NTDWL: GEAUX SAINTS!!

So, it was the best Super Bowl ever.  Right?  I mean, come on... even my Colts fan friends-- including Roommate-- loved that game.  That two-point conversion.  The interception.  And Drew Brees holding his itty bitty Little Brees with those itty bitty headphones... just thinking about it makes me tear up.  The awesome realization that the Saints-- the SAINTS!-- won the Super Bowl.  Sean Payton saying today that he slept with the trophy and maybe "drooled on it a little."  

The only thing cuter than the new gorilla that was born at Louisville Zoo this weekend is mini-Brees.

The reason this post is so choppy-- I haven't had a coherent thought since last night around 10p.  Seriously.  I am stoned on disbelief.

The Nearness of You: ELLA! at Actors

Back when Lou was in college, it was hip to like Billie Holiday. We lived a block from Harlem and a subway ride to the best jazz clubs north of the Mississippi (of course back then, we believed they were the best jazz clubs on earth), and Lady Day was "in" with a certain faction of the college crowd.

But me, I always preferred Ella Fitzgerald. At my apartment parties, my mix tapes (yes, I'm that old) always nestled her vocal stylings between those of Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley (we were a subdued crowd... if we really wanted a party we shuffled disco, George Michaels, and Madonna).

I loved Ella. I must have owned seven or more cds. And for that reason, I left Actors Theatre's production of ELLA! elated and scatting and feeling like I'd experienced the next best thing to going to see the real Ella Fitzgerald in concert.

Because, seriously, Tina Fabrique, the woman who plays Ella in this music-packed production, is a treasure. Her voice, her mannerisms, and her bearing all deliver the iconic jazz singer with clear and heartbreaking honesty. If she'd done nothing but sing, I would have watched rapt. The stage "banter"-- which is the driving device of the bio part of the show-- is almost a distraction. (Ella, the character reveals at the beginning of the show that she's been told that she needs to incorporate more "banter" into her productions, thus giving her the opportunity to try out various stories on the audience.)

Backed by a masterful five-piece band, Fabrique sings 23+ partial and full songs from Fitzgerald's repertoire, from the fun and silly ("A Tisket A Tasket"-- a song Grandma Lou used to always sing to me) to the overwhelmingly beautiful (Porter's "Night and Day"). The show runs long-- at least two hours, maybe two hours fifteen-- but I could have stayed all night listening to her. Heck, in college, it wasn't uncommon for me to put an Ella cd on repeat and listen all night while drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes by candle light. I guess that would be called "emo" now.

Honestly, I think this production is one NOT to miss. It's simple yet dazzling. It's charming and heartbreaking. It's a piece of musical history too many people are missing. I wish I could drag every teenager I know to the show. But if you go for one reason alone, go because Tina Fabrique is a treasure.

I went to the show with a new Twitter friend. And as we walked to our respective cars, we started a conversation that we didn't finish. We both loved the show. We both were moved and thrilled. But... we both also questioned whether or not this is "theater." What makes this theater? The banter? The bio parts? The second half is nearly all music, very little story. And what-- besides quality, because I've already established that Fabrique is a mess of talent-- distinguishes this show from "Celebrity Impersonator" shows in Vegas? The good ones. The quality, artistic ones. How is ELLA! theater, and not a top shelf, artsy, thoughtfully presented impersonator show?

Without going too far down the rabbit hole: How do we define theater? ELLA! is a freaking fantastic evening of entertainment with a tremendous amount of heart. But is it theater? If so why? Discuss.

ELLA! runs through 2/20. Go. You'll love it.

The Best Place You Weren't This Weekend

Hearsay told me that I missed something big when I missed the Dashboard Confessional/Louisville Orchestra concert in 2009. Now I can say for certain that each empty seat in the Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall tonight represented someone who truly missed out on an Event. With a capital "E."

I'm not particularly good with organization, so I may rescind this statement at a later date (though I doubt it), but I'm thinking that the Calexico/Airborne Toxic Event concert with the Louisville Orchestra tonight cracked my "Top Ten Concerts Ever" list." It was sublime. It was a joy. It was a frigging brilliant risk on the part of the Louisville Orchestra to invite these two, relatively little-known bands to participate in their "No Strings Attached" concert series. And what a pay-off.

Et Tu, Kenny G?

Several days ago the HullabaLOU Festival announced that Richard Marx had pulled out of the line-up, breaking the hearts of middle-aged, mullet-headed women all throughout Kentuckiana.  You know, I'll say this for the guy (who has, actually, gone on to quite a far-ranging career as a music producer):  The mere mention of his name immediately conjures up memories of slow dancing at school dances.  I'll have "Hold onto the Night" in my head for the rest of the day.  The things that I do for you, Loueyvillagers.

Yesterday, I got a press release from the Louisville Orchestra saying that Kenny G. had pulled out of the Valentines Day Pops show for unspecified reasons.

Why are all the 80's smooth balladeers pulling the plug on their Louisville shows?  

From the press release:

"The Orchestra was in immediate contact with top artist agents and representatives in New York and Los Angeles to find a replacement.  Given the very short notice, and need for such an artist to have symphony charts, nothing suitable has been found to date. 

 

"I guess, in this case, the 'g' is silent, but the show will go on," commented Pops conductor Bob Bernhardt, showing his trademark humor.  "Kenny G was to perform on the second half of the concert.  We are working now to put together a dynamite Valentine's event for our audience.  Perhaps we can get Mr. G back in Louisville in a future season."

 

Details for the final Valentine's concert will be posted on the Louisville Orchestra's website in the coming days.  Ticket holders for the concert are being contacted by the orchestra to make them aware of the program change.  All tickets for the February 13^th performance will be honored."

That Bob Bernhardt is one funny guy.  

I'm still thinking about going to the Airborne Toxic Event/Calexico show this Friday. I just wish tickets were a little bit cheaper.  Anyone interested in going with?

Here She Comes, Miss America

One of my shameful sins is my addiction to Entertainment Weekly Online.  I don't hit up the TMZs or the Perez Hiltons of the world.... I'm not interested in gossip so much as I'm interested in American Pop Culture.  And EW.com's many blogs deliver just that in little bite sized nuggets.  (Oh, and if you're a LOST fan and you DON'T read Doc Jensen's coverage of everything LOST, you're missing out on genuine, academic semiotic analysis of a brilliant show).  

Anyhoo.  This is just to say that over at EW.com they're handicapping this weekend's Miss America pageant.  And Ms. Kentucky gets a mention as one to watch.  She is pretty adorable (she's in the first video from :46 - 1:18). We here at Loueyville wish her the best of luck.  

That being said, I knew one of her runners-up pretty well, and that young woman would have made an awesome, super quirky Miss America-- have we had a hot nerd Miss America yet?  It's about dang time.

Hullaba--what the hell? SEATS?

So I happened to be board-browsing the eBays and noticed that there are a bunch of Hullabaloo tickets on sale. They seemed to be posted by the same seller, but the tickets were different prices. Why? I wondered.

BECAUSE THEY'RE FOR SEATS.

Oh please, please HullabaLOU organizers, please email me and let me know that you're not having a "festival" with seats. Where people sit down. On their butts. To watch a "festival." Your website doesn't offer any glimpse into this. But, friends, "seats" mean ONE stage. One stage means... uhhh... not a festival.

Please tell me that this is a scam artist selling fake tickets for fake seats that don't exist because the idea of SITTING IN AN ASSIGNED SEAT FOR A "FESTIVAL" is OFFICIALLY the Worst Idea Ever!! (I take it back, the NYT thing still is the WORST idea ever.)

UPDATE: For all you doubters out there, New Orleans Jazz Festival is held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs is actually two acres BIGGER than the New Orleans Fair Grounds. And Jazzfest has 12 stages!

UPDATE II: Newsman extraordinaire, WFPL's Gabe Bullard, tells me that HullabaLOU will have 5 stages and 65 bands. So then what's with the seats? You have assigned seats for one main stage but can wander to the other 4? Gah, I hate it when I'm at a play or a sporting event or other seated thing and the people in the middle of the row keep getting up to get beer or pee or something. The other four stages don't appear on the map. And I still say that any "festival" that's encouraging butts-in-seats is encouraging a very laid-back (in a bad way) vibe. Maybe they'll put only "old folks" bands on this stage? For the boomers with knee problems? And mathwise: 65 bands, divided by 3 days, divided by 5 stages= approx 4 acts per stage. Is this a short festival? Are the bands doing 2 hr sets? How many people are truly psyched for 2 hrs of 38 Special? All this being said, I do feel better that there are five stages and not just one. 5 stages indeed a festival makes. But this seats thing may not be the WORST idea ever (that's the NYT going pay-per-view, in case you've forgotten), but it still seems like a might bad idea.

Mama Needs a Date II: ELLA at ATL

I signed up for Google Analytics a little while ago, so now I can track how many hits loueyville.com gets every day. It's weird and makes me feel very self-conscious and very narcissistic to check it, so I don't very often. And for something I put SO much time into, the numbers are kind of meh.

But, I find it HI-LARIOUS that since I started using Analytics, my post with the MOST number of hits was "Mama Needs a Date" posted on Dec 8, 2009. And the funny thing-- or not so funny thing-- is that Mama didn't get a date. Mama had to ask a friend. (We had a great time, so no big deal, of course, but still... um... yeah.)

So this time I thought I would ask in advance. Actors Theater has decided that I'm media-- can I get a "woo hoo" from the crowd?-- and has granted me two media tickets to see the soon-to-open production of ELLA. The tickets are for the 7:30p show on 1/28... and Mama needs a date.

Sure, I could friend-source this date, but I thought, in honor of my #1 post, I would reader-source it.

Here's the thing... this isn't a DATE. I'm not so bad off I've resorted to hocking myself on the intertubes. So, this is gender neutral. We can grab a drink before or after or something, but I'm not going to walk you home or try to hold your hand. Just a good time at the excellent Actors Theater with a fellow lover-of-Louisville.

If you are interested, email me at lou-at-loueyville.com. And I will pick, totally at random, a winner on Wednesday next. I promise you I won't spam you with emails-- I'm too lazy to make a mailing list-- so your email address will only be used to notify you if you've won.

(I'm also inspired by the fact that I had a "blind date" with a Twitter friend tonight, and it went smashingly. Of course, he is-- for very good reasons I knew in advance-- "just not that into me," but a good time was had by all, and we'll do it again. Yay new friends!)

NTDWL: WORST IDEA EVER

Sorry, this has nothing to do with Louisville, and I apologize for the hyperbole.  Something about this weather and Haiti and the MA Senate loss and this weather and just January in general has made me feel like a teenager all of a sudden.  I feel like curling up in my bed and sobbing my eyes out because "nobody likes me" and "it's all so unfair" and "you just don't understand."

I know? Right? 

Ugh.  

But this headline actually made me swear out loud-- and LOUD-- "New York Times to Charge for Articles Online."

To quote my inner angsty teen: "OMG. OMG. OMG. Are you serious??"

Why do I have such a strong gut reaction to this WORST IDEA EVER?  Because back in 2005, I swore I would never, ever read the New York Times again.  Because 2005 was the dark days of the failed "Times Select" experiment where you could read a select few articles online but had to have a paid subscription to read more.  And 2005 was Katrina.  And I was starved for information.  And 95% of their Katrina coverage was behind the "Times Select" wall.  And I didn't have any money because, well, I was evacuated and living in limbo. And I would get so mad, every day, when I checked the NYT and find that all the best information was pay-per-view.

And I didn't read the NYT again until I moved to Louisville and found out just how bad the Courier-Journal was. (And by that time, "Times Select" was over.)

And I do think I am prepared to say that I will indeed boycott the NYT again if they do this.  The article says they won't start til 2011, so we have 11 months to hope that they realize that this is the WORST IDEA EVER,.

BOGO: A Rant

So, it's another chilly, yucky night here in Louisville, hot on the heels of another chilly, yucky day, and I'm crankier than usual. Despite the awesome weekend spent with my best friend, Cousin Lou, and the four day week, I feel like I did two days of work today at my meatspace job, and I'll have to tackle the same workload tomorrow.

And all I really want right now is to bundle up in my big puffy down coat and head on out to a local eatery and have me some beers and comfort food. It's Tuesday, so the logical choice would also be the closest: Buy One Get One Burger Night at the MonkeyWrench.

But the problem is obvious: I'm flying solo tonight. There's no "get one" option for me. Sure, maybe back in the 90's when I had an awesome metabolism and food flew through me like mercury, leaving no trace on my gut or my hips, I might have been able to scarf down two burgers. But now, I can barely finish one.

And this just seems to always be the case for discounts on food here in Louisville. Every year, I buy the Entertainment coupon books, and almost all of the restaurant offers are BOGO. Today the Louisville Originals had their several-times-a-year discounted gift certificate sale. Ignoring the fact that it's nigh impossible to actually snag the certificates to the more popular restaurants unless you log in right when they go on sale, the certificate dollar amounts (which don't cover drinks, usually) are too high for a single diner. I couldn't possibly spend $50 at Avalon, by myself, without drinks (include the drinks, and that's another story entirely). Restaurant.com often features gift certificates at 80% off, but most of the certificates require a $35 minimum purchase, before drinks.

All of this is fine and good when Roommate is in town. When he's around, we pretty much do most evening stuff together, and that includes dinner. But-- and it makes me a little misty just thinking about it-- 2010 may very well be the year that our seven year cohabitation draws to a close. And then I'll be a solo diner more often than not.

I know what you're going to say, Dear Reader. "Get some goddamn friends, Lou!"

2009 was the year that I finally got some friends, thankyouverymuch.

The point is that I like being a solo diner. Sometimes, more often than not actually, there's nothing better than a pint and a burger in the company of a good book.

Just last night, I actually lied to Big Mama Lou and told her I was "meeting friends" for dinner and a late movie. I had no intention of meeting friends. I hadn't even made the offer. But Big Mama-- though she's been single since 1977-- thinks I'm weird for enjoying my own company so much. To the best of my knowledge, Big Mama has never gone out to dinner alone-- at least not in her hometown. And I know for a fact that she's never been to a movie theater alone.

So, this isn't a "Poor Lou doesn't have anyone to play with" rant. This is a rant about the fact that discount restaurant offers don't work for us singletons (oh, I hate that I just typed that word) because they're created with couples (or more) in mind. Let's face it, us solo diners are also obviously living in single-income situations-- who needs to save money more than solo diners?

Last Friday, I took advantage of Dragon King's Daughter's nightly late night happy hour (10p-12p) where they have a large menu of discounted sushi. It was lovely, and I'm going to do it again very soon. But, only after I ordered my drink (hot sake) did the bartender tell me that I could take home the rest of the $10 bottle of wine that was on sale. So, that's a solo diner win. But their ginormous sushi rolls are a bit of a challenge for one stomach. One isn't enough and two is too many, and when you have sushi it's really nice to have a couple of different things to eat.

What's the solution? In a perfect world, I'd love to see sushi restaurants in general, and Dragon King's late night menu in particular, offer half-rolls. It's a total win for everyone. For the single diner. For the adventurous diner who doesn't want to commit to a full order of a roll he/she hasn't tried. For the restaurant for any number of reasons. Just a thought.

And BOGO restaurants? How's about just saying half-off? I promise you, Monkeywrench, give me a half-off burger, and my bar tab will make it worth your while. And all you discount restaurant gift certificate folks, would it kill you to include alcohol? Or to create different options for the single diner? $20 for one person? $35 for two?

My tummy is growling. Off to figure out the food situation. And despite having hundreds of bucks in gift certificates and coupons at my finger tips, I'm sure I'll pay full price.

The Greatest: On Stage in New Jersey

While procrastinating at work today, I came across an interesting New York Times article about a World Premiere production of a play called "Fetch Clay, Make Man" at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ.  According to the director of the McCarter Theater, Emily Mann, the play is about "about the surprising (but true) friendship between champion boxer Muhammad Ali and vilified former Hollywood actor Stepin Fetchit.  It [examines] identity, manhood and the public image of two exceedingly different men."  In this production, Fetchit is played by icon, Ben Vereen.

This weekend was Ali's 68th birthday.  I sure hope someone at ATL or some other local theater is keeping an eye on this production.  The NYT review is good but not glowing.  It would be fabulous to stage this production in Ali's hometown-- maybe even in his own theater?  Just a thought.

January 18, 2010: Go to an O'Shea's Pub on 1/18.

Seriously... all three of the O'Shea's family pubs (not including the one downtown that hasn't opened yet) are sending 100% of proceeds to Haiti on 1/18. That's O'Shea's, Brendan's, and Flanagan's.

Go. Have a beer. Stay for dinner. Spend $$ and raise $$ for the Hatians!

TDWL: Michael C. Hall & Hodgkins

UPDATE: As Linda mentions in the comments below, this is actually NOT a NTDWL post, it's totally a TDWL post. Michael C. Hall has been married for a year to his co-star, Jennifer Carpenter, who is a Louisville native and a Sacred Heart graduate. (And my favorite character on Dexter). I totally forgot that I too have heard rumors of the couple hanging out together around town. Anyone know if there is truth to the rumor that they own a house on Cherokee? I'm so happy that this reminder allows me to blog about Dexter and Hall to my heart's content. Thanks, Linda!

So, one of my better Christmas gifts this year was Season 3 of "Dexter." Roommate (he's on Twitter now @etammooR) gave it to me because we just started watching Season 1 before Christmas. 2010 has been a very Dexter year. We're through Season 2 (after every episode in Season 2, we said, "How the HELL is he going to get out of this one??" You've got to love a show that makes you ask that EVERY episode.). But Roommate is out of town, so Season 3 is burning a hole in my coffee table (and my mind). Hurry up and get home, Roommate. We've got some serial killer to follow.

Anyway, y'all know me. I'm cancer girl. Had cancer... blah blah blah... doing much better now... blah blah blah. But this week Michael C. Hall announced that he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Hall is the actor who plays Dexter and who played David Fisher in what is probably my favorite TV show of all time, "Six Feet Under." And tonight, Hall took home a Golden Globe for "Dexter" Season 4. He appeared at the ceremony in a wacky black stocking cap, looking rather... sickly, honestly.

I know this is a local blog. So pop culture news is not apropos. But, as a breast cancer survivor, I hear a lot of criticism about the fact that the Pink Cause has raised SO much money, but so little progress has been made. Hell, sometimes I'm the gal leveling that criticism.

BUT...

My dad was diagnosed with Hodgkin's when he was 17. Massive doses of radiation/chemo bolted him into remission long enough for him to think he was okay, go to college a year late, meet my mom, marry her, and conceive me. But several months into Mama Lou's pregnancy, Dad's remission ended. Doctors said he wouldn't live to see me born. But he did. I was, in fact, born on his birthday.

And he died when he was 27, when I was 3. Of Hodgkin's.

Doctors said, when he was 17 and again when he was 24, that he had a single-digit chance of living five years.

But now, Michael C. Hall's chance of surviving Hodgkin's is 90% or higher.

I need to say that again, just for myself. Hodgkin's survival rate now is 90% or higher.

Back when Dad was diagnosed, it was single digits percent. They didn't even put a number on it because the words "single digits" were dire enough.

So... I'm just saying. I get pissed off about the pink Snuggies too. I do. But I totally benefited from all the cancer research that has been done over the years. My breast cancer was not the same breast cancer that the previous generation had.

And my dad's death sentence is, for Michael C. Hall, just... not... anymore.

If my poor dear dad's cancer hadn't reared it's awful head back in the 60's and 70's, but had managed to hang innocuous til the 80's and 90's, it's quite possible that I'd still have a dad.

Anyway, seeing Michael C. Hall on the Golden Globes tonight stirred all kinds of porridge inside me. Good luck and best wishes Dexter/David. I am, indeed, a huge fan. And I'm hoping you'll end up being the "face" of "how far we've come" because of cancer research. Single digits to 90% in 30 years. Thems are good maths.

Crummy Day in Louisville

Today Louisville lost an advocate and cheerleader, way, way, way before her time. Francene Cucinello died today at age 43 of a heart attack complicated by an aneurysm.

I'm posting this without (much) commentary because I was not, by any means, a regular listener of Francene's program. Nor do I know a whole lot about her. She aired weekdays at 9am, which is normally when I am at work.

That being said, last year (well, late 2008), when I was on a leave-of-absence from my meatspace job to finish up my cancer treatments, I had gawdawful insomnia. Late at night, the only thing that could keep my brain from spinning out of control and into scary places was listening to COAST TO COAST with George Noory. (If I haven't made it clear before, let me make it clear now: Mama is a total conspiracy theorist and a huge believer in all things cryptozoological. In fact, Mama is waiting for the Mothership as we speak. And how else could you explain her fascination with @Fairdalebigfoot?)

And George Noory was on the same radio station that Francene was on in the morning. So when my alarm went off-- and I continued to set my alarm, even though I had nowhere to go-- I would wake to Francene.

Methinks she was more conservative than I am (but she couldn't have been THAT conservative, as she was a dear friend of Jake at the Ville Voice and for whom I feel tremendous sympathy). But I liked her. Quite a bit.

And of course, anyone who dies at age 43 of such shocking causes makes someone my age (still in my 30's) consider our mortality. And the general worth of our lives. And if there is any consolation in this-- and there really isn't-- it's that Francene died beloved by so many. She is being remembered for the impact she made on this city. For her faithful listeners and fans, her worth is unquestionable and the impact that she had on their lives and our city is indelible.

So despite the fact that I was not one of her listeners (although I did read her columns in the LEO), I'm still roiled by her death. And I am so so sorry for her friends, family, and fans. And I'm sorry for this city. We've lost a great one. It's hard to get your head around, especially in a week when all of the news has been hard to get your head around.

Ugh. This world, this life, is so hard sometimes.

Good Day, Sun Shines

I just got this spam comment on my other blog.  I had to laugh.  There's been so much bad news lately, that I can't believe that the intro to this email made actually made me smile.  

Good day, sun shines!
There have were times of hardship when I felt unhappy missing knowledge about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright pessimistic person. 

A lot of this week, I have felt like I AM a dump and downright pessimistic person.  But being called "sun shines" made me feel so much better.

Hope you're having a great day, sun shines.  Sometimes it's the little things that make the big things feel less dreadful.

To borrow a phrase*: "This is why we can't have nice things"

C'mon Louisville, really? A Kentucky-based KISS cover band had almost $10K worth of gear and props stolen right before they're about to hit the "big time." Well, cover band "big time." Which can mean only one thing: VEGAS.

According to WLKY, KISS Army's trailer was stolen with all the gear inside. They have suspects-- two guys who showed up at a resale shop, trying to unload some of the goods. But the goods themselves are still missing.

Steve (who withheld his last name), who plays the Peter Criss role in KISS Army said:

"Here we are, right around the corner from creating our finest moment in our history, and to have someone potentially derail that is heartbreaking... We're starving and striving at the same time. We can't afford to have something like this happen."

Good luck to the 18 year old band!

Read the full coverage at WLKY (via MSNBC.com)

*Phrase borrowed from Jake of www.thevillevoice.com and @cattleprod

Walker's Paradise

I have always said that I live in the "best" neighborhood in the city. Not toniest. Just best. And one of the qualities of "bestness" that I rank super-high is Walkability.

The website WalkScore.com allows you to input any address-- I think anywhere-- and using Google technology the site determines what kinds of businesses and services you can walk to and then spits out your Walkability Rating. When I put in my address, my rating is a 91/100. According to the website, that means I have it better, walk-wise, than 99% of all Louisvillagers. Click here to see how they rank the neighborhoods (I live in #7).

Louisville comes out pretty good with an overall rating of #15 on the most walking-friendly cities. Click here to see which cities are MORE walkable than we are, and which ones aren't. Some of it doesn't feel very intuitive. LA is #9? Long Beach is a city? People walk in Austin? I thought they were required by law to drive Vespas.

One more reason to love Louisville!

Small Kindnesses

I'm kind of irrationally devoted to this city. Sometimes I think I'm such a huge fan of Louisville because I never intended to leave New Orleans. Sure, I had a choice. I could have stayed, but my options there were limited and lousy. And Louisville chose me. I didn't choose this place. My current meatspace employer tracked me down and literally booked my plane ticket up here without asking me first. The guy who hired me said, "Don't judge it before you see it." And he was damn right.

So sometimes I think my crazy love of this city is because it found me. And it was just the right place to go during a terrible time in my life, when I felt exiled and rootless and pessimistic.

So when people talk trash about Louisville, sometimes I bite their heads off. Sorry guys.

Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But there are simply some empirical facts about Louisville that make this a great place to live. One of those is that we (I now count myself among you) are a city of really nice people.

I've been hibernating all weekend. Roommate is out of town, there's snow on the ground, and it's gawdawful cold (one of the few things I loathe about this city). So when I was forced to leave the house to go to Walgreen's to buy a lint brush, I was none too happy about it and decided to "reward" myself with a trip to Starbucks. (I know, I should be patronizing our locals, but folks keep giving me Starbucks gift cards, and I live on the cheap).

I stocked up on stuff at Walgreen's and went over to the Starbucks on Baxter. Roommate and I spend a good deal of time there, and we know someone who used to work there. It's pretty clear that it can be a challenging place to work for a number of reasons. High traffic, some incredibly wacky patrons-- especially in the winter-- etc.

Anyway, it was slow, so I went right up to the barrista (is there a male form of that?-- barristo?), and said-- as I always do, "How are you?" He responded, asked me how I was, and I don't remember what I said. Maybe "cold" or maybe just "fine." Then I ordered a venti Peppermint Mocha and started digging in my wallet for my gift card.

And the barrista/o said, "You know what? Because you were civil, because you're a nice person, you get a free drink."

I argued for a moment, but he waved me off. I asked him if he'd been having a particularly bad day, and he said, "No. It's just nice to have civil customers." An off-duty barrista chimed in that she agreed-- it wasn't a particularly bad day, but nice customers are always appreciated. The barristo made my drink, wished me a good evening, and sent me on my way.

And he sent me on my way feeling like eleventy million bucks. Even though I don't think I really did anything all that nice. Even though I was no more "civil" than I ever am. Even though this free Peppermint Mocha that I just finished was probably undeserved in the grand scheme of things. He made me feel terrific, a feeling that hasn't worn off in the two-plus hours since it happened.

Thank you, Starbucks Man, for the free drink. Thank you much more for making me feel awesome. And thank you double that for being an example of the kind of nice people we have in this city.

I love this place.

A night at the theater: ATL's "Crime & Punishment"

Whenever I meet someone who is new to the city, one of the first pieces of advice that I offer is, "Buy season tickets to Actors Theater."

Here are the reasons I typically give:

(1) When you buy season tickets, it's really hard to NOT use them. You've kind of committed yourself to anywhere from 3-9 plays. And that means a guaranteed 3-9 nights out. It's a luxury. I forces you to take a break and do something really nice for yourself. And if you're like me, and you're on a budget, you'll probably get tickets for weeknights. And what's nicer than being forced to take a break in the middle of the week.

(2) Again, if you're on a budget, take the plunge, buy the season ticket, and as the season wears on you'll forget the little sting to your bank account, and you'll feel like you're getting "free" nights out. (Trust me. It's all about the attitude.)

(3) If you say "Louisville" to your out-of-town friends, they'll say "Derby." Press them further, and they'll say "Slugger." Press your more cultured friends, and they'll say "Actors Theater." Or at least they'll say "Humana Festival." Because Actors is nationally respected, and we should all be proud and grateful that we have the Humana Festival.

(4) Finally, a night at Actors is always time and money well-spent. The plays I've seen (I've been a subscriber now for three seasons) have ranged from good to "I can't believe I just saw what I saw" amazing. Jaw-droppin', stranger-huggin' good.

ATL, at least temporarily, decided that I was "press," so I was super excited to receive two tickets to Friday night's production of "Crime & Punishment." I was even more excited because that meant I could give my subscription tickets to two friends who are just madly in love with Dostoevsky.

And I think that's something that you should get your head around if you go see "Crime & Punishment" (and you should). Russian writers are particularly polarizing, Dostoevsky especially. Some people are loopy for Russian epics. And I'm just not one of them.

This radically pared-down adaptation was directed by Sean Daniels, the Associate Artistic Director of Actors, and was presented in the round in the Bingham Theater. It featured three actors who never left the stage during the 90-minute production. Louisville's Jessica Wortham played a handful of female characters, but the two male leads-- Nick Cordileone and Lou Sumrall-- remained Raskolnikov and Porfiry throughout.

Cordileone's manic, paranoid performance was particularly riveting. I know it's not entirely kosher to compare actors to other actors, but one of the most compelling performances this year on TV was given by Jeremy Davies on LOST. Watching Cordileone's emotional collapse was like watching Davies's poor, tormented Daniel "Twitchy" Faraday dissolve into mania. The urge to rush from your seat and comfort the poor Raskolnikov, even when he was at his most threatening, made every moment of the climax difficult and uncomfortable. (in a good way).

The set design, by Tom Tutino, is dramatic and stark. There are essentially no props and no set pieces. Throughout, an ax is ominously embedded in the center of the "stone" stage, its handle askew, making the whole stage look like a creepy sundial. The actors move around it like its not even there. Large Russian icons ring the ceiling of the theater. Enormous onion dome-shaped lights hover over the stage and press down periodically as the pressure on Raskolnikov mounts until one, terribly brief but brilliant moment when they are used to gorgeously dramatic effect.

My Dostoyevsky-loving friends thought it was "amazing." (By the way, apparently there are a number of accepted spellings for the author's name: the ATL website uses one and their program uses another. I'm shaking it up in this post.) But I think that, because they read the book-- and loved it, their understanding of what happened on the stage was much more nuanced and fleshed out than mine was. I came away feeling kind of lukewarm.

Mostly, I wanted to ask questions. The onion dome lights, for instance. What a powerful moment that was when they were used to the full effect, but they were such a dominating presence in the staging for only 30 seconds of "wow." And, as I mentioned before, there was no stage dressing at all except for a couple of doors that rose pneumatically from the stage, again for mere moments. Why? Is there something symbolic about the doors? About the Russian iconography? I'm not really sure I understand the crime itself, to be honest.

After the play, we all went to the new-ish Louisville Beer Store (which deserves its own blog post and will get one soon-- love it!) and jawed about the play and the book until I felt like I had a clearer understanding and fewer questions. The reviews of this play have been fairly uniformly excellent, and my friends were moved and impressed. Maybe my lukewarmishness all boils down to not really being a fan of Russian literature in general?

But I started this blog post with "why you need to subscribe to Actors" because, in the end, a lukewarm night at ATL is an awesome way to spend an evening. Especially when you're with good, smart friends.

Crime and Punishment runs through 1/31. Adult tickets are $25-45, kids' tickets are $10. It's pretty intense, so it isn't recommended for kids younger than 11.

Loueyvillager Powers Activate: Outdoor Hockey In Louisville?

Everything about this picture makes me happy. It's hockey. It's the Bruins. It's Boston. It's FRAKING FENWAY....

Oh Lordy, you gotta love that. Well, okay, you don't. But I do. I'm originally from just outside of Boston. I was raised by a family that lists "Red Sox" as their religion on their Census forms. The best thing that happened to me when I had cancer was that I survived. The second best thing was that my favorite uncle took me to a Sox game at Fenway as a get well gift.

Tonight Fenway is hosting their second hockey game of the season. The first was the Bruins (who won) in the Winter Classic. Tonight is a BC-BU game. At least two of my cousins are going. I am seething with jealousy. You know how much Mama hates the cold, but if I lived in the Boston area, I'd be there looking like Randy from "A Christmas Story." The pain would be more than worth it. Fenway + hockey = harmonic convergence of awesomeness.

All this prompted me to start looking into local hockey. I started this morning on Twitter and found out that U of L does, indeed, have a hockey team. I had always assumed that Louisville had no hockey to speak of because if the city did have hockey, we'd all be talking about it. Right? We're a sports-lovin' city, and hockey is pretty much the best sport imaginable. Right?

Turns out the U of L hockey team has a very limited schedule-- only 8 local games listed on the schedule. They play at Alpine Arena. And they play HALF their local games at MIDNIGHT. I don't know what to make of that. Half of me thinks it's fabulous-- like Rocky Horror for sports fans. Half of me is totally bummed out. Where's our next gen of hockey players going to come from when we can't take our little dudes to hockey games? (And by "dudes" I mean that gender-free. Some of the coolest hockey players I've met have been women.)

My solution?

Dear Slugger Field,

Please take a gander at what Fenway is doing this winter. I know they're still not sold on making hockey a permanent part of their schedule, but everyone I know in the Boston area is madly in love with hockey at Fenway. And you, Slugger Field, are gorgeous and perfectly suited for outdoor hockey. And seriously, what else do you have going on during the winter? We need to generate some support for hockey in Louisville. And Louisville sports fans could really use something new to get excited about. It's a marriage made in sports heaven. (Usually) our winters are more mild than Boston's. Sure the wind whips off the river, but if Fenway fans can hack it, then we certainly can. Hell, we've got kids out sledding today, and it's negative eleventy-billion degrees out.

Slugger Field, Louisville Bats, Mayor Uncle Jerry, etc... what can I do to help you make this happen? Mayoral candidates-- what's your platform on outdoor hockey? I'm on a mission from God here. Or from Bobby Orr.

The next U of L hockey game is midnight on 1/22. Let's meet there to discuss how we can bring this kind of awesomeness to the winter of 2010-11.

Yours in the goal for the city,
Lou

Mike Linning's Cocktail Sauce: Another local product I can't live without

Not too long ago, I blogged about Bluegrass Soy Sauce. Since then I've bought at least two more bottles. Love that stuff. But there's another local condiment I just can't live without.

Roommate and I try to always keep shrimp in the freezer. It's just such a lovely, and relatively healthy, treat to defrost a couple handfuls of shrimp and scarf down an ad hoc (and cheap!) shrimp cocktail. A couple years ago, we were buying cocktail sauce at ValuMart and decided to check out the local stuff. Mike Linning's Cocktail Sauce is far and beyond the best cocktail sauce I've ever had. I don't know what makes it so good-- but it's thick and spicy and somehow kind of "meaty."

Never been to the restaurant, but their cocktail sauce has put it on the "must visit" list for next summer.

You can buy the cocktail sauce in most local groceries or online, here.

Bah! Curse You JCPS and Your Fancy Getting Out 1 hr Early!

Yeah. I'll be at work all day, thanks for asking.

But seriously, I don't know if I've seen a prettier snowfall.  I just stopped one of my classes 10 minutes early and made all the kiddos go to the window and look out at the snow.  It was the most behaved and quiet I've seen this particular class all year.  It's that stunning.  

I sure do hate the cold and the idea of winter in general, but as long as I am inside and warm as a muffin somewhere, I do love me some snow.  Heck, you'd have to be the Grinch to not to love this kind of snow.

Anyway, I ramble. 

I wanted to bring to your attention this great event at the Frazier Museum that Michelle at Consuming Louisville posted about today.  It's Holiday Happy Hours celebrating Black History Month with Opera and free drinks and snacks.  I'll let her fill you in on the details.  

And... have you ever had something TOTALLY innocuous, something that has nothing to do with any part of your life, make you so unreasonably annoyed that the feeling of annoyance itself makes you crazy??  I feel that way any time someone utters the word "Octomom." Everything about that situation/person/circus is wrong.  

Well, I also feel the same way anytime I see the name "Yim Yames" in print.  I once Twittered asking for the story behind the change from Jim James to Yim Yames, and most responders claimed it was a joke that had taken on a life of its own.  But now any time I see the name Jim James, I also see "or Yim Yames."  WTF? ("why the face?") 

I know.  It's so silly for me to feel this way, but the whole Yim Yames thing has sworn me off this particular person and everything MMJ . I don't know him.  I don't know almost anything about him.  I have almost no knowledge of the band.  But I irrationally and without any basis in truth or reality think that the "Yim Yames" thing makes this guy sound like a pretentious turd.  It's like when Prince changed his name to that symbol only 100 times worse because (a) that was a pretty great symbol and (b) his name was Prince, for goshsakes, and it wasn't a stage name.  

Yes, I know Jim James is a fake name too, so why should my knickers be in a knot about "Yim Yames"?  I told you it's irrational.  AND "Yim Yames" is just lousy to say (unlike the word "Yemen," which is my new favorite word to say these days... and that's probably the only good thing you can say about Yemen).  

Anyway because of my batshit reaction to this name, I will not be blogging about (or going to) the upcoming Louisville is for Lovers shows.  But that's okay because as usual, Backseat Sandbar has you covered. 

Now go out and go sledding!

Everybody's writing about the cold...

... so I won't.  Y'all know how I feel about it.  And I won't write about the potential "Snowpocolypse 2010" because I don't want to jinx us.  I know I've only been back at work for three days, but I could use a snow day.  Who couldn't?

But I did just about pee my pants when I read the following line in the New York Times:  "It was so cold in Florida, freezing iguanas were seen falling out of trees."

I shit you not.  I just had to share.  Stay warm, 'Villagers.

Best of 2009: Saying Goodbye to the Oh-ohs.

My mantra for the end of 2009 has been: "well, it was way better than 2008." And my hope for the new year and the new decade is that the forward progress continues. As I mentioned, the Oh-ohs have been a decade of challenge for Mama: death, divorce, Katrina, cancer, Ike, heartbreak, job loss, and other generic disasters too personal to mention (and in no particular order). Of course, over the course of the decade I also met lots of wonderful people (including Roommate and all y'all); bought a house; found my professional "calling;" survived cancer, Katrina, and Ike; and generally grew up, a lot.

So, all that being said, I thought I would make a year-end list of personal highlights. I'm completely unqualified to pass any sort of comprehensive judgment on any of these topics. This is all about what Mama dug and didn't dig in 2009.

Musical Discovery of 2009: The Low Anthem
Lots of "Best of 2009" music lists have listed The Avett Brothers right at the tippy top. But last night I was listening to Avett Brothers on World Cafe and thought, "they're doing the same thing that the Low Anthem does, but Low Anthem does it better." The Low Anthem's version of hymn-y Americana is more haunting, more wistful, and more melodious. I first discovered The Low Anthem when they opened for Lisa Hannigan, another fabulous discovery, at the first and last show I'll ever see at the 930 Listening Room (not going there again because they're part of the Sojourn church, and those Sojourners don't like the gays.). Check them out.

Best Thing I Put in My Mouth in 2009 (beverage category): Cider Manhattan at Theater Square Marketplace.
What I said here.

Best Thing I Put in My Mouth in 2009 (food category): Octopus Bagna Cauda at Proof
It can't be that hard to make-- it's just octopus and butter and garlicky goodness, but somehow I just can't imagine going to Proof and not ordering it. I know it's kind of cliche to cite a dish at one of our city's most tony restaurants, created by a superstar chef, so on a more plebeian-level, I also adore the Yum Yum roll at Oishi Sushi on Bardstown. It really lives up to its name.

Best new TV Show of 2009: Modern Family
Modern Family gives me renewed faith in the sitcom. The pilot is easily one of the top five funniest shows I've ever seen. And I'm a huge fan of anything including the adorable Julie Bowen. I'm also really digging Flash Forward. It almost filled the Lost-sized hole in my heart for the fall.

Best Movie Money Spent in 2009: (tie) Up & The Fantastic Mr. Fox
No, I don't have kids. And no, I don't know what it says about Hollywood 2009 that my two favorite movies of the year were animated. I saw a lot of movies this year-- it will be a fun year to watch the Oscars-- but nothing stands out the way that these two movies did. I also think The Frog Princess would make my top ten list. Maybe even my top five.

Best Thing I Read in 2009: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
I know it wasn't published in 2009, but I just discovered it. It wasn't a great reading year for me. I'm still getting a handle on my attention span, post-chemo. One of my resolutions for 2009 is to get back on the reading and to get back on the updating of Lou Reads.

Best Theater I Saw in 2009: (tie) Absalom by Zoe Kazan and Lookingglass Alice by David Catlin
It would be impossible to decide between these two. Apples and oranges. Absalom was memorable, thought-provoking, beautifully-acted and -staged classic theater. Lookinglass was psychological spectacle. Both were worth the cost of an Actors Theater subscription by themselves.

And that counts as my Best Local Investment of 2009 (and every year I've lived here): a subscription to Actors Theater.

That being said, the Best Louisville Evening a Very Little Money Can Buy of 2009: a night at a Louisville Bats game. Especially when it's cheapo beer night. You can easily get a ticket, have a few beers and a hot dog, and while away a gorgeous summer night for less than going to see a movie and having popcorn and a coke.

Best Crazy Decision I Made in 2009: Saying "yes" when someone I hadn't seen in 15 years asked me to spend two weeks traveling around Newfoundland and Labrador with him.
That's pretty self-explanatory. Post-cancer, one of my resolutions was to say "yes" more often when presented with wild opportunities. Matt and I had a fantastic time, were fairly easy travel companions, and saw a part of the world that I certainly never would have sought out if left to my own devices. Turns out, when your friend is just a great guy in general, a 15-year gap in your shared history dissolves pretty fast.

Best Thing that Happened to Me in 2009: Making friends
Mama's a hermit at heart. Sometimes it takes threats, guilt, and a crowbar to get me out of the house. And my anti-social-ness has been facilitated these past few years by the (occasional) presence of Roommate-- I have a built-in activity buddy when Roommate is in town. But one of my resolutions in 2008 was to "talk to more strangers," and in January, I went to Michelle Jones's "Let them Tweet Cake" event and the Louisville Geek Dinner, where I met all kinds of fabulous geeky folks and was convinced to join Twitter. Then on Valentine's Day, I accepted a "blind-datish" invitation to a gathering of theater and public radio types at Ramsi's and met even more (with overlap). And now, I am proud to say that I have something that passes as a genuine social life. It's kind of amazing how much happier it has made me.

So, what categories have I missed? What are your "Best of 09's"?

Cider Manhattan at the Theater Marketplace

This is a long-overdue follow-up to my November 9 post about Jeremy Edwards of Theater Square Marketplace on 4th Street and his Cider Manhattan which won the Manhattan Experience Manhattan contest in, um, Manhattan.

Well, you know how Mama loves her Manhattans, so you better bet that Roommate and I popped on by Theater Square Marketplace a few weeks ago to try one on for size. As luck would have it, Jeremy himself was tending bar. Super nice guy and clearly knows his stuff. He also gave us a sneak peek (or taste, really) of his New Year's drink. Something cranberry-ish and vanilla-ish and fizzy and super tasty.

But the real yummo here was the Cider Manhattan, which really did rank up there as perhaps the best Manhattan I've ever had. And let me tell you, I've had a lot of Manhattans. I started drinking Manhattans when I was still flirting with bouncers so they'd let me into the West End even though I was nineteen or so. (The West End being, of course, in Manhattan.)

The best thing about the Cider Manhattan was that it tasted like a Manhattan-- just better. Even though there's a cider reduction in there and even though he flame toasts the cherry to caramelize it and make it taste like cherry pie-- it still tastes like your grandpa's Manhattan. If your grandpa was a fancypants mixologist, like Jeremy. It's rich and thick and super smooth. And while it's pricey, I'd rather pay $12 for one of his drinks than $6 for two run-of-the-mill Manhattans.

I wish the cheese plate had been half as good as the drinks. I do love cheese, and the cheeses served were pretty good, but the servings were pretty small and the meats included were uninspiring considering the fact that there's a gourmet deli on premises.

I'll be back for the Manhattans, though. And I'm looking forward to whatever else Jeremy Edwards comes up with.

Running a Tighter Ship

FYI, loyal reader,

I know I've been getting a lot of comment spam lately, so I'm trying to clean up the site a little bit. I've also added some comment moderation, so I apologize in advance for putting you good people through a few hoops before you can comment on ye olde blogge.

Don't forget, you can always email me at lou (at) loueyville.com, and I'm a veritable chatterbox on Twitter at @loueyville. You can also find me on Facebook at Louey Ville.

loads o' love...

Happy Holidays Area Bloggers Randomness

Hey kids, Mama's home.

So sorry for the radio silence, but Big Mama Lou and I hoofed it down to New Orleans for a few days of Abita, oysters, music, and festivities. Big Mama left on the 23rd, and I enjoyed a lovely couple of days flying solo, visiting with Louisville friends also in NOLA, and spending the holidays with one of my favorite families in the world. Good times.

But not much Louisville-related new here at Loueyville. Time to start thinking about New Years' plans and resolutions. You know, the 00's (oh-ohs) weren't very good to Mama. I will not be sad to see them go, but I'm thinking I will celebrate their passing in a pretty low-key way.

Anyway, enough about me.

• Congrats to the lovely Michelle on Consuming Louisville's new look-- sexy!-- and for getting banned at Humana for being a "web log." (My Loueyville is banned at my Meatspace workplace, which is why I almost never update during the day).
• Also all kinds of love to Michelle for putting together a master ("mistress") Blog roll for the metro area. Check it out at: Louisville Blogs. If you're an area blogger, add your blog! There sure are a lot of us blogging away in the Ville!
• I had to nuke my Google Reader list when I got home-- something like 900 articles to read. But I always take the time to read Consuming Louisville, Broken Sidewalk, and bits and pieces of Jake Payne's two blogs before chucking the rest of the list. Check out Branden Klayko's great article on the new Patrick O'Shea's restaurant set to open on Main Street by the arena in just a few weeks. Beautiful pictures, too.

And that's all I've got for yis for now. xo

Mama Needs A Date: U of L Women's game tomorrow

I know! The story of my life, right? 

But I received a nice little gift of two FLOOR seats for the U of L Women's game tomorrow night against Middle Tennessee State.  And my usual cohort-in-sports, Roommate, is once again leaving the city tomorrow morning.  So I need a pal.  And I thought I would give a shout out to the universe to see if the universe would deliver. 

Now, this gift was 100% unrelated to my blog habit, so this isn't a freebie that I need to be all democratic and "fair" with. This is totally personal. So I can't promise that the first person who emails me at acornlou@gmail.com will get to come with.  There are folks I owe favors to out there in the world, and if one of 'em wants to cash in for a free trip to Freedom Hall (I'm looking at you @mizhellion, my IdeaFest goddess), they'll get the ticket. 

This date thing is gender neutral.  And species neutral (It's crazy the stuff you have to say now that @Fairdalebigfoot is hanging out in town).   Although only one gender and species has any chance of getting past first base. Or even to first base. I'm old school like that.

Seriously though, please be laughing with me.  Mama isn't seriously looking for a date.  But if you want to go to see the U of L women play MTS tomorrow at 7pm at Freedom Hall, drop me a note at THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:  acornlou@gmail.com  

Not the usual email address. Not the comments.  Not twitter.

I'll email y'all back tomorrow by noon-ish.  xo

Open Letter to Local Nerd: Louisville Dude Builds "Working" Stargate

Dear Jacob Yarmuth, Loueyvillager nerd with serious disposable income,

Please invite me to your house to check out your very sweet Stargate media room. I see you have seating for two (at least). I will bring my copy of Jaws (what? It doesn't just show nerdy flicks, does it? And I've been dying to see Jaws on the big screen for years.), and all the ingredients to cook up a nice batch of Lou's famous hot buttered rum.

I play very well with others. I don't talk during movies. And I love, love, love things with flashing lights and fancy buttons.

Thank you for your consideration,
All the best,
Lou

PS. I'm single.

Check out Jacob Yarmuth's nerdtastically awesome room on SciFi Wire.

Another Louisville Music Fest Announcment Falls on (my) Deaf Ears

Today the Forecastle folks announced an all electronic line-up for its Halfway to Forecastle Fest Fest. And like yesterday's post re: the HullabaLOU line-up, my response is a resounding: "Meh."

I'm hardly a music aficionado, but I do love, love, love my yearly Bonnaroo trip. And every year I go to Bonnaroo, I lap up the offerings. I love a significant majority of the headliners; I treasure bumping into new and offbeat bands I've never heard of. I come away every year with new favorites and a greater appreciation for old favorites.

Likewise, I'm always deeply disappointed that I can't go to other festivals. I am always envious of folks who go to Coachella. Nearly every year, I lament not living in New Orleans still during the New Orleans Jazz Festival and the newer Voodoo Music Festival. I've been enthralled by the line-up for recent Lollapaloozas.

But HullabaLOU and Halfway to Forecastle? I'm sure to skip the Halfway to Forecastle and likely to skip HullabaLOU. Disappointing.

Hullabahuh? Maybe your mother's music festival. Or your aunt's.

[spoiler alert: this is seriously going to reveal my age.]

Once upon a time in a land far, far away a very little Lou lived in an apartment attached to the house of her Great Aunt Rose. Great Aunt Rose was everything the name implies. She was a large Portuguese woman, a woman of a seemingly bottomless appetite for sweets and an equally bottomless capacity for love. And although she seemed very old to Lou at the time, she was probably only in her late 50's or early 60's. Each morning, Aunt Rose chose her daily hairstyle from a buffet of nigh-identical glossy black wigs and her wardrobe from a closet full of tropical printed knee-length mu-mus, which she paired with knee socks and black, high heeled, lace-up shoes.

Aunt Rose didn't have grandchildren of her own (yet), so she liked nothing more than to spoil little Lou with peanut butter and fluff sandwiches, hugs and kisses, and cuddles on the couch while watching tv. All Aunt Rose watched were soaps (her "stories") and variety shows.

Aunt Rose loved music. Her favorites included Englebert Humperdink, Liberace, Tony Orlando, and Gordon Lightfoot. But the man of her dreams was Tom Jones. (Several decades later, little Lou, in her twenties, had the opportunity to interview Tom Jones for a newspaper. She got to tell him about Aunt Rose. Tom Jones gave Lou two kisses-- one to share with Aunt Rose. But Aunt Rose never got that kiss; she died shortly thereafter.)

But shortly before Lou left that apartment over Aunt Rose's house to move to a different state, Aunt Rose found herself another love. A love she might love more than Tom Jones. It was that "nice-looking boy from New Jersey. Bruce Springstein." Springstein... like the Jewish pharmacist at the Osco Drug next to Purity Market. When pressed as to why she liked this upstart, she'd say she liked the "Born in the USA" song and that he had "a nice bum."

So the internets are a-buzz about this new HullabaLOU music festival debuting at Churchill Downs July 23-25, 2010. You know how much Mama loves a good outdoor music festival. New Orleans Jazz Fest (held at the Churchill New Orleans Fairgrounds property) used to be my most favoritest time of the year. And this year looks like the first year I'll be missing Bonnaroo since I started going three years ago. So I was all a-dither when I saw the announcement.

And when I saw the line-up? Well, I kind of thought of Great Aunt Rose. Actually, truth be told, I thought of a different aunt. The Aunt Rose heir-apparent Aunt who loves all those classic rock bands from her youth (38 Special, the Steve Miller Band, Kansas, the Doobie Brothers) but can still wax poetic about Dave Matthew's "nice bum" when fully tucked into her wine coolers.

Sure, there's a little something for almost everyone-- a little Gladys and Al for the soulsters, a little Govt Mule and DMB for the jam banders, a little Dwight and Loretta for Mama, a little Richard Marx for... WHO?? WHO the HECK is looking forward to Richard Marx??

But you've gotta wonder who these folks consulted with when planning this festival. My big hope is that, like Jazz Fest, they'll keep adding acts right up til showtime.

C'mon organizers: let's look at festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella for line-up additions (step away from the casino tour circuit regulars!!). Maybe a little Prince? A little Leonard Cohen, perhaps? MMJ? U2? How 'bout that lovely Jewish pharmacist with the nice bum... that Springstein guy? I'm just saying. Aunt Rose would have been thrilled.

300th Entry: Wee Hiatus

Greetings and Salutations, dear readers,

This is just a heads up that I might be MIA for a little while, effective immediately. Loyal readers know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2008, and this Friday I will be having what I hope is the last of my reconstructive surgeries.

Big Mama Lou is heading to town tomorrow to nurse me through the recovery. She'll hang out until Thanksgiving-- by which time, I should be healthy enough to indulge in the usual partaking of the turkey.

It's kind of nice that it worked out that this is my 300th blog entry since starting Loueyville. It's a lovely time to take a moment to say how thankful I am for my loyal readers and for the friends I have made because of this blog. Loueyville.com is still a long way from being what I want it to be, but in many small ways, working on this blog has bettered my life.

So thanks. Be well. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving. I'll see y'all in December.

xo
Lou

Bluegrass Soy Sauce-- This stuff is SO good!

I just finished my bottle of Bluegrass Soy Sauce tonight. Used it to cook up some garlic and soy pork chops. I'm a big fan of soy sauce, but I don't think I've ever had soy sauce this good. This is what the bottle says about itself:

This sauce is from the only small batch soy sauce brewery in the United States. It's made from whole non-GMO Kentucky grown soybeans and pure limestone filtered Kentucky spring water. The result is a smoky, brothy sauce with hints of oak and a mild sweetness reminiscent of fine Kentucky bourbon.

The label is hand labeled with the batch and bottle numbers. And it's just so pretty. I love it when good stuff is in attractive packaging-- it means I can feel free to give it as a gift. The company is located on Story Ave, and you can buy the sauce at most local gourmet shops or online. I may never go back to Kikoman again!

Free Wifi at SDF

It's always kind of irked me that Louisville Airport doesn't offer free wifi. It's a perfectly lovely airport otherwise, and I know that free wifi isn't the norm for airports. But still, it just seems like it would be very Midwestern hospitality thing to do offer it.

Well, from now til January 15, 2010, Google is offering free wifi at 47 airports, including SDF. There's also a contest-- post your picture to the site while you're at an airport and you can win a prize from Virgin Airways.

So, while you're waiting for you plane to be de-iced this holiday season, at least you can web surf and amuse yourself.

For the Area Blogger Who Has Everything...

I've been a very good girl this year. Well, sorta kinda. But, Santa, if you really want to send a little holiday something my way, bourbon always works. And if you want to send a little BIGGER holiday something my way, I'll take a bourbon WITH the works.

Specifically, the Maker's Mark Masters Distiller package offered on page 58 of this year's Neiman Marcus Holiday Fantasy catalogue. Here's the description.

Any whisky aficionado will tell you it is perfection in amber. Maker's Mark® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky is handmade in small quantities of just 19 barrels, each batch distilled and aged with the same exacting standards the Samuels family has passed down for seven generations. As Master Distillers for a day, you and a friend will have an all-access VIP experience like no other, with Master Distiller Kevin Smith as your host. You will participate in the unique whisky-making process step by step, for an insider's look at how every detail makes every glass a special occasion. This gift experience includes a two-bottle memento of the rarest Maker's Mark bottles ever: Two golden bottles will be etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax with 24-kt. gold flecks. You'll also get to hand dip six of your own 375ml Maker's Mark bottles in signature red wax and take them home. The experience includes luxury accommodations in Louisville and a gourmet dinner hosted by Bill Samuels, Jr. (the top dog at Maker's Mark).

It's only $7500. A genuine bargain compared to the $200,000 you'd have to spend on the Algonquin Experience-- dinner and chit chat with 12 of the biggest literati brainiacs in America. That's for one night. And dinner. Yes, you can bring a friend, but yeeesh... not to be crass, but for that price I'd expect Henry Louis Gates, Jr or John Lithgow to agree to be sperm donors. (And I DON'T mean that in the MOST crass way-- I simply mean that they'd have to agree to father my future brainaic child. Sheesh.)

Check out the book here:

Breaking News: Local wins Manhattan Experience

I'm kind of piecing this together from Twitter, but tonight in SOHO in Manhattan, Brown-Forman had a Manhattan making contest. Looks like Jeremy Edwards from Theater Square Marketplace won with his Cider Manhattan. All the more reason to spend some quality time at the place that I just blogged about a few hours ago.

Follow the tweets here. @justaddbourbon posted a photo of the winner.

Hopefully more info to come. You know how Mama loves her Manhattans!

I always forget to mention...

... Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter @Loueyville or Facebook friend Louey Ville. I'm not saying there's any benefit to either; I'm just saying that you can. xo Mama

Monday Evening Randomness: Theater, food, and Southern Belles

Not that that last post about vacationing downtown wasn't random, but here's a little more Monday Evening randomness for you.

• Pandora Productions' The Kathy and Mo Show has been getting super good reviews. Both officially and via hearsay. Tickets sold out a couple of nights this weekend. There are still a few shows left. I plan on going on Wednesday, "Singles Night." Because, well, why the hell not.
  
  
• Speaking of hearsay, rumor has it that this weekend's Dashboard Confessional with the Louisville Orchestra Concert was fabulous but WAY under-attended. A friend said that the entire balcony was empty. The next big shindig of this sort is Airborne Toxic Event and Calexico on Jan 10.... or is it?? Hey, why isn't it on the Louisville Orchestra Calendar? Airborne Toxic Event just blogged about it not that long ago. I assume it's still a go.
  
  
• The lovely Michelle, at Consuming Louisville, invited me to join her and some friends at the JCC's production of La Cage Aux Folles last week, part of the Center Stage series. A TON of fun! La Cage has closed, but there are four plays coming up: Cabaret - Jan. 14-31; The Last Five Years - Feb. 11 - 21; The Wizard of Oz - Mar. 11-28; Curtains - May 6-16. I'll be checking a few out for sure.
  
  
• Did you know Southern Belles is now available on Hulu? I'm pretty sure it's all the episodes! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! (she chortled in her joy)
  
  
• And a big ol' Loueyville raspberry to the folks at Cracked who insulted Kentucky cuisine with their illustration. Check out the "7 Secrets Only Two People Know (for some reason)" post-- they talk about the spices in KFC. Hot Browns? Derby Pie? Burgoo? Benedictine? The Mint Friggin Julep? Sheesh, some people.
  

Tourist in my own town: Downtown Vacation

Can we still call this "Indian Summer"? I mean, we're just about as close to the first day of winter as we are the last day of summer. I, for one, couldn't be happier about this warm spell. Not just because I'm a hothouse flower, but because the heat on my house has been kablooey since Thursday, and I can't seem to get a repairman out here to save my life.

But the house fiasco led to an unexpectedly nice weekend, thanks to Roommate. He's out of town til the end of the month, and as an "I'm sorry you're shivering" gift (it was miserable those first couple of days), he paid for a room at the downtown Hyatt for me for Saturday night. So I had a lovely Saturday playing tourist in my own town.

Faithful readers may remember that this time last year, I was actually a denizen of downtown-- exiled to the Residence Inn on Market for almost seven months because Hurricane Ike toppled a tree onto my house. So my downtown stay was equal parts vacation and "Old Home Days."

I started the day at Bodega on Market, the charming little gourmet market/beer store with a lovely deli/restaurant. If there's any restaurant in Louisville that makes a better bisque than Bodega, I haven't found it. My spirits were dashed when I found out that they were out of Lobster Bisque, but a patron at the coffee bar said that the Roasted Red Pepper Bisque was even better. And it was marvelous (though I still prefer the lobster-- New England girl and all). I always kick myself for not going there more often, and I'm so glad they're surviving the death of sister restaurant Melillo's and the popularity of nearby Toast. Lovely atmosphere, free wifi, and very nice people.

When it comes to nice people though, few can hold a candle to the guys at Scout. I just love, love, love them. And they always remember me and ask me all kinds of lovely personal (but not too personal) questions. I suspect, however, who they REALLY love is Big Mama Lou who, whenever she comes to town, hits Scout like a friggin Yankee Tornado, buying up tons of loot and shipping it home. (Or, bless her heart, if she's feeling the bug, buying a ton of stuff for me.) Both Scout and Scout Home seem to be doing really well. Big Mama Lou is coming next week, and I promised to bring her by. I bought myself an adorable pair of squirrel earrings. (Uh, squirrels love acorns!)

The Louisville Beer Store has just opened up next to Scout Home on Market. What an exciting addition to the Nulu District. I mentioned this upcoming opening in my post about the Nulu Festival. I peeked inside and it looks lovely and cozy. Folks were pretty busy stocking shelves, so I didn't stop in.

The only bummer about that new arrival is that it has popped into the store that used to belong to the adorable Boston Flower shop. Anyone know what happened to that place?

Another new opening, mentioned in the comments of a recent post, is the new Sol Azteca's on Fourth Street, which moved into the funky space vacated by Raw Sushi. Can't find much about it online, and I've never been to a Sol Azteca's, but it looks like it's doing well.

One place that definitely calls for further investigation is the absolutely gorgeous Theater Square Market Place on Fourth Street near the Palace. I stopped in for a (kind of poor) iced coffee, but was stunned at the very sophisticated decor and the awesome layout. Theater Square Market Place seems to be treading the same ground as Bodega in many ways (though Bodega's iced coffees are awesome). Gourmet deli, market, etc. But in the back there's a full restaurant and bar (with beautiful lighting) and next door there's a wine shop.

There's also another new (to me, at least) pizza place on Fourth Street. Little joint. The name escapes me right now. But it smelled divine. UPDATE: It's called Sicilian Pizza & Pasta. Thanks, @funambulator

I spent my evening bar-hopping a little. Manhattan at the hotel bar. Beer and Octopus Bagna Cauda at 21c (it's so simple but so tasty... I can hardly bring myself to order anything else). Manhattans at AJ's at the Galt House-- I think they make some of the best (and fairly reasonable) Manhattans in town. Back to the hotel bar. (Uh, yeah, Manhattans again... Mama loves her bourbon).

Morning = chocolate chip bagel and cream cheese at Einsteins.

All in all, an excellent downtown vacation. And while I don't know what he spent on the hotel room, I do know Roommate got it on Hotwire for pretty cheap. The Hyatt is one of the 4-star options, and it is very nice. Lovely comfy beds, sizable rooms. I do wish they had nicer bathrooms. And, because it is an atrium hotel, it's rather noisy in the mornings. The hotel was booked to full-occupancy-- Yay Louisville!-- and it sounded that way. Often 4-star hotels in Louisville can be booked on Hotwire for as little as $60. That's peanuts when you consider the quality of getaway you can have!

Try it, you'll like it 2! Elk Creek Ghostly Whites

It's All Hallow's Eve eve and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Roommate is in bed watching a scary movie on his laptop. And thankfully, so far at least, the post-Ike renovation of Casa Lou has rendered it mouse-free (oh yes, like many other 103 year old Original Highlands houses, Casa Lou has had some critter problems). What's a girl to do but blog and tweet and catch up on emails...

A few weeks ago I chimed in on Elk Creek's Bone Dry Red, one of the three wines that Elk Creek was kind enough to send me for review (And that's your disclaimer, folks). That left me with the two Ghostly Whites: Sweet Mellow White and a 2007 Chardonnay. Both of which I dutifully enjoyed over the past week or so.

I'm not a big fan of white wine. I always order red when I'm out, no matter what I'm eating. I don't think I've ever bought a white wine for myself. But if there's white wine in the house, I will drink it-- it's unthinkable to let a perfectly good bottle molder on the rack, right? And certainly when a winery sends you a couple of bottles of white... gift horses, you know?

And it's silly that I have this embargo against white wines. Inevitably, I enjoy the gift bottles or left behind bottles that end up in my house.

And I very much enjoyed the Ghostly White Sweet Mellow White. In my last wine blog, I mentioned that Grandma Lou and I enjoy our sweet wines when we're together, and the Ghostly White Sweet Mellow White would be totally up her alley. In fact, I briefly considered sending her a couple bottles for Thanksgiving, but I realized that it might be a bit creepy to send a "Ghostly" wine to an 86 year old widow. But from first sip to last, I was totally blissed out with nostalgia thinking about her; so much so that I actually poured a glass and called her last week. So thanks, Elk Creek-- it was awesome of you to send me these wines and exponentially more awesome that one of the bottles made me pick up the phone and call my favorite person in the world.

What was nice about the Sweet Mellow White was that it wasn't TOO sweet. Some sweet wines give you a tummy ache and some sweet wines are only good for a glass or two at most. This one was a good drinking wine. I finished the bottle in two sittings and only gave up a half a glass to Roommate. I think the drinkablility of the wine is due to its really clean finish. There's no lingering sugary taste. I assumed that I would like the Bone Dry Red the best, but the Ghostly White Sweet Mellow White may have been my favorite.

Roommate liked the Chardonnay the best. I was a little more indifferent about that bottle. It was good, but I just don't think I'm a Chardonnay kind of gal. Roommate did some quality time in the wine country of Australia and sort of fancies himself a budding wine connoisseur, and I am not wont to dispute that: he definitely knows more about wine than I do. So I feel comfortable saying that although the Chardonnay wasn't my bag, per se, it's still very good. He's a red wine drinker and liked the Chardonnay best of all, so that says something.

Anyhoo... my first foray into wine reviewing has been a blast. I am tickled pink and purple that Elk Creek thought Loueyville.com was a door they could open. And I'm likewise tickled that what they sent me was really, really good wine. (They also sent a package of Pop Secret microwave popcorn. I can't decide if that was to keep the bottles from rattling together or if I was supposed to eat the popcorn while imbibing the wine... I didn't. Saving the popcorn for a Netflix night.)

Totally going to look for Elk Creek wines when I shop for wine from now on. The three Halloweenie bottles told me that they're consistently good-to-great. Mission accomplished, I think.

Big Monies at the Back Door Costume Contest and more...

Happy Halloween, Louisvillagers!

I always knew that the Back Door has a HUGE Halloween party every year-- I may have even been once or twice-- but I didn't know what the draw was. The draw is this: a $500 prize for best costume! Holy bar tab, Batman! And this year, I have an "in" with one of the celebrity judges. If I had known about the huge prize, I would have gone last year. I was a lock with my "Crazy Bald Britney Spears" costume. This year... not so much.

According to reliable sources, this weekend is the last weekend for both Carly Rae's and the Barret Bar. Sad news.

We're off to Carly Rae's-- for the first time-- in a few hours to hear the always-fantastic Tyrone Cotton play for a little while before we head off to see Chicago at the Kentucky Center.

Remember, Louisvillagers, "When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you."

Bigfoot, Chicago, and Sushi: Monday Evening Randomness

Whether it's the sudden uptick in the temp today or the residual benefits of Roommate's fantastic homemade chili last night, I'm feeling darn near perky this Monday evening. I've been a bit laggy with my blogging of late; these past few weeks have been mild, but persistent, madness. I'm not saying that there's a light at the end of the tunnel (another surgery next month, for example), but... you know... I'll take what I can get.

Some random stuff for this (unfortunately cooling) Monday evening:

• This weekend Chicago is at the Kentucky Center-- the musical, not the Peter Cetera-fronted pop/jazz fusion band-- and if you buy your tickets through this website: www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/GroupSales and if you use the password: GildasClub, $5 for every ticket goes to Gilda's on Baxter.
  
  
• Speaking of cancer stuff, last weekend's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk raised upwards of $250,000. Some people have remarked on my absence from said walk this year... and the truth is, I've decided to give myself a year off from The Pink Stuff. Or, more specifically, as much time off as I need. Last year I Pinked it up real good, but always had to nurse myself back from shell shock after every event. I donated to support a friend, but I couldn't bear to join the walk this year.
  
  
• On a lighter note: Last week's Fairdale Bigfoot column at Consuming Louisville was perhaps the funniest so far (definitely the randiest!). Check it out. And don't forget, you can email FBF with questions at fairdalebigfoot [at] gmail.com
  
  
• The Twitter gods are saying that Raw on 4th shut down. I thought that was old news. Maybe not. I kind of liked the place-- especially their super cool wood wall. But all is well: Cafe Mimosa is open again and is rumored to be doing booming business. We ordered delivery last week... yummo. Nothing says comfort like eating sushi on the couch in your pjs while watching TiVo. And, as before, you can even order delivery online.
  
  
• On a personal note: my Newfoundland & Labrador travel companion from last summer got engaged this weekend. On Facebook. As I watched in real time. It was a harrowing three minutes after I watched him post "[Name redacted]? Wanna get married?" But quick came the reply. Congrats, friend. I happily hand over all future Navigator responsibilities to your lovely wife-to-be. (If there's a better use for the new Facebook Live Feed, I've not heard it.)

Time for a little more homemade chili therapy. Have a wonderful week, Louisville.