R.I.P., Pitch

Chrissy Amphlett, Divinyls singer, dead at 53

Ben Palosaari — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:48:00 -0500

It's a wonder that Tipper Gore and her legion of censors never went after Chrissy Amphlett, lead singer of the one-hit-wonder Australian band Divinyls. Amphlett died Sunday in New York from multiple sclerosis and breast cancer at the age of 53.…

Ray Reed, Kansas City jazzman, has died

David Hudnall — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:30:00 -0600

Earlier this year, Danny's Big Easy held a benefit for the jazz vocalist and supporter Ray Reed, who was battling cancer. We're sad to report that we received word this morning that Reed has passed away.…

Gusto Lounge closing; the Ledger and Broadway Crepes to maybe open up somewhere else possibly

David Hudnall — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:55:00 -0500

At the dawn of this long, hot summer, Philipp Vitti, the operations manager at Gusto Lounge (38th and Broadway), sent out an extraordinarily verbose press release informing the public that the bar was getting a face-lift. Things would be different at the new Gusto.…

Civic Opera Theater of Kansas City dissolves

Nick Spacek — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:10:00 -0500

In a recent press release, the Kansas City Civic Opera announced that the organization will dissolve. Citing "declining funding and attendance," the volunteer group's board of directors voted to dissolve the not-for-profit corporation.…

Crosstown Station's farewell show will be a big giant party

David Hudnall — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:59:00 -0500

As of October 2, it's all over for Crosstown Station. The Crossroads venue had a good, albeit too short, run, and we're sad to see it go.…

LeRoi Johnson, king of reviewers, rides into the sunset

Scott Wilson — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:19:00 -0500

LeRoi Johnson, whose two-fisted record reviews and thoroughgoing curiosity helped define The Pitch in its first decade, has died. He was 57 and in recent years had suffered congestive heart failure, diabetes and kidney disease.…

Jeremy Formby died at Kanrocksas

Justin Kendall — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:49:00 -0500

The man who died at last weekend's Kanrocksas music festival has been identified as 26-year-old Jeremy Formby of Olathe, Kansas.

Police are waiting on the toxicology report.…

Death at Kanrocksas

David Hudnall — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:06:35 -0500

The KCK Fire Department was called to the Kanrocksas campgrounds this morning to investigate an unresponsive person, who was then pronounced dead on the scene, reports KMBC. Apparently the man was in his 20s, which sounds like an overdose or maybe dehydration.…

R.I.P. Akeem Matthews, aspiring gospel rapper

Justin Kendall — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:39:00 -0500

Kansas City, Kansas, police say the victim of Friday's homicide was 18-year-old Akeem Matthews. He was shot in the 1500 block of North 29th Street in KCK and pronounced dead at a local hospital.…

Kurt Cobain in Lawrence with William S. Burroughs

Elke Mermis — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:07:29 -0500

~~Today~~ April 8 is the 17th anniversary of the day that Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was found dead after shooting himself at age 27. Here's a photo, thanks to Rolling Stone, of author William S. Burroughs and Cobain at Burrough's Lawrence, Kansas, home.…

A memorial tribute show for KKFI 90.1's Curt "The Rocker" Mason

Elke Mermis — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:25:25 -0500

A memorial tribute show for KKFI 90.1's Curt "The Rocker" Mason will go down on March 26 at Record Bar, which is billed as "an event to honor a friend, help charities, and rock Kansas City."

Here's what the press release says:

Curt Mason hosted The Rocker on 90.1 KKFI FM for 12 years. His show was homegrown featuring custom playlists created from his own vast music collection focusing on a heavy rock music format.…
[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

In honor of the late Nate Dogg: What's his greatest hook of all time?

Nadia Pflaum — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:57:01 -0500

Nate Dogg could croon about weed, hos and other g-thangs, and make it as

smooth as a Motown love song. His silky bass could coax the panties off a mannequin.…

R.I.P., Jimmy Bond of Beatles tribute band Liverpool

Elke Mermis — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:12:56 -0600

Jimmy Bond, one of the founding members of the local Beatles tribute band Liverpool, died yesterday at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Prior to his retirement from music performance in 2006, Jimmy spent 16 years performing as "Paul" in Liverpool, and as drummer, bassist, rhythm guitarist and frontman with party band Plain Jane dating back to 1971.…

Tony DiPardo memorial service at the Hyatt today

Berry Anderson — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:42:54 -0600

Trumpeter and Chiefs super-fan Tony DiPardo, passed away last week. From 1963 to 1983, he led the Zing Band with his mighty horn, first at Municipal Stadium and then at the newly constructed Arrowhead, picking up an honorary Super Bowl ring from their 1970 championship win and scoring legions of fans as he began the legacy of the loudest stadium in the NFL.…

Pin-Up Bowl has definitely left the Legends

Berry Anderson — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:02:43 -0600

This past Monday night, I went out to the Legends in Kansas City, Kansas, to redeem a Groupon and have a few overpriced cocktails at Dave & Buster's. I stuck my face and camera against the window of Pin-Up Bowl, and this is what I saw.…

R.I.P., Charlie Louvin

Elke Mermis — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:50:00 -0600

Charlie Louvin was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 10 years ago for his work with the Louvin Brothers. Louvin had been an active musician since the '40s and was most notably recognized for his work with the Louvin Brothers.…

2010's list of dead musicians

Elke Mermis — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:59:52 -0600

We've lost a talented bunch in 2010, capped off by Big Star's beloved Alex Chilton. (It seems like forever ago that we first heard about his death, doesn't it?)…

R.I.P., Teena Marie

Elke Mermis — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:39:10 -0600

The "ivory queen of soul" died on December 26 at her home in Pasadena, California. She was 54.…

R.I.P., Captain Beefheart

Elke Mermis — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:31:59 -0600

Captain Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, died Friday. According to Entertainment Weekly, the avant-garde rock legend -- see Trout Mask Replica -- and visual artist passed away at a California hospital due to complications from multiple sclerosis.…

Where were you when John Lennon died?

Elke Mermis — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:08:10 -0600

Today is the 30th anniversary of the night that John Lennon was killed outside his apartment at the Dakota, in New York City. I am one of the many people whose life was undoubtedly influenced by Lennon's work, but I wasn't born for another six years after Lennon's life ended.…