Looking for an escape from the dreariness of superstorms cable coverage, really ball football and way too many sleazy political ads?
Take a number.
Let’s see what we can do about it. You know, entertainment-wise.
The grains of Father Time are running out of crooner Marilyn Maye‘s live performance hourglass and one of these days Kansas City is going to wake up and no more Marilyn.
Not just yet, but one of these days. Continue reading
The action-thriller FLIGHT has a lot going for it…
Of course there’s Denzel Washington but I’ll get to him in a bit.
A lot of credit for this top notch nailbiter goes to a major talent behind the camera – director Robert Zemeckis to be specific.
Zemeckis has given us some terrific movie experiences in the past including ROMANCING THE STORE, BACK TO THE FUTURE, USED CARS, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and, of course, FORREST GUMP. Continue reading
What can you say? Same old thing, no surprises…
Matt Cassel fumbles. TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS!
Game over. But it was really over before it began. The Chiefs are a team that has quit. The only star they have – Dwayne Bowe – has to be very upset. The game’s in the fourth quarter, Bowe already has 74 yards and 7 catches. He’s our entire offense. Jamaal Charles looks to be no real threat to anyone anymore. A good scat back maybe, but not a threat inside the 30.
So the Chiefs will release Matt THE FRANCHISE, Brady Quinn, and fire Romeo Crennel as well as Scott Pioli. Continue reading
Looking back on it, the timing was a little funny…
Six months before Hereford House main man Rod Anderson torched the iconic downtown steakhouse I bumped into him somewhere and dropped in an innocuous item about him combating the recession with a slate of happy hour promotions.
Little did I realize.
Because for local reporters and media types Rod Anderson was a font.
A likeable, good natured guy with a sense of humor who, as the Hereford House’s former accountant, had ridden to the failing eatery’s rescue in 1987 and morphed himself into a “restaurateur” the old-fashioned way – lots of hard work and on-the-job-training. Continue reading
I know most people will not feel sorry for Rod Anderson…
The longtime Hereford House owner was convicted yesterday of arson, conspiring to burn down the iconic downtown steakhouse in October of 2008. The jury decided that Rod hired two men to do the arson, while he was out of town.
All in order to collect over $2 million in insurance money.
Rod was broke, his restaurant – once a Kansas City landmark – had long been failing. The Hereford House on 20th street in the Crossroads District was simply way past its prime. Continue reading
Aside from some stellar shows this week, there’s a lot going on in the KC sports world.
Tonight on ESPN2 the Houston Dynamo will take on the Chicago Fire in a one game “play-in” type of game, with the winner earning the right to a home-and-home against Sporting Kansas City in the first round of the MLS playoffs.
KC will play the winner Sunday at 2:30, and the home leg is on November 7th at LIVESTRONG. Continue reading
“It’s not the people that vote that count. It’s the people that count
the votes.”
— Josef Stalin
I’ve been sifting through all the “usual” conspiracies about election theft and now I’m even more confident of a Mitt Romney victory! All kidding aside- something is seriously wrong with how votes are cast and tabulated in this country. And judging by what I’ve been reading, it looks like there will be nothing “free or fair” about this election.
I came across a poll recently where the majorities of each party think the other party is going to steal this election. So if you think the system is rigged, you’re not alone and your fears are not unfounded.
And both parties appear to be guilty. Continue reading
I’m too old to trick or treat.
I don’t have kids to take trick or treating. I’m not really into costumes, either, and because I can get drunk any day of the week that I choose, I don’t really need some elaborate Halloween party with dry-ice and unsanitary homemade punch. (Bat-shaped cookies are pretty stupid, too)
I like scary stuff, though. Continue reading
The past year or so has been a wild ride for KC’s resident fire-slinging, beat-thumping, acrobatic performance troupe, Quixotic Fusion…
They did the highly publicized TED thing out in California, played some big festivals, and opened a brand new show at the Midland.
Later this week we’ll have a chat with some members of the group to talk about what they’re getting up to now. But first, we’re hyping their November 9th show at KU’s Lied Center in Lawrence. Continue reading
Walt Disney Company chairman Alan Horn today signed a $4.05 billion deal to acquire LUCASFILM from company founder and creator of the star Wars franchise, George Lucas.
Kathleen Kennedy who currently serves as Lucasfilm’s co-chair will become president of the new Disney division as well as executive producer on future Star Wars films. Continue reading
From worst to first…
That’s movie and entertainment writer Jon Niccum‘s new found claim to fame. Niccum, as you may know, is the dude who essentially took Robert Butler‘s place reviewing movies for the Kansas City Star. He’s also the former entertainment editor of The Pitch and Lawrence Journal World.
Not a bad resume, but there’s more.
Some time back Niccum started a website called The Worst Gig. It’s mission: assemble and document a collection of ridiculously gawdawful stories from famous artists and musicians ranging from Tori Amos, Wilco and The Flaming Lips to Jane’s Addiction, Pat Metheny, Ted Nugent, Grace Potter and Dweezil Zappa.
You know, to name a few. Continue reading
Let’s have a little fun, shall we?
Check out entertainment industry lawyer and blogger Bob Lefsetz sobering takes on some of your favorite music and entertainment industry icons:
On Charlie Sheen
If you’re on TV as an end unto itself, you’re close to the end. Just wait for cancellation or the termination of your contract. An analogue is Charlie Sheen. He’s only good as a TV star, he can’t go back on the road, his cable show gets him paid but he’s fallen off the radar screen, he’s never on TMZ or Radar. Charlie made the mistake of not knowing who he was. And not knowing that everybody’s got a boss. Hell, that’s the goal of being a rock star, to have no boss, which is why when you whore yourself out to corporations, you’re in trouble. A rock star’s only boss is his audience. And when done right, your audience follows you, just ask Neil Young.
******* Continue reading
Unlike Kansas City in 1977, New Yorkers were ready for the worst…
Hurricane Sandy hit, closed down the city, left 16 dead but New York was prepared for the attack. I spoke to one of my talent agents, Roger Paul this morning who lives in New York City.
“I’m safe,” he told me. “I look out my window and it looks like a scene from the TV show ‘Walking Dead’ – empty streets the subways closed, Wall Street flooded but it could have been worse. It isn’t 911.”
Paul said he expected things to all be somewhat back to normal by Wednesday.
Weather’s something outside of our control, kinda like the economy. Continue reading
This past Friday a legend of Kansas City nightlife, passed away…
Without question Victor Fontana, was one of THE men about town in the ’70s, ’80s and into the ’90s. Like no other.
Victor owned and operated so many clubs and restaurants it would take nearly forever to name them all. By far the most famous was his 1970s Westport area smash hit Fanny’s. It was a nightclub, restaurant and lounge like no other in our city. It was the talk of the town.
The food was gourmet Italian / excellent and every big name in town called for a reservation behind those big darkened windows that separated the upscale restaurant from the dance floor.
Disco was king and the crowds were upscale with people from the Plaza and Johnson County. Continue reading
Let’s talk about, oh, investigative journalism for a minute…
Specifically WaterFire, of KC’s most over-hyped non-event, event. Think of it as an outdoor, New Age send-up featuring “55 floating braziers” in Brush Creek with a mix of performances by local arts groups, fire eaters, jugglers and the like.
WaterFire’s sixth incarnation went down Saturday and was covered Sunday by intrepid Kansas City Star “hot fuel” expert Steve Everly.
But wait… Continue reading
The Top 5 Signs You’ve Encountered a New Yorker Fleeing Hurricane Sandy:
#5. They won’t stop complaining about your city’s bad delis.
#4. Someone asks you the entrance to the nearest subway…in Omaha.
#3. You get them really angry and their accent changes. Continue reading
After touring the country, opening for the likes of the Dave Matthews Band and Gomez, Lawrence’s Quiet Corral triumphantly returned and drew a strong crowd at Granada Friday…
The band took the stage in its usual fashion, with many of its six members pounding drums and auxiliary percussion, including a huge marching band bass drum that was strapped to lead singer Braswell Roberts’ chest. The band wailed away, building into a rhythmic frenzy before launching full steam into its set. Continue reading
It certainly was an odd way to make a new product announcement…
New Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish‘s explanation of how the newspaper will begin charging readers for digital content – access to the Star‘s website – was an odd duck to say the least. Parrish rambled on almost aimlessly about different names for the new policy before settling on the fact that “whatever it is you’d like to call it…essentially, we’re going to charge a little bit for people to get our digital content.”
A little bit, eh? Continue reading
Oh great, now K State may NOT get the title game…
Media talk has begun saying that because K State is a nobody team in the sports media and the NCAA, either Notre Dame or Oregon may get the nod for the BCS title game likely against Alabama.
Thanks, OU!
It’s likely with their 5 or 6 wins over ranked teams (a number that could go up or down pending on what happens to some future teams K State plays), K State will be number 1 or 2 in the BCS.
However Notre Dame is well, Notre Dame – God’s Team. Continue reading
It’s come to this…
The Chiefs are now being called by many “THE WORST TEAM IN NFL HISTORY.”
Hard to argue that one. We have the two worst quarterbacks in the NFL, that’s pretty much official. And soon our beloved team in red will break the turnover record for a single season.
We have no stars – Jamaal Charles is no longer able to go even two yards. He was out rushed by Turnover King Matt THE FRANCHISE Cassel. The former star running back had five carries for about, oh, who cares?
This team is just awful. Continue reading
