Fallen Star
The mouth that roared: I enjoyed C.J. Janovy’s piece on the Rona Barrett of KC, the dreaded Hearne Christopher () November 3).
Hearne’s column is the absolute epitome of vapidity, so I constantly ask myself why I bother to read it. But I guess the old car-accident analogy is true — one can’t help but look at it!
Any grown man who uses terms like wonk, schmooze and kiddie-bopper on a regular basis does not deserve to write a column for a major-market newspaper — even the high school kids writing for the “Teen Star” section don’t sound that sophomoric! Does anyone really give a rat’s spleen that Marilyn Manson had dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House or that Sting shopped at Crown Center while they were in town? B.F.D.!
Speaking of conflicts of interest, if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear that Christopher is actually Mancow Muller’s personal publicist — Hearne can’t go more than about three columns without quoting this loudmouthed boor. Max 97.3 is wasting good money on all those new billboard ads for Mancow — Hearne gives the boy enough publicity for free! Still, I fail to see how an overrated shock jock based 500 miles away in Chicago could possibly have his finger on the pulse of what’s going on in Kansas City. But I guess since Hearne’s churlish, loser panhandler friend/informant Jerry Mazer left town and Hearne’s whiny Johnson County publisher idol Tom Leathers died, his sources are dwindling.
Brian Holland
Raytown
Penalty Call
Any given Sunday: Let me get this right: The teams (Chiefs and Royals) want the stadiums, from which they collect management fees, to be renovated at taxpayer expense, and the Jackson County Sports Authority is touting that idea to the voters of Jackson County (David Martin’s “The Big Sell,” October 13)?
Sorry, teams, I think you have a sweetheart deal in Kansas City. For instance, the Chiefs charge $20 or more for parking every home game, the concessions are outrageously priced ($2 for bottled water the last time I went to a game, in October 2004), and the stadium is just packed Sunday after Sunday.
This is truly a big sell, and if the taxpayers of Jackson County approve, this will be a big sellout to the teams.
I know the teams give us civic pride, but what about pride in standing up to the teams and daring them to leave? It’s like every entity (from the KC transit authority to the multimillionaire owners to the boondoggle dreamers who used to be associated with Clay Chastain) wants the taxpayers’ money. What are the taxpayers going to get in return, except for increased concession and ticket prices, increased parking fees, and giving some other entity incentive to come before the taxpayers and say, “Well, you helped the sports teams, now help us”?
Jackson County voters, it is time to stop allowing all these various entities to copulate us out of our money. Do not sell out, and please say no when this issue comes before us on the ballot next year.
Rudolph Pieters
Kansas City, Missouri
Concealed Kerry
For the record: Being a fan of the band, I eagerly began reading the column about Kerry Livgren and Proto-Kaw (Wayward Son, November 3). However, although the column did include some good information about Livgren, it was also rather derisive regarding progressive rock in general and certainly Livgren’s views specifically.
If you are going to write about a particular genre of music, please get someone who knows the subject and doesn’t approach it with contempt. Surely you can find writers who are more knowledgeable than Mr. Harper, who mistakenly cites songs from Before Became After as evidence of Livgren’s evangelical Christianity, songs which were written nearly a decade before his conversion to Christianity.
Anyone who thinks “Carry On Wayward Son” is “pompously prog” is too ignorant of the history of rock music to be writing for the music pages of an entertainment magazine.
The real news is that after 30 years of being apart, a group of musicians who helped set the pace for American progressive rock have reunited and are recording their second album (third, if you include Proto-Kaw: Early Recordings from Kansas 1971-73). How many bands break up, lay their dreams to rest and then get back together 30 years later to record not just a reunion album but new material and then yet another album? That is a great story. Too bad you missed it.
Ken Westphal
Prairie Village
Kaw of the wild: It’s obvious Jason Harper does not know what he is writing about. Very disappointing article and opinion of Kerry and Proto-Kaw .
I did not like his vulgar language. How old is Jason? Perhaps you should find a better writer and someone who understands what music is, etc.
Also, Jason had offended lots of people. You need to get rid of him.
Kathy Wright
Via the Internet
Corrections: “Lethal Attraction” (November 17) contained an incorrect birth date for Mac Lethal; he was born in 1981. That issue also contained an incorrect date for the release of the Dwarves album Blood, Guts and Pussy; it was released in 1990 (“Parental Advisory”). Finally, Kurt Von Schlemmer’s name was spelled incorrectly in “Bare Bones” (November 10).
