This Alibi didn’t set out to be an instrumental band. It just kind of happened. In hindsight, though, maybe it happened for a reason. “Bob and I went back and forth singing this cover of a Sparta song just to see how it would go,” recalls bassist Justin Callaghan. “After we got offstage, his girlfriend at the time was like,…
“We Killed the American Dream” by Josephine Collective, from the Living EP (Warner Bros.): Just before unleashing 30-plus minutes of bouncy rhythms and angsty screams on a packed Grand Emporium, the seven members of the Josephine Collective huddle, backs to the audience, for a group picture. Flash! And then the chaos blasts, somewhat distorted by the club’s PA. Guitars chug,…
On a Thursday night, I went to see the AC/DC tribute band KC/DC perform at the G Spot. OK, first of all: KC/DC? That’s so brilliant that I couldn’t believe no one had thought of it before. And, speaking of names, even though the place changed its name from the G Spot to the Great Spot Rock Bar and…
“Disappear” by the Meat Puppets from Rise to Your Knees (Anodyne Records): It’s kind of a fantasy that we didn’t rehearse,” Curt Kirkwood says. “We just didn’t rehearse sets. We didn’t rehearse, but we played — endlessly, mindlessly. We all lived together for years. We had our set of communications down from the go-gets. That’s why we started calling the…
In this week’s Pitchcast, KC School Superintendent Anthony Amato explains why he seemed less than excited to talk to us. Then he takes a standardized test, bombs it — and pretends he knew the answers all along. Get it through iTunes by clicking here, download it on the Web by clicking here or click the bar below to listen: Categories:…
Dear Mexican: I welcome the inclusion of a nice big scoop of chopped habaneros in the bland casserole that is America. I must admit, however, that it gave me pause the other day when I saw an all-too-typical familia of recent arrivals at Kmart: mom, pop and four kids less than 5 years old — nine months and a day…
Pitchcast: “Uncensored Stretch,” June 21 Back Stretch Hi, Pitch. “Uncensored Stretch” was an awesome Pitchcast! The world needs more artists who speak out against the bureaucracy that impedes innovation in our cities. Stretch should be the mayor of Kansas City! Steven Young, San Francisco Letters, June 21 Law Review As someone who is constantly having her efforts and good intentions…
Hey, you, idiots who feel the need to drive 60 mph on North Garfield Avenue between Englewood and North Vivion Road. Be warned: I’m building a potato gun. I plan a sustained mission to hole up on the roof of my house and snipe your cars as you barrel past as if my street were your private Kansas Speedway. Did…
Sprint has launched its latest salvo in the war of mobile-phone-service providers. The Overland Park-based company is using billboard ads to remind us that it should be the hometown favorite. The most curious ads appear along northbound Interstate 35 near the Broadway ramp and eastbound Interstate 70 near the Paseo. A red-inked sketch of a smoking barbecue grill is…
Every town should have its secrets. But a hidden field full of poisonous snakes seems a bit much. This month, Lenexa animal-control officials started a rattlesnake relocation program. A plateau where 200-300 rattlesnakes were believed to be making their dens was about to undergo redevelopment. Many of the snakes were href=”http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/factsheets/herps/timber.htm” target=”_blank”>timber rattlesnakes, which are a protected species, says Jennifer…
Bob Marley got a break. The 450-pound pig will be gone in a month. That’s a taste of the restaurant scene in dusty downtown Kansas City, Missouri, land of the endless detour. Two blocks east of a recently supersized convention center, crews are building an entertainment district where sports fans and concertgoers disgorged by a new arena can buy more…
So you’ve decided to become an urban school superintendent. Good for you. At the helm of some of the most spectacularly underachieving districts when it comes to standardized test results, you’ll have the opportunity to lead only the most desperate parents and teachers. First, though, you’ll have to decide what kind of superintendent you want to be. You can struggle…
You may know this by now, but tonight at 7 p.m. at the Record Bar, two UK buzz bands are playing: the Who and the Dave Clark Five. Just kidding. It’s actually Maximo Park and the Cribs. They’re kind of like today’s mods, though, when it comes to the British beat. Maximo’s two albums (including this year’s Our Earthly Pleasures)…
Pretty soon, a locally produced talk show could be competing with infomercials for your interest on Saturday nights. After Hours is the brainchild of Darron Story, who you probably don’t remember from the early 1990s R&B act Lo-Key. Story will share co-hosting duties with the much younger Cara Kahn, who was on Real World: Chicago , had her wedding…
Pitch writer Ben Paynter sat in on The Walt Bodine Show this morning to discuss Kansas City panhandlers. In December, Paynter wrote this Pitch cover story about local panhandlers. The much-talked-about piece preceded a debate about how to curb panhandling in Kansas City. Listen to this morning’s show through KCUR’s archives here or get a podcast version of it through…
Kansas City’s never had a Chinatown neighborhood, but over the last century, there usually have been two or three Chinese groceries around the 150-year-old City Market. What’s been missing from Kansas City’s oldest neighborhood was a Chinese restaurant. Flash forward to right now – and a brand-new Bo Lings. Categories: Dining, Food & Drink
Glucose distributor IHOP Corp. announced the acquisition of Lenexa-based trans-fat giant Applebee’s International for $2.1 billion blah blah market cap business writing pie chart of my butt. If I’d ever given it any thought, I might have imagined IHOP headquarters as a brown one-story building staffed by ex-convicts and pregnant teenagers, but they’re apparently a lot more like…
It’s midnight at the Brick, and I’m sipping PBR through a straw because I’m wearing a fake silver mustache. It’s a lesson fake mustache wearers learn, lest they end up with a drink full of fake fur. A guy calling himself “Rollie Fingers” gave me my ‘stache. A rosy cheeked fellow in a tie and sport coat who…
Hey, you, Willie Nelson fan. Listen up! The August 1, 2007, Willie Nelson and Family concert at Starlight Theatre has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 20, 2007. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, July 21, and if you bought a ticket for the August 1 show, ’twill be honor’d. Refunds available at point of purchase. And for those in…
From the How’d We Miss This? Department comes this dispatch from a publicist: “LAKE OZARK – On Thursday, July 5, The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex at Lake of the Ozarks came alive when REO Speedwagon took the stage.” Click on photo for even more rock fury. Thank you, Melissa Ferry of Anderson Marketing in Lake Ozark, Missouri, for reminding…
Hip-Hop KC has gotten a makeover. Head over to the little site that just won’t quit and access the local, underground, independent, positive, barbecue-loving hometown rap headquarters. Mr. Reach was kind enough to post a link on the site to our awards, highlighting nominees (including himself, for the first time this year) in hip-hop-related fields. Thanks, Reach. Categories: Music
On Friday, a jury convicted Charles Hollingsworth III of murdering David Owen, a self-appointed lobbyist for the homeless. Juries had previously returned guilty verdicts for Carl “Outlaw” Baker and Kim “Baby Girl” Sharp. A fourth defendant, “Big” John Cornell, cut a deal to turn state’s witness. Categories: News
