Louisville Blog

slow week...

2005-05-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Not much going on this week in the ville. Just Derby.

DERBY!! AHHHHH OAKS DAY DERBY CHAOS PARTY ROSES HATS CELEBRITIES AHHH PARTY!!

So, obviously there is a lot going on. I'm not going to Derby or Oaks, but I am going to a party. DERBY PARTY!!!!! AHHHHHHHH! You know, this is the only big event that Louisville has and we rock it really hard, don't we? The thing is, nobody outside Louisville cares. Well, except for a few random famous people who just go where the party is. It's...interesting.

What is the deal with the bed races? Anyone?

Correction: Okay, something either changed or I read something wrong, but The Meredith's will not be playing at the Cinco de Mayo show at The Rud. Damn. So, it will be The Pine Club, John DC Whitaker, & The Apparitions (from DC). Thursday, May 5th at the Rudyard Kipling. I'd pay cinco dollars, but it's only tres!

Okkervil River and Earlimart are playing Uncle Pleasant's Wed, May 4th. 9 PM. 8 bucks.

Finally, the aforementioned Tom Green in Louisville video is up at The Tonight Show website. Honestly, it's not funny at all. Is this the entire video that aired?

louisville music

2005-04-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

Dodge at the awesome mp3 site My Old Kentucky Blog, did a write-up on Louisville's Debauchery Records, with some mp3s from The Merediths and The Pine Club. The Merediths will play Waterfront Wednesday tomorrow. Both The Pine Club and The Merediths will play together at the Cinco de Mayo show at the Rudyard Kipling. Recommended.

I don't think I'm being too cynical when I say enjoy these gas prices while they last. Still too high!

I didn't go to Thunder, which wasn't all bad because it was 36 degrees and sleeting. Anyway, no pics for you. Sorry.

we easily forgive you, Jerry

2005-04-20T18:24:00.000-05:00

"Mayor Jerr on the air." Whoops.

There are lots of crazy live groups on Mojo but this one takes the cake. [NSFW!]

So, I'm guessing the Tom Green in Louisville segment hasn't yet aired on the Tonight Show. Last time I checked, the info was unavailable. But after it does air, the video will appear on this page of the Tonight Show website, so that's good.

Thunder Over Louisville

2005-04-17T23:30:00.000-05:00

With Thunder coming up this Saturday, I thought I'd show some pics from last year. Enjoy. For anyone who has never lived in Louisville: Thunder is the largest fireworks display in North America and kicks off the Kentucky Derby Festival.

I'm not sure I understand the logic behind this Thunder protest. I thought it'd be about the environment or something, but it's about the air show. Baffling.

...Trail of Dead play Headliners tonight at 9 PM.

The Black Keys play Tuesday at Headliners. Enter to win the entire Black Keys catalogue courtesy of WFPK. Contest ends today at 5 PM. You also have to listen to win, but you can always stream it if you're out of signal range.

Fourth Street

2005-04-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

The C-J looks at the revitalization of Fourth Street. I'll admit I'm excited about this.

I promised pics of the Cardinals' pep rally at Fourth Street Live! weeks ago and while this is really late, I will keep that promise after all:

if you build it, they will come

2005-04-13T17:32:00.000-05:00

Everyone is fighting about the proposed UofL arena, specifically the location. I think it'd be better downtown, but there are definite drawbacks to that, like parking. They have plenty of room just east of the skate park (pictured above) if they clean that area up.

Photo galleries of Thunder Over Louisville and Derby Festival events of years past here. Should be awesome as always.

spring has sprung

2005-04-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

This picture reminded me how nice it is to see the trees filling out again. This was taken on a cold winter night. So, I'm calling it: winter weather is over. But that's what Colorodoans thought too...

Doing some spring cleaning? Trying to get rid of crap the garbagemen won't pick up? Mayor Abramsom wants your junk this Sunday, April 17th!

Tom Green was in town recently, so look for Louisville on The Tonight Show soon. Hopefully Green didn't just seek out Kentucky stereotypes for "comedy." The Fletcher vs. Leno incidents of last summer come to mind. Well, I'll find out when the Louisville segment will air and pass it on. But if you find out first, my e-mail is at the bottom of this page.

Speaking of contacting me: Got something local you'd like to see profiled on Louisville Blog? Know of a place, store or restaurant that deserves more attention? Let me know. I'm interested. For those of you wondering if anybody reads this thing, the answer is not many, but hits are slowly rising. Around 20 people (and counting) so far today. If numbers go up, I will continue. If they drop, I'm afraid I will pack it in. Thanks for reading.

The infamous white squirrel of doom

2005-04-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start posting local pics of things around the ville. What better place to start than with the University of Louisville's best kept secret: the long and storied tradition of the infamous albino squirrel population. Rarely seen and even more rarely seen in photographs, the white fluffy rodent you see below was painstakingly captured on film by yours truly. Related story: Rare White Alligator at Louisville Zoo.

Okay, stop me if you've heard all this before:

Awww...someone misses the ville! I don't believe a word of this. Only teasing.

I forgot to mention Nick Anderson winning the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons. Very cool.

Robin Garr reviews The Monkey Wrench, which replaced Pita Delights on Barret Ave. In a nutshell: "Cafe Lou Lou in black" with many TVs.

C-J reviews Best Taste of Chicago, a new restaurant in St. Matthews. This looks cool.

I don't want to SAY anything mean right now, so I'll just link this Kelly Clarkson review from an 18 year old girl and...that will be that. Done.

Important votes and bridge graffiti

2005-04-06T18:21:00.000-05:00

The Cards finish the season ranked #3 in Coaches Poll. Bronze indeed, Rick.

Bridge graffiti makes the paper! It will be really cool when they turn that big ugly thing into a pedway over the Ohio.

From the C-J:

Men's mag Maxim is staging online voting for Hometown Hotties. University of Louisville grad Brittany Ducker, 24, is one of the 100 women featured in Week 8, all of whom are vying for the grand prize -- a professional photo shoot and an appearance in the men's magazine.

Why should a person vote for the 5-foot-8 brunette?

Favorite sports team: the Louisville Cardinals.

Her idea of fun: stalking actor George Clooney. (Ducker, a freelance writer, just wrapped up an internship with Us Weekly in New York City.)

Relationship status: single.

To vote, click here.

That would be her. There's also two other Louisville girls on that page and a Kentucky girl. To be honest, they don't really do much for me, but neither do most of the other girls on that page. I'm tempted to vote for another girl who said "Clue" was her favorite movie. Because that's just perplexingly charming.

The game in pictures

2005-04-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

Congrats Cards on an amazing, remarkable run. 33-5 and Final Four ain't bad at all. It was awesome.

Hope for next season:
Garcia leaves door open on return

Phase II for Cards

CARDS CARDS CARDS

2005-04-01T13:35:00.000-05:00

Cards on the brain. Haven't been blogging because all Louisville events pale in comparison to the year's main event thus far, the 6:07 Saturday matchup between the Cards and the Fighting Illini of Illinois. The C-J has some nice info and lotsa links on their front page. Good luck, Cardinals.

If the Cards win, the first 2 people to respond in the comments will get 2 tickets for Monday night's Championship game! Not really, check the date on the calendar. Sorry. In case you don't know, today is known as April Fools Day because under the old calendar, the new year started April 1st, which they obviously changed to January 1st. People that still counted April 1st as the beginning of the year were called "April Fools."

Today's main event, for LB, is the release of Sin City. Even Gannet critic Jack Garner gave it four stars, which is odd if you have a feel for Garner's taste. This is a must-see movie. Showtimes here.

C-A-R-D-S

2005-03-29T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Cardinals pep rally at Fourth Street Live tonight was pretty insane. WLKY video here. Too bad yours truly was so very far away from the stage, but I did snap some pics that I might try to have up for tomorrow. I bought a Final Four "March to the Arch" t-shirt! Thing is, if they win the championship, that means I will most likely buy a CHAMPS t-shirt, making my Final Four shirt relatively useless. I mean, which shirt are you gonna wear the most, FINAL FOUR or 2005 CHAMPIONS? Quite the predicament.

Chances are you already know this, but there is a new albino alligator at the Louisville Zoo.

Here's a review and upcoming show info for Louisville's The Meredith's. They are also playing at WFPK's Live Lunch this Friday at noon.

If you are a Louisvillian transplanted in a far away city, today was the first day that actually felt like spring in the ville. Just thought you should know. But what's Jay Say? Jay says it is fleeting and will be cold and rainy soon.

FINAL FOUR!

2005-03-28T06:14:00.000-05:00

Incredible! That was maybe the best game ever. Too bad Kentucky won't be meeting the Cards halfway; I hope UofL and UK meet in the championship just once in my lifetime. Well, as long as the Cards beat them that is! Anyway, what an amazing, thrilling weekend. Next Saturday will be very exciting.

You just got Pittsnogled! That was about as good as fan signs get. Can't find an image, but you saw it, right? This sign, however, was pretty bad.

Tournament of mascots. The Louisville Cardinal got beat in the first round. Since the bird is out, why not vote for the Wisconsin Badger? Look at that thing!

Photos Pat McDonogh, The C-J

Elite 8!

2005-03-25T12:35:00.000-05:00

As long as Dean is really okay, I can't imagine the Cardinals not making the Final Four. Awesome. Garcia on Dean's injury: "Taquan is tough," he said. "If he had a broken leg, he'd get out there and just drag it around."

Just how nuts is Louisville about college hoops? TV ratings info here.

Huge downtown horse racing mural approved.

Also, a new Ford mural is re-covering the University of Louisville sign on the stacks at I- 65 North. Not sure if the stacks are uglier with or without advertising on them.

So, the horses were not choked by humans? Okay, still a bad situation, but that has Louisville Blog resting a little easier.

NSFW portion of the post: (everything below)

Rate My Body: Louisville. Louisville Blog has word that this girl really is a vampire, so beware. Could be worth the blood loss if she doesn't kill you though. And this guy requests that his matches have a "nice head of hair and no wev."

CREEPY LINK OF THE WEEK: http://www.mybodypart.com/Kentucky/Louisville/
Kentucky is the 28th sexiest state for Virtual Plastic Surgery. Wow.

7:10 pm, Albuquerque

2005-03-24T16:50:00.000-05:00

VS.

Cardinals star Francisco Garcia sends text messages to his teammates on gamedays. Louisville Blog has obtained a few messages Garcia sent today!

Incoming message to Juan Pelacios: man, where did u get those glasses?

Incoming message to Ellis Myles: u r gonna be good at the line. i can feel it. right? if not, give me the ball tonight.

Incoming message to Taquan Dean: hey man, just shoot the three tonight and make it. thanks.

Good luck, Cards!

Much longer post tomorrow...

LPD

2005-03-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

The seemingly endless press of officers and kids getting shot continues with today's tragedy. Very sad.

C-J sportswriter Rick Bozich writes more of a rant than a column, but at least he's right. LB is itching with anticipation for tomorrow's game. Go Cards!

International mini-showcase 2005, volume 1: Franz Ferdinand-esque rockers Dogs Die in Hot Cars (Scots) and pop group Phoenix (French, but sing mostly in English) are playing the Phoenix Hill Tavern on Saturday at 8 pm. So, it'll be Phoenix at the Phoenix on Saturday, but they will also play an in-store performance at ear-x-tacy that same day at 4 pm.

WFPK favorite Citizen Cope will also play an ear-x-tacy in-store on Friday at 5 pm, then you can catch him at Headliner's that night, doors at 9 pm.

Check Pollstar for all upcoming area concerts.

Slow news day...

2005-03-22T20:02:00.000-05:00

This week's Velocity Winners include the guys who work at the McDonald's at Hurstbourne Parkway and Linn Station Road. That's because floor manager Cristy Creighton is in the April issue of Playboy. There might finally be a reason to go to ba-da-baap-ba-ba-I'm-lovin'-it-land after all. All the Mickey D's girls, including Creighton, are here (NSFW!).

Do you look hot in your bathing suit? Do you like getting battered and bruised, jumping, racing, swimming and falling from great heights? Can you eat a large portion of insect or rodent quickly? Fear Factor will be at Molly Malone's from noon to 5 pm Saturday for an open casting call. Click here for more application info.

Sorta geeky, but cool internet tip: There's a really quick and easy way to get local movie showtimes: Go to Google and type "movie:" + your zip code. A nice and simple page pops up with the all the theaters, times, reviews and links to imdb.

See ya in Albuquerque!

2005-03-21T07:14:00.000-05:00

Congrats Cardinals! First Sweet Sixteen since Pitino was hired to coach the Cards. "I don't want to tick anybody off, but somebody told me this is a four seed, you're nuts. You're absolutely nuts," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. "They're as good as anybody we've played this year."

The C-J's Susan Reigler gives 316 Ormsby (formerly the pleasant Central Park Cafe) a three star review.

Kings of Leon make a stop at Headliner's tonight.

Yet another online community for Louisville. Between the recent addition of Craigslist Louisville and the popular, locally established LouisvilleMojo, the owners of a new online community website could have their work cut out for them.

By the way, since the launch of Craigslist Louisville, this is probably one of the more intriguing submissions thus far: a college girl trying to make some extra cash by using her breasts as a billboard (NSFW!).

Garcia photo via AP. Wasn't that a great moment?

Top o' thee marnin' to ya!

2005-03-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

Well, not exactly the top as it's around 11:00 AM, but Happy St. Patrick's Day anyway. The bars should be busy tonight, with Guiness Day falling on the first day of the NCAA tournament. I'm thinking that while all the green beer - and the pinching, not the pinching! - will make things pretty lively, it just won't hold a candle to the intensity of tomorrow's Louisville basketball game. C'mon, you know how we are around here about college hoops. Nevertheless, get out there and knock a few back tonight!

Shamrock run: The Velocity Paddy Wagon hauls you to local nightspots, including Petrus, Oscar Brown's, Molly Malone's, O'Shea's, O'Malley's Corner, Jillian's and Fourth Street Live. Unlimited free rides 6 p.m.-1 a.m. T-shirt, hat and bead giveaways all night long. 582-4553 [info via louisville.com.] Ooh, beads. You know what that means!

Dream of going to Alaska? A pair of Veteran Alaskan travelers will be at Quest Outdoors Friday at 7:30.

Green Beer Eve

2005-03-16T19:28:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, last week's Velocity had a cover story on St. Patrick's Day events and Irish restaurants.

Other St. Patrick's Day events.

And here ye lads and lasses, take me lucky Irish recipes.

Tickets are now on sale for what is called the largest Beatles Festival in the world. More than 40 Beatles tribute bands will perform on the Belvedere and at the Kentucky Center.

According to Robin Garr's Restaurant Guide, Jicama Grill is likely to close, with the owner possibly creating a new restaurant called Bocadito! If she ever returns to louisville, Kirsten Dunst will be pissed!

Speaking of fine dining, I like Merlot, so I promise not to trash it. The interesting thing I learned from this article is that the downtown nightclub Petrus is apparently named after the best and most expensive red wine in the world. Sorry if that is common knowledge; I have much to learn about wine!

I just googled "green wine" and found this! Scroll down for a picture.

Cardinals vs. Ragin' Cajuns

2005-03-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

Of course, nobody cares about Tornado vs. Zinga (see post below). Mass hysteria is currently brewing for Friday's 7:10 matchup between Louisville and Louisiana-Lafayette in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cards (29-4) are the No. 4 seed in the Albuquerque bracket while the Ragin' Cajuns (20-10) are the No. 13 seed. A Bluegrass Blog, along with everyone else in the Derby City, is asking whether or not Louisville got the shaft with their seed. The answer, in LB's opinion, is a resounding YES. The only ragin' these Cajuns are gonna do will be in frustration. But that's why they play the games, so I guess we'll see. Good luck, Cards!

Tornado vs. Zinga

2005-03-15T21:06:00.000-05:00

The Tornado is a new water ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. The first thing that probably came to everyone's mind when seeing this is that it looks exactly like the Zinga at Holiday World. Even if you've never been to Holiday World, you've probably seen the Zinga commercials. So the question is, which ride is better? They both feature clover-shaped tubes, a giant checkerboard funnel and a starting height around 8 stories. So, unless our vote is based entirely on the checkerboard color schemes, we will just have to experience both rides and return with a full report this summer. We will have more on this important story as news becomes available!

Did you know that Holiday World offers FREE Pepsi products? That should be enough of an incentive to make the drive to Santa Land (or is it Claus?), Indiana and compare the rides for yourself! E-mail us your stories and you will be eligible to win a Tornado vs. Zinga T-shirt (sorry fellas, baby doll style only). We only ask that you yell "TORNADOOO" or "ZINGGGGAAAA" in the funnel part of each respective ride.

Louisville Blog Launch

2005-03-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Louisville Blog. As far as I can tell - correct me if I'm wrong - this is the only blog devoted to the city of Louisville. There are some bloggers based in Louisville, but nothing quite like what is envisioned here: daily content covering news, events and whatever else related to the city. It obviously won't be all-inclusive, but hopefully Louisvillians will find the featured content interesting. Thanks for reading.