Bill Zehnder can’t find a cab. On a springlike mid-February afternoon, the Michigan man has flown into Kansas City International Airport for a pheasant-hunting convention. Shuttle vans, buses, limousines and cars course through the sun-drenched passenger-pickup area of Terminal B. But where are the taxis? “You can’t figure it out,” Zehnder says. “They should be right here.” But they never…
Kepi Ghoulie, with Kevin Seconds, Long Shadows and Bent Left Something about watching former Groovie Ghoulies frontman Kepi Ghoulie perform inspires a kind of fervent joy. The shows are like celebrations of friendship. And who wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy who paints pictures of bats with swords and sings songs about monsters having parties? Ghoulie leads pop-punk…
When Ray Kroc introduced the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich nationwide in 1963, he was just finding a new way to market one of the oldest “fast food” dishes in the world. The English had been buying take-away orders of fried fish and potatoes, often served wrapped in newspapers, since the early 19th century. There’s a reference to the dish in Charles…
Mark Cowardin’s sculptures read like cease-and-desist letters fired off to oil and timber companies. In “Heaven Bound,” he renders smooth-surfaced, charcoal-black walnut into a chimney spouting thick smoke. The smokestack lies on its side. Tree roots sprout from one end as gray smoke emerges from the other and culminates in an upward-pointing arrow. For Unearthed, at Rockhurst’s Greenlease Gallery, he…
Salon-style exhibitions — in which artworks are hung very close together, covering walls from floor to ceiling — fell out of favor 100 years ago. Contemporary viewers are accustomed to seeing art surrounded by plenty of blankness. So XOXO Salon Show requires observational stamina. The Spray Booth Gallery’s aptly named installation of 118 pieces closes in on you, each one…
First time at SXSW. First time in Austin. Go! Categories: Music Tags: sxsw, the flesh lights, thee oh sees
Roger Chandler allegedly watched TV while his girlfriend died. Even by Kansas City’s standards, this weekend was an especially violent and deadly one. E-mails announcing homicides kept coming from the Kansas City Police Department’s public information officers. It all started around 10:22 a.m. Friday. Roger Chandler, 54, allegedly killed his girlfriend, 51-year-old Gwendolyn Pahmeyer. Jackson County prosecutors charged him with…
After all of the bombast and hugeness of the Radiohead show Sunday at the Sprint Center, it was an interesting contrast to walk into the Jackpot on a warm Monday evening for a much sparser, quieter event. I hadn’t been into the venue for a show since it changed ownership, and in truth very little has been altered. The furniture…
Jonathan Bender Michael Foust has a real juggling act going on. The little restaurant inside the Visitor Education Center at Powell Gardens, Cafe Thyme, has never been renowned for its cuisine. In fact, during the years that the cafeteria-style dining area was operated by corporate food-service giant TreatAmerica, the food and service were both so dreadful that I refused to…
Duck is always playing second fiddle to chicken, which doesn’t do justice to what could very easily be the finest fowl we have. To help solve our poultry imbalance,CNN’s Eatocracy talked to author and hunter Hank Shaw about how to increase our duck intake, and among his recommendations will be a very familiar menu item to Kansas Citians: the duck…
Listen up, dumpling fans. Pieroguys Pierogies has moved from the City Market to the Crossroads. After two years in the River Market cafe space (307 Main), Pieroguys has relocated 14 blocks to the former home of Dog Nuvo and Souperman at 1724 Main. The new cafe began feeding downtowners last Thursday with an open production kitchen where you can watch…
The ever-prolific Kepi Ghoulie made a slew of records with his old band the Groovie Ghoulies, but since he began releasing solo records via Asian Man Records in 2008, that output has nearly doubled. It’s equally impressive when you consider Kepi’s DIY approach to recording and releasing. His next album will be for Fun Fun Records, the new label devoted…
PoliticMo Romney is coming to town. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney didn’t make it to Missouri for last month’s primary, but with 52 delegates on the line this Saturday, his campaign is rolling through the state today. After stops in the St. Louis area this morning, Romney is scheduled to appear at William Jewell College in Liberty, the sight of the…
Ashford Stamper Heather Garza’s truffles and creams will be the specialties of Garza’s Goodies — if they can get the store open. Richard and Heather Garza have a dream: to open their own little confectionary shop. It has taken them only eight years to get this far ahead: They’ve recently leased a not-very-visible storefront at 322 West 85th Street in…
Thom Yorke and the rest of Radiohead sold out the Sprint Center, made grown men dance like women and blew the minds of the majority of the crowd. This concert marked their first show in the area since summer of 1995. Photos by Angela C. Bond.
Angela Bond All hail the King of Limbs If you love Radiohead, then you’ve had this conversation: Hater: “I don’t know about Radiohead, man. I just don’t get why people are so into them.”Fan: ”Wait, what? Why are people into them? Because they are fucking awesome!”Hater: “Yeah, I’ve heard that. But, like, it just sounds like a bunch of noise…
The Fit Bride This sandwich is considered among the best in the world. The pickings are apparently pretty slim in Kansas and Missouri if you’re looking for the best meal in America. The Daily Meal has released its 101 Best Restaurants in America, and the only spot to make the list from the other side of the state line was…
For those of us stuck here in the Midwest, watching our friends post about South By Southwest this week is something akin to torture. Facebook and Twitter are about to become a daily slog of seething jealousy toward people for whom we normally have nothing but love and affection. For this week, however — being as we’re stuck here while…
Chain Conveyor Design Outside of free promotions and horrific combinations of bacon, cheese or fried everything, chain restaurants don’t get a lot of play in this space. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not a part of our lives. Everyone has a soft spot for a given chain. A number of years in Boston have left me unable to break…
A small but strong group of show announcements. Categories: Music Tags: dawes, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Rock Fest, The Avett Brothers
