the lexington project

Hey! The Lex Pro’s actually out on Wednesday! Yay!

Thanks to Tony Miller, James Osborne, Michael Powell, Brian Connors Manke, Eric Sutherland, Teresa Tomb, Matt Jordan, and Chris Bush for their help with the Picks.

Hope all are well.
Ross

:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::

** Fri/April 28 – Mick Jeffries’ “Laptop Lounge” at Wines on Vine
Chill out with the exotic and enticing sounds of Mick Jeffries’ “Laptop Lounge” this Friday, April 28th at Wines on Vine, 400 Old Vine Street. Mick’s dj set will start around 8 and run until who-knows-when. No cover … you know what that means … more money to spend on booze.

** Wed/May 3 – Leukemia/Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training Benefit at Alfalfa restaurant
Help support some of Lexington’s most generous athletes and their endeavors… Alfalfa will donate 10% of its dinner receipts on this night to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Ruth Adams, photo prof and advisor at UK is the main organizer, along with the restaurant.
[FYI: the International Night that night, for Alfalfa fans, is Chinese…]

** Actors’ Guild presents “Rounding Third” at the Downtown Arts Center
Don’t sleep on one of the best scripts that AGL has produced this season! Rounding Third IS about Little League baseball, but this play’s not just for dudes, dude. Adam Luckey (an often-seen Lexington actor) and Scott Wichmann (who you may remember as the Elf from AGL’s production of David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries) bring their respective “A” games to this production, as each of them alternate roles on successive nights, a la the Broadway production of True West with John C. Reilly and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. See the play one night, bring a friend for your second viewing, and you’ll get in FREE, courtesy of AGL’s newly minted “Buddy Ticket” system! Call the LexArts box office (ph.225-0370) for tickets, or purchase them online at actorsguildoflexington.org

** Through May 4 - “Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War” exhibit at Transylvania
As part of “Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War,” over 300 pairs of combat boots representing guard personnel killed in Iraq and 100 pairs of shoes memorializing Iraqi causalities will be displayed on Transylvania’s campus Wednesday, April 26, through Thursday, May 4. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The 10-day exhibit begins with an opening ceremony Wednesday, April 26, at 11 a.m. in Haupt Plaza and includes remarks by Eastern Kentucky University history professor Richard Mitchell and Vietnam War veteran Robert Topmiller. Transylvania drama professor Tim Soulis will present a reading of Mark Twain’s War Prayer.

An interfaith service with local clergy will be Sunday, April 30, at 1 p.m. in Haupt Plaza and Kentucky Poet Laureate Richard Taylor will give a reading Monday, May 1, at 11 a.m. in the Clive M. Beck Athletic and Recreation Center. Opportunities to view the exhibit are:
Wednesday-Friday, April 26-28, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Haupt Plaza
Saturday, April 29, 1-4 p.m., East Lawn of Morrison Circle
Sunday, April 30, 1-4 p.m., Haupt Plaza
Monday-Thursday, May 1-4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Beck Center

The boots are one part of the American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) war causalities exhibit, which includes more than 2,000 pairs of combat boots representing U.S. military causalities and over 3,000 pairs of shoes memorializing a small fraction of the Iraqi civilians who have been killed in the conflict. AFSC originally created “Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War” to illustrate the lives lost in the war in Iraq. The tour has been to more than 60 cities across the country including Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando and Washington, D.C.

For more information contact the public relations office at (859) 233-8120 or philosophy professor Peter Fosl at (859) 233-8129.

** Through May 13 - Senior Art Exhibit at Georgetown College
All are invited to the Senior Art Exhibtion 2006: “That’s Swell!” at the Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery at Georgetown College. The exhibition runs from April 27 – May 13. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 27 from 5-7pm. Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12-4:30pm, Sunday 1:30 to 4pm. For more information, contact Elissa Morley at Elissa_Morley@georgetowncollege.edu.

** Through June 8 - The Folk Art Collection of TuTu @ Fauntleroy’s
Fauntleroy’s Cafe presents the fabulous Folk Art Collection of “TuTu”. The work of artist Mary Ruth Maggard (aka TuTu) will be on exhibit at the cafe located at 640 West Maxwell Street, May 1st through June 8th. Maggard works magic using paint sample cards, returning the viewer to the playground of childhood with her vibrant use of color and shapes. An artitst reception will be held on Saturday, May 13th from 2-4 p.m. The reception and exhibit are free and open to all. Fauntleroy’s Cafe may be reached by calling 859-455-8188.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE PICKS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::: Wednesday, April 26 through Wednesday, May 10 :::::::::::

:: Thursday, April 27 ::
JOSH BERMAN/KEEFE JACKSON duo @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper
8pm, all ages, $3

Two musicians whose names might not be familiar, but whose work you might know. Cornetist Berman and saxophonist Jackson are two of Chicago's young lions. They've both been through town several times in the last year as members of Tim Daisy's Festival Quartet and the Chicago Luzern Exchange. The duo just released their debut recording. Reminds me of the textural exploration and interplay of Joe McPhee with the various members of the Brotzmann Tentet's reed section. Very nice stuff. Part of the Outside the Spotlight jazz and improvised music series sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM and Action Arts.
[FULL DISCLOSURE: I helped organize this show.]


:: Thursday, April 27 ::
THE ESSEX GREEN w/HIGH WATER MARKS and THE MELODY FUNCTION
@ The Dame – 9pm, ages 21+, $5

I guess I’m a little biased regarding my opinion of the High Water Marks. I don’t have any other choice – I HAVE to like them. Anytime someone goes and combines hook-laden vocal melodies and crunchy guitars with one of the most entertaining drummers since Keith Moon, I HAVE to like them. When they’re also part of my circle of friends and acquaintances it’s unavoidable– I like them, I like them allot. To my defense though, I’m critical as hell, so hopefully you can trust my opinion of the band.

Fancy descriptive adjective and phrases aside, the High Water Marks are good. Spinning Songs About the Ocean makes me dance around and act silly. Plus seeing them live leaves me feeling genuinely entertained, which is a big deal for me. I don’t feel entertained very often being the music curmudgeon that I am.

The primary reason for my bliss, in classic E6 form, the songs that the HWMs bring to the table are infectiously hooky in regards to vocals and instruments (case in point listen to “Polar” from their Myspace page one time and see if you can prevent yourself from humming it later in the day). On top of that, I could watch the rhythm section all day long thanks to the solid bass work of Mike Snowden and the percussionary gymnastics of Jim Lindsey.

In the end, it’s about the hook – Hillary Sidney and Per Ole Bratset take care of this necessity nicely with both vox and instruments. Hillary’s voice has a breathy kid-like quality that soars nicely above the mix. Additionally Per’s guitar channels a poppy Thurston Moore, a style of playing that conjures up images of Daydream Nation in my mind (which, for those of you that don’t know, is a very good thing).

So anyway, I’m biased, but I’ve got good reason. Come out Thursday night and hear for yourself.
-Tony

The Essex Green have been one of my favorite bands to come out of the Elephant 6 explosion and the new album, Cannibal Sea, is some of their best work to date. The vocal layering on the new album, especially the single “Don’t Know Why you Stay (With Me)” is incredible. Somehow my heart is broken and I feel uplifted at the same time.

Chris Ziter, Sasher Bell, and Jeff Baron do a really cool job of combining the best elements of 60s folk balladry with country rock and mod-pop sensibility. Their sound is unique but incredibly familiar at the same time. Having not yet had the chance to see them live, I'm personally thrilled that they're starting the new tour on Thursday night here in Lexington and you should be too!
-James

Yeah man, so school has totally kicked my ass from here to Suez Canal this week with all my teachers deciding "yeah man, it'll be a good style to assign everything in the same week." It's really harshed my mellow. HOWEVER, when the stress was swelling around my medulla obligata, turning my brain into that of a lizard's, I'd throw on the new joint from THE ESSEX GREEN...

It's gooooood. And they're coming to THE DAME this THURSDAY NIGHT. On Merge Records, the Essex Green is some very sunny pop in the vein of Camera Obscura and the Hidden Cameras (maybe the Shins to an extent, too). If their jams don't slap a smile on yr. face technology, check thy pulse.

And holy hey-zoos, the HIGH WATER MARKS are back like a Mac Attack in this mug. Mike Snowden is a rock beast, I tell you me, and with members of Oranger and the Apples in Stereo, the High Water Marks bring the serious fuzz and funk, floating between Teenage Fanclub and Sloan. Oh, and they've been rocking on the Pandora station for My Bloody Valentine, which makes me happy like a clam.

MELODY FUNCTION is not just a collective of snazzy dressers. They're top shelf mod psych-pop. If you like the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, which you should if you were brought up right, then you're gonna dig it, archaeologist.

After the show, Greg T. and Jessica will fuck you up with the DJ sets. Can, Diana Ross, Sleater Kinney, and Janet Jackson in the same set... surely you jest? Nah dude, that's how they roll. We get real drunk at the DJ booth and stuff. You'll want to join in on that action, lots of fist pumping and carving skulls into stuff.

Don't be a jerk and do the right thing, Spike. – Mikey P.

[FULL DISCLOSURE: Tony and James are both members of The Melody Function. Mikey Powell is the publicist at the Dame, but you can tell when he’s genuinely excited about a show.]
http://myspace.com/melodyfunction


:: Thursday, April 27 ::
WARMER MILKS w/EYES AND ARMS OF SMOKE @ Buster’s, corner of Main and Upper
10pm, ages 21+, FREE

The contest between the loudest effing band in Lexington is both intense, grotesque, and reminiscent of something from the movie Caligula. Warmer Milks could possibly be it. I mean, if you haven't seen these tribal dudes before, here's the skinny...

Basically, it's Sabbath meets Can meets Kyuss meets sandwich meat. Two drummers, summoning gnarly shit from the River of Styx, multiple guitars with oversized amps, an array of effects pedals and sound manipulation devices, and the rollicking banshee known as M.A. Turner on the throat dancing like a shaman whilst ripping his clothing like a pro wrestler. This is stacked-sludge prog built around grooves, a swirling atonal center, and abandonment, straight outta Death Valley... repetitive, driving, focused, freaked, and tweaked.

Eyes and Arms of Smoke are some theatrical muhfuckaz. Not insofar as, say, Meatloaf per se (though that'd be cool too), but more in the Godspeed You Black Emperor sense. EAS make beautiful music for films... elaborate, orchestrated, and an ebb and flow throughout the song that drives you down the alpines and over the cliff.

Moreover, every EAS that I've seen has been different. Sometimes you get pop songs, sometimes jam sessions with varying degrees of dissonance, other times something completely out of P.T. Barnum's deranged head. You might even get a Neil Young cover as interpreted by Sigur Ros. This is the crunk shit, kidz.

This all goes down FOR FREE at Buster's. Blastoff set for 10 p.m. (give or take a half hour). They'll play right in the window for all to see on Main Street. The brosephs at Harvey's who just came from a day at Keenland are gonna be so confused. It'll rule. PBR!!!! Tip Johnny or he'll roll up his New York Times and regulate on yr. dome. – Mikey P


:: Friday, April 28 ::
JE SUIS FRANCE w/THE ELEPHANTS, MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE, BUGS EAT BOOKS, and CREWSIN’ FOR A BREWSIN’ @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper – 8pm, all ages, $3

A band that has members with monikers like Darkness, The Lord, Croxtonia and…Ken, simply has to be a bunch of degenerates looking to cause some sort of rock n’ roll confusion.

And thus is the case with Je Suis France.

Born out of the bountiful Athens, Georgia indie rock scene, they released their self-titled debut back in 1999 on David Lowery’s (Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker fame) Pitch-a-Tent records.

They have also released numerous endeavors on their own label – Nokahoma – which is named after the racially insensitive retired baseball mascot of the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves.

Ties to Lexington are mostly courtesy of guitarist, OJ, who went to UK for a couple years. Setting the connections for various Athens bands to return to Lexington to play shows, party, wager any profit from playing shows at Keeneland – etc., etc., and the cycle marched on.

Now, for the extremely special occasion of OJ’s bachelor party, the mayhem is set to return on Friday, April 28th at Underlying Themes when Je Suis France will be joined by Bugs Eat Books, Crewsin’ for a Brewsin’, and a reunited (but not back together) Masters of The Hemisphere.

Talking with drummer Jeffrey Griggs (another strange name – I’m guessing he is trying to pay tribute to Lt. Griggs from the brilliant 1983 TV show Manimal), he mentioned the following preparation should take place before heading out to see this gargantuan festival of aural pleasure.

“Make an inventory of your possessions. Take photographs of, or videotape your belongings. Keep records in a safe deposit box or some other safe place away from the club premises. Purchase a National Oceanic, Atmospheric and Catastrophic Awesomeness Radio with battery backup and tone-alert feature, which automatically alerts you to approximately when the France will destroy your town. Or simply purchase a battery-powered commercial radio, and extra batteries. Whichever you use, you'll most likely still be raped by our righteous riffs.”

“If in a mobile home, get out and seek shelter elsewhere. A mobile home can overturn very easily even if anti-France precautions have not been taken to tie down the unit. If there isn't a substantial shelter nearby, start ferociously jamming as hard as you can on the nearest guitar in the hopes that we will take pity on you. Otherwise, use your arms to protect your head and neck, even though it probably won't help you and you'll look stupid.”

Certainly, a cubic ton of pressure surrounds our fair city as we brace for this epic evening. Not to mention the responsibility of properly sending OJ off into the Technicolor bliss of holy matrimony.

Yes, the days of Athens to Lexington free-for-alls are all but diminished. Griggs is the only member that resides in Athens, while other members are spread out in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

“Our dispersion around the country was a philanthropic move to ensure that no one city in the world is set constantly aflame due to an over concentration of rock,” Griggs explained.

“It's just too dangerous for all of us to be in one place at one time. Except for Lexington. Lexington knows how to properly sedate the France. For this we salute you.”

– Brian Connors Manke

More info/FREE sounds, http://myspace.com/jesuisfrancejams, http://myspace.com/mastersofthehemisphere, http://myspace.com/bugseatbooks, http://myspace.com/theelephants.



:: Saturday, April 29 ::
CROWN ELECTRIC w/MISS KITTYTWISTER & HER HOT DOGS @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $3

You’re tired, you’re hungry.. you’ve just spent a very long day vintage shopping. Oh, but it was worth it, you scored the hottest June Cleaver meets Betty Page frock today and you are ready to give it a night to remember. It’s been quite a while since that dress boogied and for that matter, oogie woogie woogied. Being cooped up in the back of that cedar closet waiting for a discerning eye to pluck it from the wreckage of Mary Lou’s estate sale, the dress yearns to bop, to meow, to purr again.
Lucky for you it’s Saturday, April 29th and The Dame hosts Crown Electric and Kitty Twister and her Hot Dogs, who will be laying down the purest rockabilly and sparklebilly this side of the Parkette Drive-in. That’s right, after your long day of vintage shopping, you treat yourself to dinner at Parkette : cheeseburger, root beer float and onion rings, before cruising your pink convertible El Dorado downtown. You feel good, a little kittenish, “mrawh mrawh”, dare I say, you look like a pin-up vixen, maryjane pumps and all. The joint is charged with electricity, from across the room you spot her, that fashion maven with the bejeweled voice, it’s Miss Kitty Twister! Oh how
you long to shop with her. And in the opposite corner, the most perfect pompadour and swaggering good looks could only come from that golden throated rockabilly king, Mike Tevis who fronts Crown Electric. Oh, it’s gonna be a good night, you feel the earth move underneath you. Could it be Elvis’ hips gyrating from beyond his grave? – Teresa Tomb
http://myspace.com/kittytwister


:: Saturday, April 29 ::
MADD MILITIA w/DJ WARREN, EF-CUTTIN, JUST-ME and CAS METAH
@ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper - 11pm, all ages, $3

Bubbling up from the cavernous bluegrass underground, a new crop of real deal working class wordsmiths arrive in lockstep Saturday night to initiate their own beat and rhyme riot for eager ears. This crop, however, is of an ancient KY strain. Introducing Madd Militia, a Lex collective of hip hop artists true to the street and protest ethic of such performers as Public Enemy, Common, Killarmy, Wu Tang Clan, Nas, Jedi Mind Tricks, and Kanye West.

Originally billed as a Reservoir Dogs show, a group that spread the word locally in the mid-90s, Madd Militia brings its own diverse collective (including Sheisty Khrist of Res Dogs) to the stage at Underlying Themes to spark what is sure to be an imminent hip hop revival here in our humble little town. All of these cats have been performing in alternative venues and crafting their individual talents for at least ten years. And with the recent success of Cunninlynguists, our already diverse music scene seems poised to harvest even more mad flows from the underground scene.

These guys are everday dudes, holding down day jobs, kicking it with buds and brews, and dealing with the same day to day dilemma we all do: trying to survive in the new American century. Don't expect bling bling and shallow cliched rhymes, these MCs bring dark poetic visions of a restless black America that appeals to all punks, outcasts and rejects. If you've ever felt shoved out on the fringe of denied dreams, relegated to the shadows of the system, or left out of the party, then this show is for you!

Come on hipsters and Lextown music lovers, get out and drop some dimes and get behind the newest arrival in our already blossoming music scene. Madd Militia is sure to deliver.

Check out their website complete with choice tracks at http://myspace.com/royalillness.
- Eric Sutherland
[Note: This is the first of a new series of underground/indie hip hop events put together by Tony Manuel and friends. Anyone out there remember the glory days of the Underground Hip Hop nights at Yat’s? Well, expect the same spirit at these parties.]


:: Friday, May 5 ::
THE QUEERS w/CITY MOUSE @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $5

A great night of unabashedly catchy pop punk at The Dame. For more info/FREE sounds, check out http://www.thequeersrock.com/ and http://myspace.com/citymouse.


:: Monday, May 8 ::
THE ROBOT ATE ME w/OH NO! OH MY!, JASON ZAVALA, and SURE JUROR
@ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper - 8pm, all ages, $5

Ryland Bouchard, better known as The Robot Ate Me, has been putting out fantastic albums for years. Whether it be the folk goodness of On Vacation, the pop stylings of Carousel Waltz, or the new, experimental slant to Good World, every one adds up to another notch in his musical career. In fact, Ryland's become so prolific with his work as of late, that Oh No! Oh My! decided to name themselves after one of his songs. Pretty nice, huh? Oh No! Oh My! self-released their new self-titled album earlier this month to an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response; and in what cold be a highly historical moment, this will be Oh No! Oh My!'s first show with The Robot Ate Me. You heard it here, people: there'll be a meeting of musical geniuses at Underlying Themes. – Matt Jordan
For more info and FREE sounds, check out http://www.therobotateme.com/songs.html, http://myspace.com/therobotateme, http://myspace.com/theelephants (JZ is the lead singer of the Elephants, of course), http://myspace.com/surejuror.
[FULL DISCLOSURE: Matt helped organize this show.]


:: Wednesday, May 10 ::
MANDARIN MOVIE w/BLASTOCYST and SHARKS WITH WINGS @ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue
8pm, all ages, $5

Lexington will get another ripe treat in what has already been one of the most fruitful musical springs the city has experienced when Mandarin Movie makes the pilgrimage to Mecca dance and art studio on Wednesday May 10th.

Mandarin Movie makes dense and often frightening music that tows the line of hard-bop jazz, industrial noise, and 20th century minimalism. Like very few others, Mandarin Movie is as likely to kiss you on the cheek as they are to rip off your ear, maybe even simultaneously.

Mandarin Movie is the most recent project from multi-talented Chicago export Rob Mazurek. Mazurek has made many names for himself in the world of modern music as well as in the world of multi-media art and installation. His face has graced the cover of Wire magazine and his live shows have been celebrated in the United States, Japan, and the world in between. His assistance has been given to a variety of groups ranging from indie-rock monarchs Stereolab to the Musique Concrete legend Luc Ferrari. With Mandarin Movie Mazurek has made his most exciting move yet. Rather than continuing to visit various particular genres, Mazurek has decided to embrace them all collectively. What comes is a fully realized amalgamation of his varied musical past, and a musical fusion that is altogether unfamiliar.

While Mazurek is credited as the group’s founder, he cannot be given sole credit for the sound. In recording their self-titled debut and in playing on the road, Mazurek has enlisted a strong cast of support mainly from Chicago’s experimental, jazz, and indie pool. Of special note in the group is avant-guitarist Alan Licht, a strong presence in the New York improvisation scene that has been associated with Lee Ranaldo, William Hooker, and Arto Lindsay. The huge variety of styles Mandarin Movie draws from is exhibited in the ensemble’s constant unpredictability. They have pieces that transition from meditative free-jazz to heavy metal downbeat. Their collage of sound can bring to mind the most rigid moments of Sonny Rollins and the most deafeningly droning of Tony Conrad. Needless to say, Mandarin Movie dwell in a very unique and previously uninhabited place in modern music.

Accompanying Mandarin Movie will be the Philadelphia low frequency noise mangle group Sharks with Wings and the self-proclaimed “musical equivalent of a groin cramp,” Blastocyst (which features Lex-patriates turned Brooklynites Brian Osborne and Jay Dunbar). The night has all the promise to be another ripe spring musical pleasure for the enjoyment all Lexingtonians, though in this case it seems that the offering may be somewhat warped. – Chris Bush

For more information about Mandarin Movie, visit http://www.aesthetics-usa.com. For more info about and FREE sounds from Blastocyst and Sharks With Wings, go to http://www.heatretentionrecords.com.


:: Also worthwhile in the April 26 – May 10 timeframe ::
Every Friday RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Nema’s Grille (Frankfort) – meccadance.com
Sun/Apr 30 THE PUNKS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Wed/May 3 SHOOTER JENNINGS w/BANG BANG BANG @ The Dame
Fri/May 5 FRUIT BATS w/SAM JAYNE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)

:: Soon Soon ::
Fri/May 12 PARLOUR BOYS w/MODEL ONE @ The Dame
Sun/May 14 JOSEPHINE FOSTER @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Tues/May 16 THE JOGGERS w/DRUMS AND TUBA @ The Dame
Fri/May 19 G-FUNK @ The Dame
Sat/May 20 THE APPARITIONS w/MOTH and THE RECEIVER @ The Dame
Fri/June 16 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO @ The Dame

:: Pertinent resources ::
__Lexington__
THE DAME, 156 W.Main St, Lexington - http://www.dameky.com
MECCA dance studio/gallery, 451 Chair Avenue, off S.Broadway near Bolivar - http://www.meccadance.com
UNDERLYING THEMES LOFT SPACE, 110 S. Upper (above Busters) – http://www.underlyingthemes.com
CHARLES MANSION – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FIREBIRD STUDIO, 359 W. Short St – http://firebirdlexington.com
HIGH LIFE LOUNGE, University Plaza (corner of Rose and Euclid) – ph. 859/455-8890
NATASHA'S CAFE, 112 Esplanade - http://www.beetnik.com/
FAUNTLEROY’S CAFÉ, 640 W. Maxwell – ph. 859/455-8188
THE ICEHOUSE, 412 Cross St (off W.Maxwell), Lexington
DOWNTOWN ARTS CENTER, 141 E. Main St, Lexington – http://www.lexarts.org
ARTSPLACE, 161 N.Mill St, Lexington
LEXINGTONSHOWS.com (all ages show listings) - http://www.lexingtonshows.com
COUNTER FICTION (metal/punk/hardcore all ages show listings) – http://www.counterfiction.com
CRICKET PRESS (amazing local poster art) - http://www.cricket-press.com
WRFL 88.1FM (UK's student-run radio station) - http://wrfl.uky.edu
YOU AIN’T NO PICASSO (great locally-produced music blog) – http://www.youaintnopicasoo.com

__Louisville__
LAVA (Louisville Assembly of Vanguard Artists) HOUSE - 927 Shelby Parkway, Louisville - http://www.lavahouse.org
HEADLINERS MUSIC HALL, Louisville - 1386 Lexington Road, ph. 502/584-8088 - www.headlinerslouisville.com
UNCLE PLEASANTS, 2126 S. Preston, Louisville - p.502/634-4147
THE RUDYARD KIPLING, 422 West Oak Street, Louisville -
http://www.therudyardkipling.com/pages/206999/index.htm
OLD LOUISVILLE COFFEHOUSE, 1489 S. Fourth St, Louisville - ph. 502/635-6660
PRODUCTION SIMPLE (produce many of the events at Headliners and Uncle Pleasants) – http://www.productionsimple.com

__Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky__
THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE, Newport, KY - http://www.southgatehouse.com
ALCHEMIZE, 1122 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.alchemizebar.com
THE COMET, 4579 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.cometbar.com
BOGART'S, 2621 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.bogarts.com
THE MOCKBEE (formerly SS NOVA), 2260 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.ssnova.org
NORTHSIDE TAVERN, 4163 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.northside-tavern.com

Know of an upcoming event that others should get hip to? Let us know - email informationactivists@yahoo.com
All Picks by Ross Compton unless otherwise noted.


:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com

Hey, peeps.
Lots to do. So, get out get out. Thanks to Vanessa, Amber Scott, Kate Hensley, Jeremy Fresh, J.Todd Dockery, and Chris Porter for their help with this issue.

GO SEE JOSEPHINE FOSTER THIS AFTERNOON AT CD CENTRAL and TONIGHT AT MECCA!

Hope all are well.
Ross

:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::

** THIS AFTERNOON! Thurs/Apr. 13 & Sat/Apr. 15 In-Store performances at CD Central
CD Central (377 S. Limestone) continues its anniversary celebration with two FREE in-store performances –

> THIS AFTERNOON! Thursday April 13, 5pm - Josephine Foster (solo)
Josephine Foster's legend in Lexington has grown to cult status over the last two years with three captivating performances at the Icehouse that ranged from the broken spirited balladry of her Born Heller duo (with Jason Ajemian of Triage), to the epic psych-rock of her full band The Supposed, and the otherworldly beauty of her solo voice. Thursday, Josephine returns to Lexington for a show at the new Mecca with The Supposed. Thursday afternoon however CD Central snags her for a solo set in-store. Her new solo record, "A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing," released on Chicago's Locust Music, is an absorbing reconstruction of 19th century German art songs that float in a wash of blissed voice and sparse electric guitar. Lovely and haunting, the collection makes a case for German as a previously unacknowledged romance language. As the LA Weekly wrote of Josephine, "She's utterly unique, beguiling and refreshing, a relief from the relentless, ubiquitous ugliness of our time." Strongly recommended to fans of Joanna Newsom, Patty Waters, Shirley Collins, and Jolie Holland. This FREE performance will begin at 5pm. All ages are welcome. [Note: They’ll also be giving away two pairs of tickets to The Supposed’s performance with the Rempis Percussion Quartet tonight at Mecca!]

> Saturday, April 15 - Scourge of the Sea with Kittyhawk and These United States. The show starts at 3pm and is FREE. All ages welcome. For more info, call the store at 233-3472.


** Fri-Sat/April 14+15 - “Heart of Gold” @ the Kentucky Theatre
Neil Young fans, rejoice - “Heart of Gold, the new Neil Young concert movie recorded live at the Ryman in support of Neil's latest project "Prairie Wind" hits the screen at the Kentucky Theatre this weekend. The film will be shown at midnight on Friday, April 14th and Saturday, April 15th. For more info, check out http://www.heartofgoldmovie.com/


:: Mon/April 17 – Poet Sarah Arvio, reading and reception @ Commonwealth House, 226 East Maxwell
All are invited to a FREE reading and reception for poet Sarah Arvio, next Monday, April 17th at Commonwealth House, 226 East Maxwell (part of UK’s Gaines Center), at 7pm. Arvio was born in 1954 and grew up in New York City. For Visits from the Seventh (2002), her first book of poems, she won the Rome Prize and a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. Poems in that that volume were awarded The Paris Review's B. F. Conners Prize and Poetry's Frederick Bock Prize. On Monday, she’ll be reading from her new book Sono.

Our friend Rona Roberts hipped us to this reading. She offered this brief testimonial for Arvio’s poetry in a recent email: “Though I love language, I have a fear of poets, poems, poetry readings. I imagine myself trapped in an evening of posing and artifice. Reading a bit of Sarah's writing in advance takes away my hesitations.”


** Through April 18 - MFA show – Kristina Bogdanov’s “Eve Code” @ UK’s Tuska Gallery
Kristina Bogdanov's MFA show, "Eve's Code", runs through April 18 at the Tuska gallery in UK's Fine Arts Building. There is an artist's reception TONIGHT! (Thursday, April 13) from 5-7:30pm. "Eve's Code", a mixed media exhibit, explores the implications of the distinctive 223 genes inherited through the mother's line on women's roles from ancient fertility goddess to the most sophisticated software of all. Kristina works in ceramic, acrylics and intalgio drawing. The show gets big ups from our friend Shannon Cline, who said in a recent email, “This is a gorgeous and thought provoking show - stop by and check it out!”


::::::::::::::: FARMER’S MARKET RETURNS! ::::::::::::::::::

You might have missed it while you were huddled under the covers last Saturday, but the Lexington Farmer's Market started with a bang and a shiver... There's not a whole lot of locally grown products for sale right now - but there is some arugula, spring lettuce mix, potatoes, honey, herbs, shiitake mushooms, eggs, chicken, beef, garlic, garlic shoots, cheese, bread, CINNAMON ROLLS, and other stuff that I'm probably forgetting - but, hell, you caould configure many a menu with the items I listed. There's lots of seedlings and plants and compost for sale, too, if you're looking to pretty up your own little garden patch -- and there's still time to join up for the Elmwood Stock Farm CSA plan, which for the unitiated, is sort of like a you/Elmwood partnership in that the consumer (you) supports the farm (Elmwood) by picking up produce (from Elmwood) that (you) have paid ahead for. [Go to http://www.elmwoodstockfarm.com/csa.htm for full info.] So head down to the Farmer' s Market on Vine Saturdays from 7am til folks go home. The Tuesday/Thursday market on Broadway officially starts right around Derby week. I'll try to work up some recipes for you - but if you buy something just because it looks cool, please feel free to email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com for some recipes or advice.
See you at the Market! – VO


::::::::::::::: WOMEN WRITERS CONFERENCE ::::::::::::::::::

Lexington has played host to the Women Writers Conference for 27 years, yet it's still one of its best kept secrets. First some disclaimers. It is not just for lesbians, although lesbians are welcome and do attend. It is not just for women, although women are certainly the majority of the participants. It is not just for writers, although contemporary authors are the greatest attraction. The Women Writers Conference is for any lover of words, whether they remain as such in their final state or evolve into a monologue or a play or a film or a graphic novel or an art exhibit or a song.

The WWC kicks off with Dinner & A Movie, a $12 night on the town, featuring a viewing of the film "Frida" followed by a Q&A with Frida biographer Hayden Herrera, on Thurs., April 20, beginning at 6 pm. Friday, April 21, brings out the sovereigness of satire, Sarah Vowell, whose most popular works of creative non-fiction include "Take the Canoli" and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot." Vowell will do a reading on Friday night and is open to anyone participating in the conference. But, non-subscribers fear not, many WWC events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC...

For instance, the Gypsy Slam will take over Triangle Park on Friday night, with fire dancing, a poetry slam starring Performance Poet Patricia Smith, and a performance by New York's Urban Bush Women. Galleries around town will be showcasing female focused art during Gallery Hop, so be sure to spread the love so you won't miss out on anything!

Also on Friday is a performance by Mabel Maney, author of "The Not So Nice Nurse" and other hysterical anecdotes, at Natasha's Café. Dinner and the performance are $35 and will likely sell out. Get your tickets today.

Anyone interested in attending the conference should check out http://www.thewomenwritersconference.org. A raffle is also being conducted to raise funds to support the conference, with two prize packages valued at more than $1500 (including a box at Churchill Downs during Derby Week, Legends season tickets, artwork, books, food and movies), and tickets can be purchased by calling the conference at (859) 257-2874. Drawing will be held at Dinner & A Movie.

The weekend is one of intense, inspiring cultural feasts. Men, women and children are welcome and will walk away feeling hungry for the last word. – Amber Scott


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE PICKS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::: Wednesday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 26 :::::::::::

:: Thursday, April 13 ::
JOSEPHINE FOSTER AND THE SUPPOSED w/THE REMPIS PERCUSSION QUARTET
@ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue (just off S. Broadway near Bolivar) – 8pm, all ages, $5

Josephine Foster is my current lady of the hour. She has been so since I first saw her perform in Lexington sometime in 2004 at the Ice House with her full band, the Supposed, when I was just getting my feet wet as music director at WRFL. At times, exaggerated vocals peeve me, when a singer is construing the vocal cords to purposely be picked and prodded. They want all this attention, and dammit, I don’t want to give them the satisfaction. So, usually, I dismiss them as being dramatic and not “real” enough, faking it. Talk about music snobbery! With Josephine Foster, however, chanting what sound like the combination of old Appalachian folklore with, somehow, a Far East minimalist technique, how can it not sound authentic, especially when it so obviously is?

Miss Foster breaks some barriers with her otherworldly warbling. I describe as if she’s a chicken or an old chinked record, but, essentially, it’s just that strange. One of the critics’ favorite oddities to mention about her is that she is an opera school dropout. It makes perfect sense to me, being someone who wanted to drop out of academics more than once a week myself. Foster probably felt some confinement to academic institutions, especially those of operatic training. And, upon listening to her entire show (enchanted) and chatting with her momentarily afterwards, it’s plain to see that Josephine Foster is one o’ them free soul types. Boundless. Anchorless. She has a message to all us sinners, too. One I dare you to interpret.

In order to get a clear picture, without me repeating the same critiques, I suggest checking some other opinions out at http://www.locustmusic.com/josephinefoster.html or you can visit her website at http://www.100songsising.com/. She’s exceptional. Locust Records released yesterday her sixth (maybe seventh?) solo record, titled A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. What I’ve heard from the album thus far has been her more haunting work to date, also linguistically challenging, as one entire tune is in German. [Ed. note: Actually, the entire record is made up of 19th century German art songs.] For more listening I suggest All the Leaves are Gone; Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You; and There are Eyes Above, a work entirely done with a ukulele and that fluttery voice. Foster also performed with Born Heller and the Children’s Hour before going solo. Most everything of hers can be found on Locust Records. Thursday night she will have the Supposed backing her up, which fleshes the music out a bit, gives a full-belly feel.

Also, in the line-up for Thursday evening’s show is the Rempis Percussion Quartet. In pursuit of their upcoming release Rip Tear Crunch, the four Chicagoans are touring the Midwest and parts of the East. It should make for a night of remarkable music, as Dave Rempis is one of the leading jazz dudes in Chicago (a town full of jazzy hipsters), having performed in such reputable groups as Triage and Vandermark 5, a couple of hard-hitting maestros, if you will. He leads on sax, also taking the stage will be Anton Hatwich, Tim Daisy (!), and Frank Rosaly of the Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio fame and sidestepper to Ken Vandermark in Vandermark’s Crisis Ensemble. If I had better access to excellent live jazz shows, I would be in attendance (Mr. Compton can vouch for me), and this looks (and sounds) like an indisputably impressive show, surely not one to miss on a nice April night in Lexington. Mr. Compton is giving Lex a run for it’s money, a rumpus of a haywirin’ good time.

I’m jealous (unless someone will buy me a plane ticket from Missoula, MT).
- Kate ‘the Great’ Hensley


:: Friday, April 14 ::
THE DIALECTICS w/ART OF COVENANT @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper
10:30pm, all ages, $3 (price of admission includes a Dialectics EP)

The Dialectics are filling a void in the Lexington music scene left vacant for a while now, Live Hip Hop. I like a fair amount of hip hop like most people in their 20s, but there is something special about seeing actual musicians playing instruments and seeing people rap live. Not to take anything away from folks who work with a DJ. That is a tough gig as well. But this band, The Dialectics, is a real musicians hip hop band. Take away the conscious lyrics and the hip hop beats and, in my opinion, you would have music similar to the Allman Brothers. I think they are playing brave music and saying poetic things. For me personally, I would love to see more of Lexingtons talented MCs hook up with all the talented live musicians. If you have never seen live hip hop, check it out. Maybe you will see what I mean. - Jeremy Fresh
http://myspace.com/dialecticsbeats, http://www.myspace.com/artofcovenant

[Note: The Dialectics have dubbed the party a "Red Bedroom Evening" and are encouraging people to dress up if they are inspired by the theme.]


:: Friday, April 14 ::
SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/KITTYHAWK and THESE UNITED STATES @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $5

Our friends Scourge of the Sea return to the stage with friends from the D.C. area. Recommended to fans of Elliott Smith, M.Ward, Iron & Wine. Robby Cosenza’s been circulating cd-r samplers for the show. If you see him, accost him for one (or maybe check to see if there are a few at CD Central). If you don’t feeling like flagging down Robby, you can also find FREE sounds and more info at http://myspace.com/thescourgeofthesea, http://www.theseunitedstates.net, and http://www.kittyhawkrock.com.


:: Saturday, April 15 ::
COUSIN w/THE MELODY FUNCTION and J.GLENN
@ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper (above Buster’s, entrance next to Mia’s) – 9pm, all ages, $5

A mish-mash bill, but a great one. Cousin = four stylish gents from NYC playing sophisticated pop music influenced by Big Star and Nazz. I recommend them to anyone who ever bought one of Thrill Jockey’s poppy releases (Sam Prekopp, Archer Prewitt, etc). The Melody Function = crisp and bouncy indie pop from Lexington. Their song “She Goes” on the recent “Know Your Own” v.2 comp is fabulous fun. J. Glenn is a one-man band from Louisville with an obvious affection for Hasil Adkins. Recommended to fans of our glitter-billy brethren The Smacks! Note: The show is co-sponsored by Lexington’s best vintage store, Jonk. What that means for you is, come to the show and you’ll get a coupon good for 20% off your next purchase.
[Full Disclosure: I helped organize this show.]


:: Wednesday, April 19 ::
AB BAARS QUARTET @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper (above Buster’s, entrance next to Mia’s)
8pm, all ages, $3

I found this preview on a site promoting the band’s show in Portland, OR. Summed up the scene, so I decided not to reinvent the wheel.

“Post-modern Ellington jazz. Led by one of the most unique reed players in the world, the Ab Baars Quartet has been one of the most consistently important and vibrant post-modern jazz outfits in the thriving European improvised jazz scene. This tight-knit outfit is nothing short of brilliant. This performance will feature tracks from the group's recent Wig Records recording, "Kinda Dukish" - radical interpretations and deconstructions of Ellington standards and obscurities. Baars has worked internationally with such notables as Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Fred Frith, Han Bennink, John Carter, Anthony Braxton and, most notably, Misha Mengelberg's ICP Orchestra. Backing Baars for this show are his long-time trio members, the forceful bassist, Wilbert de Joode, and meticulous drummer, Martin Van Duynhoven. Fellow Dutchman, Joost Buis, will be on trombone.” – Creative Music Guild

Note: We’ll be giving out FREE passes to this show at the Josephine Foster & The Supposed/Rempis Percussion Quartet show at Mecca tonight. [Full Disclosure: I helped organize this show.]


:: Thursday, April 20 ::
RC PRO AM record release party w/THE SMACKS!, VIVA LA FOX, and THE MINNI-THINS@ The Dame
10pm, ages 21+, $5

"Meanwhile you do understand if alcohol has undoubtedly been one of the great causes of my madness, then it came on very slowly and will go away slowly too, assuming it does go, of course. Or the same thing if it comes from smoking."
--Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, 22 April, 1889

My dear Theo,

Fast forward to 2006. 4/20. That's right. RC PRO AM is releasing their new Eugene Records compact disc @ the Dame Thursday, upon the occasion of the official hop head's holiday.

I've only seen RC PRO AM in concert once, and it was IN CONCERT, in concert, in fact, with something that ain't to be named. I'm pretty sure these guys are engaged in the old time practice of seemingly not giving a fuck while at the same time invoking the demons of chaos through a refined and virtuoso knowing of how to direct these demons with the arcane and esoteric practices of rock n roll. It's all sleight of hand, if not slightly out of hand. The bottom line is that they're really fucking good.

Don't ask me how two bands from Cinci, OH are also on this bill. That said, VIVA LA FOXX is also awfully, what I'm calling, good. Fronted by some hot stuff female, this band also features Rueben from the Dim Mak label darlings Pearlene. Girl glam rock for the 21st century on Cinci's fine label, Shake It Records, what more you could want, outside of a big bag of weed and a large pizza, I could not say.

I don't know shit about the MINNI-THINS, but they're probably good too. If they're travelling in congress with VIVA LA FOXX, and have the audacity to travel down the road just to open for this assortment of freaks at least speaks to the fact that they must be open-minded, even-tempered cats, but I'm guessing their music, contrarily, is not.

The problem with a lot of you hop heads is that you'll intend to come to the show, get high, and decide to stay home and order delivery food instead, play video games, or maybe watch tv.

This is not my problem, even though the goodly blokes of RC PRO AM have asked one of my bands, the distressing duo known as THE SMACKS!, to support them on this marginally legal celebration of show and tell, spanning two states and at least three cities worth of "talent." I have more serious problems than the culture and society of pot smokers, beer drinkers (or former alkies turned tea heads by some osmosis of the spirit(s)) or any other of you combination degenerates out there, even fans of live music. I've got my own degeneracies to keep me warm, ladies and germs.

Speaking of problems, Brian Manley of the Smacks!, who has relocated from Lexington to Louisville, seems to have no transportation to this show (the funny/sad aspect of this story is that he spent mucho money getting his Jim Gordon customized Ford Ranger fixed, only to then in turn, as the first act of the repaired truck, drive it to Lexington to pick up his cat which had been left behind, WITH THE EMERGENCY BREAK ON THE ENTIRE WAY, which rendered all fixins to this truck, and personal means of vehicular transport, null and void). Which might result in a last minute cancellation on our part if there is not solution to be procured. So if you, dear reader, either would be willing to go to Louisville and take Brian back, or, better yet, you know somebody in Louisville that either already likes THE SMACKS!, or wouldn't pass up the chance to drive with a guy in make up and a skirt, let us know, we can work something out:
bmanley@gmail.com

Anyway, if THE SMACKS! play, we haven't played Lexington since November, and it was around a year since the last time we had played Lexington prior to last November. We have to play other towns, 'cause we're such old whores in Lexington, so I doubt RC PRO AM will be asking us back if we gotta pull a no-show after finally saying "yes" to do this, which we agreed to before Brian pulled the emergency break boner. Boner. Heh.

The bottom-line is that on a Thursday in Lexington, if you've got something better, more entertaining, to do for a better price, just based on RC PRO AM and VIVA LA FOXX alone, let us know, and get to it. If you get the munchies on Thursday, don't stay home, this show will feed your head.

Ever yours,
J. Todd "Van" Dockery, Morehead, 11 April, 2006
http://myspace.com/rcproam, http://myspace.com/thesmacks


:: Tuesday, April 25 ::
MICHAEL HURLEY @ Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge (Louisville)
9pm, ages 18+, $3

Sometime during the spring or summer of 2000, Bill Glasscock brought a CD into Alfalfa’s. My life and world-view were about to be changed. The CD was Weatherhole, by a guy named Michael Hurley, a guy I’d heard not a whisper of before then. The songs were original, often funny, and offered the type of lyric that, once the brain fully grasped the meaning, made you rock back on your mental heels and say, “Well I never thought of it that way before.” The music itself was hard to classify – it possessed elements of the blues, of country, of mountain music and rock n’ roll, and yet, you couldn’t really call it any of those things without offending the other sensibilities mixed with it. “It’s like I’m talking tongues,” one lyric began, “that no one understands. They can’t detect the dialect that goes from beast to man.” I was hooked, and over the next few months I listened to that CD non-stop, two or three times a day while I was working, and if I worked a double, I put it on repeat and listened to it as I dozed on the dining room floor.

It seems that a lot of his fans have similar recollections. Michael Hurley is one of those musicians whose fans have a story of when they first heard them. One person’s parents used to take them to shows when they were a child in Vermont. Another person heard him on a mix tape while driving on a snowy road. Someone else won a copy of a Hurley album during an Easter egg hunt.

And while you may not have consciously heard Michael Hurley, chances are you’ve run across him – recently a lot of indie acts, most visibly Cat Power, have covered his tunes, and it seems that a whole slew of newer folk-influenced performers are giving him a nod and performing with him. And if you’ve seen the HBO show Deadwood, you may have heard his “Hog of the Forsaken.”

A veteran performer, Michael Hurley has been recording for over forty-two years, his first record being released in 1964 for Smithsonian-Folkways (currently available from Locust Records as Blueberry Wine). Other recordings were to follow, Armchair Boogie and Hi-fi Snock Uptown in the early seventies, and three subsequent records for Rounder – Long Journey, Snockgrass, and the one most fans seem to know him from, Have Moicy!, a joint effort recorded with the Unholy Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Fredricks and the Clamtones. Over the last eight to ten years, Hurley has returned to recording to the joy of many of his fans.

Unlike other musicians, Hurley’s style has continued to evolve over the years, encapsulating more elements of jazz and country music, and yet, like all great artists, an essential element remains which makes Hurley’s music his own – a sense of humor, a certain meditative rhythm and phrasing, a unique vision which unites all of his work.

On Tuesday, April 25th, you can check out this living legend in Louisville. Hurley will be playing at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge at 9 p.m. Cost is only three dollars. If this is the sort of music that does it for you, you won’t be dissatisfied, and if you think that it isn’t, give him a shot, he really is one of a kind. – Chris Porter


:: Also worthwhile in the April 12 - 26 timeframe ::
Every Friday RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Nema’s Grille (Frankfort) – meccadance.com
Wed/Apr 12 DEAD MEADOW @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Sat/Apr 15 Nate FX Bday Bash with DJ Mes, Hockey Night, Mathematicians and DJ Booth @ The Dame
Sat/Apr 15 RHETT MILLER AND THE BELIEVERS @ Headliners (Louisville) – ages 18+
Sun/Apr 16 ROSIE THOMAS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Mon/Apr 17 Open Mic with Charlie Whittington @ The Dame
Tues/Apr 18 TULA @ The Dame
Thurs/Apr 20 ENON @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Apr 21 THE YELLOW BELTS w/DEAD CITY REJECTS @ The Dame
Sat/Apr 22 BIG MARACAS @ The Dame
Sun/Apr 23 JOSH RITTER w/HEM @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)

:: Soon Soon ::
Thurs/Apr 27 JOSH BERMAN/KEEFE JACKSON duo @ Underlying Themes – all ages
Thurs/Apr 27 ESSEX GREEN w/HIGH WATER MARKS @ The Dame
Fri/Apr 28 MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE w/THE ELEPHANTS, JE SUIS FRANCE, BUGS EAT BOOKS, and THE WEE TURTLES @ Underlying Themes – all ages
Sat/Apr 29 CROWN ELECTRIC w/MISS KITTYTWISTER & HER HOT DOGS @ The Dame
Sun/Apr 30 THE PUNKS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Wed/May 3 SHOOTER JENNINGS w/BANG BANG BANG @ The Dame
Fri/May 5 THE QUEERS w/CITY MOUSE @ The Dame
Fri/May 5 FRUIT BATS w/SAM JAYNE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Wed/May 10 MANDARIN MOVIE (members of Chicago Underground Duo and Triage) w/BLASTOCYST and SHARKS WITH WINGS @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave
Fri/May 12 PARLOUR BOYS w/MODEL ONE @ The Dame
Sun/May 14 JOSEPHINE FOSTER @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Tues/May 16 THE JOGGERS @ The Dame
Fri/May 19 G-FUNK @ The Dame
Sat/May 20 THE APPARITIONS w/MOTH and THE RECEIVER @ The Dame
Fri/May 26 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO @ The Dame

:: Pertinent resources ::
__Lexington__
THE DAME, 156 W.Main St, Lexington - http://www.dameky.com
MECCA dance studio/gallery, 451 Chair Avenue, off S.Broadway near Bolivar - http://www.meccadance.com
UNDERLYING THEMES LOFT SPACE, 110 S. Upper (above Busters) – http://www.underlyingthemes.com
CHARLES MANSION – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FIREBIRD STUDIO, 359 W. Short St – http://firebirdlexington.com
HIGH LIFE LOUNGE, University Plaza (corner of Rose and Euclid) – ph. 859/455-8890
NATASHA'S CAFE, 112 Esplanade - http://www.beetnik.com/
FAUNTLEROY’S CAFÉ, 640 W. Maxwell – ph. 859/455-8188
THE ICEHOUSE, 412 Cross St (off W.Maxwell), Lexington
DOWNTOWN ARTS CENTER, 141 E. Main St, Lexington – http://www.lexarts.org
ARTSPLACE, 161 N.Mill St, Lexington
LEXINGTONSHOWS.com (all ages show listings) - http://www.lexingtonshows.com
COUNTER FICTION (metal/punk/hardcore all ages show listings) – http://www.counterfiction.com
CRICKET PRESS (amazing local poster art) - http://www.cricket-press.com
WRFL 88.1FM (UK's student-run radio station) - http://wrfl.uky.edu
YOU AIN’T NO PICASSO (great locally-produced music blog) – http://www.youaintnopicasoo.com

__Louisville__
LAVA (Louisville Assembly of Vanguard Artists) HOUSE - 927 Shelby Parkway, Louisville - http://www.lavahouse.org
HEADLINERS MUSIC HALL, Louisville - 1386 Lexington Road, ph. 502/584-8088 - www.headlinerslouisville.com
UNCLE PLEASANTS, 2126 S. Preston, Louisville - p.502/634-4147
THE RUDYARD KIPLING, 422 West Oak Street, Louisville -
http://www.therudyardkipling.com/pages/206999/index.htm
OLD LOUISVILLE COFFEHOUSE, 1489 S. Fourth St, Louisville - ph. 502/635-6660
PRODUCTION SIMPLE (produce many of the events at Headliners and Uncle Pleasants) – http://www.productionsimple.com

__Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky__
THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE, Newport, KY - http://www.southgatehouse.com
ALCHEMIZE, 1122 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.alchemizebar.com
THE COMET, 4579 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.cometbar.com
BOGART'S, 2621 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.bogarts.com
THE MOCKBEE (formerly SS NOVA), 2260 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.ssnova.org
NORTHSIDE TAVERN, 4163 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.northside-tavern.com

Know of an upcoming event that others should get hip to? Let us know - email informationactivists@yahoo.com
All Picks by Ross Compton unless otherwise noted.


:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com

Hey, peeps.
Lots to do. So, get out get out. Thanks to Vanessa, Amber Scott, Kate Hensley, Jeremy Fresh, J.Todd Dockery, and Chris Porter for their help with this issue.

GO SEE JOSEPHINE FOSTER THIS AFTERNOON AT CD CENTRAL and TONIGHT AT MECCA!

Hope all are well.
Ross

:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::

** THIS AFTERNOON! Thurs/Apr. 13 & Sat/Apr. 15 In-Store performances at CD Central
CD Central (377 S. Limestone) continues its anniversary celebration with two FREE in-store performances –

> THIS AFTERNOON! Thursday April 13, 6pm - Josephine Foster (solo)
Josephine Foster's legend in Lexington has grown to cult status over the last two years with three captivating performances at the Icehouse that ranged from the broken spirited balladry of her Born Heller duo (with Jason Ajemian of Triage), to the epic psych-rock of her full band The Supposed, and the otherworldly beauty of her solo voice. Thursday, Josephine returns to Lexington for a show at the new Mecca with The Supposed. Thursday afternoon however CD Central snags her for a solo set in-store. Her new solo record, "A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing," released on Chicago's Locust Music, is an absorbing reconstruction of 19th century German art songs that float in a wash of blissed voice and sparse electric guitar. Lovely and haunting, the collection makes a case for German as a previously unacknowledged romance language. As the LA Weekly wrote of Josephine, "She's utterly unique, beguiling and refreshing, a relief from the relentless, ubiquitous ugliness of our time." Strongly recommended to fans of Joanna Newsom, Patty Waters, Shirley Collins, and Jolie Holland. This FREE performance will begin at 5pm. All ages are welcome. [Note: They’ll also be giving away two pairs of tickets to The Supposed’s performance with the Rempis Percussion Quartet tonight at Mecca!]

> Saturday, April 15 - Scourge of the Sea with Kittyhawk and These United States. The show starts at 3pm and is FREE. All ages welcome. For more info, call the store at 233-3472.


** Fri-Sat/April 14+15 - “Heart of Gold” @ the Kentucky Theatre
Neil Young fans, rejoice - “Heart of Gold, the new Neil Young concert movie recorded live at the Ryman in support of Neil's latest project "Prairie Wind" hits the screen at the Kentucky Theatre this weekend. The film will be shown at midnight on Friday, April 14th and Saturday, April 15th. For more info, check out http://www.heartofgoldmovie.com/


:: Mon/April 17 – Poet Sarah Arvio, reading and reception @ Commonwealth House, 226 East Maxwell
All are invited to a FREE reading and reception for poet Sarah Arvio, next Monday, April 17th at Commonwealth House, 226 East Maxwell (part of UK’s Gaines Center), at 7pm. Arvio was born in 1954 and grew up in New York City. For Visits from the Seventh (2002), her first book of poems, she won the Rome Prize and a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. Poems in that that volume were awarded The Paris Review's B. F. Conners Prize and Poetry's Frederick Bock Prize. On Monday, she’ll be reading from her new book Sono.

Our friend Rona Roberts hipped us to this reading. She offered this brief testimonial for Arvio’s poetry in a recent email: “Though I love language, I have a fear of poets, poems, poetry readings. I imagine myself trapped in an evening of posing and artifice. Reading a bit of Sarah's writing in advance takes away my hesitations.”


** Through April 18 - MFA show – Kristina Bogdanov’s “Eve Code” @ UK’s Tuska Gallery
Kristina Bogdanov's MFA show, "Eve's Code", runs through April 18 at the Tuska gallery in UK's Fine Arts Building. There is an artist's reception TONIGHT! (Thursday, April 13) from 5-7:30pm. "Eve's Code", a mixed media exhibit, explores the implications of the distinctive 223 genes inherited through the mother's line on women's roles from ancient fertility goddess to the most sophisticated software of all. Kristina works in ceramic, acrylics and intalgio drawing. The show gets big ups from our friend Shannon Cline, who said in a recent email, “This is a gorgeous and thought provoking show - stop by and check it out!”


::::::::::::::: FARMER’S MARKET RETURNS! ::::::::::::::::::

You might have missed it while you were huddled under the covers last Saturday, but the Lexington Farmer's Market started with a bang and a shiver... There's not a whole lot of locally grown products for sale right now - but there is some arugula, spring lettuce mix, potatoes, honey, herbs, shiitake mushooms, eggs, chicken, beef, garlic, garlic shoots, cheese, bread, CINNAMON ROLLS, and other stuff that I'm probably forgetting - but, hell, you caould configure many a menu with the items I listed. There's lots of seedlings and plants and compost for sale, too, if you're looking to pretty up your own little garden patch -- and there's still time to join up for the Elmwood Stock Farm CSA plan, which for the unitiated, is sort of like a you/Elmwood partnership in that the consumer (you) supports the farm (Elmwood) by picking up produce (from Elmwood) that (you) have paid ahead for. [Go to http://www.elmwoodstockfarm.com/csa.htm for full info.] So head down to the Farmer' s Market on Vine Saturdays from 7am til folks go home. The Tuesday/Thursday market on Broadway officially starts right around Derby week. I'll try to work up some recipes for you - but if you buy something just because it looks cool, please feel free to email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com for some recipes or advice.
See you at the Market! – VO


::::::::::::::: WOMEN WRITERS CONFERENCE ::::::::::::::::::

Lexington has played host to the Women Writers Conference for 27 years, yet it's still one of its best kept secrets. First some disclaimers. It is not just for lesbians, although lesbians are welcome and do attend. It is not just for women, although women are certainly the majority of the participants. It is not just for writers, although contemporary authors are the greatest attraction. The Women Writers Conference is for any lover of words, whether they remain as such in their final state or evolve into a monologue or a play or a film or a graphic novel or an art exhibit or a song.

The WWC kicks off with Dinner & A Movie, a $12 night on the town, featuring a viewing of the film "Frida" followed by a Q&A with Frida biographer Hayden Herrera, on Thurs., April 20, beginning at 6 pm. Friday, April 21, brings out the sovereigness of satire, Sarah Vowell, whose most popular works of creative non-fiction include "Take the Canoli" and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot." Vowell will do a reading on Friday night and is open to anyone participating in the conference. But, non-subscribers fear not, many WWC events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC...

For instance, the Gypsy Slam will take over Triangle Park on Friday night, with fire dancing, a poetry slam starring Performance Poet Patricia Smith, and a performance by New York's Urban Bush Women. Galleries around town will be showcasing female focused art during Gallery Hop, so be sure to spread the love so you won't miss out on anything!

Also on Friday is a performance by Mabel Maney, author of "The Not So Nice Nurse" and other hysterical anecdotes, at Natasha's Café. Dinner and the performance are $35 and will likely sell out. Get your tickets today.

Anyone interested in attending the conference should check out http://www.thewomenwritersconference.org. A raffle is also being conducted to raise funds to support the conference, with two prize packages valued at more than $1500 (including a box at Churchill Downs during Derby Week, Legends season tickets, artwork, books, food and movies), and tickets can be purchased by calling the conference at (859) 257-2874. Drawing will be held at Dinner & A Movie.

The weekend is one of intense, inspiring cultural feasts. Men, women and children are welcome and will walk away feeling hungry for the last word. – Amber Scott


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE PICKS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::: Wednesday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 26 :::::::::::

:: Thursday, April 13 ::
JOSEPHINE FOSTER AND THE SUPPOSED w/THE REMPIS PERCUSSION QUARTET
@ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue (just off S. Broadway near Bolivar) – 8pm, all ages, $5

Josephine Foster is my current lady of the hour. She has been so since I first saw her perform in Lexington sometime in 2004 at the Ice House with her full band, the Supposed, when I was just getting my feet wet as music director at WRFL. At times, exaggerated vocals peeve me, when a singer is construing the vocal cords to purposely be picked and prodded. They want all this attention, and dammit, I don’t want to give them the satisfaction. So, usually, I dismiss them as being dramatic and not “real” enough, faking it. Talk about music snobbery! With Josephine Foster, however, chanting what sound like the combination of old Appalachian folklore with, somehow, a Far East minimalist technique, how can it not sound authentic, especially when it so obviously is?

Miss Foster breaks some barriers with her otherworldly warbling. I describe as if she’s a chicken or an old chinked record, but, essentially, it’s just that strange. One of the critics’ favorite oddities to mention about her is that she is an opera school dropout. It makes perfect sense to me, being someone who wanted to drop out of academics more than once a week myself. Foster probably felt some confinement to academic institutions, especially those of operatic training. And, upon listening to her entire show (enchanted) and chatting with her momentarily afterwards, it’s plain to see that Josephine Foster is one o’ them free soul types. Boundless. Anchorless. She has a message to all us sinners, too. One I dare you to interpret.

In order to get a clear picture, without me repeating the same critiques, I suggest checking some other opinions out at http://www.locustmusic.com/josephinefoster.html or you can visit her website at http://www.100songsising.com/. She’s exceptional. Locust Records released yesterday her sixth (maybe seventh?) solo record, titled A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. What I’ve heard from the album thus far has been her more haunting work to date, also linguistically challenging, as one entire tune is in German. [Ed. note: Actually, the entire record is made up of 19th century German art songs.] For more listening I suggest All the Leaves are Gone; Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You; and There are Eyes Above, a work entirely done with a ukulele and that fluttery voice. Foster also performed with Born Heller and the Children’s Hour before going solo. Most everything of hers can be found on Locust Records. Thursday night she will have the Supposed backing her up, which fleshes the music out a bit, gives a full-belly feel.

Also, in the line-up for Thursday evening’s show is the Rempis Percussion Quartet. In pursuit of their upcoming release Rip Tear Crunch, the four Chicagoans are touring the Midwest and parts of the East. It should make for a night of remarkable music, as Dave Rempis is one of the leading jazz dudes in Chicago (a town full of jazzy hipsters), having performed in such reputable groups as Triage and Vandermark 5, a couple of hard-hitting maestros, if you will. He leads on sax, also taking the stage will be Anton Hatwich, Tim Daisy (!), and Frank Rosaly of the Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio fame and sidestepper to Ken Vandermark in Vandermark’s Crisis Ensemble. If I had better access to excellent live jazz shows, I would be in attendance (Mr. Compton can vouch for me), and this looks (and sounds) like an indisputably impressive show, surely not one to miss on a nice April night in Lexington. Mr. Compton is giving Lex a run for it’s money, a rumpus of a haywirin’ good time.

I’m jealous (unless someone will buy me a plane ticket from Missoula, MT).
- Kate ‘the Great’ Hensley


:: Friday, April 14 ::
THE DIALECTICS w/ART OF COVENANT @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper
10:30pm, all ages, $3 (price of admission includes a Dialectics EP)

The Dialectics are filling a void in the Lexington music scene left vacant for a while now, Live Hip Hop. I like a fair amount of hip hop like most people in their 20s, but there is something special about seeing actual musicians playing instruments and seeing people rap live. Not to take anything away from folks who work with a DJ. That is a tough gig as well. But this band, The Dialectics, is a real musicians hip hop band. Take away the conscious lyrics and the hip hop beats and, in my opinion, you would have music similar to the Allman Brothers. I think they are playing brave music and saying poetic things. For me personally, I would love to see more of Lexingtons talented MCs hook up with all the talented live musicians. If you have never seen live hip hop, check it out. Maybe you will see what I mean. - Jeremy Fresh
http://myspace.com/dialecticsbeats, http://www.myspace.com/artofcovenant

[Note: The Dialectics have dubbed the party a "Red Bedroom Evening" and are encouraging people to dress up if they are inspired by the theme.]


:: Friday, April 14 ::
SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/KITTYHAWK and THESE UNITED STATES @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $5

Our friends Scourge of the Sea return to the stage with friends from the D.C. area. Recommended to fans of Elliott Smith, M.Ward, Iron & Wine. Robby Cosenza’s been circulating cd-r samplers for the show. If you see him, accost him for one (or maybe check to see if there are a few at CD Central). If you don’t feeling like flagging down Robby, you can also find FREE sounds and more info at http://myspace.com/thescourgeofthesea, http://www.theseunitedstates.net, and http://www.kittyhawkrock.com.


:: Saturday, April 15 ::
COUSIN w/THE MELODY FUNCTION and J.GLENN
@ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper (above Buster’s, entrance next to Mia’s) – 9pm, all ages, $5

A mish-mash bill, but a great one. Cousin = four stylish gents from NYC playing sophisticated pop music influenced by Big Star and Nazz. I recommend them to anyone who ever bought one of Thrill Jockey’s poppy releases (Sam Prekopp, Archer Prewitt, etc). The Melody Function = crisp and bouncy indie pop from Lexington. Their song “She Goes” on the recent “Know Your Own” v.2 comp is fabulous fun. J. Glenn is a one-man band from Louisville with an obvious affection for Hasil Adkins. Recommended to fans of our glitter-billy brethren The Smacks! Note: The show is co-sponsored by Lexington’s best vintage store, Jonk. What that means for you is, come to the show and you’ll get a coupon good for 20% off your next purchase.
[Full Disclosure: I helped organize this show.]


:: Wednesday, April 19 ::
AB BAARS QUARTET @ Underlying Themes, 110 S. Upper (above Buster’s, entrance next to Mia’s)
8pm, all ages, $3

I found this preview on a site promoting the band’s show in Portland, OR. Summed up the scene, so I decided not to reinvent the wheel.

“Post-modern Ellington jazz. Led by one of the most unique reed players in the world, the Ab Baars Quartet has been one of the most consistently important and vibrant post-modern jazz outfits in the thriving European improvised jazz scene. This tight-knit outfit is nothing short of brilliant. This performance will feature tracks from the group's recent Wig Records recording, "Kinda Dukish" - radical interpretations and deconstructions of Ellington standards and obscurities. Baars has worked internationally with such notables as Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Fred Frith, Han Bennink, John Carter, Anthony Braxton and, most notably, Misha Mengelberg's ICP Orchestra. Backing Baars for this show are his long-time trio members, the forceful bassist, Wilbert de Joode, and meticulous drummer, Martin Van Duynhoven. Fellow Dutchman, Joost Buis, will be on trombone.” – Creative Music Guild

Note: We’ll be giving out FREE passes to this show at the Josephine Foster & The Supposed/Rempis Percussion Quartet show at Mecca tonight. [Full Disclosure: I helped organize this show.]


:: Thursday, April 20 ::
RC PRO AM record release party w/THE SMACKS!, VIVA LA FOX, and THE MINNI-THINS@ The Dame
10pm, ages 21+, $5

"Meanwhile you do understand if alcohol has undoubtedly been one of the great causes of my madness, then it came on very slowly and will go away slowly too, assuming it does go, of course. Or the same thing if it comes from smoking."
--Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, 22 April, 1889

My dear Theo,

Fast forward to 2006. 4/20. That's right. RC PRO AM is releasing their new Eugene Records compact disc @ the Dame Thursday, upon the occasion of the official hop head's holiday.

I've only seen RC PRO AM in concert once, and it was IN CONCERT, in concert, in fact, with something that ain't to be named. I'm pretty sure these guys are engaged in the old time practice of seemingly not giving a fuck while at the same time invoking the demons of chaos through a refined and virtuoso knowing of how to direct these demons with the arcane and esoteric practices of rock n roll. It's all sleight of hand, if not slightly out of hand. The bottom line is that they're really fucking good.

Don't ask me how two bands from Cinci, OH are also on this bill. That said, VIVA LA FOXX is also awfully, what I'm calling, good. Fronted by some hot stuff female, this band also features Rueben from the Dim Mak label darlings Pearlene. Girl glam rock for the 21st century on Cinci's fine label, Shake It Records, what more you could want, outside of a big bag of weed and a large pizza, I could not say.

I don't know shit about the MINNI-THINS, but they're probably good too. If they're travelling in congress with VIVA LA FOXX, and have the audacity to travel down the road just to open for this assortment of freaks at least speaks to the fact that they must be open-minded, even-tempered cats, but I'm guessing their music, contrarily, is not.

The problem with a lot of you hop heads is that you'll intend to come to the show, get high, and decide to stay home and order delivery food instead, play video games, or maybe watch tv.

This is not my problem, even though the goodly blokes of RC PRO AM have asked one of my bands, the distressing duo known as THE SMACKS!, to support them on this marginally legal celebration of show and tell, spanning two states and at least three cities worth of "talent." I have more serious problems than the culture and society of pot smokers, beer drinkers (or former alkies turned tea heads by some osmosis of the spirit(s)) or any other of you combination degenerates out there, even fans of live music. I've got my own degeneracies to keep me warm, ladies and germs.

Speaking of problems, Brian Manley of the Smacks!, who has relocated from Lexington to Louisville, seems to have no transportation to this show (the funny/sad aspect of this story is that he spent mucho money getting his Jim Gordon customized Ford Ranger fixed, only to then in turn, as the first act of the repaired truck, drive it to Lexington to pick up his cat which had been left behind, WITH THE EMERGENCY BREAK ON THE ENTIRE WAY, which rendered all fixins to this truck, and personal means of vehicular transport, null and void). Which might result in a last minute cancellation on our part if there is not solution to be procured. So if you, dear reader, either would be willing to go to Louisville and take Brian back, or, better yet, you know somebody in Louisville that either already likes THE SMACKS!, or wouldn't pass up the chance to drive with a guy in make up and a skirt, let us know, we can work something out:
bmanley@gmail.com

Anyway, if THE SMACKS! play, we haven't played Lexington since November, and it was around a year since the last time we had played Lexington prior to last November. We have to play other towns, 'cause we're such old whores in Lexington, so I doubt RC PRO AM will be asking us back if we gotta pull a no-show after finally saying "yes" to do this, which we agreed to before Brian pulled the emergency break boner. Boner. Heh.

The bottom-line is that on a Thursday in Lexington, if you've got something better, more entertaining, to do for a better price, just based on RC PRO AM and VIVA LA FOXX alone, let us know, and get to it. If you get the munchies on Thursday, don't stay home, this show will feed your head.

Ever yours,
J. Todd "Van" Dockery, Morehead, 11 April, 2006
http://myspace.com/rcproam, http://myspace.com/thesmacks


:: Tuesday, April 25 ::
MICHAEL HURLEY @ Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge (Louisville)
9pm, ages 18+, $3

Sometime during the spring or summer of 2000, Bill Glasscock brought a CD into Alfalfa’s. My life and world-view were about to be changed. The CD was Weatherhole, by a guy named Michael Hurley, a guy I’d heard not a whisper of before then. The songs were original, often funny, and offered the type of lyric that, once the brain fully grasped the meaning, made you rock back on your mental heels and say, “Well I never thought of it that way before.” The music itself was hard to classify – it possessed elements of the blues, of country, of mountain music and rock n’ roll, and yet, you couldn’t really call it any of those things without offending the other sensibilities mixed with it. “It’s like I’m talking tongues,” one lyric began, “that no one understands. They can’t detect the dialect that goes from beast to man.” I was hooked, and over the next few months I listened to that CD non-stop, two or three times a day while I was working, and if I worked a double, I put it on repeat and listened to it as I dozed on the dining room floor.

It seems that a lot of his fans have similar recollections. Michael Hurley is one of those musicians whose fans have a story of when they first heard them. One person’s parents used to take them to shows when they were a child in Vermont. Another person heard him on a mix tape while driving on a snowy road. Someone else won a copy of a Hurley album during an Easter egg hunt.

And while you may not have consciously heard Michael Hurley, chances are you’ve run across him – recently a lot of indie acts, most visibly Cat Power, have covered his tunes, and it seems that a whole slew of newer folk-influenced performers are giving him a nod and performing with him. And if you’ve seen the HBO show Deadwood, you may have heard his “Hog of the Forsaken.”

A veteran performer, Michael Hurley has been recording for over forty-two years, his first record being released in 1964 for Smithsonian-Folkways (currently available from Locust Records as Blueberry Wine). Other recordings were to follow, Armchair Boogie and Hi-fi Snock Uptown in the early seventies, and three subsequent records for Rounder – Long Journey, Snockgrass, and the one most fans seem to know him from, Have Moicy!, a joint effort recorded with the Unholy Modal Rounders and Jeffrey Fredricks and the Clamtones. Over the last eight to ten years, Hurley has returned to recording to the joy of many of his fans.

Unlike other musicians, Hurley’s style has continued to evolve over the years, encapsulating more elements of jazz and country music, and yet, like all great artists, an essential element remains which makes Hurley’s music his own – a sense of humor, a certain meditative rhythm and phrasing, a unique vision which unites all of his work.

On Tuesday, April 25th, you can check out this living legend in Louisville. Hurley will be playing at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge at 9 p.m. Cost is only three dollars. If this is the sort of music that does it for you, you won’t be dissatisfied, and if you think that it isn’t, give him a shot, he really is one of a kind. – Chris Porter


:: Also worthwhile in the April 12 - 26 timeframe ::
Every Friday RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Nema’s Grille (Frankfort) – meccadance.com
Wed/Apr 12 DEAD MEADOW @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Sat/Apr 15 Nate FX Bday Bash with DJ Mes, Hockey Night, Mathematicians and DJ Booth @ The Dame
Sat/Apr 15 RHETT MILLER AND THE BELIEVERS @ Headliners (Louisville) – ages 18+
Sun/Apr 16 ROSIE THOMAS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Mon/Apr 17 Open Mic with Charlie Whittington @ The Dame
Tues/Apr 18 TULA @ The Dame
Thurs/Apr 20 ENON @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Apr 21 THE YELLOW BELTS w/DEAD CITY REJECTS @ The Dame
Sat/Apr 22 BIG MARACAS @ The Dame
Sun/Apr 23 JOSH RITTER w/HEM @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)

:: Soon Soon ::
Thurs/Apr 27 JOSH BERMAN/KEEFE JACKSON duo @ Underlying Themes – all ages
Thurs/Apr 27 ESSEX GREEN w/HIGH WATER MARKS @ The Dame
Fri/Apr 28 MASTERS OF THE HEMISPHERE w/THE ELEPHANTS, JE SUIS FRANCE, BUGS EAT BOOKS, and THE WEE TURTLES @ Underlying Themes – all ages
Sat/Apr 29 CROWN ELECTRIC w/MISS KITTYTWISTER & HER HOT DOGS @ The Dame
Sun/Apr 30 THE PUNKS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Wed/May 3 SHOOTER JENNINGS w/BANG BANG BANG @ The Dame
Fri/May 5 THE QUEERS w/CITY MOUSE @ The Dame
Fri/May 5 FRUIT BATS w/SAM JAYNE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Wed/May 10 MANDARIN MOVIE (members of Chicago Underground Duo and Triage) w/BLASTOCYST and SHARKS WITH WINGS @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave
Fri/May 12 PARLOUR BOYS w/MODEL ONE @ The Dame
Sun/May 14 JOSEPHINE FOSTER @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Tues/May 16 THE JOGGERS @ The Dame
Fri/May 19 G-FUNK @ The Dame
Sat/May 20 THE APPARITIONS w/MOTH and THE RECEIVER @ The Dame
Fri/May 26 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO @ The Dame

:: Pertinent resources ::
__Lexington__
THE DAME, 156 W.Main St, Lexington - http://www.dameky.com
MECCA dance studio/gallery, 451 Chair Avenue, off S.Broadway near Bolivar - http://www.meccadance.com
UNDERLYING THEMES LOFT SPACE, 110 S. Upper (above Busters) – http://www.underlyingthemes.com
CHARLES MANSION – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FIREBIRD STUDIO, 359 W. Short St – http://firebirdlexington.com
HIGH LIFE LOUNGE, University Plaza (corner of Rose and Euclid) – ph. 859/455-8890
NATASHA'S CAFE, 112 Esplanade - http://www.beetnik.com/
FAUNTLEROY’S CAFÉ, 640 W. Maxwell – ph. 859/455-8188
THE ICEHOUSE, 412 Cross St (off W.Maxwell), Lexington
DOWNTOWN ARTS CENTER, 141 E. Main St, Lexington – http://www.lexarts.org
ARTSPLACE, 161 N.Mill St, Lexington
LEXINGTONSHOWS.com (all ages show listings) - http://www.lexingtonshows.com
COUNTER FICTION (metal/punk/hardcore all ages show listings) – http://www.counterfiction.com
CRICKET PRESS (amazing local poster art) - http://www.cricket-press.com
WRFL 88.1FM (UK's student-run radio station) - http://wrfl.uky.edu
YOU AIN’T NO PICASSO (great locally-produced music blog) – http://www.youaintnopicasoo.com

__Louisville__
LAVA (Louisville Assembly of Vanguard Artists) HOUSE - 927 Shelby Parkway, Louisville - http://www.lavahouse.org
HEADLINERS MUSIC HALL, Louisville - 1386 Lexington Road, ph. 502/584-8088 - www.headlinerslouisville.com
UNCLE PLEASANTS, 2126 S. Preston, Louisville - p.502/634-4147
THE RUDYARD KIPLING, 422 West Oak Street, Louisville -
http://www.therudyardkipling.com/pages/206999/index.htm
OLD LOUISVILLE COFFEHOUSE, 1489 S. Fourth St, Louisville - ph. 502/635-6660
PRODUCTION SIMPLE (produce many of the events at Headliners and Uncle Pleasants) – http://www.productionsimple.com

__Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky__
THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE, Newport, KY - http://www.southgatehouse.com
ALCHEMIZE, 1122 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.alchemizebar.com
THE COMET, 4579 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.cometbar.com
BOGART'S, 2621 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.bogarts.com
THE MOCKBEE (formerly SS NOVA), 2260 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, OH - http://www.ssnova.org
NORTHSIDE TAVERN, 4163 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH – http://www.northside-tavern.com

Know of an upcoming event that others should get hip to? Let us know - email informationactivists@yahoo.com
All Picks by Ross Compton unless otherwise noted.


:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com