Angry political bloggers, put a sweater on; there’s a chilling effect coming. If you hate your congressman, you have every right to say so on the Internet, but the FBI might pay you a visit if you get really vocal. Christian County blogger Clay Bowler learned that this week, when a G-man and a sheriff stopped by his house for…
Heaping doses of talent, friendliness and Southern grit have gotten Ha Ha Tonka far in its nine years. The Springfield, Missouri, band played Lollapalooza in 2008, and has played in SXSW’s official showcase numerous times. With a new album in the works, it stands to reason that the band’s vocalist and drummer, Lennon Bone, has plenty of responsibilities to wrestle…
Two decades ago, the restaurant trade magazine Nation’s Restaurant News announced that the big trend for the ’90s would be smaller restaurants. Back in 1991, NRN writer Carolyn Walkup reported that restaurant entrepreneurs would “operate smaller and more closely controlled companies than in the past.” I’m not sure whether that “trend” really took hold in the 1990s, when the economy…
David Osborne was cruising along Interstate 70 in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped his vehicle, which allegedly was packed with pounds of marijuana and cocaine. The indictment doesn’t say whether the 72-year-old Osborne was driving 10 mph below the speed limit, but we have a feeling. A search of Osborne’s vehicle turned up more than 40…
Those of you who think you’re getting pretty good at Guitar Hero and Rock Band ain’t got nothin’ on Chris Marion. He’s invented a whole new strumming sport: FireHero. Marion’s YouTube channel shows awesome renditions of AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” created in huge choreographed plumes of flames. Categories: Music Tags: FireHero, GuitarHero, Rock…
Vinyl geeks, take heed: The big day is April 16. With all the chatter of local record stores closing — namely, Streetside Records in Westport — we’re hoping that the fourth incarnation of Record Store Day won’t be bittersweet. (Current rumors are indicating otherwise.) We haven’t gotten word on any Record Store Day exclusive yet, but Pitchfork is reporting a…
This story isn’t for the squeamish. A 21-year-old man accused of molesting a 12-year-old Kansas boy was found murdered in an apartment in Warsaw, Poland. Konrad Ryszard Szyc, 21, fled the country prior to his scheduled trial in Reno County, The Hutchinson News reported. His body was discovered in his apartment on December 23, reportedly tortured and strangled to death…
Most stories involving a beer fridge and an air cannon don’t end well. But Ryan Rusnak has written a love story with his iPhone and Bud Select. The 25-year-old technology consultant has built a beer fridge cannon that is powered by his phone . To see it in action (video after the jump) is to understand why Evel Knievel jumped…
Thailand Thomas has quite a history with the law. He’s a suspect in a homicide last summer in Kansas City, Missouri. And on Wednesday, he was arrested after allegedly leading police on a chase in Cass County. Now Independence police believe that Thailand may be key in helping them solve Monday’s robbery of the Shop ‘n Pawn store at 12807…
The Lords of Acid are going back on tour after a decade-long hiatus. Praga Kahn will be joined by guitar player Virus (Dope), bass player Murv3 (Powerman 5000), drummer Kirk Salvador (Society 1) and vocalist DJ Mea. Nikkie Van Lierop (“Darling Nikkie”) appears to be gone from the lineup. This tour coincides with the band’s upcoming release, Expand Your Head,…
You might have to rethink that night of tacos, bowling and elderberry wine. What? You’ve never had a night of tacos, bowling and elderberry wine? That might have been the problem because Los Cabos, Pin-Up Bowl and Wyldewood Cellars have all closed at the Legends at Village West in Kansas City, Kansas. Categories: Dining, Food & Drink
Johnson County authorities are trying to get Andrew Greene Jr. sentenced as an aggravated habitual sex offender. If that happens, Greene will be locked up for life without a chance of parole. A Johnson County jury convicted the 56-year-old homeless man on Wednesday of raping a developmentally disabled woman in Olathe in March 2009. Categories: News Tags: Andrew Greene Jr.,…
This week’s coveted Comment of the Week goes to Definis, who commented on our coverage of Kansas City’s in-store performances at the doomed (or so we thought) Streetside Records in Westport. Kansas City rallied around Streetside Records after it was announced that the store would be closing on January 23, but recent news has confirmed that the record store will…
Little known fact about the undead: They love to don formalwear and slow-dance to “Stairway to Heaven.” The Zombie Prom and Birthday Party is the Brick’s version of a birthday celebration. Come celebrate 12 years of fluffernutter sandwiches and open jams on Saturday night at 10 p.m. The cover is $5, and Cuntalope and Appropriate Grammar are scheduled to play….
For ending the life of Vincent Green, Loviss Todd will spend the rest of his life in prison. The 26-year-old Todd, who was convicted of first-degree murder in August 2010, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for Green’s December 2008 murder. “This case, like so many others, represents a tragic loss of life,” Wyandotte County District Attorney Jerome Gorman…
I Can Haz Cheezburger (ICHC) has put together a map of the United States, wherein each state is labeled not by its given name but a picture of the food most associated with it. According to ICHC, Missouri is the land of toasted ravioli, and Kansas is the home of wet barbecue. And looking at the rest of the map,…
By now, it’s a known fact: Tech N9ne rules Kansas City. So when the master gathers a legion of local talent to back him onstage, Kansas City should take heed. Tech opens the arms of his Strange Music family to accept several new talents into the fold: local metal god Hammerlord, lauded hip-hop duo CES Cru, DJ FSTZ, and MC…
Rather than raising dough through pinup calendars, fantasy-date auctions and bikini carwashes, our local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign raises dollars for women in the most rockin’ way possible: by putting babes behind guitars. This is the second year that event chairwoman Christene Main has organized the battle of the bands for Her HRC Kansas City. We asked Main…
New Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback received a standing ovation during his first State of the State address when he called for new restrictions on abortion. Already, the state has a parental-notification law. Most women have to travel to another county to obtain the procedure. Yet — and this may surprise you — Kansas has one of the higher abortion rates…
Karma Vision used to be the spastic side project of Mammoth Life co-vocalist Bobby Sauder, allowing him to sing his own songs instead of adhering to Mammoth Life’s “spaghetti Western on acid” aesthetic. Now that Mammoth Life has pared down its sound and its membership, Karma Vision is free to pound the pavement full time with touring, recording and exploring…
Your Crap Archivist just happened to be vacationing through the great, troubled state of Arizona the weekend before the angry hell, which has long been building up there, finally spewed itself out. I discovered the quite imitable art of an “A. Brady” in one of the many antique shops in downtown Kingman, Arizona. Like all great painters, Brady understands that…
%{}% Following the mysterious killing of Brian Euston in Westport, there was a lot of discussion on why the Euston homicide received so much media attention. An anonymous e-mailer wrote us to give credit where it’s due: Euston’s family and friends. Here’s the full e-mail: “I’ll make it short and sweet. The reason Euston’s death has received so much press…
