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    Bonnie Prince Billy is a name spoken in whispers around this town.  A local urban legend that exists in the ether of artistic integrity and musical credibility, setting a standard to which so many local artists continue to reach and aspire toward.

    Bonnie Prince Billy is the pseudonym for local singer/songwriter Will Oldham who first began garnering attention on the Louisville music scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s through his affiliation with local indie-rock legends Slint.  He has since released 18 studio albums either under his own name, or the Bonnie Prince Billy moniker (the distinction between his two identities musically is negligible, at best).  His albums are nothing if not consistently raved about by critics while being loved and memorized by his quaint but loyal legion of fans, to a point where existential aura of mystery has come to surround him to the point that he sort of exists as a post-millennial version of Tom Waits.

    His stark lyrics have been flirting with the concept of Americana music, two decades before the term even existed.  The bleak tones that often recur in his songs reflects a vernacular of southern realists like Walt Whitman, Tennessee Williams, or Cormac McCarthy.  The songs are filled with dusty landscapes, heartbreaks, and choices so devastating it’s sometimes unfathomable to empathize.

    He has even taken to the acting bug, appearing in such diverse projects as the Oscar nominated “Junebug” to Chapter 15 of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” saga to “Jackass 3D.”

    Thursday September 3rd, Bonnie Prince Billy will be the performer for the latest installment in the Mayor’s Music and Art Series.  The show will be held in The Mayor’s Gallery on the 4th Floor of Metro Hall (527 W. Jefferson St.).  As always (it’s held the first Thursday of every month), the show is free to the public and you may bring your own lunch to eat during the performance.  The doors open at 11:30 AM and the show will begin at 12:10 PM.  The performance will conclude by 1:00 PM if you’re just stopping in on your lunch break.

     

     

    Photo provided by Will Oldham.

    Brent Owen's picture

    About Brent Owen

    Born and raised in Louisville, I have lived here most of my life (except during a short furlough, when I, lovelorn and naive, followed a girl to Baton Rouge). My roots are here, my family, my friends, and my life are all here. I work primarily as a free-lance writer for a few local and regional publications. I have also written two books (one a memoir, the other a novel) that barring some divine intervention, will probably never see the light of day. I find myself deeply ingrained in the local bar scene, or perhaps better said, I often indulge in the local drinking culture. I love music, movies, comedy, and really just about any other live performance art.

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