Visit me at Wine-girl.net!!

Check out my guest post at Wine-Girl.net.  On reasons why Cincinnatians should be heading downriver to Louisville this summer.

Guesting Posting this Week! I am Somebody!

So, right now it's 2am, and I'm sitting at my desk sipping one of those super-sweet, nigh-undrinkable wines from a box.  In a convent.  That last fact has nothing to do with anything, but I thought it was worth mentioning.  I'm in a convent, folks.  Sure, on a day-to-day basis, my love life could be best described as "nun-like."  But right now I am actually living in a convent.  And that tells me that if there is a God, then she has quite the sense of humor.

The important part of the first post, though, is that I am drinking crap wine.  (It's my first glass, so no, I am not drunk blogging.)  Because I'm super excited to say that I will be guest posting later this week on Wine-Girl.net.  It's a great Cincy-area blog that's about more than just wine and has a pretty enthusiastic following.  I'll tweet and blog when the post goes up.  In the meantime, check out Cincy Michelle's work!

And a belated Happy Cheer Up Keanu Day to you all.  Be excellent to each other.  Party on.

21c Expansion: Hoping for the Best

If you live in Louisville and are on Twitter, you've no doubt already heard about 21c's announcement that they intend to expand into fifteen cities, starting with Bentonville, Arkansas-- home of the anti-21c, Wal-Mart.  


Most of the people I follow on Twitter have responded with shock at the first location and with cautious congratulations to one of the coolest (and that word is truly applicable) businesses in the city.  The 21c tweet machine has countered with good humor and optimism.  


I personally haven't seen much anger out there about the expansion, but others have mentioned it. And the 21c facebook page already features people questioning the Wal-Mart connection (there is none, instead it is with the Crystal Bridges Museum-- which I will have to look into).  


I've said any number of times that 21c is one of the things that makes me proudest to be a Louisvillager.  (If you read that post, the answer is no-- I never did treat myself to a night at 21c post-chemo-- what's wrong with me?).  I am cautiously optimistic. 


Best case scenario:  21c stays headquartered here and has to hire a whole bunch of creative locals to work in the HQ.  As they expand, they proudly wave the Louisville flag (I jokingly tweeted that all future 21c Hotels should be called "The Louisville 21c Hotel in Bentonville" or what have you).  All major exhibits/events must debut first in 21c's Mother City before moving on to shows at other 21c's.  Chef Paley stays at Proof.  All new hotel initiatives use the Louisville 21c as their incubator... You catch my drift, right?


Worst case scenario:  As 21c expands, the quality of exhibits/events becomes diluted by 1/15th.  The groundbreaking, superstar artists choose to debut their shows at 21c Chicago or Atlanta.  It suddenly makes sense to move the 21c HQ to a larger city. Our 21c becomes "the old model."  Much sadness ensues.


I'm going to cling to the Best Case Scenario as the Only Case Scenario.  I believe that the 21c is committed to our fair city.  I wish them the best, and look forward to our 21c becoming the "mothership."  


Update: WFPL's Elizabeth Kramer allays some of my bigger fears-- good news!  

Glass Arts Society Conference 2010: Louisville Glasses up for GAS

You can put art right up there on the list of things I know nothing about (also on the list: technology, theater, and 'birthin' no babies.').  I'm grateful to have attended a university that required all students to take an art appreciation course in order to graduate, but my formal art education ends there.  So my appreciation for art begins and ends at "I like what I like."

It used to be that I didn't particularly like glass arts, but the fact that Louisville is a glass-arts-rich community, with Glassworks and Flame Run leading the charge, has done much to change that.  Last Friday's Downtown Trolley Hop, in particular, introduced some truly exquisite glass arts exhibits in advance of this weekend's 40th annual Glass Arts Society Conference. 

Most of the Market Street exhibits will be up through the summer, so I urge you to get out there and check them out.  Of particular note, in my opinion, is the joint exhibit at Zephyr and Swanson Reed called "Glass Uprising."  

As I said, I like what I like when it comes to art, and usually what I like lends itself to the spooky/moody side.  Give me an exhibit that looks like stuff that came out of the twisted little mind of Spike from "Toy Story 2," and I'm usually on board.  At Zephyr, the work of Stephen Paul Day and Sibylle Paretti gave me the good creeps.  Tim Tate's multimedia/tech/glass work at Swanson Reed was both eerie and darkly humorous (The sculpture "My Love Live Thus Far" featured a tiny video screen endlessly looping the implosion of an enormous brick building.).  Check out the "Glass Uprising" link above to view some of their work.

The fact that Louisville is a glass-arts-rich community makes it a no-brainer to host the 40th annual Glass Arts Society Conference.  The list of exhibits associated with the 3-day event is impressive and exciting.  Seems like just about every gallery and museum in town has gotten on board with this event.  

Other events associated with the conference include a Glass Armonica Ballet Performance by the Louisville Ballet Civic Company.  (Fun Fact: the Glass Armonica-- one of the creepiest-sounding instruments ever created-- was invented by Benjamin Franklin.  It was originally thought that the sound of the glass armonica drove its players to insanity, but it turns out it was the combination of friction and water that helped the lead from the glass leach into the players' systems, giving them lead poisoning.)  Check out the event list for information.

Also up for the GAS Conference and continuing sporadically through July is ShoeString Productions' staging of Tennessee Williams's "The Glass Menagerie" at the Water Tower.  Check out the website for dates and ticketing information.  I'm personally very excited to see this particular play in this particular unconventional location.

This post really doesn't do the magnitude of the exciting glassy stuff going on in town justice, but the GAS website does an excellent job noting all the events and exhibits, so I'll direct you there. 

4th Street Art Festival This Weekend

For the most part, a night at 4th Street Live is like spending a night bar-hopping in an airport concourse with the "Girls Gone Wild" crew.  But this weekend, 4th Street is hosting an event that I'm sorry I will have to miss.  The Downtown Louisville Art Festival will feature over 150 artists on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm.  I'm always up for a good, juried art festival.  This one features artists from around the country, but I sure hope we have a good local showing.  The website promises that this will be an annual event.

And the early end time for the event assures the artists that no (or few) of the usual patrons will tip their Irish Car Bombs or Long Island Iced Teas into their hand-crafted pottery fountains or besmirch their watercolors with Midori Sours.  At least we hope.

Flyover Film Festival: Mapother to Moderate

As you loyal readers know, Mama has a minor celeb-u-crush on local boy William Mapother (aka. LOST's Ethan Rohm).  Too bad I won't be in town next weekend when he comes back home to attend the 2nd Annual Flyover Film Festival sponsored by the Louisville Film Society. I've been seeing a lot of posters for this event around town, but alas I'm not on their mailing list.  (Hook a sister up, LFS-- I'd love to get press releases!)


According to Mapother's blog:

This year the festival a terrific line-up of films and panels (I'm moderating one on film finance Saturday at 12pm).  We're offering a Youth Media Summit, so local colleges can show off their film and media depts to local high students, and we're giving a Lifetime Achievement Award to acclaimed Kentucky-born director Allison Anders. 

Finally, we're hosting a special screening of Sundance winner Winter's Bone, starring Louisville's own fast-rising star Jennifer Lawrence.  Also, she and I will be holding a Youth Acting panel at 10:30 Sunday morning.  It's open to the public.

What are the odds people don't pelt Mapother with LOST finale questions?  I might! 

I'm Just Sayin': Really Esquire?

Really, Esquire Magazine?  The ONLY bar in the entire STATE of Kentucky that deserves mention on your Best Bars list is the Seelbach?  I find that terribly, incredibly, wildly hard to believe.  Jiminy Christmas! Please, dears, send a steel-livered reporter down this-aways, and I will show him or her (although you're Esquire, so it's probably a "him") a few more to add to the list.

Sheesh.

Bend and Snap! "Legally Blonde" at the Kentucky Center

People give me a hard time when I say that, in general, I don't like musicals. They'll start by listing off musicals that I "must" like, and if they start with the oldie-but-goodies, I look like a jerk.

"My Fair Lady?" Yeah, that's a good one. "Wouldn't it be Loverly?" is a great song. And the Audrey Hepburn movie was great, even though she didn't really sing.

"The King and I?" I saw it with Yul Brenner in Boston when I was a kid. Every time I see it, I cry. So yeah, I like that one too.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum?" Hi-larious. I played one of the courtesans when I was in high school. One of the most fun plays I've ever been in.

BUT, if they start by listing RECENT musicals, my musical grouch rears her head. "Rent"? "Les Mis"? "Phantom"? Not a fan.

And lately the kicker is: "Have you seen 'Wicked'? You can't possibly say you disliked 'Wicked.'"

I. Disliked. "Wicked."

There's just something about so many modern musicals that leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. The only entertainment I can remember walking out of half way through was a stage revival of "Saturday Night Fever." When it comes to musicals, I look for goofy joy, and so many modern musicals favor mawkish sentimentality or overblown maudlinness to joy.

Which is why I am actually looking forward to seeing "Legally Blonde" next week at the Kentucky Center. This PNC Broadway Across America production cannot possibly fail to bring the joy, right?! I mean it's about a ditzy (but actually smart) pretty blonde in pink and her little dog too!

"Legally Blonde" is one of those movies that's impossible to dislike. It's not a classic, by any means, but it's one of those movies that will instantly put an end to my channel surfing on a Saturday afternoon. My fingers are crossed; it's hard to imagine anyone other than Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods.

The Broadway Across America series has a lot of interesting stuff in the pipeline. Some of it isn't really up my alley ("Jersey Boys" and "Mama Mia"), but some totally is ("Stomp"-- which I saw when it first opened in a small off-Broadway theater-- and the dance production "Burn the Floor"). And yes, to save myself from further hypocrisy, I should probably SEE "Les Mis" before I keep saying I don't like it (I had a college roommate who had the soundtrack on perma-play in on our dorm room).

"Legally Blonde" runs from June 8-13 at the Whitney Hall in the Kentucky Center. Go and be joyful! Bend and snap, kids. Bend and snap!

This week in Loueyville

A very world-weary Lou pokes her head out from under the rock where she's been hiding and asks no one in particular: Is it safe to come out yet?

Sorry for the radio (blogio) silence lately, kids. But after a couple of hell-weeks at the Meatspace Workplace, I am finally-- methinks-- a lady of leisure for a couple months. Or mostly leisure: I have a "to do" list that looks like the phone book. It still may take me a while to get back on my game, but it feels like a million bucks to have just completed my 10th year of my chosen profession.

So, what's new Loueyville? (whoa-oh-oh-oh)

Well, up this week is the Charlie Mars show at Zanzibar on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to playing on a "school night."

If you missed the G. Love show at Headliners on Saturday, that's a very sad thing. I first saw G. Love in the mid-90's in NYC, and, as they say, the man must have a portrait in his attic somewhere. He's just as fun and funky (and young-looking) as he was back then. And it was my first trip to Headliners, which turned out to be much more intimate than I imagined. Good stuff all around.

Also coming up this week is Let them Tweet Cake at Sweet Surrender. You can hit up Tweet Cake and then follow me to Charlie Mars, if you're so inclined.

Back to the to do list. Happy Summer! Catch you later, Bill & Ted.

NTDWL: Happy Towel Day!

Don't forget that this is Bring Your Towel To Work Day, geeks and ladygeeks, otherwise known as Towel Day!

Celebrate your love for the late, great, and hilarious sci-fi/fantasy author Douglas Adams by carrying a towel with you everywhere. I imagine it's a great way to pick up like-minded nerds in coffee shops and bars tonight.  "Hey, I couldn't help but notice your smoking hot beach towel.  I can't place the pattern.  Is that an Escher print or a representation of multiple Mandelbrot sets?" 

More information on at: http://www.towelday.org/

And although I am not as rabid a Douglas Adams fan as many of my geek brothers and sisters, I am fairly certain that without Douglas Adams there would be no Lou-the-writer. Thanks for all the fish, dude.

Let Them Tweet Cake

The lovely and talented Michelle, from Consuming Louisville, is once again hosting a "Let Them Tweet Cake" meet-up on June 2, at 6:30p, at Sweet Surrender.  This particular event is near and dear to my heart because it was at a Tweet Cake that I first met Michelle, was first really introduced to Twitter, and first heard the words "Fail Whale" (I was like, "Wha? A who whale?"). 

I can truly say that my social landscape was completely altered by that one Tweet Cake.  How will my life be changed by the next Tweet Cake?  Maybe I'll become a do-gooder like Michelle.  

According to Michelle's invite:  

As I mentioned the last time I updated you I'd like our gatherings to have slightly more structure. So consider this an open call for a speaker or presenter for our June meeting. Want to show off your iPad? Want to tell us all about a cool tool or technology that you think we'd find useful? Email me to volunteer to speak. We've made great progress on a potential service project for the women of Let Them Tweet Cake to get involved with. I can't wait to tell you about it. 

So if you're a ladygeek, you really ought to be there.  Here's the invite.  

Vote Early and Vote Often!

Just kidding about that second part.  But this is just a gentle reminder to get your Louisvillager buns down to the polling place to cast you ballot.  If you don't, the terrorists win!  xo Mama

Deja Dig: The Strange Feeling I've Liked Charlie Mars Before

There ought to be a "deja vu"-style term for something that you know you like even though you're pretty sure you haven't come across it before.

I got an email announcement from Charlie Mars's PR people saying that he was coming to the Zanzibar on June 2, and my gut response was: "Awesome! Charlie Mars! I love that guy! I love that his 'people' are emailing me!"

But after sitting on the email for a week and doing a pretty extensive Google sweep for Mars, I am relatively certain that I've actually never come across Charlie Mars before. Sure, he's dating Mary Louise Parker (good on ya, Charlie!) but despite the fact that I'm an admitted EW.com addict, I don't really follow gossip. Yes, he sang the National Anthem at one of my beloved Saints' games back in November-- maybe I saw that, but I think that was before I started watching every single game last season. He's from my neck of the woods-- Mississippi-- hence the Saints appearance. His bio gives me nothing to lead me to believe that I've seen him live before-- we like the same music, and that's a good indication that I'd like his music, but his bio doesn't mention opening up for any tours I've seen. And I think I'd remember-- he's stunningly handsome as evidenced by this mucho sexy music video starring Mars and Parker (no mistake, I'm sure, having "Nancy Botwin" star in a video whose refrain is "If you want to come over, come over and get high/ We'll listen to the Dark Side of the Moon.").

And yet, "deja vu"-- or maybe "deja dig." I was absolutely certain that I would like Charlie Mars. And I was right. His newest album, Like a bird, Like a plane, which I listened to in its entirety as I Google stalked him, is full of knee-wobblingly sensual tracks along the vein of David Gray. I'm betting that some people are throwing around comparisons to the likes of John Mayer and Jack Johnson, but the Oxford, Mississippi in this guy insures that there's more soul in one of Mars's tracks than whole albums by Mayer or Johnson.

Anyway, I'll keep trying to connect A & B-- figure out some reason, besides "deja dig," that I knew I'd like Charlie Mars. In the meantime, I'm excited to kill two birds with one stone on June 2: (a) check out Charlie Mars and (b) finally hit Zanzibar, which is quickly becoming one of the hottest spots to catch live music in the city. I think it's a lovely bit of cosmic convergence that this show happens on the first Wednesday of my summer vacation. Nicely done, universe.

Hope to see you there.

Charlie Mars fun fact: According to his bio, after a couple of albums Mars burned out and hit rehab. After which, a one-night casino win netted him enough money to buy studio time to record his major label debut.

Speaking of Local Artists: Hound Dog Press Moved

Someday when I am rich and famous, I will have Hound Dog Press create business cards for Loueyville.  This is not a passing whim.  I first mentioned this deep desire back in December 08.  And that was before I had the amazing John Wurth at Hatch create my lovely Loueyville acorn logo-- a logo that totally screams "Letterpress me!!."  (Okay, that sounds a little nightmareish, actually.)

Anyway, turns out Hound Dog Press recently moved from its Mellwood Center location.  Where did they go?  Where do you think they went?  Where all the cool kids are these days-- Market Street!    

I'm so excited to see so much happening in Nulu.  I love this city.  That is all.  

Whiskey Row Fundraiser Update

Sorry, I can't edit ye olde blogge from the Meatspace Workplace.

Yesterday I blogged about local photographer, Billy Grubbs, and his beautiful photo fundraiser for the preservation of Whiskey Row.  I was unclear, however, about what percent of the sales would go toward the actual cause.  So I wrote Mr. Grubbs, and the lovely man wrote me back:  

Thanks so much for blogging about my photo!  I am giving 100% percent of the profits to the cause, however, there are costs involved so it won't be every dollar they spend.  Depending on the size of print they order, about 55-75% of what they spend will go to fund the buildings.

Right on, Mr. Grubbs!  We like this very much.  

Okay, Loueyvillagers, add to your art collection secure in knowing that you're supporting a good cause thanks to an awesome local artist!

Whiskey Row Row: Fundraiser

I'm no art critic, but I honestly don't know how photographers make a living in this town.  There are SO many really lovely photographers who do such a good job making use of the web for self-promotion.  If I were to get married (don't be mean, peanut gallery-- no need to roll your eyes and say, "Yeah, right), I wouldn't even know where to begin-- there are SO many choices.

And speaking of art critics, I also leave stuff like historical preservation to the experts (although, fun fact about Mama: I once very seriously considered pursuing a Master's degree in Historic Preservation at Tulane).  Broken Sidewalk has that covered locally. 

That being said, I've been very concerned with this whole Iron Quarter/Whiskey Row flapdoodle.  Our Market/Main downtown area is just frigging blossoming these days.  It's terribly exciting.  Hey, I have a great idea-- let's tear down some historic structures!  

As I said, I'll leave the preservation talk to the experts.  Start here with Broken Sidewalk's coverage of Cobalt's move toward demolition.  

Sorry, right, what does that have to do with photography?  (Expect me to be all kinds of scattered until the end of May.)

Local photographer, Billy Grubbs, is offering prints of a gorgeous photo of Whiskey Row to help support the effort to turn these buildings into landmarks.  Prices start at $65.  Grubbs's work is really lovely-- kind of a retro, sepia sort of vibe.  But the picture of Whiskey Row is absolutely among my favorites on his website.

Buy some beautiful art and help save some beautiful buildings, Loueyvillagers!

(I was a little reticent to post this because his website didn't say actually what portion of the sales would go toward the preservation fund, but I did find an earlier fundraiser where Grubbs offered 100% of his photo shoot fee went toward Haitian charities.  So I feel pretty okay with sharing this.  I've emailed him to find out the exact % of the photo sales, and I'll update you when/if I hear back.)  

Lookee Here: Mama in a National Publication (sorta)

The author of this article told me she'd send me a copy of the magazine once it was published, but I never heard back from her.  Not a big deal.  Don't think I need it for my scrapbook.*  But check it out anyway:  Sarah Braley put together a pretty nice "On Site" article about the city for Meetings and Conventions Magazine (what? You thought it was gonna be Time or something?). 

I make a brief appearance as "The My Loueyville Blogger" recommending a night at Actor's Theater.

Rock on.

*that being said if you DO have a back issue of March's M&C Magazine, I wouldn't mind having a copy.  

Speaking of Docs with Local connections: Carbon Nation

Well, hello.  I just plum forgot about this email sitting in my inbox telling me that "Carbon Nation," associate produced by our "own" Gill Holland of Green Building (and much more) fame, is premiering locally tonight with two showings at the Louisville Science Center.  The event is a donate-what-you-will-for-tickets fundraiser to help raise money to market and promote the documentary. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

There are two showings tonight:  One at 7pm with a reception from 6p-7p and one at 9pm with a reception from 8p-9p.  The documentary will then move to the Village 8 from May 7-13.  More information on the documentary can be found here. I'll post a "real" post about it after I've seen it.

Louisville Orchestra Doc at Baxter

I love documentaries.  A good documentary can be more compellingly watchable than some of the best feature films. I just recently re-Tivo-ed "Murderball," and I can't wait to watch it again.  And of course, as part of the NOLA diaspora, I can't recommend "Trouble the Water" or Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke" highly enough.  (Actually, here's a little personal PSA:  If you live in America-- and I venture you do-- I think it's your personal responsibility to watch one or both of those films.)  (And another FYI aside: Lee is working on a sequel to "When the Levees" as we speak.) 

So I'm committing to go see "Music Makes A City: A Louisville Orchestra Story" when it hits the Baxter, either at the premiere on May 20 or during its week-long run May 21-27.  According to the CJ:  "The feature-length film tells the story of the Louisville Orchestra's project to commission new works from contemporary composers around the world. In 1953, the orchestra received a $400,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to commission 52 compositions a year for three years. The architect of the venture was Louisville Mayor Charles Farnsley."  

The film is co-directed and co-produced by Owsley Brown III, of the Brown-Forman Browns.  He lives in San Francisco but still owns local businesses.  (I'd never heard the name "Owsley" before to Louisville, but this city is just lousy with Owsleys.  And I'm sure I'm not alone in ALWAYS wanting to spell the name: O-W-L-S-E-Y-- Am I right?)

Young American Shakespeare Festival

You know how I love Walden Theater. Somehow their Young American Shakespeare Festival, which starts this weekend, just crept up on me.

Both My So-Called So-Called Life and When In Disgrace... , the two Walden plays I've seen and loved, were directed by Alec Volz, who is directing Henry V for the festival. I suppose I should check out the other directors' work, but I'm really curious to see Volz's take on this epic.

All of the plays are at the Victor Jory theater at Actors. Here's the schedule for the festival:

Henry V
directed by Alec Volz
May 6,8,10,13 @ 7:30 pm
May 15 @ 2:00 pm

Love's Labour's Lost
directed by Charlie Sexton
May 11,16 @ 7:30 pm
May 14 @ 8:00 pm
May 8,9 @ 2:00 pm

Timon of Athens
directed by J. Barrett Cooper
May 7,9,12,15 @ 7:30 pm
May 16 @ 2:00 pm