Pianist Bob James hails from Marshall, Missouri, and played parties in the Ozarks while growing up. Today, at age 78, he is recognized first for his wistful theme to the 1970s TV series Taxi. His music, in collaborations with Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn and Earl Klugh, established him as one of the key progenitors of smooth jazz. But his…
In June, Donald Trump boasted that he could shoot somebody and not lose votes. The outrageous comment was not too far from the truth.A reporter from The Washington Post shadowed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt in southwest Missouri on the day after the release of the audio of Trump bragging about forcing himself on women. Blunt told the reporter, David Weigel,…
For the fifth entry in Too Much Rock’s singles series, label head Sid Sowder chose Kansas City’s Hipshot Killer to follow the format of original A-side, cover-song B-side. The KC trio has answered with a brilliantly vibrant new song, “All the Hell in the World,” which sums up the band’s ability to create emotionally powerful music. And you can hear…
Lampedusa: Concert for RefugeesHelzberg Hall, Kauffman CenterSaturday, October 8, 2016The plight of international refugees — symbolized by their rugged arrival from the Middle East and North Africa on Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of Sicily — might not seem like a natural fit for an Americana song circle. But Emmylou Harris reminded a near-capacity Helzberg Hall crowd at the…
Friday 10.7Writer-director Ava Duvernay (Selma) kept her new documentary, The 13th, secret during its production. Its title refers to the amendment that abolished slavery, and the trailer posits that that vile concept still exists in America, albeit in a different form.%{}%The 13th traces America’s racist tendencies from D.W. Griffith’s foundational 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation, to the civil…
Coldplay, the British mega-band friendly to stadiums and Starbucks alike, has announced a 2017 stadium tour, including a Tuesday, August 15, stop at the Sprint Center. The band is still working its A Head Full of Dreams album. Based on the tour video (below), expect bouncing balls, sing-alongs and lots of colorful outfits.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday,…
In the world of community radio, funding is a must. So KKFI 90.1 does on-air pledge drives, echoing the calls put forth by nationally subsidized media PBS and NPR. Instead of mugs and tote bags and umbrellas, though, KKFI has been using live music as its fundraising premium. Which this weekend yields the station’s fifth Beatles tribute show, organized by…
Tom JonesUptown TheaterWednesday, October 5, 2016 A show billed as “An Evening With Tom Jones” comes with hopes. There will surely be 1960s hits — a lot of them. The concert will certainly be nostalgic. But the main (and slightly unreasonable) desire is that Tom Jones, even at 76, will still be … you know, Sir Tom Jones, that giant-voiced, sexy…
Best ChiefMarcus PetersCornerback Marcus Peters intercepted a pass on the first play of his NFL career. This piece of trivia augured an unusual ability to put his gloves on passes that opposing quarterbacks intended for others. In his first 19 regular-season games, Peters collected 12 interceptions. (He also intercepted a pass in the Chiefs’ win in the playoffs over the…
Best Civil ServantRoger the MailmanU.S. Postal ServiceMuch is made of the tenuous relationship between mail carriers and dogs, but it’s a beautiful thing when you witness blue-uniformed human and tan-coated animal fall in love. So it happened for Roger (last name not relevant to canines), the friendly mailman who makes the rounds at Pitch HQ, and Dusty (last name Rhodes,…
Every year, in The Pitch’s Best of Kansas City issue, we compile your votes for the people, tastes, sounds, sights, businesses and entities you love in this town, and every year we also scout our own favorites in those and other categories. And you know what? The shocks on both sides of that ledger tend to be minimal. We Kansas…
Best Oven WhispererAppliance Masters KC, Troy D. McKay816-256-1477Troy D. McKay, working under the banner Appliance Masters KC and known in professional kitchens around town, doesn’t have much of a web presence, being the sort of fixer-doer-wizard whose card bills him as a “home advisor” and provides only his first name, a phone number and a Yahoo e-mail address. (He’s on…
Best ThrillerShock Treatment1735 Swift, North Kansas Cityshocktreatmentkc.comAdam Roberts and Brent Miller are among the upper echelon of creative forces in Kansas City. This dynamic duo runs Screenland Armour, Screenland Crossroads and Tapcade and puts on one of the best beer fests in the city, Arts & Crafts. There’s also the horror-film bonanza Panic Fest. And now comes Shock Treatment, an…
Best Liquor Store OasisPlaza Liquor4500 Belleview | plazaliquorkc.comSure, there are easier ways than negotiating the West Plaza’s zippy strip of Belleview to get take-home booze. But the selection at Plaza Liquor more than justifies this minor hassle, and beer manager Thomas Woodward is one of the most knowledgeable guys you’ll find in the city when it comes to brews (and…
Best Special$2 burritos on Thursdays Rico’s Tacos Lupe802 Southwest BoulevardWe defy you to find a better deal in town than the $2 burritos all day every Thursday at Rico’s Tacos Lupe. The burritos, stuffed with your choice of meat and the usual fillings (beans or rice, cheese, lettuce), make a tasty and filling meal at an almost guilt-inducing price. Almost….
Somehow, the vast majority of this roundup all came in immediately after we posted last month’s installment. Happily, there are some gorgeous visuals from rock acts such as Chris Crabtree, Chris Meck & the Guilty Birds, and Berwanger, the Uncouth’s street punk, and a funky newscast from the Band That Saved the World. The Band That Saved the World, “Shiny Plastic…
October in Kansas City is going to feel a little strange this year: The Royals did not qualify for the playoffs. Fans will not experience the suspense and elation that filled the calendar at this time in 2014 and 2015. It’s like 2013 again, when the big event of the fall was Lorde’s George Brett–inspired song reaching No. 1.Injuries sapped…
For soaring harmonies and gorgeous music, there may be no finer venue in the metro than the Madrid Theater. In its intimate confines, Melbourne, Australia’s Oh Pep provided charmingly wonderful music. The quartet won over hundreds of new fans as they opened for the emotionally charged, yet no less beautiful music of the Mountain Goats. It was an evening of…
