It's been a quiet winter, concert-wise, for the Gaslights -- which is to be expected as frontwoman Abigail Henderson continues her cancer treatments. But ray of sunshine has broken through da haze: The band has just announced a new album due out this summer, and you can download the first single, "California," for free below or at thegaslights.com. I think we could all use a taste of the Golden State right about now.
Catch the Gaslights live this Saturday, April 4, at the Czar Bar, with Expassionates.
Our friend and Ultra Music contest winner Shaun Duval has just returned from the Winter Music Conference in Miami -- got home last night, in fact -- and he's still in the mood to celebrate. Download his new, WMC-inspired DJ mix below.
Reports Duval: "I had a blast in Miami. Highlights were DJ Mehdi, Sasha, Mark Farina and a couple of dudes called Goldfish from South Africa."
Thanks for the mix, Shaun. Keep spinning the DJ gold. (Mix tracklist after jump.)
Uh-oh, Kansas City Live isn't happy with the so-called dress-code compromise. I just got this e-mail.
rights" of the P&L businesses and "denies private businesses the
right to run their own business."
He adds:
This is an urgent matter because it could possibly go to vote this Thursday, April 2nd. If passed it will no doubt affect the safety and livelihood of hundreds of employees and millions of visitors as well as hundreds of business partners.
The Kansas City Business Journal apparently got ahold of an e-mail sent to The Kansas City Star's advertisers saying the daily will combine its main news and local sections -- and business section four days a week -- in the next week or 10 days.
The Biz Journal quotes the e-mail saying the business section will be folded into a main-local section on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Tuesday business tabloid section will continue. Also, sports and classifieds will be combined every day but Sunday, and FYI will remain separate except on Thursday, when it becomes one with Preview.
Last Friday was the final day of work for many of the Star staffers who were let go in a fourth round of layoffs.
KCK Police released the name of the woman found shot to death last Thursday in the 7200 block of Gilmore Avenue. The victim was 20-year-old Olivia M. Anaekwe of Shawnee, Kansas.
Tipsters should call 913-573-6020 or 816-474-8477.
The in word of the moment -- thanks to the movie I Love You Man -- is "bromance": two straight men who are so close, they share almost everything. "Almost" being the key word. I'll leave you to decide whether the relationship between Quizno's worker Scott and the sandwich oven is a bromance or something more.
With lines like "put it in me, Scott" and the name "torpedo sub," I'm leaning toward Scott and the sandwich oven getting it on. At the beginning, when Hal 9000 the sandwich oven says "Scott, I want you to do something," Scott looks down at his groin region and says he's "not doing that again. That burned." You don't need a dirty mind to figure that one out.
Which brings up an even more unsettling thought:
The health of Crawdaddy magazine founder Paul Williams (not the Muppets-identified '70s singer-songwriter) has been in decline since a bicycle accident in 1995 caused serious brain damage. In an entry today on the Web site Boing Boing, author Jonathan Lethem tells readers that Williams, 60, now requires full-time care -- a huge financial liability on top of the devastating emotional effects his family already feels.
The tone and style of pop-music coverage in the age of blogging can trace its lineage to Williams, who started Crawdaddy when he was still a teenager. (The zine is archived at wolfgangsvault.com; click the Crawdaddy up top.) Lethem sums up Williams' contribution and the alternative press's debt to him best:
Apart from being a true Founding Father of 'rock writing,' and Philip
K. Dick's literary executor ... for anyone with a curiosity about the formation of
world-changing subcultures through grassroots media, Paul was there
when blogging was a twinkle in a mimeograph eye.
The difficulties Paul's wife, the singer Cindy Lee Berryhill,
and his son, Alexander, now face due to Paul's need for full-time care
are an opportunity for crowd-sourcing at its best. This is a rotten
time to be hitting anyone up for contributions for anything, but it is
simply the case that if everyone who acknowledged how Paul changed
their life by his music-writing and editing -- or by his efforts
propagating the writings of Phil Dick back into prominence -- were to
give even five or ten dollars it would transform a very unfortunate
situation. (If everyone whose life had been changed by Paul's work but
didn't even know his name were to contribute, they'd build his family a
castle.)
Last year Fat City called locally crafted Honor Vodka the wasabi of vodka and said it was "like swallowing a swath of silk with a torch tied to the end." Both comments were meant as compliments and it turns out real vodka judges agree. Lawrence-distilled Honor Vodka won a silver medal last week at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, a blind-tasting where big and small companies compete directly against each other.
The competition may not be a household name but carries a lot of weight among retailers and restaurants who count on the judges to pick spirits their customers will like. Out of the 84 vodkas submitted from around the world, Honor Vodka received the third-highest honors. (The highest award is double-gold and second is gold.)
Honor co-founder Josh Burnett said it was the first competition the company has entered at any level. "We wanted to see how we would do against international competition and for public awareness... I was very happy to win silver. It would have been great to get a gold but look at Stoli, the best-selling vodka in the world -- we tied them. If you can tie the best-selling vodka in the world that's special."
Burnett said that neither he nor other Honor founder Cory Brock went to the competition because they are too busy here. They're trying to expand distribution into Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. "We started small out of the gate but we're looking to expand... this award will help our distributors sell our product better."
Currently, Honor Vodka is available statewide in Kansas and in many parts of Missouri, including most liquor stores in Kansas City. It retails for around $19, significantly cheaper than other silver medalists like the $35 Chopin or $50 Crystal-Head.
Kansas City Police released the names of two homicide victims this morning. Yesterday, the body of 19-year-old Talisha Williams was found in a yard in the 1600 block of East 40th Street.
The KCPD also released the name of 27-year-old Mark Ashley, whose body was found by a relative in the 5500 block of Woodland Avenue.
In both cases, no suspects are in custody and anyone with tips should call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
Finding free complimentary food is an art form lost on most but college students and journalists. With times being what they are, people are looking for short-cuts wherever they can and Arizona Republic writer Scott Craven was quick to round-up the best complimentary eats.
Some of Craven's ideas are practical if not very inventive. Yes, a person can snack like royalty at Costco (Saturday afternoons are the best) but every Costco member knows that and the Costco membership itself costs $50. What Craven doesn't tell readers is that Costco's business membership credit cards look exactly like silver American Express cards except with a small picture in the corner. I've heard from non-members that flashing a regular American Express card is quite effective at gaining entrance into Costco. You won't be able to buy anything but if your goal is just free samples it works like a charm.
Another of Craven's tips is that you can exploit many churches' free doughnuts and coffee. Again, a good tip that could go farther. I would never condone crashing a church picnic or dinner but a quick Google search showed that it could probably be done with almost no effort.
Where I have to vehemently disagree with Craven is his tip called "Mex Best":
Dewey's Pizza (in Ohio and St. Louis), crust is doughy and light, toppings are amazing,…
Pappadeaux, Whataburger, Raising Cane's, Krystals
Portillos, Goodtimes burgers from Denver, Maggianos,
Chovy's Italian from Meadville, PA!
Is there going to be a parade?
Which out-of-town restaurant would you lobby to bring to KC?
The Gaf has closed in Waldo
DelHi Soul Food Buffet closes in KCK
OSHA orders reinstatement of Wolf Creek whistle-blower
Kanrocksas single-day tickets now on sale
KC Pride Festival 2013? Yes, it's still on
Pitch Taste of KC beats the weather, draws 700 hungry people
Police leave Union Station after suspicious package found