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Donnelly: My Conversation With Fitz and the Tantrums’ Noelle Scaggs & Win Tickets to Their July 5th Show at Crossroads
If you don’t know who Noelle Scaggs is by her name alone, I guarantee you know her music.
Scaggs is the sexy co-lead singer of LA based indie soul outift Fitz and the Tantrums. You’ve no doubt heard their ridiculously infectious hit single, MoneyGrabber, that’s been all over radio and TV for the last year. Now the band’s finishing up its latest album with all-star studio man Tony Hoffer, who recently produced M83‘s blockbuster album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.
Cross Midnight City with MoneyGrabber and you may have the catchiest damn song ever.
I had the chance to catch up with Noelle to talk about her band’s July 5th gig at Crossroads, about why retro ain’t all that fly, and about what gets her dripping with sweat.
I was also lucky enough to score several sets of tickets for Fitz’ show to give away to loyal KCC readers.
Today: Roger the Plumber, Others Hanging onto What’s Left of Nextel for Dear Life
Keep it local…
That’s Roger the Plumber’s philosophy on buying local whenever he possible. Starting with the fading fast, push-to-talk Nextel phones he got from Kansas City-based Sprint.
That said, Sprint’s announcement that Nextel’s walkie-talkie like phone system will go away next year isn’t exactly helping Roger to keep the faith.
“They’re on the countdown, they’re starting to limit the service," he says. "Until now it’s always been impeccable.”
Making the transition to no Nextel very difficult.
“On May the 30th they eliminated five Nextel towers within five miles of my office in Overland Park,” Roger says. “So now I have to get up from my desk and walk over to my window to talk on the phone.”
Glazer: Scribe Conjures Batman in Weighing Prospects for College Football Playoffs
This reminds me of "Batman Begins"…
In 2014 a four team College Football Championship Series begins. As many of you know, the College Bowl groups and many college presidents and conference commissioners didn’t want this to happen. It makes college football much more like pro football. The Super Bowl, college style.
Hey, I like it.
A committee will decide on the four teams, based on the usual criteria – who they played, their records and pretty much the way it’s done now, save the BCS scoring system. The playing sites will be picked based on neutral locations, attendance and which cities want to pay to play.
Whinery: Obama’s Truth Squad Whack-A-Moles Website
In one of the more chilling incidents perpetrated by our “Dear Leader,” an obscure website- homelandsecurityus.com – was given 48 to relocate from GoDaddy.com, the popular web hosting site.
Why?
The website’s owner, Douglas Hagmann, the CEO of Hagmann Investigative Services whose clients include Fortune 500 companies, was flabbergasted when given the news. An investigator with the “GoDaddy Abuse Division" told him that his site contained “morally objectionable” material and had to go. Which is a pretty laughable when you think of all the filthy pornography that pervades the Internet.
Mr. Hagmann used his investigative prowess to find out what was really going on, and what he found out was stunning.
Leftridge: TV Time: Louie, Louie, Louie, Louieeee (C.K.)
Who’s the best comedian working today?
If you said Katt Williams, you probably own at least one pair of purple shoes, consider hushpuppies a vegetable and pronounce cognac with a hard “g”.
If you said Dane Cook, you’re an idiot.
If you said Steven Wright, you’re incorrect, but I like the cut of your jib. (Also: what’s a jib?)
If you said “_____” (fill in the blank with whoever will be at Stanford’s over the next few weeks), then you’re Craig Glazer.
The correct answer is Louis C.K., born Louis Szekely, native of Mexico, prolific joke-writer and all-around King of Comedy.
Sounds Good: Buddy Guy & Jonny Lang@Uptown, Truckstop Honeymoon@Replay, Reverend Horton Heat@Crossroads
This weekend is the calm before the storm…
The storm being next week, a holiday week that has killer shows virtually every night.
By virtue of the 4th being on Wednesday, seems like everyone’s treating the entire week as a holiday, in particular the Crossroads. They have a bunch of shows including Yonder Mountain String Band, Fitz and the Tantrums, Dark Star Orchestra, and Death Cab for Cutie.
That’s not to say there are no quality shows to check out before then.
For example….
Hearne: Alamo Announces Ticket Prices, Babies & Booze Policies
Reach for the sky…
If you think movie ticket prices have gone through the roof in recent years, get ready for more of the same. Because Alamo Drafthouse – operator-to-be of the now former AMC Mainstreet – has announced pricing plans for the ritzy downtown cinema.
Alamo will charge $15 a ticket at its three dine-in theaters after 6 p.m. on weekends and $12 before 6 p.m.
While that’s a 25 percent premium to what AMC charges at its Fork & Screens theaters, it matches AMC’s ticket prices at its adults-only, 21 and up Cinema Suites.
For Alamo’s yet-to-be converted to full food and bar service auditoriums, it will charge $12 for adult tickets on weekends after 6 p.m. and $9 before.
Weekday prices for the dine-ins are $12 after six and $9 before with self-serve theaters at $10 and $7.
The Alamo will continue AMC’s policy of 21 and up only the upscale auditoriums upstairs. Presumeably to ensure higher food and liquor grosses from cocktail-buying adults.
Hearne: Alamo Drafthouse Plans ‘Soft Opening’ for Mainstreet @ 7 PM Wednesday
Shhhhhhhhh…keep this under your hat, but here’s some news you can maybe use…
The Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet is planning a "soft opening" tomorrow at 7 p.m. That according to the Alamo staffers from Austin I chatted with outside the downtown theater last night.
Doors open at 6 p.m., so if you want to be among the first to remember the Alamo here in KC, be there or be square.
The reopening comes one week to the day after AMC‘s final curtain call at its Kansas City, Missouri state-of-the-art, flagship movieplex.
What to expect?
Starbeams: Turtle Sex, Snakes on a Plain, Fat Cops in Mission & Getting ‘Faced’
Scientists found a fossil of two turtles having sex that’s 47 million years old. Completely related, I once made out in a Shell station.
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Residents of Crimson Ridge development in western Shawnee were shocked to learn the park that backs up to their property will become home to imported snakes as part of a conservation area. The good news; people jogging through the park will easily surpass their target pulse rate.
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The nation of Pakistan is cracking down on obese policemen. Or as we call them here in Mission, policemen.
New Jack City: Apple Store – Love It Or (Eventually) Leave It
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"ARMY OF FANS FINDS WORKING IN APPLE STORES A LETDOWN" Sunday’s New York Times front page shouted.
Quite an intro to a 2-1/2 page cover story.
The crux of the paper’s findings:
About 30,000 of Apple’s 43,000 employees work in the company’s 327 glitzy global stores that gross more money per square foot than any other U.S. retailer.
Many of its associates are huge fans of the company’s superior products. Like Jordan Golson of the Salem, NH store who sold about $750,000 worth of computers and related accessories during a three month stretch last year.
You’d think Golson was rolling in commissions, right?
Wrong!
He was taking down a measly $11.25 an hour or about 25 grand a year.
Hearne: Rise & Fall of Daily Deals, Groupon, KC Star ‘Dealsaver’ & Muncharoo Bails
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Not since Ponzi Schemes became epidemic in the early ’80s has a business fad risen and fallen so dramatically…
First allow me to say on behalf of Comments Section naysayers, "They told me so."
However when the force to be reckoned with known as Groupon took Kansas City and the nation by storm barely three years back, it was almost magical. As I recall, Groupon had maybe 50,000 people on its email list early on, then grew rapidly to 100,000, then 350,000. And last time I checked, Groupon was thought to have upwards of three-quarters of a million Kansas City subscibers.
In a city of two million, a fourth of whom supposedly do not have broadband, that’s a bunch.
There followed by an onslaught of Groupon wannabes ranging from Lucky Monkey to Muncharoo to the Kansas City Star‘s Dealsaver.
Speaking of Muncharoo – a locally-based Web wheeler dealer with possibly the worst name in the biz – a two week old rumor that it had been bought out by Florida-based CrowdSavings was confirmed last week. The deal reportedly put somewhere around $500,000 in the pocket of founder Eric Vianello who did not return a call on the matter.
Glazer: The Incredible Lightness of Eric Hosmer and The Kansas City Royals
This was to be Our Year, Our Time…
You know, with the Royals. Well, so far it’s somebody else’s year, not ours. The Royals as of today are still stuck at the bottom of their division. The team has the third worst record in the league. Everyone got a bit excited because we won a few games the last couple weeks, but then reality hit this weekend when the St. Louis Cards swept our butts in three games.
So it’s back to the "we suck" attitude for most fans.
The main reason the Royals have been so bad? No hitting. As of last week, the Royals had the fewest home runs in the American League. And to this point we have no real All-Star with the game here a couple weeks from now.
Maybe it’s time to send faded star Eric Hosmer down to Triple A for a tune up.
Donnelly: Sporting KC Shocked in Philly, Concede Goal in First Minute
"It’s embarrassing, coming in here obviously the effort wasn’t good enough. 4-0 is a slap in the face and we
obviously can’t dwell on it and move on tomorrow.”
That was Sporting fullback Chance Myers after KC got bullied into a 4-0 loss at Philly.
It started almost immediately after the referee blew the whistle.
The Union’s Lionard Pajoy beat the KC defense to a ball heading over the end line just as his onrushing teammate, Jack McInerney rushed in to finish the point blank roofer.
Today: Win Free Tickets to See the Scissor Sisters Monday @ Crossroads KC!!!
The heat is on, but…
By the time the Scissor Sisters take the stage Monday it will all seem like a bad dream. Nobody died for lack of air conditioning, nobody’s car overheated, nobody passed out at the pre Fourth of July family kegger and Craig went an entire day without a "typo."
Nonetheless, KC Confidential to the rescue with five pair of free tickets for the Scissor Sisters show, a mix of glam rock, pop with electroclash and nu disco – that’s right, nu-disco.
Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one. The Scissor Sisters all but burned down the Uptown a few years back and the band’s new CD "Magic Hour" is going strong and "dedicated to get you out and keep you out on the dance floor all night long."
And where better for that to go down than at The Crossroads?
Here’s the deal…
New Jack City: ‘BRAVE’-You Can’t Keep A Good Pixar Adventure Down
The movie industry kept a close watch on Pixar this weekend…
Would the animation studio continue its flawless streak or would its 13th production be the first to not only fail to open in first place at the boxoffice but bomb altogether?
Well, the results are in and Pixar’s winning streak remains unbroken!
BRAVE’s estimated opening weekend domestic ticket sales were $66.7 million and its audience’s CinemaScore an "A" rating. The demos were 57% female and 43% male.
Hearne: Alamo Drafthouse Splashes Down @ AMC Mainstreet
With very little fanfare, Alamo Drafthouse got the keys to AMC’s Mainstreet movie kingdom Thursday…
And to those who may have been anticipating a seamless transition, think again. Rather than rocking it right out of the gate, the Alamo opted to quietly shut things down for a spell. No press releases, no ads in the newspaper, just a brief statement on its new Facebook page:
"Phase one is complete. Old logos are down and the keys are in our hands! We’ll be closed for a few days, but not long at all."
Add to that a blog entry from an Alamoan grousing about the 12 hour drive to KC from Austin for a first-ever visit and plan for staffers to reside here two to three months while taking on the "crazy and daunting task" of converting the Mainstreet and implementing a new food and drink menu.
Glazer: St Louis Sparks Nightlife Wilding that Engulfs Westport, Legends, P&L
Maybe it was the fact the Kansas City Royals played host to the St. Louis Cards…
That likely brought 15,000 out of town folks in for the weekend and that’s a lot of bodies. Maybe it was the cooler weather Friday and Saturday and people were tired of not getting out on the town.
Whatever it was, man this town rocked these past two nights.
Glazer: Scribe Says Living Hell Awaits Sandusky in Prison
Say it ain’t so, Jerry….
Well you did it. How’s it working out for you now, Sandusky?
Guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse over a 15 year period. What does that mean? Life in prison and trust me, Sandusky will get the max. Look, at age 68 anything over 15 years is basically LIFE. Thats a given.
So he’s a monster, no doubt.
Now the worst is yet to come for Jerry Sandusky. Seeing him come out of the courthouse in cuffs, with that nice, light brown jacket and tie on, his family weeping, the look on his face – yeah, I can see where there’s a twinge of feel sorry for him in some people.
Is it wrong to feel that way about a man who ruined so many young people’s lives? Not really.
The man is clearly INSANE. He really thought he didn’t do anything wrong. All those young men were lying somehow. His own adopted son was going to testify that Jerry molested him.
According to Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, "Jerry was prepared for this."
WTF? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? WHY DIDN’T HE RUN OR TAKE HIS OWN LIFE!
Star Search: R.I.P. Robert W. Butler, Long Live New Star Movie King Jon Niccum
It’s easy to be critical of the Kansas City Star…
Look how often I partake of the sport. And not because, like hundreds of others, I was laid off in the ongoing financial bloodbath newspapers are enduring in an era where mostly just oldsters continue to read print publications.
Nope, I have a long track record of criticizing the Star, dating from my years spent building and running the Pitch and including years at the paper. It wasn’t always an easy feat, but on dozens if not hundreds – of occasions I followed up on under or misreported Star stories with columns attempting to set the record staright or tell the story behind the story.
I’ve also passed along some attaboys to the newspaper and this is one of those times.
So allow me to say that a year after Robert W. Butler was laid off, his freelance replacement Jon Niccum is kicking butt and doing a splendid job of reviewing movies for the entertainment section.
The former Pitch and Lawrence Journal World editor has raised the Star’s movie reviewing bar to new heights.
Glazer: Lebron & NBA Kings of the World
The man so many love to hate has his ring…
Lebron James has been crowned KING of the NBA. The Miami Heat crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 games to 1. It’s over. Your favorite guy, Lebron, is MVP and he’s one of just five to have a triple double in a final NBA title game. It goes on and on, he’s the best basketball player on the planet.
Like many of you I was pulling for OKC.
Kevin Durant was a Big 12 guy and I thought he might be the better man. James put an end to that thought. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh proved they are the best. And they vowed to win more championships for them and Miami.
