A News and Tribune Publication
SEPT. 25, 2014 — Issue 33
M A E R D T E E
SW
r music o f r e e r a c ser trades m a R h t i Andi Sm
TOP THREE
Rock the Rocks at Falls of the Ohio
LISTINGS
Barktoberfest at St. Paul's Episcopal Church
EVENT
The Chipper Lowell Experience!
2 SoIn
Sept. 25, 2014
P u b l is h e r Bill Hanson E d it o r Jason Thomas Desi g n Claire Munn
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On the Cover: Local band Mad Luck will celebrate the release of its first 10-track album "Sweeter Now" at the Vernon Club in Louisville on Sunday. PHOTOGRAPHY: JEREMY KRAMER PHOTO; GRAPHIC DESIGN: TOM ANDERSON
NEXT SOIN ISSUE:
• Exploring Harvest Homecoming's new music lineup.
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Fulfilling a rock ‘n’ roll dream
A recurring theme is starting to take hold on these pages: Southern Indiana residents are dream chasers. Visionaries. Gogetters. And you get a front row seat to it all. Buckle up, because the ride has just begun. No one exemplifies the Jason Thomas, Editor idea of chasing down a dream like Andi Smith Ramser. As you’ll read in today’s cover story, Ramser traded in her 9-to-5 gig to pursue her passion of music. To “let her wild side loose,” April Corbin writes. Imagine giving up stability, a regular paycheck, for the unknown, an empty stage, blank stares. What drives you?
For Ramser, it’s creating music, writing lyrics, performing — overcoming a lack of confidence along the way — and now that’s her steady gig. Her and Sean Ewing’s project, Mad Season, comes to life Sunday with a release party celebrating “Sweeter Now,” their 10-track CD collaboration, and the culmination of Ramser’s vision. “It’s everything I ever wanted,” she told Corbin. What’s groovy is that Ramser remains grounded and realistic about her chosen path. L.A., with all its glitz and cautionary tales, can keep its distance. For now. Accomplishing a goal — a dream — makes Ramser giddy. As it should. Her life is certainly sweeter now. — Jason Thomas is the editor of SoIn. He can be reached by phone at 812-206-2127 or email at jason. thomas@newsandtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ScoopThomas.
feeling more chipper What: The Chipper Lowell Experience! — Where Comedy & Magic Collide! When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 Where: Richard K. Stem Concert Hall, Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center, IU Southeast, 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany Cost: $28 adults, $10 students. Tickets are available at the Ogle Center ticket office or by calling 812=941-2526.
Critics and audiences alike have been raving about Chipper Lowell’s current touring show, “The Chipper Experience! — Where COMEDY & MAGIC Collide!” One of the few live stage shows that’s edgy fun, surprising, and yet suitable for all ages. As seen on “The Tonight Show,” The
Disney Channel, and the upcoming “Masters of Illusion”television series on the CW network. Witness bizarre and hilarious feats of hocus pocus, brain warps, dangerous juggling stunts, flying turtles, quirky inventions, cutting edge visual magic, razorsharp adlibs, outrageous video clips, and tons of laugh-out-loud audience participation. This is not your grandfather’s magic show. For over 20 years, Chipper has been bringing his odd brand of infectiously amusing mayhem to audiences around the world at performing arts centers, theaters, cruise ships, and casino showrooms. His tours have taking him throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Mexico. — IU Southeast
1
Sept. 25, 2014
3 To Go
3
HAMMER TIME What: Rock the Rocks fundraising event
Where: Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, 201 W. Riverside Drive, Clarksville Cost: $75; info, call 812-2834999 In keeping with this year’s theme, the event will feature live music with Jamey Aebersold Jazz at 6 p.m., followed by the Old School Band at 7 p.m., a construction-themed dinner by Terri Lynn’s Catering, a bourbon tasting by Jim Beam Brands Co., handcrafted beers from New Albanian Brewing Co., a wine tasting by Old 502 Winery, a silent and live auction and more.
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2
3 dead people walking
What: New Albany Zombie Walk and Ball When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 Cost: $15 adults; $10 children Info: develpna.org Venture through downtown New Albany to various checkpoints to be eligible for prizes. Be on the lookout for zombies that will complicate your journey. Register at Strandz and Threadz; Farmers Market or Culbertson Mansion. A ball is at Culbertson Mansion at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.
Danger! Danger!
What: 20th annual Danger Run Where: Throughout Louisville When: 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 1 Cost: $20 Info: dangerrun.com Fans near and far have gathered together in the chilly fall air to solve clues in this quest that leads them throughout the city in search of the area’s best haunted houses. The object is to follow clues via vehicle to accumulate the most mileage. Top 25 closest to exact mileage compete for Danger Run Champ.
Gotta Go: Interested in seeing your event in our 3 To Go?
Walk-in Humidor at 5 locations
Email SoIn Editor Jason Thomas at jason.thomas@newsandtribune.com
Hookah
Open 7 Days A Week Monday - Saturday 8am to 9pm Sunday 9am to 6pm Corydon Location: Monday - Saturday 9am - 10pm Sunday 9am - 9pm
CHAS
Andi Smith Ramser fulfills By APRIL CORBIN newsroom@newsandtribune.com ll the numbers were starting to get to Andi Smith Ramser. After more then a dozen satisfying years of steady employment at the same Louisville advertising firm Bandy Carroll Hellige, the senior media buyer was itching to let her creative side loose. Burnt out on the constant deadlines and crunching numbers for clients, the Georgetown native was tired of constraining her true passion to after-hours band practices, weekend performances and writing song lyrics on Microsoft Word during lunch hour. “The company felt like a second family to me,” Ramser said, “that’s why I was there for so long. I loved it. It was just that the work, I felt like it was hindering my creative process.” After more than a year of agonizing over what to do, she made a decision: She was going to pursue music full time. Point1Zero, the cover band she was in at the time, was making good traction locally, so she started more seriously managing and booking shows. She also started writing. A lot. “I’d wake up, make coffee, go to my computer and then just try to think of lyrics,” she said. “It was a very freeing feeling.” As Point1Zero began to peter out naturally, Ramser shared her original music ideas with one of the band’s two guitarists, Sean Ewing. He saw something promising in her material and the two already played together as an acoustic duo called Strung Out Loud, so it made perfect sense for them to collaborate on a new project. That project, Mad Luck, comes to fruition Sunday night as it celebrates the release of “Sweeter Now” with an all-ages party and performance from 6 to 10 p.m. at Vernon Club. “Sweeter Now” is a 10-track self-released CD of upbeat pop rock. It’s friendly enough to get your head bobbing but with just enough attitude that the liner-note shout-out to Captain Morgan and Pabst Blue Ribbon won’t come as a surprise. “Her approach is interesting,” Ewing said about their working relationship. “She doesn’t really play any instruments, and that frees her to just go after whatever pops into her head. She has free range. A lot of musicians, they put themselves in a box.”
A
phOtO bY bellaWillOW phOtOgraphY
andi Smith ramser will be cel “Sweeter Now” at the Vernon
Ramser and Ewing write an together. When they were rea neered and played guitars, ba accomplished local musician, “I think it came out better t “I have all this nervous ene release. “To other people it mi everything I’ve ever wanted.” Music has always been imp ’80s growing up “right next to would record songs off the ra them and sing along. Eventua structure of songs’ verses, cho writing her own lyrics. Although she was outgoing dence in her abilities to sing in her decidedly un-Mariah Car
SING A DREAM
s musical vision
lebrating the release of Mad luck’s Club in louisville on Sunday. PHOTO BY TONY ROUZER
nd conceptualize all the songs ady, Ewing produced, mixed, engiass and keys for them. They hired an , Van Campbell, for the drums. than we both expected,” Ewing said. ergy,” Ramser said of the upcoming ight just be another party, but it’s ” portant to Ramser. As a child in the o the drive-in” in Georgetown, she adio onto a cassette tape, transcribe ally, she started to recognize the oruses, bridge, outros, etc. She started
g and goofy, she had zero confin public or impress anyone else with rey-like voice. It wasn’t until No
SO YOU KNOW What: Mad Luck
‘Sweeter Now’ CD release party WheN: 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 Where: Vernon Club, 1575 Story Ave., Louisville ONliNe: Facebook.com/madluckband; music can also be purchased on iTunes
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEREMY KRAMER PHOTO; GRAPHIC DESIGN: TOM ANDERSON
Doubt and its dynamic frontwoman Gwen Stefani hit the mainstream that Ramser realized her voice might actually be something people in the public wanted to hear. “A lot of people ask me now, ‘Are you trying to sound like Gwen Stefani?’ As an original artist, that’s the worst thing you can say,” Ramser said, “but it was her voice that I heard in college that made me realize I could be a singer. I related to her, so I know people will hear that influence.” Even then, as a marketing student at Indiana University Southeast, she wasn’t confident enough to jump into the spotlight. It wasn’t until she won a karaoke contest (fittingly by singing No Doubt’s hit “Just A Girl”) that she thought being in a band might actually be a real possibility. “I won $50 cash and a $50 bar tab,” she recalled, laughing, “but it mattered. It was the first time I’d ever really done anything in public like that. I started building confidence.” Ramser’s late start into the music scene keeps her expectations realistic. She doesn’t expect the record labels to come crashing through her door, but she does hope the music registers with listeners on a personal level. Hearing herself on the radio stations WFPK and WTFX has also brought her to cloud nine. “This is just one of those very personal accomplishments where just finishing it made me feel like I was on top of the world,” she says. “It was always one of those dreams you have as a kid, where you wished for it but didn’t realize that it could actually happen.” With one personal milestone out of the way, Ramser is contemplating her next step. Her goal is to solidify Mad Luck as a full band and aim to play a few shows a year. Since recording the record, Ewing has relocated to Florida, making anything more than that difficult. Beyond that, she knows she’ll find a few projects. Whatever happens next, Ramser is happy about the choices she’s made. “I needed to do it now,” she says. “I didn’t want to put off (my dreams) any longer. I decided that the sacrifice would be worth it, rather than living with regret.”
Sean ewing and andi Smith ramser formed the band Mad luck and will celebrate the release of its first 10-track album Sunday. PHOTO BY BELLAwILLOw PHOTOGRAPHY
6 Entertainment
Movies: Sept. 26
é “The Equalizer”
“The Boxtrolls” “Pride”
Sept. 25, 2014
ALBUMS: Sept. 30
é “747” by Lady Antebellum
“Collide” by Boyz II Men
books: Sept. 30
é “Corruption in America” by
Zephyr Teachout
“Walking Home” by Sonia
Choquette
SUDSY EXPERIMENT
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To kick off the 2014-15 Adult Series, the Science Center will hold its third annual exBEERiment where visitors can sample local and eclectic beers while exploring the Science Center’s interactive exhibit experiences and explosive live demonstrations. Partners will include the Against the Grain Brewery and Smokehouse, Apocalypse Brew Works, the Bluegrass Brewing Company, Cumberland Brewery, Falls City Beer, Kentucky Ale, My Old Kentucky Homebrew, New Albanian Brewing Company, Old 502 Winery, Pauly’s Schnitzelburg Pub, and West 6th Brewing. New this year, ticketholders will also receive free admission to LIBA’s Brewfest on Oct. 17. New this year, visitors who aren't as fond of beer can also sample local wines from Old 502 Winery. Additionally, local food trucks from the Louisville Food Truck Association will be parked on Main Street.
What: exBEERiment When: 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2
Where: Kentucky Science
Center, 727 W. Main St., Louisville (must be 21 to enter) Info: KYScienceCenter.org Tickets: $20 for non-members, $15 for members.
Sept. 25, 2014
Entertainment 7
Local SoIn Happenings Feeling left out? Send your establishment’s and/ or organization’s upcoming events/new features/entertainment information to SoIn Editor Jason Thomas at jason.thomas@newsandtribune.com
Movie Night By the River
When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 (free) Where: New Albany Amphitheater ‘Frozen’
Live music at Huber’s
When: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Where: Huber’s Orchard, Winery and Vineyards, 19816 Huber Road, Starlight Saturday: The CMN Trio; Sunday: Lydsey Henken
Live music at Big Four Burgers + Beer
Where: 134 Spring St., Jeffersonville Friday: Kyle from The River Bottom; Saturday: Aquila [bigfourjeff.com]
Stories Behind the Stones
When: 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, Saturday, Sept. 27 Where: Fairview Cemetery, New Albany This one-and-a-half hour tour is a half-mile walk around the cemetery. First tour starts at 6 p.m., with tours every 15 minutes. Enter at the main entrance on Culbertson Avenue, between East Fifth and East Seventh streets. $5 for Children K-8th grade; $10 for adults. Tickets may be purchased by calling 812-945-7601 or emailing storiesbehindthestonessociety@gmail.com.
Live on State at Wick’s
Where: Wick’s Pizza Parlor, 225 State St., New Albany When: Friday and Saturday Friday: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Wicked Sinsation, Saturday: 10 p.m., Rick Bartlett & The Rock-N-Soul Revival [wickspizza.com]
Corydon Jamboree
Where: 220 Hurst Lane, Corydon When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Special guests Kim McCauley, Susan West and Terry Vincent. General Admission $10; children 6-12, $6; under 6, free. For reservations, directions or any other information call 812-738-1130. [www.corydonjamboree.com]
Let the games begin
What: Battle of the Bands Where: New Albany Production House, 1736 E. Main St. When: Five consecutive Fridays, starting this Friday, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $7 at the door Info: naproductionhouse.com Friday: Riverwolves, Forever Fades Away, Sane Anonymous and The Archaeas The first four weeks are semifinals (Sept. 12, 19, 26 and Oct. 3), with one band each night advancing to the finals on Oct. 17. There will be a minimum of four bands per night, with a maximum of five. The winner will be based off of judging, crowd vote and promotion. Monday, Sept. 28: The Promise Hero (from Cleveland, All The Motions, 2Night's Entertainment & The Weekend Classic. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $8
Distinguished restaurants event Barktoberfest
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 Where: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1015 E. Main St., New Albany Saturday, Sept. 27, one-year anniversary party with Soul River Brown Outdoor service and blessing of the animals followed by a festival with German style food and drink and booths featuring local animal outreach organizations.
When: 6 p.m. Oct. 8 Where: Brown Hotel Cost: $175/person Info: dirona.com The 2014 Distinguished Restaurants of North America conference will conclude Oct. 8 with a public blacktie optional gala awards dinner at the Brown Hotel. The Bourbon & Beyond 2014 conference gala dinner begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by a sixcourse dinner at 7 p.m.
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