Grouplove, with Portugal the Man and Starfucker Crossroads KC August 29, 2014 As summer comes to a close, so do the muggy, sweaty, multi-act blowouts that come along with high admission prices and ultra-short sets. Last night at Crossroads KC, the crowd was treated to three buzzworthy acts, with a bonus thunderstorm. It felt like what it was supposed to:…
Gov. Sam Brownback didn’t have to look far to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court. Caleb Stegall less than a year ago was Brownback’s lawyer. Stegall finds himself on the Kansas Supreme Court with less than a year’s time as a judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Brownback thought Stegall would make a better pick than either…
Rock & Run Brewery is throwing its first Rot & Ruin Fall Ale and Spirits Festival on Saturday, October 25. The Liberty brewery says it’s bringing together more than 30 local and regional breweries, brewpubs and distilleries for the celebration of craft beer, spirits and Halloween. Rock & Run says the plan is “to showcase a large amount of these smaller…
The Royals enter their weekend series with the Indians in first place in the AL Central, leading the Tigers by 1.5 games and their weekend opponent by 5.5 games. While the Indians are more likely to obtain a Wild Card spot in the American League, this weekend’s divisional series will be integral in keeping their postseason hopes alive. According to…
%{}% In March, Hawaiian-born artist Kawehi uploaded a pretty stellar cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” to YouTube. In the video, she’s seated in her Lawrence home, in front of her synth pad, keyboard and looping tools with headphones on and a glass of red wine at the ready. It was supposed to be just a “practice run,” she said, mistakes…
Back in the mid-1980s, I was invited on KCUR 89.3’s Walt Bodine Show to discuss restaurants with a panel of local food writers including, at that time, the late Larry “Fats” Goldberg and KCMO’s chatty Bobbi Marx (a total pro — I was entranced by her), restaurateur Lou Jane Temple, Squire columnist Johanna Hall, then-Pitch columnist Kathy Hale (and later, her…
John Gourley’s speaking voice, when you hear it over the phone, isn’t unlike his singing voice: soft, a little high, friendly — bubbly, even. For the man behind Alaskan rock outfit Portugal the Man, that bright, outgoing sound has been a long time in the making. As a child, in Wasilla, he was prohibitively introverted; he claims that his bandmates…
KC Bier Co. rolls out the barrel Friday night. The German-style Waldo-based brewery taps a big Bavarian wooden barrel of its Maibock at 7 p.m. In April, KC Bier Co. debuted its Maibock, a golden-red strong lager from the bock family. We’re told that a couple of months ago, KC Bier Co. brewer decided to squeeze a rebrew of the Maibock…
There’s finally a name for the KC streetcar: they’re calling it “KC Streetcar.” That’s the big news coming out the Kansas City Streetcar Authority’s meeting on Thursday in which the board approved a branding package for the downtown transit line, brought to the city by Westport marketing firm Willoughby Design (which got paid $80,000 for its work). It includes a…
Until Chez Elle opened at 1713 Summit in 2009, there hadn’t been a restaurant devoted exclusively to crepes in the Kansas City metro since the Quaker Oats-owned chain, the Magic Pan, operated in Seville Square. That chain closed its local location in 1983. But several restaurants in the city — not necessarily exclusively creperie venues like Chez Elle — offer…
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is a prominent outlaw biker gang that is possibly engaged in turf wars with other outlaw biker gangs in the region. This weekend, Bandidos is holding its 2014 national rally, which is expected to draw roughly 2,000 members from about 20 states, in Grain Valley. A little unnerving, but could be good for businesses in the…
Atmosphere with Dem Atlas, Prof and DJ Fundo Granada, Lawrence August 28, 2014 Veterans MC Slug and DJ Ant, otherwise known as Sean Daley and Anthony Davis of Minneapolis rap duo Atmosphere, have been performing together for more than 18 years. As time progressed, they have evolved their bare bones “MCs plus DJs” setup into a fully functional band, instruments…
The Crossroads Music Fest is quite a local success story, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of the maniacally busy Bill Sundahl. Since 2005, Sundahl has been organizer, promoter, marketer, and general do-everythinger for the festival, which will dominate the Crossroads Saturday, September 6. And wow, are there a lot of great bands. (Hello, Bacon Shoe! Where you been?) The festival…
Kansas City’s Conflicts has a new album they’d like to release. The record, entitled The North Slope, is in the can, but the metal quintet is short of funds to put it out. Conflicts isn’t taking to Kickstarter to raise the necessary cash, though. Instead, Conflicts will be putting on a seven-band benefit show at KC Autoworx this Saturday, August…
Gov. Sam Brownback has been having trouble finding a poll that shows him mopping the floor with Democratic challenger Paul Davis, as almost everyone assumed he would when the Lawrence lawyer announced his candidacy last year. In fact, the several early summer polls that showed the two men in a dead heat for the governor’s office have given way in…
Every six months or so, we get a phone call or an e-mail at The Pitch wondering if the iconic Harold’s Drive-In at 1337 Admiral Boulevard has closed. The answer is always no. Those rumors drive owner Nancy Smith nearly apoplectic: “If we close early or take a day off, the rumors start up that we’re closed forever. But we’ve…
Zombie Monkie is, according to Tallgrass’ website, a “post-apocalyptic porter,” made with dark chocolate and specialty malts and infused with hops that present floral and citrus characters. Zombie Monkie has 6.2 percent ABV and 35 IBUs. “It’s just the best porter,” says Green Room owner Michael Ptacek. “Besides, it has the cool cans and the zombie reference. It’s just going…
This week is about hoppy beers, with new IPAs from Green Room Burgers & Beer and Cinder Block Brewery. At 4 p.m. Friday, August 29, Green Room releases Papa Louie’s Bird Lives, a double IPA that boasts 10.2 percent ABV and 100 IBUs. “It’s a really big IPA,” says Green Room owner Michael Ptacek. Expect more of everything. As the…
