Contrary to all those rumors that surged across the Internet a few months ago, there’s no conspiracy behind Panic at the Disco’s disappearing exclamation points. “We didn’t ever really see it as part of our name,” drummer Spencer Smith explains. “He wrote it like that on our very first PureVolume Web site, before we even had 5,000 listens. But it…
Before Nathan and Mendy Tannahill, the owners of Tannahs Asian Fusion, decided to give their restaurant its current name (see review here), it was a franchise of the Gimme Sum chain. The name always struck me as a classless pun on the Chinese tradition of dim sum, which involves servers pushing metal carts around a restaurant, allowing diners to take…
I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know how my little Dodge fared in the miles-per-gallon department until I had to drive out to Olathe just to eat in a restaurant. Twice. After the first visit to Tannahs Asian Fusion, I was telling a friend how much I liked this cozy little suburban restaurant. “But at roughly $3.60 a gallon,”…
Donnie Robinson begins to speak. Fifty or so people are seated in the pews in front of him. More sit quietly in the back. Some of the kids have curled up to sleep in the pews beside their parents, reminding Robinson how he, too, dozed in pews when he was a teenager. Back then, though, he came to church only…
Automobiles made streetcars disappear from Kansas City in the 1950s. Billions of passenger miles later, we still can’t agree on how people can move around in anything that doesn’t have an exhaust pipe and rubber tires. After years of debate and the frequent sight of Clay Chastain lurking outside Price Chopper, we’re back to square one in terms of light…
Dear Mexican: I’m from a little Podunk area that relies heavily on labor-intensive agriculture (mostly raising tobacco) and has a lot of Mexican immigrants. I’ve noticed that most of the Mexicans I’ve worked with or met share the same interests as most of the rednecks I grew up with. Not to lay stereotypes on either group, but I’m gonna: Both…
Feature: “You’re Fired. Love, Hallmark,” May 15 Our Sympathies I was fired from Hallmark almost two years ago, but it wasn’t until I read Eric Barton’s article that I finally understood what really happened. Like others mentioned in the article, I was not given an adequate explanation for why I was fired. I had just had my 10th anniversary celebration…
By C.J. Janovy Get this. Yesterday, after touring the Ford plant in Claycomo, Sen. Kit Bond said, “Our energy future is right here in America. We shouldn’t have to depend on the Middle East.” Was he talking about the same thing everyone else is talking about these days — clean alternatives to oil? Hell no! The doddering senator, who’s been…
By CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI The theater manager worried he might be battered by handbags if he had to turn women away. An elderly security guard said he didn’t know what he’d do if the high-heeled crowd started a stampede. But the Sex and the City movie screening at the Olathe Studio 30 last night didn’t reach much of a climax. It…
By CHARLES FERRUZZA My fellow reporter Jen Chen tipped me off to the recent obituary of James Winters Wilkerson, 89, of Mission Hills, who passed away on May 22. Among the late Mr. Wilkerson’s many accomplishments: As president of Merritt Foods, he patented the Bomb Pop. Wilkerson may have secured the patent for the 52-year-old frozen novelty, but he didn’t…
%{}% By CHARLES FERRUZZA My fellow reporter Jen Chen tipped me off to the recent obituary of James Winters Wilkerson, 89, of Mission Hills, who passed away on May 22. Among the late Mr. Wilkerson’s many accomplishments: As president of Merritt Foods, he patented the Bomb Pop. Wilkerson may have secured the patent for the 52-year-old frozen novelty, but he…
Bilingual by ANDY VIHSTADT Along with his excellent Lie Down in the Light LP (out now on Drag City), Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, recently lent his vocals to Italy’s rock trio Numero6. Sung by Oldham in Italian, “Da Piccolissimi Pezzi” opens the latest Numero6 EP, which you can download for free in its entirety, right here. Categories: Music…
%{}% By CHRIS PACKHAM Crime is hard, let’s go shopping! The recent crime wave of copper thievery is understandable, I guess, what with the economy ess’ploding, but who saw that coming? Still, if you outlaw scrap metal recycling companies, then only outlaws will have scrap metal recycling companies. As a criminal, I’d never succeed — stealing air conditioner units and…
By CHRIS RASMUSSEN With the Royals season over, its time to focus on another team under construction that’s playing in another stadium under construction. The Chiefs are in the midst of their O.T.A.s, an NFL acronym that stands for “Organized Team Activities,” a chance for a team to show off to fans and the media by practicing in shorts while…
By CHRIS RASMUSSEN With the Royals season over, its time to focus on another team under construction that’s playing in another stadium under construction. The Chiefs are in the midst of their O.T.A.s, an NFL acronym that stands for “Organized Team Activities,” a chance for a team to show off to fans and the media by practicing in shorts while…
By JASON HARPER Folks in all manner of mermaid costume — except the kind that would require the bundling of legs into a fishtail (you can’t march with a fishtail for legs) — gathered at 18th and Wyandotte outside YJ’s Snack Bar yesterday to celebrate the sand, the sea, seagulls, crustaceans, starfish and other things you’ll find only a long,…
Death Cab for Cutie tremble in anticipation of their City Market Show this Friday. MP3: Death Cab for Cutie, “Bixby Canyon Bridge”, from Narrow Stairs (Barsuk/Atlantic Records) French Kicks, Delta Spirit, and Copenhagen art-rock after the jump. Categories: Music Tags: death cab for cutie, Delta Spirit, efterklang, French Kicks, MP3, the Service Industry
By Justin Kendall U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback’s hour-long town hall meeting in Olathe today ended without one question about abortion. Brownback talked about creating clean energy solutions, stemming illegal immigration and dipping into the domestic oil supply. But he didn’t even whisper the A-word. Earlier this month, Brownback pissed off leaders in the anti-abortion movement by endorsing Steve Howe to…
The Architects detail their adventures with talking conch shells, ultraviolet radiation, and the pigs on their Myspace blog here. Beware feather-bearing Floridians and pay your parking tickets. Categories: Music Tags: rock history, the Architects
The one thing everyone can agree on about today is that it really sucks being back at the office. Those of us blessed with jobs that allow us to furtively eat up our employer’s broadband with Internet radio may have an easier time than others today, thanks to KEXP.org. Today at 12 p.m. Central on the Seattle station, British soul…
%{}% By CHRIS PACKHAM Memorial Day +1: Prime Buzz shut down for the holiday weekend, like a Dairy Queen in November, and as far as they’re concerned, nothing important happened over the weekend. As usual, I punched in for work on Memorial Day just like any other day. All’s I’m saying is, one local news commentary blog cares about you,…
By CHRIS RASMUSSEN We weep with you, Sluggerrr. I give up. This season’s over. It isn’t just the eight-game losing streak or that the Royals are once again in last place. Yesterday, the Royals trailed 4-0 in the second inning. The game was over — they are fortunate to score four runs in a weekend, let alone an entire game….
