Friday, September 15, 2006
TLP Sept 15, 2006
I should prolly just give up any pretense that this is going to come out on Wednesday. Anyway, a jam packed issue (including info about tons of things happening tonight - Gallery Hop!, KT/HD w/Duck Fat and Trevor Tremaine at Third Street Stuff Coffee, Warmer Milks record release party at the Icehouse, "How to Draw a Bunny" at Worsham Theater and more) - announcements, Greg Abernathy's recommendations for outdoors events, The Picks (thanks to Teresa Tomb for the help), and a few CD reviews by WRFL music director Chris Bush (including one of the new Bonnie "Prince" Billy disc).
Alright, get to readin' and get out tonight!
Hope all are well.
Ross
:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::
** TONIGHT! ‘Know Your Own – Free Lexington’ Series continues
The ‘Know Your Own – Free Lexington’ series, sponsored by the Lex Pro, Action Arts, WRFL, CD Central, and W Weekly continues this Friday with a free performance by Miss Kittytwister and Her Hot Dogs, Duck Fat, and Trevor Tremaine (of Attempt, Hair Police, and Eyes and Arms of Smoke) in the parking lot outside of Third Street Stuff Coffee during Gallery Hop (offset just a hair – the show will run from 6-9pm). Then, next Friday, September 22, it’s the crown jewel of the series – a free performance by OF MONTREAL (!) in the UK Student Center ballroom. (Check out ‘The Picks’ for more info and links for both shows.) More shows to be announced soon. All the shows in the KYO-Free Lexington series are FREE and open to all ages. Questions? Drop me a line at informationactivists@yahoo.com.
** TONIGHT! Gallery Hop! and Other Friday Haps
A few recommended stops on tonight’s Gallery Hop. The first Hop of the season is always chocked full of stuff, so this is just scratching the surface.
Don’t miss …
1) ROBERT RONK’s paintings at the LexArts’ City Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Downtown Arts Center (141 E. Main St – across from the Public Library).
2) While you’re in the building – stop into Alfalfa restaurant and check out the paintings by ANGELA RAINES. She’s the bees knees! (Check out her work at http://www.angelaraines.com/.)
3) JESSE SAXON and BEN BARTLETT prints and paintings up at Galerie Soleil (near the corner of Short and Broadway).
4) KURT GOHDE’s “Murmuration of the Filth” at Transy’s Morlan Gallery (http://www.kurtgohde.com)
5) “Sonja’s Sensational Scrabble Soiree” – “board games, art exhibit, live entertainment, pizza” - at the Heritage Art Center (651 W. Short Street - at corner of Old Georgetown Street).
6) BRUCE BURRIS - installation/selections from “Ok Then To California” @ EL and F Gallery, 167 Saunier St (Saunier runs between 2nd and Short just to the west of Broadway) – “An evolving environmental comicdrama about a group of trouble Santa Cruz teenagers who disappear in the late 1960’s then re-appear – beckoned by a community of freshwater dolphins living near a peculiar lighthouse on Lake Erie.” - 6-9pm general public, 10pm-3am by password only (“Tree of Life”)
** WRFL’s “Lawn Series”
A return to the old-school lawn shows – FREE midday concerts on UK’s Student Center lawn (the swatch of grass and trees near the corner of Euclid and Limestone – across from Kennedy’s Bookstore and just outside the WRFL studio). The shows, organized by everybody’s favorite radio station WRFL 88.1FM, will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 1pm through the end of September (and possibly beyond). Here’s a look at what’s confirmed for the coming week:
TODAY! Friday, Sept.15th - The Tall Boys, a psychedelic/experimental blues trio. These veterans of the Lexington scene sound like a combination of Captain Beefheart and Charlie Patton. Members of Club Dub and the Brass Knuckle Boys.
Monday, Sept. 18th - Caves (aka Ben Allen), Three Legged Race (aka Robert Beatty), Walter Carson (aka Daryl Cook), and Chris Bush (aka … uh … Chris Bush). If you’ve been to a gig at Charles Mansion or The Frowny Bear, then you know what’s up. If not, go Monday and expect to be simultaneously excited and frightened.
Friday Sept. 22nd – The Scourge of the Sea, our intimate local popsters cum national indie heartthrobs.
More shows to be announced soon. Keep your dial glued to 88.1 for the scoop.
** FREE flicks
> Bluegrass Film Society’s fall schedule is in full swing. Movies are screened Thursdays at 7:45pm in the main auditorium of the Oswald Building on the campus of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The screenings are FREE and open to the public. For more info about the films, as well as tons of great info about other interesting film happenings around Lexington and Central Kentucky, go to http://bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com.
The schedule for the next two weeks …
Sept/21 The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert McNamara (Errol Morris: US, 2003) 107 minutes
Sept/28 Farewell My Concubine (Kaige Chen: China, 1993) 156 mins
> The UK’s Student Center Film Series, curated by my man Andrew “MANdrew” Crawford, is killing this year. This weekend is art/music documentary blowout. Last night, it was “Kill Your Idols” a recent documentary about the late 1970’s/early 1980’s no wave punk scene in NYC. TONIGHT (Fri/Sept. 15) - one of my favorites … “How to Draw a Bunny,” a film about the enigmatic artist Ray Johnson. (An aside – You want a pitch-perfect night? Go check out Angela Raines paintings at Alfalfa, then catch Duck Fat’s set outside of Third Street Stuff Coffee, and finish off with “How to Draw a Bunny”.) TOMORROW (Sat/Sept. 16) – “Who Gets To Call It Art?” - Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Henry Geldzahler reflects on the 1960s pop art scene in New York. The movies are FREE and begin at 10pm in UK’s Worsham Theater (right next to the UK Bookstore in the Student Center). Keep your eyes peeled to http://www.uky.edu/StudentCenter/FilmSeries/ to see what they’ve got coming up.
** Beginning Thursday, Sept/14 – New Beginning-Flamenco Class @ Mecca
Mecca dance studio and gallery is offering a new session of Flamenco - Beginning Technique on Thursday, September 14th at 6pm. The class is a 5-week session for $45 and is open to men and women. The class will cover:
--background on this beautiful dance --basic footwork
--basic 12-count rhythm and ways to vary it
--arm and hand movements --palmas (clapping)
Students should wear a closed toe shoe with a solid heel. Ladies are encouraged to wear a full skirt (quote from the Mecca newsletter – “…so we can play with them!”). For more info, call 254-9790.
** Sept. 26-28, Oct. 3-5 - The Balagula Theatre presents Michael Frayn’s “Copenhagen” at Natasha's Café
The Balagula Theatre, arguably Lexington’s most innovative theater troupe, presents “Copenhagen,” a play by Michael Frayn, September 26-28 and October 3-5 at Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade (across from the Kentucky Theatre). Directed by Natasha Williams and Ed Desiato and starring Ryan H. Case, Janet Scott and Adam Luckey, the production will run on the following schedule:
Public Performances: September 26-28, October 3-5
Seating for dinner between 6:30pm-7:15pm; Show begins at 8pm
Tickets: $12 General admission with dinner seating/ $15 limited show-only seating
Student Group Shows: September 26-27, October 3-4
Seating for dinner between 6:30pm-7:15pm; Show begins at 8pm
Tickets: $9 Students / $12 General admission with dinner seating/ $15 limited show-only seating
Matinée Soup Performance: Sunday, October 1
Show begins at 2pm
Tickets: Donations Accepted
Bring your own bowl for complimentary soup to enjoy during the performance
For a full synopsis of the play, visit http://beetnik.com/Curent%20Productions.htm. For reservations, call 859/259-2754
:::::::::::::::::: YOU GO OUTDOORS. I GO OUTDOORS. LET’S GO OUTDOORS TOGETHER. :::::::::::::::::::::::::
Two repeats and a few new events.
:: Saturday, September 16 ::
The Short's Goldenrod Festival. The festival is a celebration of one of the rarest plants in Kentucky and the United States. The festival is being held at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park in Robertson County. The day's events will begin with a 5K run and one-mile walk followed by nature hikes, canoe trips, free workshops, a lunch featuring Kentucky Proud products and a farmers' market filled with local artists, musicians and produce. Activities for children include leaf rubbings, apple bobbing, live animal presentations and storytelling by Kentucky author George Ella Lyon. The festival will close with a pie-eating contest and music by the Reel World String Band. There is no charge for entrance into the festival – the 5k run is $15 to enter which includes a t-shirt. More information available online @ http://www.naturepreserves.ky.gov/newsevents/goldenrodfestival.htm
:: Sunday, September 17 :: Curiosities of Nature - This program includes a photograph presentation of “curiosities of nature,” a tour of the multi-tent cabinet of curiosities and a hike through several native Kentucky habitats in search of unique aspects of nature and their unusual stories. The events starts at 1 pm - call Raven Run @ 272-6105 to register for this FREE program.
:: Friday and Saturday, September 22-23 ::
Living Archaeology Weekend. The event will be held at Gladie Historic Site, Red River Gorge in Stanton District – there will be demonstrations from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Have you ever wondered what life was like a thousand years ago? Join us at Gladie Cultural-Environmental Learning Center and watch the prehistoric past come alive as archaeologists and craftsmen demonstrate the way ancient Native Americans went about the daily business of living. You can learn about: making arrowheads, using a bow & arrow, native cooking and medicine, firebuilding, canoe building, atlatl throwing, basketmaking, hide tanning, cattail mats, pottery making and firing, painting with herbs and dyes. For more information visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/heritage/livingarch.shtml.
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
Invasive Plant Removal Day. Come celebrate National Public Lands Day by helping remove invasive plants in the Red River Gorge. The event will be held at Natural Bridge State Resort Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. Contact Zeb Weese at (606) 663-2214 or jason.weese@ky.gov for more information or visit http://parks.ky.gov/resortparks/nb/events.htm.
:: Friday and Saturday, September 29–30 ::
The Cave Run Storytelling Festival. Enjoy America's best loved storytellers in a beautiful mountain lakeside setting. Let these talented artists take you away to other times and places through the intrigue of storytelling. Stories will be told in large tents on the shore of Cave Run Lake in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Ghost stories by the beach fire on Saturday evening Family storytelling on Friday and Saturday evening interpretive programs will be offered by Daniel Boone National Forest personnel. For more information visit http://caverunstoryfest.org/
:: Saturday, September 30 ::
National Public Lands Day. The nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands American’s enjoy. A list of Kentucky events is online @ http://www.publiclandsday.org/involved/kentucky.cfm
- Greg Abernathy
:::::::::::::: THE PICKS ::::::::::::::::
::::::: Wednesday, September 13 through Wednesday, September 27 ::::::::
:: Friday, September 15 ::
MISS KITTYTWISTER AND HER HOT DOGS w/DUCK FAT and TREVOR TREMAINE (ATTEMPT) @ Third Street Stuff Coffee (outside) - 6-9pm, all ages, FREE
Party in the parking lot! A run of musical silliness coinciding with Gallery Hop. Trevor Tremaine (of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Attempt) starts things off with a solo set of tunes from the Attempt songbook. Duck Fat (aka Eli Riveire and Nick Warner) follow with their debut performance art/cute pop performance. (Is it fair to call this their debut? Their lives seem to be cute pop/performance art pieces.) “Lexington trash rock/twee pop burners,” Miss Kittytwister and Her Hot Dogs (aka the ever-lovable Jessi Fehrenbach and J. Todd Dockery and friends) wrap up the festivities. The KT/HD description is from Tre Tre Tremaine himself. In fact, I don’t know why I’m bothering with this descripto part at all. Here are Trevor’s other descriptions … Duck Fat = “charming nonsense care of Nick Warner and Eli Riveire.” And, of himself, he says, “playing songs from the ATTEMPT repetoire, solo, acoustic, miserable.” So, that’s that.
[Full Disclosure: I helped set up this show.]
:: Friday, September 15 ::
WARMER MILKS record release party w/ARA and ROBERT BEATTY (dj set) @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St (just off W. Maxwell) - 9pm, all ages, $3
Don’t flirt with any other post-Hop spots (well, maybe the fun at E L and F Gallery aka Latitude) – this is the one for you. The Milks had a hard-driving summer on the road. East Coast, West Coast, North Coast, South Coast – you name it they rocked it. Now, the reward – their new record “ “ on New Jersey’s Troubleman Unlimited finally dropped Tuesday. Expect a full fledge storm of shambalic, psychedelic drone outbursts. Ara = beautiful aural atmospherics from Sara O’Keefe of Eyes and Arms of Smoke (accompanied at this performance by her man Trevor Tremaine – yeah, you saw his name above). Robot Booty aka Robert Beatty (of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Three Legged Race) will be jammin’ tunes throughout the evening. Peeking Robo’s superior musical taste is worth the price of admission itself.
:: Saturday, September 16 ::
“Hafla Pura” featuring CAROLENA NERICCIO (of Fat Chance Belly Dance), MEGHA (of Devyani), RAKADU GYPSY DANCE, SABI DIRI, BIG MARACAS, MICK JEFFRIES’ LAPTOP LOUNGE, and more @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – just off S. Broadway near Bolivar – doors 8pm, show 9pm, all ages, $15 advance/$18 at the door
[NOTE: If you mention that you read about this event in The Lexington Project, you’ll get the advance ticket price on tickets bought at the door.]
Mecca premieres its 1st dance performance in its own space this weekend with Hafla Pura featuring performances by Carolena Nericcio, director of FatChanceBellyDance of San Francisco and Megha director Devyani Dance Company.
This will be Carolena's 2nd trip to Kentucky to teach workshops and perform. Carolena is internationally renowned for her Tribal Pura style of Belly Dance and has mentored many of the biggest innovators in the world of belly dance these days including Rachel Brice and Jill Parker of Ultra Gypsy.
Megha and Caroelna will be teaching workshops at Mecca on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Registration is still open. For more information go to: http://www.meccadance.com/events.html
The evening showcase not only features the beauty of Carolena and Megha, but includes performances by local dance companies: Sabi Diri, Foxfire Hypnotica, and Rakadu Gypsy, as well as Cincinnati's Anaya Gypsy and Taletha from Louisville.
Oh, but this isn't just a showcase of some of the most talented bodies in dance today, this is a gathering for mirthful spirits and minds. Doors open at 8pm with joyous musings spilling forth from Mick Jeffries' Laptop Lounge, spend a moment to take in the atmosphere of Mecca, enjoy a glass of wine, a snack perhaps. (you may BYOB if you like) Show goes up at 9pm, sit back and be captivated. Following the show at 11pm, The Big Maracas will bring the night to its full circle with music and your chance to dance! How could you not dance after a show like that?? – Teresa Tomb
[Full Disclosure: Teresa helped organize this show.]
:: Thursday, September 21 ::
THE SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/PALEO and CHICO FELLINI @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $5
Scourge makes a brief stop at home amidst the chaos of their first national tour. They bring along road buddy Paleo, whom some of you will recognize from recent appearances at the Dame and the Icehouse (think a bouncier, less profound Devendra – still pretty good). http://myspace.com/thescourgeofthesea, http://myspace.com/paleo
:: Friday, September 22 ::
OF MONTREAL w/THEE AMERICAN REVOLUTION @ UK’s Student Center Ballroom
8pm, all ages, FREE – sponsored by WRFL
RFL is too good to us. A FREE show by Of Montreal?!!! The Athens indie poppers have every song set on ‘dance’ these days. Expect an evening of perma-smile and ass shaking. Thee American Revolution = members of the Apples in Stereo, the Blueberries, and Ideal Free Distribution. Very fun. http://myspace.com/ofmontreal
:: Friday, September 22 ::
ANATHALLO w/TIMBRE, WINSTON AUDIO, and WES MEEK
@ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue (just off S. Broadway near Bolivar) – 7pm, all ages, $8
Anathallo = chic-ly shabbily orchestrated pop in the vein of Page France. Check ‘em for yourself at http://myspace.com/anathallo. Rough that they’re going up against the free Of Montreal gig. A worthy option if you’re in a lower energy mode.
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
THE DIALECTICS @ the “Chevy Chase Cares” block party, corner of Euclid and E. High Sts - 8-10pm, all ages, FREE
A block party benefiting the Markey Cancer Research Center at UK (the party’s free, but, I believe, a portion of the proceeds from the vendors at the event will go to the Center). Our organic hip hop friends The Dialectics (augmented by mad sound-scientist Chuck “Chook” Moreland) will be playing from 8-10pm on the corner of Euclid and High Street (in front of one of those gaudy criKet phone joints, if I’m not mistaken). Don’t miss the opportunity to take it to the streets (yup, open containers and all).
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
GLENN KOTCHE w/NELS CLINE @ UK’s Singletary Center for the Arts (corner of Euclid and Rose) - 7:30pm, all ages, $15 students, $17 faculty/staff, $20 general public
Two Wilco-ers. Percussionist Kotche graduated from UK and has been very gracious about making trips back. Guitarist Cline has been a fixture of the west coast experimental rock/free jazz/weirdo scene for what seems like forever. I’m sure it’ll be an interesting show. Wish it weren’t $15-20 for a ticket. Lame. My recommendation: Instead of spending your dollars on this show, save ‘em and go see the (at least) equally interesting experimentation at the Tatsuya Nakatani/Dave Farris gig (see below) at the Icehouse.
:: Wednesday, September 27 ::
TATSUYA NAKATANI w/DAVE FARRIS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St (just off W. Maxwell)
8pm, all ages, $3
A meeting of two percussion geniuses – Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and local beat master Dave Farris (you know Dave … the man behind the set with Club Dub, The Tall Boys, Catawampus, 10 Ft Pole, Big Fresh, and on and on and on). The first set will be Nakatani solo. The second, an improvised collaboration with Farris. Recommended strongly to anyone who’s enjoyed performances by Matt Weston, Brian Osborne, and Paal Nilssen-Love in recently years. Or, a more local reference, recommended to anyone who’s enjoyed Jordan Munson’s performances (solo and as part of the Karate/Jones Duo).
:: Also worthwhile in the September 13-27 timeframe ::
Every Friday RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Nema’s Grille (Frankfort) – meccadance.com
Every Sunday THE BLUEGRASS COLLECTIVE @ The Fishtank, corner of Euclid and Woodland – 9pm, no cover
Tues/Sept 19 BE YOUR OWN PET w/THE BLACK LIPS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Sept 22 CALEXICO w/OAKLEY HALL @ Headliners (Louisville)
:: Soon Soon ::
Tues/Oct 3 BETTYE LAVETTE @ Headliners (Louisville)
Thurs/Oct 5 CURSIVE w/THE THERMALS and DETACHMENT KIT @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Oct 6 RODNEY CROWELL w/WILL KIMBROUGH @ The Dame
Sat/Oct 7 SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/GUNSHY, ANDREW BRYANT and VERY EMERGENCY @ The Icehouse – all ages
Mon/Oct 9 AWESOME COLOR w/TALL FIRS and WARMER MILKS @ The Dame
Tues/Oct 10 ISWHAT?! w/SELF SCIENTIFIC @ The Dame
Sat/Oct 14 THE WRENS w/SWEARING AT MOTORISTS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Thurs/Oct 19 WOLF EYES w/EYES AND ARMS OF SMOKE and WARMER MILKS @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL
Thurs/Oct 19 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Oct 20 WOLF EYES w/BURNING STAR CORE and JOHN WIESE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Sat/Oct 21 SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS @ The Dame
Mon/Oct 23 THE EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY @ Singletary Center for the Arts
Tues/Oct 24 PETE BEST BAND @ The Dame
Tues/Oct 24 XIU XIU @ Southgate House ballroom (Newport, KY)
Tues/Oct 24 ONE SELF (DJ Vadim w/Yarah Bravo and Blu Rum 13) @ Southgate House parlour (Newport, KY)
Tues/Oct 24 NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS @ Singletary Center for the Arts
Thurs/Nov 2 ENGINES (Dave Rempis/Nate McBride/Tim Daisy) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
Thurs/Nov 9 THE FESTIVAL QUARTET (Tim Daisy/Keefe Jackson/Josh Berman/Anton Hatwich) w/THE LAY ALL OVER ITS (Jason Ajemian/Nori Tanaka) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
Thurs/Nov 9 BOBBY PREVITE’S COALITION OF THE WILLING (featuring Charlie Hunter, Robert Walters, and Sherik) @ The Dame
Mon/Nov 13 THE ELECTRICS (Axel Dörner/Sture Ericson/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Raymond Strid) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
:: 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
CHARLES MANSION – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FROWNY BEAR, 208 Forest Park
THIRD STREET STUFF COFFEE, corner of Limestone and 3rd Street – ph. 859/255-5301
FIREBIRD STUDIO, 359 W. Short St – http://firebirdlexington.com
THE FISHTANK, corner of Woodland and Euclid Ave - http://www.thefishtankbar.com
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
SINGLETARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, corner of Euclid and Rose Sts – http://www.uky.edu/SCFA/
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://wrfl881.org
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.
:::::::::::::: CD REVIEWS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonnie Prince Billy- The Letting Go (Drag City)
The beloved moaner Will Oldham returns with a solid collection of new jams and a new take on the high hills holler idiom that he’s etched out of the southeastern US landscape. One thing’s clear from the beginning, The Letting Go is a really cleanly produced album. With this one Bonny brought a skilled production team into the fold, including Jim White from Faun Fables and a bunch of Icelandics that hold down various string instruments. The results are pretty gorgeous, if it’s cool to use that word. Songs like “Love Comes To Me” and “God’s Small Song” cultivate some really atmospheric moments without sounding too… well… Icelandic. Probably more so than on any other record, Oldham plays around with traditional song structures and timings opting to go the more textural route. The real standout for me was the “untitled” track at the end of the disc. Bonny’s hushed and distant vocals get layered over amorphous percussion and the occasional strike of keys creating a really thick and shimmering ebb and flow. I can’t remember hearing a Bonnie Billy song quite like it. Did he ever do a track with Dirty Three? I’ll have to look around for that.
While this record does separate itself from past releases for being a little more atmospheric, textural, and things, in no way is it a real departure from a lot of the other Bonnie Billy stuff. You’ve still got some deliberate and driving slams like “the seedling,” some small nods to Pete Seger good-times style folk (“no bad news”), and even root delta-blues (“cold & wet”). Another grounding force on the album is the angelic Appalachian background vocals lent to most of the tracks from Faun Fables’ Dawn McCarthy. I hear more Jean Richie than Vahti Bunyan when she plays the role of the sincere and simple rural matriarch, it’s a really refreshing and authentic sound. Overall, it’s great to see the man Bonnie Billy come up with another successful take on “his style” of songwriting... if “his style” is even a measurable thing anymore. – Chris Bush (Note: The B’P’B record hits the streets next Tuesday, September 19.)
Jessica Bailiff- Feels Like Home (Kranky)
Acid-folk chanteuse! "new-weird America!" read all about it Style. If you didn’t know any better you could listen to this record and think it was some private press weirdo hippie drug folk experimental record that was recorded thirty years Ago and now sells for $300 on ebay… but thankfully people like Kranky records are putting these records out these days. Jessica's voice is super pretty, and I get psyched when she starts her songs off with really broken sounding piano notes, only to wash over them with really big strokes of wonder... wow... yeah, that really came out of me... and I'm serious... it must be a more powerful record than I thought. – Chris Bush
Christina Carter - Electrice (Kranky)
Christina Carter has released a dizzying amount of stuff. I wonder if she's even heard it all. But, I've never been disappointed... and her new record "Electrice" is no exception. On the album's four long tracks Christina's vocals seem closer than in other releases, but just out of legibility's reach. Below... she pushes a slow stream of repetitive guitar strums... hypnotic in a real sense. I'm always pretty captivated by how Carter (and Charlambides) think about structre, or really how they try not to think about it too much. It seems almost effortless without being uninteresting. - Chris Bush
Arthur Russell - Springfield (Audika)
I'm super psyched that Audika keeps on resurrecting lost and out of print Arthur Russell stuff. Their newest compilation of the avant-cellist turned outsider disco producer's work titled "Springfield" is out now, and it's pretty great. For fans of Russell you'll probably recognize bits and pieces of his other songs worked into these "new" compositions. For example, the fifth track on this rescord is yet
another take on a song of his that already has a bunch of incarnations "let's go swimming." Also, "The Platform on the Ocean," a track that appeared on the
Russell compilation "Calling out of Context," appears somewhere near the end of the disc. Some people might be interested to know that this compilation has a DFA mix of the Russell track "Springfield," an inclusion that seems sort of strange to me. Russell is reported to have left hundreds of cassette recordings of his work that remain unreleased... so why would they put a DFA remix on this comp. when there's a ton of Arthur Russell stuff waiting to be heard? Weird. - Chris Bush
Chris Herbert- Mezzotint (Kranky)
An apparent master of ambient drone, Chris Herbert’s new record on Kranky seems to take certain notes from past Kranky ambient-itians like Stars Of The Lid, pan sonic, and the Dead Texan without sounding derivitive of any of those artists. His drones are supper dense…not conducive to floating, and his changes are subtle. On some of the coolest tracks there are really splintered scrapes that sound somewhere in between computer glitch and guitar feedback… when stuff is
processed that much I just can’t tell exactly what it is, I'm usually just psyched. Anyways… drone times. - Chris Bush
:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com
Alright, get to readin' and get out tonight!
Hope all are well.
Ross
:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::
** TONIGHT! ‘Know Your Own – Free Lexington’ Series continues
The ‘Know Your Own – Free Lexington’ series, sponsored by the Lex Pro, Action Arts, WRFL, CD Central, and W Weekly continues this Friday with a free performance by Miss Kittytwister and Her Hot Dogs, Duck Fat, and Trevor Tremaine (of Attempt, Hair Police, and Eyes and Arms of Smoke) in the parking lot outside of Third Street Stuff Coffee during Gallery Hop (offset just a hair – the show will run from 6-9pm). Then, next Friday, September 22, it’s the crown jewel of the series – a free performance by OF MONTREAL (!) in the UK Student Center ballroom. (Check out ‘The Picks’ for more info and links for both shows.) More shows to be announced soon. All the shows in the KYO-Free Lexington series are FREE and open to all ages. Questions? Drop me a line at informationactivists@yahoo.com.
** TONIGHT! Gallery Hop! and Other Friday Haps
A few recommended stops on tonight’s Gallery Hop. The first Hop of the season is always chocked full of stuff, so this is just scratching the surface.
Don’t miss …
1) ROBERT RONK’s paintings at the LexArts’ City Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Downtown Arts Center (141 E. Main St – across from the Public Library).
2) While you’re in the building – stop into Alfalfa restaurant and check out the paintings by ANGELA RAINES. She’s the bees knees! (Check out her work at http://www.angelaraines.com/.)
3) JESSE SAXON and BEN BARTLETT prints and paintings up at Galerie Soleil (near the corner of Short and Broadway).
4) KURT GOHDE’s “Murmuration of the Filth” at Transy’s Morlan Gallery (http://www.kurtgohde.com)
5) “Sonja’s Sensational Scrabble Soiree” – “board games, art exhibit, live entertainment, pizza” - at the Heritage Art Center (651 W. Short Street - at corner of Old Georgetown Street).
6) BRUCE BURRIS - installation/selections from “Ok Then To California” @ EL and F Gallery, 167 Saunier St (Saunier runs between 2nd and Short just to the west of Broadway) – “An evolving environmental comicdrama about a group of trouble Santa Cruz teenagers who disappear in the late 1960’s then re-appear – beckoned by a community of freshwater dolphins living near a peculiar lighthouse on Lake Erie.” - 6-9pm general public, 10pm-3am by password only (“Tree of Life”)
** WRFL’s “Lawn Series”
A return to the old-school lawn shows – FREE midday concerts on UK’s Student Center lawn (the swatch of grass and trees near the corner of Euclid and Limestone – across from Kennedy’s Bookstore and just outside the WRFL studio). The shows, organized by everybody’s favorite radio station WRFL 88.1FM, will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 1pm through the end of September (and possibly beyond). Here’s a look at what’s confirmed for the coming week:
TODAY! Friday, Sept.15th - The Tall Boys, a psychedelic/experimental blues trio. These veterans of the Lexington scene sound like a combination of Captain Beefheart and Charlie Patton. Members of Club Dub and the Brass Knuckle Boys.
Monday, Sept. 18th - Caves (aka Ben Allen), Three Legged Race (aka Robert Beatty), Walter Carson (aka Daryl Cook), and Chris Bush (aka … uh … Chris Bush). If you’ve been to a gig at Charles Mansion or The Frowny Bear, then you know what’s up. If not, go Monday and expect to be simultaneously excited and frightened.
Friday Sept. 22nd – The Scourge of the Sea, our intimate local popsters cum national indie heartthrobs.
More shows to be announced soon. Keep your dial glued to 88.1 for the scoop.
** FREE flicks
> Bluegrass Film Society’s fall schedule is in full swing. Movies are screened Thursdays at 7:45pm in the main auditorium of the Oswald Building on the campus of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The screenings are FREE and open to the public. For more info about the films, as well as tons of great info about other interesting film happenings around Lexington and Central Kentucky, go to http://bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com.
The schedule for the next two weeks …
Sept/21 The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert McNamara (Errol Morris: US, 2003) 107 minutes
Sept/28 Farewell My Concubine (Kaige Chen: China, 1993) 156 mins
> The UK’s Student Center Film Series, curated by my man Andrew “MANdrew” Crawford, is killing this year. This weekend is art/music documentary blowout. Last night, it was “Kill Your Idols” a recent documentary about the late 1970’s/early 1980’s no wave punk scene in NYC. TONIGHT (Fri/Sept. 15) - one of my favorites … “How to Draw a Bunny,” a film about the enigmatic artist Ray Johnson. (An aside – You want a pitch-perfect night? Go check out Angela Raines paintings at Alfalfa, then catch Duck Fat’s set outside of Third Street Stuff Coffee, and finish off with “How to Draw a Bunny”.) TOMORROW (Sat/Sept. 16) – “Who Gets To Call It Art?” - Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Henry Geldzahler reflects on the 1960s pop art scene in New York. The movies are FREE and begin at 10pm in UK’s Worsham Theater (right next to the UK Bookstore in the Student Center). Keep your eyes peeled to http://www.uky.edu/StudentCenter/FilmSeries/ to see what they’ve got coming up.
** Beginning Thursday, Sept/14 – New Beginning-Flamenco Class @ Mecca
Mecca dance studio and gallery is offering a new session of Flamenco - Beginning Technique on Thursday, September 14th at 6pm. The class is a 5-week session for $45 and is open to men and women. The class will cover:
--background on this beautiful dance --basic footwork
--basic 12-count rhythm and ways to vary it
--arm and hand movements --palmas (clapping)
Students should wear a closed toe shoe with a solid heel. Ladies are encouraged to wear a full skirt (quote from the Mecca newsletter – “…so we can play with them!”). For more info, call 254-9790.
** Sept. 26-28, Oct. 3-5 - The Balagula Theatre presents Michael Frayn’s “Copenhagen” at Natasha's Café
The Balagula Theatre, arguably Lexington’s most innovative theater troupe, presents “Copenhagen,” a play by Michael Frayn, September 26-28 and October 3-5 at Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade (across from the Kentucky Theatre). Directed by Natasha Williams and Ed Desiato and starring Ryan H. Case, Janet Scott and Adam Luckey, the production will run on the following schedule:
Public Performances: September 26-28, October 3-5
Seating for dinner between 6:30pm-7:15pm; Show begins at 8pm
Tickets: $12 General admission with dinner seating/ $15 limited show-only seating
Student Group Shows: September 26-27, October 3-4
Seating for dinner between 6:30pm-7:15pm; Show begins at 8pm
Tickets: $9 Students / $12 General admission with dinner seating/ $15 limited show-only seating
Matinée Soup Performance: Sunday, October 1
Show begins at 2pm
Tickets: Donations Accepted
Bring your own bowl for complimentary soup to enjoy during the performance
For a full synopsis of the play, visit http://beetnik.com/Curent%20Productions.htm. For reservations, call 859/259-2754
:::::::::::::::::: YOU GO OUTDOORS. I GO OUTDOORS. LET’S GO OUTDOORS TOGETHER. :::::::::::::::::::::::::
Two repeats and a few new events.
:: Saturday, September 16 ::
The Short's Goldenrod Festival. The festival is a celebration of one of the rarest plants in Kentucky and the United States. The festival is being held at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park in Robertson County. The day's events will begin with a 5K run and one-mile walk followed by nature hikes, canoe trips, free workshops, a lunch featuring Kentucky Proud products and a farmers' market filled with local artists, musicians and produce. Activities for children include leaf rubbings, apple bobbing, live animal presentations and storytelling by Kentucky author George Ella Lyon. The festival will close with a pie-eating contest and music by the Reel World String Band. There is no charge for entrance into the festival – the 5k run is $15 to enter which includes a t-shirt. More information available online @ http://www.naturepreserves.ky.gov/newsevents/goldenrodfestival.htm
:: Sunday, September 17 :: Curiosities of Nature - This program includes a photograph presentation of “curiosities of nature,” a tour of the multi-tent cabinet of curiosities and a hike through several native Kentucky habitats in search of unique aspects of nature and their unusual stories. The events starts at 1 pm - call Raven Run @ 272-6105 to register for this FREE program.
:: Friday and Saturday, September 22-23 ::
Living Archaeology Weekend. The event will be held at Gladie Historic Site, Red River Gorge in Stanton District – there will be demonstrations from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Have you ever wondered what life was like a thousand years ago? Join us at Gladie Cultural-Environmental Learning Center and watch the prehistoric past come alive as archaeologists and craftsmen demonstrate the way ancient Native Americans went about the daily business of living. You can learn about: making arrowheads, using a bow & arrow, native cooking and medicine, firebuilding, canoe building, atlatl throwing, basketmaking, hide tanning, cattail mats, pottery making and firing, painting with herbs and dyes. For more information visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/heritage/livingarch.shtml.
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
Invasive Plant Removal Day. Come celebrate National Public Lands Day by helping remove invasive plants in the Red River Gorge. The event will be held at Natural Bridge State Resort Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. Contact Zeb Weese at (606) 663-2214 or jason.weese@ky.gov for more information or visit http://parks.ky.gov/resortparks/nb/events.htm.
:: Friday and Saturday, September 29–30 ::
The Cave Run Storytelling Festival. Enjoy America's best loved storytellers in a beautiful mountain lakeside setting. Let these talented artists take you away to other times and places through the intrigue of storytelling. Stories will be told in large tents on the shore of Cave Run Lake in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Ghost stories by the beach fire on Saturday evening Family storytelling on Friday and Saturday evening interpretive programs will be offered by Daniel Boone National Forest personnel. For more information visit http://caverunstoryfest.org/
:: Saturday, September 30 ::
National Public Lands Day. The nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands American’s enjoy. A list of Kentucky events is online @ http://www.publiclandsday.org/involved/kentucky.cfm
- Greg Abernathy
:::::::::::::: THE PICKS ::::::::::::::::
::::::: Wednesday, September 13 through Wednesday, September 27 ::::::::
:: Friday, September 15 ::
MISS KITTYTWISTER AND HER HOT DOGS w/DUCK FAT and TREVOR TREMAINE (ATTEMPT) @ Third Street Stuff Coffee (outside) - 6-9pm, all ages, FREE
Party in the parking lot! A run of musical silliness coinciding with Gallery Hop. Trevor Tremaine (of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Attempt) starts things off with a solo set of tunes from the Attempt songbook. Duck Fat (aka Eli Riveire and Nick Warner) follow with their debut performance art/cute pop performance. (Is it fair to call this their debut? Their lives seem to be cute pop/performance art pieces.) “Lexington trash rock/twee pop burners,” Miss Kittytwister and Her Hot Dogs (aka the ever-lovable Jessi Fehrenbach and J. Todd Dockery and friends) wrap up the festivities. The KT/HD description is from Tre Tre Tremaine himself. In fact, I don’t know why I’m bothering with this descripto part at all. Here are Trevor’s other descriptions … Duck Fat = “charming nonsense care of Nick Warner and Eli Riveire.” And, of himself, he says, “playing songs from the ATTEMPT repetoire, solo, acoustic, miserable.” So, that’s that.
[Full Disclosure: I helped set up this show.]
:: Friday, September 15 ::
WARMER MILKS record release party w/ARA and ROBERT BEATTY (dj set) @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St (just off W. Maxwell) - 9pm, all ages, $3
Don’t flirt with any other post-Hop spots (well, maybe the fun at E L and F Gallery aka Latitude) – this is the one for you. The Milks had a hard-driving summer on the road. East Coast, West Coast, North Coast, South Coast – you name it they rocked it. Now, the reward – their new record “ “ on New Jersey’s Troubleman Unlimited finally dropped Tuesday. Expect a full fledge storm of shambalic, psychedelic drone outbursts. Ara = beautiful aural atmospherics from Sara O’Keefe of Eyes and Arms of Smoke (accompanied at this performance by her man Trevor Tremaine – yeah, you saw his name above). Robot Booty aka Robert Beatty (of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Three Legged Race) will be jammin’ tunes throughout the evening. Peeking Robo’s superior musical taste is worth the price of admission itself.
:: Saturday, September 16 ::
“Hafla Pura” featuring CAROLENA NERICCIO (of Fat Chance Belly Dance), MEGHA (of Devyani), RAKADU GYPSY DANCE, SABI DIRI, BIG MARACAS, MICK JEFFRIES’ LAPTOP LOUNGE, and more @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – just off S. Broadway near Bolivar – doors 8pm, show 9pm, all ages, $15 advance/$18 at the door
[NOTE: If you mention that you read about this event in The Lexington Project, you’ll get the advance ticket price on tickets bought at the door.]
Mecca premieres its 1st dance performance in its own space this weekend with Hafla Pura featuring performances by Carolena Nericcio, director of FatChanceBellyDance of San Francisco and Megha director Devyani Dance Company.
This will be Carolena's 2nd trip to Kentucky to teach workshops and perform. Carolena is internationally renowned for her Tribal Pura style of Belly Dance and has mentored many of the biggest innovators in the world of belly dance these days including Rachel Brice and Jill Parker of Ultra Gypsy.
Megha and Caroelna will be teaching workshops at Mecca on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Registration is still open. For more information go to: http://www.meccadance.com/events.html
The evening showcase not only features the beauty of Carolena and Megha, but includes performances by local dance companies: Sabi Diri, Foxfire Hypnotica, and Rakadu Gypsy, as well as Cincinnati's Anaya Gypsy and Taletha from Louisville.
Oh, but this isn't just a showcase of some of the most talented bodies in dance today, this is a gathering for mirthful spirits and minds. Doors open at 8pm with joyous musings spilling forth from Mick Jeffries' Laptop Lounge, spend a moment to take in the atmosphere of Mecca, enjoy a glass of wine, a snack perhaps. (you may BYOB if you like) Show goes up at 9pm, sit back and be captivated. Following the show at 11pm, The Big Maracas will bring the night to its full circle with music and your chance to dance! How could you not dance after a show like that?? – Teresa Tomb
[Full Disclosure: Teresa helped organize this show.]
:: Thursday, September 21 ::
THE SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/PALEO and CHICO FELLINI @ The Dame
9pm, ages 21+, $5
Scourge makes a brief stop at home amidst the chaos of their first national tour. They bring along road buddy Paleo, whom some of you will recognize from recent appearances at the Dame and the Icehouse (think a bouncier, less profound Devendra – still pretty good). http://myspace.com/thescourgeofthesea, http://myspace.com/paleo
:: Friday, September 22 ::
OF MONTREAL w/THEE AMERICAN REVOLUTION @ UK’s Student Center Ballroom
8pm, all ages, FREE – sponsored by WRFL
RFL is too good to us. A FREE show by Of Montreal?!!! The Athens indie poppers have every song set on ‘dance’ these days. Expect an evening of perma-smile and ass shaking. Thee American Revolution = members of the Apples in Stereo, the Blueberries, and Ideal Free Distribution. Very fun. http://myspace.com/ofmontreal
:: Friday, September 22 ::
ANATHALLO w/TIMBRE, WINSTON AUDIO, and WES MEEK
@ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue (just off S. Broadway near Bolivar) – 7pm, all ages, $8
Anathallo = chic-ly shabbily orchestrated pop in the vein of Page France. Check ‘em for yourself at http://myspace.com/anathallo. Rough that they’re going up against the free Of Montreal gig. A worthy option if you’re in a lower energy mode.
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
THE DIALECTICS @ the “Chevy Chase Cares” block party, corner of Euclid and E. High Sts - 8-10pm, all ages, FREE
A block party benefiting the Markey Cancer Research Center at UK (the party’s free, but, I believe, a portion of the proceeds from the vendors at the event will go to the Center). Our organic hip hop friends The Dialectics (augmented by mad sound-scientist Chuck “Chook” Moreland) will be playing from 8-10pm on the corner of Euclid and High Street (in front of one of those gaudy criKet phone joints, if I’m not mistaken). Don’t miss the opportunity to take it to the streets (yup, open containers and all).
:: Saturday, September 23 ::
GLENN KOTCHE w/NELS CLINE @ UK’s Singletary Center for the Arts (corner of Euclid and Rose) - 7:30pm, all ages, $15 students, $17 faculty/staff, $20 general public
Two Wilco-ers. Percussionist Kotche graduated from UK and has been very gracious about making trips back. Guitarist Cline has been a fixture of the west coast experimental rock/free jazz/weirdo scene for what seems like forever. I’m sure it’ll be an interesting show. Wish it weren’t $15-20 for a ticket. Lame. My recommendation: Instead of spending your dollars on this show, save ‘em and go see the (at least) equally interesting experimentation at the Tatsuya Nakatani/Dave Farris gig (see below) at the Icehouse.
:: Wednesday, September 27 ::
TATSUYA NAKATANI w/DAVE FARRIS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St (just off W. Maxwell)
8pm, all ages, $3
A meeting of two percussion geniuses – Japanese percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani and local beat master Dave Farris (you know Dave … the man behind the set with Club Dub, The Tall Boys, Catawampus, 10 Ft Pole, Big Fresh, and on and on and on). The first set will be Nakatani solo. The second, an improvised collaboration with Farris. Recommended strongly to anyone who’s enjoyed performances by Matt Weston, Brian Osborne, and Paal Nilssen-Love in recently years. Or, a more local reference, recommended to anyone who’s enjoyed Jordan Munson’s performances (solo and as part of the Karate/Jones Duo).
:: Also worthwhile in the September 13-27 timeframe ::
Every Friday RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Nema’s Grille (Frankfort) – meccadance.com
Every Sunday THE BLUEGRASS COLLECTIVE @ The Fishtank, corner of Euclid and Woodland – 9pm, no cover
Tues/Sept 19 BE YOUR OWN PET w/THE BLACK LIPS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Sept 22 CALEXICO w/OAKLEY HALL @ Headliners (Louisville)
:: Soon Soon ::
Tues/Oct 3 BETTYE LAVETTE @ Headliners (Louisville)
Thurs/Oct 5 CURSIVE w/THE THERMALS and DETACHMENT KIT @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Oct 6 RODNEY CROWELL w/WILL KIMBROUGH @ The Dame
Sat/Oct 7 SCOURGE OF THE SEA w/GUNSHY, ANDREW BRYANT and VERY EMERGENCY @ The Icehouse – all ages
Mon/Oct 9 AWESOME COLOR w/TALL FIRS and WARMER MILKS @ The Dame
Tues/Oct 10 ISWHAT?! w/SELF SCIENTIFIC @ The Dame
Sat/Oct 14 THE WRENS w/SWEARING AT MOTORISTS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Thurs/Oct 19 WOLF EYES w/EYES AND ARMS OF SMOKE and WARMER MILKS @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL
Thurs/Oct 19 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Fri/Oct 20 WOLF EYES w/BURNING STAR CORE and JOHN WIESE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY)
Sat/Oct 21 SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS @ The Dame
Mon/Oct 23 THE EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY @ Singletary Center for the Arts
Tues/Oct 24 PETE BEST BAND @ The Dame
Tues/Oct 24 XIU XIU @ Southgate House ballroom (Newport, KY)
Tues/Oct 24 ONE SELF (DJ Vadim w/Yarah Bravo and Blu Rum 13) @ Southgate House parlour (Newport, KY)
Tues/Oct 24 NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS @ Singletary Center for the Arts
Thurs/Nov 2 ENGINES (Dave Rempis/Nate McBride/Tim Daisy) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
Thurs/Nov 9 THE FESTIVAL QUARTET (Tim Daisy/Keefe Jackson/Josh Berman/Anton Hatwich) w/THE LAY ALL OVER ITS (Jason Ajemian/Nori Tanaka) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
Thurs/Nov 9 BOBBY PREVITE’S COALITION OF THE WILLING (featuring Charlie Hunter, Robert Walters, and Sherik) @ The Dame
Mon/Nov 13 THE ELECTRICS (Axel Dörner/Sture Ericson/Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/Raymond Strid) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
:: 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
CHARLES MANSION – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FROWNY BEAR, 208 Forest Park
THIRD STREET STUFF COFFEE, corner of Limestone and 3rd Street – ph. 859/255-5301
FIREBIRD STUDIO, 359 W. Short St – http://firebirdlexington.com
THE FISHTANK, corner of Woodland and Euclid Ave - http://www.thefishtankbar.com
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
SINGLETARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, corner of Euclid and Rose Sts – http://www.uky.edu/SCFA/
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://wrfl881.org
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.
:::::::::::::: CD REVIEWS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonnie Prince Billy- The Letting Go (Drag City)
The beloved moaner Will Oldham returns with a solid collection of new jams and a new take on the high hills holler idiom that he’s etched out of the southeastern US landscape. One thing’s clear from the beginning, The Letting Go is a really cleanly produced album. With this one Bonny brought a skilled production team into the fold, including Jim White from Faun Fables and a bunch of Icelandics that hold down various string instruments. The results are pretty gorgeous, if it’s cool to use that word. Songs like “Love Comes To Me” and “God’s Small Song” cultivate some really atmospheric moments without sounding too… well… Icelandic. Probably more so than on any other record, Oldham plays around with traditional song structures and timings opting to go the more textural route. The real standout for me was the “untitled” track at the end of the disc. Bonny’s hushed and distant vocals get layered over amorphous percussion and the occasional strike of keys creating a really thick and shimmering ebb and flow. I can’t remember hearing a Bonnie Billy song quite like it. Did he ever do a track with Dirty Three? I’ll have to look around for that.
While this record does separate itself from past releases for being a little more atmospheric, textural, and things, in no way is it a real departure from a lot of the other Bonnie Billy stuff. You’ve still got some deliberate and driving slams like “the seedling,” some small nods to Pete Seger good-times style folk (“no bad news”), and even root delta-blues (“cold & wet”). Another grounding force on the album is the angelic Appalachian background vocals lent to most of the tracks from Faun Fables’ Dawn McCarthy. I hear more Jean Richie than Vahti Bunyan when she plays the role of the sincere and simple rural matriarch, it’s a really refreshing and authentic sound. Overall, it’s great to see the man Bonnie Billy come up with another successful take on “his style” of songwriting... if “his style” is even a measurable thing anymore. – Chris Bush (Note: The B’P’B record hits the streets next Tuesday, September 19.)
Jessica Bailiff- Feels Like Home (Kranky)
Acid-folk chanteuse! "new-weird America!" read all about it Style. If you didn’t know any better you could listen to this record and think it was some private press weirdo hippie drug folk experimental record that was recorded thirty years Ago and now sells for $300 on ebay… but thankfully people like Kranky records are putting these records out these days. Jessica's voice is super pretty, and I get psyched when she starts her songs off with really broken sounding piano notes, only to wash over them with really big strokes of wonder... wow... yeah, that really came out of me... and I'm serious... it must be a more powerful record than I thought. – Chris Bush
Christina Carter - Electrice (Kranky)
Christina Carter has released a dizzying amount of stuff. I wonder if she's even heard it all. But, I've never been disappointed... and her new record "Electrice" is no exception. On the album's four long tracks Christina's vocals seem closer than in other releases, but just out of legibility's reach. Below... she pushes a slow stream of repetitive guitar strums... hypnotic in a real sense. I'm always pretty captivated by how Carter (and Charlambides) think about structre, or really how they try not to think about it too much. It seems almost effortless without being uninteresting. - Chris Bush
Arthur Russell - Springfield (Audika)
I'm super psyched that Audika keeps on resurrecting lost and out of print Arthur Russell stuff. Their newest compilation of the avant-cellist turned outsider disco producer's work titled "Springfield" is out now, and it's pretty great. For fans of Russell you'll probably recognize bits and pieces of his other songs worked into these "new" compositions. For example, the fifth track on this rescord is yet
another take on a song of his that already has a bunch of incarnations "let's go swimming." Also, "The Platform on the Ocean," a track that appeared on the
Russell compilation "Calling out of Context," appears somewhere near the end of the disc. Some people might be interested to know that this compilation has a DFA mix of the Russell track "Springfield," an inclusion that seems sort of strange to me. Russell is reported to have left hundreds of cassette recordings of his work that remain unreleased... so why would they put a DFA remix on this comp. when there's a ton of Arthur Russell stuff waiting to be heard? Weird. - Chris Bush
Chris Herbert- Mezzotint (Kranky)
An apparent master of ambient drone, Chris Herbert’s new record on Kranky seems to take certain notes from past Kranky ambient-itians like Stars Of The Lid, pan sonic, and the Dead Texan without sounding derivitive of any of those artists. His drones are supper dense…not conducive to floating, and his changes are subtle. On some of the coolest tracks there are really splintered scrapes that sound somewhere in between computer glitch and guitar feedback… when stuff is
processed that much I just can’t tell exactly what it is, I'm usually just psyched. Anyways… drone times. - Chris Bush
:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com
