City Concierge » Blog http://cityconciergelouisville.com Louisville Kentucky Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:00:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Down One opens tomorrow. http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1296 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1296#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:54:11 +0000 Bart http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1296 Three dollars will not get you a bottle of water at the KFC Yum! Center.  Nor will it get you a hot dog, popcorn, cracker jacks or even a cookie.  And this is only worth mentioning because starting Monday right across Third Street from the arena, you can take the staircase Down One flight from the sidewalk, pass the wall of bourbon and for three whole US dollars get 4 Bacon-wrapped, gorgonzola-stuffed dates that are as good as they sound from the appetizer menu at Downtown’s newest watering hole, Down One Bourbon Bar, and I can’t fathom an odder juxtaposition in terms of marginal utility in this city.

 

It is a good looking room and despite having over 80 bourbons on the menu, including their own proprietary single barrel 9 year old, as well as the aforementioned wall, one would be forgiven for noticing neither the bourbon nor the bar aspects of the title as distractions abound, both on the menus and off, so much so that it takes the eye a bit to notice that they actually have a few big screen televisions up there between the elegantly chandeliered flat black ceiling and the decorative stained glass windows preserved from the Brennan Building, a former holding of the The Al J. Schneider Company.  The mezcal based El Diablo was my first distraction and while the bartender unfussily prepared it, I studied what seems to be a well thought out drink menu with a few local brews making it onto to the beer list, a well balanced selection of reds and whites, a few twists on cocktails both modern and classic, and what has to be one of downtown’s more democratic price ranges.*

 

Then the food started coming out in tasting portions and though it is pub fare- just small plates, soups, salads, sides and sandwiches, it is a new take on bar food, not a wing or chicken finger to be found and it is easy to look at the the outdoor tables beyond the three over head garage style doors as the after taste of the smoked salmon sandwich sample lingers on the tongue and imagine this place as a serious springtime al fresco dining destination.  If all of those bites, the oyster mushroom Po’ Boy, the two-ham, the brisket, the corned beef translate to full size sandwich as the samples would lead you to hope, safe in the knowledge that the Whiskey Chili and sides of jalapeno-cheddar grits, apple-fennel slaw pork bellied baked beans are going to be hits, the private dining room which is accessed via stepping through a British phone booth as has more stained glass from the Brennan Building on the ceiling, will be quite the commodity.  Regardless, I imagine consistent crowds content with nothing more than the aforementioned bacon wrapped goodness, paired with a good measure of bourbon.

 

*To continue on with my ludicrous comparison, across the street the small draft beer is $6.50.  Down One has over 70 adult beverages listed on their drink menu, including the Bourbon Smash and Paloma, for less than that. You may see the whole thing here: http://www.downonebourbonbar.com/images/DownOneDrinkMenu.pdf and the food here: http://www.downonebourbonbar.com/images/DownOneFoodMenu.pdf

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Girlfriend Experience in The Balcony http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1281 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1281#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:41:58 +0000 Bart http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1281 The cosmos seemed to have taken a distinct turn against social networking the past week.  Wall Street Journal reported that Twitter doesn’t “work” according to small business owners.  Pew Research Center revealed that more and more Facebook users are taking a break from that website.  And a local bar and restaurant had just started to promote their Digital Detox event that will outlaw any contact with one’s mobile device for the duration of the evening

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Actor’s Theater of Louisville and their second The Balcony event where social networking would not only be encouraged, it would be catered to.  The confirmation of my tickets came with an attachment that listed their accounts on both Facebook and Twitter as well as the designated hashtags for that evening’s production of #Girlfriend and told me to Unwind and Plug In.  To further the boundaries of interaction, a post show gathering at the bar with the cast and crew was promised and there would be a Soundtrack To Your Life insert in the program that asked us to name our mix tape and list the 5 songs that should be on it.

I paid the what seems to be steep $8.00 to park in their garage, grabbed our tickets from will call utterly flummoxed by the reality that people go to the theater in sweatpants, forgetting to stick my head into Edward Lee’s newest venture Milkwood to check out the soft opening instead we ascended the staircase, passed the long line at the bar in the mezzanine, past the poster that warns “This play contains strong language and strobe lighting,” pausing briefly to bow vaguely southwestwardly in appreciation for everything that Brown Foreman does for this city, and into The Balcony where a bar with no line waited for us.  Four dollars a (plastic) glass seemed entirely reasonable for the red wine, though there was no sign of the “light snacks” that were promised on the notice.  My date later allowed that she did see a plastic plate with what looked to be a spent piece of lettuce on it sitting on one of the cocktail tables that lay between The Balcony bar and our seats.

Every seat in the balcony was taken and it’s worth mentioning that I am 6’6” and was quite comfortable the entire time  From my perch I was able to observe only three seats in the lower area that were open.

The main stage:  A chest of drawers over there, a couch (or Subaru, depending upon the context) in the middle, and a dorky kid’s bedroom area over here.  Spartan to say the least, but behind that is another stage modeled after what every 18 year old guy in 1993 wished their basement looked like.  And the lighting rigs that never added too too much to the overall production were in the way of me getting to really visually enjoy that room.  I can’t imagine anyone seated in The Balcony disagreeing with me, and it seems like such an obvious problem to have avoided.  Those unfilled lower level seats were probably better.

We were seated by 7:45 as the notice encouraged us to be so that a docent could appear in our section and inform we the social networkers of, and these are ATL’s words, not mine “what’s cool and what’s lame.”

Ringers off, display dimmed, no recording, I  set my twitter to follow @ATLouisville and it starts like this as the house lights go down but for the one over my head  “Setting:  Alliance, Nebraska.  The summer after high school graduation, 1993.  #Balcony #ActGF”

The embracing of social media types was an ideal set up for me because #Ihatemusicals, and to top it all off, I didn’t like Matthew Sweet back then; there was almost zero chance of me liking him now  So, I was just going to sit there for 90 minutes, whisper snide wisecracks to my date, and distract myself with social networking and frequent trips to the bar since they had left the lights on in this section to accommodate me doing both of those things but there was just one glitch in my plan:  Girlfriend was fantastic.

4 girls pile into the “basement” set, Jyn Yates being instantly recognizable behind her drum kit, can’t see the bass player’s head from here because of the lighting rig, Kelly Richey straps on her Stratocaster, and this 4th person on guitar and keyboards with her back to me, according to the program, is Musical Director Julie Wolf and they launch into a ferocious jam on the intro to the song from which that album and this play takes its name.  And just as the first verse is about to start, they stop.  Great, I think, maybe this will be a musical with no singing.

Enter Will.  It is not the summer after High School as much as it is 5 minutes after High School, or as he calls it, New Years as he dumps his textbooks into the garbage.  He is wearing a T-shirt that is completely covered with from what up here appears to be the periodic table of elements.  He has a Star Wars pillow case and a bedside space shuttle lamp.  He has a jam box and a cassette tape and a first generation cordless landline with retractable antennae which rings as we are introduced to Mike, the play’s only other on stage character.

They are both wearing headset microphones.  There is obviously going to be signing.

What followed was 88 or so minutes of genius and bliss.  Picking up my mobile and checking what they had to say on Twitter simply never occurred to me.  Nor did getting up and getting another glass of wine.

Factor out that lighting rig and everything else was incredibly realized.  The notion quickly takes hold:  Maybe Matthew Sweet’s album Girlfriend was intended to be the soundtrack for early 90s middle American gay teen love.  Everything else makes sense after that, like the prom king type going off to college to become a brain surgeon instead of the Star Wars Space Shuttle guy who is not even planning on escaping his rural hellhole to go to college at all.

A third character begins to emerge; the movie that Will and Mike go to see at the drive in four or five times over the course of that summer. One’d be lead to believe that the movie is called Evangeline, which just also happens to be the name of a Matthew Sweet song.  A super hero, a cop, a extra terrestrial, a lover, and a nun all rolled into one.  I want to see this movie if it exists.  Normally, this is the type of quest that begins with a Google search, else straight to IMDB, but in the spirit of things, I fired off a tweet to which I still await* a reply: “Is Evangeline an actual movie? @ATLouisville.”

They had been using their twitter feed to mostly retweet audience feedback, but also to announce the title of each song as it worked it’s way into the story line, and while Kelley Richey’s left hand was not technically a character in the play, it was something you never wanted to take your eye off as it flew all over the neck of her guitar while the band provided the Matthew Sweet jams and backing vocals to accompany Will and Mike’s working of the lyrics into the script when they weren’t delivering one perfect line of Todd Almond’s dialogue after another, transforming the vibe during the musical moments from taking in a play to checking out a bar band.  Being a dork in love is never easy, never comfortable, but being a gay teenage dork in love in Nebraska in the early 90’s?  And while Sweet’s album brings all of this to life perfectly, it is the dialogue that fleshes out the script

People of a certain age are assured to get a nostalgia kick from the early ninetiesness of it all (especially if they appreciate the fact that they are being encouraged to tweet from their mobile devices about a play set blatantly in a time before mobile devices existed), but the main themes are timeless.  I can’t imagine anyone, regardless of age, gender, or orientation, not being able to identify with Will and his general awkwardness and the anxiety that locks him up while sitting in the front seat of the Subaru night after night at the movies.  You will laugh while cringing at your personal frame of reference for these moments.

After the fact it was apparent that people had been tweeting throughout, but it certainly was never a distraction.  Wrapped up in the comedy, and it was hysterical, was a great deal of sweetness, a touch of bittersweetness, and a depth and empathy that I found surprising.  I was rapt.  Everything gets a standing ovation these days, rendering them meaningless.  Girlfriend earned it.

 

* The replies came.  First “Our detectives are working on it. Will update you as we uncover more!”  and then the next day: “research led us to a film called ‘naked nuns with big guns’ Not the film! Checked with Todd Almond and film is made up!”

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Help for the perfect date just in time for Valentine’s Day | Louisville.com http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1265 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1265#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:56:31 +0000 admin http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=1265 by 

Don’t let the stress of making a big impression for Valentine’s Day get you down! City Concierge of Louisville offers “forgetful gentleman” services to keep you out of the doghouse. Owner Laura Wallace will do all of the work to make the holiday perfect for your loved one while you can reap all the rewards!
She’s ready to personally serve you the best of Louisville in order to help you show people in your life how much you care. Let her keep track of your important dates and do everything but take credit! Her business is unique and allows her to act as a concierge for anyone needing help getting around the city or with special services like finding transportation or even getting into a jewelry store after hours for relationship emergencies.
“I basically bend over backwards to make anything a client needs happen,” said Laura.
Some of her duties include getting people booked into restaurants, helping them with shopping, making reservations and recommendations, finding the perfect gift, giving tours of the city and making sure her clients have the best possible Valentine’s experience in Louisville. She strives to surpass expectations for that person’s taste.
She’s known for an array of services like getting guys out of trouble when they forget a birthday or helping someone who has family coming in from out of town. She taps into her vast array of contacts to help people make a good impression on others, whether it is small scale event planning (like a date), entering a shop after hours, or having impressive transportation pick them up. This one woman miracle can help you give your loved one everything they deserve any time of day for a special occasion or for no reason other than to show you care. Have a surprise adventure planned for your significant other; deliver special gifts to your parents; send your boss a brew; let Laura help you get creative and find the perfect way to express yourself – whether or not you remember when you’re supposed to.
“One of my clients bought a car for his wife for her birthday,” Laura explained. “I handled everything; a special menu for her at their chosen restaurant; driving 70 miles to pick up the car; putting a bow on it; storing it at my place; and delivering it.”
City Concierge is also the perfect place to get started if you’re new to Louisville. Relocation assistance is just one of the many other services she can provide. Her office is at 714 E Market St #201 KY 40206 in the East Market Street neighborhood known as “Nulu”. The district has an array of awesome art galleries and restaurants that have been part of an “Earth friendly” ripple in Louisville. City Concierge is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday to act as a Nulu visitor’s center. Visitors can stop in to inquire about the district, pick up maps, and receive free swag.  You can contact her for more info or put her services to use by calling 502-836-4376 or by email at info@cityconciergelouisville.com.

 

See the original article here.

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Louisville concierge shares her insider tips for locals and Derby guests http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1240 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1240#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:30:13 +0000 admin http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=1240 May 1, 2012 – 9:59am from Louisville.com

Need transportation to and from the airport or Churchill Downs?

Need an after-hours appointment at a jewelry store to pick up a bauble for a Derby party?

Need reservations at Louisville’s hottest restaurants and bars?

You don’t have to stay at a premium hotel to find premium concierge services. Laura Wallace is the one-woman show behind City Concierge of Louisville, and she’s ready to serve you the best of Louisville. Her business is unique and allows her to act as a concierge for anyone needing help getting around the city or with special services, like finding transportation or getting into a jewelry store after hours for relationship emergencies. Derby can be chaotic, and Wallace can help visiting individuals and businesses enjoy their visit by serving as someone local on their team.

“I basically bend over backwards to make anything a client needs happen,” said Wallace.

Wallace was the head concierge at the Brown Hotel and realized there hadn’t been a real concierge there before her for years. She said that it didn’t really have much to offer guests. She proceeded to build a knowledge base about Louisville and to make connections all over the city so she could be more helpful to the people staying there. Management took notice and provided her with more books and educational materials. Wallace also impressed the Brown with her ability to help other employees do the same. The Brown took notice and made sure she was there to run things when they wanted to ensure superior service—like when George Bush Sr. was staying there or for the Ryder Cup.

“I liked taking care of people; I liked the job,” said Wallace. “But I hated the schedule and working with a management team.”

After Wallace left the Brown, hotel management continued to call and ask for her help with affluent clients. A friend suggested she give them a high hourly rate, and she was inspired to begin her own concierge business so she could continue to provide services on her own terms.

Some of her duties as a concierge include getting people booked into restaurants, helping them with shopping, making reservations and recommendations, finding the perfect gift, giving tours of the city and making sure her clients have the best possible Louisville experience. Wallace also helps locals rediscover their city and learn about Louisville in ways they may not have before.

She also helps locals with an array of services like getting guys out of trouble when they forget a birthday or helping someone who has family coming in from out of town, such as at Derby time. She helps people make a good impression on others, whether it is small-scale event planning (like a date), entering a shop after hours or having impressive transportation pick them up.

“One of my clients bought a car for his wife for her birthday,” said Wallace. “I handled everything; a special menu for her at their chosen restaurant, driving 70 miles to pick up the car, putting a bow on it, storing it at my place and delivering it.

Relocation services are another popular offering of City Concierge of Louisville. So impressed with Louisville that you want to move her? Wallace takes people to look at homes, furniture and other local needs. She also helps corporations who want to wine and dine potential employees by entertaining them and helping them to fall in love with our city. Wallace was able to pull 21 Derby tickets for Millionaire’s Row seemingly out of thin air one year when some people flew in and found their ticket broker did not actually have their tickets.

“Showing people around the city is the best job in the world,” she said. “I had this couple that had traveled to over 100 countries. They owned a vineyard and publishing company and had always dreamed of visiting Churchill Downs. It was so cool to see them nearly jumping up and down like kids at age 60 when I took them there. They were so happy. That’s the best.”

Here are some of Wallace’s insider tips:

Avoid Fourth Street Live! at all costs

Its mostly corporate and doesn’t represent the city. You’re not going to have good food or get an idea of anything that Louisville is about. You’re going to get a generic experience that you can get in in any city and overpay for it.

Experience Louisville at The Rudyard Kipling, Actor’s Theatre or The Why Louisville store. Ride the Belle of Louisville. St. James Court is also an amazing place.

There is a lot of history in Louisville. Conrad Caldwell House is a historic mansion in the Court built in 1883. It offers tours and hosts events like the Spirit Ball in Winter. The Old Louisville Chamber of Commerce can give you information on walking tours or ghost tours in the fall. Speaking of ghosts, Waverly Hills Sanatorium has been cited on TV as one of the top 10 haunted places in the world.

Nulu is a great district to visit on East Market Street

This neighborhood has an array of awesome art galleries and restaurants, and has been part of an Earth-friendly ripple in Louisville. Wiltshire on Market is Wallace’s top recommendation for a restaurant. Its dishes are made with all fresh and mostly local ingredients that they get from farmers so it’s never the same menu.  If this restaurant were in New York City, you wouldn’t be able to get in for six months.

If you’re looking for some grooming…

Try Market Street Barber or Derby City Chop Shop (for guys). They’re hip full service shops that give great haircuts and have affordable pricing. Market Street Barber gives a great straight shave, while Derby City Chop Shop sells LPs and grooming products like tins of mustache wax. Women should check out C Luv Grow in Lyndon. It offers a line of all organic products

Stay at 21c or the Seelbach

Wallace’s favorite hotels are 21c Museum Hotel (one of the top hotels in the world), which offers extraordinary toiletries and an art museum and the Seelbach, which has an amazing history, great food and is gorgeous. The Al Capone room is breathtaking.

Here’s a cool thing to do in Louisville

Visit Best of Louisville Magazine winner De La Torres on a Wednesday night for Spanish cuisine and free Spanish Classes. Stick around to enjoy La Bodega tapas bar.
Coming up…

It’s currently closed for maintenance, but Dreamland Filmworks Theater is in the back of Decca on East Market. It’s like a roadhouse with a lot of pews and cushions, where you can gather with friends and watch films. Up until this point, it’s been BYOB, but it’s currently renovating to have local beer on tap. IT has artistic flicks, mainstream films, and a monthly theme like “Hysterical Women”.

You can contact Wallace for more info or put her services to use by calling 502-836-4376 or by email at info@cityconciergelouisville.com.

Photos by Joe Mays: Alien Twilight Photography

View the original article here.

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Finding Luxury Concierge at the 2012 Kentucky Derby http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1227 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1227#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:05:14 +0000 admin http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=1227

Finding Luxury Concierge at the 2012 Kentucky Derby: Fan’s View

By  | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Thu, Apr 26, 2012 4:51 AM EDT

More than a sporting event, the Kentucky Derby is a premiere fashion and luxury living exhibition. Just like the Dubai World Cup, high-end sponsors seek out Churchill Downs and upper crust tourists follow. With that, the idea of festivities surrounding the Kentucky Derby are built on the principles of extravagance.

When thinking of keywords that adjoin experiences like being a celebrity or multi-millionaire, the concepts of service expand into a smaller — but much needed realm. However, according to Laura Wallace of Louisville’s City Concierge, there is one important piece of the full-indulgence experience missing at many hotels hosting Kentucky Derby guests.

Differences between concierge services in Louisville

Published on the cover of Louisville magazines such as Today’s Woman, Wallace is the noted owner of Kentucky’s City Concierge. Along with a referral from Tommy Erdelyi of the Ramones, she also has one from Brad Walker, Vice President and General Manager of Louisville’s five-star Brown Hotel, thanking her for working with his guests.

When speaking about the way she provides services to clients, a clear distinction emerges between her concierge and those found at hotels in Louisville. Mainly, her company is built on personal connections to affluent services and places throughout the city. The goal of her company is to customize tours and top-notch service coordination with clients and their staff.

By contrast, some hotels in Downtown Louisville see concierge differently. For example, when you request concierge with a few Downtown hotels, this year they may direct you to their front desk staff instead. Obviously, this system of using front desk staff in the place of dedicated concierge will not fully meet the needs of all tourists attending the Kentucky Derby. This is where City Concierge and its employees come into play.

Is hotel concierge enough for the Kentucky Derby?

During the weekend of the Kentucky Derby, there will be many easy recommendations for hotel concierge to make. The usual referrals to top restaurants, spas, museums, and other tourists attractions are not specialized knowledge for locals. On the other hand, many essential luxury shops, private parties and services are closed to the public during the Kentucky Derby weekend.

To demonstrate this difference between using full service concierge and front desk staff, think about correcting things that commonly go wrong. For instance, an out of town tourist having a bad hair day is planning to broadcast live from the event on national television — but does not know the best salon in Louisville. The issue is that hotel guests may not have the local connections to get a hair stylist to open their closed shop on Derby weekend.

Other problems that the rich and famous deal with are coordinating with local restaurants to allow for private dining and security adjustments.

When you need more concierge

Although there is a chance that the front desk staff at a hotel may be able to find a top hair stylist during the Kentucky Derby, Wallace’s City Concierge, with their Rolodex full of years of personal referrals, would be the natural solution. Like most luxury items, City Concierge’s tours and services are custom designed. In addition, if you need extra transportation or personal assistant services, City Concierge can make you a referral.

In the end, Wallace feels that there are three hotels in Louisville that have true five-star concierge. Besides her own company, she recommends the Seelbach Hilton’s Larry Johnson (who literally wrote a book about the Seelbach), Leean Gillbrannock at the Marriot Downtown, and the Galt House concierge staff.

To get in touch with City Concierge of Louisville any time of the year, a direct phone line can be used (with prices varying before and after 11 p.m.) at 502-836-4376.

View the original article here.

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10 Reasons You Should Be Glad To Live Here http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1218 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1218#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:32:16 +0000 admin http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=1218 Thanks again, Louisville: 10 reasons you should be glad to live here
By BRIAN TUCKER | Published: NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Black Friday sucks.

I still have nightmares about being forced by my wife to participate in the maddening annual ritual.  Several years ago I promised my wonderful bride, after having my toes stomped and my coffee spilled by a raging stranger with red eyes, bad breath, and unkempt hair, that I would never again go to a store for the purpose of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.

Ever.

As my father so eloquently states, “I’d rather have a sister in the whorehouse.”

I, a man who is not defined by his possessions, see it a senseless orgy of consumption that ranks high in the reasons other people in far away lands hate us, but that is another list for another time.

Last year, in lieu of a shopping report, I put together a registry of “gifts” for our fair city that turned out to be more of a wish list than anything else.

This year I’ve decided to do a list of people for whom (and things for which) we should be thankful in Louisville. So get set to give thanks, rejoice, beat your breasts, spend some money or whatever it is you do when you are full of gratitude and you know it. Some people or things on this list are well known and some are Louisville’s best kept secrets. We should be thankful for them all.

Let’s get it on.

Brian Tucker’s 2011 Insider List of Things to be Thankful for in Louisville

  1. Insider Louisville is still going strong and Steve Coomes is still hanging around writing great things about food in Louisville. Terry Boyd is also working feverishly behind the scenes for you people, getting up early, staying up late, juggling his family and putting up with me on the phone and in person, all while writing great news stories. Thanks, boys. Keep up the good work.
  2. Curtis Morrison for Louisville Metro Council is an idea whose time has come. Louisville’s 8th District has had the same representative since merger. And the current officeholder was on the old Board of Aldermen. Time’s up! Thanks to Curtis for stepping up for his city. It takes guts to run for office against a long-time incumbent. Especially one that has made a career of simply “being there” instead of leading. A great historian, Tom’s gifts are wasted on the council. Louisville loves Tom Owen, too, but it’s sort of like that weird, know-it-all uncle of yours…glad he’s around, but glad he leaves, too.
  3. Laura Wallace is the owner of City Concierge. Laura provides information and concierge services to hotel guests and visitors (that includes you, the stay-cationer) regarding local events, shopping, arts and all that Louisville has to offer. Which, as it turns out, is quite a lot of cool stuff.  If it is a unique experience in your own city that you seek, look her up. You can have a pretty good time in Louisville if you give it a shot. Start with City Concierge. Thanks, Laura, for making our city look great.
  4. Changing Spaces is a small business in Louisville specializing in professional organizing, design and staging services. But it’s really more than that. When you feel good about the space you live in, you feel better about who you are as a person. It is that gift that my friend and former high school classmate Rick Wurzel can bring to you when you call.  Sick Rick on the hoarder in your family for the holidays, and do more than clear clutter. Improve a life. His work is amazing. Thanks, Rick, for sprucing up the living environments of your clients, and for doing it with zeal and inspiration.
  5. Mayor Greg Fischer hasn’t screwed up very badly, has he? That’s a nice thought. Contrary to what some people believed, Louisville hasn’t completely fallen off the map under his watch. Although things aren’t where most citizens want them just yet, Greg is trying. So thanks, Mayor Fischer, for what you’ve accomplished in your first year in office.  And while we still hear too much of the “corporate-speak” that drives us nuts and even though you still haven’t called me back about Bus Rapid Transit, I’m still glad you’re giving 100 percent to “driving results that add value and reflect best practices while empowering integrated mindshare.”
  6. We still have two Ohio River bridges we can use to get out of here from time to time. And for now, there are no tolls on them.
  7. Two words: Lebowski Fest.
  8. Ron Whitehead is one crazy bastard and I love his guts. The “electric hillbilly heretic poet” Whitehead makes me wonder how a city like Louisville can continue to produce and support such eclectic wonders. Thanks, Ron for being yourself. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
  9. There is actually a place in this city where you can go and force them to cook the culinary masterpiece that is the “turducken.” Heart doctors operating in the city limits thank you, the folks at Varanese, for this artery-destroying, chicken and turkey-with-a-duck-bill disaster.
  10. Organized Labor in Louisville has taken just about all the crap it is going to off of people in government and in business that seek to destroy a worker’s right to organize and speak openly about their working conditions. Thanks to my union, I can say what I want about my job without fear of reprisal. Plus, it pays pretty well and I have good, inexpensive health insurance benefits for my family. So, a big “thank you” to the labor movement for giving me the 40-hour week, the weekend, paid personal days and a host of other things most people take for granted. It is no coincidence that most of the businesses doing the hiring in Louisville have workforces that are represented by unions.

Happy thanksgiving, and thanks for reading.

Keep Louisville weird.

 

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Retrofit Vintage – A Short Video http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1133 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=1133#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:55:01 +0000 admin http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=1133

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Actors Theater: A Christmas Story http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=832 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=832#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:19:59 +0000 Laura http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=832 The seats were full Tuesday evening as Louisville locals strolled in to view the Actors Theatre’s third annual production of A Christmas Story. This popular motion picture classic traditionally watched in homes to summon Christmastime was brought to life before our very eyes, thanks to Philip Grecian’s adaptation.

The set design was one of the best I have seen at Actors, with Act 1 resulting in a two-tiered set and a dramatic change in Act 2 for the mall scene. A backdrop of blue-favored-snow-laden houses paired with a techno-color Christmas tree complimented the golden light of the famous “leg lamp” in front of the window. The set alone could easily transport us to Hohman, Indiana, circa 1940.

There were some notable differences with Grecian’s adaptation: without the gift of motion picture special effects, there is a consistent execution of creative props and comic relief sewn into the dialogue causing the audience to use their imagination even through distinct moments of realism. For example, this version included hilarious elves who introduced the play, were responsible for scene changes amid amusing dance scenes, and who had creative interaction with cast members to create scenes similar to the movie.

The narration was audible as well as physically viewable as the present-time (now grown) Ralph Parker (Larry Bull) reminisced aloud while circumnavigating each scene.

There were several stars of this production. Henry Miller (Ralphie Parker) of course, with the right pair of glasses really took on the personification of Ralpie, but what indubiously got the crowd in a consistent uproar of laughter (aside from the elves) were The Old Man (Justin R. G. Holcomb) and Mother (Jessica Wortham). Holcomb’s animated voice and dramatic gestures were well supported by Wortham’s whimsical light-heartedness, and together collided into an explosion of histrionic hilarity.

Add to that an Andrea-Martin-like Miss Shields (Katie Blackerby) and a supporting cast of surprisingly look-alike characters to the movie, and a fuzzy sweater — you have an evening guaranteed to make you laugh for years to come! This production was so entertaining that I am bundling up my children and bringing them to see it. Perhaps they will learn a lesson…a Red Rider BB Gun might “Shoot your eye out”.

A Christmas Story will be showing at Actors Theatre Nov. 8 – Nov. 27. For tickets and more information visit: http://actorstheatre.org/shows/a-christmas-story-2011-2012

Written By: Jessica Eturralde for City Concierge Louisville

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Dracula at Actor’s http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=814 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=814#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:11:04 +0000 Laura http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=814 By Dustin Meyer

Fall is a time of cool weather festivities and long standing traditions, be it reaping the harvest, Halloween or seeing Dracula at Actor’s Theater. This year’s production (adapted and directed by William McNulty and based on Bram Stoker’s novel of the same name) is phenomenally entertaining.  If it’s gore you’re after, Dracula holds the key to your bloody little heart. The tale revolves around a character similar (albeit not referenced) to Vlad the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia and Dracula, son of the Dragon who has lived hundreds of years as a vampire, feeding his immortality on the innocent blood of the unsuspecting. Dracula has developed a mysterious interest in Jonathan’s fiancé, Lucy, and has lured her to his lair. With the assistance of Doctor Van Helsing, Jonathan sets out to save Lucy and rid the world of Dracula’s evil.

 

Alex Morfas, playing the eccentric asylum madman, Renfield, brought more charm and satisfaction to his portrayal than did Tom Waits in the Francis Ford Coppola movie adaption (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992).  Until now, the only dramatization of the novel I had ever seen was that film, and it left an unfortunately cornball impression. Actor’s production resurrected my appreciation of Stoker’s timeless tale.  Rufio Lerma, portraying Count Dracula, gives a charismatic, saucy and suave performance. His intensity draws the audience deep into the dark clutches of McNulty’s direction, which is chillingly combined with the toxic decadence of Bram Stoker’s story. With no hesitation, I can say that the whole cast gives an arousing and passionate performance, from the oozing of blood to the shrillest screams. Not too shabby for the seventeenth consecutive season of Dracula at Actor’s. The production is as fresh as the blood that its haunted antagonist spills.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep places like Actor’s Theatre supported, especially when they go out of their way to create amazing shows year after year. Louisville is fortunate to have such well done theater in its proverbial living room. Actor’s presentation of Dracula certainly starts the Halloween season off on its best foot, if not on a downright thrilling one.
Once the cast digs its teeth into the rich dialogue, delivering heroic and curdling performances to Stoker’s masterpiece, you can’t help but cozy up to the idea of spending a cool October evening with the delightful cast of Dracula. It’s when the theater becomes red-hued and dusty and you can almost smell the adrenaline sifting from heart-palpitating panic that you remember why you love to see the tale unfold again…and again. Your pulse quickens. Your pupils dilate. Before you know it,  the curtains close. You can’t help clapping. My how time flies when your inner goth is having fun!

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Seeing Elemeno Pea http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=808 http://cityconciergelouisville.com/?p=808#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:08:54 +0000 Laura http://ccl.acesupdesign.com/?p=808 By Dusting Meyer

You walk in. The scene is set. Posh, yet well constructed décor greets the eye with tasteful composition, which is ironic, for the first few lines that follow are contemporary, profanity-ridden, informal greetings between two sisters who obviously have a lot to talk about.
Wily, witty, and sarcastic Devon, who still lives with the parents and works at a restaurant, is visiting her seemingly superficial and financially practical sister, Simone. Simone has become entwined with a posh crew of elegant and frivolous society people, as an assistant for a wealthy couple. The sisters clash, of course, especially once drama ensues as a result of the mysterious past decisions of Simone’s employer, Michaela Kell.
The dynamic of the sisters’ complementary yet diverse perspectives drive this character driven story to the point that the writer, Molly Smith Metzler, weaves a magical look into a day that feels all too realistic, in really a perfect way, for this fast-paced present-day American life. The story maintains present tense while drifting back into the curious lives of every character in the play. While the elegant and frivolous characters at first seem trivial, soon the audience is introduced to a deeper texture of their humanity. Much of the charm comes from the fantastic writing and the spectacular, charismatic acting from the cast.
I strongly suggest anyone with a free evening to wonder down to Main Street. Slip in for a wonderfully refreshing, original, attention-piquing tale that will have you laughing at every turn. With an extremely talented cast and a fresh and driven playwright behind your evening, you will thank he stars that Louisville has such a versatile, cutting-edge, and competent theater venue such as Actor’s! As a part of the Humana Festival of new plays you should catch this wonderfully enticing play. If you may; you should hurry! Visitors from around the world may already be in line before you!

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