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Donnelly: The Civil Wars @ Liberty Hall in Lawrence, January 17, 2012
“I don’t really know how this thing even works, we’re such polar opposites,” said Joy Williams midway through the band’s sold-out Liberty Hall performance.
She was referring to band mate, guitarist and vocalist John Paul White, the other half of Grammy nominated, The Civil Wars. White wore a sloppy tuxedo and resembled a less-gaunt Johnny Depp.
“Yeah, I’m an asshole,” White cooed sarcastically, thrumming his acoustic strings lightly.
“Well, if the shoe fits…” Williams shot back at him with a smirk.
Hearne: Local Buyers Circle Plaza Jazz Club in Hopes of bringing Back Jardine’s
So many rumors, so few facts….
With Kansas City’s top jazz club stuck in limbo, it’s time again to saddle up and see where – if anywhere – things have progressed. As the world turns.
For two long jazzless months Jardine’s has remained mostly closed, following a fallout between owner Beena Raja and a pair of senior staffers that snowballed into a musician boycott and local tabloid TV beatdown.
Net result; Raja got trapped off base and the club’s been mostly dark since Thanksgiving.
From the get-go a number of suitors emerged to buy the club. However the longer it remained closed, the tighter buyer’s wallets grew, and to date a final sale remains up in the air with three or more groups vying to make a deal.
Hearne: America’s Pub Takes a Bullet – Last Black Club in Westport is No More
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It was bound to happen…
The track record’s clear; Westport does not look favorably on black nightclubs or large assemblages of black people.
Then again, what mainstream shopping and/or entertainment district in KC does?
Certainly not the Power & Light District, infamous for its exclusionary admittance policies. And not the Plaza, that made its intentions known long before KC mayor Sly James did a faceplant last summer to avoid whizzing bullets.
And now America’s Pub, the midtown entertainment district’s last black dance club, is no more.
New Jack City: ‘Deep Throat’ Judge Dies, Remakes of Porn Classic Coming Soon
It’s been 40 long years since the granddaddy of porn movies—the allegedly mafia controlled— DEEP THROAT launched the golden age of big screen porn in the 1970s.
The inexpensively produced DEEP THROAT became the first, bigtime porn film to have both a plot and feature actual character development.
It was promptly declared obscene and rapidly became the most profitable porn flick of all time.
After premiering in the Big Apple in 1972, Gerard Damiano‘s trendsetting hardcore adult film – which asked the question, ‘How far does a girl have to go to untangle her tingle?’ – fanned out to other markets most of which also declared it obscene.
Kansas City was one of those decadent cities that dared to show it.
Starbeams: Costa Concordia to Union Station, Hoffa Found @ KCI & Beyonce’s Butt
Officials at Union Station are already making plans for 2112, 100th anniversary exhibit of the Costa Concordia.
*******
After 36 years of searching, authorities have finally found Jimmy Hoffa‘s body…at a cellphone waiting lot at KCI.
Glazer: Kansas & Bill Self’s ‘Cinderella’ Season Continues to Amaze
Bill Self must be having a ball…
His KU Jayhawks were supposed to be having a down year. They weren’t even picked to win the Big 12 for like the 99Th year in a row. Self and Kansas had accepted playing five top programs early in the season, including Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State – all strong contenders for the Final Four. KU was not taking on the Shawnee Mission Easts of the college world to build a fake record, as most top programs do each season.
In spite of all that, it worked!
Leftridge: TV Time: Justified Returns Tonight, Women Everywhere Swoon
Since I’m such a fantastic predictor of sport’s happenings (especially when it comes to the NFC, apparently [Go Saints! Go Pack!]), please allow me to explain—through inarguable telepathy skills, as it were—what will happen on this Tuesday night’s third season premier of FX’s original series, Justified.
– US Marshal Raylan Givens might could shoot somebody.
– Boyd Crowder will have spiky hair, and be endlessly fascinating, like a spider who’s read a lot of deeply influential books on psychology.
– There will be mud, and drugs.
All right, so it’s pretty obvious—yet again, if you’ve been following along—that I’m not too good at this whole “betting” thing. It’s either an indictment of my stupidity, or my inability to reason; the future makes no sense to me, and therefore, I’m blind when it comes to an accurate vision of possibility. This is either a blessing, or a curse. On one hand, I invent my own future… on the other, I lost my house recently to a crafty Indonesian with a slick tongue and deceit held deep within his solitary golden tooth.
Sorry, honey.
But thank God I’ve still got my TV—somehow, miraculously—and Tuesday night, I’ll be watching the proceedings as they unfold deep from within Harlan County, Kentucky.
Hearne: Penn State Paterno Interview by Washington Post Belies Good Journalism
This is what’s lame about print journalism today….
By most measures Washington Post reporter Sally Jenkins’ exclusive interview with disgraced Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was a grand slam homerun. It’s what newsroom editors like to call, a "great get." Which is that’s understandable, except for one thing.
Jenkins sacrificed her journalistic soul by writing a sugar-coated, Joe Posnanski-like schmooze piece rather than playing it straight down the middle, asking the tough questions and convincing readers that her mission was not to spare the rod.
Remember, this was supposed to be a hard news story / interview.
Glazer: Scribe Forecasts Super Bowl Combatants & Ponders Next Year’s Chiefs
All but one big dog has fallen…
Only the New England Patriots and Tom Brady remain of the teams with elite quarterbacks. Moreover, only Brady and his Pats are truly viewed as a "new style, high scoring team of the 2000’s." In other words, tons of points combined with a poor or average defense will take you all the way in today’s NFL.
Not so fast.
Green Bay was almost everyone’s favorite, including mine. But last year they also had a strong defense by season’s end and this year they couldn’t find one. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been tabbed as the NEW top gun, ahead of Brady, Drew Brees and Payton Manning. But other than Brady, all are now GONE from the post season.
Donnelly: The ACBs@ the Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, Kansas, January 14, 2012
The first thing I thought as I watched the ACBs get ready to play their set at the Jackpot Saloon on Saturday night was, "Holy crap, how tall is that drummer?"
Turns out he’s about 6’9", and it’s a good thing he plays the kit so he can sit down, because he couldn’t stand up straight on the stage.
His name’s Kyle Rausch and he joined the band in 2010 after a couple of the original members split. I’m pretty sure he was a power forward at some point before.
After fiddling around with their instruments for a bit and running through a quick sound check, the ACBs nonchalantly started their set.
They looked fairly underwhelmed with the small crowd that was out.
But that wasn’t going to stop them.
"We’re all drunk and having fun, so this is fun," explained lead singer Konnor Ervin.
Glazer: God Hates Denver and Tim Tebow, Loves Tom Brady and New England
The Lord pissed all over Tim Tebow yesterday…
He let New England and the best quarterback of all-time, Tom Brady, destroy Denver and Tebow. It was ugly and it was fast. Brady had New England in the end zone in two minutes. By the first quarter’s end it was over.
New England had 21 points – game, set match.
Tim did manage to fumble once to set up a New England score early on. Good one. Yep, God surely hates Tim Tebow and his legion of fans. He let them die, in public, on national TV, for all the world to see.
Crucified.
Leftridge: NFL Playoffs, Take 2; An In-Depth Analysis of Murderers, Dragons & Chapped-Lips
Like the late, great Jerry Reed said, “When you’re hot, you’re hot.”
Perhaps more importantly, he followed that up with, “when you’re not, you’re not.” And when it comes to picking playoff football, my friends, I am not. I’d feel bad about this if I prided myself on my ability to accurately predict the winners, but I don’t. I know I’m terrible at it. That’s why I don’t gamble. I don’t put my money where my mouth is, nor will I ever claim to. Instead, I put chicken wings where my mouth is. This weekend. While I watch what is certain to be some tantalizing NFL action.
I said last week that the Wildcard round was going to be bad, and it was. At least I didn’t—what’s the expression?—have intercourse with the dog in that regard.
Donnelly: Sporting KC’s First Round Pick Talks About Barbecue, Some Other Stuff
All eyes were on KC Thursday morning…
Major League Soccer held its annual draft at the KC Convention Center, which was broadcast live on ESPN2.
And as I predicted, Sporting KC chose a striker with their first pick in the draft, 16th overall. They snagged Dom Dwyer, a quick, tenacious Englishman who spent last season at the University of South Florida, and the previous two years in Texas playing at Tyler Junior College.
Will this pick live up to Peter Vermes’ growing reputation as a draft day wizard? Certainly no one is expecting Dom to replicate CJ Sapong‘s rookie 2011 season in which the James Madison product separated himself from everyone else in his class and ripped the Rookie of the Year award by a mile.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on Dom as the season nears and reporting his progress here at KCC, but I expect him to come in and contribute on the field, probably as a backup, pretty much immediately.
Hearne: And Now, the Rest of the ‘Uncle Ed Muscari’ Story
This isn’t the first report this week on the death of former Channel 41 late night personality Uncle Ed Muscare...
However, in the interest of adding a bit of corrective information along with some news and views to the mix of mostly blogger driven reporting and commentary, let’s take another look. The New York native died in a Florida prison Sunday at the age of 79.
"He was creepy, the creepiest," says former Shawnee Counciwoman Tracy Thomas. "He was a cross between Ed Wood and a defrocked priest."
"I met him a couple times," says longtime radio personality and movie dude Jack Poessiger. "He was an entertaining guy at a time when late night ntelevision still had local programming and it became a local phenomenon. And when he left, his show got taken over by by Dick Wilson of KCMO FM."
Hearne: Westport Nightclub Nabob Declares War on Kansas City Liquor Law
All’s fair in love and Card Wars…
For years Westport businessman Bill Nigro has waged a war of words against a pair of cards Kansas City has required workers in the service industry – bars and restaurants – to purchase and carry. Nigro polished one off – the health department’s "food handler" card – last month and as of this year, they are no longer required.
The so-called "health card" cost 20 bucks and required workers who handle food to take classes on hand washing and the like.
That leaves one last card on Nigro’s hit list, Kansas City Regulated Industries "liquor card."
Glazer: Scribe Straps on His Protective Cup & Plunges Ahead into NFL Playoffs
Vegas seems to have no problem with this year’s NFL playoffs picture, PACKERS ALL THE WAY…
Yep, unlike you and I they see no problems. Green Bay is almost even money – 1 1/2 to 1 to win it all again. But clearly many people now like the Saints and they are 3 1/2 to 1 with New England the second best pick at 2 1/2 to 1.
We all know the Pack and the Pats have very poor defenses and Saints are maybe average.
So why are the Saints not favored?
Glazer: Scribe Stamps Seal of Approval on New 38 the Spot Hottie Crystle Lampitt
Good news Kansas City…
At long last we have a new, smoking hot babe to replace Holly Starr on 38 THE SPOT. I’ve seen her and I can assure you she’s gonna get some major, citywide play.
Since Holly got married and had a kid, Jack FM personality Nycki Pace has been filling in and doing a great job. Nycki’s been on the air since September, but her job at 38 THE SPOT as spokesmodel ends tomorrow. As many of you already know she’s the wife of Q104 host, Mike Kennedy.
So who’s the new "It Grrrl" in town?
Her name is Crystle Lampitt and man, oh man, what a beauty! Move over Penelope Cruz. Or as Jim Carey might say, SMOKIN!
38’s endlessly long talent search totally paid off.
Hearne: Groundskeeper Hall of Famer George Toma’s Greatest Hit Jobs
They say it’s lonely at the top…
That’s likely to be the case with KC Sultan of Sod George Toma and the new "MLB Groundskeeper Hall of Fame. " I couldn’t resist poking a little fun at the hall yesterday, but silly as the concept seems, there’s no doubt Toma is deserving of the props.
That said, it’s hard to imagine Toma’s new award and the "hall" bringing much of any import to the table in the years to come. Now that it’s shot it proverbial wad on about the only groundskeeper anybodys ever heard of in the grass growing game. Quick, tell me who’s next?
Now let’s review what made Toma so special – I’m talking about his chutzpah.
Jack Goes Confidential: Meryl Streep Makes Believer Out Of ‘IRON LADY’
Need more proof as to Meryl Streep‘s status as our finest working film actress?
Look no further than her riviting and flawless performance as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In THE IRON LADY we flash back from her now dementia impaired living status to a career that had made her the most famous and influential woman of the 20th Century. An 11 year long political reign of running the British government that began in 1979 and ended in 1990.
And even further back to her humble origins as the daughter of a local grocer.
But there’s something quite unusual going on here…
Leftridge: TV Time: Hell on Wheels Makes the Most of Racial Epithets, Violence & Whore Talk
If you’re easily offended by the gratuitous use of racial epithets, lots of hot whore talk, or violence perpetuated with frightful indifference, Hell on Wheels may not be the show for you. If, however, you’re cool with “injun,” and the occasional n-bomb, find nothing indecent about tattooed-faced ladies of the night sleeping with black men and you think it’s cool to watch dudes get shot in the mouth at close range (the smoke seeping out of his mouth as he lay dying was a particularly devilish touch), then climb aboard AMC’s gritty offering about burgeoning life in a brave new world.
Though Hell on Wheels is about the westward expansion of the Transcontinental railroad in 1865, that’s only a small part of the wide picture the program is meant to paint.
