Tommy Lee has never been one for subtlety, whether with music, wives or lifestyle. His 1999 solo debut, issued under the moniker Methods of Mayhem, leapt onto the rap-rock bandwagon with both feet — with dismal results. This time, Lee is trading under his own name, and there’s a lot less b-boy tomfoolery. Instead, the former Mötley Crüe drummer opts…
In a grass field that served as a makeshift carpark given that the Verizon Amphitheater parking lot housed the Warped Tour on June 27, two scruffy, sunburned and dust-caked punks greeted incoming vehicles. “Extra tickets for sale,” one bellowed. “Got any extra tickets?” queried the other. The pair’s inability to realize the glaringly obvious solution to its dilemma foreshadowed the…
Often, prominent artists view tours as absolute drudgery, a necessary evil to augment the sexier, less taxing sides of self-promotion. Meanwhile, Athens, Georgia’s Widespread Panic, whose epic summer vacations never take it anywhere near the MTV Beach House, has built a modest musical empire on this lost nomadic art. “Touring is what we do,” explains keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann, calling…
Arron D is perfectly fucked up tonight, and it shows. The KB Posse singer and guitarist is onstage at the Granada, alongside members of Phat Albert, DVS Mindz and the Zou, pounding out a head-rushing number titled “Devious.” On a good night, when he’s consumed just the right amount of alcohol, Arron D’s talents seem limitless — the very essence…
Like a jawbreaker that changes color every few seconds that you suck it, Men in Black II delivers a quick buzz, lots to look at and a junk-food joy that can be attained only with the aid of artificial flavoring and yellow dye No. 5. Like its predecessor, the movie is short — less than ninety minutes (Barry Sonnenfeld is…
The “one thing” at the heart of Jill Sprecher’s 13 Conversations About One Thing may not have one name. But as you wend your way through this intricate meditation on urban solitude and the nature of fate, you’ll likely discover for yourself whether it’s called happiness, hope, domestic tranquility or something else altogether — and find that the journey…
Home accent: I just read Greg Hall’s Tony Peña story (May 23). Why did he write that Peña’s from Puerto Rico? He and his family live in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He’s Dominican, not Puerto Rican. How did Hall make this error? Where/when will he correct it? Sarah Cool Liberty Greg Hall responds: I have no problem understanding Tony Peña’s accent,…
On June 25, opening night of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s tenth season, the top brass — founder Marilyn Strauss, artistic director Sidonie Garrett and executive director Shelley McThomas Bryant — had on their game faces. Champagne glasses were raised and clinked. Mayor Kay Barnes had issued a proclamation noting that the festival had reached “an important milestone ……
Here’s the winner — actually, the only entry — in the Pitch’s Rate-A-Royal essay contest. We’d love to print his name, but for reasons that will rapidly become obvious, the guy prefers to remain anonymous. At one point in time, I heard that Brady Anderson (once with the Orioles, now with the Indians) wore No. 9 on his jersey because…
On a recent afternoon, a group of black parents announced in a news conference that they were fed up with Arthur A. Benson II. These parents support the Kansas City, Missouri, school district’s plans to provide a new “African-centered” middle school this fall for students who have grown up with the curriculum at Chick and Ladd elementary schools, two of…
Joe Amrine beat and raped other men without remorse. From an early age, he knew he was going to prison. Born in Kansas City in 1957, the sixth of ten children, Amrine grew up in the projects at 12th and Woodland. When he was nine, his family moved to 29th and Paseo. For many years his father was unemployed. His…
