A funny thing happened on the way to Knuckleheads in Kansas City…
The “Sons of Anarchy” tour that went down last night at the Midland with actress-singer Katey Sagal was supposed to play the East Bottoms club on May 11th.
That’s because Knuckleheads owner Frank Hicks – a motorcycle dude of the first stripe – had parlayed a brainstorm and a few phone calls into what was have been a one off, mega biker blowout with Sagal.
“Nobody had any interest in her at all, but I did,” Hicks says. “So I called her agent and told him we wanted to fly her in for a show and that I’d hire local musicians to back her up.”
One thing lead to another and Sagal’s management agreed to play Knucklehead’s and selected the May 11 date out of the 12 avails Hicks offered.
“But she wanted to bring her band from the show,” Hicks says. “So we agreed and we were going to close off the street and have a big block party where people could park their bikes inside. It was going to be a big deal – a really big deal – and I’m sure we would have had 1,000 people down here.”
As opposed to the 300 or so that attended last night’s event.
To kick things off, Hicks held a contest to win tickets for the show on Knuckleheads’ Facebook page and website.
“We asked people to guess what big star would be playing Knuckleheads on May 11th,” Hicks says. “And we had 30,000 hits on it with all kinds of guesses from all over the country.”
When Hicks put the show on sale earlier this year it sold more than 100 tickets in three days. Tickets that had to be refunded after another promoter got wind of Hicks brainstorm and offered Sagal more money and four other concert dates to spirit it away from Knuckleheads.
“We had comments on Facebook like, ‘What are we supposed to do now, put on an evening gown and go down to the Midland?’ ” Hicks says. “I just think if you’re going to have a biker show, it should be at a biker bar.”
It would appear that the 700 or so other people Hicks was expecting who did not attend last night’s show agree.
Glad (or hope) I gave you a push to cover this. I’m probably the only one who wondered what happened.
Maybe real motorcyclists scared her manager.
Grazie.
It was indeed you that gave me the push.
No, what happened is what Frank told me. It was a one off event that he out of the deepest recesses of his mind dreamed up.
The big shots got wind of it and thought, “Hey, why don’t we cash in?” And Frank got screwed, plain and simple.
Illustrates how little playing straight and fair counts anymore.
And frankly, it’s not like Sagal needed the money.
Oh well.
REAL Outlaw Biker types weren’t going to see her at Knuck’s or the Midland. Like these guys, or gals, genuinely involved in illegal activity were gonna show up so the Fed’s could get good video or surveillance pics.
Remember the stiffy that was Full Throttle Saloon at Berkley Park?
If only Frank could really bring back THE BLOCK PARTY with all of its’ glorious T&A.
He’s gone “legit” and can’t afford to jeopardize his liquor license with REAL Biker fun. At least the memories still linger.
If the Midland would have partnered with BACA or Patriot Guard as a fund raiser they probably would have had a full house.
Motorcyclists are distinctly different from bikers.
Biker ride everyday there isn’t ice or snow on the roads. Their leathers are not new & shiny.
Motorcyclists are good to go as long as it is 70 and clear.
Then there are Harley & Goldwing riders.
Oh, man, Orphan; I owned a Fatboy and Wing at the same time! I’m feeling horribly degraded, except I didnt wear the swag from every HD store you ever rode past!
The Fatboy was for local rides, the Wing for touring; put 28,000 miles on it in 18 months!
Paul, if you must go the comfy route and wish to maintain your biker cred let me suggest the 2013 Triumph Trophy SE. It’s what happens when a Gold Wing and Ducati Monster “hook up”.
Love the Monster and Triumphs in general. Wish I had my old BSA back! My dad collected, get this, Cushmans AND Indians! Interesting combo, huh? Based on that, I grew up riding. First thing I had; my dad took my steel tricycle and mounted a 3hp Briggs and Straton to it with a thumb throttle when I was 2 1/2! Ridden ever since!
Wilson, there are exceptions to all rules. There was a time your Harley T meant something. Dudley Perkins H-D, for example.
And when your motorcycle needs a reverse, well that is defeating the purpose.
Used to help with a big East Coast biker event. All kinds. Our rule was no guns, no colors and no attitudes.
Major complaint was from Pagans/Warlocks/Hells’ Angels about the Christian Motorcycle Association wearing their colors. Never a problem otherwise. Maybe somebody would do the fire-dance around the bonfire.
I’ve ridden ’em all. Though I was partial to race ’em on Sunday, sell ’em on Monday.
Next year is the 100th anniversary of my son’s M/C. It is actually older but that is the year it was incorporated.
Bikers tend to live in the NE. Tough environment so you weed out the posers.
OK Guys, what category do you place the dudes who hang out on the Plaza in front of the coffee shops on weekends in?
Just curious.
I doubt they stayed there but the picture of the trailer parked in the lot was priceless.
You should ask you pal, Lezak. I understand he rides with a group of guys on Sat mornings and they end up there sometimes. But not often.
Sure you don’t get many, if any, outlaw-types. They tend to not play well with others.
Other post below this was supposed to be to Wilson about Full Throttle.
Eclectic mix.
Douchebags on rice burners whose goal in life is to make it from stoplight to stoplight in 1.3 seconds and ride wheelies on I-35 during rush hour
Club riders, guys/gals that ride NICE bikes, BMW’s, Ducati’s, Aprilla’s, Triumph’s KLH’s or other classic “cafe” or retro/vintage street bikes.
1000 mile a year guys that come in from Joco 3 times a year and act like they just completed a global circumnavigation. Will sell or trade their bikes before the first oil change.
The look at me and my Harley assholes.
The look at me and my Victory you sorry ass Harley assholes.
Eh, maybe.
I don’t see Frank rushing over and telling somebody not to flash though. But rules are rules and liquor licenses are liquor licenses.
One thing I noticed about SOA fans is they are usually fat women. Not overweight. Not KC fat. Arkansas fat.
I bet the midland being open for any kind of music would have attracted 300 people.
Perhaps their fans were too busy buying black reaper hoodies in 4xl online to make it to the show?
They would have sold more tix if they had it at knuckleheads and did it the way Hicks proposed.
Amen
I never heard the outcome of the Full Throttle Berkley Park Boondoggle, I was out of town. Anyone show up? I know Craig thought it was going to be hUUUUge!
Paul:
If it had been HUUUUUGE, you would have heard about it from the GMAN and the DMAN. It was more of a barn fart than a barn burner.
Cool that your dad rode. You gotta have a lot of great memories of that trike with the Briggs. Did he make you wear a helmet or leave your survival up to Chuck Darwin?
Helmet? Those weren’t helmet days! It wasn’t a helmet day when an old lady eased out on to 71 highway, going through Carthage, till she decided it was all clear, where she pulled out in front of my dad and he t boned her Rambler. Flew over top of her car and landed near the curb…..with the HAND GRIPS in his hands! That’s what’s referred to as a death grip!
6 weeks on the couch….and he was done with riding. Never got on a bike again until 6 weeks before his death (emphazima). I took my new Wing by to show him…he walked around it, carrying his mini 02 bottle and said, “well…..lets go.”
I asked, “you want to RIDE???” to which he replied, hey….what do I have to lose?
He loved it!
The photo of the Full Throttle trailer sitting in the parking lot of the Capri Motel was priceless.
My friend rode a BSA Rocket III on the factory team. They were hard on tires. The 1971 Daytona 2oo winner’s reartire looked like it had been attacked by a cheese grater.
Wilson, ever catch Retro Moto on PBS’s Motor Week. Lots of beautiful old machines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WyRs17J80s
that hurley gentleman….that writes….like…this….is threatening to sue KcConfidential on TKC.
Thank god you finally banned that guy he seems pretty weird. What you would sue KCC over other than subjecting us to CG’s take on things 🙂
I think he kinda wants to be Glazer. Wow it felt weird typing that out. Probably has never been typed out before.
Nah, he desperately wants to slob Glaysure’s knob, that’s all.
He’s not banned.
All he has to do is submit his comments and chances are I’ll fully approve them.
Full Throttle @ Capri. That’s funny. Katie and the SoA team stayed out at the American Inn in Inependence I’m assuming? The Capri; all the high rollers stay there, huh?