Geez, I try and get away for a few days and…
The last time I left town, JJ’s blew up. This time out, Kanrocksas and Bottom Line Communications take a bullet. And there’s more.
Having just driven for like 18 hours, I’m going to take a few off to regroup and hammer these topics the way they need to be in the morning (it’s nearly 2 a.m. as we speak).
Meanwhile, let me say this about that…
Some of the comments crowd types have been pretty hard on Kanrocksas. And clearly, wiser heads would have probably passed on trying to make chicken soup out of chicken…
That said, promoter Bill Brandmeyer‘s heart was clearly in the right place and it’s a sad day for Kansas City to lose what he invested millions into gamely trying to create for the betterment of mankind.
There’s no joy to be taken from his failure and all of our loss.
Really.
And cut the crap about the headliners being bar bands.
As for that quirky dude by the name of John Landsberg, he’s throwing in the local media covering towel and moving to warmer climes. It may surprise you to learn what my take is on his impending media death.
As former 610 Sports host Nick Wright and probably most higher ups in local medai who’ve had many dealings with Landsberg know, the guy’s kind of a flake.
That said, he put in some long hours and hard work and somehow overcame many of his personal shortcomings to become the go-to website for local media comings and goings.
That’s no small accomplishment.
I’ll revisit these and other topics when I crawl out of my coffin in a few.
Later…
If by ‘flake’ you mean “religious wing-nut who’ll fit right in with some of Florida’s more extreme theist-based cults”, you’re 100% correct.
On one of his posts [that was apologizing for yet another venal sin of the catholic church] I left a comment that John i.) first ignored, then ii.) published under the title ‘Catholic Hater’, then iii.) finally expunged entirely, leaving only a number of ‘supportive’ comments. Whatever sense of fair play and freedom of speech the gentleman may have started off with long since eroded to a Count Riario-like desire to squelch all heresy. Or, at least, not be talked back to.
And this circle-jerk he’s got going with tkc? Talk about the odd couple…
And no sense of humor; make one joke about Gary Lezak sleeping with Wendy and he’ll hold it against you forever.
I bet I posted on the same entry as you. And the same thing happened—he posted a snarky comment about how it was apparently only the catholic church that did anything wrong and wanting to know why no one ever mentioned those other churches (frankly, I would have, but his post was about the catholic church, so I stuck to the topic). Then later he deleted my comment and several others. My comment didn’t use offensive language or anything: I just pointed out that that church has a long history of raping children and covering up those rapes as well as hurting women and families throughout the world. Before that happened, I considered him a good source of local news and information, but after that, I wrote him off. He clearly wasn’t interested in trying to seem objective and informative. (I believe another local blogger wrote about this incident, too—maybe Mo Rage?)
And I am also confused and amazed at his relationship w TKC. Seriously, what?
Or maybe you were the blogger. Heh. Sorry, just noticed the hyperlink in your name.
I never quite got Landsberg’s mutual admiration society thing with Tony either.
Or maybe I did.
Tony is relatively successful and deserves his props. So there’s that.
Landsberg – for all his many flaws – provided lots of local media news, however lamely spun at times – and deserved his props as well.
Look, I don’t know who went down on who first, but once they split the sheets there was no turning back. And it did get overly mushy at times, but to each their own.
All of that said, the word “obsequious” clearly comes to mind.
Which while understandable where Landsberg is concerned, was more than a little disconcerting and embarrassing coming from Tony.
That help clear things up for you guys?
admin –
oh, i understand the relationship: it’s all about numbers. i just find the gushing december-may bromance more than a little sick-making…
andrew –
yeah – you’re right, it was that exact post. and I also did a take on the subject (would link to it but my isp -NETWORK SOLUTIONS SUCK!! – has gone all ‘tard on me the last week or so; i’m surprised they can even feed themselves. thor knows if it involved customer service they’d starve….) and linked it for another perspective, something john obviously doesn’t desire…
Nick, he’s goingto Hilton Head, just a little NORTH of Florida….
Yeah – have played some golf there. But trust me, it’s the east coast’s religious version of Orange Country, populated with the type of people who have ties to the Florida-based religious extremists. I expect John has already made contact with of those fine folk.
Ive been there several times, but as a dock whore, drooling over boats. You wont catch me on a golf course, one, it screws up a perfectly good walk, and two, I’m not much into public humiliation.
Thems is good folk out there, as long as they dont like the homos… we be cool!
And, see: I have this thing about throwing my money into a hole in the water….
; ‘ )
Nick, he’s going to Hilton Head, just a little North of Florida…
Oh Billy boy the bands the bands are calling. From glen to glen and down the ol trackside.Kanrocksas gone and your big dreams are dying. Tis you must go and we must abide.
But come back and lose a few more millions. When the streets are slushed and grounds are full of snow. We’ll be here to do our own commenting. Oh Billy boy you know we love you so.
Homage to Billy boy for showing us all the brutality of capitalism in action. Also, wealth, however acquired, does not make you smart.
All due respect, his heart may be in the right place but clearly his head was up his ass.
“That said, promoter Bill Brandmeyer‘s heart was clearly in the right place and it’s a sad day for Kansas City to lose what he invested millions into gamely trying to create for the betterment of mankind.”
Hear, hear, ’bout time this wonderful piece of human being is finally being acknowledged as the wonderful martyr he is. Should we be calling him J.C. Brandmeyer according to your scripture? Lead us to the promised rock land?
You’re such a big softy
Some would say a much too large heart that bleeds for my fellow man.
Buuuut… I call a turd a turd when I see it too. And this folley was a giant, speedway-sized floater the way they planned it (or didn’t).
Why are you driving for 18 + hours?
Jack can’t do ya a solid?
Some people just have a love for their Fiats chuck that some of us just can’t understand.
🙂
I assume he’s driving a moving truck after being hired to move the new Star Lifestyle editor to town
Family vaca and scenic route. It was late, make that 16 hours
“And cut the crap about the headliners being bar bands.”
There were no headlining bands. Fun is a one or two hit wonder. Yeah Yeah Yeahs can headline on the East Coast, but they wouldn’t be able to sell out Starlight. Who the hell else would be considered a headliner? Some DJ that is big in Europe?
And who cares about this guy’s heart? Read through their facebook page. Examples…
“Will you be refunding my airfare from California too?”
“Any plans to compensate the people that have made plans around this event, in example choosing not to go to other concerts because of Kanrocksas? Choosing to cancel an event of this size one month from the start is incredibly unfair to all the people that had already bought tickets and planned around it. If your ticket sales aren’t high enough, lower the price, and advertise more. Don’t take it out on your fans and dedicated customers.”
“This is a perfect example of how corporate interests attempt to throw a festival. They first take our money without telling us who is on the bill. Then they drop a turd of a lineup that is nowhere even close to the quality of the previous Kanrocksas.
In the meantime, the fans that bought tickets, take time off work, find childcare, move social events around, pay for travel arrangements, all to attend this event. Then at the last moment, the promoters accountants realizes that “due to insufficient ticket sales” IE. We are not making enough money, lets cancel the event. Guess who is left holding the flaming bag of poo?! The Fans.”
No offense but if you bought tix without knowing the lineup, caveat emptor.
Please make your way to the great egress.
Indeed.
We must be talking about Royals season tickets now, right?
Hell yeah, we operate on multiple levels simultaneously up in this joint.
It’s a rough ride for all concerned, no doubt.
All I’m saying is he was sincere and meant well. And it’s bullshit to say MGMT, DJ Tiesto, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many of the other acts were merely bar bands.
I never said that. I said they weren’t headliner bands for a 50,000+ people festival.
Sounds like the scarecrow is cranky. Doesn’t want people to state the truth that fun and mgmt are Riot Room bands or at best, a combo bill at the KC Crossroads.
Keep lifting, Cheech.
Before Kanrocksas snared Fun. they were slated to headline the Crossroads. Ditto for MGMT.
So I have to spell it out for you? OK, separately, not a twin bill
If you want to know why people are sick of “Fun”, hum Cecilia next time when you listen to “Some Nights”.
Or any other song they have, they are worse than the Strokes at making 20 different versions of the same song.
why can’t you just admit that you were on the promotional payroll for kansrockssas?
Here’s why…
Look back over my body of work on Kanrocksas and tell me who was more explicit and critical?
I thought so.
Well, I guess.
On the tony Craig part.
My payroll for Kanrocksas was infinitesimally small
Hearne, is it because that John liked Tony more than you?
Well, just think Tony has Glazer now, so you win.
There are two things you should never do at the Kansas Speedway; see a NASCAR event and go to a CONCERT.
(Im sorry, Super Dave, I just couldn’t help myself)
You Rat
I SAID I was sorry!!
Guess need to build a race car again and show you how to have fun.
Leawood John Landsberg’s insane posts at KCForum.net are legendary. Talk about a crazy old man…
Hot Carl knows…
The funny thing is how many Star guys and other reporters fell into Landsberg’s lap, simply because he stroked them. The funny thing being, were they to have done even a modicum of checking around, they wouldn’t have touched Bottom Line with a 10 foot pole’
They didn’t.
Including some otherwise discerning former KCC writers.
Which indicates two things; media types too are whores and yearn for recognition. Two, Star FYI editors blew it when they axed Barry Garron and then let Brian McTavish and Aaron Barnhart mail in the local media coverage when they were assigned the media beat.
People are interested in the the comings,goings and carrying ons of radio and television personalities – and to a lesser extent, newspaper columnists and reporters.
Enough so to ignore the blatant misinformation, biased “reporting” and questionable journalistic practices on Bottom Line.
For the local media types who weighed in on Landsberg’s going away piece, it was an inadvertent confessional of their Narcissus complexes. Had Landsberg done anything other than blow them, trust me, they would not have been sending farewell flowers.
Look, it’s one thing to rise above the low bar Tony sets forth for journalistic ethics, quite another to pretend actual, legit news is being reported.
Will another vanity media site rise up to replace Bottom Line?
Maybe.
But don’t hold your breath that it will happen anytime soon.
And as I said before, all of that criticism aside, it’s still a loss for Kansas City…however few people actually visited the site.