The ducks are lined up, but nobody’s home…
Just last week Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi appeared poised to take a brief victory lap and step back into the limelight as the saviors of the jazz club known as Jardine’s.
The club has been closed since late last year after a staff and musician revolt against owner Beena Raja.
Then on New Year’s Eve eve the two dudes announced in the pages of the Pitch and on Fox 4 News they’d bought the club from Raja and were the proud new owners.
Just one problem; contrary to that reporting, McCain and Fulgenzi had not purchased Jardine’s.
Ever since though, they’ve been negotiating with Raja, Jardine’s founder Greg Halstead and landlord American Century to make their dream of reopening Jardine’s a reality. The latest being that they’d been approved to take over the lease once they’d settled with Raja and Halstead.
However at this stage of the game, it appears that all bets are now off!
"I don’t know what’s happening," says prospective club manager Pat Hanrahan. "Beena’s ready to sign the deal. The buyers said they wanted some revisions. Beena agreed…"
Then nothing.
Meanwhile, Raja defaulted Monday on the monthly payment owed Halstead re the purchase of the club several years back. McCain and Fulgenzi had made the January payment but opted not to make the February payment.
And both Halstead and Raja don’t understand why the buyers haven’t gone to Raja’s lawyer’s to complete the paperwork necessary to buy the club.
The latest: Halstead says American Century took possession of the club today, March 1st.
As for McCain and Fulgenzi, "What they’re doing is gently fluttering down to another planet," Halstead cracks. "They don’t return calls. They were supposed to close today but they haven’t. American Century has taken it over and changed the locks and it is now the property of American Century."
McCain did not return a call requesting comment or clarification.
And while a deal still might yet be struck, things appear to be getting dicey.
"Robert and Joseph have 20 investors and American Century checked ever fucking investor out," Halstead says, "ran background checks on them . That’s nuts."
In Halstead’s mind, the chances of saving Jardine’s grow slimmer by the day.
"I don’t think it’s fair to the people of Kansas City who love Jardine’s and what came out of that place," he says. "And I’m sad and I’m disappointed and I’m pissed off."
Halstead gives the dudes credit for trying but after more than two months…
"What it sounds like is they don’t have the money," Halstead says. "If it looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk, it must be a skunk."
What Halstead thinks might happen?
"At 5:20 p.m. on March the first, what do I think’s gonna happen?" he says. "I don’t think the deal’s gonna get done. I’m a pessimist and I think we’ve seen the last of Jardine’s. It’s disappointing. I’m hoping these guys can get something done, but I’m looking at the dark side…
"What my lawyer has told me is to close the books and go away, you’ve been (screwed)."
Audi Lang Syne Time
Sounds to me that Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi just might have figured out buying the name Jardine’s was not worth the money it was going to end up costing in the end.
Greg Hallstead
another thought
With all the hassles involved with this, I wonder if McCain and Fulgenzi were able to keep all their investors on board? It is hard to get 20 people to agree on anything and with some of the issues mentioned in previous comments in other articles, I could see how that might have happened.
I’d just like to announce that I’ve bought Jardine’s. On account of Jazz being for rotting old corpses, Jardine’s is now Kansas City’s premier Hardcore Punk live music venue. We are still keeping the lousy dinner that Jardine’s offered. Think The Gold Buffet crossed with CBGB’s, circa 1982. I’ll send Hearne a creepy photoshop pic of me in a suit overtop a Misfits t-shirt so he has something to lede the story with.
The Magical Misery Tour, the Dream is Over
And while the freeway still has stoplights, you can buy metal by the foot on Truman Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCGRDnTySCI&feature=related
tiad says:
The takeaway from this article is that the two “dudes” are not “gay dudes” anymore. Maybe Jr. can dig a little deeper into this.
Tiad, Im pretty sure they’re still gay
I researched this before I posted my opinion. One’s sexuality has never been altered by the acquisition of or failure to acquire a business. Buying a Fiat, yes. Business, no.
don’t be sure Paul
It may change one’s sexual orientation dealing with Beena. She may be why Hearne is driving a Fiat!
@ baloni
Please change the name to Stiv Bators
emik, beena asked that I stop slamming her….
….(which I never had, but in her fog she apparently thought so….), so I can nether confirm or deny your concerns. Chances are, though, you’re correct. I’m pretty sure I’m more gay just having been subjected to having to read all of this and being so close to the fire.
We are still in the hunt to buy Jardines, even though Hearne left me out of this story. A bargain is a bargain if thats how its acquired. If successful, I promise to remain a flaming hetrosexual and not buy a Fiat. But… I do have strange taste in vintage cars……
response to Paul
As I have said on previous posts, I hope you end up with Jardine’s. By the way, what kind of vintage cars do you like?
I read this entire story
and then the comments. When I finished, I realized I was humming “Hello Dolly” under my breath.
HOW BOUT THEM BEARS!!!!!
For simplicity’s sake, I’ll tell you here that…
I got a call from Hanrahan yesterday and he told me the gay dudes called him and Halstead back and said they’re still working on it, trying to get a deal done to buy Jardine’s.
We’ll see.
laying round, on the couch, with my misfits records out….
@ SMARTMAN
“Stiv Bator’s…where we spike your drink and the musicians spike their arms!” All waiters required to wear Misfits and Ramones pins as flair, Olives for martinis are skewered using safety pins, and if you tell the maitre d you are from the PMRC they will give you a complementary beating and leave you out back behind Trio.
Johnson County Uber Alles?
Just re open the joint, no remodel, nuttin,
no working restrooms, no food, call it GG ALINS.
I’m noticing a pattern
Has anyone else noticed that everyone who comes in contact with Beena is crazy, a swindler, or both? The staff, the musicians, the potential buyers, and anyone else who comes in contact with this story. Hearne paints Beena as the sane one and the pillar of ethical business practices while everyone she comes in contact with is loony.
David Hayden
We have met in contact and you are not that loony i must say. Are you????