By JASON HARPER
Local politicians don't know where the Embassy is; midtown scenesters don't know that it's still open. But the spacious, two-room storefront bar at the intersection of Main and Westport Road is most definitely still open, and its Monday night hip-hop open mic, hosted by KC's patriarchal Heet Mob, is alive and well.
Today we travel to Manchester, Tennessee to recap three days at Bonnaroo. Click below to see what you missed and didn't miss. Photos by Mark Austin.
By JASON HARPER
Guess how many dogs the winner of Mercy Seat's Hot Dog Eating Contest this past First Friday ate? 40? No way. 20? Not even close. 13? Nope. Seven. And he was a big guy, too, according to reports. Maybe the hot dogs were really big, too, like, the size of huskies. Who can say? I missed the competitive eating, but I caught the rest of the action in the alley behind Mercy Seat Tattoo, pretty much a Midtown music-scene enclave amid the Crossroads galleries. There was art at Mercy Seat, too, an opening for Eric Easton. And outside, free beer and free music from Elkhart and the Belles.
Shaun Hamontree of American Catastrophe enjoys a free Flying Monkey.
Click on Wayne Coyne's bubble to view our photos from this year's Wakarusa festival.
The Peanut celebrated their reopening last night with Hip Hop and Hotwings. Click the photo to view our slideshow.
By JASON HARPER
That head-swallowing afro wig, pink striped bathrobe and red Gibson SG belong to none other than Adam Stotts, frontman for the bands Overstep and the Lucky Graves and, most recently, Solid Gold Easy, a classic-rock-themed, three-piece cover band that played two sets this past Sunday night at Fred P. Ott's on the Plaza.
Joining Stotts are drummer/backup singer Mike Cochran (ex-Be/Non) and Austin Bell (ex-Vehicle).
Follow the link for a costume change.
By JASON HARPER
If you can look more jaunty with your jacket thrown over your shoulder while strolling through the Plaza than Larry Kirwan did this past Saturday, then you should run for office. I encountered the author and legendary leader of Irish/Bronx-based rock band Black 47 at the Bloomsday Books tent, where they were selling Black 47 CDs and DVDs, plus copies of Kirwan's book Green Suede Shoes. Kirwan was in town to discuss his memoir and the art of non-fiction writing at the Kansas City Literary Festival, which lasted most of the day and occupied a good portion of the Plaza's southwest corner.
Kirwan looks a bit like Larry David in a wig and is just as smart and funny but is fearlessly political (and politically fearless). I quickly bought up a copy of his band's 1993 major-label debut, Fire of Freedom. Kirwan gave me change for my $20 out of his own pocket and talked about working with album producer Ric Ocasek as he signed the insert of my CD. Nice as hell, that Kirwan.
MP3s & more shenanigans after the jump
Actually, that's just Tim Braun, newest member of Lights & Siren, and his bandmate/boss Anna Cole. Braun, former guitarist for the Supernauts, joined L&S a couple of weeks ago to fill the shoes of Jenny Carr, who left the band, Anna says, to pursue her own projects.
Look for Lights & Siren's debut, Our Hands Make Waves, later this summer.
Cheers!
By JASON HARPER
Last night at the Record Bar, Dead Girls Ruin Everything co-frontman JoJo Longbottom took the stage with a fractured left heel.
I probably should've posted this yesterday. Forgive me. Saturday night's Sonic Spectrum Anniversary show yielded a moment of pure bliss when up-and-coming Lawrence songwriter and Range Lifer Suzannah Johannes joined Ghosty on stage for a lovely cover of "Tell Me Why," the first song off After the Gold Rush.
Not familiar with the song?
Send your scene snapshots to jason.harper@pitch.com.
Closing off his band's CD release party this past Friday night at the Jackpot with a one-song encore, Roseline frontman Colin Halliburton donned a bra that was provided by an audience member. And, lo, the brancore was born.
The brancore is any encore that involves a borrowed bra. The bra can be worn either in the manner Halliburton demonstrates or on the head in "bramulke" fashion.
This is not to be confused with "bra-core," a style of brassiere metal that hasn't been invented; nor is it "brah-core," as typified by O.A.R. Neither of Friday night's opening acts, Fourth of July and Arthur Dodge, fit into these categories.
Send your scene snapshots to jason.harper@pitch.com
