Yearly Archives: 2011
Today: Game On, KC Confidential Christmas Bash 5:30 pm Today @ at Jardines
The incredible lightness of survival….
Against all odds – or so it might seem – the annual KC Confidential Christmas Wilding will indeed go down at 5:30 p.m. tonight at Jardine’s. The troops will be out in force. Me, Glazer, Jack, Katie, Matt Donnelly, Mark Edelman, Tony the Tiger, Fitz, Mermaid, Tracy, Roger the Plumber, Nigro, members the comments hit squad and many more.
Think of it as a party out-of-bounds.
Flak jackets option.
Donnelly: LIVESTRONG to Host 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tourney, Turf Won’t Be an Issue Ever Again
Sporting Kansas City’s St. Patty’s Day home opener is a mere 90-ish days away, folks...
Recently, SKC announced several other events that will be coming to LIVESTRONG in 2012. Most notably is the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will be in KC for the semifinals on March 31st, and the final on April 2nd.
Not a bad little grab for KC.
Glazer: Scribe Goes Undefeated in NFL Picks, Mourns This Year & Next Year’s Chiefs
First off, what a comeback by your humble scribe…
Perfect after Tim Tebow‘s comeback. Five for five so far in pros. What a year. Maybe more important with the Chiefs crushing loss to the Jets, your man is one game short of the Magic Number, 9 losses by KC to end the bet I made in September.
If you recall I flew to Las Vegas and put my money where my mouth is. I bet the Chiefs to have under 7 1/2 wins for the season. With 16 games, that means they have to lose at least 9. They are at 8 with three to go and Green Bay next week.
Bye, Bye, Stink Farm.
Starbeams: Albert Rocks St. Louis, Weiss Waddles into KU
The City of St. Louis is still in shock after slugger Albert Pujols has signed a $254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Albert is from Kansas City, so eventually that money will wind up in southern Johnson County. The Royals tried to sign him…but they couldn’t work out a deal where Albert would agree to be paid by the hour.
Leftridge: TV Talk: RFD for You and Me
What you choose to watch on a daily basis says a lot about your character. If you’re watching MTV in this day and age, you’re probably into debacles of human embarrassment, and you probably like to masturbate watching young, pregnant teenage girls scream at their ill-gotten infants.. If you’re into ESPN, you’re probably pretty boring, but you’re at least the kinda guy that can handle his own around the coffee machine (nobody has a water-cooler anymore, whatever the fuck that is). And if you’re into VH1, you probably like watching older quasi-celebrities make asses of themselves AND the early morning top-40 countdown ensures that your teenage daughter might raise an eyebrow over a plate of bacon when you offer an admittedly lousy critique of Gaga’s newest offering.
Keep trying, dad!
If you’re like me, however, you just realized that Time Warner Cable, that heathen of all metropolitan public cable monopolies, is now offering RFD, without demand, and as often or as little as you’d like it. If you’re like me—and God help you if you are—you fall on the “as often as you’d like" side of the fence.
For those left outside of the barb-wired, hay-strewn circle, allow me to explain what RFD is.
Tales From the Tweet: KU Livin’ Large, Albert Getting Fatter & Milwaukee’s New Kick to the Nuts
So unless you’ve been living trapped beneath Charlie Weis’ fleshy, ample backside, surviving on small pockets of trapped air and renegade Cheetos that were feared lost forever, you already know the big news of the past week: there’s a new head footballl coach at Kansas University.
And if you’re like me, you spent yesterday glued to your Twitter feed, as 10 different local sports talk personalities Tweeted the same lines from his lengthy press conference. Alright, so that’s only a half-truth. I went back afterwards and read them all, however, and managed to learn the same things over and over again.
@nate_bukaty (810)
“Charlie Weis enters the room.”
I’m on the edge of my seat… my ever-so-slightly quaking seat.
@bobfescoe (610)
“Weis has entered. Using a cane. Bad hip and knee #kufball”
Apparently, the “Rascal-Mobility-Scooter ramp request” was not met. Strike one, Dr. Zenger. He’s going to hold this against you when he rolls out of town in another year and a half.
Glazer: Hats Off to KC Comic Mike Baldwin for Huge Comedy Competition Win
I was pleased to see my friend, Mike Baldwin‘s picture on the front page of the Kansas City Star today…
It was a preview to a front page FYI story about Baldwin winning the Seattle International Comedy Competition. One of the three biggest in America. Baldwin had also done well in the San Francisco contest. Besides winning five grand and some commercial dough, Baldwin is now an official big-time headliner. The story quotes Mike as having started with Stanford and Sons. Later it quotes me on a few issues as well.
Always cool to see your guys do well.
Hearne: And Now, The Rest Of The Jardine’s Story…
It’s hard to be fair and balanced when you’ve only heard one side of the story…
Impossible, in fact. That said, there’s been no shortage of piling on in the soap opera surrounding vaunted Plaza jazz club Jardine’s going dark this past week. Especially with employees flooding the blogosphere with tales of being fired, wronged and any number of other sensational crimes against humanity.
And to a certain extent, that’s only fair.
People have every right to air their grievances, and readers and television viewers have every right to draw whatever their conclusions may be having heard those complaints. Unfortunately, in the absence of Jardine’s side of the story, clearly there’s been a rush to judgement based on but a single side side having its story told.
"There’s always more to a story than there appears to be," says Westport businessman Bill Nigro. "And nobody’s heard Beena’s side of it yet – there’s always two sides to every story. I just wish everybody luck on getting back in control of their future – everybody – both sides."
And so now, the rest of the story…
Glazer: Scribe Licks His Wounds & Bounces Back With NFL Picks
Had my first losing week last week…
I was under .500 first time this year on a week so I need to bounce back. There is no college ball this week, then there are line nine million bowl games. Joy.
The NFL is winding down. Will the Chiefs win another game and drop their draft pick further down? Uh, maybe one more, against Oakland, but I doubt it. Let’s see just how good the Chiefs defense really is this week. I say the Jets are a lock to beat KC, but might not cover. This is a real team that is not wounded and on the road.
A loss gets your humble scribe’s magic number to ONE!!!!!
YES SIr….NOW HERE IS THE PRO WEEKEND!
Matt & Katie: Matt & Kim @ The Buzz Christmas Show at The Midland 12/7/11
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Having just two people in their band has served Matt & Kim pretty well thus far…
There are lots of benefits if you think about it.
First off, you only have to split the gig check with one other person. Second, less is more. So the band’s stripped down dance punk doesn’t have to try and be complex or anything.
Which kinda takes the pressure off.
In fact, this band seems to eschew any delusions of grandeur. They’re simply two people, one named Matt and one named Kim. I know what you’re thinking, maybe their real names aren’t actually Matt and Kim. So their choice of moniker is actually an ironic hipster trick, ala Ben Folds Five (they only had three members, hahahahaha).
Matt & Katie: The Night The Buzz Stole Christmas & 311 at Midland by AMC 12/6/11
Night two of 96.5 the Buzz’s XXX-Mas bash at the Midland featured headliner 311…
When confronted with 311, most people fall into one of two groups; the people who absolutely love the band, love their evolution from alternative to rap-rock, to funk, to pop rock and own at least two 311 T-shirts, one of which is dark blue with the band’s logo in silver on the chest.
Then there’s the other group…
The people who kind of like some of 311’s more melodic songs, like a lot of the stuff off of Transistor, but feel like they will have to kill again if subjected to 311’s biggest commercial hit, 1995’s “Down.”
Glazer: 610 Sports Nick Wright Call New KU Football Coach a “Big Prick”
He said he had to move to Florida for family reasons…
Last season Charlie Weiss quit the Kansas City Chiefs because his daughter had special needs and his son was going to play college ball at Florida (wanting to be a coach-like dad), so he moved to take over the offensive coordinators job at Florida. They stunk.
Now Weis is being rewarded by being named head coach at KU.
Once again, I love Nick Wright. He may not love me – that’s OK – his show has a national ring to it that 810 and tired-sounding Soren Petro doesn’t have. And Nick crushed it yesterday.
Sounds Good: The Noise FM, Cowboy Indian Bear, and Hawley @ Bottleneck
So I got invited to a porch warming party that’s going down this weekend. 
Not a house warming mind you, a porch warming.
And I think it might be a little chilly, but no matter, I’m going to rock it. I’m going to rock it in preparation for the wilding that is the KCC Christmas Party at Jardine’s on Monday.
What in the hell is a wilding you ask? Well… I don’t really know, but it will feature Glazer, Hearne, some controversy, some (a lot of) booze, and a live band. And me and Leftridge drinking quietly in a corner.
And despite all the venom and speculation that’s been circulating around here lately, trust me, it’ll be a good time that all of you should come out and experience. Don’t believe the hype, people.
So for this weekend, I’m putting all my stock into one show that’s happening in Lawrence Saturday night. It’s a Toys for Tots benefit. It’ll feature some truly kick ass performances from a couple local bands and a couple of former local bands that now take up shop in the Windy City and are likely about to bust through to the national scene.
If you’re a hipster (and I know that most of you reading this are) it’ll be a must see.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s some good local and smaller acts playing around this weekend, but if you have to focus your energies somewhere, focus them in Lawrence at the Bottleneck this Saturday, and bring your ugly holiday best…
Star Search: Bogus Lindsay Lohan Playboy Cover Tops Most Read Hit Parade on KC Star
For nearly THE ENTIRE DAY a mere link to a story about child-star-turned-trainwreck Lindsay Lohan topped the "most read" news stories on the Kansas City Star‘s Web site…
I kid you not.
Let’s do the math monkey; the newspaper fields a 700-person staff, boasts a reach of more than one million local readers a week and has a virtual monopoly on what passes for news in KC. Yet the best it can do tease with a weak link to a purloined People Magazine story reporting Lohan’s upcoming Playboy cover has been "leaked."
Unfortunately for Star readers who "bit" on the tease, the link turned out to be entirely bogus.
Jack Goes Confidential: Star-Studded Vignettes Can’t Rescue ‘NEW YEAR’S EVE’
The formula is a simple one…
A.- Pick a major holiday—hopefully one that lends itself to ‘light’ love stories.
B.- Write a series of basically everyday Lifetime-like boy-girl episodes that can be tied together at the end.
C.- Hire a name cast with mucho chick appeal for a fast shoot.
D.- Release the finished film right around the time of its namesake holiday.
That’s what director Garry Marshall did not so long ago with VALENTINE’S DAY. And guess what? IT WORKED!
Matter of fact, it worked so well in terms of ticket sales he and his filmmaking team immediately sought out their next target: New Year’s Eve. Surely there’d be plenty of back stories to fill an overlong, 2 hour follow-up flick!
Glazer: The Sad Reality of Employee Theft in the Nightclub Game & Jardine’s
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First off, I know Jardine’s owner Beena through Hearne…
I met her about 10 years back at his home for a Super Bowl Party. It was a Who’s Who of KC. Even the Mayor and Star publisher Art Brisbane were there. Beena was married at the time. But it wasn’t long before she remarried and moved back to India. Hard to run a tight ship when the owner is gone that much.
Beena was kind and generous to me and my friends and family. I didn’t go to her club often, but when I did she was all over the table, Jardine’s guests and seemed to be a very hard worker. Beena loved her Jardine’s. When Hearne got divorced, he dated Beena for a while. So we saw each other fairly often then.
All I can tell you is this, bars, restaurants and nightclubs are a tough ticket – most don’t stay open more than a year or two.
One of the main reasons is people tire of a new place quickly. Another big problem is employee theft.
Hearne: Jardine’s Owner Goes Public, Says Everyone Will Be Paid
I doubt Kansas City Jazz has seen this kinda media feeding frenzy since Prohibition bought the farm…
At this point you all probably know what I’m talking about; the sudden and unexpected housecleaning at Jardine’s jazz club just off the Plaza. Suspicious of improprieties, owner Beena Raja changed the locks two weeks ago, then let the entire staff go after Karrin Allyson‘s shows early last week. The club’s been dark since.
And to date, for the most part, mum’s been the word.
Which of course didn’t stop local television news channels from lining up nameless ex-staffers to air their beefs.
Hearne: Overland Park Mom, Others Uncomfortable With How Don Harman Treated
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"They won’t have Don Harman to kick around anymore."
That’s how a Facebook message to me began from Overland Park mom and former school teacher Dena LeeAnne Campbell. They being some of Harman’s on-air co-hosts at Channel 4. Having watched Fox 4’s early morning show for years, "Something about him resonated with me," Campbell says of Harman.
And something about the interplay between Harman and some of the other anchors didn’t seem quite right to her.
"I just remember sometimes turning the TV off because it was so uncomfortable," Campbell says. "Particularly Mark Alford, but sometimes they would go too far with needling him. They’d make fun of what he was wearing, what he said. They used to needle him about his car. I don’t think it was malicious, but when they got on a roll teasing and needling him, it just didn’t stop. Isn’t that bullying?
Today: The Truth & Nothing But the Truth About The Don Harman Reporting
Let’s take it from the top, good, bad and ugly…
As reported first last week on KC Confidential, deceased Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman suffered from depression. And he took his own life.
But like many sudden, dramatic news events, Harman’s death was shrouded in secrecy and rumors abounded as to why and how he killed himself. Was there a note? Concerned, interested viewers and fans wanted to know more.
In the good, old days at the Kansas City Star, the newspaper could sit on breaking news stories too complex for television news to scoop them on. Pretty much anything besides murder, fires and petty consumer fraud.
And that’s exactly what the Star‘s Aaron Barnhart did in Harman’s case. Barnhart didn’t slide across home plate with a War & Peace version of what had happened until nearly 10 p.m. after the stadium had emptied.
Glazer: Uh, Make That Professor Scribe if You Don’t Mind, Son
It was an honor yesterday to be asked to speak to a history class at California State University, Fresno…
Professor Rice contacted me last week and set up the event. It would have been nice to be there in person, but with such short notice and the long distance a speaker phone speech was the best I could manage. It worked out fine.
The professor explained that each semester his class is given a book to read and review. When they are finished he tries to get the author to speak to the class. In this case the book was THE KING OF STING and I was the author. Professor Rice explained that several well known authors had spoken to his classes over the years including Walter Cronkite.
So yes I was honored to follow Cronkite.
