Tag Archives: Matthew Donnelly
Donnelly: Ryan Smith (Almost) Guarantees It, Sporting KC To Break Out of Funk
It seems like London around here lately. What with the fog and rain and all. So on the recommendation of London native and Sporting Kansas City winger Ryan Smith, I’ve been rocking a little Marsha Ambrosius.
It’s not really like that in London, though, explains Smith. "London is decent, we have decent weather, I don’t know why we’re associated with cold rainy grey, it’s not like that. Some days are like that of course."
And unfortunately, some months are like that if you are Sporting Kansas City, who take their own personal rain cloud wherever they go lately. Depressing, I know.
Let’s try and think of something else for a moment…
Donnelly: Arcade Fire at Starlight Theater, April 20, 2011
Some bands exist under the mainstream radar for a long time, earning a loyal following and some indie accolades, before coming to the realization that in order to be commercially successful, a bit of bending to the will of the corporate machine is necessary.
This is usually when the music suffers.
No longer are songs written simply for the sake of being a good song. Other considerations emerge: Can this sound cross over? Is thehook catchy enough, but still with an edge? Is my hairstyle weird enough for people to take me seriously as a musician?
But not Arcade Fire.
Sounds Good: The Civil Wars@The Bottleneck; Ghosty@The Replay; Interpol@Beaumont Club
For those of you that missed Nathaniel Rateliff at the Bottleneck a few weeks ago, slap yourself in the mouth… now.
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
You know you messed up. (Read the review down below somewhere, then think about why you don’t own any throwing knives).
The fifty of us that did go to that desolate Friday night show were treated to stripped down songs with raw emotion spilling off the stage and splashing onto our shoes.
I know, gross right?
A similarly intimate show might be brewing Friday at the same iconic venue…
Donnelly: Sporting KC’s Teal Bunbury Talks About US Soccer, Dreams of Playing in Europe
Teal Bunbury talks really fast. You can tell he has lots of ideas of his own, but sometimes he tries to just say the "right" thing.
After all, he wants to be a good teammate. And he wants to be a good employee.
And by all accounts, he is both.
And he’s barely 21 years old. And, oh yeah, he wants to go play in Europe and will probably get a shot at that real soon.
I’ve said it before, KC: enjoy Teal while you can, because sooner rather than later you’ll be watching him Sunday mornings on FSC…
Donnelly: Always Change A Losing Strategy – SKC Flounders at Columbus
Over the weekend Sporting KC lost to Columbus, 1-0, in a game that many had pegged as a win.
This dropped SKC to 1-2-1.
There are not a lot of positives to take away from the game, and in fact, the team seems to have reverted back to its 2010 form.
SKC managed just one or two shots on goal for the entire game.
Yes, the ownership group is passionate and innovative and yes, the stadium looks sweet – but that doesn’t matter without the result on the field.
The next few games will be key in determining just how big of a party we can expect for the home opener at the new stadium on June 9th.
Donnelly: Plain White T’s at the Bottleneck, April 12, 2011
"Let’s make this a moment, Lawrence," urged lead singer Tom Higgenson as girls and women screamed uncontrollably. No panties or bras were flying through the air or anything, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if they had been.
Higgenson was about to play "Hey There Delilah" solo, on a makeshift stage at the back of the room following the full band’s set. The effect was executed well, and Higgenson got back to the stage without being ripped to shreds by teens and cougars alike.
Just think what would’ve happened if they hadn’t played "Delilah," the song that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 a few years back, and that you might pay someone to erase from your memory permanently (it’s pretty catchy).
Bad things…
Sounds Good: Fourth of July @ Bottleneck, Amon Amarth @ Granada, Soft Reeds @ Replay, Jeff Beck @ Uptown
Don’t do it for me. Do it for you. 
This weekend, check out a couple of great local bands that you really need to see, if you haven’t by now.
And also, maybe think about checking out a Viking Rock band.
Yes, there is such a thing.
You can even wear your viking hat and chain mail that’s been collecting dust since the ren fest. Of course it makes you look cool. I’m not just saying that…
Donnelly: Nathaniel Rateliff at the Bottleneck, April 1, 2011
"I’m fat, I can’t read, I have no education, I’m horrible at mathematics, I can’t spell, my vocabulary is really shitty," explained Nathaniel Rateliff as he sipped on a bourbon and seven.
Cigarette smoke filled the dingy upstairs band room at the Bottleneck, combining with the smell of stale beer from years of road bands.
Rateliff wants to explain…
Donnelly: Sporting KC Salvages A Draw From Wild Finish In Canada
On Saturday in Vancouver, Sporting Kansas City did the near impossible.
Despite leading the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 going into the last twenty minutes of the game, by the final whistle the scoreboard read 3-3. Vancouver took advantage of what looked like a tired Sporting side and never gave up, equalizing the game with three goals in the last twenty minutes- including two goals in stoppage time- to rip two extremely important points away from SKC.
There were, however, some real positives for SKC, prior to its meltdown…
Donnelly: Bright Eyes Disses Kansas Pols at the Uptown, Saturday April 2, 2011
Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst is a dramatic guy. Some critics might say that’s his downfall. The self-importance, the grand ideas, and the naivete that permeate his music.
Those people think, "Is this guy for real? This is some sappy, self-aware, sentimental, emo crap."
Fair enough.
And apparently, he’s not big on Republicans. More on that later…
Sounds Good: Bill Cosby @ Midland, Nathaniel Rateliff @ Bottleneck & Bright Eyes @ Uptown
Friday, April 1st
Bill Cosby at the Midland in KC
Bill Cosby’s standup routine is definitely not dirty, not a curse word to be found. But it is funny. One of the Great American Storytellers, Cosby has perfected his craft of delivering conversational tales of family, children, and the seemingly mundane details of life. Yes, he is a master. I mean, who else could kill with a bit about ice cream? Or about visiting the dentist? Or driving his kids to school?
If you appreciate comedy and have never seen Bill Cosby in person, don’t wait, now’s your chance. Though the show is sold out there are tickets available at several online broker sites. His recent shows have been receiving consistently good reviews, and at 73, who knows how much longer the Cos will keep touring? Free pudding pops to the first thousand through the door!
Donnelly: Ochocinco Better With His Hands, Not Offered Pro Contract; LIVESTRONG Stadium Porn
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Sporting Kansas City announced earlier this week that Chad Ochocinco would not be receiving a contract offer. They did, however, offer Chad the title of "honorary member." 
"Honorary member?" That’s kinda like Larry the Cable Guy getting an honorary degree from MIT.
So what does this mean?
A couple things.
It means Ochocinco’s soccer skills and soccer fitness are nowhere near the level required to play in the MLS, or most other pro leagues for that matter. Not even close. But we knew this, right? (No? You need to read my stuff more, it’s spot on.)…
Donnelly: Sporting KC Loses In Chicago 3-2, Bravo Issued Questionable Red Card
Scrambling to piece together a lineup prior to Saturday’s contest at the Chicago Fire, Sporting KC boss Peter Vermes was forced to 
construct a starting XI unlike any other he’s used over the past few seasons. Between injuries and national team call-ups, SKC was without Julio Cesar (starting center back), Michael Harrington (starting right back), Shavar Thomas (defender), Luke Sassano (defender), Kei Kamara (starting forward), and Ryan Smith (forward).
Vermes did the best he could by sliding left back Roger Espinoza into the center of defense alongsde Matt Besler, and sticking underachieving Chance Myers at left back, with newbie Scott Lorenz at the right back spot. Also, Vermes used a 4-4-2 formation instead of the normal 4-3-3.
Recipe for disaster? Yeah, kind of…
Donnelly: Sporting Kansas City Should Never Have Let Chad Ochocinco Try Out
Today marks Day One of the traveling three ring circus known as Chad Ochocinco’s “Tryout” with Sporting KC. I’ve gone back and forth on this since the announcement.
On the one hand, I can theoretically understand why SKC would invite Ochocinco in for a few days. Let’s face it MLS is not exactly on the tip of most sports fans’ tongues.
In fact, there’s an almost unnatural distaste for soccer among some of the meathead NFL crowd.
They see soccer as a euro-centric pageant where guys with frosted tips and mullets roll around on the ground every time they get touched by an opposing player. So maybe, in a way, getting the support of a legit NFL star could help to bridge this gap between the D&D MLS diehards and fans of big time American sports.
And that’s a big maybe.
Sounds Good: James McMurtry, Lewis Black, and the ACBs
Like a moth to a flame, this week’s must-see shows will suck you in, but may ultimately contribute to your untimely demise…
The first, with a grizzled and honest desperation. The second, with insanely maniacal exasperation.
And the third……… with a huge gun.
I know, scary, right?
Okay, just kidding about the huge gun thing – kinda – not about the first two though…
Donnelly: Sporting’s Matt Besler Steps Up, SKC Defeats Chivas USA 3-2 in Opener
It’s no secret. Last year’s version of Sporting KC (something called the Wizards) had issues at the center back position. 
In what was Peter Vermes’ first full season as coach, the team picked up the bad habit of giving up “soft goals.”
How did this happen?
A day or so before the first game of the 2010 campaign, longtime captain and veteran central defender Jimmy Conrad was stripped of the captaincy in favor of midfielder Davy Arnaud. Obviously, Vermes and Conrad had some issues. Many sensed that Conrad’s days in KC were numbered.
Despite the demotion, Conrad continued to start at the center defender position.
As the soft goals continued to mount, Vermes scrambled to shore up the back line with a variety of players – Pablo Escobar (later cut), Shavar Thomas, Matt Besler, Nick Kounenakis (later cut) – but nothing seemed to work, and the Wizards missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Disappointing and unacceptable by the standards of the new ownership group, OnGoal.
Donnelly: Hanging Chad to party with Sporting KC. For Real but For What?
Apparently, the impending NFL lockout is worrying even some of the league’s biggest stars…
Players are tightening their belts, forgoing the purchase of that 10th gaudy necklace, reigning in their budgets for Vegas benders, and even getting second jobs to pick up the slack.
Enter merry prankster Chad Ochocinco. Apparently, the Cincinnati Bengals receiver wants to work in KC this offseason, but not with his hands…
And now Sporting Kansas City has just announced that they have invited Mr. Ochocinco in for a four day trial period, after which they’ll determine if they want to keep the star wide receiver around for a bit longer.
Publicity stunt? Not so fast.
Sounds Good: Patio Show @ Replay, Galactic @ Granada & DeVotchKa, Quixotic @ Midland
I love St. Patrick’s Day. Granted I’m of Irish heritage, so not only can I drink a whole lot, I’m also transluscent. You can basically see my heart beating through my skin.
Oh, there are other benefits too. Like, for example, I have an extremely short temper. And I have a taste for truly repellant food.
Yes, these are things that I enjoy every day just by virtue of being born Irish-American. But on this one day, you too can see what it’s like to be a real Irishman.
First things first, you’re gonna need a bucket and a shitload of green beer…
Sounds Good: The Noise FM, Wooten & Clarke, and Keller Williams This Weekend
This weekend there will be some great opportunities to check a few things off that dreaded to-do list…
#1 – See a rockin’ band before they hit it big, so you can be the asshole that tells everyone about it for the next decade even though you barely remember the show because you were ridiculously shitfaced.
Check.
#2 – See a couple of musical legends performing together and pretend like you understand just how expertly they have perfected their craft.
Check.
#3 – Pay twenty bucks to watch some guy that makes funny sounds with his mouth.
And check… Wait- what?… Tell me more about the mouth thing…
Donnelly: Cynics Finds Ways to Bash Sporting KC Stadium Naming Rights Charity Partner
There’s just no pleasing some people – even when it comes to donating money to charity for cancer research…
The announcement came today that the beautiful new soccer stadium sitting at the Village West would be henceforth known as LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. That’s right, instead of cashing a hefty check and slapping a for-profit corporate logo on the side, Sporting KC brass decided to hype Lance Armstrong‘s charitable, cancer-fighting organization.
For free.
And get this, not only does LIVESTRONG not pay Sporting KC a dime, but a portion of ALL STADIUM REVENUES will help fund the nonprofit effort to fight cancer.
Wow. Um, why?…
