In Mr. Brooks, Kevin Costner plays a respectable Seattle businessman who kills for thrills, goaded by an imaginary friend who looks a lot like William Hurt. The movie is neither the clever and poignant metaphor for addiction it strives to be nor the darkly comic Harvey it could have been. Indeed, Costner’s Earl Brooks is such a square (appropriate, perhaps,…
A few friends of mine who have adored Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up at early screenings have nonetheless voiced a similar complaint: There’s no way that pin-up-pretty Katherine Heigl would end up with soaked-in-bongwater Seth Rogen. But this is the geek’s fantasy, not the princess’s. In Apatowland, the guy, no matter how frumpy or klutzy he is, always gets the girl….
If all goes according to plan, May 31 will be the closing date for the sale of Scott and Gigi Cowell’s popular Europa Café & Bakery. Its new owner: local businessman Andrew Atterbury. According to Gigi Cowell, Atterbury has hired Nathan Feldmiller, former chef at the recently closed Circe, to be the chef. The Cowells are selling Atterbury the rights…
South Koreans love to eat beef, even though it’s terribly expensive. In fact, the high price sometimes makes it more desirable. “That’s why Koreans love barbecue,” explained Keun-Bae Jeon, who owns the two-month-old Chosun Korean BBQ in Overland Park. Jeon’s joint is all about grilled meats — particularly the beef short ribs that customers cook themselves on gas-burning grills…
For DJs, the Serato virtual-vinyl wonder program has changed the game. But it hasn’t overshadowed DJ Sku’s established knack for turning out any party, anywhere. Witness it at Tabu Thursdays at Sake in Overland Park, where the newly Serato-converted Sku continues to demonstrate an uncanny ability to read a room. Fortunately, after all the accolades and praise, Sku hasn’t…
“Get Up, Get Out” by the Rosebuds from Night of the Furies (Merge): “Moonglow, Lap Low” by Eleni Mandell, from Miracle of Five (Conqueroo): Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp sounded a little down on 2005’s Birds Make Good Neighbors — as if they were in a quiet, contemplative place, wondering whether to stay put and wait for the sun…
YouTube: “My Baby Loves Me When I’m Stoned” by Jason Boland & the Stragglers (Live): Ever wonder what rednecks listened to after they boycotted the Dixie Chicks? Jason Boland and the Stragglers is a good guess. The Oklahoma-born Boland is the antithesis of Natalie Maines’ country-pop, opting for crass, sawdust-on-the-floor outlaw twang. With songs such as “Jesus and Ruger” and…
YouTube: “101” by Albert Hammond Jr, from Yours To Keep: Who’d have imagined that the Strokes’ rumpled, grizzly axman was capable of such effortless AM-radio pop? Albert Hammond Jr. ‘s solo debut trades staccato NYC hep for a cottony sincerity that seems almost a priori in its familiarity, whether one prefers classic rock or modern indie. Brian Wilson and Robert…
“Moonglow, Lap Low” by Eleni Mandell, from Miracle of Five (Conqueroo): Like Edith Frost or Jolie Holland, songwriter Eleni Mandell recalls prewar jazz crooners and country troubadours but remains firmly rooted lyrically and musically in the present. A full band supports the prolific chanteuse on this tour, amplifying poetic couplets comfortably anchored by her brittle acoustic guitar and casually perfect…
Hatebreed gained fans beyond its hardcore niche by touring with Slayer and the Deftones, leading to big sales for The Rise of Brutality in 2003. But the album was a step away from the Connecticut band’s original mission statement: to create old-school hardcore music in the face of the pop-infused, nu-hardcore of bands like Atreyu. With last year’s Supremacy,…
After posting exclusive mixes for the Definitive Jux and Stones Throw record labels earlier this year, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim is hooking up its indie-rock fans. Available only online, Warm and Scratchy includes 14 new and rare cuts from bands such as TV on the Radio; the Raveonettes; Broken Social Scene; and the Good, the Bad and the Queen. Best…
The two girls didn’t have tickets to see Ziggy Marley on the first Friday of May at the Crossroads Amphitheater, so they did the next best thing. They climbed to the roof of a nearby building in order to look down on the reggae show. Unfortunately, they chose an abandoned building lacking in structural soundness. Spotting them, Stretch, the…
Plenty of the people who go the TV-justice route to settle their small claims and property disputes could just as easily take their troubles to Jerry Springer. But not all court TV is trashy. Why, none other than the esteemed Johnny Rotten once let Judge Judy settle a conflict. And recently, two prominent members of the Lawrence music community took…
The idea, like all good ideas, came after a couple of rounds at Dave’s Stagecoach. On a lazy Thursday night, after rejoicing that we all had the next day off, our friend Scott suggested, “Want to do a spontaneous bar tour of Westport?” Our ambitious plan called for an 11 p.m. start and a shot at every bar. We set…
In 2002, Norah Jones gave Blue Note Come Away With Me, the longtime jazz label’s best-selling album — ever. Ten million discs sold. Her next, Feels Like Home, reached quadruple platinum, and Not Too Late, Jones’ latest, went double platinum after its release in January. With her breathy voice, jazzy piano and romantic ballads, Jones was the best thing that…
Dear Mexican: I was going through a local state college’s academic program the other day and found that the school offers a bachelor’s degree in Chicano studies. My question: In what field of work would someone with a bachelor’s in Chicano studies land? Here are a few jobs I came up with: working at a lowrider or tattoo shop, designing…
Burnt Ends, May 17 King of the Beasts I know it’s difficult for people in the barbecue-centric town of Kansas City to understand that people like Joe Schreibvogel need to be stopped. However, I feel like everyone should take a closer look at individuals like Mr. Schreibvogel. Raising awareness to not abuse exotic animals is something we need to learn…
Hey, you, just-out-of-high-school rebel. You probably think that your final, pre-empted gesture of disdain for the Raymore-Peculiar School District went largely unnoticed. But my friends and I were sitting way up in the balcony of the megachurch where your graduation ceremony was held, and we could see you struggling to get your pants back on under your robe. And we…
In Kansas City, Bike to Work Week sounds about as safe as Bike to Baghdad. But things apparently didn’t go so badly during the annual ritual. And that should come as a surprise to anybody who’s donned the spandex for a spin around Kansas City. Of the 514 commuters who signed up, just two bikers were hit within city…
Rick Powell faced a dilemma when he began renovating a historic downtown building. Sure, the place had a handsome art-deco exterior and was located smack in the middle of the trendy garment district. But then there’s this: The building’s name recalls the not-so-homey memory of a gas leak in India that killed at least 3,000 people. The building in question…
Warren Erdman is one of the city’s most powerful men. He once accused me of being “fixated” on him. I’ll admit to being fascinated. See, I keep trying to figure out how he’s able to balance all of the contradictions in his life. Erdman has a big-time day job as a vice president for the Kansas City Southern railroad. He…
Joseph Tash is determined to do something that’s supposed to be impossible: stop sperm. Tash is a biologist at the Categories: News Tags: Editorial Feature, Gunda Georg, Joseph Tash, NASA, National Institutes of Health
