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Sounds Good: The Noise FM, Cowboy Indian Bear, and Hawley @ Bottleneck
So I got invited to a porch warming party that’s going down this weekend. 
Not a house warming mind you, a porch warming.
And I think it might be a little chilly, but no matter, I’m going to rock it. I’m going to rock it in preparation for the wilding that is the KCC Christmas Party at Jardine’s on Monday.
What in the hell is a wilding you ask? Well… I don’t really know, but it will feature Glazer, Hearne, some controversy, some (a lot of) booze, and a live band. And me and Leftridge drinking quietly in a corner.
And despite all the venom and speculation that’s been circulating around here lately, trust me, it’ll be a good time that all of you should come out and experience. Don’t believe the hype, people.
So for this weekend, I’m putting all my stock into one show that’s happening in Lawrence Saturday night. It’s a Toys for Tots benefit. It’ll feature some truly kick ass performances from a couple local bands and a couple of former local bands that now take up shop in the Windy City and are likely about to bust through to the national scene.
If you’re a hipster (and I know that most of you reading this are) it’ll be a must see.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s some good local and smaller acts playing around this weekend, but if you have to focus your energies somewhere, focus them in Lawrence at the Bottleneck this Saturday, and bring your ugly holiday best…
Star Search: Bogus Lindsay Lohan Playboy Cover Tops Most Read Hit Parade on KC Star
For nearly THE ENTIRE DAY a mere link to a story about child-star-turned-trainwreck Lindsay Lohan topped the "most read" news stories on the Kansas City Star‘s Web site…
I kid you not.
Let’s do the math monkey; the newspaper fields a 700-person staff, boasts a reach of more than one million local readers a week and has a virtual monopoly on what passes for news in KC. Yet the best it can do tease with a weak link to a purloined People Magazine story reporting Lohan’s upcoming Playboy cover has been "leaked."
Unfortunately for Star readers who "bit" on the tease, the link turned out to be entirely bogus.
Jack Goes Confidential: Star-Studded Vignettes Can’t Rescue ‘NEW YEAR’S EVE’
The formula is a simple one…
A.- Pick a major holiday—hopefully one that lends itself to ‘light’ love stories.
B.- Write a series of basically everyday Lifetime-like boy-girl episodes that can be tied together at the end.
C.- Hire a name cast with mucho chick appeal for a fast shoot.
D.- Release the finished film right around the time of its namesake holiday.
That’s what director Garry Marshall did not so long ago with VALENTINE’S DAY. And guess what? IT WORKED!
Matter of fact, it worked so well in terms of ticket sales he and his filmmaking team immediately sought out their next target: New Year’s Eve. Surely there’d be plenty of back stories to fill an overlong, 2 hour follow-up flick!
Glazer: The Sad Reality of Employee Theft in the Nightclub Game & Jardine’s
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First off, I know Jardine’s owner Beena through Hearne…
I met her about 10 years back at his home for a Super Bowl Party. It was a Who’s Who of KC. Even the Mayor and Star publisher Art Brisbane were there. Beena was married at the time. But it wasn’t long before she remarried and moved back to India. Hard to run a tight ship when the owner is gone that much.
Beena was kind and generous to me and my friends and family. I didn’t go to her club often, but when I did she was all over the table, Jardine’s guests and seemed to be a very hard worker. Beena loved her Jardine’s. When Hearne got divorced, he dated Beena for a while. So we saw each other fairly often then.
All I can tell you is this, bars, restaurants and nightclubs are a tough ticket – most don’t stay open more than a year or two.
One of the main reasons is people tire of a new place quickly. Another big problem is employee theft.
Hearne: Jardine’s Owner Goes Public, Says Everyone Will Be Paid
I doubt Kansas City Jazz has seen this kinda media feeding frenzy since Prohibition bought the farm…
At this point you all probably know what I’m talking about; the sudden and unexpected housecleaning at Jardine’s jazz club just off the Plaza. Suspicious of improprieties, owner Beena Raja changed the locks two weeks ago, then let the entire staff go after Karrin Allyson‘s shows early last week. The club’s been dark since.
And to date, for the most part, mum’s been the word.
Which of course didn’t stop local television news channels from lining up nameless ex-staffers to air their beefs.
Hearne: Overland Park Mom, Others Uncomfortable With How Don Harman Treated
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"They won’t have Don Harman to kick around anymore."
That’s how a Facebook message to me began from Overland Park mom and former school teacher Dena LeeAnne Campbell. They being some of Harman’s on-air co-hosts at Channel 4. Having watched Fox 4’s early morning show for years, "Something about him resonated with me," Campbell says of Harman.
And something about the interplay between Harman and some of the other anchors didn’t seem quite right to her.
"I just remember sometimes turning the TV off because it was so uncomfortable," Campbell says. "Particularly Mark Alford, but sometimes they would go too far with needling him. They’d make fun of what he was wearing, what he said. They used to needle him about his car. I don’t think it was malicious, but when they got on a roll teasing and needling him, it just didn’t stop. Isn’t that bullying?
Today: The Truth & Nothing But the Truth About The Don Harman Reporting
Let’s take it from the top, good, bad and ugly…
As reported first last week on KC Confidential, deceased Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman suffered from depression. And he took his own life.
But like many sudden, dramatic news events, Harman’s death was shrouded in secrecy and rumors abounded as to why and how he killed himself. Was there a note? Concerned, interested viewers and fans wanted to know more.
In the good, old days at the Kansas City Star, the newspaper could sit on breaking news stories too complex for television news to scoop them on. Pretty much anything besides murder, fires and petty consumer fraud.
And that’s exactly what the Star‘s Aaron Barnhart did in Harman’s case. Barnhart didn’t slide across home plate with a War & Peace version of what had happened until nearly 10 p.m. after the stadium had emptied.
Glazer: Uh, Make That Professor Scribe if You Don’t Mind, Son
It was an honor yesterday to be asked to speak to a history class at California State University, Fresno…
Professor Rice contacted me last week and set up the event. It would have been nice to be there in person, but with such short notice and the long distance a speaker phone speech was the best I could manage. It worked out fine.
The professor explained that each semester his class is given a book to read and review. When they are finished he tries to get the author to speak to the class. In this case the book was THE KING OF STING and I was the author. Professor Rice explained that several well known authors had spoken to his classes over the years including Walter Cronkite.
So yes I was honored to follow Cronkite.
Starbeams: Obama Be Smokin’ Herman Cain Style in Osawatomie
The President visited Osawatomie Tuesday. Air Force one landed around 11:00 at KCI and was greeted by several bomb sniffing cattle. After his speech he went lunch at We B Smokin’ BBQ in Osawatomie. Ironically, We B Smokin’ is the phrase embroidered in Herman Cain‘s underwear.
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The President initially told Secret Service to stop at We B Smokin’ because he thought he could buy cigarettes there.
Leftridge: Tales from the Tweet: Orton’s Ouchy, Goldilocks’ Woes & Emotional Gourd
Dateline: Southside Chicago. Home to rampant murder, rape, robbery, drugs, thick mustaches and ‘da Bears. With Chicago taking on the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, the fans didn’t take long to make the Windy City proud:
@mellinger (Sam, KC Star sports columnist)
“11:15 am…first gratuitous use of a taser witnessed outside Soldier Field.”
I love Chicago—even lived there for a spell—but man, the Southside of that fine city is a wreck. If you’re not going to a Bears game (you can get tased anywhere, to be fair) or a Sox game (you probably WILL get tased here—by a fan, or a player, or an ump), you have no business venturing south of about 15th street. Nothing good happens there.
Oh, and then there was the game. The quarterback play was abysmal:
@SSJ_WHB (Steven St.John, 810 am)
“I want Palko and Hanie to fight….Loser leaves the NFL….Winner leaves, too….#Chiefs”
But that’s why we went out and picked up Kyle Orton, right?
Today: Iowa Police Say Deceased Fox 4 Meteorologist Not Involved, Not Interviewed
Scratch one area law enforcement rumor…
The rumor that deceased Fox 4 meteorologist Don Harman was interviewed recently by Mason City, Iowa police or the FBI about the case of long-missing TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit: Bogus.
That according to Mason City Investigations Supervisor Lt. Frank Stearns.
"That’s not true," Sterns says. "He was not interviewed. Don Harman has never been a person of interest."
Nor, as noted it the orginal reporting here, merely a source in a stepped-up investigation.
Glazer: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It and We Feel…
Black Friday has gone from a very busy shopping day to THE SUPER BOWL OF SHOPPING DAYS…
Addto that Cyber Monday, where Americans spend close to 20 billion on stuff they mostly don’t need or will ever use. Most of the crap we buy is for gifts, largely for ourselves. Gifts for ME, YEAH THATS GREAT! After all we earned them.
The stock market is back up over 12,000. Unemployment is around 9% most of the time. And we keep hearing things are better, but are they? The fast answer is NO, they’re just different. The world has been rocked by iPhones, iPads, computers and online madness. Everyone is on Facebook and too busy screwing with it daily. Everyone surfs the net for God knows what, and if you shop, go to a movie or restaurant, it seems everyone is sitting around texting about nothing.
My theory is simple: we’re in a modern depression-recession for one reason mostly, THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA…
Star Search: No Layoffs But Holiday Cheer MIA at KC Star
Without question, things are looking up at the Kansas City Star heading into the holidays….
New publisher Mi-Ai Parrish has been all over the newsroom and able to weather the bad financial numbers from corporate without going the layoffs route. In part because of the recent wave of optimism on the economy and advertiser’s anticipation of better holiday sales.
That’s a good thing.
However, sources say the atmosphere among the 700 or so Star survivors (there were more than 2,000 prior to the dot com recession of the early 2000s) is still grim.
"It used to be full of life here, now it’s just empty," says one Star staffer. "Now it’s devoid of life."
Starbeams: Kyle Orton’s Single Snap, It’s So Cold, Obama in Osawatomie, Titanic to KC
Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton was knocked from the game after a single snap. Now we know why his initials are K.O.
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It was so cold…
Teenagers formed a flash-mob on the plaza to steal space heaters…
Mayor James announced he’s taking over the West Palm Beach school district…
Hearne: Win Second Row Seats to Brian Setzer @ The Uptown Wednesday
Here’s the deal…
KC Confidential is looking for a few good stories about former Stray Cats front man Brian Setzer. And we’ve got a pair of second row seats to tomorrow night’s show at the Uptown Theater for the best one.
Hey, and it’s wide open.
From memories of the Stray Cats show at Memorial Hall from a million years ago to Setzer’s big band holiday blowout at the Uptown. It’s pretty murky now, but local entertainment sources remember Setzer being involved with former Westport watering hole / concert club Guitars & Cadillacs. And that he was married at one point to a Kansas City girl.
Weigh in with your Setzer flashback in the comments section or to hearne@kcconfidential and win a pair of second row seats to Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot at the Uptown tomorrow night!
Donnelly: Greaser Alert; Brian Setzer Rolling into the Uptown This Wednesday
Something wicked this way comes…
Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot! rolls into town this Wednesday night at the Uptown. 
The show is a general admission on the floor, seated balcony show.
Setzer is the guy, formerly of The Stray Cats of the rockabilly revival pompadour and everything, who converted to swing, and now is playing a mix of both, also with a bit of jazz thrown in. He’s just been nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album for his solo album Setzer Goes instru-MENTAL! so you can expect some of that as well.
So if you have that leopard print sport coat that you can only wear like five times a year, now is your chance Hearne…
Today: Jardine’s Owner Vows to Open Plaza Jazz Club for KCC Xmas Bash & More
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This just in…
Jardine’s owner Beena Raja says she will open the popular Plaza area jazz club on December 12th for the KC Confidential holiday wilding and remain open for specific engagements such as the upcoming Julia Othmer and Ida McBeth shows.
Raja stopped short of saying exactly why she fired the staff last week and shuttered the club after Karrin Allyson‘s shows Tuesday. Something about feeling that some staffers were taking advantage of the club. So she changed the locks and cleaned house.
Hearne: One Down; Kansas City’s Onerous ‘Health Card’ Bites the Dust
It’s all over but the shouting…
After years of carping, the Kansas City health department’s "food handler cards" are no more.
"They city’s eliminated one of its two dumb cards," cracks Westport businessman Bill Nigro. "One is called the liquor card and it requires people to pay $41 and you have one if you’re involved in serving alcohol anywhere in Kansas City, Missouri. And the one we got eliminated is the health card. It costs $20 and it’s the card they started making any employee in the restaurant and bar industry who handles food buy. They started it about seven years ago."
Here’s the rub…
"They send people to these little classes on hygene, like about washing your hands and stuff and keeping food hot and cold – things you learned in high school," Nigro says.
Glazer: Tiger Woods; America’s Villain Becomes America’s Hero Again
Just two years ago the morons of America were saying Tiger Woods was done…
Tiger would win no more. Woods had cheated on his pretty, blonde wife many times and she’d chased him with a golf club and he hit a tree with his car. There wasn’t much damage to Tiger, the tree or the car, but there was a ton of damage to Woods’ image.
The white world was stunned.
"We gave you our skin color and you screwed us!" they ranted. "You cheated on the pretty, white girl."
Tiger was toast. He lost most of his advertising backers and millions of dollars.
But the man hadn’t killed anybody. He wasn’t busted for dealing drugs or dog fighting. He wasn’t the head of the Hip Hop movement. He cheated on his wife, that’s all.
Glazer: Scribe Defends, Marvels, Then Worships at the Alter of Tim Tebow
Denver’s Tim Tebow is 6 and 1 and the man has won five straight games since taking over for Kyle Orton…
Orton, who threw only one pass for KC at a cost of 2 million bucks, is likely done for the year. Good move KC. Oh yeah, the pass was incomplete.
Meanwhile, Tebow’s now the talk of the league and the sports world. Yesterday he beat the Vikings with his arm, not his legs. Tim threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter to beat the Vikes 35-32. The Denver Broncos are now 7-5 and will likely win the AFC West.
The Chumps are 5-7 and to say we are in it is stupid – we’re the worst team in the division by far.
