Train Wreck
Wrong side of the tracks: Regarding “Train of Thought” (Letters, July 10): I just don’t get how Clay Chastain, who resides in Tennessee and not in Kansas City, can put his failed plan on light rail once again on the ballot.
We are not going to just get light rail but also some of the fringe benefits which come with it. Like, the city will get to declare eminent domain on property along the light-rail plan (or BRT plan). The property will be TIF or have a 353 tax abatement, and the schools will lose more money because of this. Our homes or apartment-building taxes will inflate. Take a look at the plans for light rail with the Park and Ride hubs. Notice how they are on corners like at 39th and Main, 55th and Brookside, 57th and Brookside, etc. So which corner are the city planners going to rebuild to put in a Park and Ride hub with 100 parking spaces so riders can ride the light rail?
If the 21-year-old person who wrote in would have read the plans, he or she would notice light rail only runs north and south. Not east and west. So you would have to take a bus going east or west to get to the north and south light rail. Apparently, you would still be late for work.
Is it a smart financial decision to commit money to any kind of bus service (BRT) or light rail, which is absolutely going to lose money, when the city is facing one of its worst deficits?
Howard Carson
Kansas City, Missouri
Hear This!
Drum sit: Regarding Andrew Miller’s “Around Hear” (July 10): Well, Andrew, Wes West, our wheelchair supplier, got stoned and forgot to bring it. And I think being able to SEE Brent play the drums is GOOD for showmanship (plus we get to see him play, which is cool for us).
Besides he’s WAY prettier than Meg!
Dave Johnson, Everybody’s X
Smithville
Full thrust: You’re wrong, Andrew Miller, and you’re wrong in two ways.
First of all, you made Kingpin out to be a few high school garage-band kids. They’re not. Just because only like two people ever go to America’s Pub anymore because of their suck-ass DJ and their fat-people regulars, it doesn’t mean that Kingpin couldn’t get anyone out of their seats. Shoulda gone to SpiritFest and seen how many people were completely amazed by them.
The second way you are wrong is that for just a teensy little minute, I thought you were surely a Thrust fan/groupie/ whatever. You pointed out three things in your Thrust paragraph: (1) that the Hurricane has regulars; (2) that people were waiting just for Thrust; (3) that Thrust was the only standout. Well, most people would automatically assume that if you have people waiting for the band to go on, they’re going to get down to the stage and rock out whenever “their” band goes on. And the regulars — well, they’ll like anything their favorite bar throws at them.
I’ve been to the club wars. I’ve watched more than a few of the bands you mentioned, and they were good. They drew crowds. The crowds got involved and sometimes a bit out of hand.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinions. But next time you do an article on a few bands or more, don’t seem so biased. You sound like a huge Thrust fan … determined to give them the only glory your negative column could give. Want to give bad “reviews”? Go check out AKA or Green Means Go. Blech.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Filthy Lies
Cradle robber: There are a number of misguided facts reported in Michael Tedder’s article about Cradle of Filth (“Rock the Cradle,” July 17). Mortiis did not have his face surgically altered. I met him on tour in 1999, and he is very normal looking. It’s when he plays live that he puts on the makeup. There had been rumors that he had altered his face, but none of those rumors are true.
Count Grishnackh (real name is Kristian “Varg” Vikernes) does NOT remain on good terms with Mayhem or anyone in the black-metal scene. After he killed Euronymous, he was arrested and jailed for 21 years (the maximum sentence in Norway). He recorded two final albums for his one-man band Burzum while in prison before finally quitting music to no longer be associated with black metal. He has since engaged his studies in prison to Nazi philosophy and propaganda, completely renouncing his black-metal affiliations and agreeing instead with neo-Nazi ideology.
Mayhem did, in fact, play the Bottleneck in Kansas City in 2000, and none of them were interested in past politics anymore. (This version of Mayhem contains all original members except Euronymous. He is replaced by Aura Noir’s guitarist, Blasphemer.) They went on in the interview I did with them to state that they are only interested in making music and what’s past is past. Mayhem did, in fact, play a recent gig where a fan was injured when vocalist Maniac threw parts of (the already dead) sheep into the audience.
Just thought I would pass this on. Keep your facts straight before you report them. Thank you.
Pete Tucker
Independence
Anything but Your Band
Scraps metal: I love the paper, read it every week, but I am a bit upset by recent music coverage. With your Music Awards coming up, I feel it VERY unfair for you to do a cover story and three-page feature on Anything But Joey (Geoff Harkness’ “Joeymania,” June 26), a local band with pop-punk music that is catchy, yet far from the area’s best musicians.
Next, Andrew Miller gives more props to Thrust, another local band that needs no press. The fact that they have ties to KQRC 98.9 is reason enough. The Rock is jilted and wrong in the fact that they play ONE local band and IGNORE the rest.
I like Thrust. Having seen them only twice, I cannot comment on their newest music, but their brand of metal is safe, commercial and pretty out-of-date in my way of thinking. Just moving back from California recently makes me realize that most local music is about two or three (maybe more) years behind the coasts. No wonder no one here can get signed.
A few bands here are straight original and do what they want, regardless of trends. The Gadjits, Onward Crispin Glover, Big Jeter awhile back, BCR, Descension, Casket Lottery, Origin, Sister Mary Rotten Crotch and the Stretchmarxxx all play certain STYLES, but they also do it with innovation. Please be fair, and if you cover one band that is nominated, give EVERY band the same respect. They deserve it.
Sharon Bridgeman
Kansas City, Missouri
Blue for Blues
Program notes: Regarding Andrew Miller’s “Around Hear” (May 8): I’m writing in regard to the recent barrage of messages being sent across the airwaves concerning the financial dilemma of KKFI 90.1. It says they fell short of their pledge goal by nearly $20,000 and would we please send money (or more money).
As a longtime contributor (Tom and Sarah Jane, Shirley Mae, Lonesome Cowboy Bill era and recent guest DJ), I’m serious about the survival of “community radio” in Kansas City. But lately, with all the underwriting messages and bland musical offerings (Hawaiian noises and incessant chatter), it’s no wonder they’re falling short. I can get that on corporate radio.
We all know the station passes through the highs and lows of public funding support, but as a past phone volunteer, I don’t remember having this problem when they had 50 hours of blues programming a week as opposed to 25 hours.
One of the true blessings provided by KKFI has always been diversity and variety. I believe in that. That’s why I still write that check. But when they rely largely upon the public for financial strength, then it is the opinions of the listening audience that matter most. It seems their fanbase is unhappy, or they wouldn’t have to plead for more money.
Perhaps it would be wise to study the track record and decide what really brought the station to its heyday and respond in kind. Whadya think, Wendy?
Jack McClain
Merriam
P.S. Bringing Jo-mama back is a good start.
Correction: In our July 10 Kid Stuff recommendation of the Westport Children’s Film Festival’s outdoor screening of Spider-Man, we wrote that Clint’s was raffling off comics at the event. The shop raffling off comics was B-Bop, not Clint’s. We apologize for the error.
