John Travolta appeared at a benefit for the Airline History Museum in 2007. Questions arose about the handling of the money not long after the star left town. This week’s issue of The Pitch describes how the suspicions about Paul Sloan, the museum’s former executive director, eventually developed into a prosecution for felony stealing. Before the jig was up, Sloan…
Ken Fergel was trapped in his car, which was submerged upside down in 3 feet of icy water after crashing down a 15-foot embankment Monday night. The 80-year-old survived the wreck and the frigid waters, making this one of the best survival stories to come out of the last two days. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that Fergel managed to keep…
Pandolfi’s Deli makes a memorable meatball sub. National food-trend expert Nancy Kruse sees meatballs in a whole new way lately: “Familiar and comforting to patrons,” Kruse writes in Nation’s Restaurant News, ” often provide a sense of fun — a nostalgic quality that makes customers smile…. And their winning combination of low food cost and high customer satisfaction makes everybody…
It’s been over two years since local indie-rock band Republic Tigers released new material. Finally, fans of the Tigers’ experimental, layered wall of sound will have the opportunity to get their hands on a brand-new EP, No Land’s Man, on this coming Record Store Day. The four-track album, which was self-recorded in Kansas City, will feature three new songs, including their…
A little tidbit of local history for you, courtesy of Liberty Hall’s Facebook page: We’ve learned that on this day, the Lawrence music hall burned to the ground. In 1911, however, the venue was known as the Bowersock Opera house. Categories: Music Tags: Liberty Hall
Have you checked out this week’s issue of The Pitch? Well, then, you already know that the Decemberists are coming to the Uptown on Monday night with Vermont’s ethereal trio of women known as Mountain Man. The Decemberists are touring in support of its critically acclaimed new album, The King Is Dead — and you can win tickets! Categories: Music…
I received this anonymous tip this morning, and I’m posting it here before the Parks and Recreation Department e-mails me back to tell me how totally bullshit it is, thus ruining my whole week. If you’ve heard anything at all about this breaking news story, please post it in the comments. Categories: News
I’d sooner ask a man where he bought his shoes before telling him what to grill. I usually avoid commenting on anyone’s grilling technique unless something is on fire that shouldn’t be or my hamburger seems as likely to bleat as bleed. But it’s also easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to grilling, relying on an…
A foot of snow and a couple of days stuck indoors will make you a little loopy. And nowadays, the loopy can click on their cell phones and record the weirdness for all to see. Sadly, “all” typically consists of about seven people. But not today. Happy Snow Day, Kansas City weirdos. Videos below. Categories: News
Some roommates play music too loud, and some say, “Fuck that,” and invite punk bands over to play music too loud. This is what happened to me and other roommates at the Ad Astra House during my brief stay at the iconic Lawrence domicile. Fag Cop member Kenneth Kupfer — also known as that guy across the hall from me…
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 100 years since blues master Robert Johnson was born, but there it is: Johnson’s birthday is May 8, 1911. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was ranked fifth in Rolling Stone’s top 100 guitar players of all time. (Not bad for someone who died in 1938.) James…
Food-truck culture is slowly rolling into Kansas City, four wheels at a time. The Good You opened in December and began parking next to 3 Girls Cupcakes, which has been wheeling around since last year. Port Fonda, the taco and torta stand in an Airstream, is scheduled to open next month. And Fat City just got an e-mail from a…
Broadway is dead! Dead! Mwhahaha! Snowstradamus 2011 is over, but with a foot of snow and single-digit temps, I recommend that all of the Masters of the Universe stay indoors. Way too cold out here for 4-inch-tall men wearing loincloths. Interstate 70 may be open, but I wouldn’t recommend riding a giant panther on it. Until the city digs out,…
A con man almost took down a John Travolta-backed museum dedicated to aviation here in Kansas City. David Martin has the story in this week’s Pitch. Photographer Forest Michael took pictures at the museum in a hangar at Kansas City’s downtown airport.
Do not adjust your television sets. A cooking show is coming to SyFy in March. Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen, which stars chef Marcel Vigneron, will focus on the trials and triumphs of the Top Chef alum’s catering company. Announced last year, the reality cooking program will debut on Monday, March 7, at 9 p.m. Categories: Dining, Food & Drink
The gub’mint keeps track of its money better than Zaimah K. Muhammad expected. The 31-year-old Kansas City woman, formerly of New Orleans, Louisiana, admitted yesterday in federal court that she submitted false certifications and forged receipts in order to get $28,220 in bad karma. It’s crazy to think that even five years later, there are still so many scammers seeking Katrina…
