It’s always a treat when drummer and Topeka native Todd Strait returns to our city — even more so when he brings a special guest. With him this time is Karla Harris, an Atlanta jazz singer originally from St. Louis. A welcoming and conversational yet soulful quality marks her song stylings. She and Strait will perform music from the classic…
I last spoke with Rev Gusto in the spring of 2014, just as the band was getting ready to release its first vinyl — a 7-inch, put out by Sid Sowder under his Too Much Rock Singles Series umbrella. Back then, the band’s five members — lead singer and guitarist Jerry Frederick; his brother and bassist, Sam Frederick; drummer Quinn…
Thousands of records line the shelves of the dining room in Brenton Cook’s midtown home. Each album is in a Mylar sleeve, packed tightly into quadrants, alphabetized and organized by a code that only Cook knows. More records are piled on the dining-room table. Even more, Cook tells me, are stored upstairs. Altogether, he has about 10,000 records. It’s an…
The flight path to a new Kansas City International Airport crossed another waypoint on Tuesday, when airline representatives, consultants and city staff recommended doing away with discussions of major renovations to the existing airport. Steve Sisneros, director of airport affairs for Southwest Airlines, told Kansas City, Missouri’s City Council during a special meeting that costs of building a new terminal…
%{}% You could say that 1511 Westport Road has had a long saloon life over the past century. Some still recall that address as home to Bender’s Bar & Grill for decades, others as the not-long-departed Boozefish Wine Bar. Whatever the name and whatever the year, though, it’s not a place you’ll ever see dark for more than a short time. …
Last night’s WWE Raw show at the Sprint Center featured the official return of the Undertaker. And, as is common with pro wrestling, there was a beer and a brawl (OK, a lot of brawls). A night after repeatedly Tombstone pile-driving Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker explained that he was sick and tired of Lesnar and manager Paul Heyman’s gloating. So he…
Prairie Village Shopping Center has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to stylish restaurants, but the newest addition is unusual in its obvious desire to lure families. The Chocolate Frog Cafe — the name is a Harry Potter reference — sounds a little precious on paper, and it’s precious in person, too. But it is at least a significant…
You may have heard about Caitlyn Jenner’s speech at the ESPYs — the Oscars-like awards show for sports, put on by ESPN — last Wednesday. Before Jenner accepted her award, ESPN aired a two-and-a-half-minute documentary-slash-advertisement for Google My Business that told the story of transgender athlete Jake Nothnagel and the gym where he works out: City Gym, at 7416 Wornall. …
Credit goes to whichever editor at The Kansas City Star penned the headline of Steve Rose’s most recent column. Headlines are meant to grab attention, and the one above Rose’s piece does the job. R. Crosby Kemper is blinded by rage over Kansas City hotel deal, the headline reads online. Rose’s column takes Kemper, CEO of the Kansas City Public Library,…
Double Shift Brewing Co. was supposed to open the doors to its Crossroads taproom at 412 East 18th Street on July 11. That didn’t happen due to a snafu. Well, Double Shift is back with a new opening date: Saturday, July 25. From Facebook: “It’s officially official! We will be opening this Saturday July 25th, no take backs this time! Thanks…
“The Deadman has risen,” WWE announcer Michael Cole screamed last night. The Undertaker returned to WWE at last night’s Battleground pay-per-view, to kick Brock Lesnar in the crotch and Tombstone pile-drive him — twice! — in the middle of Lesnar’s match against WWE World Champion Seth Rollins. That leads us to tonight’s WWE Raw show at the Sprint Center. Lesnar has been…
Most restaurants, as they edge toward the 10-year mark, need some kind of change. Sometimes a subtle cosmetic makeover is in order. Sometimes a complete personality change would be better. The eight-year-old Room 39, at 10561 Mission, in Leawood’s Mission Farm development, didn’t need a physical or spiritual overhaul, but its recently completed remodel (on the heels of last winter’s…
WWE Raw will be coming to the Sprint Center on Monday night. It will be just one night after WWE puts on their Battleground pay-per-view event at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center. With RAW being held following a pay-per-view and starting the road towards WWE’s second-biggest pay-per-view of the year, there are big things expected to go down in Kansas City….
In a press release today, the American Jazz Museum confirms the recent speculation surrounding its CEO, Greg Caroll. After eight years in the position, Carroll will step down. According to the press release, the AJM is currently developing a plan for interim leadership as it begins a national search for Carroll’s replacement — whom it hopes to have in place…
The legendary Danzig — the demonic metal band formed by Glenn Danzig, of Misfits and Samhain fame — is at the Midland on Sunday. It’s going to be a hellishly loud, evil affair, and hopefully fans will get a preview of the some of the new tracks that Danzig is purportedly working on for the band’s forthcoming studio album. In…
Phil Ruffin, the billionaire, Wichita-born businessman — he now lives in Las Vegas — has purchased the Woodlands for an undisclosed amount from Howard Grace, The Wichita Eagle reports. The greyhound- and horse-racing track in Kansas City, Kansas, opened in 1989, filed for bankruptcy in 1996 (but stayed operational), and officially closed in 2008. Efforts have been under way of…
Among the things you can get right now at Blake Lostal’s two-week-old Blind Tiger saloon (3945 Main): a very good Cubano sandwich, a fountain drink, slice of house-made bourbon chocolate pie. Lunch. For dinner, though — and the drinks that go with it — there’s another week to go until this Tiger is fully grown. “We have our liquor license already,”…
Big news — but not necessarily sad news — from the folks at RecordBar today. When the lease for the beloved local music venue expires January 1, 2016, owners Shawn Sherrill and Steve Tulipana will not be renewing. Or, rather, they do not have the option to renew. In a Facebook post, Sherrill and Tulipana broke the news to RecordBar…
Food and music have always made for a natural pairing, but Thursday, July 23, chef Celina Tio will bring the combo to another level. At her Collection event space, Tio will host local blues-and-roots band Grand Marquis for a three-course meal inspired by their music. As the band plays, diners will nosh. Peep the menu for the evening after the…
The Pitch and the City Market are teaming up for the City Market Beer Festival on Saturday, August 1. Let’s get the fine print out of the way: The festival is free to attend, but you gotta buy the beer. Good news, though: It’s cheap. Four beer tickets — that’s four 6-ounce pours or two 12-ounce pours — goes for…
Longtime Pitch readers will recall a series of stories from 2006 and 2007 about an unusual Topeka lobbyist named David Owen. Owen was decidedly unlike others who seek to influence Kansas lawmakers. Owen was unkempt, brash, annoyingly persistent and abrasive. He had cerebral palsy and had one chief cause: Reuniting the homeless with their families. When Owen wasn’t passing through the…
