Hearne: Hipsters Welcome in New Lounge @ Crown Center’s American Restaurant

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

Game on…

For nearly a year now the powers that be at the elegant and esteemed American Restaurant in Crown Center have been plotting and planning. Tinkering even.

Their mission: to young down the crowd at the upscale eatery which has fallen into somewhat forgotten times with the 35 and under set. In other words, the cool people downtown that flood First Fridays and are regulars at high end eateries such as Michael Smith‘s Extra Virgin and bluestem in Westport.

Enter the Bar American. Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 4 Comments

Hearne: New Liquor Licenses in Works for Westport & Waldo

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

Don’t look now, but the party poopers at City Hall in Kansas City are turning over a new leaf…

Sources say the Kansas City Council appears poised to relax the city’s density requirements which in Westport would allow the party zone to add new liquor licenses for bars and taverns.

Before a bar, restaurant or liquor store can be granted a liquor license in Kansas City, Missouri a density study must be made “to determine if the population within a 3,000-foot radius of the proposed premise tavern or package liquor store will support another package store or tavern in the area,’ according to city regulations.

For several years Westport has been at its max for new licenses, meaning new nightclubs and the like had to obtain their licenses from an existing businesses in order to open and operate.

Look for Westport to continue its comback if  density requirements are relaxed. Continue reading →

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Hearne: Jardine’s Last Stand, One Year After the Fireworks

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

It’s all over but the but the the crying…

One year ago vaunted Plaza area jazz club Jardine’s hit the skids. That after a Thanksgiving holiday week from hell that spun out of control leaving former owner Beena Brandsgard trapped in an ugly, out-of-control tailspin, the club in tatters and bringing to an end its reign as the Cowtown’s premier jazz nightclub.

“They have until the close of business this Friday to breath life into continuing their (liquor) license,” says Kansas City Regulated Industries head Gary Majors. “They would have to submit a renewal request by Friday, but we have no indication they intend to do so.”

That after Regulated Industries – aka Liquor Control – has sent letters and made phone calls attempting to contact Brandsgard and the club to inform them of the impending deadline.  With zero response.

“So our assumption is they are out of business,” Majors says. Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 12 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Ponders Broken Promise to His Mom & The King of Late Night TV

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Craig Glazer

In life we have many dreams…

One of mine was to sit next to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. I even promised my mom I’d do that.

Never happened.

I think I regret that one as much as having her see me go to prison back in 1985.

Well, close anyway.

It’s the holiday season now and one of the shows that brought me and millions of others a smile in the past was THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 18 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: KILLING THEM SOFTLY; ‘This Business Is A Business Of Relationships”

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jack Poessiger

KILLING THEM SOFTLY is a grimy, bloody, violent and highly stylized mob crime drama…

Its setting is 2008 New Orleans with TVs and radios (almost continually throughout the film) blaring then Senator Obama and President Bush‘s speeches and political messages.

Against that backdrop Ray Liotta oversees a mob-protected card game which gets robbed by a couple of flunkies.

“You know they’re going to kill you,” he tells them in fatherly fashion.

But no such luck. They get away with the entire stash—and the mob ain’t happy. Continue reading →

Posted in Jack Poessiger | 5 Comments

Sounds Good: Post Thanksgiving Funk Gives Way to Quiet Corral, Arthur Dodge, Newfound Glory & Kendrick Lamar

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Matthew Donnelly

Has everyone busted out of the gravy coma finally?

Good.

Now we can turn our attention to Christmas shopping, college basketball, and, well, still eating a shitload.  I mean, this isn’t Russia last time I checked.  Which brings me to my next point – the KCC Annual Holiday Wilding.

Traditionally held at Jardine’s, this year could be a little different since, uh, we all know what happened there thanks to Hearne’s exhaustive reporting on the subject.  But there’s also the matter of Hearne’s relocation to the LFK suburbs.  So what’re we looking at here?  Replay?  Tap Room?  Outhouse?  The possibilities are endless…

Oh, and go see some live music for chrissakes… Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Matthew_Donnelly | 3 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Gets Shafted by Santa, Types His Way Out of Prison

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Craig Glazer

I just wrote about not believing there is a God…

I also said holidays like Christmas are becoming more of a family event than a religious celebration. And like most Americans, I believe in being with your loved ones over the holidays.

Thanksgiving is maybe my favorite holiday this time of year.

Why? It’s basically Christmas minus the gifts and with less hassle and more football. It’s got the same meal – turkey and gravy – I love it.

Gifts are always an issue, especially for the young ones. Remember when you didn’t get what you’d dreamed of getting? I do.

My father told me if I got a B average he’d buy me a mini-bike for Christmas. Wow. I was 14, played freshman football at Meadowbrook and lived outside the school district, so I had a long haul to school. It was a long walk and a long bike ride.

Plus all the cool kids had mini bikes. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 29 Comments

Donnelly: Espinoza Heads to EPL, Sporting Puts 4 on Best XI

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Matthew Donnelly

Well, it finally happened…

After months of rumblings, Sporting KC midfield bulldog Roger Espinoza looks like he’s headed to play in the best league in the world, the English Premier League.  Reports indicate that Wigan has grabbed the Honduran international, with only a few formalities left before the deal becomes final.

Espinoza’s stock really shot up after the Olympic games – and more specifically after the Honduras-Brazil game in which Roger contributed a goal and an assist before receiving a red card.  As he walked to the tunnel the English crowd gave the ejected player a standing ovation.

After his Olympic success, though, Espinoza never quite got back into his top form.  He battled a few injuries and missed several games for his club side.

So what does this mean for Sporting?  Continue reading →

Posted in Matthew_Donnelly, Sporting_Kansas_City, Sports | 6 Comments

Glazer: The NFL, College Football & ‘Johnny Football’ Rule America’s Media Roost

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Craig Glazer

Philosopher Marshall McLuhan once said that the media is the opium of the people…

Nothing could be more true. McLuhan, who died in 1980, was featured in Woody Allen’s best film, Annie Hall. McLuhan’s thoughts are now reality. The NFL and college football have taken over America above all else.

Even our Kansas City Star runs quarter page or better front page stories on our lowly Chiefs and other football related issues on nearly a daily basis. It’s that big. This in a city that has for the most part terrible football teams other than Kansas State.

That said, the football Messiah has arrived!

His name is Johnny Manziel, better known now as JOHNNY FOOTBALL. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 16 Comments

Starbeams: ‘Hannah Montana’ Turns 20, Lincoln & Obama – a Tale of Two Presidents

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Kelly Urich

The KCPD has a new high-tech helicopter.  The $8.6 million MD 500E is more advanced and allows police to patrol better in the dark. Plus, it’s another way to get to Florida during off-duty hours.

*******

Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said, “I thought our guys played a good football game” after Sunday’s loss.  Much the same way General Custer said, “Hurry boys, we’ve got them” at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

*******

A historic clock from 1915 is being restored in downtown Kansas City, Kansas.  The 18-foot-tall clock will be come the focal point of the MetroCenter bus hub at 7th and Minnesota.  Since the clock is in downtown KCK, it will be set on HARD TIME. Continue reading →

Posted in Starbeams | 1 Comment

New Jack City: Thanksgiving Weekend Sets Box Office Records

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Jack Poessiger

Hollywood just gave theater owners an early Christmas present…

The biggest Thanksgiving moviegoing weekend—EVER – a 30% increase over 2011’s turkey days.

Box offices around North America registered a record setting $290 million in ticket sales.

Topping the onslaught at theaters was the continued strength of the final episode in the Twilight saga. BREAKING DAWN–PART 2 scoring another $ 64 million in ticket sales.

Coming in # 2 this holiday weekend was Daniel Craig as James Bond in SKYFALL with an additional $51 million.

Daniel Day-Lewis as LINCOLN earned the bronze medal with $34.1 million during those five days of extreme moviegoing. Continue reading →

Posted in Jack_Poessiger | 7 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Reaches Out to Comments Section Detractors

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Craig Glazer

I’ve been your humble scribe for more than two years now…

During which time I’ve done my best to entertain, inform and report on local and national events and stories. In so doing I personally have dealt with many harsh comments. There are clearly some Glazer Haters out there. That’s to expected in social media and given the type of reporting I do.

I get that.

Sure, I’ve gone off several times. Many of the attacks were untrue and vicious. Be that as it may, as Hearne and even Johnny Dare have told me, “Don’t respond, be thicker skinned. You’re a flashy controversial person and you write that way!”

I must confess they’re right and I was wrong. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 76 Comments

Leftridge: TV Time: 30 for 30, Whenever You Want

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Brandon Leftridge

Netflix Instant is a pretty awesome thing. Probably just as equally as awesome is ESPN’s acclaimed documentary series, 30 for 30. Combine the two, and you’ve got an excellent way to kill time (supposing you’ve got any time to kill). And although I’m probably a little late in letting you all know—30 for 30 began streaming on Netflix a few months ago, I think—it’s better late than never. If you’ve never caught the show, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice and I no longer trust anything you have to say about sports and/or documentaries, and especially sports documentaries.

For the uninitiated, 30 for 30 is a Bill Simmons created series about compelling sports stories. Usually about 90 minutes in length, and each directed by a different (sometimes famous) director, the movies capture moments in sports history, sometimes triumphant, sometimes tragic. (Mostly tragic).

So if you’re just getting started, here are some episodes that shouldn’t be missed. Continue reading →

Posted in Brandon Leftridge, Entertainment, Sports | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Hearne: Ding Dong, Prairie Village’s Father Christmas Takes a Bullet

Posted on November 25, 2012 by admin

The handwriting was already on the wall…

But as of Thanksgiving night it became offical – Prairie Villager Mike Babbick‘s 40-plus year Christmas tradition was dead-on-arrival.

“There is no display on Falmouth this year,” Babick sighs. “I’ve been thinking about it and I read the ordinance real well and everything we do we won’t be able to do.”

When Babick says “everything,” he means everything. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 18 Comments

Edelman: Batman Live Delivers, Foreshadows Possible Spider-Man Arena Tour

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Mark Edelman

I have seen the future of live theater, and it is BATMAN LIVE…

Or maybe not. As a long-time Broadway buff, I’m not the likeliest guy to set foot inside the cavernous Sprint Center to get a song and dance fix. But BATMAN LIVE – now thru Sunday at he Sprint Center – may be where the art form is headed after all.

Sub-titled “World Arena Tour,” BATMAN LIVE is one part circus, two parts Cirque Du Soleil  and three parts Comicon sideshow. The two hour opus trots out a slew of villains– the Riddler, the Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face and the rest–as it spins its genesis tale of young Dick
Grayson, who becomes the Dark Knight’s sidekick Robin. There’s a plot, characters, action,
dialogue— yep, just like at KC Rep, Starlight or the Unicorn. Only on steroids.   Continue reading →

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Glazer: Chiefs Rummage for Draft Pick, Missouri Braces for Worst & Weekend Pics

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Craig Glazer

Everyone expects the Chiefs to be buried Sunday at Arrowhead…

Peyton Manning and his Division winning Broncos are in town for a tune up headed to the playoffs. The Chiefs are now being called by many a Triple A football team. Agreed. However when you least expect it a bad team like KC can surprise a beast like Denver.

Remember Green Bay last year and Monday Night’s tight loss to the Steelers?

Both were expected to be blowouts. Different set of circumstances: The Chiefs had Kyle Orton, a real C+ quarterback when a worn out, beaten up Green Bay came to town last year expecting a walk over. The weather in Pittsburgh slowed down the Steelers and they lost quarterback Big Ben early.

Sunday will be a killing. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 13 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Bunkers with Fam & Handicaps Turkey Day Football Follies

Posted on November 22, 2012 by admin

We’ve got a small board today for the NFL and college football…

The traditional Dallas and Detroit games in the NFL and an added New York Jets/Pats game tonight. Sweet.

I’m gonna give you my picks on all of them just for fun. These won’t count against my record for gambling, so this is just for fun. Let’s see how I do. Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Turkeybeams: The Top 5 Streets Named After American Idol Celebs

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Kelly Urich

I’m debating what to watch this weekend….Cookie Monster or Elmo Monster?!

*******

David Cook was in town this week for a ceremony that named a street in his honor.  “David Cook Alumni Way” is the entrance to his childhood elementary school.

The Top 5 Streets Named after American Idol Celebrities:

#5.  William Hung – Wong Way Continue reading →

Posted in Starbeams | 1 Comment

Leftridge: A Solution for a Lonely Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Brandon Leftridge

Perhaps you’ve been ostracized from your immediate family because last year, you had too much Mad Dog and you stood up and pooped in the middle of the dinner table. Maybe you were orphaned after your parents perished in a hot-air ballooning accident. It could be that you just got out of prison for some poor music pirating decisions and you find yourself alone in a cold, cruel world that refuses to remember you for the man you once were.

 The bottom line is, it’s Thanksgiving, and you’ve got nowhere to go.

I’m sorry, I truly am. Unlike the summer months, you cannot spend your days ogling the scantily clad people at the community swimming pool; the holiday season is a bad time to be an outcast. Continue reading →

Posted in Brandon Leftridge | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Do It: Batman Live @ Sprint May Be Precursor to Spider-Man

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

Anybody can direct you guys to sure fire, blockbuster, can’t miss events…

Shows like next month’s Carrie Underwood at Sprint or Chris Isaak at the Uptown. Chances are you’re already planning to go if you’re into those artists and have the time and ticket money.

Now here’s one you probably haven’t even have begun to consider; Batman Live at the Sprint Center. Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 2 Comments