Tuesday, January 23, 2007
TLP January 23, 2007
An early Lex Pro. That’s a switch, huh? Go see Summer Hymns, Folklore, and Noisycrane TONIGHT at Mecca, and Function, Cabo Ladies, and Keenan Lawler TOMORROW at the Icehouse. Stop by the KFTC ‘Can’t Steal Community’ Yard Sale on Saturday. Pick up the new Rafter cd. Thanks to Greg Abernathy, Samantha Herald, Saraya Brewer, Will Burchard, Chris Bush, and Beth Connors Manke for their contributions.
Luv, Ross
:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::
** Sat/January 27 – Can’t Steal Community! KFTC Community Yard Sale @ Third Street Stuff
This Saturday, January 27th, Third Street Stuff will host community yard sale (or floor sale, depending on the weather) to benefit our friends Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. The reason for the season? Some jackamo recently broke into the KFTC office and stole a ton of shite. Now that’s some b*llsh*t! Anyway … if you’d like to donate items for the sale, you can drop them off at Third Street Stuff (on Limestone near the corner of 3rd Street) or at the KFTC office (253 Regency Circle). If you’d like to puruse said items and do some yardsaling for a good cause, stop by on the 27th between 10am and 6pm. Expect a party for the people atmosphere - dj’s, live music, and more. For more info or if you have any questions, call Jonathan Hampton at 859/420-9858.
** FREE FLICKS! Bluegrass Film Society at BCTC
Here’s the scoop on the next two weeks of Bluegrass Film Society flicks at BCTC. Remember the change – the films used to screen on Thursdays, now it’s WEDNESDAYS. All films start at 7:45pm in the auditorium in Oswald Building on the campus of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College (aka the old LCC). They’re still FREE and open to everyone. For the full schedule and/or more info, check BFS at http://bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com.
1/24: Yes (United Kingdom)
1/31: Save the Green Planet (South Korea)
** Sun/January 28 – LPO presents Milton Street CMS
A repeat from last issue …
An interesting-looking Philharmonic event– a progressive flute and percussion duo. Sounds like something that might be at home in the Outside the Spotlight series. Below are the full details. Pay attention to the “Tickets” line – “Mention The Lexington Project when you buy a ticket and receive one FREE.” Cool. (Oh, and note the mention of “delicious desserts.”)
“The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra presents an Audible & Edible (A&E) concert with Milton Street Chamber Music Society. Milton Street CMS is a pioneering and versatile flute and percussion duo dedicated to the performance of works from a diversity of styles and composers. Malone's Banquets provides the perfect location (and delicious desserts!) for the LPO's principal timpanist Brady Harrison and flutist Heather Verbeck.
Based out of Cincinnati, Milton Street CMS has a special interest in newer works written specifically for their unique instrumental combination. This season they will present works that vary widely in sound, style, and form. Their repertoire includes some of the earliest works written for this combination, as well as brand new works from the 21st century. Performances typically include a wide range of percussion instruments, from marimba to vibraphone, fire-bells to gourds, and it is not unusual to see three different sizes of flutes on stage. Milton Street CMS seek to tear down the stereotypical boundaries of classical chamber music while creating artful performances that may be at one moment thrilling and in the next solemn.
Date: Sunday, January 28th
Location: Malone's Banquets
Time: 3:30 p.m
Tickets: $12 in advance, $13 at door. Mention The Lexington Project when you buy a ticket and receive one free.
Order tickets: 859.233.4226 or http://www.lexphil.org”
** Mon/January 29 – Wandering Storytellers series @ Natasha’s Cafe
Natasha’s Café, in conjunction with the Kentucky Storytelling Association, presents “Wandering Storytellers,” a new series featuring award winning storytellers from all over Kentucky. This month it’s Buck P. Creacy presenting "Romance: 101,” Monday, January 29th at 9pm. All ages are welcome. Admission is $5. For more info, visit http://www.buckpcreacy.com and http://www.ksa.org. For reservations call, 859/259-2754.
** Coming Up …
Fri/February 9 – “H’Artful of Fun” fundraiser for the Living Arts and Science Center. More info http://www.lasclelx.org.
Sat/February 10 –Dance of Enticement Workshop @ Mecca, Saturday, 2-4pm. $25 for advance registrations, $30 @ door. More info at http://www.meccadance.com. Pre-register by calling 859/254-9790 or emailing info@meccadance.com.
Sun/February 11 - Heartbreaker Alley Cat Race! More info next issue.
:::::::::::::::::: YOU GO OUTDOORS. I GO OUTDOORS. LET’S GO OUTDOORS TOGETHER. :::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dig out a warm coat, hat, gloves and some boots and get out-of-doors this January – take a hike or volunteer in the battle against invasive plants. If the winter conditions are too much to bear hold out until late January and KET will offer you the ability to be an armchair naturalist.
:: Saturday, January 27 :: Owl Prowl. A live presentation of owls native to Kentucky will be held at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve (Jefferson County). There will also be a guided night hike in the preserve to search for owls. The program is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST and cost $10, free for LNC members. Space is limited, so make reservations early!
:: Saturday and Sunday, January 27-28 :: KET's Kentucky Life segment "Dragonflies of Kentucky", featuring Ellis Laudermilk, KSNPC invertebrate biologist, and Carl Cook, longtime dragonfly enthusiast, will air on KET1 on Jan. 27, 2007, at 8 p.m. EST. It will repeat on Jan. 28th, 2007, at 4:30 p.m. EST on KET1.
- Greg Abernathy
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE PICKS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::: Tuesday, January 23 – Monday, February 5 :::::::::::
:: Tuesday, January 23 ::
SUMMER HYMNS w/NOISYCRANE and FOLKLORE @ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue – across S. Broadway from UK’s Reynolds Bldg - 9pm, all ages, $3 – sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM and Action Arts
Tonight at Mecca there is a plethora of fun lovin’ music going to be taking place. First off we have one of my favorite new local bands, Noisycrane. Though, Cody Swanson has been making music for years, this particular incarnation (with Sean Rose on percussion) is fairly new. While the band’s influences are apparent, their songs are anything but contrived or cliché; they range in sounds from Neutral Milk Hotel to The Ramones. Check out the live recording of “That’s When I Realized I’m In Love” on their myspace page (http://myspace.com/noisycrane); it’s a new favorite of mine. If you’re interested in hearing more and can’t wait until tonight, the band also has a recent live show available for download on their webpage (http://www.noisycrane.com).
This is the beginning of Summer Hymns and Folklore’s two and a half week tour throughout the Eastern half of the U.S. Both bands come to us from Athens, GA and describe themselves as writing folk music, though whereas Folklore’s music is presented in a more experimental, droney fashion, Summer Hymns is a much more traditional, almost Americana folk band. Both are touring in support of releases that came out late last year, Summer Hymns “Backward Masks” album released on Misra Records and Folklore’s self-released EP “Carpenter Falls”. Being that it’s the first of the tour, it’s sure to be a lively show! It’s set to start at 9 pm, is only $3 and, as always, all ages are welcome at Mecca. – Samantha Herald
Wanna hear a song?
Summer Hymns - "Start Swimming"
Folklore - "HW Beaverman"
:: Wednesday, January 24 ::
FUNCTION w/CABO LADIES and KEENAN LAWLER @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St – just off W. Maxwell - 8pm, all ages, $3-5 suggested donation
I guess first I should thank Ross for asking me to preview this show. Otherwise, there’s a good chance I never would’ve heard Function’s album The Secret Miracle Fountain. Which I’ve fallen in deep-like-at-first-listen with.
FUNCTION consist of Australian native Matt Nicholson and a rotating wheel of accompaniment, currently including the mystic soundscapes of Indian vocalist and percussionist Lakshmi Shankar and Subash Chandran. Straying from the overwhelming temptation to abuse the overused descriptors “psychedelic/experimental folk,” I’m just going to describe what I’ve heard of Function as straight-up gorgeousness—acoustic guitars, haunting piano walks, pretty birdie chirps, and distant-echoey harmonies, with intermittent heavy percussion (at least in the first few songs) really keeping the album alive and engaging. All the songs are good, and a few are really phenomenal. If you like Beach House, Yo La Tengo, and/or Six Organs of Admittance I definitely recommend checking out this show; pick up the album while you’re at it.
KEENAN LAWLER is apparently a very well established Louisville musician who I had never encountered until I checked out some of his songs on MySpace; also distant, sparse compositions, extremely melodic and pretty. The resume of artists that he’s collaborated and/or performed with is freakin’ extensive and impressive, including Rhys Chathm, Matmos, My Morning Jacket, Pelt, Burning Star Core, and Paul K and The Weathermen.
CABOLADIES, in case you don’t know, is Chris Bush, Eric Lanham, and Ben Zoeller, Lexington’s premiere indie-noise-drone-whatever-dude darlings. You owe it to supporting awesome local endeavors and to yourself to come watch them make magic. (From what I hear, they totally rule at creating towers of mystifyingly beautiful noise with highly complex music machines.)
C’mon, dudes. It’s a Wednesday.
p.s. I don’t think a bad time was ever had at the Icehouse.
p.p.s. There are guaranteed to be beautiful people there.
.SeB.
:: Friday, January 26 ::
Poetry - ERIC SUTHERLAND w/JUDE McPHERSON, and BIANCA SPRIGGS @ Third Street Stuff Coffee - 8pm, all ages, FREE
Three of Lexington’s most insightful poets in what our man Mr. Sutherland promises will be “an evening of linguistic bliss.”
:: Friday, January 26 ::
GIL MANTERA’S PARTY DREAM opening for PARLOUR BOYS and CHICO FELLINI @ The Dame - 9pm, ages 21+, $5
Gil Mantera's Party Dream released their third album, "Bloodsongs,” last year on the Black Key's drummer's personal label, Audio Eagle (in conjunction with Fat Possum). Like the Black Keys, they are just 2 dudes (in their case two brothers from Youngstown, OH) who sound like 5 dudes rocking it the hard way. Unlike the Black Keys' drummer and guitarist setup, the Party Dream consists of the vocalist/guitarist Ultimate Donny, and Gil Mantera, who plays bass and programs the keyboards and drum machine. And these guys put on a show so costumed, so rock ready, that fans in their home state routinely drive hours to see their shows. Imagine listening to any group 1980's spandex clad permed longhairs, fronted by Michael McDonald in a Cosby sweater, covering Atari 2600 theme songs. I'm talkin' sweet mustaches, Brian Bosworth shades, warm up track suit jackets with no shirts on underneath, whipping up the crowd into a sweaty frenzy. Awesome overdrive pedals, robot voiced choruses, retarded drumpad programming---normally a recipe to suck. But the Party Dream serve it up righteously, garnishing their masterpieces with titles like "Bunz Therapy". Their website opens with an action shot of Gil Mantera totally rocking the five string bass. Made me want to email them, you know, to touch the magic or whatever. I didn't after reading their warning: "Contact awesome band members only if you really need to. We have enough shit to deal with already." I cannot afford to miss a band like this. They aren't the headliners that night, so show up early for once. – Will Burchard
:: Wednesday, January 31 ::
THE LAY ALL OVER ITS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St
8pm, all ages, $3
The Lay All Over Its = open heart and open mind interplay between bassist/vocalist Jason Ajemian and percussionist Nori Tanaka. A hallucinatory, organic mix of locked-groove bass and drum instrumental stretches with vocal poetic abstractions interspersed.
:: Saturday, February 3 ::
JASON ZAVALA cd release show w/THE JOYBOMB and THE LAST DUO @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave - 8pm, all ages, $3 – sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Our chance to celebrate the release of JZ’s solo debut (solo in name, but the disc features contributions from the entire cast of characters that made up the last incarnation of the Elephants – Mark Savage, Ben Allen, and Sean Haezebrouck, as well as Robby Cosenza of the Scourge of the Sea and Fanged Robot, Matt Duncan of Parlour Boys, Trevor Tremaine of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Attempt, Robert Beatty of Eyes and Arms, Hair Police and Three Legged Race, and Paul Puckett of The Last Duo). Jason’s one of my favorite live performers whether he’s playfully stomping his foot and shaking his head or painfully bearing his heartbreak. The Joybomb = the ever-lovable Jeremy Midkiff of Big Fresh and Gaudi. The Last Duo = two badass dudes (our man Paul Puckett being one of them) playing louder and harder than you can.
:: Also worthwhile in the January 23 – February 5 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/Jan 23 BEDTIME w/FANGED ROBOT @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 24 PALEO w/NOISYCRANE and NEVA GEOFFREY @ The Dame
Thurs/Jan 25 YO LA TENGO @ Bomhard Theater (Louisville)
Fri/Jan 26 TRIOSHIFT @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sat/Jan 27 REEL WORLD STRING BAND @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sun/Jan 28 PATRIARCH w/DEAD HEARTS, DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, BLOODLINED CALIGRAPHY, and FIRST BLOOD @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, counterfiction.com
Sat/Jan 27 TODD SNIDER w/CORY BRANAN @ The Dame
Mon/Jan 29 Open mic w/CHARLIE WHITTINGTON @ The Dame
Tues/Jan 30 TIGHT LEATHER w/AMOROSO @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 31 THE LAY ALL OVER ITS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St – all ages
Wed/Jan 31 THE DIALECTICS w/GLEE CLUB @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 31 THE RAPTURE w/UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS and VRKTM @ Headliners (Louisville) – all ages
Fri/Feb 2 OVER THE RHINE @ The Dame – early show, 7pm
Fri/Feb 2 ALMA GITANA @ Natasha’s Café – all ages, 9pm
Fri/Feb 2 G-FUNK @ The Dame – late show, 10pm
Sat/Feb 3 ASYLUM STREET SPANKERS @ The Dame
Sat/Feb 3 JONEZETTA @ Mad Hatter (Covington, KY)
Mon/Feb 5 “Mecca Monday” (Mecca student dancer showcase) @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 8pm
Mon/Feb 5 ESSEX GREEN w/KIM TAYLOR @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
:: Soon Soon ::
Thurs/Feb 8 THE APPLES IN STEREO w/CASPER AND THE COOKIES @ The Dame
Fri/Feb 9 RAQ w/UPSHOT TRIO @ The Dame
Sat/Feb 10 RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sat/Feb 10 “Century 2007” w/DJ ASSAULT, MATT BANDY, THE REFINERY, and DJ BOOTH @ The Dame
Wed-Fri/Feb 14-16 “Surprise Theatre” @ Natasha’s Café – 112 Esplanade - all ages
Fri/Feb 16 SUNDAY VALLEY @ The Dame
Tues/Feb 22 RICHARD BUCKNER w/SIX PARTS SEVEN @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Thurs/Mar 1 MATT VALENTINE + ERIKA ELDER w/WOODEN WAND, and CABO LADIES @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Fri/Mar 2 BLING KONG opening for PARLOUR BOYS @ The Dame
Wed/Mar 7 BISHOP ALLEN @ Mecca – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Thurs/Mar 8 THE LUCKY STIFFS w/HEARTTHROB, and ARSENIC ON THE ROCKS @ The Dame
Fri/Mar 9 TV ON THE RADIO @ Brown Theater (Louisville)
Sat/Mar 10 RJD2 w/BUSDRIVER backed by ANTIMC, and HAPPY CHICHESTER @ The Dame – late show, 10pm
Sat/Mar 10 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO w/CHUCK PROPHET @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Mon/Mar 12 THE WALKMEN @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Sat/Mar 17 DO MAKE SAY THINK @ The Dame
Sat/Mar 17 ALOHA w/SPARTA, and MEWITHOUTYOU @ Mad Hatter (Covington, KY)
Mon/Mar 19 IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES @ The Dame
Tues/Mar 20 OF MONTREAL @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Wed/Mar 21 SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Thurs/Mar 22 SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Fri/Mar 23 MAGIK MARKERS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Mon/Apr 1 PAGE FRANCE @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Tues/Apr 15 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Wed/Apr 16 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE @ The Dame
Mon/Apr 21 THE THING (Mats Gustafsson, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
:: Pertinent Resources ::
__Lexington__
THE DAME, 156 W.Main St, Lexington - http://www.dameky.com
THE ICEHOUSE, 412 Cross St (off W.Maxwell), Lexington
MECCA dance studio/gallery, 451 Chair Avenue, off S.Broadway near Bolivar - http://www.meccadance.com
CHARLES MANSION (a venue no longer, but the website’s a good spot to find out about shows) – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FROWNY BEAR, 208 Forest Park
THIRD STREET STUFF COFFEE, corner of Limestone and 3rd Street – ph. 859/255-5301
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
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 POUR HAUS, 1481 S. Shelby Street (corner of Shelby and Burnett), Louisville
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 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jason Zavala – Lazer Crust
I'm thinking that Jason Zavala's new record Lazer Crust is going to be the best release coming out of Lexington this year. Sure dude, I actually do realize that it's only January, and that calling this record the year's best might be premature. But... the record is super clean. Not only is it long, long overdue ... Zavala's had to have been blasting these tunes all over town for the better part of a year by now... but people are having strange wonderful responses to the newly disc-ed tunes... friends and foes are uniting, WRFL djs are playing the disc more than anything else at the station, songwriters around the city are second guessing stuff, etc... So, what is the Zavala formula? HUGE moans, off base guitar changes to keep things interesting, honest lyrics, and a pop sensibility that keeps you coming back. Year of the Lazer Crust? I think it could happen. - Chris Bush
Note: Jason will celebrate the release of “Lazer Crust” with a show Saturday, February 3rd at Mecca. GO!
Rafter – Music for Total Chickens
(Asthmatic Kitty)
I realized yesterday that I’d only ever listened to this disc on headphones. Ten or twelve times through at least, but only on headphones. Seemed entirely appropriate that this song cycle of the peaks and valleys of mental health, the fight to remain hopeful in the face self-doubt and despair, would exist confined in earbuds, as a dreamlike accompaniment to daily life. With “Music for Total Chickens,” Rafter, aka Rafter Roberts, heretofore best known as a produced/engineer for artists including Fiery Furnaces, Castanets, Sufjan Stevens, and Rocket From The Crypt, has created a mini-epic out of the universal internal struggle. Crashing cymbals and fuzzed rhythms textured with kitchen-sink sonics, electronics, and staccato guitar (think Phil Elvrum of the Microphones collaborating with US Maple) give way to moments of completely soaring, harmonious pop beauty, like moments of clarity amidst clutter and confusion. And, through this, wind Rafter’s deceptively simple addresses of perseverance and hope, delivered with the gentleness of Half Handed Cloud and the painfully-raw openness of Mirah’s “You Think It’s Like This…” or the Microphones’ “The Glow, part II” - a believer, worn by disappointment, vulnerable but reaching down to pull others up. This is an amazing record. – prc
Taste a track ... Rafter - "Gentle Men"
:::::::::::::: ESSAY/BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
As a general rule, growing up in the Midwest you don’t hear much about the U.S. internment of Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor. Our homegrown concentration camps are not a secret, of course, and there was that movie (and book) called Snow Falling On Cedars about the internment that came out several years ago. It’s just that very few people talk about it. Growing up in my neighborhood in Indianapolis, it went like this: we talked about black-white race problems, and we lived in the middle of the Jewish community. We only wrestled with the struggles in our purview. This is partially understandable, as sometimes the most you can do is get through your own day.
For a Midwesterner, it seems far, far away, right?
But now I’m mildly obsessed with the omission. Why would most of us want to forget that while the U.S. was off battling fascism in Europe, with its own astounding version of concentration camps, we divested Japanese American families of their jobs, businesses, farms, community and sent them off to camps?
When I was working in Cleveland, my friend and co-worker Ernie gave me a bare-bones account of what happened to his family on the West Coast during the war: his parents were sent away to a camp and someone else (probably someone who looks like me) got their farm. Ernie’s family never got their land back.
Despite my bona-fide Midwestern credentials, I’m a city girl; I have never lived or worked on a farm. But, I have been strongly inculcated with John Mellencamp’s hoosier attachment to farmland. “Scarecrow” and “Pink Houses” were in the 80s, as they continue to be today, played on Indiana radio stations at least once an hour. My point is that taking someone’s family farm should resonate with us Midwesterners, even if we are city-dwellers.
The internment of Japanese Americans has never been ruled unconstitutional. I love my country, but I am hugely embarrassed, disappointed, and scared by that fact. You should be, too.
Here are a few books to help you mull over this dark part of our history. Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660 is a beautifully illustrated memoir of her time in a camp. The book is more art than narrative and quite moving in that way. John Okada’s No-No Boy is a novel about a young man’s struggles after he returns from the internment camps.
- BCM
:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com
Luv, Ross
:::::::::::::::::::::::: Announcements :::::::::::::::::::::::::::
** Sat/January 27 – Can’t Steal Community! KFTC Community Yard Sale @ Third Street Stuff
This Saturday, January 27th, Third Street Stuff will host community yard sale (or floor sale, depending on the weather) to benefit our friends Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. The reason for the season? Some jackamo recently broke into the KFTC office and stole a ton of shite. Now that’s some b*llsh*t! Anyway … if you’d like to donate items for the sale, you can drop them off at Third Street Stuff (on Limestone near the corner of 3rd Street) or at the KFTC office (253 Regency Circle). If you’d like to puruse said items and do some yardsaling for a good cause, stop by on the 27th between 10am and 6pm. Expect a party for the people atmosphere - dj’s, live music, and more. For more info or if you have any questions, call Jonathan Hampton at 859/420-9858.
** FREE FLICKS! Bluegrass Film Society at BCTC
Here’s the scoop on the next two weeks of Bluegrass Film Society flicks at BCTC. Remember the change – the films used to screen on Thursdays, now it’s WEDNESDAYS. All films start at 7:45pm in the auditorium in Oswald Building on the campus of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College (aka the old LCC). They’re still FREE and open to everyone. For the full schedule and/or more info, check BFS at http://bluegrassfilmsociety.blogspot.com.
1/24: Yes (United Kingdom)
1/31: Save the Green Planet (South Korea)
** Sun/January 28 – LPO presents Milton Street CMS
A repeat from last issue …
An interesting-looking Philharmonic event– a progressive flute and percussion duo. Sounds like something that might be at home in the Outside the Spotlight series. Below are the full details. Pay attention to the “Tickets” line – “Mention The Lexington Project when you buy a ticket and receive one FREE.” Cool. (Oh, and note the mention of “delicious desserts.”)
“The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra presents an Audible & Edible (A&E) concert with Milton Street Chamber Music Society. Milton Street CMS is a pioneering and versatile flute and percussion duo dedicated to the performance of works from a diversity of styles and composers. Malone's Banquets provides the perfect location (and delicious desserts!) for the LPO's principal timpanist Brady Harrison and flutist Heather Verbeck.
Based out of Cincinnati, Milton Street CMS has a special interest in newer works written specifically for their unique instrumental combination. This season they will present works that vary widely in sound, style, and form. Their repertoire includes some of the earliest works written for this combination, as well as brand new works from the 21st century. Performances typically include a wide range of percussion instruments, from marimba to vibraphone, fire-bells to gourds, and it is not unusual to see three different sizes of flutes on stage. Milton Street CMS seek to tear down the stereotypical boundaries of classical chamber music while creating artful performances that may be at one moment thrilling and in the next solemn.
Date: Sunday, January 28th
Location: Malone's Banquets
Time: 3:30 p.m
Tickets: $12 in advance, $13 at door. Mention The Lexington Project when you buy a ticket and receive one free.
Order tickets: 859.233.4226 or http://www.lexphil.org”
** Mon/January 29 – Wandering Storytellers series @ Natasha’s Cafe
Natasha’s Café, in conjunction with the Kentucky Storytelling Association, presents “Wandering Storytellers,” a new series featuring award winning storytellers from all over Kentucky. This month it’s Buck P. Creacy presenting "Romance: 101,” Monday, January 29th at 9pm. All ages are welcome. Admission is $5. For more info, visit http://www.buckpcreacy.com and http://www.ksa.org. For reservations call, 859/259-2754.
** Coming Up …
Fri/February 9 – “H’Artful of Fun” fundraiser for the Living Arts and Science Center. More info http://www.lasclelx.org.
Sat/February 10 –Dance of Enticement Workshop @ Mecca, Saturday, 2-4pm. $25 for advance registrations, $30 @ door. More info at http://www.meccadance.com. Pre-register by calling 859/254-9790 or emailing info@meccadance.com.
Sun/February 11 - Heartbreaker Alley Cat Race! More info next issue.
:::::::::::::::::: YOU GO OUTDOORS. I GO OUTDOORS. LET’S GO OUTDOORS TOGETHER. :::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dig out a warm coat, hat, gloves and some boots and get out-of-doors this January – take a hike or volunteer in the battle against invasive plants. If the winter conditions are too much to bear hold out until late January and KET will offer you the ability to be an armchair naturalist.
:: Saturday, January 27 :: Owl Prowl. A live presentation of owls native to Kentucky will be held at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve (Jefferson County). There will also be a guided night hike in the preserve to search for owls. The program is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST and cost $10, free for LNC members. Space is limited, so make reservations early!
:: Saturday and Sunday, January 27-28 :: KET's Kentucky Life segment "Dragonflies of Kentucky", featuring Ellis Laudermilk, KSNPC invertebrate biologist, and Carl Cook, longtime dragonfly enthusiast, will air on KET1 on Jan. 27, 2007, at 8 p.m. EST. It will repeat on Jan. 28th, 2007, at 4:30 p.m. EST on KET1.
- Greg Abernathy
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: THE PICKS :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::: Tuesday, January 23 – Monday, February 5 :::::::::::
:: Tuesday, January 23 ::
SUMMER HYMNS w/NOISYCRANE and FOLKLORE @ Mecca, 451 Chair Avenue – across S. Broadway from UK’s Reynolds Bldg - 9pm, all ages, $3 – sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM and Action Arts
Tonight at Mecca there is a plethora of fun lovin’ music going to be taking place. First off we have one of my favorite new local bands, Noisycrane. Though, Cody Swanson has been making music for years, this particular incarnation (with Sean Rose on percussion) is fairly new. While the band’s influences are apparent, their songs are anything but contrived or cliché; they range in sounds from Neutral Milk Hotel to The Ramones. Check out the live recording of “That’s When I Realized I’m In Love” on their myspace page (http://myspace.com/noisycrane); it’s a new favorite of mine. If you’re interested in hearing more and can’t wait until tonight, the band also has a recent live show available for download on their webpage (http://www.noisycrane.com).
This is the beginning of Summer Hymns and Folklore’s two and a half week tour throughout the Eastern half of the U.S. Both bands come to us from Athens, GA and describe themselves as writing folk music, though whereas Folklore’s music is presented in a more experimental, droney fashion, Summer Hymns is a much more traditional, almost Americana folk band. Both are touring in support of releases that came out late last year, Summer Hymns “Backward Masks” album released on Misra Records and Folklore’s self-released EP “Carpenter Falls”. Being that it’s the first of the tour, it’s sure to be a lively show! It’s set to start at 9 pm, is only $3 and, as always, all ages are welcome at Mecca. – Samantha Herald
Wanna hear a song?
Summer Hymns - "Start Swimming"
Folklore - "HW Beaverman"
:: Wednesday, January 24 ::
FUNCTION w/CABO LADIES and KEENAN LAWLER @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St – just off W. Maxwell - 8pm, all ages, $3-5 suggested donation
I guess first I should thank Ross for asking me to preview this show. Otherwise, there’s a good chance I never would’ve heard Function’s album The Secret Miracle Fountain. Which I’ve fallen in deep-like-at-first-listen with.
FUNCTION consist of Australian native Matt Nicholson and a rotating wheel of accompaniment, currently including the mystic soundscapes of Indian vocalist and percussionist Lakshmi Shankar and Subash Chandran. Straying from the overwhelming temptation to abuse the overused descriptors “psychedelic/experimental folk,” I’m just going to describe what I’ve heard of Function as straight-up gorgeousness—acoustic guitars, haunting piano walks, pretty birdie chirps, and distant-echoey harmonies, with intermittent heavy percussion (at least in the first few songs) really keeping the album alive and engaging. All the songs are good, and a few are really phenomenal. If you like Beach House, Yo La Tengo, and/or Six Organs of Admittance I definitely recommend checking out this show; pick up the album while you’re at it.
KEENAN LAWLER is apparently a very well established Louisville musician who I had never encountered until I checked out some of his songs on MySpace; also distant, sparse compositions, extremely melodic and pretty. The resume of artists that he’s collaborated and/or performed with is freakin’ extensive and impressive, including Rhys Chathm, Matmos, My Morning Jacket, Pelt, Burning Star Core, and Paul K and The Weathermen.
CABOLADIES, in case you don’t know, is Chris Bush, Eric Lanham, and Ben Zoeller, Lexington’s premiere indie-noise-drone-whatever-dude darlings. You owe it to supporting awesome local endeavors and to yourself to come watch them make magic. (From what I hear, they totally rule at creating towers of mystifyingly beautiful noise with highly complex music machines.)
C’mon, dudes. It’s a Wednesday.
p.s. I don’t think a bad time was ever had at the Icehouse.
p.p.s. There are guaranteed to be beautiful people there.
.SeB.
:: Friday, January 26 ::
Poetry - ERIC SUTHERLAND w/JUDE McPHERSON, and BIANCA SPRIGGS @ Third Street Stuff Coffee - 8pm, all ages, FREE
Three of Lexington’s most insightful poets in what our man Mr. Sutherland promises will be “an evening of linguistic bliss.”
:: Friday, January 26 ::
GIL MANTERA’S PARTY DREAM opening for PARLOUR BOYS and CHICO FELLINI @ The Dame - 9pm, ages 21+, $5
Gil Mantera's Party Dream released their third album, "Bloodsongs,” last year on the Black Key's drummer's personal label, Audio Eagle (in conjunction with Fat Possum). Like the Black Keys, they are just 2 dudes (in their case two brothers from Youngstown, OH) who sound like 5 dudes rocking it the hard way. Unlike the Black Keys' drummer and guitarist setup, the Party Dream consists of the vocalist/guitarist Ultimate Donny, and Gil Mantera, who plays bass and programs the keyboards and drum machine. And these guys put on a show so costumed, so rock ready, that fans in their home state routinely drive hours to see their shows. Imagine listening to any group 1980's spandex clad permed longhairs, fronted by Michael McDonald in a Cosby sweater, covering Atari 2600 theme songs. I'm talkin' sweet mustaches, Brian Bosworth shades, warm up track suit jackets with no shirts on underneath, whipping up the crowd into a sweaty frenzy. Awesome overdrive pedals, robot voiced choruses, retarded drumpad programming---normally a recipe to suck. But the Party Dream serve it up righteously, garnishing their masterpieces with titles like "Bunz Therapy". Their website opens with an action shot of Gil Mantera totally rocking the five string bass. Made me want to email them, you know, to touch the magic or whatever. I didn't after reading their warning: "Contact awesome band members only if you really need to. We have enough shit to deal with already." I cannot afford to miss a band like this. They aren't the headliners that night, so show up early for once. – Will Burchard
:: Wednesday, January 31 ::
THE LAY ALL OVER ITS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St
8pm, all ages, $3
The Lay All Over Its = open heart and open mind interplay between bassist/vocalist Jason Ajemian and percussionist Nori Tanaka. A hallucinatory, organic mix of locked-groove bass and drum instrumental stretches with vocal poetic abstractions interspersed.
:: Saturday, February 3 ::
JASON ZAVALA cd release show w/THE JOYBOMB and THE LAST DUO @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave - 8pm, all ages, $3 – sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Our chance to celebrate the release of JZ’s solo debut (solo in name, but the disc features contributions from the entire cast of characters that made up the last incarnation of the Elephants – Mark Savage, Ben Allen, and Sean Haezebrouck, as well as Robby Cosenza of the Scourge of the Sea and Fanged Robot, Matt Duncan of Parlour Boys, Trevor Tremaine of Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Hair Police, and Attempt, Robert Beatty of Eyes and Arms, Hair Police and Three Legged Race, and Paul Puckett of The Last Duo). Jason’s one of my favorite live performers whether he’s playfully stomping his foot and shaking his head or painfully bearing his heartbreak. The Joybomb = the ever-lovable Jeremy Midkiff of Big Fresh and Gaudi. The Last Duo = two badass dudes (our man Paul Puckett being one of them) playing louder and harder than you can.
:: Also worthwhile in the January 23 – February 5 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/Jan 23 BEDTIME w/FANGED ROBOT @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 24 PALEO w/NOISYCRANE and NEVA GEOFFREY @ The Dame
Thurs/Jan 25 YO LA TENGO @ Bomhard Theater (Louisville)
Fri/Jan 26 TRIOSHIFT @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sat/Jan 27 REEL WORLD STRING BAND @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sun/Jan 28 PATRIARCH w/DEAD HEARTS, DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, BLOODLINED CALIGRAPHY, and FIRST BLOOD @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, counterfiction.com
Sat/Jan 27 TODD SNIDER w/CORY BRANAN @ The Dame
Mon/Jan 29 Open mic w/CHARLIE WHITTINGTON @ The Dame
Tues/Jan 30 TIGHT LEATHER w/AMOROSO @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 31 THE LAY ALL OVER ITS @ The Icehouse, 412 Cross St – all ages
Wed/Jan 31 THE DIALECTICS w/GLEE CLUB @ The Dame
Wed/Jan 31 THE RAPTURE w/UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GIANTS and VRKTM @ Headliners (Louisville) – all ages
Fri/Feb 2 OVER THE RHINE @ The Dame – early show, 7pm
Fri/Feb 2 ALMA GITANA @ Natasha’s Café – all ages, 9pm
Fri/Feb 2 G-FUNK @ The Dame – late show, 10pm
Sat/Feb 3 ASYLUM STREET SPANKERS @ The Dame
Sat/Feb 3 JONEZETTA @ Mad Hatter (Covington, KY)
Mon/Feb 5 “Mecca Monday” (Mecca student dancer showcase) @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 8pm
Mon/Feb 5 ESSEX GREEN w/KIM TAYLOR @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
:: Soon Soon ::
Thurs/Feb 8 THE APPLES IN STEREO w/CASPER AND THE COOKIES @ The Dame
Fri/Feb 9 RAQ w/UPSHOT TRIO @ The Dame
Sat/Feb 10 RAKADU GYPSY DANCE @ Natasha’s Café, 112 Esplanade – all ages, 9pm
Sat/Feb 10 “Century 2007” w/DJ ASSAULT, MATT BANDY, THE REFINERY, and DJ BOOTH @ The Dame
Wed-Fri/Feb 14-16 “Surprise Theatre” @ Natasha’s Café – 112 Esplanade - all ages
Fri/Feb 16 SUNDAY VALLEY @ The Dame
Tues/Feb 22 RICHARD BUCKNER w/SIX PARTS SEVEN @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Thurs/Mar 1 MATT VALENTINE + ERIKA ELDER w/WOODEN WAND, and CABO LADIES @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Fri/Mar 2 BLING KONG opening for PARLOUR BOYS @ The Dame
Wed/Mar 7 BISHOP ALLEN @ Mecca – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Thurs/Mar 8 THE LUCKY STIFFS w/HEARTTHROB, and ARSENIC ON THE ROCKS @ The Dame
Fri/Mar 9 TV ON THE RADIO @ Brown Theater (Louisville)
Sat/Mar 10 RJD2 w/BUSDRIVER backed by ANTIMC, and HAPPY CHICHESTER @ The Dame – late show, 10pm
Sat/Mar 10 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO w/CHUCK PROPHET @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Mon/Mar 12 THE WALKMEN @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Sat/Mar 17 DO MAKE SAY THINK @ The Dame
Sat/Mar 17 ALOHA w/SPARTA, and MEWITHOUTYOU @ Mad Hatter (Covington, KY)
Mon/Mar 19 IMPOSSIBLE SHAPES @ The Dame
Tues/Mar 20 OF MONTREAL @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Wed/Mar 21 SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Thurs/Mar 22 SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Fri/Mar 23 MAGIK MARKERS @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Mon/Apr 1 PAGE FRANCE @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM
Tues/Apr 15 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE @ Southgate House (Newport, KY) – ages 18+
Wed/Apr 16 ANIMAL COLLECTIVE @ The Dame
Mon/Apr 21 THE THING (Mats Gustafsson, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love) @ Mecca, 451 Chair Ave – all ages, sponsored by WRFL 88.1FM, part of the Outside the Spotlight series
:: Pertinent Resources ::
__Lexington__
THE DAME, 156 W.Main St, Lexington - http://www.dameky.com
THE ICEHOUSE, 412 Cross St (off W.Maxwell), Lexington
MECCA dance studio/gallery, 451 Chair Avenue, off S.Broadway near Bolivar - http://www.meccadance.com
CHARLES MANSION (a venue no longer, but the website’s a good spot to find out about shows) – http://www.charlesmansion.org
FROWNY BEAR, 208 Forest Park
THIRD STREET STUFF COFFEE, corner of Limestone and 3rd Street – ph. 859/255-5301
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
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 POUR HAUS, 1481 S. Shelby Street (corner of Shelby and Burnett), Louisville
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 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jason Zavala – Lazer Crust
I'm thinking that Jason Zavala's new record Lazer Crust is going to be the best release coming out of Lexington this year. Sure dude, I actually do realize that it's only January, and that calling this record the year's best might be premature. But... the record is super clean. Not only is it long, long overdue ... Zavala's had to have been blasting these tunes all over town for the better part of a year by now... but people are having strange wonderful responses to the newly disc-ed tunes... friends and foes are uniting, WRFL djs are playing the disc more than anything else at the station, songwriters around the city are second guessing stuff, etc... So, what is the Zavala formula? HUGE moans, off base guitar changes to keep things interesting, honest lyrics, and a pop sensibility that keeps you coming back. Year of the Lazer Crust? I think it could happen. - Chris Bush
Note: Jason will celebrate the release of “Lazer Crust” with a show Saturday, February 3rd at Mecca. GO!
Rafter – Music for Total Chickens
(Asthmatic Kitty)
I realized yesterday that I’d only ever listened to this disc on headphones. Ten or twelve times through at least, but only on headphones. Seemed entirely appropriate that this song cycle of the peaks and valleys of mental health, the fight to remain hopeful in the face self-doubt and despair, would exist confined in earbuds, as a dreamlike accompaniment to daily life. With “Music for Total Chickens,” Rafter, aka Rafter Roberts, heretofore best known as a produced/engineer for artists including Fiery Furnaces, Castanets, Sufjan Stevens, and Rocket From The Crypt, has created a mini-epic out of the universal internal struggle. Crashing cymbals and fuzzed rhythms textured with kitchen-sink sonics, electronics, and staccato guitar (think Phil Elvrum of the Microphones collaborating with US Maple) give way to moments of completely soaring, harmonious pop beauty, like moments of clarity amidst clutter and confusion. And, through this, wind Rafter’s deceptively simple addresses of perseverance and hope, delivered with the gentleness of Half Handed Cloud and the painfully-raw openness of Mirah’s “You Think It’s Like This…” or the Microphones’ “The Glow, part II” - a believer, worn by disappointment, vulnerable but reaching down to pull others up. This is an amazing record. – prc
Taste a track ... Rafter - "Gentle Men"
:::::::::::::: ESSAY/BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
As a general rule, growing up in the Midwest you don’t hear much about the U.S. internment of Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor. Our homegrown concentration camps are not a secret, of course, and there was that movie (and book) called Snow Falling On Cedars about the internment that came out several years ago. It’s just that very few people talk about it. Growing up in my neighborhood in Indianapolis, it went like this: we talked about black-white race problems, and we lived in the middle of the Jewish community. We only wrestled with the struggles in our purview. This is partially understandable, as sometimes the most you can do is get through your own day.
For a Midwesterner, it seems far, far away, right?
But now I’m mildly obsessed with the omission. Why would most of us want to forget that while the U.S. was off battling fascism in Europe, with its own astounding version of concentration camps, we divested Japanese American families of their jobs, businesses, farms, community and sent them off to camps?
When I was working in Cleveland, my friend and co-worker Ernie gave me a bare-bones account of what happened to his family on the West Coast during the war: his parents were sent away to a camp and someone else (probably someone who looks like me) got their farm. Ernie’s family never got their land back.
Despite my bona-fide Midwestern credentials, I’m a city girl; I have never lived or worked on a farm. But, I have been strongly inculcated with John Mellencamp’s hoosier attachment to farmland. “Scarecrow” and “Pink Houses” were in the 80s, as they continue to be today, played on Indiana radio stations at least once an hour. My point is that taking someone’s family farm should resonate with us Midwesterners, even if we are city-dwellers.
The internment of Japanese Americans has never been ruled unconstitutional. I love my country, but I am hugely embarrassed, disappointed, and scared by that fact. You should be, too.
Here are a few books to help you mull over this dark part of our history. Miné Okubo’s Citizen 13660 is a beautifully illustrated memoir of her time in a camp. The book is more art than narrative and quite moving in that way. John Okada’s No-No Boy is a novel about a young man’s struggles after he returns from the internment camps.
- BCM
:::::::::::::: QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/SUBMISSIONS ::::::::::::::::::::::::
email thelexingtonproject@yahoo.com
