Legacy Trail - movin' along

A Legacy Trail announcement is set for July 30 at Thursday night Live! The free event starts at 5:30 at Cheapside Park downtown (as with every Thursday during the summer), and the announcement will be made at 6:15 ~ free "beverage" if you ride your bike! The Legacy Center will also be unveiling three logos for the trail, to get public feedback and input.

In case you've been hiding under a rock, the Legacy Trail is Lexington's forthcoming 9 mile mixed-use path – it will start downtown, wind through the East End, hit up some parks along the way and end up at the Kentucky Horse Park, out Newtown Pike. There should only be one major street-crossing. This will provide a much-needed, long overdue option for Lexington walkers, joggers, skaters and cyclists to have a path of their very own – as you probably aware, the complete lack of bike trail options in Lexington is pretty dire.

(Here's an article I wrote in Business Lexington last year about the Legacy Center - search "Legacy Center" on the BizLex site for other related articles.)

The project has nearly $8m in place so far (with funding from the John L. Knight Foundation, the city and other sources). The Legacy Center is currently working on getting the final leg funded (from Northside YMCA to IMMAG at 3rd and Midland).

Ground breaking is set for October 2009, with completion by September 2010.

If you're interested in volunteering, e-mail Beth Willmott at the Legacy Center: bwillmott@bgcf.org

And visit the website for updates about the Trail and the East End:
www.legacycenter.ning.com
www.mylegacytrail.com
Facebook Group

Decemberists coming to Lexington

From September 25-October 25, Alltech will host the Alltech Fortnight Festival, presenting a different concert each night across the state. The full line-up has not been announced, but I've got the skinny on a Lexington show some of you may find of interest:

The Decemberists w/ special guest Laura Viers
October 6
The Singletary Center
Tickets = $30/35/40

Not listed on the Singletary or Alltech website, but the info is out there, and I thought you might want to know before you got tickets for The Decemberists' show at Louisville's Brown Theatre in August (Heartless Bastards are opening).

Expect the full line-up for the Fortnight Festival to be announced in early August. Stay tuned to Blueline for more info.

AND, don't forget to save the dates of October 9-11 for BOOMSLANG, a WRFL-sponsored celebration of music, art and other curiosities, to take place at various venues across Lexington. The initial line-up is super-exciting, and will drop mid-week next week. Be sure to follow @sariot and @wrfl on Twitter for more updates!

July 22-July 27

thanks to ross compton and mike sullivan for some heads ups about some thangs, and some descriptions too! um, i think i left out a bunch of stuff this week ~ as usual, your event isn't on here, please feel free to leave it in a comment...

Wednesday, July 22:

• Holler Poets #15 at Al's Bar! This week's installment features Danville's Maurice Manning, winner of the 2000 Yale Younger Poets Prize (one of the most prestigious national awards a young poet can get), as well as Affrilachian poet Mitchell Douglas. Music by NEMO band (members of the now-defunct US Band)

Thursday, July 23:

• Start your morning off all the way to the left with Trivial Thursdays on WRFL (88.1 FM in Lexington, or you can stream it from anywhere in the friggin' world at wrfl.fm). Host Mick Jeffries will be joined this week with Ace Weekly writer and "Kimmyville" blogger Kim Thomas. 7-9 a.m.
• On Thursday night, Goldenrod, one of the leading local-bands-I-dig-but-haven't-seen-live-yet will be playing at new S. Limestone hangout Soundbar. Not really sure how the place will be set up with live music, but it's a pretty nice bar...I really really recommend the Moscow Mule.

Friday, July 24:

• Quamics ? #1 Book Release Party at Gumbo Ya Ya (1080 S. Broadway, next to Buffalo Wild Wings. Release party for for new local comic collective's debut book. Live music, delicious eats, and cheap beverages. Admission is FREE.
• Bedtime and Wussy at the Green Lantern
  

Saturday, July 25:

• Spooky Qs and Latin Heat ~ afternoon show at Pop's Resale Shop. 2 - 4p.m.
  
• Build the Stage Fundraiser! Rock out with Matt Duncan, Randy Tuesday and the Two TuesdaysLatin Heat in this worthy, worthy cause - raising dollers for to build a stage at Al's Bar!!! All ages; 9 p.m.; $5 > shit, if you can't make the show, at least stop by and give your $5 ~ this stage-building business at Al's is something that seriously needs to happen!!
• Also, while you're on the North side, stop by the Green Lantern to catch Mike Sullivan's favorite rock band, The Sundresses (from Cincy). Opening will be Reverend Deadeye, whom Mike so brilliantly described as "a one man wrecking machine of satanic gospel voodoo crazines." Sold!
• Jason Isbell (formerly of the Drive-By Truckers) and the 400 Unit are playing at the Dame. Opening the show will be Deep VIbration from Nashville, and Jon Imeson will be DJing afterward.
  

Sunday, July 26:

• The band formerly known as Godd will be making their Natasha's Bistro debut (and possibly the debut of all circus metal at Natasha's). Latin Heat and The All Dad Blues Band will also play. "Expect to enjoy one of the best small venue sound systems in Lexington!"
• Wretched Worst, Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, The Human Quena Orchestra, Backwoods Terror at Chaosome (6th and Limestone).

Monday, July 27:

• Outside the Spotlight / Event 107 > Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone @ Morris Book Shop (408 Southland Dr) > 7pm, all ages, FREE (donations encouraged for the musicians) > Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone = lovely guitar, viola, voice duets from Brooklyn - www.myspace.com/maryandjess. "There's a disarming openness to their interaction, never more pronounced than when the two are blending their voices in something like a campfire harmony. But this music isn't clever or cute. Its core is steely, and its execution clear." -Nate Chinen, The New York Times

Things, and stuff

You may or may not have noticed that I'm not a huge fan of reviewing shows. But I love it when other people are, so I'm going to direct y'all to Mr. Walter Tunis' review of last night's Neko Case show - I was there, but I couldn't have put it better myself.

As for my review of Pitchfork, which I attended this past weekend, I will go so far as to say that Jesus Lizard completely slayed, as did Black Lips. Other highlights of the weekend include Wavves (they reallllly need to team up with The NEC from Atlanta and play a Lexington show, I have decided; does someone want to make this happen for me?); Flaming Lips (um, no-brainer - Wayne came out in a huge clear bubble and starting rolling around on top of the crowd); Grizzly Bear, who sounded really great and actually rocked out more than I thought they would (although their neglect of playing songs from Horn of Plenty, probably my favorite album of theirs, was slightly disappointing. Can I get a "Deep Sea Diver" some day???); and the middle-of-nowhere warehouse after-party we went to, BitchPork, which featured shows by Times New Viking and G'an.

P.S. Stay tuned to Blueline for some very exciting, very soon announcements about the upcoming WRFL festival, October 9-11....oh, and go ahead and make arrangements to be there, 'cause it's gonna rule.

Beastie Boys cancel tour, postspone album release

Beastie Boys MC Adam Yauch (aka MCA) delivered some "heavy news" to his fans this morning - he has been diagnosed with an early stage of cancer in his salival gland, and will be undergoing surgery and radiation in the upcoming weeks (see video below for Yauch's personal announcement).

Thus, all upcoming shows (including Lollapalooza) have been canceled, and the release of the Beastie Boys upcoming album has been pushed back as well.

Here's to Adam and hoping he has a smooth recovery...

Save the Date

Heads up on some fabulous WRFL sponsored shows coming up this fall:

Crazy Dreams Band (Lexie Mountain) / Tiny Fights / ATTEMPT
Al's Bar
Aug 29

Autolux / Candy / Mini Mansions
Al's Bar
Sept 6

Mount Eerie / Tara Jane O'Neil / No Kids
Red Mile Round Barn
Oct 22

Karl Blau / LAKE
Al's Bar
Nov 5

New ATP additions

All Tomorrow's Parties announced additions to their New York line-up, cementing their position as quite possibly the most superior festival curators in North American history (Terrastock is certainly up there). If I end up not making it to this one, I will consider it one of the great tragedies of my life.

Additions announced this week include Shellac (!), Crystal Castles (!), Boris (!!!), Oneida (performing Ocropolis), Sufjan Stevens, Super Furry Animals and more.

Already announced artists include Deerhoof, Flaming Lips (who are curating Saturday of the fest), Akron/Family, Melvins, Deerhunter, Suicide, Jesus Lizard, Caribou (performing as the Caribou Vibration Ensemble, featuring members of Four Tet, Sun Ra Arkestra and others), The Dirty Three, David Cross, Boredoms (performing 9-drummer BOADRUM), Animal Collective, Panda Bear and many, many others.

Go, and take me with you.

Forecastle Tickets

Congratulations to the winners of the Smiley Pete Friday Forecastle ticket giveaway!

Evan Belt
Bryden Heywood
Robin Atwell
Casey Burmeister
Will Mack

And Rebecca Williams, who won the weekend passes!

Winners have been notified, and have until 4:30 tomorrow to claim their tickets. Please contact me at kyblueline@gmail.com, or at 859-266-6537 (ask for Saraya) for details on picking up your tickets.

July 7 - July 13

I'll be drawing for Forecastle ticket winners this afternoon and notifying the winners by this evening. Make sure you submit your entry to kyblueline@gmail.com (see details below!).

As for some events this week:

Tonight, Wednesday, July 8 :

• The Bob Dylan Show (also featuring Willie Nelson and John Cougar Mellencamp) is coming to the Louisville Slugger Field. Doors are at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $69.50.
• The Summer Classic Film Series at the Kentucky Theatre is showing "The Godfather" at 1:30 and 7:15. (All seats $4.) Take the gun, leave the canoli.
• KCTC Summerfest kicks off this evening at the Arboretum, with Henry IV (running through Sunday). This summer theater festival stepped up to fill the gap that Shakespeare in the Park left when it ended a few years back. For more info, visit the KCTC Summerfest homepage.
  

Thursday, July 9:

• Catch local poet Sunny Montgomery on Trivial Thursdays with Mick Jeffries on WRFL from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (tune into 88.1 fm or stream it at wrfl.fm). Sunny was recently chosen by the ELandFGallery Small Projects Accelerator to be the Bangin' Up a Storm! poet, meaning she will tour area nursing homes on July 15, reading poetry (both original and favorite chosen poems). The event will close with a public reading at Morris Book Shop at 7:30. More info on this unique event at the ElandFGallery site.
• Award-winning orchestral pop nine piece Lost in Trees will be playing at Natasha's: "Garden State Film Festival’s winner for Best Music in a Short Animation, Lost in the Trees brings their nine piece band to Natasha’s Bistro. The Chapel Hill natives are surrounded by praise from a variety of publications including Entertainment Weekly, Pop Matters, All Music Guide, IGN, Shuffle Magazine and The Independent. With their fearless leader at the helm, composer, musician, vocalist Ari Picker this stunning orchestral-pop outfit performs a truly engaging, dynamic live show. Their vibe is something special, rare and infectious." Show starts at 9 p.m., $7.
• 
  
• Great night of experimental music at Al's Bar, featuring Sound/Vision, a local outfit made up of mostly UK music students ( I think!)who performs avant garde + modern compositions, with video accompaniment. Experimental cellist Valerie Kuehne from New York and drummer David Grollman will also perform.
  
• Coralee and the Townies are playing at the Fishtank.
  

Friday, July 10

• Forecastle Fest kicks off in Louisville tonight with headlining sets by Zappa Plays Zappa (Zappa tribute band led by Zappa's son Dweezil), Pretty Lights (glitchy electronica) and Black Keys (rockin' Southern blues-indie two-piece). The After Party on the Belle of Louisville features DJs Tim Norris, Jesse Jamz, and Designer Drugs.
  
• Louisville's Mickey Clark (who happens to be my uncle) will be performing at Natasha's. He's a Nashville-trained "legendary songwriter" (according to Natasha's - not trying to toot my own familey's horn here), whose songs have been recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys and Jerry Lee Lewis. His latest album features guest appearances by Sam Bush, Tim Krekel, John Prine and others. If country-twinged singer-songwriter stuff is up your alley, this show is definitely recommended! $7, 9 p.m.
  
• For more country-twinged singer-songwritin' action, check out the lovely Coralee and the Townies at Al's Bar.
  

Saturday, July 11

• 2:00 p.m. - Adam Craft will sign Songs of Nod at Morris Book Shop. From Morris' website: "Local Author Adam Craft will sign his second work of macabre vignettes, Songs of Nod. This new collection of eighteen stories can be read as a companion to Craft's first work, Echoes of Nod, but it also stands fully on its own."
• 4 p.m. - 7 p.m - Public memorial for James Baker Hall, who died on Thursday, June 25. "Music will begin at 3:30p and the service will start at shortly after 4p. in Lexington's Gratz Park. (If the weather is forbidding, we'll move inside to the Jesse Stuart room of the Carnegie Center.) Around 5:30 a reception will begin in the Carnegie Center, with food and drink and poetry. We would like to ask that contributions for the reception be made as wine - if you knew Jim, you understand how much he treasured wine. So, bring some libation and please celebrate Jim, if you wish, by bringing along a poem to read. We hope you'll join us as you can."
• Louisville's Forecastle Festival will feature a performance from Lexington's March Madness Marching Band today! Other Saturday performances will include Man Man, Arnett Hollow, Royal Bangs, Black Crowes, Widespread Panic and many more
• Good Foods Market & Cafe will offer live music & grill out every Saturday in July! Enjoy local grilled meats and veggie burgers, signature homemade fresh squeezed lemonade, fresh organic juices, iced tea, and fruit smoothies. This Saturday features live music from Lot 13 (classic rock).
• Spooky Qs / Smuttynose/Betty Rat at Al's Bar
  

Sunday, July 12

• I think I've written enough about the SUNN 0))) show on this blog already, but just in case you didn't catch it, it's tonight, at the Southgate House in Newport, and it's going to be the darkest, heaviest shit ever. See you there - if you think you can handle it.
• On that note, the light & airy Bluegrass Collective will be making their triumphant return to Pazzo's Patio (one of my favorite patios in town) tonight! If you've seen these guys, you know they're great, and if you haven't, let me tell you - they're great! Casual, traditional bluegrass with some fun covers thrown in for good measure. 9ish p.m.
• The Forecastle line-up tonight features These United States, Yonder Mountain String Band, the Avett Brothers, and more Widespread Panic (in case you didn't get enough on Saturday night).
  

Monday, July 13

• The place to be tonight is Al's Bar, for Deer Tick, raucous honky tonk garage music. It's a WRFL sponsored show, so you know it's gonna be good - right?

FORECASTLE GIVEAWAY

Blueline is giving away tickets to Forecastle, via Smiley Pete Publishing! Forecastle is THIS WEEKEND, July 10-12, in Louisville at the Waterfront Park.

We have a number of tickets for Friday night (Black Keys are headlining!), and one lucky winner will win weekend passes - Widespread Panic and Black Crowes are headlining Saturday, and Widespread Panic and the Avett Brothers are headlining Sunday!

E-mail kyblueline@gmail.com with the subject "Forecastle" to be entered in the drawing.

In the body of the e-mail, be sure to tell me your name, and also specify if you want Friday night passes or weekend passes - we want to make sure the winner of the weekend passes will actually be able to use them.

Save the Date(s)

Heads up on some great shows coming up in the region in the near future...

Sunday, July 12: SUNN 0))) at the Southgate House in Newport. Dark, heavy, ambient drone metal from the founders of Southern Lord Records. SUNN 0))) describes their new album Monoliths and Dimensions as "the most musical piece we’ve done, and also the heaviest, powerful and most abstract set of chords we've laid to tape." Salt Lake City duo Eagle Twin will open. $12

Monday, July 13: WRFL presents Deer Tick at Al's Bar in Lexington. Garage honky tonk of the highest caliber - in other words, an Al's Bar poster-band. $5, all ages.

Friday, July 17: Celebrated classic folk singer and rhythm guitarist Richie Havens will be performing in Somerset, Ky as part of the Master Musicians Festival. Day pass is $20.

Monday, July 20: Alt-country goddess Neko Case will perform at Woodsong's Old Time Radio Hour (The Kentucky Theater, Lexington). Advanced tickets highly recommended; I would be shocked if this show doesn't sell out. $15 ($10 w/ student ID)

Tuesday, August 4: Deerhunter/No Age/Dan Deacon - Round Robin show at the Southgate House in Newport. This show falls smack in the middle of a quick 7-day midwest tour. All three bands will play onstage together, at the same time, collaborating on each other's songs. Shizz gonna be crazy. $10 adv/$12 DOS (if there are any tickets left by the time the show gets here).

Monday, August 10: The Decemberists @ the Brown Theatre in Louisville. Portland's critically-acclaimed literary indie-kings return to the bluegrass state. $35.

Wednesday, August 12: Old Crow Medicine Show Big Surprise Tour (w/ David Rawlings Machine [featuring Gillian Welch], The Felice Brothers, Justin Townes Earle) at the Waterfront Park in Louisville. $35; 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 23: Over the Rhine at Natasha's Bistro. Jazz-tinged midwestern neo-soul fronted by gorgeous female vocals, at one of Lexington's most charming and intimate venues. $19.

Sunday, September 20: Akron/Family are ending their extensive "Set 'em wild, set 'em free" U.S. tour at 21C in Louisville. While I guess you could call Ak/Fam "experimental indie folk," there's no label that does them justice - Akron/Family is one of the most unclassifiable, cross-genre bands out there. Louisville's fabulous experimental hotel/museum should be a perfect setting - definitely a "don't miss" show. Oh yeah, tapers are welcome (just promise you'll get me a copy).

MASTER MUSICIANS FESTIVAL - July 17 & 18

In two weeks, Richie Havens, whom I would classify as one of the finest folk musicians this country has produced in the past half century, will perform in Somerset, Kentucky at the Master Musician's Festival.

In addition to two days of music, the festival, which has focused on bringing quality arts programming to the region since 1994, will feature family-friendly events, workshops, and arts & crafts. For more info, visit the Master Musician's website. (Tickets are affordable - $45 for a 2-day pass at the gate, or $20-$25 each day.)

Somerset (home of Lake Cumberland) is less than 2 hours from Lex, by the way.

Friday, July 17

6:00 - No Tale Lights

7:00 - The Lee Boys

8:15 - Opening Auction of Steve Watkins Artwork

8:45 - Richie Havens

10:15 -Scythian

Saturday, July 18

1:00 - The New Familiars

2:00 - Dixie Bee Liners

3:15 - The Bleu Edmondson Band

4:30 - The Steve Johnson Band

5:45 - The Greencards

7:00 - Closing Auction of Steve Watkins Artwork

7:15 - The Felice Brothers

9:00 - Mike Farris & The Roseland Rhythm Review

10:45 - The Duhks

Master Musicians Festival
Toll Free: 866-972-9686
Local: 606-677-2933
Festival Field
Somerset Community College Campus
808 Monticello Street, Somerset, KY 42501