about new events and concerts. Here’s a list of events to get you caught up.

LOUISVILLE’S CLASSIC PUNK DIVE, MAG BAR TO HOST MUSIC FEST IN JULY

This is a bit far off but save the dates! Mag Bar is hosting their Mag Bar Music Fest again this year. From Jul. 20-23, they will offer four days of live, genre-spanning music and “good times” in the space they are calling the Magnoliadome. Mag Bar has come a long way from ripped seats and dusty pool tables. No word yet on who’s playing but last year’s lineup included: TrapKing Kai, Hippytrash, Paige Beller, Isolation Tank Ensemble, Freedive, Shi, Batwizard, Vice Tricks and Baptiste among others. Maybe you’ll get to see some old favorites along with what is certain to be a stellar lineup of new acts. While waiting for the festival, keep your eyes on Mag Bar Music Fest’s Facebook page where further lineup information will be released. As always, LEO will update when we know more, too.

ALICE COOPER BRINGING ROCK SHOW TO LOUISVILLE

If you’re a fan of hard rock, get excited: Alice Cooper is coming to Louisville. The legendary rocker is bringing his show to the Louisville Palace on May 10. You can expect a night of shock rock, alongside chilling, thrilling antics, according to Cooper’s tour website. Cooper is known for “violent and vile” theatrics -simulated executions, the chopping up of baby dolls and draping himself with a live boa constrictor- and explicit lyrics. This show will be for true rock hard rock fans. His performances, though, have made him a controversial, yet popular figure in the early-and-mind 1970s.

KR8VN8VS TO PRESENT FURIOUS FLOYD AND Q-MYSTIK’S ‘GHETTO GOSPEL’ AT MAG BAR

Kr8vN8vs presents Furious Floyd and QMystik, who are starting the year off with a debut collaboration. The album is Ghetto Gospel and the pair are hosting a show to share it with the city at Mag Bar (1398 S. 2nd St.) on Feb. 4. The show will feature performances from Furious Floyd and QMystik, Dave.Will.Chris, and 2 Exclusive Semi. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and the event is 21+. There is plenty of street parking, no need to crash the party and park inside.

‘KISS FROM A ROSE’ SINGER SEAL IS COMING TO LOUISVILLE AND BRINGING THE BUGGLES

Are you prepared to get a “Kiss From a Rose?” How about seeing Seal singing it live in concert? Well, don’t go “Crazy” but the man, himself, is coming to the Louisville Palace on May 7 with The Buggles of “Video Killed the Radio Star” fame. Tickets on sale now. English singer Seal, born Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, has sold over 20 million records worldwide and was famously hitched to Supermodel Heidi Klum for 10 years. This year, Seal will be embarking on a worldwide tour singing his greatest hits.

R&B/SOUL LEGENDS EARTH, WIND & FIRE COMING TO THE LOUISVILLE PALACE ON JUNE 27

The legendary Earth, Wind & Fire are coming to the Louisville Palace (625 S. 4th St.) on Tuesday, June 27, the same evening as Stevie Nicks plays the Yum! Center. So it’s a night for legends and clearly one for hard choices. Tickets for the Earth, Wind & Fire show are on sale now.

Earth, Wind & Fire return to the road after the recent loss of drummer Fred White, who passed away on Jan. 1 from undisclosed causes. He was 67.

STEVIE NICKS TO PLAY YUM! CENTER THIS JUNE

Our “Dreams” are about to become a reality, and we’re feeling a “Landslide” of emotions.

KFC Yum! Center announced that Stevie Nicks, the legendary singer and songwriter, most famous for her time in Fleetwood Mac, will play the Yum! Center on Tuesday, June 27. Tickets on sale now.

Mag Bar.

Alice Cooper.

Furious Floyd and Q-Mystik Seal.

Earth Wind & Fire.

Stevie Nicks.

THE KIDS OF TRIP J BAND PROVE THAT CREATIVITY HAPPENS AT ALL AGES

By Giselle Rhoden | staff@leoweekly.com

AT SIX years old, Jeriel “Jerio” Evans went to church with his family, just like every other Sunday — until he heard a song that moved him so much, he wanted to try and learn it at home. That day, Jeriel went home, sat at the piano and played the exact same song by ear. That moment inspired not only young Jeriel, but also his younger brother Jahmai “JB” to pick up the bass guitar, and the youngest brother Jedediah “Jet” went from banging on the table to banging on the drums. Their sister Xiyanna “Xi” found a love for vocals, and then, Trip J Band was born.

Trip J Band began in 2020, but the Evanses said they have been playing together for over five years. JB said playing as family also has perks. You’ll often find the band at home bouncing ideas off each other for new chord progressions, bass lines and even new songs.

JB told LEO, “I think the most important part about the band is to have unity, because the more the unity, the better the music sounds.”

Trip J Band said they are often underestimated for being so young in the music scene. The Evans children are no older than 15 years old, and their music has already shocked the people of Louisville. Jerio said they once played at the bottom of the Big Four Bridge, and pedestrians told the band they thought their music was coming from a radio rather than their own instruments.

“I don’t think that they expect the level of dedication that we bring to our music,” Jerio said of the experience.

“We could be doing this stuff like other kids could be on like video games, watching TV with our family or just playing basketball in our backyard. But we want to make sure that we

The Evans family nds unity in music.| PHOTO PROVIDED BY DA’SHINA EVANS

MUSIC

put in and devote our time to this,” said JB. Trip J Band are building their career in music more and more in Louisville. Last year, they did a score for the play “Threads” at Actors Theatre. They are also trying their hand at entrepreneurship, making their own label, Trip J Entertainment and booking live shows. Their most recent accomplishment was performed at the Dream Maker Awards, a charity concert event that AMPED Louisville asked the band to headline.

The group accredits most of what they know to the Academy of Music Production Education and Development (AMPED) in Louisville. AMPED is a Black-owned nonprofit that offers lessons for children in music education, technology and business. AMPED has not only given Jerio an opportunity, but the organization has also helped JB, Jet and Xi refine their skills with their respective instruments.

Taking inspiration from artists like Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Justin Lee Schultz, George Duke, and Marcus Miller, the band works together to build a Neo Funk and Jazz sound that Jerio produces himself. He used his skills to remix Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite into trap tracks and engineer original music for the band.

Trip J Band’s parents

Da’Shina and Sherod

Evans are more than proud of what their children have already accomplished together.

“You know they surprise us a lot too, and I think sometimes we take for granted just how good they are, because sometimes, we tell them, ‘Hey, you need to practice...’ and they get up without even trying, and they just sound awesome,” said Da’Shina.

This year, Trip J Band hopes to release more music, collaborate with some local artists and perform together in different states. You can find their original music on Bandcamp or visit their website at tripjband.com •

EL MARIACHI, A FAVORITE, MOVES AND GROWS

By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com

IF I’M going to go out for Mexican food, I’d really rather find my way to a taqueria or other small eatery run by immigrant neighbors. Someplace where the food is the real thing, where I need to be prepared to order in my awkward Spanish or by pointing at an item in the menu with a smile.

Someplace, in other words, like El Mariachi Restaurante Mexicano. This East End eatery, more than just a taqueria, has long been one of my favorite local spots for Mexican fare thanks to the quality of its food, the breadth of its menu, and its colorful, happy-making decor.

Not long ago, running an errand out La Grange Road, I noticed to my surprise that things have changed. They’ve gotten better!

For years, El Mariachi and a cluster of other Latino shops – a carniceria (butcher shop), panaderia (bakery), and a supermercado (grocery) – had occupied the back leg of an L-shaped strip center, with other American shops (including a Mexican-American eatery) facing La Grange Road.

Suddenly everything has changed! In December, El Mariachi moved into larger quarters in the front of the building. The entire structure is now painted the exuberant bright-adobe color that marks the properties of Supermercado Guanajuato, an impressive

immigrant-owned business that over the past 15 years has grown from this location into three Latino supermarkets and business clusters in immigrant-rich communities here, on Preston Highway, and on Bardstown Road in Fern Creek.

Naturally, I got back as soon as I could, and I’m pleased to report that El Mariachi is just as good as ever. The new location’s two dining rooms are spacious, loaded with Mexican folk art (and even a couple of Día de los Muertos images from Pixar’s movie “Coco”), with walls painted to resemble stone arches. There’s a short bar, a few flat-screens (two of them tuned to soccer, er, fútbol, at the time of our visit), and sturdy tables, booths, and chairs with their backs bearing molded images of stylized sombreros.

The large, colorful 10-page menu contains full English explanations for all the dishes, making it easy to enjoy the fare even if you don’t speak a word of Spanish.

It’s divided by type of dish – tacos, gorditas, huaraches, sopesitos, tortas, and more. Tacos. gorditas and open-face sopesitos all go for $2.49 to $3.99, depending on filling (although you probably won’t eat just one). Even in the entree department prices top out around $19.99 (for a steak carne asada

Taco from El Mariachi. | PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR. Gordita.

dinner plate or some of the fancier fajitas with shrimp or a shrimp, chicken, steak, chorizo and pineapple mix).

It’s almost impossible to stop eating the exceptional chips and salsa. Fresh-made corn tortillas are cut into triangles, fried to order, drained of excess oil, and served hot. The piquant salsa is impressive, too, a textured blend of red chiles and tomatoes, tiny diced jalapeños and cilantro.

A carnitas taco ($2 49) was made Mexican-style on a doubled corn tortilla, simply dressed with chopped onions and cilantro, with a lime wedge and squeeze bottles of red and green salsa alongside. The house-made tortillas are a bit thicker than your bagged commercial model, an advantage in building tacos that don’t fall apart. The carnitas was long cooked, pork falling into shreds, flavorful pork with a subtle mild red pepper flavor hovering in the background.

Gorditas are like a tortilla made of soft masa flour, split from one end, stuffed with filling and fried. We tried a meatless option, rajas con queso ($3.99), a mix of chopped mild poblano peppers and queso fresco melted together. It went very well with the corn flavor and crisp texture of the fried gordita.

Sopesitos are built open-face on an

extra-thick corn tortilla that resembles a corn cake. It’s topped with your choice of meat, queso fresco, chopped lettuce, crema, and more grated cheese. They’re $3.99 plus an additional charge for your meat choice. We ordered lengua (beef tongue), which added $1.50. The distinctly gamey tongue meat was soft with crusty charred edges. Its juices soaked into the thick corn cake.

A larger dish, chile relleno ($12.99), featured a large, dark green poblano chile pepper stuffed with queso fresco (ground beef is also an option), baked in a light batter, slathered with tomato sauce, topped with more grated cheese and a zigzag of crema. It comes with excellent Mexican-style rice and frijoles refritos.

The pepper was mild but flavorful. The rice and beans were also exceptional. The rice grains were each separate and tinted orange by mild chiles and tomatoes. It was studded with veggies perhaps selected for their colors: Green peas; carrot, red and green bell pepper dice, yellow corn kernels, and white onion bits. The beans were noteworthy, too, a rich, creamy puree topped with grated Mexican cheese.

At a $26.46 total for two plus a $7.49 tip, this was one of the best affordable lunches I’ve had lately. •

EL MARIACHI RESTAURANTE MEXICANO

Noise level: The large dining room was only partly filled, but the combined sounds of background music and a full-volume soccer match on the flat screen pushed noise levels to an average 69.3dB (pushing the limits for conversation) with peaks to 78.1 dB (a little too loud for comfort).

Accessibility: The restaurant and restrooms appear accessible to wheelchair users.

Relleno.

‘SPACE IS THE PLACE’ AT SPEED CINEMA

By Tracy Heightchew | leo@leoweekly.com

MUSICAL PRODIGY, genius bandleader, prolific artist, and cosmic thinker Sun Ra was a person who felt called to liberate people, Black people in particular, by creating and sharing new mythologies through music and stagecraft. And so, in 1974, he gave the world “Space Is the Place,” an experimental kaleidoscope of an album and film that laid the blueprint for Afrofuturism.

In “Space Is the Place,” we follow Sun Ra on his quest to resettle Black people on a newly discovered Utopian planet, using music as the means of transportation. Along the way, he must battle The Overseer, a villain whose mission and pleasure is to profit off the misery of Black oppression. We follow these enemies through vignettes that cross space and time before landing in early ‘70s Oakland, CA. These scenarios are punctuated with footage of live avant-garde jazz from Sun Ra and the Arkestra, featuring Louisville’s own Marshall Allen, and other long time members, many who are still performing today. As he visits the locals, Sun Ra spreads a message of liberation and self-determination, culminating in a chance for escape from Earth before it succumbs to its doom rooted in racism.

This concept album film is more than an intergalactic musical odyssey, it’s also a coda to the man who became Sun Ra.

Among the stranger biopics, “Space Is the Place” is the sci-fi backstory that Sun Ra imagined and choose to live, one that is full of Egyptian symbology and reflections on the NASA space program. Knowing his life’s geography deepens the enjoyment of this strange film. Born as Herman Blount in segregated Birmingham, AL, and schooled in the shadow of the space program in Huntsville, AL, his musical talent opened the doors for him in and around the South and Chicago where he became Sonny Blount. He then moved briefly to California, and that is where Sun Ra was fully born in all his cosmic wonder, before heading back east to NYC, and finally settling in Philadelphia. That background illuminates a lot of the scenes in the film, including the early scene where the Overseer and Sonny the piano player meet in a Chicago burlesque club. It is this meeting that sets the conflict of the film in motion, and subsequent scenes also include a certain bawdy element.

In the 49 years since “Space Is the Place” was released, it has become a classic music film in constant rotation. It is often cited

as being the first example of Afrofuturism, and recognizing its influence on the look and ideas of artists like Madlib and Janaelle Monae is one of the joys of watching the film. But, it also a gateway film in many other respects too. You can see the influence of early experimental filmmakers like Maya Deren and Melvin Van Peebles, as well as more mainstream blaxploitation movies like “Superfly.” It is a study of California mysticism and counter-culture, as well as a gauntlet thrown in reclaiming Egyptian symbology for Black culture, with spectacular costuming. This film about time and space is a wonderful time capsule of a specific space and time, with guerrilla filmed street scenes and non-actors filling up the screen with authentic voices, dusty street corners, and gorgeous cars.

And, perhaps most satisfying of all, “Space Is the Place” is a gateway to the

music of the collective that Sun Ra brought together, and to the man himself. In a time where there is a guru on every other Youtube channel and Instagram story, witnessing Sun Ra calmly express back to basics wisdom through his art is especially refreshing.

And it’s funny.

This film is being shown as part of the 1st Thursday program at the Speed Art Museum. Doors are open until 8 p.m. every first Thursday with special events and activities for an art-focused night after the 9-5 grind. •

“SPACE IS THE PLACE”

Speed Cinema

2035 S. 3rd St.

Thursday, February 2, 6pm

Free with purchase of museum admission speedmuseum.org/cinema/space-is-the-place

FYI: The Black History Film Series also returns to the Main Library this month, with free screenings every Sunday at 1:30pm. Presented in partnership with UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the series includes discussions with university professors and local experts. The lineup includes the documentaries”Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am,” Sundance Film Festival-winning “Aftershock,” and “My Name is Pauli Murray,” and the 2022 biographical drama “Till.” Information and registration at lfpl.org/bhfilms/

Film “Space is the Place”.

‘THE BALLAD OF

CAKE ASS’

WRITER AUG STONE COMING TO SURFACE

NOISE FEB 9.

By T.E. Lyons | staff@leoweekly.com

“The Ballad of Buttery Cake Ass” by Aug Stone (Stone Soup; 270 pgs., $20)

AT ITS foundation, this “Ballad” is an expanded parody of the hunt-down-the-truthof-obscure-1980s-bands historical analyses. The ur-text for this is Michael Azerrad’s “Our Band Could Be Your Life,” which played it straight with devoted coverage of the likes of Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr. Between the covers now is a fiction concocted by an absurdist comedian who also plays and writes about music. The prose and vignettes flow in stylistic waves that toss between trivia and chaos—but a close look reveals truth-telling about lives filled unto anxiety in pursuit of…what seems merely to be the intersection of art and souvenirs.

But, wait: there’s more! Actually, a lot more. In his second novel, the author seems to want to challenge himself to maximizing the length to which he can sustain a balance of reader interest and self-interest. With a narrative voice that’s simultaneously laid-back in general sentence structure, but hyper in chasing distractions and trying to make points of obscure references, this is like a marathon Quentin Tarantino interview. Does it need to be said that your mileage may vary?

The plot’s a tall tale of a quixotic musical/cultural quest for a rare album, Live in Hungaria. The pair of seekers, reminiscent of Wayne & Garth with ADD, dig deep for evidence of the album’s existence and information about all the band’s associates. The band comes up with the name Buttery Cake Ass after many preliminary attempts and failures. Covered in quite a few of the early pages, this gaming with names (one of many in the book, including the accounting of coincidences involving the band’s

original conceptual masterminds, Hans and Hans) dives right into a strength as well as a limitation of Stone’s approach: simultaneously revealing and reveling in the capriciousness for life’s adventures, both great and small. Flamboyant hopes, admirable (if played for laughs) hard work, and dumb luck produces some success (and eventual band reunion) that patient readers will see as relatable and find themselves rooting for, provided they’ve got some tolerance for indulgent wordplay. Speaking of wordplay, there’s a full flowering of Stone’s gift for it in an extended “Discography,” which cleverly captures the evolution of titles for recordings by BCA and various side projects.

The limited number of flavors for the band hangerson might be slightly disappointing, unless your taste hews toward The Rutles’ “All You Need Is Cash” and away from “This Is Spinal Tap!” (Exception: Becca, the sweetvoiced angel who provides some grounding). Still, plenty of interactions they have with each other, or with the musicians, or even our dauntless treasure-hunting narrative duo, serve well enough to put over a good percentage of snort-worthy moments—whether on tape (on which all is lost but hiss) or on vinyl (shattered into shards as appropriate for denizens of mosh pits) vinyl or in longdistance pleas:

“…after we had asked the all-important, life-changing, opening question ‘Are you the Cookie Doone who is thanked on Buttery Cake Ass’ Formaldehyde Hydro 7”?’, before she even responded in the affirmative, Trig and I just sensing this was the one, well, the two of us temporarily lost the capacity to speak and smell for about 15 seconds.”

(Aug Stone will be at Surface Noise, 600 Baxter, on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.) •

“The Ballad of Buttery Cake Ass” by Aug Stone.

Author Aug Stone.

Introducing our sweetest tabby boy, Buddy! Buddy is a twelve-monthold Domestic Shorthair mix that came to KHS because his owner could no longer care for him, and now he can't wait to find his new home. Buddy is very shy at first, but once he's comfortable with you he'll curl up in your lap purring the whole time. He loves to be cuddled and is very loyal to his people. Other animals and loud kids stress Buddy out, so he would love to find an adult family who's looking for an only child to love and spoil. Buddy is extra special because he has FIV. Kitties with Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are available for an adoption fee of $5. While FIV may sound scary, it's really not! With proper nutrition and veterinary care, FIV-positive cats can live long, healthy lives. Ask the adoption counselor on site for more information. If you've been searching for that special pal who will love you until the end, come meet Buddy at our Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive or learn more at kyhumane.org/adopt/cats. He is neutered, micro-chipped, and up-to-date on vaccines.

ARTS

WHAT TO DO IN

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IN LOUISVILLE IN SPRING (AND ONE IN FALL)

By Giselle Rhoden | staff@leoweekly.com

ACTORS THEATRE

316 W. Main St.

DERBY DINNER PLAYHOUSE

Holla' for your boy Holler! This stunning eight-month-old Lab/Terrier mix came to the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter. At 54 pounds he's the perfect size for an adventure buddy. Holler is an energetic boy with a zest for life. He really enjoys learning and is hoping for a home that will continue his training and activities. He would do great in dog sports or as a jogging partner! Holler is in our shelter dog training program to learn some basic manners and how to harness that energy. He has very little experience with other dogs so would need to meet any potential canine siblings before going home. Holler is approved to go home with children age 10 and up. He is neutered, micro-chipped, and up-to-date on vaccinations. Holler is part of our shelter dog training program. If you are interested in meeting him, please first submit an online adoption application located at the following URL: www.kyhumane.org/dog-app. Once we have received your adoption application, our staff trainers will follow up and provide you with more information.

Meet

FEBRUARY

Feb. 8-19 | La Egoista | actorstheatre. org/shows/2022-2023/la-egoista/ | 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. | $25

Feb. 25 | Convergence Ball | actorstheatre.org/shows/2022-2023/convergenceball/ | 4 p.m.-10 p.m. | $25-$200

Feb. 22 | Outlaw Poet: The Legend of Ron Whitehead | .actorstheatre. org/shows/2022-2023/outlaw-poet-thelegend-of-ron-whitehead/ | 7 p.m. | $15 with fees

ALI CENTER

144 N. 6th St.

Feb. 3 | Indie Lens Pop-Up Film Screening: Love in the Time of Fentanyl | shorturl.at/bcpGP | 7 p.m. | Free, RSVP Requested

Now through Feb. 12 | The ‘I Was Here’ Project Exhibit | alicenter.org/ temporary-exhibitions/ | WednesdaySunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.| $18

BIG 4 BRIDGE ARTS FESTIVAL

1101 River Rd.

Details

525 Marriott Dr.

Now through Feb. 12 | Grumpy Old Men: The Musical | derbydinner.com/ show/grumpy-old-men-the-musical/ | Tuesday-Sunday Evenings 7:45 p.m., Sunday Matinee 1:30 p.m., Wednesday 1 p.m. | $42-$51

Feb. 15 - March 26 | Young Frankenstein | derbydinner.com/show/youngfrankenstein/ | Tuesday-Sunday Evenings 7:45 p.m., Sunday Matinee 1:30 p.m., Wednesday 1 p.m. | $42-$51

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

various locations and online

Feb. 7 | The Therapy (Virtual) | jewishlouisville.org/event/louisville-jewishfilm-festival-the-therapy/ | 7 p.m. | $12

Feb. 11 | Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen | jewishlouisville.org/the-j/jarts-ideas/film-festival/ljff-calendar | 7:30 p.m. | $12

Feb. 12 - Feb. 19 | The Levys of Monticello Film Screening | jewishlouisville.org/the-j/j-arts-ideas/film-festival/ ljff-calendar/ | Virtual | $12

Sept. 9 - Sept. 10 | bigfourbridgeartsfestival.com/ | Saturday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free Entry

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER CENTERSTAGE

3600 Dutchmans Ln.

Feb. 23, 25, 26, 27 & 28 Mar. 2, 4 & 5 |

13: The Musical | goelevent.com/ JewishCommunityofLouisville/e/

HOLLER

KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

501 W. Main St.

Feb. 3 | Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy | tickets.kentuckyperformingarts. org/21170 | 7 p.m. | Prices vary with seating

Mar. 11 | The Dark Side of the Wall: Echoes Through the Wall | tickets. kentuckyperformingarts.org/20953 | 8 p.m. | Prices vary with seating

Mar. 21 | STOMP | tickets.kentuckyperformingarts.org/20761 | 7:30 p.m. | $46.22-$81.32

LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA

624 W. Main St.

Feb. 25 | Aretha: A Tribute | my.louisvilleorchestra.org/aretha-tribute | 7:30 p.m. | $32-$88

Mar. 4 | Festival of American Music: Journeys of Faith | my.louisvilleorchestra.org/festival-ofamerican-music-journeys-off-faith | 7:30 p.m. | $28-$62

Mar. 10-11 | Festival of American Music: The Literary Influence | my.louisvilleorchestra.org/festival-ofamerican-music-literary-influence | 11 a.m. | $31-$37

SPEED ART MUSEUM

2035 S. 3rd St.

Feb. 12 | Malni-Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore | speedmuseum. org/event/malni-towards-the-oceantowards-the-shore-at-speed-cinema/ | 1 p.m. | Free

Mar. 4 | Speed Ball | www.speedmuseum.org/event/late-night-at-the-speedball-2/ | 9 p.m. | $200

Mar. 13 | Louisville Academy of Music Student Showcase | speedmuseum. org/event/sunday-showcase-louisvilleacademy-of-music-student-showcase/ | 2:30 p.m. | Free

KENTUCKY OPERA

708 Magazine St.

Feb. 24-26 | Cinderella | secure.kyopera.org/cinderella/ | 8 p.m. | $39.49$124.60

Feb. 4 | OVATION 70th Anniversary Celebration | https://kyopera.org| 6:30 p.m. | $300

LEO IS A SPONSOR OF THESE EVENTS:

Feb. 21| A Taste of The Highlands | Highlands Community Ministries (1228 E. Breckinridge) | eventbrite.com/e/ataste-of-the-highlands-mardi-gras2023-tickets-513167236017 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | $50

Mar. 4 | Tailspin Ale Fest | Bowman Field (2700 Gast Blvd.) | tailspinfest. com | 2 - 7 p.m.

Mar. 11 | Harbor House’s Feathers & Friends Gala | The Hyatt Regency Downtown (320 W. Jefferson St.) | Mar. 16 | Kentucky Derby Festival- Festival Unveiled | Mellwood Arts Center (1860 Mellwood Ave.) | discover.kdf.org/festival-unveiled | 6-9 p.m. | $50-70

Literary LEO Literary LEO Literary LEO Literary

WHAT TO SEE: A

ROUNDUP OF LOCAL GALLERY SHOWS

By Jo Anne Triplett | leo@leoweekly.com

A GALLERY roundup of art shows to see in Louisville this month. Note: This list is a selection of current exhibitions.

“ROBERT MORGAN: MYTHS AND STORIES”

Through December

Solo show by Lexington artist Robert Morgan.

“FRAGILE FIGURES: BEINGS AND TIME”

Through December

A group exhibition of portraits.

21C LOUISVILLE

700 W. Main St.

Hours: Mondays-Sundays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. 21cmuseumhotels.com

“CAROL AND CHERYL IN THE GARDEN”

Through March 3

Art exhibition with a garden theme by Carol Ulrich-Barnett and Carol Brenner Tobe.

BOURNE-SCHWEITZER GALLERY

137 E. Main St., New Albany, Indiana

Hours: Thursdays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 1-3 p.m. bourne-schweitzergallery.com

“DISPOSITIONAL GRANULARITY”

Through Feb. 12

Acrylic ink paintings by Uhma Janus.

CAPACITY CONTEMPORARY EXCHANGE

641 W. Main St.

Hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fridays, 12-8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 12-4 p.m. capacitycontemporary.com

“FROM AUDUBON TO SISTO”

Through April 1

Works from the permanent collection.

CARNEGIE CENTER FOR ART & HISTORY

201 E. Spring St., New Albany, Indiana

Hours: Mondays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays, noon-8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. carnegiecenter.org

“DREAM FRONTIERS”

Feb. 12-March 31

Show featuring Donovan Shef�ıeld/Pluto Comics and Matt McRae/Midwestern Gothic. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 12 at 2-4 p.m.

CHESTNUTS AND PEARLS

157 E. Main St., New Albany

Hours: Thursdays-Fridays, 12-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 12-4 p.m. chestnutsandpearls.com

“SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY: NARRATIVE, EMOTION, AND THE BODY”

Through Feb. 9

Work by 26 artists from the 17th-21st centuries.

CRESSMAN CENTER FOR VISUAL ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE

100 E. Main St.

Hours: Wednesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. louisville.edu/cressman

“GIRL AND HER ANIMALS”

Through Feb. 26

Paintings by Katrina Johansen. The closing reception is Sunday, Feb. 26 at 6-8 p.m.

DARBY FOREVER GALLERY AT SURFACE NOISE

600 Baxter Ave.

Hours: Wednesdays-Mondays, 12-6 p.m. Search Facebook

“THE VEILED COLLECTION”

Feb. 4-March 25

Featuring large paintings by realist painter Levi Justice. The reception opening is Friday, Feb. 4 at 1-4 p.m.

GALERIE HERTZ

1253 S. Preston St.

Hours: Thursdays-Saturdays, 12-5 p.m.; most Sundays, 12-4 p.m. galeriehertz.com

“BEAUTIFUL DIFFERENCES”

Through Feb. 11

An all-media show that explores the differences in our world.

“THE PURPLE SHOW”

Feb. 14-March 11

An exhibition with works featuring the color purple. The opening reception is Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

GALLERY 104, ARTS ASSOCIATION OF OLDHAM COUNTY

104 E. Main St., La Grange

Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. aaooc.org

“OUR KENTUCKY HOME: HISPANIC/ LATIN AMERICAN VISUAL ART IN THE COMMONWEALTH”

Feb. 3 & 5

Traveling show with art by Hispanic and Latino artists from Kentucky. There is a special reception on Sunday, Feb. 5, 3-5 p.m.

KENTUCKY CENTER

501 W. Main St.

Hours: Friday, Feb. 3, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 5, 3-5 p.m. kentuckyperformingarts.org

GRETA MATTINGLY

Through March

Solo show by one of the resident artists.

KENTUCKY FINE ART GALLERY

2400-C Lime Kiln Lane

Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. kentucky�ıneartgallery.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“THE LIGHTHOUSE IS DARK BETWEEN FLASHES”

Feb. 3-April 9

First solo exhibition in America featuring the ceramics of Tele Aviv-Yafo based artist Liora Kaplan. The opening reception is Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6-7:30 p.m.

KMAC MUSEUM

715 W. Main St.

Hours: Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. kmacmuseum.org

“INSPIRED”

Through Feb. 15

Shawn Marshall solo exhibition featuring landscape paintings and abstract mixed media pieces.

LOWBER PILATES AND GALLERY

1734 Bonnycastle Ave.

Hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. lowberpilates.com

“CARNIVOROUS PLANTS”

Feb. 3-March 4

The gallery is introducing works of the nude male �ıgure by Cuban artist Andy Llanes Bultó. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 3 at 5:30-8:30 p.m.

MOREMEN GALLERY

710 W. Main St., Suite 201

Hours: Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. moremengallery.com

“FROM THE MELANCHOLY PAST”

Through March 31

Photographs by Diana Schoenfeld.

PAUL PALETTI GALLERY

713 E. Market St.

Hours: Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. paulpalettigallery.com

“SURFACE NOISE”

Feb. 3-27

Art by Samuel Parker showing visual patterns. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 3 at 6:30-9 p.m.

PIGMENT GALLERY

Mellwood Art Center 1860 Mellwood Ave.

Hours: Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (except when rented for private events) mellwoodartcenter.com

PYRO INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION 2023

Feb. 3-26

Featuring 42 guest and member artists. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 3 at 6-9 p.m.; the closing reception is Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1-4 p.m.

PYRO GALLERY

1006 E. Washington St.

Hours: Fridays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m.; Sundays 1-4 p.m. pyrogallery.com

“PORTAL”

Through Feb. 5

Mixed media artist Shae Goodlett visualizes what portals mean to him.

“PLANTS ARE THE NEW PETS”

Feb. 3-27

New block prints series by Norman Spencer based on his love for his indoor plant collection. The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 3 at 6-9 p.m.

REVELRY BOUTIQUE + GALLERY

742 E. Market St.

Hours: Mondays, 11 a.m-5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. revelrygallery.com

“SAM GILLIAM (1933-2022)”

Through Feb. 26

In honor of Gilliam’s recent death, the museum is showing works by the former Louisvillian.

“KENTUCKY WOMEN: HELEN LAFRANCE”

Through April 30

Retrospective of the late Kentucky artist’s work.

SPEED ART MUSEUM

2035 S. Third St.

Hours: Fridays, 1-8 p.m.; Saturdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. speedmuseum.org

“ALL TODAY’S PARTIES’

Through Feb. 18

Groundbreaking exhibition of NFT digital art by Kentucky artists.

WHEELHOUSE ART

2650 Frankfort Ave.

Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. wheelhouse.art

Gallery_Andy Llanes Bultó is showing at the Moremen Gallery in February.

The New York Times

Magazine Crossword

WAY OUT WEST

BY DANIEL MAUER | EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ No. 0529

1 ‘‘Meet the ____’’ (baseball fight song) 5 Pertaining to any of five Italian popes

rodent

To be, in France

____ Jay Hawkins, rock pioneer who wrote ‘‘I Put a Spell on You’’

98 Jazz bassist Carter, who has appeared on more than 2,200 recordings

99 Being treated, in a way

101 A whole can of worms?

102 Mamas’ mamas

106 Bug

107 Bad review

108 Component of lacquer thinner

110 More far out

114 Theme of this puzzle, which winds its way nearly 2,500 miles through all the shaded squares herein

117 Wishy-washy response

118 Captivate

119 The Panthers of the N.C.A.A., familiarly

120 Art in the Television Hall of Fame

121 Dislikes and then some

122 Things sometimes named after presidents

1 One of 50,460 in the Chunnel

2 Actress Barrymore, great-aunt of Drew

3 Famed

SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

QUICKIES

Q: My fiancé has a foot fetish, and he hates it. Can you tell him it’s harmless and immutable?

A: Harmless! Immutable! Also, we’re living in the golden age of foot-fetishist representation—from the conniving, murderous, unctuous Ser Larys Strong on HBO’s House of the Dragon (prestige television!) to the sweet, goofy, traumatized Jimmy on TLC’s MILF Manor (trash television!), guys with a thing for feet are suddenly all over our screens. And as kinks go, there are far… well, I don’t want to say worse fetishes. Let’s just say there are fetishes that are far harder to explain, far riskier to attempt, and that a vanilla partner is far less likely to happily indulge you in.

Q: Would you contact an ex after a year to ask how they are?

A: Depends on the ex, depends on the breakup, and depends on where we left things. If the ex was a genuinely nice person that I liked, I might be inclined to reach out. If I experienced the breakup as amicable and I have every reason to believe my ex did too, I might be inclined to reach out. And if the last time we talked we both said we would be open to being friends in the future, I might be inclined to reach out.

Q:Are you experienced with chastity?

A: I have tried on a cock cage—once a philosopher—but the idea of having my cock locked up for an extended period of time doesn’t appeal to me.

Q: Is sexting real sex or mutual masturbation? Is sex with an AI chatbot real sex or masturbation?

A: The American Psychological Association defines “mutual masturbation” as a “sexual activity in which two individuals stimulate each other’s genitals at the same time for the purpose of

sexual gratification.” (Emphasis added for, well, emphasis.) Since you can’t touch someone’s else junk via sext message, sexting wouldn’t count as mutual masturbation. It’s a shared erotic experience, and one many people in monogamous relationships would consider cheating, but it’s not a sex act. And while you can certainly stimulate your own genitals as you swap messages with an AI chatbot, that’s not fucking. That’s typing.

Q: How do I get my libido back? I’ve lost it to SSRIs and boredom.

A: Talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds—advocate for your own libido—and then talk to your partner about breaking out of your sexual rut(s). If you’re always having sex with the same person, in the same place, at the same time, and in the same way, try having sex with someone else, someplaceelse, at some other time, and in some other way. If you aren’t allowed to have sex with anyone else, then have sex someplace else, at some other time, and in some other way with your partner. And if the only person you’re allowed to have sex with (or want to have sex with) isn’t willing to give other places, times, and ways a try, well, breakups are never boring.

Q: How does one find space for masturbation when living together with very little alone time?

A: One takes long showers, one gets up early or goes to bed late, one seizes opportunities as they present themselves, e.g., partner has a doctor’s appointment, partner is out with friends, partner is locked in the storage unit in the basement.

Q: Speaking of Muppet faces… who is your favorite actual Muppet?

A: My ideal man has always been Janice from the Muppets no lipstick, less mascara, and a very big dick.

Q: What can/should I wear to a fetish party if leather/latex aren’t my thing(s)?

A: Check if the fetish party you’re planning to attend has a dress code. Some require a certain kind of fetish attire (usually leather and/or latex), but these days most fetish parties are open to any kind of fetish attire. You’ll see people at fetish parties in leather and latex, of course, but you’ll also see people in zentai suits, wrestling singlets, jockstraps, canvas straightjackets, fursuits or nothing at all.

Q: What is the best way to meet bi cis women in LTRs with men who want to hookup?

A: There are apps for that.

Q: Shoes or boots?

A: Wearing? Shoes. Licking? Boots.

Q: I have two friends who hate each other. Neither knows I’m friends with the other. What do I do?

A: Whatever you’ve been doing, I guess, seeing as you’ve managed to be friends with both without either finding out. Alternatively, you could tell them both and watch what happens. If one issues an ultimatum (you can’t be friends with both of us, you have to pick, etc.), you should definitely end your friendship—with the person who issued the ultimatum. If they both issue ultimatums, go make new and better friends.

Send your burning questions to mailbox@savage.love Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

LISTINGS

BlueCoat Carwash & Lube Operations, LLC, dba Classie Car Care, at 510 E. Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202, Phone: 502-6434570 has intentions to sell the watercraft described herein to pay for accrued repair charges that have been owed for more than 30 days. The watercraft is a 1980 Bass Tracker III, aluminum hull, HIN#BUJ02907M80K, registered owner: Charles Schultz 1903 16th Street, Lawrenceville, IL 62439, lien holder: Personal Finance Company, PO Box 6, Lawrenceville, IL 62439. Unless the registered owner or lien holder, or anyone else having an interest in this watercraft, objects in writing the sale will be completed and title for the watercraft will be sought.

Leo’s Towing & Recovering,LLC at 510 East Broadway,Louisville,KY 40202 with phone number of 502-643-4570 has intention of obtaining title to a 2000 Silver F-150 Truck bearing Vin#1FTRX07W1YKA46627 registered in the name of Daniel McChord last known address 4657 Knopp Avenue Louisville,KY 40213. Lienholder:None. Owner or lienholder has 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.

Notice of Mechanic's Lien. James Collins Ford is advising Jerald Wright to contact us at 502-584-9731 in regards to payment owed on 2014 Ford Edge, 2FMDK3GC8EBB04038. You have 14 days to make payment in the amount of $1,641.30

Leo's Towing & Recovery,LLC at 510 East Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 with phone number of 502-643-4570 has intention of obtaining title to a white in color 1996 Buick Regal bearing VIN#2G4WF52K4T1503913 registered in the name of Tevin Truitt, last known address 2729 Brownsboro Road Louisville, KY 40206.

Lienholders: None. Owner or lienholder has 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.