Fool’s Gold is back on the road, touring in support of the band’s August 2011 release, Leave No Trace. Since the L.A. band’s first album, the two core members (Lewis Pesakov and Luke Top) have trimmed the band down to a five-piece. We recently chatted with Top via e-mail and found out how the band’s recent supporting tour went, what…
The sleaze quotient on the stretch of Grand Boulevard south of the Sprint Center was recently reduced by a small fraction when the large, porno-style, black-and-yellow Barely Legal sign atop the empty storefront at 1515 Grand was removed by the building’s owner. It’s not quite Pleasantville on the block yet, though. Next door, that same owner operates Temptations, a strip…
Thanks to David Simon, ordinary citizens — or at least the ones with premium cable — are now more likely to know what a second line is. Simon’s HBO show Treme shines a light on the lives of working musicians in New Orleans and gives a new kind of exposure to the brassy amalgamation of jazz, bebop, blues and funk…
The Donkeys, with Advance Base Everybody’s got a dark-horse band they firmly believe should be way more popular, and one of mine is the Donkeys, a San Diego act making some of the most likable folk rock I’m aware of currently. The band draws on American Beauty-era Grateful Dead and goes heavy on the Laurel Canyon beach-bum vibes — it’s…
Continental Airlines Flight 11 was flying into a storm, but Capt. Fred R. Gray was calm. The ride had been free of turbulence for five minutes, and, after a slight course correction, the pilot had begun the aircraft’s descent into Kansas City. The night sky ahead was clear. The 23-year veteran and his crew of seven had left Chicago’s O’Hare…
Has there been an Italian restaurant — one with menus and table service — in Westport since restaurateur Victor Fontana’s celebrated disco trattoria, Fanny’s, in the 1970s? I was pondering that one night while nibbling on a meatball at the Boot, the casual restaurant that Aaron Confessori and Richard Wiles opened in February. I know there hasn’t been a disco…
Before the Sprint Center and the Power & Light District revitalized downtown, places like the now sparkling AMC Mainstreet were pigeon-filled husks of neglected architecture. Fifteen years ago, the Charlotte Street Foundation was among the first to take advantage of the area’s empty spaces, using them for artists’ studios and exhibitions. Today, you can look up at 906 Grand, the…
Standard Kink Can a small-time cow operation and big-time turkey producer be the same farmer? Fifty cattle that are hormone and antibiotic free roam farmer Chris Boeckmann’s land. They share the 185 acres with his other livestock – 50,000 turkeys that he’s raising for Cargill Inc. Harvest Public Media delves into Boeckmann’s farm as a way into a discussion of…
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy It’s been nearly eight months since Lisa Irwin was last seen. The 1-year-old girl’s parents, Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, say their daughter was abducted on October 3. The parents have made several national television appearances since the girl’s disappearance. The latest came Monday when the couple appeared…
The United Way is moving … but where? The United Way is moving its Quality Hill offices. I noticed the giant for-sale sign yesterday on the way to the mailbox. Kim Romary, the United Way’s vice president of marketing, tells The Pitch that the nonprofit organization is selling its three buildings at 1080 Washington. The buildings are listed with Copaken…
Croyle has put aside his helmet. Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle has laced up his cleats for the last time. Croyle, the Chiefs’ third-round draft pick in 2006, told The Birmingham News this past weekend that he has retired from football. While it was hoped that the prolific, albeit oft-injured passer from Alabama could anchor the quarterback position,…
Facebook: Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott The macarons at Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott. Macarons, the high-end jam-cookie sandwiches, have finally washed up on the shores of Kansas City. Those eager to see the demise of the cupcake have to be pleased to see the French confection popping up around town. Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott has brought macarons to the Plaza, and…
Justin Kendall Cooper’s Hawk has set its sights on the Plaza. Oenophiles, this one’s for you. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant will open this fall in the former 810 Zone space at 4686 Broadway on the Plaza. Every item on the menu comes with a suggested wine pairing, and next to the dining room is a “Napa-style” wine tasting room,…
On Monday, President Barack Obama gave the commencement speech for Joplin High School’s class of 2012. Just a snip of his words: “But you are from Joplin. And you are from America. No matter how tough times get, you will be tougher. No matter what life throws at you, you will be ready. You will not be defined by the…
Photo by Sabrina Staires Sean Malto finished seventh in the KC Street League stop. Skateboarding dominated the weekend sports scene with the Street League DC Pro Tour stopping at Sprint Center Friday and Saturday. Nyjah Huston won the event’s opening tour stop (read ESPN’s extensive coverage of the two-day event here), while hometown favorite Sean Malto made it to the…
Seth Tisue California band Xiu Xiu makes awkward synth-pop with a tinge of goth. It’s both danceable and brutal. The subject matter? Human angst, humiliation, and self-loathing, of course! All of the band’s music is difficult to digest but distinctly Xiu Xiu. Xiu Xiu recently released a new album, Always, and is now on tour. The group is at the…
