Louisville, Not Kentucky-- Episode 2!

Oh goodness, people, Linda Golden and I have so much fun recording and editing the "Louisville, Not Kentucky" podcast... We laugh like crazy ladies. CRAZY. LADIES. I daresay we cackle.

And at some point, we're going to be savvy enough to save our outtakes. Outtakes Episode One would be the two of us just saying "ummmm" for, like, a whole twenty-minute podcast. Outtakes Episode Two would be titled "Linda Sounding Bored With What Melissa Is Talking About." I don't think she's actually bored, but you should hear the way she says "okaaaay" sometimes. Outtakes Episode Three would be "Melissa Stutters Until She Can Find The Word She's Looking For." Fan-freaking-tastic.

In some ways, podcast editing is made of awesome... you get to take your crummy-sounding jibberjabber and make it sound beautifully polished. Like Photoshopping a picture of yourself in a bathing suit.  In some ways, though, it reinforces your ingrained insecurities. Do I really sound like that? (Actually, one of the odd revelations I've had via podcasting is that my recorded voice sounds almost exactly like my cousin Beth's voice. Genetics? Whackadoo!)

I can't thank y'all enough for listening to Episode One. Being out and about around town these past couple of weeks has been crazy weird. Meeting utter strangers who've listened to the podcast?? So fantastic and odd.

If Episode Two of the "Louisville, Not Kentucky" podcast sounds a little rougher and-- let's face it-- sillier than Episode One, I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of our guest bartender for our "What Are We Drinking?" segment. Awesome Louisvillager, WFPL's Gabe Bullard (and Mr. Linda Golden) pours a mighty Tom Collins. Yep, you can definitely hear us descend into goofiness as the podcast progresses. Who knew that the band name "Jukebox the Ghost" could be such a tongue-twister??

In Episode Two you'll hear: an extended (pre-Tom Collins loopiness) tangent about me, Tom Jones, and a Samoan prince; about duck slides (and chick incubators) at the Kentucky State Fair; my report about the World Championship Dainty Contest; more about GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES from Theatre [502]; a Shark Week correction; upcoming calendar info about The Moth and HMS Pinafore at the Iroquois Amphitheater... and more.

Hard Rock Rising: Battle of the Bands

Hard Rock Cafes around the world are currently hosting a contest called: Hard Rock Rising-- the Global Battle of the Bands.

Each local Hard Rock has their own Battle of the Bands, with the winners advancing to ... um... yeah, okay... I'm a little unclear about how this contest really works.  The BIG prize is that some bands are going to get to play in London, but I'm really not sure how this happens.

And frankly, voting in this contest-- which is starting on Facebook-- is a little like doing the Hokey Pokey.  But the endgame of the local contest is a biggie-- a coveted spot at Waterfront Wednesday this summer.

Here's what you need to do to vote:

1) Go to the Hard Rock Louisville fan page on Facebook and "like" it.
2) Click on the Hard Rock Rising page in the left hand column of the Facebook page.
3) Scroll through the bands, and download songs from the bands you want to vote for. FREE DOWNLOADS-- yay!
4) Voting ends February 6.

The good news is that you can vote for more than one band. The bad news is that you can only vote once AND you can only vote if you live within 50 miles of Louisville.

I'm not going to tell you how to vote, but I will tell you that I cast my ballots for The Navigators-- the band project featuring Alex Wright and Dewey Kincaid (and that song... "Get Out of Touch"... one of my favorites) and for Butch Rice, another one of the most talented singer-songwriters in Louisville.

Side note: Where the heck is Tyrone Cotton on here??-- ANOTHER amazing local singer-songwriter and an awesome supporter of other local musicians... No one comes out to support local music like Tyrone does (he's been at the past two Alex Wright shows, for example). Love him for that.

Happy not-29th Birthday to Me! Waterfront Wednesday Edition

When I was a kid, I never understood why one of my young uncles gave Mama a "Happy 29th Birthday!" card for several years running. I knew she wasn't twenty-nine-- she's born in a nice round year, it's easy to do the math, so I knew he knew she wasn't twenty-nine. So, what was so damn funny about that card??

Then one evening at Nerd Camp this summer, I was sitting on the patio of our hotel in Virginia City, NV having a couple of beers with the Nerds.  I began a sentence with "when I was in my early thirties..." and by the time I'd finished the sentence, I realized no one was paying attention. When I asked what was up, one of the Nerds said, "Your early thirties? You're how old?" A guessing game ensued, and the three Nerds, one in her 50's and the other two in their mid-20's, said they'd previously assumed I was in my late twenties. Twenty-eight, to be exact.

Now granted, this was after a couple of beers, but I'd been with these folks a week, and apparently I'd been passing as a late-twentysomething.

And yeah, that felt a little... great. They're crazy, of course. I may not necessarily look quite as old as I actually am, but there's no way you'd mistake me for a twentysomething.  But yeah, it felt a little great. And it made me remember Ma's birthday cards.

Thirty was a dirty word. Twenty-nine, however... well, that was still "young."

Today (August 31) is my birthday. I'm not turning 29. And honestly, I wouldn't go back to my twenties if you paid me (well, maybe if you paid me A LOT) (or maybe if you gave me a total do-over). I'm pretty okay with being thirty-mumblemumble.

I'm even more okay with starting my new year off right with Waterfront Wednesday.  It was very nice of the WFPK folks to plan August's Waterfront Wednesday on my birthday, knowing that it's my favorite day of every summer month.  I'm not familiar with this month's artists: Sarah Jaffe, Ha Ha Tonka, and Katie Herzig... but you know me, give me live music outside and I am happy.

Don't forget that WW is still on the Big Four Lawn-- when will we be moving back to the waterfront outside of Slugger Field?? I miss the old location!  If you're there, look for me.  I'm always in the back, close to the walkway.

Happy Waterfront Wednesday to you! And happy not-29th birthday to me!

(And a happy not-29th birthday to my late father. It's always lovely to remember that at the very least, I started my life as someone's really fantastic birthday present.)

Waterfront Wednesday & Steamboat Race

I've been looking forward to this Waterfront Wednesday show since it was first announced.  And I've never even heard of the headliner, Nicole Atkins. I "discovered" Abigail Washburn at Bonnaroo 2008 when she was playing with her exquisite Sparrow Quartet, featuring our own Ben Sollee and her future husband Bela Fleck. I love me a lady with a banjo, and I've been a fan ever since.

Don't forget that Waterfront Wednesday is still relocated to the Big Four Lawn because of the late spring floods.  I didn't mind the venue change all that much last month when we went to see Over the Rhine, but the sound was nowhere near as good as the classic site.

Also, I had totally forgotten that tomorrow is also the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Festival Great Steamboat Race, also a victim of the spring floods.  I know you would've been able to see the race from the classic Waterfront Wednesday site, but I'm not 100% sure about the Big Four Lawn.

Seeing that I will be out of town for July's Waterfront Wednesday, I'm going to really make this one count.  Packing a picnic, going for the whole shebang, and hoping to see a couple of racing steamboats.

Show Public Radio Some Love!

I moved to Louisville nearly five years ago.  (Side note: I just realized that at this point I have lived in Casa Lou longer than I've lived in any one dwelling since I was a child.  Huh. Wild.) Since that time I have listened to only two radio stations in the city: WFPK and WFPL.**

Louisville's Public Radio is one of my top ten favorite things about this city. Hell, I lived in NYC for five years, and I don't think their public radio is anywhere near as good.  We're so damned lucky to have WFPL and WFPK (and I'm sure we're lucky to have WUOL; it's just not my thing).  Waterfront Wednesdays, the whole news team at WFPL, Laura Shine (who doesn't have a HUGE girl-crush on Laura Shine?), and of course all the usual great NPR stuff.  

The C-J recently did a good article about local public radio and the political scene.  Check it out here. 

Anyway, there is no way I could possibly pledge what I owe to Louisville Public Media, so I volunteered to answer phone during their fund drive.  You should too.  Or better yet, dig deep and pledge at 502-814-6565 or online. 

**That statement is 99.99% accurate.  Sometimes if Roommate and I are in the car and a Reds game is on, we'll listen to sports radio.  And sometimes if I can't sleep, I listen to Coast-to-Coast with George Noory because, shit, I want to believe!

Waterfront Wednesday: Audra Mae is opening??

I have been so remiss... tomorrow is Waterfront Wednesday, and it's a damned good one.  You know if Audra Mae is the OPENING act, it's going to be good.  I'm not a "fan" of any of the three bands, but I've heard Audra Mae's music on WFPK, and I've loved-- LOVED-- everything I've heard.  (I'm sure she hates this, but I will say it anyway:  She's Judy Garland's grand-niece. What a cool fun fact!)

The headliner is These American States.  Again, not a "fan," but I've loved what I've heard.  And their Lollapalooza show got awesome reviews.

Between the two is the Dan Mangan band.  From Canada.  A big ol' question mark.

But if the weather is as nice as it was today...

You know how much Mama loves her some Waterfront Wednesdays... this could be the best one of the year!  Hope to see you there.

Derby to Do: James McMurtry at the Fest-a-Ville

Earlier this year when everyone and their Uncle Leo were taking sides on Team Coco and Team Leno, I couldn't have been less interested. Sure, if pressed, I would have sided with Team Coco rather than Team "Get off my lawn!" but Coco and Leno fall distant third and fourth on my list of late night personalities. I've always loved Letterman and his crazy socks. Loved him even through his disappointing sex scandal. But for the past few years, he's been #2 on my list.

I am firmly and unwaveringly on Team Fergy.

Tomorrow night at this time I will be tucked away at some restaurant or bar somewhere in Cincinnati waiting for the 730pm Craig Ferguson show at the Taft Theater. I'm so excited that whenever I think about it, I spontaneously clap.

And because I'm so excited about this show, I took a legit personal day (my first non-medical day off in eons!) on Wednesday so I could enjoy the show properly (read: have a few Manhattans afterward) and then indulge in two of the only things to like about Cincy the next day: IKEA and Trader Joe's.

But, we can't linger too too late in Cincy. After all, the best Derby Festival events are on Wednesday night: The Great Steamboat Race at 6pm and James McMurtry at the Fest-a-Ville at 7:30pm.

McMurtry probably hates that when most people mention his name, they immediately say "son of writer Larry McMurtry," but when you have serious pop culture cred like that, what can you expect? Seriously, Larry McMurtry, probably best known for writing the Pulitzer Prize winning book and best mini series of all time, Lonesome Dove, is American literary royalty. There are probably people who go see James McMurtry shows just to see what Larry's offspring sounds like.

I wonder if the younger McMurtry has ever had a beer and bitch session with Jakob Dylan?

Anyway, like Jakob Dylan, James McMurtry ain't no Brooke Hogan. He's a genuinely talented singer-songwriter who's been putting out decent to great Texas Rock/Americana records for more than two decades. Entertainment Weekly (which faithful readers know is one of Mama's weaknesses) called him "the truest, fiercest voice of his generation." (If EW says it, it must be true.)

Tennessee singer-songwriter, Will Hoge, is opening up for McMurtry. Hoge played at Waterfront Wednesday in August 2009-- the Waterfront Wednesday that ranks at #1 on the list of "most sorry that I missed" (it's a short list, kids. Mama don't miss WW very often) so I am super-psyched to get a second chance to check him out.

The Steamboat Race, Hoge, and McMurtry can all be yours for the low, low price of one Pegasus pin. Gotta love this town!

First Waterfront Wednesday

Just got home from the first Waterfront Wednesday of the year. Made it in time to hear the Holmes Brothers and the Legendary Shack Shakers. It was a clear and warm-ish night. It was one more night that made me proud to live in Louisville.

When I first moved to Louisville in 2006, Waterfront Wednesdays were fabulous, and the small crowds were enthusiastic and in the groove. In the past four years, I've missed maybe three or four Waterfront Wednesdays, but never by choice.

Now, Waterfront Wednesday is no less fabulous, but the crowds have grown... I'd guess it's around four times the size of your average 2006 crowd. And they're no less in the groove.

Back when I lived in New Orleans, I used to say that the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was like Christmas, my birthday, and summer vacation all rolled into one convergence of transcendent perfection. Seven days of music and food and art over the course of two weeks... utter bliss. There is nothing more "Lou" than great music, outside, with great food and beer (although I never had a sip of alcohol at Jazz Fest after my first Jazz Fest... realized that booze and hot weather kept me from enjoying/remembering my Jazz Fest experience).

When I moved to Louisville, Waterfront Wednesdays were small, teeny tiny, consolation prizes for missing NOLA's Jazz Fest. A sort of case of Rice-o-Roni one night a month for six months. A wee taste of what Jazz Fest offered.

And that's still the case. But it still fulfills.

Gosh, I had such high hopes for HullabaLOU, but if you smash up the collective offering at the six Waterfront Wednesdays this summer--most of the acts are still unannounced-- I'd guess they trump HullabaLOU's festival line-up easily. And Forecastle just doesn't speak to my sensibility at all.

In the end, Waterfront Wednesday remains up there with IdeaFestival and the Humana Festival and Bats games as one of my favorite things about Louisville. I don't love how crowded it's become (port-a-potty lines six deep??), but I still don't understand how it's NOT the most attended event in Louisville.

It's free. Free music. The weather is almost always perfect (who knows why). It's on the river (gorgeous!). And the music is always good, sometimes great.

Tonight I LOVED the Holmes Brothers and just sort of liked the Legendary Shack Shakers.

The legendary director David Lynch once said, "A bad cup of coffee is better than no coffee at all." In regards to Waterfront Wednesdays, I'd say, "A mediocre free outdoor concert on the river is more soul-serving than no concert at all."

My soul is served. And I am slightly less bitter that I am missing the NOLA Jazz Fest once again this year.

Humana Festival Wrap Up

I wish Humana Festival lasted all year. I'm so genuinely sad to see it wrap up. Back when I lived in New Orleans, I used to say that New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was like my birthday, Christmas, and spring break all wrapped into one gorgeous event. And Humana doesn't quite tap that level of "whoopeee!" in my soul, but it comes as close as anything else in Louisville. If somehow there could be a divine convergence of Humana Festival, Idea Festival, and Waterfront Wednesdays...? Well, I might just hand Louisville JazzFest's place in my heart.

Still and all... awesome.

This past weekend, I hit THE CHERRY SISTERS REVISITED and METHOD GUN. And I loved them both. Loved them. Would see either one again, and will see CHERRY SISTERS again when Roommate comes back to town.

CHERRY SISTERS was not what I expected. Before I went, I kind of thought I understood the premise: a vaudeville act SO bad that sold-out crowds went to jeer and laugh. But the show was both funnier and sadder than I thought it would be. In my mind, Cassie Beck as Ella Cherry stole the show, on both ends of the emotional spectrum. If the entire show had centered on that character, I would have been utterly rapt. The first act of the show is phenomenal. The second act is a little heavier than I think it needed to be. The show runs through the beginning of April. Go see it. It's good.

METHOD GUN had been incredibly hyped to me beforehand, and I should always remember to tune that stuff out. Because METHOD GUN was fabulous, but didn't quite live up to the hype. I think if I'd seen it before I'd seen FISSURES, I would have been more blown away. But truly, in some ways the plays tread some of the same ground. But FISSURES goes deeper. METHOD GUN is an absurd semi-narrative story of a theater group abandoned by their esoteric founder. And let me tell you, the last five minutes of the show are sublime. The rest of the play has gorgeous, brilliant moments, but as my theatergoing companion said, at times it's a bit too "precious." A wee warning: Don't go see this play with your mama. A Facebook friend wrote on my wall: "I bet you'll never look at balloons the same way again... or hear 'Dancing in the Moonlight.'" Amen, sister.

Now that I've seen ALL of Humana's full-length plays, I'll render my verdict: FISSURES is unforgettable. One of the best things I've seen at Actors, period. Maybe the best.

And the snappy dialogue and palpable chemistry between the characters in PHOENIX is so wonderful that you'll never go on a mediocre first date and think "well, that was nice enough" again. That play has frigging ruined me for mediocre conversation. Weird, eh?

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

Tuesday Afternoon Randomness

I'm having yet again another "I'm feeling jazzed about Louisville" day. There's just so much good stuff going on these days, it's hard not to feel the jazz. Even when it's totally yucko outside like it is today.

• First up: tomorrow is the last Waterfront Wednesday of the year. Sniffles. I am not familiar with any of the artists, Bell X1, the Workers, or Company of Thieves. But it's Waterfront Wednesday, so I will be there. I'll be there hoping that the Company of Thieves guy wears the hippo on his head again.
  
• This is the final week to see Rocky Horror live. It's practically sold out, you know. And I've been hearing super good things about it. This Louisvillager is going to lose her Rocky virginity on Thursday night. There are still tickets left for Thursday night, so you could watch!
• Thanks to Broken Sidewalk for bringing us information about the adorable art installation on East Market Street. I actually startled someone on a bicycle while walking toward Nulu Fest. I saw the crazy white doggie prancing around the window of the old Wayside building and exclaimed, "Holy crap!" (Yes I said "crap" not the other word.) Sorry, bike dude. If you haven't seen "Sniff" yet, go, go, go! He'll (she'll?) only be around til Oct 30. (I think there's a missed Halloween opportunity there. Couldn't they make the puppy go all Cujo on Halloween and scare the bejeezus out of people? Good times.)
• This weekend is the Louisville International Film Festival. This is a very exciting event, chock full of new films you won't see anywhere else. (But not Adventures in Power) And like with the Labryinth seminar, if I didn't have a Meatspace job, I would TOTALLY shell out the $60 for the all day Friday and Saturday pass. It's a steal.

Brrr... do I really need to turn on the heat in September? Disappointing. Otherwise, Louisville, you're my hero.

Wednesday Afternoon Randomness

So, yeah, kiddos... I forgot to mention that I am home. Back in the Ville. Home Sweet Home. And very glad to be here. Missed Casa Lou, missed Louisville, missed my friends, even missed Roommate a little. Although I must say, after traipsing around the relatively cool Northeast for the better part of the summer, it's too fraking hot here!

And I'm back at work. Both here at Loueyville and in Meatspace too. And while working on Loueyville is a pleasure, and it sure is good to have a Meatspace job in this economy, Big Girl work is for the birds. I used to think that if I had "too much free time" on my hands, I'd go bonkers; now I know that there ain't no such thing as "too much free time." Ladies of Leisure, I salute you. And if any of you loyal readers wants to pay me to travel, read books, write, and watch tv, I will take you up on that offer and make you damned proud. As Big Mama Lou is fond of saying, "You should have married rich." Yep.

So here's a little Wednesday afternoon/evening clearing house for you:

• Is it wrong to say that you have a "girl crush" on someone you're friends with? I looked up "girl crush" on Urban Dictionary and it said: feelings of admiration and adoration which a girl has for another girl, without wanting to shag said girl. a nonsexual attraction, usually based on veneration at some level. Well, at the risk of sounding wonky, I have a girl crush on Michelle from Consuming Louisville. She's at it again, folks: planning cool and caring activities to benefit her fellow Louisvillagers, this time in the form of a bake sale to benefit our poor drowned LFPL. Come get your dessert on at Derby City Espresso next Wednesday, August 26 from 4p-8p. $1 from every drink sold will also benefit the LFPL. I would have offered to bake something, but I am pretty sure that no one would want to eat anything that came out of my kitchen. So, I'll just plan on spending some dough. (bah ha ha ha!)
• And to round out an already awesome Wednesday evening, make sure you hit Waterfront Wednesday. I have heard super duper good things about the Great Lake Swimmers. Also performing will be Cracker-- who had a string of great songs a while ago-- and Will Hoge-- who I know nothing about, but who sure is cute!
• It's Kentucky State Fair time! Just in case you forgot. Mama loves the fair. The fair is the best reminder that you actually DO live in Kentucky without having to leave Louisville. Am all over the free Wallflowers concert next Friday (8/28).
• Alongside IKEA and Trader Joe's, I am adding the Gulu-Gulu Cafe to my list of things I wish were in Louisville. Gulu-Gulu isn't a chain; it's a bar/coffeeshop/restaurant in Salem, Massachussetts that I TOTALLY fell in love with. It's got very reasonable Proof-style food, a fantastic line-up of events and entertainment, a casual and quirky atmosphere... easily the most "Lou-ish" place I've come across outside of New Orleans. Seriously, take a buzz around the website and see if you don't get jealous of Witch City.
• Big Mama Lou spends all of her time and energy during our visits asking me why I don't want to move back to the Northeast. I usually mumble something about loving Louisville and loving Casa Lou and not being able to AFFORD the Northeast. But today I decided that I can give her a definitive reason why there's no Northeast in my future-- one she can't argue with: Nobody in the Northeast serves sweet tea! What is wrong with those people? Tea that you've stirred sugar into ISN'T sweet tea. A total of more than 40 days in the North-- not a single sweet tea to be found. Damn Puritans.
  

Party Without Me: Waterfront Wednesday and DCE Afterparty

Mama double-booked herself for this coming Wednesday and is none too pleased. That means I'm going to have to miss Waterfront Wednesdays, my "happiest day of the month," and will have to probably miss the afterparty at Derby City Espresso.

I know squat about the Meat Puppets, but I'm just sad to miss the festivities in general-- WW is never a bad time. And Matt at DCE is featuring Slithering Beast and $1 PBRs starting at 10pm. Sounds like a great night for someone-- just not me!

Other stuff Mama's going to miss later this summer: June's Waterfront Wednesday... sniffles... and the June 26th Better than Ezra show at 4th Street Live. Heartbroken!! My first real vacation in two years or staying home and seeing WW and Better than Ezra? Sorry, kiddos. I'll take the wilds of the Atlantic coast of Canada, thank you. Have fun without me!

Rainy Wednesday Randomness

There’s so much good stuff going on these days that I just don’t have time to give everything its own post. Here are some of the events that are on my noggin:

Tll All this week the Bats are in town. Yippee! Mama loves her Bats.

• This month is Abbey Road on The River (May 21-25) at the Belvedere. Five days and more than 50 Beatles tribute bands. This is the kind of event I’d love to just go to check out, but even with the coupon available on the website, it’s $15. A bit steep for a quick check-out. HOWEVER, if you happen to be under twenty-one, you get in FREE if you go with a ticket purchaser. Spreading the Beatles love to the young ‘uns.
• Waterfront Wednesday (another big Yippee!) features the Meat Puppets this month (May 27). I’ve heard of them, but… ?? The other bands in the line-up are: the Features & Broken Spurs.
• If you go NOW—before midnight TONIGHT—to http://www.oprah.com/, you can download a coupon for a FREE two-piece grilled chicken dinner at KFC. Tried it last weekend and wasn’t a big fan, but free food is free food.
• May 22 is Bardstown Bound (now with added Baxter!!). Shopping, trolley, entertainment starting at 5pm. Here’s the website. It’s always a wonderful time. I particularly dig this year’s hippy-ish posters.
• Louisville landed a big convention fish yesterday. The ABC Kids Expo decided that Las Vegas mayyyyybe wasn’t really the best fit for a show that focuses “on products from newborn through teen, predominantly in the areas of furniture, bedding, room décor, baby gear, gift and layette, toys and related accessories.” I’d have a ball at that expo. Seriously. I love toys. Now can we please steal the big ALL CANDY EXPO from Chicago? I don’t even like sweets, but this still looks like the happiest place on earth to me.

And finally, the big news on the Lou front is for her second birthday (at the end of this month), she’s getting a whole new look! (well, the website, not so much Lou.) COMING SOON!!!

Holy Cow! It's Waterfront Wednesday Week!

Cut to: a thirty-mumble year old woman doing a version of “the happy dance” that you have never seen before and that you never want to see.

How do these things creep up on me like this? That’s nuts! I need a Google Calendar that’s hardwired into my brain, so when I hear dates of stuff I want to remember, it just automatically downloads the event into the calendar. That’s not creepy AT ALL. Waterfront Wednesday is one of my very favoritest things about Loueyville.

Never heard of any of the folks in the lineup, but that’s not the point at all. Sea breezes (okay, river breezes), sunshine, beer, everybody you know, and live music. It doesn’t get much better. Weather Channel says it will be eh. But loads better than today.

Hm. WFPK’s website appears to be down, but their email has the info you need (I think WWs usually start around 6p).

Excitement is in the air...it's almost time for another season of Waterfront Wednesday! Join us for the first show this Wednesday, April 22nd on the Harbor Lawn in Waterfront Park. The show is free and will feature WFPK favorite Todd Snider, Extra Golden and Tony Furtado.

Spring in the Air...

.... or at least there was during the past couple 60 degree days. Even Windpocalypse 2009 was a nice warm day. Sigh, no more.

But the most beautiful sign of impending Spring? Backseat Sandbar blogged today about the first Waterfront Wednesday featuring Kenyan band Extra Golden. Sure, it's not til April, but seeing Backseat Sandbar's post in my Google Reader puts me in a tippy-top mood for starting the weekend. (Of course, that's about to be squashed a bit after a couple hours of sitting in the chemo chair... blech!)

Weekend plans: That Shipwrecked thing at Actor's and my FIRST meal at Jack Fry's. (I know... it's crazy I haven't been there! Do shame, Lou.) Working on the humble abode. And then work work.

But now I have a Waterfront Wednesday to look forward to!