One Thing I Love About Louisville: Brigid Kaelin

By Michelle on January 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | One Thing I Love

Brigid Kaelin is a brilliant musician and I'm terribly proud that we in Louisville get to call her our own. She's also the artist behind the video "Dreidel's Day Out" which was one of my favorite things this past holiday season.

One thing I love about Louisville is our absolute patriotism - not for our country, but for our city. As someone who grew up here and couldn't wait to move away, I am inexplicably proud of my roots.

We prouder than Texans, and that's saying a lot

I moved to New York City at age 18 and found myself talking constantly about the hip Louisville music scene, throwing outrageous Derby parties in my NYU dorm room, and teaching my classmates the words to "My Old Kentucky Home." When the film students were excited about the release of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I dutifully informed them that Hunter S. Thompson went to my high school briefly and that Johnny Depp once lived a few cities down the river. I joined the Kentuckians in New York society. (Yes, it has existed since 1904, and I dare you to find a Michiganders in New York Society.)

Even the Texans didn't feel the need to claim every single ex-pat as one of their own. We Kentuckians, and Louisvillians in particular, are proud - or at least vocal - of any connection to celebrity. And we absolutely love our home town.

Go to the Nachbar on a weekend, and you'll find at least five fleur-de-lis tattoos and a few vintage UofL shirts. The obvious Christmas present to out-of-town friends is a nice earx-tacy t-shirt or anything from the Why Louisville store. In most national news stories, the writer is sure to point out a Louisville connection, however slight. We love it.

And what's not to love?

I have traveled the country over the last year, and I wear my vintage Louisville t-shirts proudly. I love telling people where I'm from, and I love pointing out to them all the wonderful things beyond bourbon and horses. I get annoyed when I hear bluegrass music in New Jersey, and feel the need to show the musicians my Kentucky drivers license.

Where ever I go, I make sure people know I'm from the wonderful city of Louisville. Sure, it's just a matter of geography, but I know I'm not the only one to have an inexplicable adoration of Louisville. We prouder than Texans, and that's saying a lot.