Letters

Thrust for Life

Dennis the menace: In response to Dennis Rogers’ letter about the Battle of the Bands (Letters, September 6):

Could you (or the “cosponsors” you mention) please provide some proof that these comments were actually made? When you say “They said Bent got screwed!” you are putting a lot of pressure on the people who “supposedly” said it to verify what you wrote, and since you didn’t include any names, it sounds as if these things are not necessarily true!

I thought Bent did a GREAT job! But not everyone shares your opinion. I did see (and wear) a very sore attitude from the lead singer of Bent. He slung his beer all over a group of us standing around congratulating Thrust, not necessarily meaning to douse us! And that reflects badly on the band.

I do NOT recall the majority of listeners throwing a fit after the announcement of each band’s placement, or frowns on faces or even “astounded” faces in the audience! I saw a whole lot of people very generally grateful for what their “favorite” band accomplished that night! It’s not like any group got the shaft! They were all great prizes!

I do not want to be excluded from your category of “KC’s true rock fans.” I believe that I AM a “true KC rock fan” and I didn’t have a “bad taste in MY mouth” since I am a Thrust admirer!

Your opinion is your own and I will respect it as long as you equally respect mine.

Becki Bickerstaff

Bonner Springs

Full thrust: I would like to shed some light on why Thrust was the winner of the contest. The criteria for the judging was clearly communicated to all of the bands: stage presence, crowd participation and overall sound.

The front man for Bent had very little stage to work with due to Bent’s enormous drum set. He traversed from the center of the stage to the corner of the drummer’s stage and threw his fist up in the air. This was unentertaining and even monotonous. Thrust’s frontman, on the other hand, was moving all over the stage, dancing, lighting his pants on fire and acting out some of the words to their songs. This was very entertaining and unique. This category clearly went to Thrust.

The crowd-participation category was a tie, since both Bent and Thrust had large followings that were loud and knew all of the words to the bands’ songs.

The overall-sound category was won overwhelmingly by Thrust, whose songs were diverse in lyrics and sound. They played in different [tunings], had drum and guitar solos and a variety of tempos. Bent’s songs were all fast and hard and left me feeling that I had just heard that song a couple of minutes ago.

I am disappointed that some fans let their emotions get in the way of honestly evaluating the talent of their favorite bands. I wouldn’t want a group of sore losers that needed to be pacified after a show (as described by Dennis) representing Kansas City in one of the area’s premier rock events. Thrust earned this spot with their superior performance, thus proving that the best band IS representing Kansas City.

Mark Fuqua

Kansas City, Kansas

For Better or for Verse

Dead poet’s society: I just read the September 6 Kansas City Strip about the poet laureate in Missouri, which is great. Whoever wrote this doesn’t know much about the poetry culture in this city, though. To nominate an academic to be the poet laureate is the kiss of death. Academia has killed poetry as an entity in our culture. It’s really a bad, bad idea.

Traditionally, a poet laureate trots out poems to order for whatever social occasion merits it. I nominate Stanley Kunitz — a dead poet for a dead office.

John Hastings

Kansas City, Missouri

A Head Ache

Doctors’ orders: Regarding Deb Hipp’s “Psych Out” (August 23): Western Missouri Mental Health Center doesn’t protect its staff. People who have been hurt due to short staff and violent patients are not supported when they refuse to work on the floor.

I obtained a serious injury, which I have a scare from. It took the hospital six months to send this violent patient to Fulton. But if the patient had hurt an M.D., the patient would have been gone the same day. This patient hurt five staff members besides me.

They are slow to promote people who deserve promotions — people who are loyal and come in no matter what.

Name Withheld Upon Request

Mud Shot

This mud’s for you: Regarding Scott Wilson’s “Mud Brothers” (August 30): Wilson was right on the money, albeit tactfully. Mudvayne, as with many of the so called “musicians” of the current generation, relies on nothing more than grease paint and the unevolved state of music at their level and with their generation.

I’m hoping that their take on themselves is tongue-in-cheek, because if they are serious about the importance of their music and ability to make said music … well, all I can say is the drugs must be a whole lot better than they used to be.

Phil Murphy

Emporia, Kansas