Thank God for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. While I could easily go the rest of my life without ever hearing “American Girl” again, the man’s music appeals to nearly everyone. Stoners love “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” Tom Cruise sang “Free Fallin’” in Jerry Maguire — the one and only scene in that whole movie that didn’t seem contrived. And,…
Sunday marks the closing ceremonies for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games. We can think of no greater way to salute the athletes who competed than by presenting to you this video. That would Swedish metal band Hammerfall performing “Hearts On Fire” from Rocky IV, in a video where they compete against the Swedish women’s curling team. Seriously — this is…
%{}% This is the last weekend of February. Wish the shortest month of the year farewell by having some fun. We recommend: Thinking hard about urban sprawl. That’s what 50 artists do in Faraway Nearby: Addressing Suburbia, an art exhibit opening today with a 6 p.m. reception at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Stay up for a late-night screening….
In 2007, when I first met with William Threatt Jr., he described the Linwood Shopping Center as a “resounding success.” The former president of the Community Development Corporation of Kansas City pointed to new tenants and recent renovations as proof that the strip mall was on solid ground. From the outside, though, the shopping center looked run-down. The largest retail…
A giant in the nonfiction world will appear at the Kansas City Public Library on March 29. The Writers at Work series has scheduled an evening with Pulitzer Prize winner John McPhee. In 1965, McPhee published a profile of Bill Bradley in The New Yorker, which continues to print his work. In fact, the magazine’s current editor, David Remnick, took…
More on the proposed class action lawsuit against Yelp we reported on earlier today, this time from Fat City’s sister paper in Miami: It’s gonna be ugly. Beck & Lee The guy who’s going to make it that way is Jared Beck, a Harvard grad who plans on being the bulldog. The Miami lawyer — who also practices in California,…
The Kansas Legislature approved a measure to ban the chemicals used in K2 synthetic marijuana and Ecstacy. Now all the bill needs is an autograph from Gov. Mark Parkinson to make Kansas first state in the nation to ban the substances. Sorry, all you Kansas folks with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s who were hoping for some medical research. Maybe next time think twice before…
Kansas City’s Community Development Corporation is a hot mess. Pitch reporter Carolyn Szczepanski digs through the broken promises and finds a bunch of business owners screwed over by CDC-KC in this week’s feature, “Screwed.” Also in this week’s issue … Art critic Chris Packham tries to untangle what the hell happened to the Ripe, the exhibit of erotic ink drawings…
For this week’s battle, I went in search of two dry table wines — one for each side of the state line. I grabbed a bottle of the Somerset Ridge Winery’s Flyboy Red as my Kansas representative and selected Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ Jeunette Rouge as the standard bearer for Missouri. And with a bottle of red in each hand, I…
%{}% This is the one and only time I will ever suggest you go out and spend $40 on a book. However, George Marshall’s definitive history of the Two Tone ska label, the Two Tone Story, is one of those books that’s essential to any music library. If you want to be able to understand the UK punk scene, you…
The Twin City Tavern (1815 Westport Road) is the type of corner bar where you intend to have one beer but suddenly find yourself drawn into a conversation. It’s also a fine place if you’re just looking to have a few beers and keep to yourself. The long, rectangular room grows warm as it fills up with the after- work…
%{}% William D. Cammisano Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to running an illegal gambling business. Cammisano, 60, is the son of mobster William “Willie the Rat” Cammisano. Cammisano agreed to hand over $60,368 to the government, his share of the profits from the wagers. Federal agents seized the cash during a March 31, 2009, search of Cammisano’s home…
Steve Blush and Paul Rachman, the duo behind the well-received documentary of ’80s punk, American Hardcore, are now at work on their next project. Lost Rockers aims to cover “great musicians overlooked by pop culture.” The Kickstarter page for the project aims to raise $15,000 by May 19. Judging by the fact that they’ve gotten over $6,000 thus far, I…
Brother, can you spare an entertainment district? In the last month, two more businesses have closed in Westport, Kansas City’s one-time premier neighborhood for drinks, fun and non-Tomfooleries tomfoolery. The Corner Restaurant, a long on-the-wane institution, has shuttered, and Blanc Burger, an instant success, has moved to the Plaza. Like the Little Mermaid, it wanted to be where the people are. A couple days back, I walked…
%{}% A year ago, the folks at Fat City’s former sister paper in Oakland, the East Bay Express, went public with stinging accusations that user review site Yelp engaged in shady pressure tactics to remove or bury negative reviews for businesses that advertised or coughed up sponsorships. Now, a lawsuit is alleging something eerily similar. TechCrunch is reporting that law…
Former Missouri Speaker of the House Rod Jetton will stand trial on charges that he assaulted a woman during a sexual encounter last November. The Southeast Missourian reported that the 42-year-old Jetton and his accuser, who the newspaper refers to by name, appeared in court for the first time on felony assault charges. Prosecutors showed 14 photos of bruises on…
Some recent back-and-forth e-mails with Eric Melin of the Dead Girls regarding the marketing of the bands’ upcoming album, Out Of Earshot, resulted in a laundry list of things that both work and don’t work in terms of publicity in the time of the blog. If you’re a band looking to promote your new record, here’s what’ll increase your chances…
Kansas City police are looking for Miguel Lugo Serrano, who they say disappeared on January 16. Searrano, who they describe as a Hispanic male with a date of birth of 6-9-1976, was supposed to be in the Northeast area of Kansas City. But his family hasn’t heard from him, and they fear for his safety. If you’ve seen him, call…
R. Lee Ermey, a native of Emporia, Kansas, is a former U.S. Marine Corps drill sergeant and Vietnam veteran who became famous for playing himself in Hollywood. Ermey was an Air Cavalry Officer in Apocalypse Now, advised director Louis Gossett in the making of An Officer and a Gentleman, and is best remembered for his role as Gunny Sergeant Hartman…
