Tag Archives: Matthew Donnelly
Sounds Good: Win Evanescence Tickets @ Midland, JJ Grey & Mofro @ Knuckleheads, Fourth of July & Ghosty @ Replay & Jimmy Buffett @ Sprint
Don’t say I never gave you anything…
Evanescence took a break after their somewhat surprise Grammy winning debut album Fallen and subsequent sophomore slump The Open Door. But they put out a self titled album in late 2011 that was more warmly received, and they’re coming to the Midland next week on April 24th in support.
And…
KCC just so happens to have a couple tickets to pass along to a deserving KC Con.
All we ask is that at the show you don’t do anything Hearne wouldn’t do, and definitely don’t do anything Glazer would do. We have an image to protect.
So tell me in the comments section why you deserve the tickets and I’ll pick someone. I’ll email the winner with the lurid details… and requirements. Or buy your own here.
Donnelly: Sporting Passes Big Test, Stays Perfect With 1-0 Win Over Real Salt Lake
It’s official.
Sporting Kansas City is killing it. No, we don’t need to get into the whole "Sporting is the best pro team rght now in Kansas City" thing, because that undermines the legitmacy of MLS soccer.
Let’s just call it like it is. SKC are 6-0, have sold out 3 of 4 home games, and have allowed one goal this whole season- and that was off a set piece as a result of a horrible call from the ref.
This past Saturday’s game at LIVESTRONG against Real Salt Lake was one that most considered a likely preview of the MLS Cup Final. Fittingly, the atmosphere was electric, as everyone’s now come to expect.
When it was all said and done, Sporting Kansas City remained perfect at 6-0, though they did finally allow a shot on goal for the first time in 335 minutes. Allegedly.
Sounds Good: Leftover Salmon@Liberty Hall, Leon Russell@Knuckleheads, Quixotic@Midland, Cults@Granada, School of Seven Bells@RiotRoom
I know I’ve said it before, but this week’s Sounds Good has something for everyone. 
OK, maybe not the sluts and motorheads. But the jocks, geeks, dweebies and dickheads are all covered.
First up is a nice happy Thursday night show in Lawrence to get your weekend off right, featuring a storied band that plays what the kids call "Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass." They’ve been on an extended break since the death of their banjo player and founding member Mark Vann at way too young an age – 39.
But they’re back and rejuvinated with a youngster, Andy Thorn, filling in admirably and providing some new life to the band….
Donnelly: Quixotic Fusion Scheduled to Freakout the Midland this Saturday
After an epic headlining set by My Morning Jacket at 2011’s Wakarusa Festival, I stumbled my way onto a local wine booth.
The wine guy was super friendly, offering liberal tastes to parched campers. He explained that Arkansas wine is pretty good, and that the market is up and coming.
It all tasted great to me, and so I lingered to get a photo and the guy’s info for inclusion in my story. As I was telling him about KC Confidential, I think a bomb went off somewhere behind me. Except instead of fleeing, people were running toward the furious sound.
I squinted through the starlight. Is that stage on fire?
Turns out, it kind of was.
Donnelly: Standing Room Crowd Watches Sporting Dismantle Donovan’s LA Galaxy
The sun finally poked through the clouds Saturday right before kickoff of the standing-room-only Sporting KC-LA Galaxy game which, to the dismay of many females in attendance, did not feature David Beckham.
In fact, Beckham didn’t even make the trip to KC as he is currently sidelined with an injury.
Straight away KC was looking to get forward, creating a half chance in the first minute. It became apparent quickly that LA, just like Chivas and Dallas, have taken notice of physical KC striker CJ Sapong and decided to do the only thing they can to slow him down.
Namely, grab him, hold him, and generally foul the shit out of him early and often.
Sounds Good: Sporting vs LA @ LIVESTRONG, Leo Kottke @ Uptown, Muder by Death @ Beaumont & Split Lip @ Bottleneck
A bunch of news that may be of interest to you awesome people who love soccer and music…
First, the soccer.
Tickets for the HUGE Sporting-LA Galaxy game this Saturday at LIVESTRONG are sold out.
However, there are still a few standing room tickets you can buy in a package that includes a ticket to the Montreal game on May 5th. And trust me, some of the standing room spots in LIVESTRONG are my favorite places to watch from, so the view will still be great. Plus, as an added bonus – you’ll be closer to the beer concession.
Think about it.
And Wakarusa pass prices are increasing this Saturday at 11:59 pm.
Donnelly: Sporting Off to Best Start Ever After Road Win at Chivas USA
Is Sporting Kansas City the best team in the MLS right now? Many knowledgeable observers think so.
KC is red hot right now, and they made history on Sunday with their 1-0 win at Chivas USA. Sporting moved to 4-0 on the season, the best start ever for the KC club.
Was it pretty? No, especially the first half that saw both teams engage in some physical play while creating few real chances.
But an away win is huge, no matter what it looks like and Chivas’ 0-3-1 record belies their talent, which includes speedy former KC winger Ryan Smith. Smith left Sporting early last season citing "family issues." In fact, the home side looked like the most dangerous team Sporting has faced yet this season, though luck wasn’t on their side as several near-chances missed the mark, including one off the post that should have been a goal.
Donnelly: Yonder Mountain String Band Channels Earl Scruggs @ Liberty Hall, March 29, 2012
With the passing of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs Wednesday, Thursday night’s Yonder Mountain String Band show at Liberty Hall became something of a tribute to the banjo pioneer.
Right off the bat, mando player Jeff Austin paid his respects, calling Scruggs an innovator and an influence. Later in the show, bassist Ben Kaufmann alluded to the fact that without Scruggs, YMSB would not be what they are today.
Indeed, Scruggs paved the way for today’s contemporary bluegrass and country acts, and is credited with basically inventing the three finger rolling style that most people automatically associate with banjo-playing.
Yonder belted out multiple Scruggs numbers over the course of two sets and an encore- along with their usual assortment of barn burners and ballads- to a raucous 2/3 full room of beards and summer dresses…
Sounds Good: Yonder Mountain@Liberty Hall (for real), Tyler Gregory@Barnyard, Adam Corolla@Uptown, Late Night Callers@Bottleneck
Do I have to do everything around here?… 
I mean, we’re in the midst of a magical ride in Larryville– and nothing? We’re surfing atop a wave of momentum that had thousands of crimson and blue crazies filling Mass Street last weekend.
Conversations of Jayhawk Nation are filling up message boards, Facebook posts, Twitter, and dominating water cooler talk. Just a few short months ago, could anyone have imagined it?
No, I’m not talking about KU’s Final Four run per se. I’m talking about #KUBoobs.
Where are you when we need you Lefty?…
Donnelly: Sporting Stays Perfect in Come From Behind Win Over Dallas
Despite beating FC Dallas by but a single one goal, Sporting Kansas City was dominant on Sunday…
“They are much further ahead than any other team in the league and they have a lot of weapons,” said losing coach Schellas Hyndman after the match. “They play a style of soccer that is very disruptive, both going forward and defending. I don’t think there is another team in the league playing at the level they’re playing at.”
That’s high praise considering the game was knotted at 1-1 going into the 88th minute. If not for several top notch saves by former KC keeper Kevin Hartman, Sporting could have easily scored 4 or 5 goals.
Sound familiar?
Donnelly: The Million Dollar Quartet @ Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Most people are familiar with the iconic photo of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis…
The one taken the night of December 4, 1956 at a jam session at Sun Studios in Memphis. Part of what makes the photo so powerful is the youth of the musicians all but one of whom (Lewis) are deceased.
It was a simpler time, before the sequined jumpsuits, the scandals and the drug abuse.
Obviously, all of them went on to become legends.
And that night is what The Million Dollar Quartet is all about. It unfolds now through Sunday at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. I caught the show Wednesday night before a packed house.
Sounds Good: Yonder Mountain@Liberty Hall, Andrew Bird@Uptown, Kinetiks@Jackpot
OK music fiends…
Concert season is nearly upon us. So make sure you get your mind, body, and soul prepared. I mean, you don’t want to pull something.
How does one go about preparing mind, body, and soul for the rigors of an epic concert season? Simple.
First, get yourself a bucket and fill it with beer. Second, drink the bucket of beer. Third, place the bucket on your head.
That’s it folks. Now don’t get too cocky, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Oh, and go check out these shows…
Donnelly: Sporting Pummels Reduced New England Revs in Home Opener
St. Patty’s Day at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park offered the 20,000 plus in attendance more than just a green beer hangover and an Irish jig performed by two of the biggest, blackest leprechauns you’ve ever seen.
The place was juiced as the opening whistle blew, the heavy bass blasting on the sound system, nearly drowning out the chants from the sold-out Cauldron.
Head coach Peter Vermes even wore a suit, so you know it was a special night.
Sounds Good: Galactic@Liberty Hall, Jane’s Addiction@Uptown, Kepi@Replay, Elders@Uptown St. Pats, We Were Promised Jetpacks@Riot Room
I don’t even have time to… 
It’s jam packed with great shows to go to along with a disturbingly nice basketball tournament. Could it set up any better for a Lawrence chap?
We’ve got KU on Friday along with Kepi at the Replay, St. Patty’s/barf at LIVESTRONG Saturday Night, more KU Sunday, then we all get jetpacks! Like we were promised.
Who’s with me?…
Donnelly: Ava Luna & Night Moves at the Jackpot in Lawrence, March 9, 2012
“What do you guys do for fun around here in Lawrence, drink?”
The question was posed midway through Night Moves set at the Jackpot on Friday, where the new Minnesota band was opening for NYC headliner Ava Luna. The audience glanced nervously around, nodding and shuffling their feet.
Pretty much, yeah. Well, that and watch basketball.
With the crowd now fully engaged by their witty stage banter, Night Moves busted into another psych-rock soundscape, the boom boom bass combining with a hip hop backbeat. The lead vocals were high and reverb-soaked, in the now crowded vein of MGMT or Band of Horses.
Donnelly: Ashes to Immortality@The Barnyard, March 8, 2012
I took a sip of Barnyard Beer’s Bonfire Porter and looked around the room.
Hay bales bordered the stage at one end, concealing a recording setup that local country station 92.9 The Bull brought out to document the whole affair. The Bull was on hand to tape the bands’ sets, edit them down a bit, and then air them on what will become a weekly bluegrass/Americana program called LIVE!stock at Barnyad Beer.
On stage was Lawrence’s Menage of Twang picking through some original bluegrass/country tunes with a standard setup of guitar, banjo, upright bass, fiddle, and washboard.
The room sounded good, aided by the 100 plus bodies filling the wide open space that is the Barnyard. Towards the end of their opening set they launched into Take the Night Train to Memphis, which featured a nice down-home fiddle run that highlighted their set.
Donnelly: Sapong Stunner Earns Sporting 3 Points in Season Debut
In a moment reminiscent of Sporting KC’s first game of 2011, sturdy striker CJ Sapong again notched a crucial goal.
If you recall, in Sapong’s MLS debut last year he buried a goal just two minutes into the game, helping KC to a 3-2 win at Chivas USA.
This time, Sapong took a little more time to capitalize after he came on as a sub for the last fifteen minutes. But the result was the same – a road win to open the season at DC United. And this time, Sapong waited until the 93rd minute to do so…
Sounds Good: Ashes to Immortality@Barnyard, Ava Luna@Jackpot, Radiohead@Sprint
A little something for everyone this week…
I’ll break it down for you:
If you’re a beer fan, you’ve ever skinny dipped in only cowboy boots, and you would certainly try a homemade possum recipe, then The Barnyard‘s the place for you Thursday night.
If you’re the adventurous type looking for something new, something that might put you a bit out of your element, and you enjoy thick rimmed glasses and semi-choreographed stage dancing by three girls from NYC, check out the Jackpot Friday.
And if you’re a lucky SOB and you already have tickets for Sprint Center Sunday – Yep, it’s Radiohead week.
On to the picks…
Donnelly: Can Sporting Repeat Last Season’s Success with Essentially the Same Roster?
If you’re not gaining ground, you’re losing it, right?
Though expectations are sky-high for Sporting KC heading into the 2012 season, they’re basically the exact same squad as last year, maybe even a tad weaker.
Most MLS pundits rank Sporting as one of the favorites in the league heading into their first game March 10th at DC United. And it kinda makes sense on paper considering they won the East last year and return every starter from the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Houston Dynamo.
Plus the club has added a few veteran players – like Bobby Convey to replace Omar Bravo – and Paulo Nagamura to fill the middle where Davy Arnaud once roamed.
But is that enough?
Donnelly: Kansas Craft Beer Expo@Abe & Jake’s, March 3, 2012
The Kansas Craft Bee
r Expo was a smashing success weeks before the doors opened this past Saturday at 1:00 in Lawrence…
The $30 tickets sold out in about a week, leaving many who had initially balked at the price tag scrounging to find extras. The event was held at Abe & Jake’s Landing, which boasts a large and unique room with balconies, terraces, a stage, a side pub, weird art sprawled all over the place, and a porch overlooking the Kansas River.
On Saturday, the place packed in about 700 thirsty revelers.
Good thing there was plenty beer…
