The Downing’s Memo
Downing’s Grill & Bar in Kansas City, Kansas, occupies a building that was a scrubby fast-food joint back when fry cooks wore paper hats. A year and a half ago, Travis Downing transformed the place from an abandoned dump to an attractive neighborhood bar and grill. And for the most part, things have gone pretty smoothly. The convenient location, at the corner of 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard, and surprisingly good bar food help ensure a healthy stream of business. The joint occasionally books bands, and Downing had asked local rockers the Architects and the Deathray Angels to play a birthday gig for his wife, Gladys, on Saturday, July 23.
But in what was a true rock and roll circus, by the end of the night music had been played, clothes had been shed, police had been called and handcuffs had been deployed.
When the Architects took the stage at about 11 and struck their first chord, a half-dozen real, live, flexible-as-hell strippers rushed out onto the deck, clad only in thongs. The band played on, and the birthday girl was ushered to a seat directly in front as the strippers piled on top of her. A 12-foot brass pole was erected and put to good use by a gravity-defying pole dancer.
Not surprisingly, someone called the cops (possibly an old fart at Downing’s), and, four songs into the festivities, the proverbial plug was pulled.
“I was being super-cooperative,” Travis says. “As soon as the cop said to shut it down, I told the band to stop. I mean, I knew we were pushing our limits — it was a little bit of a publicity stunt,” he admits.
Thinking they had time for one more, the Architects launched into “Don’t Call It a Ghetto,” a song about “how people in the weirdo community feel about cops,” according to singer Brandon Phillips. “I felt someone grabbing the mike out of my hands, and it was the cop yelling, ‘Shut it off!'” Phillips wisely chose to step back and put his hands up. “The cop was definitely irate, and maybe we … were a bit mouthy and pugnacious.”
The cops demanded IDs from everyone on the premises, then arrested both Travis and Phillips. Travis got slapped with a noise-ordinance violation, whereas an ancient traffic ticket reared its ugly head at Phillips. Fortunately, the strippers escaped unscathed and ticket-free — some daring soul had herded them into the best possible stripper-holding cell, the walk-in refrigerator. Meanwhile, Travis and Downing were handcuffed and led through a disappointed, jeering crowd, the first leg of a long, grueling night for both of them.
So far, Travis has been issued only noise-ordinance ticket. “I do have an entertainment license, but when I called them [liquor control] prior to the event to get the outdoor cutoff time, I couldn’t get an answer. … I wanted to have the last band finished by 11. I’m going to court in 10 days, and I still don’t know what the time ordinance is for outside shows in Kansas. And I have no idea what to expect — all charges are still pending. So far, the people I’ve been talking with at City Hall have been cool to me … I just hope I’m not made an example of.”
The show seems likely to go on — there is a benefit concert (all proceeds go toward Travis’ fines) planned, again with the Architects. This time, though, the event will be indoors and stripper-free.
