I’ll say this for the waitstaff at Nick and Jake’s: They’re looking out for my figure. At the two-month-old restaurant on Main, servers whisk away plates as though under strict orders from Jillian Michaels. You can measure a dining experience here in bites rather than in portions. Ask anyone who has done the job whether he or she is forever…
At first, it’s difficult to imagine the similarities between teaching high school English and singing radio-ready pop songs. But for Sara Swenson, the two go hand in hand. “I think, in both respects, you’re trying to engage and connect with an audience in a meaningful way,” Swenson tells me. She has been teaching since 2004 — three years before she…
Paul McCartney Basically everyone has a Beatles story, even that one guy who insists that he has never really cared for the band. And for many on Wednesday, seeing one-fourth of the Fab Four at the Sprint Center is the fulfillment of a dream — one that was almost cruelly snatched away from local concertgoers. The 72-year-old Paul McCartney is…
For more than 20 years, Angela Hagenbach has filled Kansas City jazz clubs with a voice that controls the room. Her low contralto wraps a jazz standard in equal parts seduction and joy. Her masterful scatting sometimes hints at an interest in Brazilian jazz. Saturday night, Hagenbach is joined by veteran jazz guitarist Danny Embrey; bassist Zach Beeson; longtime Sons…
A little more than five months after the restaurant known as Kansas Town opened in the former Macaluso’s space, at 1403 West 39th Street, restaurateur Michael Bechtel has closed the venue. Bechtel posted this message on the restaurant’s Facebook page three hours ago: “Unable to reach a new lease agreement to our satisfaction, sadly, we are closing our doors. Thank you to all…
Saturday is the day. One of the leading purveyors of KC-themed gear in town, Normal Human announced a few months back that it would be moving its operation from downtown Mission to Westport proper, in the space formerly inhabited by Spivey’s Books, at 827 Westport Road. The shop — which, unlike the Mission space, will keep regular business hours —…
I have loosely followed the career of Jeremy Messersmith — NPR favorite and one of Minneapolis’ hometown heroes — since the release of his 2010 full-length, The Reluctant Graveyard. Messersmith has an undeniable talent for pop standards, and his dusky voice is remarkably pliable. Last year, he signed to Glassnote Records — a well-earned contract — and in February, he…
This year, the 2014 Pitch Music Awards Showcase is split over two nights: Saturday, July 19, at the Riot Room and Friday, July 25, at Knuckleheads Saloon (lineup details and tickets here.) The PMA Awards Show is at the Uptown Theater, held this year on Sunday, August 3, and hosted by World Air Guitar Champion Eric “Mean” Melin and Mills Record Co.’s Judy Mills…
Vindicated! Leawood, Kansas, earned National Laughingstock Status in June when a story broke about the city ordering a family to take down a Little Free Library in their front yard. The cute, tiny, book-sharing box — built by a nine-year-old boy and his father, as a Mother’s Day present — was in violation of Leawood’s development ordinances. Last night, the…
While eating cheeseburgers — purely for research purposes — for last week’s Pitch story titled “Ten Great Burgers Under $10,” I belatedly stumbled on the Crazy Burger, the signature burger of Hamburguesa Loca, the tiny Mexican restaurant at 3009 Independence Avenue. You might think, from the restaurant’s name, that there might be more than two kinds of burgers served here, but there are…
The St. Louis Cardinals welcome the division rival Pittsburgh Pirates for four games at Busch Stadium this week. The St. Louis Cardinals schedule has the teams meeting for the fourth time this season and the second time at Busch Stadium. Season average for Cardinals tickets is $55.99, but each game of the series will see an average price well below that number on the…
This year, the 2014 Pitch Music Awards Showcase is split over two nights: Saturday, July 19, at the Riot Room and Friday, July 25, at Knuckleheads Saloon (lineup details and tickets here.) The PMA Awards Show is at the Uptown Theater, held this year on Sunday, August 3 (tickets here). To count down to the awards ceremony – and help introduce you to this year’s picks…
Willie Nelson with Alison Krauss and the Union Station and Jason Isbell Starlight Theatre, Kansas City July 6, 2014 “Gee, ain’t it funny how time slips away,” Willie Nelson half-sang last night at Starlight Theatre. The eponymously titled song came near the beginning of Nelson’s set, and it proved to be a sort of theme for the 81-year-old country legend….
CES Cru with Sho Gun, Sir Adams, Cuddy Mac, Joey Cool, Yawn Johnson, and Info Gates The Riot Room, Kansas City Saturday, July 5, 2014 Lightning flashed in the sky, and sweat poured down the walls of the Riot Room on Saturday night as rap duo CES Cru leapt onstage. Donnie King (Godemis) and Mike Viglione (Ubiquitous) were met by…
Jackson Browne The Uptown Theater, Kansas City Thursday, July 3, 2014 Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne’s decades of experience were highlighted at the Uptown last night, starting right on schedule at 7:30 p.m. Browne opened with “I’ll Do Anything,” and shared his three-hour, smooth acoustic set with a packed house of 1960s’ revolutionists and laid-back middle-agers. The legendary crooner was solo last…
Hermanos de Sangre EP (self-released) It’s strange to think of a bunch of Midwestern white guys putting together this EP. It bookends three high-octane, full-throttle rock-and-roll numbers between an instrumental cumbia (“De Estas Mano…”) and a cover of the traditional Mexican song “Volver Volver.” Somehow, it all works. The instrumental bridge in “The Tijuana Upholstery Job” sings like a mariachi…
Red Kate/The Bad Ideas Self-titled 7-inch split (Mills Record Co.) Red Kate and the Bad Ideas’ new split single marks the first release by local store Mills Record Co. Each side features two tracks from both groups, each song a brief starburst of joyful fury. Both bands deliver their interpretation of punk rock skillfully and directly, and there’s plenty to…
First Friday falls on July 4, so some gallerists are expressing their freedom by concentrating on cookouts and fireworks instead of on art. But that doesn’t mean Independence Day comes without new things to see — and lots to read. Before taking a monthlong break, Leedy-Voulkos Art Center (2012 Baltimore) has extended its shows through July 6. That means this…
The Miami Marlins have stayed in the NL East race for most of the season, but are starting to show some chinks in the armor. They’ve struggled recently, falling below .500 with a 40-43 record and now are 5.5 games out of first. They’re the next team on the St. Louis Cardinals schedule a team that has been clawing it’s way…
The Cleveland Indians will host the Kansas City Royals for a three game series beginning this Friday at Progressive Field. The Indians have not played well for most of the year and are currently slumping just prior to the All-Star break. However, despite being currently three games under .500 they are just seven and a half games back in the AL…
