107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale: I be the judge

REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin (left) is not one of the "music industry professionals" judging 107.7 SFR's Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. But I am.

As part of my ongoing quest to attain local celebrity status, I’ll be judging 107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. Music starts at 8 p.m. at Third Base Tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind. (134 Spring St.).

Come out and be the Paula to my Simon. I’ll be the guy drinking like it’s free, because, for me, it is.

Four bands will play 35-minute sets each. I’m judging based on

• performance (technical)
• stage presence
• station fit
• crowd response
• girth

2011 is my second time judging the finale; last year was a blast, despite some concerns about how the second-place band’s groupies would respond to a second-place finish. You don’t want to irk a rock cover band’s groupies.

I shoot Groupon trouble with WAVE 3′s Troubleshooter

Alas the video is no longer online, but last week Louisville’s NBC affiliate, WAVE 3, featured me in a segment on Groupon:

Groupon gone wrong highlights growing problem

The vendor wronged me, so I called WAVE 3′s Troubleshooter and trouble got shot.

Wall Street Journal publishes article on Louisville I wrote in its Off Duty travel section

The Wall Street Journal, May 7-8, 2011—"Louisville, Ky.: Day at the Races"

On May 7, The Wall Street Journal published an article I wrote about Louisville as a travel destination—”Louisville, Ky.: Day at the Races”:

• Download a .pdf of the article here
• Read the article on The Wall Street Journal’s website here

Running on the day of the Kentucky Derby, the full-page feature in the Journal’s Off Duty section included

• a 500-word essay sharing insider insight on Louisville
• the top local picks from notable Louisvillians: musician Jim James (lead singer of My Morning Jacket), novelist Sue Grafton, chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia, and hotelier Laura Lee Brown (owner and curator of 21c Museum Hotel)
• a sidebar on five of my favorite local venues

I also assisted the editor and photographer with selecting subjects for the nine pieces of art that accompanied the article.

In mid-April I received an email from an editor at the paper asking if I was interested in writing an insider’s guide to Louisville to run in Off Duty on Derby day. He’d been editor-in-chief of BlackBook and apparently figured that publication’s Louisville City Guide editor would be a good writer to consider for this assignment. That’d be me.

When I speak about writing, I stress the importance of promoting your work on your own website and via social media. This assignment is a perfect example of why that’s important.

In addition to the Louisvillians who graciously contributed to the piece, thanks to Louisville Magazine‘s publisher Dan Crutcher (also the owner/my boss at Louisville.com) and staff writer Josh Moss who gave me ideas and helped me track down contact info.

BlackBook City Guide (including my Louisville listings) now on Android

Today BlackBook launched its City Guide app for Android phones: Download it for free at the Android Market.

In case you forgot, as BlackBook’s Louisville City Editor, I reviewed 100 Louisville bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops for the project, also deciding which ones got top billing as features.

From the app’s description:

The must-have city guide to new, notable, and noteworthy restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, retailers, spas, salons and more in over 60 cities worldwide. All listings curated by BlackBook’s in-the-know local insiders and VIPS. Search for nearby hotspots, browse by venue type and features and share the on Twitter and Facebook!

You also can find the reviews online at BlackBook’s website or as a free iPhone app.

Photo: Courtesy Android Market

I am a program writer, for the world’s largest Beatles festival

This weekend Louisville is hosting Abbey Road on the River, the world’s largest Beatles-inspired festival. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Abbey Road on the River published a souvenir program, which it hired me to write. For the 20-page glossy booklet I wrote

• bios of all 64 bands
• a two-page history of the festival
• a sidebar on four families who are festival regulars
• an ad on George Harrison’s history with Gretsch guitars
• a one-page article on the festival’s ensemble shows

The program’s not online but will be available at the festival for $6 (I get no commission, but recommend picking up one anyway).

[Updated June 13, 2011: Abbey Road on the River made the program available for free as a low-resolution, watermarked .pdf download.]