Mo Money, Less Problems

Part boutique, part gallery, Revelry has succeeded as both. But it wasn’t always easy – their original location in the Highlands on Barret Avenue suffered from the closure of neighbor Lynn’s Paradise Café, which led to their current location on East Market Street in NuLu.

Fueled by a mission to make local art accessible and further supported by sales of handmade jewelry, home decor, screenprints, photography, gifts and more, Revelry boss Mo McKnight Howe is celebrating her fifth year in business this Saturday evening from 7 to 10 p.m. with a party and new art featuring Mike Maydak’s “Heritage” exhibition. Maydak was an artist who took a chance on showing at the fledgling business from its earliest days, and this weekend’s activities will highlight how both the art and the business have evolved at Revelry. I caught up with Howe to ask why, where, which and when.

Q: How has a unique, locally focused business survived in these crazy times?
A: Hard work, a local-loving community and a new location. It’s not always easy, but no small business is. Louisville has a wealth of incredible artistic talent and a strong contingent of people who support local arts and business.

Q: Have you learned some painful lessons along the way? Was the post-Lynn’s period on Baxter the worst of times for the shop?
A: Every small business owner goes through thin, challenging times. Every day is a lesson. Moving to NuLu drastically changed the course for Revelry. It’s been an incredible journey, and the future for Rev is bright.

Q: Who are some of your personal favorite artists who have shown and/or sold there?
A: Right now, Ewa Perz is killing the oil game. She just dropped off 10 of her newest oil paintings and I covet them all. Julio Cesar, a master oil painter, is constantly going to impress me with what he is creating. And, of course, Lyndi Lou, who helps me curate quite a few shows at Revelry, is always going to be a favorite. Honestly, we have over 115 hand-selected artists showing in here at one time. We chose them because we love their work and admire their talent. They are all my favorite!

Q: Tell us about Mike Maydak and his relationship with the business.
A: Mike Maydak was the first artist we featured at Revelry’s grand opening five years ago. He’s most known for his painting of an exaggerated 400 W. Main building (the Aegon building), which sold the night of the grand opening. I asked him to come back for the five-year anniversary to go full circle with this thing. I’m looking forward to showing his newest paintings and prints.

Q: What kind of special treats will you be sharing with the people to celebrate this big birthday?
A: Five days of discounts leading up to the anniversary. We never do discounts because it’s hard with handmade things, but we want to say thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years! We will also have cupcakes, drinks and a special art project for those who want to partake. Should be a night of revelry! Get it?

Q: How do you feel about the evolution of the NuLu area? Has it peaked or is there still more room for growth?
A: NuLu’s growth is far from over. Louisville’s urban core is key to the city’s growth, and NuLu is the natural gateway to a downtown that’s rapidly evolving. There’s five new businesses opening here in the next month! It’s an exciting time to be a part of this community. My husband Scotty and I recently bought a home in Butchertown and have fully embraced NuLu, both professionally and personally. I’m glad we made the move.

Q: Where do you buy art outside of Revelry?
A: I buy art in all sorts of places. I bought a small Shane Hull two weeks ago at Chuck Swanson’s because I like supporting other local galleries. I’ll pick up pieces at Mudpies Studio, the Flea, Louisville Visual Art to support them, and I buy art when I travel to remember the places I’ve been. Scotty and I are still working on our collection; we’ve got a long way to go!

Photo by Sarah Katherine Davis for LVA.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune

Yum! Grasping the Grales

Gralehaus opened in the Highlands over one year ago, joining sibling the Holy Grale in a morning-to-night celebration of great food and drinks. We caught up with Lori Rae Beck, co-owner with Tyler Trotter of both businesses and the Louisville Beer Store, to discuss upcoming events, the planned B&B aspect of Gralehaus and more.

Q: How was Gralehaus’ first year? What important lessons were learned?
A: I couldn’t be more proud of our first year! Our crew is solid right now and our management team, Andy Myers and Leslee Macpherson, are total rock stars! Everything Andy does in the kitchen is done right, no corners cut, and everything he makes is delicious. Leslee’s ability to concoct beverages is unparalleled; whether it be coffee, tea, soda or beer, she always surprises you with her creativity and whimsy. As far as lessons go, I’ve learned so much about coffee, especially from the folks in Chicago at Intelligentsia. Oh, and I also painfully learned what it means to gut a three-story house down to the studs and remodel the whole thing for a hybrid business (laughs).

Q: When will Gralehaus’ upstairs B&B be open to the public?
A: We are so close, so very soon … we just did a test run and have a few more things to address … we just want to do it right! They are beautiful, and we can’t wait to share them with our guests.

Q: Tell us about the ongoing “Hot Sünner Nights” series.
A: Tyler and I love drinking Kölsch in Cologne, Germany. I mean, who doesn’t want to drink little slender glasses of the freshest ale in the world, one after another, while your köbe harasses you to drink more and marks your coaster for every beer drank? This is the third season of us doing our best to “imitate” the authentic Kölsch service in Cologne right here in Louisville. We offer it on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the Gralegarten starting at 6 p.m., and sometimes, to accompany all that Kölsch drinking, “Doghaus” pops-up to serve up house-ground sausages.

Q: Tell us about the upcoming dinner with Moody Tongue on August 14, and your relationship with them.
A: Moody Tongue beers lend themselves so well to culinary application and are designed to do so, with ales like “Caramelized Chocolate Churro Porter” and Lemon Steeped Saison.” Chef Andy and brewer Jared Rouben have collaboratively decided to do a “breakfast for dinner”-style beer dinner, where they will be recontextualizing some of our classic breakfast plates and presenting them alongside Moody Tongue in a wholly new form.

Q: What are some of the best pairing events you’ve done?
A: I’d have to say the famous music, beer, and food pairing event with musician Will Oldham, Sam Calagione – owner of Dogfish Head – and Holy Grale chef Josh Lehman, “Holy Trinity,” at Holy Grale. You would have had to be there to believe me, but I and others were actually moved to tears. Somehow, the convergence of sound and the taste and aroma of food and beer, mixed in with the joy of all those around you, resulted in an unforgettable emotional and enlightening experience.

Q: You and Tyler are going to Europe soon. What do you hope to accomplish on that trip for your business?
A: The first part of our trip, we will be zipping through Northwest Italy visiting some of our favorite Italian breweries. For the second part, we are being hosted by one of our favorite importers, Artisanal, on a trip to Belgium visiting several breweries that we have never been to before. Things to accomplish? Have fun, drink great beer, learn more and make new friends along the way!

Q: I hear everyone in NuLu and the Highlands will be moving to Portland very soon. When will you open your first Portland location?
A: Not planning on opening anything new anytime soon. I think it is important to do the best with what you already have. Right now, we are just trying to button up everything to the best of our ability and get all three of our operations running tightly, remaining profitable and being good to our staff and customers along the way. But who knows! When opportunity knocks, it is hard to not open the door.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune

The Re-evolution Has Begun

Skyscraper Stereo, one of the most popular hip-hop acts in Louisville music history, returns with their latest full-length, Scrape or Die!, this week with a release show on Friday at the New Vintage. The Voice-Tribune connected with crew member Daniel Guess, a.k.a. Goodbar, to learn what’s up.

Q: How was your Forecastle?
A: Forecastle was perfect. I didn’t know that the city of Louisville was ready to receive a collective of homegrown hip-hop artists in that capacity. I underestimated what we could accomplish as a unit. That was a milestone for Louisville hip-hop as a whole, not just for the acts chosen to perform that particular set. Dr. Dundiff’s selfless act created a movement. The majority of us have collaborated and supported one another on some level or another, but on that stage we became a family.

Q: Which year has been better for you so far, 1995 or 2015?
A: I feel like 1995 was an amazing year altogether for the entertainment industry and those who wanted to be entertained. It just so happens that we have a song on Scrape or Die! entitled “Party Like ’95” where we each confess our obsession for pop culture, music, clothing and the like from ’95. The hook may or may not reference the O.J. Simpson trial … and, yes … he was innocent.

All jokes aside, with our fourth LP on the stove, that epic Forecastle experience a few weeks ago and the thriving Louisville hip-hop scene as a whole, this year has been very prosperous so far as well.

Q: How did each group member contribute to make this record what it is? What’s everyone best at?
A: Chuck MF Deuce (CMFD) is the quarterback when it comes to Skyscraper Stereo … Dat Boi Dunn (DBD) and I typically go into Skyscraper recording sessions with eager ears, open minds and lots of blind faith. It’s not uncommon for the two of us to hear something Chuck is working on and think, “Where is he going with this?” or “How am I supposed to rap to this?” The irony is that most of the tracks we’re apprehensive about end up being our favorites when we hear the finished product … Chuck is constantly looking to improve as a musician. For this album, he decided to stray away from sampling. Legally, that’s a great idea, but it will also help him to develop a signature sound. He also told us that he wants every song on this album to be a single. Maybe I’m a little biased, but he may have actually pulled that off!

CMFD provided the backdrop and his stories about high school crushes and sucka emcees. DBD and myself polished up our metaphors about sex, drugs and Nike SBs. And the product was Scrape or Die! DBD is the personality of the group. Whether it’s his stage presence or catchy hooks - which he can come up with in his sleep - he’s just an undeniably lovable guy. Don’t confuse that for lack of lyrical prowess, though. Ya boy gets right … His progression is evident on this new album. As far as I’m concerned, I’m the lyricist. I’m very humble, but a few people have told me I’m pretty decent at what I do. Who am I to argue? Nothing out of the ordinary from me on this album, as far as what I offer. Just the usual under-your-ground, over-your-head raw.

The beauty of Skyscraper, in my personal opinion, is we have polar-opposite musical influences, but somehow we mesh. Everyone contributed their all to this project. I can’t forget about AK, our DJ. He has a cameo on the album and we’re thankful that he’s behind us, literally and figuratively.

Q: The production on Scrape or Die! sounds more pop to me than previous albums. Are you guys trying to expand your audience this way, or is it a more natural progression (a re-evolution)?
A: I think it’s more of CMFD broadening his horizons as a producer. Rap music has never even really been his first choice of genre. He plays a mean guitar (check the solo on “Ya Boy Gets Right”). We welcome a wider demographic, but at the same time, we don’t want to lose loyal fans by changing our formula. After all, that’s the definition of selling out. It’s safe to call it a re-evolution.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune