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Hearne: The News Drip Torture That is Jardine’s Rambles On
When it comes to first class messes, it doesn’t get much better than Jardine’s….
The iconic Plaza area jazz club has been down for the count since late last November when things spiraled out of control after owner Beena Raja busted a handful of staffers for drinking on the company dime after hours Thanksgiving Day morning. She then accused others at the club of unethical practices, resulting in a spate of resignations, firings followed by a state of complete confusion and tabloid style local TV news coverage.
Among the misdeeds that ensued, rogue former staffers changed the password on Jardine’s Facebook page and refused Raja access, rendering her unable to get her side of the story out at a critical time early into the revolt and chaos.
Then on New Year’s Eve eve, the Pitch reported that locals Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi had purchased Jardine’s and Raja was o-u-t. That however proved premature as all parties involved have since stated a deal has yet to be struck and the club remains closed to the public.
Sounds Good: William Elliott Whitmore@Granada, Craig Finn@Record Bar, moe.@Liberty Hall
I know it’s a ways off, but if you want to save a little coin now is the time…
The Wakarusa Festival, May 31st – June 3rd in beautiful Ozark, Arkansas, has been selling tickets at a breakneck pace. That’s no real surprise, especially for anyone that’s made the four hour journey down to Mulberry Mountain before.
The venue is spacious, amenities are plentiful, and there’s even a really nice river that you can swim in to cool off (and maybe even bathe your filthy carcass).
The $149 price for Early Bird tickets is only good thru this Sunday and it gets you full access to the festival. Camping passes must be purchased seperately, and they range in price from $29 – $99 depending on where you want to throw your tent or RV down.
And if you do make it down, keep an eye out for me and my KCC crew. I’ll be the guy dressed like Larry Bird.
Here’s the link for Wakarusa’s ticketing: http://wakarusa.com/2012/tickets.asp
On to this week’s picks…
Glazer: My Life of Crime as Butch Cassidy
In 1983 Kansas City Star reporter Paul Wenske flew into LA to interview me…
A few weeks later he would write a front page story with a headline likening me to Butch Cassidy. It would be my all-time favorite newspaper story about my life.
In the years leading up to that I had been in the paper hundreds of times. Many during my 1974/1975 case when I was an agent for Kansas Attorney General Vern Miller. I had begun my public life with a family story in the early 1960’s when my brothers, Jack, Jeff and I appeared on the front page for Christmas riding a horse driven sleigh with my Grandpa Bennie.
Uh, that was a little different.
Hearne: Finally, KC Lands Madonna Show at Sprint Center October 30th
At long last Kansas City is getting Madonna…
To the best of my recollection, KC has never hosted a Madonna show. Back when she truly mattered – the early to mid 1980s through mid 1990s – the Material Girl’s concert tours hit the East Coast, the West Coast and Florida, but never here.
That’s about to change when the Madonna plays Sprint Center the night before Halloween on October 30.
When Madonna broke out in 1983, her early claim to fame was she was dating popular 70s/80s DJ John Jellybean Benitez who mixed her first album.
John Who, you may ask, assuming like most Kansas Citians you were largely resentful of the disco phenomenon that swept most of the country with the exception of gay bars in Midwestern burgs like KC.
Car: Fiat Abarth Wins Super Bowl Ad Sweepstakes, Edmunds Says
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Long time no Fiat column…
Seems like only yesterday, KC Confidential was all over the triumphant return of Fiat to the United States. You may recall that in addition to covering the return of the Italian carmaker to America – as a result of Fiat’s rescue of the now wildly successful Chrysler – I made an impulse buy and signed on to buy one of the first 500 "Prima Edizione" Fiat 500s, sight unseen, price unknown.
Pretty smart, huh?
As the months dragged on, I reported on the tiny car (seven inches shorter than a Mini Cooper) and defended the little bugger against all comers in KCC‘s caustic, few-holds-barred comments section.
Was I totally gay? Didn’t I know Fiat was short for "Fix it again Tony?" Why not do the right thing and buy a Mini?
New Jack City: Do-Gooders Outraged at Super Bowl ‘F You’
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The Parents Television Council – protectors of everything wholesome over the airwaves – was appalled at the indecency and filth experienced during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Specifically rapper M.I.A. flipping off America while performing with Madonna at center stage.
PTC president Tim Winter didn’t mince words when he got the finger during the NBC telecast.
His shock and indignation was clearly spelled out in a just-released statement to the press regarding M.I.A.’s middle finger malfunction.
And it’s worth sharing.
Leftridge: Giants Win Super Bowl, Brandon Remains Unconvinced
And when the dust settled, only one could truly be called a champion.
Or some such bullshit.
But seriously, what a great game, right? If you had no rooting interest, if you hadn’t laid any money on the line, how could you possibly disagree with how awesome this game turned out to be? You can’t, plain and simple.
Oh wait… I can complain (shocking, right?). Again, as an unbiased, financially inculpable party. And why’s that? Because now, in the wake of Eli Manning’s second Super Bowl victory, as his brother sits by, nursing a broken-neck/tingly arm/age problem, the pundits will begin to decry, “Eli is the better Manning! Eli has two—count ‘em TWO rings to be placed in his safe!”
But those people are idiots.
Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl. Is Eli Manning a better quarterback than Dan (Fucking) Marino? Of course not. And is he a better quarterback than his brother? No way.
If we all know one unflappable fact about football, it’s that it’s a team sport. Occasionally, there will be one person who tries to single-handedly do it themselves, but it usually doesn’t work out too well (for a very recent example, see Tom Brady um, like, last night).
So Pats fans, what in the hell happened?
Glazer: Scribe Lays Down Last Minute Super Bowl Bettors Guide
I have been going back and forth on my final pick…
If you’re a fan of Tom Brady, well, it’s just so damn hard to bet against him isn’t it guys? Like I said in my last column, everything points to the New York Giants as the winner today. They have the better team, no question. With the New England‘s tight end super star the RONSTER damaged, there’s even less chance for Brady to find a winning target.
HEY HOW ABOUT OCHO CINCO?
Leftridge: NY Giants Order Pizza, Travel to Indianapolis for Some Reason
The week leading up to the Super Bowl is a long, arduous journey full of peril, ridiculousness and mostly, a lack of real intrigue. It’s “Media Week,” they say, but permit me to make a really bad pun and call it “Media Weak.” I’ll wait for your peals of raucous laughter to subside before continuing…
…all better? Good. Then let’s carry on.
During Media Week, reporters, writers and journalists of varying caliber all descend upon the host city—in this case, rusty old Indianapolis—and attempt to mine gold from what is more often than not, a freshly blown nose. They try to find angles that others haven’t covered—BREAKING NEWS: Tom Brady’s Pee Wee Coach’s Sister-in-law Grew Up Two Miles From Lucas Oil Stadium!—or they mercilessly beat to death stories that everyone else is writing about—Can Eli Step Out of His Brother’s Shadow… in His Brother’s Own City?!—dun-dun-DUN!
Glazer: Scribe Wipes Away a Tear, Bids Adieu to Whitney Houston
One of the greatest singing voices and vocal talents of our time is gone…
Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills Hotel room tonight, by her on again, off again boyfriend, the singer Ray J. Many feel, as do I, that Houston was the all time best female vocalist of our time along with Barbra Streisand.
It’s no secret that Whitney battled hard core cocaine abuse for the last two decades.
Donnelly: Dr. Dog @ The Granada in Lawrence, February 2, 2012
With an album set to be released in a few days, Dr. Dog’s Thursday set at the Granada in Lawrence was sure to feature an excellent preview of their new tunes.
The band took the stage looking goofy and loose, wearing different winter caps and sunglasses.
Co-lead singer Scott McMicken warned the crowd early on, "We’ve got all these new songs, so bear with us."
Indeed, Dr. Dog played a decent chunk of songs off Be The Void, including opener That Old Black Hole, Do The Trick, Lonesome, and Vampire all within the first eight songs.
New Jack City: Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway Lets the Good Times Roll
Enticed by a huge, month-long, multimedia ad campaign, I headed west on I-70 Friday afternoon to see what all the excitement created by Penn National Gaming at the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway was all about.
Surely with all that rain we wouldn’t have any trouble ducking right in for a quick peek into the metro’s newest casino. After all, this was a sleepy Friday afternoon.
Wrong!
Starbeams: Kelly’s TOP 5 PREDICTIONS FOR THE SUPER BOWL
TOP 5 PREDICTIONS FOR THE SUPER BOWL:
#5. Millions of Americans will watch with the volume muted, not realizing Joe Buck is no longer calling the game.
#4. Inspired by Tom Brady‘s old coach, I might ask Gisele Bundchen if she wants me to donate my organ.
#3. A dozen people will get an unexpected look at Katie Couric‘s colon when they accidentally google Super Bowel.
Hearne: The Little Known Fall From Grace of MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’
I watch a lot of politics on television…
Including nearly all of the many Republican Presidential Debates. So it’s not like I’m completely clued out (although some might disagree). I can practically recite every one of Michele Bachmann‘s many gaffes. Hey, I even spelled her name correctly – no small feat – without having to look it up. And I spotted her brother, KCTV weather wonk Gary Amble, looking somber and standing next to her on stage as she announced she was dropping out of the race.
I digress.
In recent months I’ve gradually become a fan of MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" show. It’s headed by a cocky, former Florida congressman I previously knew little to nothing about named Joe Scarborough.
Leftridge: How to Throw a Super Bowl Party Everyone Loves
To some, there’s nothing more important than the game itself. It stands alone in the pantheon of sports importance, a crowning achievement borne from months of blood, sweat and tears. One participant will be crowned victorious, their name forever etched upon the hallowed high cliffs of greatness; the other will be a footnote, their epic campaign all but forgotten, trampled under the sweaty sole of failure.
Will it be Tom Brady and his New England Patriots?
The new dark-lord of the modern football era.
The Yankees in shoulder pads.
Led into battle by two distinct forces: one, a handsome, unparalleled story of triumph, the other, a dour, stone-faced super-genius cloaked in both mystery AND a loose fitting hooded sweatshirt.
Or perhaps it will be Brother Eli, eager to crawl from beneath the giant shadow of his more esteemed sibling. Eager to prove, perhaps, that his legacy should be built around more than a miraculous helmet-catch.
Or maybe, none of this matters. It’s just a fucking football game. What REALLY matters is what kind of party you throw. That’s right: you can make or break the Super Bowl by what kind of shindig you manage to perpetuate. I know, I know… that’s a ton of pressure. But look, Sunny Jim—if you follow my advice, you’ll be fine. So let’s begin.
Donnelly: The Granada Wants You to Come & Play; Win Season Pass for Two
Do you like free stuff? 
If not, stop reading this right now.
OK, here’s the deal, people of the night:
What if I told you that you could take a friend (or enemy, or anyone really, so long as they’re legal) to every upcoming show at The Granada in Lawrence… FOR FREE!!?
What if I told you that you’d be seeing William Elliott Whitmore, Railroad Earth, Stephen Malkmus, Blind Pilot, The Head and the Heart, Rachael Yamagata, M83, and Robert Earl Keen just to name a few. And there’s like 30 more.
Well, first off, if you only recognize, maybe, two of those names, punish yourself right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You need to get with the program because you’ve been missing out on some seriously good music.
Here’s how to get the free stuff, but you only have until Monday to cash in…
Hearne: Frosty Who? KC Faces First Ever Snowman-less Winter, Lezak Says
Fetch the sunglasses and the cocoa butter, it’s Ground Hog Day…
Not just any Ground Hog Day, mind you, this one’s likely to go into the record books in the most benign winter in KC ever.
So says KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak.
"Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so that means he goes back inside and we have six more weeks of winter," Lezak says. "So what we’ve been doing already for six more weeks."
What "we’ve been doing already" is scampering about in sweaters and light jackets and celebrating astonishingly low heating bills. What we’ve not been doing is buying driveway melt, winter coats, snowblowers and so forth.
And while that could change, don’t hold your breath, Lezak says.
Glazer: Against All the Odds, Scribe Goes with Brady & New England in Super Bowl
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Man oh man, this is as tough a call as it gets…
I’m talking about this year’s Super Bowl, with the Patriots fielding all-time best quarterback in Tom Brady and the New York Giants with the better team.That’s right, without argument the Giants are better everywhere, except tight end and maybe at quarterback. The Giants defense is better, its running game is better, its receivers are faster, younger and better.
At quarterback, it’s maybe a tie.
Eli Manning is 31 Brady is 34. Eli is much more mobile. Remember when the Chiefs broke Brady’s leg? It’s never been quite the same since.
Yet the New England Patriots, who lost to New York earlier this year at New England, are a 3 point favorite.
Jack Goes Confidential: Harry Potter Grows Up, Goes Ghost Hunting
Is there life after Harry Potter for Daniel Radcliffe?
You’ll have an opportunity to judge for yourself as Radcliffe ventures beyond the mega franchise for the first time this weekend.
Ironically he chose a good old fashioned ghost story for the transition.
In THE WOMAN IN BLACK Radcliffe plays young, widowed-with-kid lawyer Arthur Kipp who travels to a remote village. His assignment, to do the legal follow-up on a recently deceased older woman’s property.
The job’s location: a creepy gothic ‘house on a hill’ setting where at every turn something could—and does go bump in the night.
Donnelly: Is Sporting KC (& The Cauldron) Becoming the Hottest Ticket in Town?
Do you ever wish that things could be the way they used to be?
I do, but I also know that can’t happen. Yes, I realize it’s just my own selfishness that makes me long for simpler times. But I was there, man!
I was there before there were crowds of 18,000 plus at Wizards and SKC games. Before the huge video boards. Before the snappy new colors and cutting edge stadium.
Those were simpler times.
You could sit anywhere for five to 10 bucks. The stands were so sparsely littered with fans you could heckle players with elaborate chants they were sure to hear.
Those days are gone, people.
With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting Kansas City is the hottest ticket in town…
