Archives: July 2016

The American changes course, Third Street Social opens, and other restaurant news

The American at Crown Center has announced two big changes. First, celebrated chef Michael Corvino is leaving the restaurant in August. Second, the restaurant itself will be morphing next year into a “pop-up” space, in which, according to a press release, “guest chefs will be welcomed to the American for exclusive engagements, bringing a variety of unique culinary experiences to…

Concert Calendar: Flight of the Conchords, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, G-Eazy & Logic, John Doe, Mutemath, Twenty-One Pilots and more

Flight of the ConchordsIt’s been seven years since the release of new material from New Zealand’s premier musical comedy duo, Flight of the Conchords, but Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie are back in full form. Their new tour — the first in three years — is aptly titled “Flight of the Conchords Sing Flight of the Conchords,” and you can…

Femi Kuti carries on his father’s powerful Afrobeat mission

If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be in your revolution.” The quote is attributed to early 20th-century feminist and radical Emma Goldman, but it could as easily have been uttered by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti — or by his son Femi Kuti.With his band, the Positive Force, the 54-year-old carries on his father’s legacy, emodying the genre’s potent…

Legendary producer and Garbage member Butch Vig talks Strange Little Birds and his approach to work

Because the beautiful and magnetic Shirley Manson is at the center of Garbage’s universe, it can sometimes be easy to forget that the rest of the band is stacked with talent. Butch Vig, drummer and multi-instrumentalist for the band, also boasts an extensive producing career that includes touchstone recordings such as Nirvana’s Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, among scores…

Five coffeehouse treats that won’t fry your BMI

They say the heart wants what it wants, and what my heart almost always wants is a doughnut with my morning coffee — specifically, the soft, spongy kind topped with so much frosting that the stuff flakes off in shards. Unfortunately, they also say you shouldn’t eat doughnuts every day. But so far, no monolithic collective they has weighed in…

At Julep, Brent Gunnels reveals himself as a burgeoning chef

For the last six months, Brent Gunnels has been in charge of the kitchen at Westport’s Julep Cocktail Club. The new summer menu — which co-owner Beau Williams considers a revamp of Julep’s overall culinary direction — belongs entirely to Gunnels. It’s his first proprietary menu at the restaurant. And yet, he isn’t sure he has a title.“I’ve never been…

Once again, city leaders are trying to find a groove at 18th & Vine

This week the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council may consider a measure to spend $27 million on a series of projects in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. The proposal represents a reboot for the district, inevitably described as “struggling” in spite of the tens of millions in local, state and federal funds it has received over the years.Third…

Jazz Beat: Bobby Watson’s I Have a Dream Band plays the Blue Room Friday night

In 2013, saxophonist Bobby Watson commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech with his album Check Cashing Day. The title references King’s declaration in the speech that “we’ve come to the nation’s capital to cash a check” for equality. Watson brought together pianist Richard Johnson, bassist Curtis Lundy, drummer Eric Kennedy,…

What became of Kemper Arena’s 1970s contemporaries?

An effort is afoot to put Kemper Arena on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation would qualify the arena for historic tax credits and potentially save it from demolition.Foutch Brothers, a Kansas City company specializing in historic restoration, has put forward a plan to use the credits to repurpose the building as an amateur-sports complex. The tax credits…

Someone is passing fake $100 bills in the Crossroads

First Friday news alert: Counterfeit $100 bills are circulating.The Crossroads Community Association sent out an advisory Friday afternoon that businesses are receiving fake bills. The message was written by Patrick Unrein III at Lead Bank, who said the bank had received an unspecified number of bogus Ben Franklins from its Crossroads customers.”I know everyone is on alert for counterfeit money…

Midnight Marauders, Lincoln Marshall, the Philistines, and more: June’s must-see local music videos

The music videos released in the last few weeks are as exciting visually as they are musically. Starting with hip-hop turntablism from Midnight Marauders, then moving into a string of amazing rock ‘n’ roll from the likes of Psychic Heat and the Philistines, then back to hip-hop with Verbal Contact and Lincoln Marshall, there’s something to appeal to all tastes…