Clip art mania: Compare and contrast posters.

Above: 2013.
Below: 2012.

Live at Five to be reinvented and moved to Bicentennial Park for 2013.

The Green Mouse has learned that the city's Friday evening concert series will undergo a few changes for 2013.

The shows will remain on Friday evenings, but move to a 6:00 p.m. starting time and run until 9:00 p.m.

Site rotations will cease, and this year's fixed venue will be the spanking new $1.5 million dollar Bicentennial Park. The vending scheme will be similar to last year's.

The 2013 debut of "Live at 6" currently is slated for June 7.

Live@5: Have a beer and buy a meal for someone who needs it.

Live@5's last show of the season starts on Friday at 5:00 p.m. with the band Wax Factory. The venue is the 400 block of Bank Street, and there'll be NABC craft beer for purchase until 8:00 p.m.

NABC appreciates being included in the Live@5 concept. Since the event's inception earlier this year, we've always said that a percentage of our summer's profits from beer sales at the event would be given to a worthy local cause. In the hope of ending with a bang and not a whimper, I'm pleased to announce that 100% of beer sales this Friday night will go to the general fund of the soup kitchen at St. Mark's United Church of Christ, Bank Street Brewhouse's neighbor across Spring Street.

If sales this Friday night do not reach my pre-assigned season's percentage, or if bad weather comes through and spoils the show, I'll just top off the night's total. It would be lots more fun if a good crowd comes down, enjoys Wax Factory, and contributes to the cause by having a beer. You needn't over-indulge to take part. I'd rather have 300 people drinking one beer each than the other way around.

Live at Five (Live@5) today at ... well, 5.

Live@5's next-to-last show starts this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. with the band Field of Kings. This week and next, the venue is the 400 block of Bank Street. The city's press release explains the music.

Following the release of their first self-published album in April 2012, Field of Kings does not cease in pushing themselves forward. Performing every opportunity possible, producing new material daily, and constantly striving to strengthen their entity has earned Field of Kings local and national recognition. "Soiree" can now be found on Pandora, iTunes, Spotify and many other online distributors. The group is extremely appreciative for all the support from family and fans alike through this past year and is expecting to release an Ep, previewing their new direction, this coming spring.

More information about Field of Kings can be found on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/fieldofkings

Live @ 5 resumes this afternoon.

Live @ 5, the city of New Albany's summer concert series, resumes for a final three-week Friday afternoon run in September. The venue for all three is the 400 block of Bank Street. Here's the city's press release.

Today, Mayor Jeff M. Gahan announced the lineup for the final shows of this Summer’s Live @ 5 Concert Series:

September 14th – R&R Acoustic Duo
September 21st – Field of Kings
September 28th – Wax Factory

These three events will all be held at the 400 block of Bank Street, and are free to the public.

The rain-delayed Labor Day Double Feature has been rescheduled to this coming Saturday, September 15th. Despicable Me and Jurassic Park are the movies that will be shown, and this event is free to the public. The first movie, Despicable Me, is set to begin at 8:30 p.m.

R&R is a Louisville-based Acoustic Duo that focuses on classic and current pop-rock, blues, and jazz. They play everything from Steely Dan to the Red Hot Chili Peppers on a variety of instruments, from edgy, acoustic guitars and keyboards to bass and harmonica.

Following the release of their first self-published album in April 2012, Field of Kings does not cease in pushing themselves forward. Performing every opportunity possible, producing new material daily, and constantly striving to strengthen their entity has earned Field of Kings local and national recognition. "Soiree" can now be found on Pandora, iTunes, Spotify and many other online distributors. The group is extremely appreciative for all the support from family and fans alike through this past year and is expecting to release an Ep, previewing their new direction, this coming spring.

Wax Factory is a pop/rock band comprised of seasoned Louisville, Kentucky, whose objective is to deliver an intense live performance that is fresh and energetic. With this in mind, Wax Factory has set their sights on offering a mixed repertoire of cover songs, ranging from contemporary to classic and eighties party rock hits. Wax Factory’s shows are guaranteed to have the crowd singing and dancing throughout the night.

Complete streets and sell-outs: Why not? I haven’t had a good back-and-forth lately.

In my letter of September 6, I focus specifically on councilman Bob Caesar's antediluvian streets stance, to the exclusion of the involvement of other local politicos, precisely because of a chat we had in 2011 at a Merchant Mixer meeting, in which Caesar famously (and with breathtaking imperiousness) declared that, “Pearl Street will NOT be two-way!”

While Caesar’s proclamation lacks the gravitas of “Remember the Alamo!,” I suppose we all pick our spots, based in part on the books we’ve read, or in Caesar’s case, not read.

On the broader topic of complete streets, I am in complete agreement with my friend Randy Smith, who by the way, makes no money off non-book reading council persons. Randy knows my history with Caesar quite well, and in his follow-up letter of September 11, he deftly chooses to sidestep it, so as to stir the pot with respect to his intended target, Mayor Jeff Gahan.

Given the gist of my letter, it’s a secondary point, as is Randy citing the Urban Enterprise Association’s dismemberment at the hands of the incoming administration earlier in 2012. Funny: When that particular pot was boiling, it was I, not Randy, who spoke openly on the topic of the UEA in this blog, before the city council, and at the critical UEA meeting to follow, each time disagreeing strongly with the position of the Gahan administration, which he now accuses me of coddling.

At any rate, while I don't contest Randy's right to redirect the complete streets discussion, I’ll merely note that my letter was not aimed in the Mayor’s direction. With regard to complete streets, Randy is entirely correct. Mayor Gahan needs to be on board with it, and to lead the campaign, along with the city council, neighborhood associations, and anyone else in this city who cherishes workable concepts of modernity, and who wishes to utilize a street grid that exists for all of us, not merely drivers.

Newspaper reader “Sam” then takes the rebuttal a step further:

Why the kid gloves with, Gahan!? Isn't it obvious?

Roger can't speak bad against Gahan or he'll take live at 5 elsewhere and revoke his amphitheater privileges.

Roger is a sell out.

Unfortunately, and unlike Randy, “Sam” chooses not to address the fundamental question of complete streets, but I’ll answer him (or her), anyway.

Amphitheater “privileges” and other events like Live @ Five cannot include adult beverage vending without the requisite permit from the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission. Bank Street Brewhouse possesses a supplemental catering capability, for which we pay a yearly fee allowing us to write these permits to enable adult beverages to be sold legally at numerous types of functions.

As you might expect, doing so involves paperwork, and carries a measure of liability. Paperwork takes time, and insurance costs money. Clearly, it’s a business relationship, with risk and gain for both sides involved. Furthermore, vendors other than NABC have transacted business at the events mentioned, working under the Bank Street Brewhouse event permit at no cost to them.

For instance, Wick’s did roughly four times more business than NABC at the July 3 fireworks show. Irish Exit and River City Winery also have taken part, as well as food vendors for whom no such ATC permit is required. I can’t speak for other participants, but at the beginning of the Live @ Five series, I informed the mayor’s office that we’d be donating a percentage of cumulative sales at season’s end to the charity of its choice, and if the mayor’s office did not designate otherwise, these would go to the Animal Shelter.

Has NABC profited from all this? Of course we have. After all, the "Sams" of the world insist on calling me a socialist; I call myself a leftist and a reluctant capitalist, and what we've been doing with the city is a business arrangement along side other, more civic-minded considerations, such as the fully sensible role of locally-brewed craft beer in every aspect of daily life.

But if you think we’ve made enough money to open a bank account alongside Mitt Romney’s in the Cayman Islands (less than 108K, natch), you obviously don’t know much about the beer business, where the best way to make a million is to begin with five million.

And, I have been transparent about all of this from the inception, all year long, and answered every question directed to me by humans with full names – and as of today, one without. I recall one such exchange on Twitter with newspaper reporter Daniel Suddeath in which he thanked me for answering questions openly.

Could there be other ways of doing these events? Of course; dozens. Have I asked for any favors outside the boundaries of the events in question, or been handed anything? No, I’ve just lived up to my end of the deal in good faith. Should there even be city-sponsored events like Live @ Five? That’s a good question, too, and one that is open to honest debate, along with various notions of competitive bidding, future contractual arrangements, licensing, and other ways to accomplish something. Obviously there's more than one way to throw a party, although there are fewer ways to make a party legal with the state.

In closing, it is amusing for “Sam” to assert that I’m a sell-out, seeing as selling is the root cause of capitalism as we know it. Like so many other things in life, I suppose it’s all about words, and how we use them.

Considering that I’ve been showering no more than usual lately, it would appear that my conscience is clean, but I can speak for me and me alone.

Live @ Five September schedule, and Labor Day movies, and Indiefest ...

The city of New Albany's Live @ Five concert series will return for three final dates in September: 14th, 21st and 28th. All three shows are from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and all three will take place at the Bank Street venue, opposite Bank Street Brewhouse.

The city also will be staging a Labor Day weekend program on Saturday, September 1, at the Riverfront Amphitheater. The program, which is slated to start at 5:00 p.m. and finish before midnight, probably will include two movies, and adult beverages and non-alcoholic drinks will be available.

Finally, as reported yesterday, there's the Indiefest and Southern Indiana Craft Beer Showcase on Saturday, September 22, at a temporary venue to be formed from the 400 block of Bank Street and the two parking lots adjacent to the Carnegie Center. Meanwhile, the Carnegie's annual fundraiser, A Taste for Art and History, is scheduled for Friday, September 7.

The Harvest Homecoming Parade follow all these events on Saturday, September 29, and then the festival itself ... but I'm not ready to go into it, at least yet.

City press release: Live @ Five taking August off, will conclude with September dates.

Straight from the wire.

Live@5 Schedule Changes

Today, City Officials announced that the Live@5 Concert Series will wrap up in September, rather than the previously planned August. Both the weather and the return of the school year were cited as reasons for the break, along with wanting to host City Events come fall.

“We will not be holding Live@5 during the month of August, both to allow the extreme heat that we have been experiencing to subside, and to allow families some time to adjust to their new schedules with the return of the school year,” began Mike Hall, City Operations. “With the summer months winding down, we at the City also wanted to host some events in the fall for citizens to enjoy leading up to Harvest Homecoming.”

“Live@5 will resume in September to escape the August heat and to coincide with cooler outdoor temperatures in the run up to the Harvest Homecoming Festival,” stated Mayor Jeff M. Gahan.

Live@5 is scheduled to return on September 7th. The City of New Albany will a also be hosting its Labor Day Celebration on Saturday, September 1st at the scenic, New Albany Riverfront Amphitheater. To best keep informed on the new lineup for Live@5, along with all City of New Albany news, please “like” the City’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/NewAlbanyIN and visit the City’s website at CityOfNewAlbany.com.

Live @ Five on the 400 block of Bank Street this Friday, with Unleashed!!

This week's Live @ 5 (Friday, July 27) moves back to the 400 block of Bank Street, by the Carnegie Center and Bank Street Brewhouse. NABC, Wick's and River City Winery will be vending, and perhaps also Habana Blues, seeing as their mojitos went over quite well last week.

As for the music, this sounds intriguing:

Unleashed!!

UNLEASHED!! is comprised of 3 very talented young musicians from the Louisville School of Rock, Hunter Borowick(13) , Luke Stanton (13), and Elise Hagan (18). Brought together by director/ Coach Chip Adams. Though they are a relatively new band, they play as though they have been playing together for years. Look for UNLEASHED!! to make a impact on the local music scene in the near future.

Live @ Five on Market Street this week.

The Live@5 for Friday, July 20, will be held on the 100 block of Market Street (between Pearl and Bank). It's from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and this week's performer is J.D. Shelburne. NABC, River City Winery and Wick's are this week's vendors.

NABC in Indy, and Live @ Five on Bank.

NABC descends on Indianapolis to join in the fun; it's Indiana Craft Beer Week, and the capital will be buzzing in more ways than one.

Here at home, note that Live @ Five returns this Friday to the Bank Street layout. It's from 5 - 8 p.m. on Friday, July 13. On July 20, the gig moves to Pearl Street between Market and Main.

Wed., July 11: Flat12 and NABC merriment at the Tomlinson Tap Room in Indy.

NABCieged at The Sinking Ship: Kegs and bottles on Wednesday night.

A reminder: NABC's lineup at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival this Saturday.

A jeer with a bit of jaundice, but what can be expected from mere reporters, anyway?

I meant, "Stenographers."

My two cents: Business owners on the Grant Line corridor had ample warning as to the road being closed at the rail crossing; specifically, our criticism has to do with the visual manner that stretches of road on both sides of the rail crossing were signposted and blocked with impediments (undoubtedly to deter big trucks), thus giving an APPEARANCE of shutdown when in fact autos could proceed to retail destinations.

JEERS

... to the City of New Albany, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the contractors in charge of the Ind. 111/ Grant Line Road construction work.

Last week, local businesses had to write their own signs and post them alerting people they were still open because of the confusing signage placed along the route when Grant Line Road closed at the railroad crossing. Unfortunately, this has been par for the course on this project. Whether it be massive potholes created on the sides of the road and interstate exit, the lack of information shared with business owners or the near daily shifts in apparently closed lanes, there’s been a lapse in communication on this effort that at times has led to quite dangerous situations. Yes, with every great road improvement comes some pains, but many of these are unnecessary. Perhaps if the city spent as much time informing the public of the traffic situation on one of its busiest roads as it does touting and explaining parking for its Live@5 concert series, the situation would be much better.

— News and Tribune

CHEERS

... to the city of New Albany for making a decision Wednesday to cancel its weekly Live@5 event scheduled for Friday.

This move because of extreme heat in the forecast gave ample time to spread the word that the weekly concert would not be held.

— News and Tribune

June 29: The heat is on, and so Live @ Five is off.

This means Live @ Five takes two weeks off, returning on July 13.

---

PRESS RELEASE
June 27th, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michael Hall

Due to the extreme heat expected to hit the area this coming weekend, the City of New Albany has decided to postpone the Live@5 concert scheduled for this Friday, June 29th.

With temperatures expected to reach between 100-105 degrees on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Mayor Jeff M. Gahan is urging residents to stay cool, hydrated, and indoors during this heat wave. Given this fact, city officials thought it may be best try to reschedule at a later date for the safety of the attendees, event staff, and musical acts.

“With temperatures over the 100 degree mark, serious precautions need to be taken,” stated Mayor Gahan. “Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated, and do not forget to use your sunscreen if you have to go outside. In addition, please check on your neighbors throughout the weekend – especially the elderly.”

Mayor Gahan also stressed the importance of taking extra precautions while transporting infants and young children in vehicles during the summer heat.

Coming up on the City of New Albany’s Summer Entertainment Schedule is the annual Independence Celebration hosted at the scenic Riverfront Amphitheater. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 3rd, and will feature five musical acts and a large fireworks display. The event starts at 5pm, and is kicked off by Uncommon Sense, a Rock School band from Jimmy’s Music Center in New Albany. Fenderilla, another Rock School band from Jimmy’s will follow, with local band Violet Knives taking the stage after that. Olivia Henken will take the stage for an hour and twenty minute set, followed by The Louisville Crashers.

Live@5 will return regularly on Friday, July 13th. For more information, be sure to keep up-to-date with the City’s website and Facebook page.

Nash: "Some of these calls even came hours after the program was over and the traffic was back to normal."

Surely one of Matt's best ever columns. While staying informed may strike most people as the most responsible option, longstanding New Albany political traditions of default reactivity result in the "I'm not getting the information even if you strike me in the face with it" option -- far better for grandstanding than admitting to be knowledgeable about a topic.


NASH: Have you heard about Live@5?

Earlier this month at a meeting of the common council of the city of New Albany, a couple of the council people announced their dismay at the city’s Live@5 concert series.

Live @ Five returns to the 400 block of Bank Street this Friday with Jimmy G and the Sidewinders.

The city's Live @ Five summertime concert series returns to the 400 block of Bank Street this Friday, June 22. Jimmy G and the Sidewinders will perform, and there is not a cover charge.

It is my understanding that the Bank Street venue will remain the same for the remainder of the summer. On June 29, the featured band is Sub-Urban Situation. There will be no Live @ Five on July 6 owing to the annual 3rd of July concert and fireworks show earlier in the week, but it will resume on July 13 and continue on Fridays through the end of August.

Last week was the first collective effort by NABC and the city to render the Bank Street temporary fest site suitable according to what is expected of us by the state of Indiana's Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC). In order to obtain these weekly temporary permits, we must provide the ATC with a floor plan that shows where and how we will be running the event. There must be fencing or barricades, delineated entrances, and a division between the over-21 beer serving area (the bar) and the all-ages area (the family room).

A key point is this: During the Live @ Five shows, while it may seem perfectly reasonable to buy a beer at Bank Street Brewhouse and carry it into the festival area to drink, this is not permitted. Nor is it allowable to buy the beer inside the fest area and carry it out. For the purpose of licensing, the Live @ Five grounds and Bank Street Brewhouse are entirely separate entities.

Please remember this when you attend Live @ Five. For this Friday's show and the ones to come, we're implementing a modified festival layout to ensure compliance with relevant state laws. The same one will be used for Saturday night's Art Walk party, and also future events in the vicinity, providing a better event template for set-ups, tear-downs and the shows themselves. Thank you for your support.

"It’s as easy as reading the newspaper" -- or the blog.

That's because keeping informed isn't such a good strategy when it comes to grandstanding.

But in my opinion, the current council members have been out in public quite a lot. I've seen council persons Coffey, Phipps, McLaughlin, Blair and Benedetti at various Live @ Fives; Bob Caesar walked through one of them, glowering, so I'll give him half credit. CMs Baird and Zurschmiede were at Exclusively New Albany.  I haven't seen John Gonder lately, but may well have missed him.

CHEERS AND JEERS — For June 16-17

JEERS

... to the New Albany City Council members that stated recently they were unaware of street closures for the city’s new entertainment venture, Live@5, until either the day of the first event or from phone calls from residents.

On May 2, the News and Tribune printed an article confirming Mayor Jeff Gahan’s administration was considering closing streets for the events. On May 24, the News and Tribune ran a second article confirming the intersection of State and Market streets would be closed for the June 1 event.

Furthermore, the city’s website also provided information on the event, parking and the street closure for several days leading up to the concert. While it may be excusable for some people to have overlooked these multiple announcements, surely elected officials would be more proactive about informing themselves of the city’s happenings. It’s as easy as reading the newspaper.

— News and Tribune

Live @ Five, June 15.

This Friday, Live @ Five shifts venues to the 400 block of Bank Street.

There, down by the Post Office, we eagerly await the arrival of Dragon King's Daughter. Sushi will not arrive until September at the earliest, so we need to have some fun in the meantime.

Following is the city's press release detailing the next two Live @ Five shows, and a visit to the Riverfront Amphitheater by the Post-Mannings. For those wishing to comment, there is an interesting discussion underway at the city of New Albany's Facebook site.

I've also posted orientation information at my Potable Curmudgeon blog.

---

PRESS RELEASE
June 12th, 2012


Today, Mayor Jeff M. Gahan announced more details for the City of New Albany’s Summer Entertainment Programs.


For the June 15th and June 22nd shows, the Live@5 Summer Concert Series will be set up on the 400 block of Bank Street in between Elm Street and Spring Street.  


City Administration is continuing to tweak certain aspects of the program, and will continue to visit various destinations in New Albany.


Vendors for the next two weeks shows include the New Albanian Brewing Company, River City Winery, and the Irish Exit. Domestic and craft beers will be on tap, along with River City Winery’s craft wines.


As for the Riverfront Amphitheater, the Indianapolis Colts will be joining us on June 28th for their “Colts Fan Fest” Tour. The fan fest will run from 5-7pm, and will feature live music by “Free Fallin’ (A Tribute to Tom Petty),” autographs from select Colts players and cheerleaders, free Colts giveaways, the Colts In Motion traveling museum, and a chance to win Colts tickets.


Be sure to keep up to date with the City’s Website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for more info on Live@5 and other summer entertainment initiatives.

Give us pork rinds, Bud Light Lime and the Crashers -- and we still won't come.

Seeing as I get no kick from scarred linoleum, I seldom indulge in the Kitchen Fable Dishes, where posts seldom go up more often that once a month, and everyone (all five of them) wears a bile-soiled mask.

Even so, as a periodic nod to fairness, even if she hardly deserves the favor, here's the link to A Troglodyte's Guide to Live @ Five.

In essence, it's an oppositionist's view of the city's summertime concert series, as filtered through a world according to reefer madness. As with so many other aspects of New Albany's civic existence, the issues referred to therein might be assuaged with better communication, and I believe the event's organizers are well aware of it. At the same time, KFD itself provides a compelling counter-example: You can have all the many means of communication afforded by the modern age, and if they're holding the wrong device in their hands, no one will listen.

Live @ Five returns to State and Market tomorrow night.

It's a work in progress. The overall reasoning is mostly sound, and I suspect the implementation will improve with each passing week. If not, perhaps CeeSaw can propose an ordinance.

State Street will still close, but some changes made for Live@5 concert; Smokin’ Joe to play free show Friday in downtown New Albany, by Daniel Suddeath (Zinc Ad Zeitgeist)

 ... “We’ve got to do something better if that stage is going to be in the middle of State Street,” said New Albany City Council President Diane McCartin-Benedetti during Monday’s council meeting.

Councilman Bob Caesar also said he received numerous calls about the traffic situation as a result of the street closure.