Question: Would you be any more or less inclined to give money to a panhandler, knowing that he might be a pastor in disguise? That’s not quite the point of Pastor Timmy Gibson’s field trip, which he’s calling “24 Hours in the Life of a Homeless Person,” scheduled for tomorrow. But if it goes according to plan, the stunt will…
My August 8 post about the Josephine Collective’s reaction – well, at least one member’s MySpace-aired disgruntlement – to not winning an opening slot at the 96.5 the Buzz Beach Ball 3 concert has generated a shitstorm of comments. All of the name-calling, scene-bashing and misspelled-opinion-spewing that occurred both in Josephine’s defense and at its expense inspired one reader (who…
STUFF TO DO THIS WEEKEND FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF A DOWN-PAYMENT ON A CHEESEBURGER If you’re like me, you’re nearly broke enough to consider applying to be Jerry Mazer’s intern and breaking into the subprime cheeseburger loan market. (I just totally squicked myself out even writing that.) Of course, I do have my own milk crate to sit…
While I was in Lawrence last night, I swung by Liberty Hall to check on the turnout for a concert promoting the book You’re Welcome, aka Ho’ Huntin’ and Bitch Bangin’, Wurd, which basically encourages men to use alcohol and deception to get women into bed. I don’t think authors Clay Perkins and Devin Lawrence liked the Night &…
Hundred Years War, with Ladyfinger (NE) and Attack on Uranus Wednesday, August 29 The Record Bar Better than: Having piping-hot Velveeta ladled into your pants. By Jason Harper The fairly new and not seriously conceived but seriously awesome Hundred Years War reminds me of the spoken-word monologue Nick Cave bellows on the opening track of Grinderman. It’s called “Get…
Two selected ales on sale for $1.50 each. Tuesdays, 2007 Tags: Night & Day
Serious bicyclists may enjoy rough terrain and long distances. For the rest of us: How about a nice, leisurely ride through a pocket of nature inside the city limits? This morning at 9, that’s the kind of free bike ride that Shey Bergman, education specialist at the Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, will lead along Brush Creek. Cruise the Creek begins…
Forget this $50 pay-per-view mixed-martial-arts biznatch. If you really want to see a throwdown, invite a bunch of aftermarket tuners to a hot-rod convention. The two camps are divided by ideology as much as décor, with the former favoring neon and nitrous and the latter favoring chop-tops and rockabilly culture. The seventh-annual Greaserama is a hot-rod extravaganza with explicit…
Kansas City’s Irish Fest has seen scads upon scads of Gael and non-Gael eyes a-smilin’ at Crown Center (2450 Grand) for the past five years. In honor of that anniversary, tonight only, organizers channel their inner Bob Geldof and offer a charitable $5 discount for tickets purchased online at kcirish fest.com. This year’s fete includes the usual fare, such as…
To many, the thought of a ballet recital probably brings to mind tutus and the color pink, à la Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. But there’s much more to be found in contemporary ballet performances. George Balanchine’s Square Dance, for example, combines 17th-century court dance with good ol’ American country dance. Kansas Citians can expect both the modern and traditional…
Next week, Ben Kweller will play every song from his three solo albums, in order, over the course of three consecutive concerts in Los Angeles. The first night is devoted to his full-length 2002 solo debut; the next night, it’s 2004’s On My Way; the series ends with Kweller’s 2006 self-titled release. Tonight, the crowd at the Bottleneck (737 New…
There’s a hint of Herman Melville in the music of Telegraph Canyon, a seven-strong collective from Fort Worth, Texas. Songwriter Chris Johnson has a penchant for penning soundtracks for wide-angle shots of skimming vessels, incorporating accordion and violin into his seasick, acoustic-guitar-based compositions. Picture a band of sailors congregating for a post-typhoon jam session, and you’ll begin to get a…
The bodhisattva is a figure from Buddhist mythology who chooses to remain actively attached to the world until all sentient beings achieve enlightenment. In other words, not only do they feel physically able to operate the airplane’s emergency exit, but they’ll also remain onboard until everyone slides safely down the inflatable raft. The bodhisattva known as Tara has several…
Sheryl Underwood is one of the funniest and topical standup comics working on the road today. Sheryl can be seen as Catfish Rita in Beauty Shop starring Queen Latifah. The New York Times called Sheryl a “…scene-stealing vendor…” and Entertainment Weekly said “…There are fun touched…like the soul food peddler (Sheryl Underwood) who keeps offering folks “monkey bread” followed by…
Back in the day, P.T. Barnum’s Great Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome was the bee’s knees. Then came deadly fires; accusations of animal cruelty; and the sudden and shocking revelation that it was no longer cool to gawk at giants, fat ladies, midgets and three-legged boys. In response, the Barnum crew schemed up the modern big top: motorcycles…
Since the 1880s, the United States has bestowed upon its noble working class a day of rest on the first Monday in September. Wow. A whole day. Thanks. Really. Labor Day also marks the end of summer, and that means those lazy days of lounging by the pool are numbered. School’s in for autumn, kiddies. But not without one last…
Shew Us Thy Teats The enthusiastic embrace of anachronism is part of the charm of the Kansas City Renaissance Fair (628 North 126th Street, Bonner Springs, 800-373-0357). Witness chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick. Huzzah! Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco from North America to Western Europe at the end of the 17th century. Nonetheless, this year’s event features a Middle Eastern-flavored…
Childlike wonder is for toddlers or the unhinged, unless you’re Jaqwan Sirls. The artist and renaissance fellow revives the art of imagining through his sparse, delicate watercolors of Seussian beasties with dilated eyes. From 6 to 8 tonight, The Culture House Gallery in the African-American History and Culture House (5245 Rockhill Road) holds an opening reception for Sirls’ first…
The phrase “hotter than hell” gets thrown around a lot during Kansas City summers, but two area haunted houses, The Beast (1401 West 13th Street) and The Edge of Hell (1300 West 12th Street), are taking the expression literally. A full two months before candy-clamoring younglings don costumes and storm metro neighborhoods, the West Bottoms haunts are offering late…
There’s not much time left for beachin’ it in Jackson County. Longview Lake Beach (111101 Raytown Road, 816-767-0727) and Blue Springs Lake Beach (1500 Northeast Bowlin Road, Lee’s Summit, 816-503-4876) close for the summer after Labor Day weekend, which means today and Monday are it. So break out the sunscreen and head to the water between 11 a.m. and 7…
Though it sounds the mascot of Major League’s woeful Cleveland Indians, the moniker Chief Beef is entirely appropriate for a band that yields juicy slabs of power-trio rock. The Phoenix, Arizona, band’s 2007 Gravy Tour comes on the heels of its independently released debut, Something About Rock. Step into Chief Beef’s meat locker for a rump roast’s worth of brainy…
Gritty even by Rhymesayers standards (Atmosphere, Grayskul), P.O.S. shuffles to a moody murk cooked with a spicy side of rock. Into punk rock as a youth, the Minneapolis rapper discovered hip-hop through Company Flow at 14 and turned a new leaf. Punk and metal guitar make appearances on his two discs, and P.O.S. appeals to the board jockeys and the…
If these walls could talk, monolingual Americans might be left in the dark. The Thornhill Gallery at Avila University is getting romantic — linguistically speaking — with a new exhibit called Art That Speaks Spanish. Luckily, the work of the artists from Spain, Mexico and Chile needs no translation. Printmaker Fernando Garcia Herrera is known for his shadowy etchings…
Among Bar Natasha, Quality Hill and the bathroom mirrors of every singing waiter in town, it’s almost easier to find Broadway tunes in Kansas City than our homegrown jazz. Stars Karen Errington and Tim Scott separate Musical Theatre Heritage’s A Night on the Town revue from the rest. They’re not only strong singers steeped in the history of the Great…
