DJ Superwolf has been around the local R&B and soul record-collecting syndicate for some time, spinning the obscure and familiar alike — funky hits by legendary Curtis Mayfield and virtually forgotten Gloria Jones, the original crooner of the cloying, much-covered “Tainted Love.” (Jones’ heartfelt rendition is anything but obnoxious.) Even if you’re not a vinylphile like the Wolfman (whose real…
Josephine evolved into a seven-piece behemoth after its original incarnation, the Josephine Love Letter, disintegrated. ” Martin and I called everyone we knew and said, ‘We’re going to start a band that’s fast and fun and will be nice instead of crushing skulls in the pit,’” singer Dillon Devoe says. “That’s why there’s so many of us, because we’re friends…
This British indie-rock quartet is constantly compared to Joy Division and Interpol, and justifiably so. But what Editors lack in innovation, they make up for in absorbing anthems that remind us why the new-wave revival happened in the first place. Editors’ debut album, The Back Room, blasts vigorous drum beats and high-pitched guitar riffs that melt with Tom Smith’s dark,…
Some late night during 2004’s ballpark tour, in the middle of a high-stakes cribbage game, perhaps, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson negotiated for the rights to the Red-Headed Stranger’s old picnic-concert concept and Dylan walked away with the prize. This summer, Dylan’s tour with Merle Haggard may be slightly more strategic (albeit taking place in renovation-pending theaters), because after that…
As evidenced by his last two albums — Pigeon John Dates Your Girlfriend and Pigeon John Sings the Blues! — Pigeon John is the kind of guy who talks about himself in the third person. Narcissism is not an unusual trait for a rapper — heck, Eminem’s entire career is based on his ability to turn nearly every song into…
Maria Muldaur, of “Midnight at the Oasis” fame, has spent her career wrapping her inimitably sweet, conversationally soulful voice around every type of music she can find. After ’60s tenures with the Even Dozen Jug Band and then the Butterfield Blues Band, she had her mid-’70s moment as a pop chanteuse. Since then, she has explored every corner of American…
When R&B artist Ginuwine debuted on the scene back in 1996 with the smash — and somewhat dowdy — hit “Pony,” critics wrote the Washington, D.C., native off as a novelty act, a great dancer with limited songwriting ability and no artistic creativity. Now, 11 years and four platinum albums later, the “Same Ol’ G” has a new album to…
The Man in Black rarely gets his props in the realm of hip-hop, but New York City DJ and producer Skew has found a clever way to pay tribute. Using an MPC 2000 sampler and drum machine and a digital eight-track recorder, he stitches together Johnny Cash songs like a sewing machine, making classics such as “Ring of Fire” and…
Lacuna Coil pens for Rob Zombie Saturday night, an ethereal goth-rock appetizer for a bloody-meat-craving crowd. The band from Milan, Italy, also plays a three-song acoustic afternoon set at Borders (9108 Metcalf in Overland Park), where its own warm-up act might be a store employee reading Walter, The Farting Dog. (Such an impromptu performance preceded a Dresden Dolls gig at…
Scott Wexton, better known these days as the Voodoo Organist, wears a red suit onstage, growls bluesy and demonic lyrics that have landed his songs on zombie-movie soundtracks, and plays a Theremin as he churns out soul-stealing organ chords. He’s a parallel-universe cross between Tom Waits and the Cramps. We caught up with Wexton recently and gained some insight into…
Last Saturday brought the first University of Kansas-sponsored Day on the Hill in four years. Before 2002, the daylong concert had been going every year since 1988, sparking fond memories for longtime locals. The event probably peaked in 1992, when thousands of people showed up to hear a then-underground band called Pearl Jam. The last two concerts were declared disappointments,…
With bands such as Mission of Burma, the Stooges, Gang of Four and the Pixies having come back together to tour during the past few years, it’s hard to be shocked by yet another reunion. Especially after the Pixies’ comeback. Their inner turmoil and the prickish way Black Francis broke up the group — by fax — were legendary. But…
Why he fights: Regarding “Good News From Iraq” (KC Strip, April 6): You write: “Lt. Lawrence Indyk, a self-described ‘Jewish Iraq war veteran,’ who was awarded a Purple Heart …” I have never uttered the phrase “Jewish Iraq war veteran” and certainly not to describe myself. I would resist describing anyone in such an over-concise manner — it misrepresents the…
Recently, the Kansas City Ballet held its annual “In the Wings” performance, in which company members had the opportunity to create costumes, choose music and choreograph steps for their fellow dancers. The performances were stellar, and talent abounded, but our eyes were drawn magnetically to one person in particular. When Logan Pachciarz, in his fourth season with the ballet, trotted…
One demographic we didn’t hear much about during the stadium tax debate was pro ballplayers. After all, members of the Royals and Chiefs stand to gain directly from stadium upgrades, but the players themselves seemed conspicuously absent from the whole campaign. That may be because not one Royals player or Chiefs starter is registered to vote in Jackson County. Chiefs…
It was back in December at the Heartland Muslim Council’s annual dinner that Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields gave a speech on fear. The speech got more play when the National Catholic Reporter reprinted it in early February. The 1,646-word diatribe on the current culture of terror criticized TV crime shows for making murder look too common and quoted Ben…
See Sunflower Smackdown here here. Categories: News Tags: kpol
School’s nearly out for the summer, so the teacher asks which of her second-graders will be back next year. Everyone is returning except for Zach Van Benthusen. “Are you moving, Zachary?” the teacher asks. “I’m dropping out,” the 7-year-old tells her. “I’m going to be home-schooled.” It was spring 1996. Jane Van Benthusen and her husband, Loran, had been two…
The Happy Mondays will spruce up the GE’s tacky interior. I had NO IDEA that Madchester lunatics the Happy Mondays were opening for Nine Black Alps tonight at the Grand Emporium. Guess I should read those venue ads we run in the Pitch more often, heh. I don’t know how the revamped (or ruined, depending on your view) GE has…
Ladies and gents, Mike Medeiros has moved his open-mic extravaganza, Open Forum to the Brick holding court on Wednesdays starting at 10:30 p.m. If that means very little to you, you’re not exactly alone; I’ve never been to one of Mike’s shows, either. More’s the shame on us, then, because it’s quite possibly the longest running event of its kind…
Dark Star Orchestra at the Uptown. It’s always puzzled me how these Grateful Dead tribute bands (see also: The Schwag) always manage to book the biggest venues in town. Maybe it’s time to find out. At least at this show there will be enough drugs going around to merit avoiding those $12 beers and $5 wonky wine. Categories: Music
The Roman Numerals and the Monitor at Mike’s. The total number of hipsters I have seen dancing to these bands is vastly outweighed by the number of folks I’ve seen just plain rockin’ out — especially to the Numerals, who have been around longer. God, I fucking love that band. They have no recordings out, so once in a while…
Toots and the Maytals at the Bottleneck. Roots rock reggae — yeah, that’s the classic shit. KC used to have a thriving reggae scene, but the lack of regular venues for it has caused it dwindle dramatically. We all owe Jah one for that. Categories: Music
Andrew Ashby, a smoker. It’s been an uncomfortably long time since we had a brand-new band to be excited about here in sleepy Kansas City — a new name to drop when people ask you what you’re going to do over the weekend. Now our chances of having to roll our eyes in self-mockery when telling friends that we’re going…
