The solstice officially made its declaration of summer on June 22, which means that the heat of summer advertising has begun to beckon and taunt everyone to get that swimsuit; invest in that soon-to-be-desperately needed window AC unit; or purchase that pool, as prodded by that Watson’s woman. But there’s more to summer fun than sun and sand. Why not…
Way back in 1970, when instant replay was still a novelty and TNT, ESPN, the NCAA, and many other alphabet combinations made sure there was 24-hour football from late July until the end of January, ABC Sports had the audacity to invade prime time with Monday Night Football. But this was not football, Al DeRogotis-style, with humorless, cliché-ridden commentary and…
The June 29 debut of Starlight Theatre’s new $10 million dollar stage was like an upgrade to first class, with the in-flight entertainment being the Kansas City premiere of Miss Saigon. Though at times the show truly soared, it also was marked by moments of distracting turbulence and dispassionate service. As the audience was directed to stand and sing the…
Few realize that the Grand Arts space is equally divided between a gallery and a workshop. The gallery space is known for its shows, often of cutting-edge contemporary work, but lesser known is the fact that these shows materialize through artists’ projects that take place over a period of time on site. In 1994, co-directors Sean Kelley and Margaret Silva…
“Fuck You!” screamed Pimpadelic’s Easy Jesus as he greeted the capacity crowd at The Bottleneck in Lawrence on a sweltering summer night, and the all-ages audience gleefully responded with middle fingers held high. This set the tone for the evening, with Easy-J and his lily-white crew (even though a color-blind J requested a lit joint on stage for “my niggaz”)…
As impressive as the Daybirds’ Turnstyle disc is, it’s their live act that really convinces. For nearly an hour, the Liberty-bred foursome motored exuberantly through most of Turnstyle as if they’d invented pop Thursday afternoon and couldn’t wait to share it. That’s whole pop, not just power pop; these guys have their Cheap Trick on in a big way,…
Is it as hot out there as it is up here?” Deftones singer Chino Moreno asked the sold-out crowd. After the audience roared in agreement, Moreno reasoned that performing in a sauna-style environment was a small price to pay for a little intimacy. “This is how it should be,” Moreno continued. “This is how we started, and this is…
A lot has changed in the life of the Blinksters since co-headlining the Vans Warped Tour last summer, including a substantial hike in the number and frequency of fans and a corresponding crash in the ages of said fans. Video killed the punk rock stars when MTV made Blink-182 an “edgier” equivalent to the Backstreet Boys and Christina Aguilera,…
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have always been a spotty live band. Whether they were strung out on heroin, infighting, or whatever, the Chilis could unite the universe and align the planets one night and the very next suck shit through an amusing novelty straw. Sure, they’re always energetic, but colorful shit is still shit. That said, the return…
“We’re flying by the seat of our pants tonight,” The Marshmallow Coast’s frontman, Andy Gonzales, said after taking his spot on the space set aside for his band on the Replay Lounge’s floor. “Let me explain what’s going on. We’re practicing an experiment in economics by traveling as two bands, but we’re the same people. We’re going to play,…
Even though Saturday’s local music extravaganza at The Bottleneck was billed as Reflector’s last show, this was arguably Kill Creek’s night. Fans appeared restless during The Casket Lottery’s opening set, suggesting that a large percentage of those in attendance had Kill Creek on the brain. That’s too bad, because this group has stumbled on a style that’s more refined…
The rare country performer to thrive outside the mainstream, Dwight Yoakam keeps casting further afield from Nashville. Following a greatest-hits disc and a covers album, and anticipating the western movie he has written, directed, and stars in (South of Heaven, West of Hell), his new dwightyoakamacoustic.net release strips a whopping 25 songs down to their six-string britches without becoming solemn…
Bob Dylan, still on his Neverending Tour, has circled wagons with Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh. But what could have been Summer 2000’s reigning geezer tour has turned into a showcase for some very unexpected Dylan songs, including “Country Pie,” performed at several stops already, and an opening acoustic set. So far, Dylan has presented relatively short sets, choosing…
“I am a lesbian. I have not been comfortable with that fact until recently.” — Sinead O’Connor, in a letter to Hot Press magazine clarifying an interview published there in May. “I believe it was overcompensating of me to declare myself a lesbian. It was not a publicity stunt. I am not in a box of any description. Love, Sinead.”…
Social B and R Dub, two “Caucasian persuasions,” as they refer to themselves in their bio, represent “South Side KC” on their debut CD, Set on Seven. The low-end-heavy old-school beats rely primarily on overlapping bass lines, although “Get Outta My Car” and “Neva Givin’ Up” add elements of funk. Lyrically, the duo makes dozens of references to artists from…
Like the defunct Alabama-based group Brother Cane, Pure Cane can deliver the occasional swamp-rock riff and catchy drum-driven chorus. The Kansas band shares few other musical similarities with its implied sibling, with singer Cori Holbert injecting serious soul into some tunes and her bandmates wandering off on enjoyable jazz tangents during others. On the mildly funky opener, “Only Woman,” Holbert…
As it does every year, fall will bring with it The Kansas City Spirit Festival, an event that celebrates good tidings and proves that the spirit of KC is alive and well. It also occasionally confirms that venerable Rick Springfield, who will play Spirit Fest opening night, Friday, Sept. 1, is alive and well. Not so alive and well,…
After 25 years of raising hell, Motörhead hardly needs the introduction its latest album title provides. But perhaps We Are Motörhead serves to reassure the band’s fans that these are the same hard-driving metal pioneers, popping wheelies on Harleys while some of their labelmates coast in cushy wheelchairs. Starting off fast and heavy with “See Me Burning,” this venerable London-based…
Sure, The Salteens are a bunch of crackers along the lines of The Monkees on a public-access budget, but the whitebread pop they play is so infectious that only the squarest of squares won’t dig it. Short-Term Memories is the band’s delightful debut, and it’s loaded with the kind of songs where “yeah” isn’t a random exclamation, it’s a bona…
Fast, catchy, and often disposable, pop punk bands are often entertaining and seldom seminal. The best of them revel in goofy humor, and the inclusion of gag tunes that wear thin after a few spins prohibits these groups from making classic albums that can be listened to all the way through months after they’re purchased. In 1997, NOFX pieced together…
Lest we forget about rock’s double standard for men and women, consider Sinead O’Connor. For instance, more than one review of her new disc, Faith and Courage, has complained that the single “No Man’s Woman” indulges in man-bashing. ‘Cuz a man can fake you/Take your soul and make you/Miserable in so much pain, goes O’Connor’s bitter chorus. Her canon and…
“I know the interview is scheduled for 11 a.m., but Brad Daddy X is currently MIA,” an unknown publicist’s assistant says from her office in greater Los Angeles. “Actually, he’s usually difficult to get ahold of. When we need them to come into the office, we usually tell them the appointment is an hour earlier just to get them…
Why is the film called “Disney’s The Kid”? Is it really possible that the studio was so concerned that someone might actually mistake the film for an update of the Chaplin classic that the brand name had to be formally incorporated in the title? Or was this an attempt to reinforce its squeaky clean image, which has taken a…
If one were to predict what movie released this year might kick off with an image of Lyndon Johnson, few would select The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. But the film has a good sense of history regarding its own quirky source material (as does its intended audience); thus, it starts with a newsreel-style setup explaining what has happened…
