Myra Taylor, Geneva Price, Lori Tucker and Millie Edwards may not fit the mainstream definition of wild — we’re thinking of Kesha. But unlike that tough-fronting pop star, Kansas City’s historic collection of jazz divas is sassy and classy. Though Taylor celebrated her 93rd birthday this year, the Wild Women of Kansas City don’t shy away from singing with an…
Matt Berninger’s warbling baritone has the gruff, amber warmth of whiskey. (As intoxicating as his band’s songs are, it’s arguable that his voice is at least 80 proof by itself.) Berninger is frontman of the National, a gorgeously morose rock band that has become one of the brightest talents in indie rock right now. (Yeah, I said it.) Berninger already…
“Pop punk” is an apt tag for what Ted Leo does with his band, the Pharmacists. He infuses punk songs with chunky hooks and choruses. Unfortunately, “pop-punk” calls to mind bratty, throwaway Warped Tour acts — and Ted Leo ain’t Yellowcard. He’s a modern keeper of the original punk flame: a fiery, passionate, political voice with Fugazi-level punk ethics. At…
If you’re the type of person who regularly reads music blogs, then the sound of Brooklyn trio School of Seven Bells — lush, fuzzy dream-pop — will be very familiar. The group is at the front of a new micro genre, stirring dreamy waters alongside other blog buzzers such as M83 and Beach House. This is due partly to former…
The Avett Brothers started as an acoustic post-show hootenanny, cobbled together by brothers Seth and Scott Avett. At first, the gig trickled down from the band’s rock group, Nemo, after the duo decided to strip Nemo’s punk aesthetic to its core: banjo and guitar. But rich harmonies and old-fashioned bluegrass style found vibrant expression in the band’s live performances. When…
It’s just past 11:30 a.m. when a groggy but friendly Matt Johnson answers the phone in the Brooklyn apartment he shares with his longtime musical and romantic partner, Kim Schifino. On this day, at least, he has managed to stick to one of his goals for 2010. “Awake before noon!” He laughs. “Not that lazy Kim, though.” A murmur of…
It doesn’t seem possible that anyone in Kansas City wouldn’t know about Blanc Burgers + Bottles, the enormously popular fancy-burger concept created by the team of Ernesto Peralta, Jenifer Price, chef Josh Eans and bartender David McMullin. But when the quartet decided to expand its mini empire to the eastern suburb of Lee’s Summit — in addition to the Blanc…
Wayne won’t be released from the pokey for another few months, but his new album, I Am Not A Human Being, drops next Monday. Want to hear a song from it? It’s called “Gonorrhea,” and it features Drake and — hey, where are you going? It’s a standard-issue Wayne joint, where his insane/genius rhymes make up for his lazy-as-shit flow….
Rich the Factor and J Diggs are releasing the second volume of Street Ballin’ tonight. Catch the duo for an in-store signing of their new album, Street Ballin’ Vol. 2, at Seventh Heaven. It’s from 5 to 8PM. They’ll also be performing (and shooting a video) at Club Zen from 9PM to 3AM later tonight, with Boi Big, The Jacka, Lil Joe,…
%{}% Nothing seems as sleazy as not telling your sexual partner that you’re HIV-positive and screwing them bareback. OK, maybe doing it with full-blown AIDS would be worse. Still, David Gutierrez is accused of some pretty sleazy stuff. Gutierrez, a 20-year-military veteran and an Air Force sergeant stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, is HIV-positive and a swinger,…
Todd Haley thinks his Chiefs are the shit. Have you heard? The Chiefs are 2-0! Book your trip to Dallas for the Super Bowl, because there’s no way they can fuck this up. No way at all. At least that’s what Todd Haley seems to think, judging by the way he reacted to a reporter’s inquiry about the ball-carrying…
Do you love the food you eat? Allow me to rephrase that. Are you in love with the food you eat? Women, Food and God author Geneen Roth says the way to solve our unhealthy relationship with food is to fall back in love with it. She’s envisioning a return to the salad days of experiencing new foods. That doesn’t…
Attention barroom brawlers: The presence of alcohol and cocaine in the bloodstream does not make it OK to spill on the floor. John Jones and a friend were playing pool at the Wild West Bar on East Truman Road when they took offense to a joke. An argument ensued. The bartender, Kelly Hutchens, told Jones and his friend to pipe…
Order a stiff one, a cocktail that is, and watch Glee tonight Diners will be getting double their entertainment value tonight at Hamburger Mary’s, that lavender, louche little burger shack and bar at 101 Southwest Boulevard. Beginning at 7 p.m., all 10 of the TV monitors in the dining room, lounge and upstairs patio will be tuned to Fox’s hit…
Jason Whitlock’s disappointing appearance in the Sunday New York Times came with a classic, yearbook-style photo that was just begging for a good Photoshopping. Deadspin’s readers answered the call in the “Jason Whitlock Photoshop Contest” and you gotta see their work. The former Kansas City Star columnist with the Grimace form wrestles the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, sits on the…
To whet your appetite for The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue, we’re counting down our favorite Top 50 dishes each weekday until October 7. The slow-food movement is for suckers. At Winstead’s, it’s all about instant gratification. Within a few minutes of sitting down, you’ll be trying to decide what to tackle first. It turns out, there’s no…
Lady Gaga spoke out at a rally in Portland, Maine yesterday afternoon, urging the state to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The State Senate is voting to repeal the 17-year-old policy today, which allows gays to serve in the military provided they do not disclose their orientation. Gaga called her address “The Prime Rib of America.” “Equality is…
Last week, a Missouri attorney filed a lawsuit against Backpage.com, claiming the website is a “safe house” for pimps and knowingly allowed Latasha Jewell McFarland to pimp out a 14-year-old girl on the website. The Pitch’s parent company, Village Voice Media, runs Backpage.com, an online classified-ad site similar to Craigslist. VVM attorney Steve Suskin says the lawsuit, filed on behalf…
If you still inexplicably have a desire to watch Joaquin Phoenix’s admittedly fake documentary about being depressed, fat, lonely and attempting to start a doomed rap career, I’m Still Here, you’d best get ‘er done: the Tivoli will stop showing the film after Thursday night. You’ll have to drive down south to the Glenwood at Red Bridge (11118 Holmes) if you…
For all of you that missed Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti at the Jackpot last week: Pink and his band will be swinging through Lawrence again on November 21. (This time, he’ll be coming with Os Mutantes.) The show is at the Granada. Let’s hope he “kills it, resurrects it, and makes it dance” again, like he did on September 16. …
