When the Deftones last came through Kansas City, the alterna-heavy quintet was in the process of rebounding from the long-term loss of original bass player Chi Cheng, a series of divorces, and a sluggish writing process that had created no small measure of internal friction. The situation had begun to improve in 2008, when work commenced on what was to be the band’s sixth album, Eros (now shelved for a future release date that's as yet TBD), but then Cheng was severely injured in a car accident. Bassist Sergio Vega, who’s filling in on a semi-permanent basis as Cheng remains in a semi-conscious state, checked in withThe Pitch in 2011 to talk about the band’s uplifted mood and improved creative process. Still riding the same wave of smoother productivity and mended relations, the band returns to KC for a show at the Voodoo Lounge this Saturday in advance of its new album, Koi No Yokan, its second album with Vega. We spoke with frontman Chino Moreno days before the band set out on tour.
Actor Mark Patton talks about the horror con circuit.
Posted
by Abbie Stutzer
on Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 7:48 AM
Though Mark Patton, native Kansas Citian and actor, has played many roles, he’s best known for his interpretation of Jesse in Nightmare on Elmstreet 2: Freddy's Revenge. Patton hasn’t lived in KC for a while, but he’s returning this weekend to meet fans and horror aficionados at the Boulevard Drive-In’s Horror on the Blvd. We recently chatted with Patton over e-mail and discussed how often he gets back to KC, why he originally stopped acting, and what caused him to get back into the role-playing game.
Posted
by April Fleming
on Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 8:03 AM
A hero to literature-history-public-radio nerds, Sarah Vowell is the author of six New York Times best-selling books about American history and culture; a contributor to This American Life, the New York Times, and Salon; a McSweeney’s editor; Pixar voice actor (Violet in The Incredibles); and a really freaking funny person. Her most recent work, Unfamiliar Fishes, follows the bawdy sailors and missionaries-made-sugar-barons whose influence led Hawaii to become the 50th U.S. state.
Vowell will be at the Kansas Union in Woodruff Auditorium (1301 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence) this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. to discuss her new book. The Pitch recently caught up with Vowell by phone ahead of her visit to talk election-year politics and Kansas and Missouri history.
Daryl Hall looks to set the record straight on his band's name and music.
Posted
by David Hudnall
on Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Hair and Oates
Last week, I was waiting around for a call from John Oates, one half of '80s "rock and soul" duo Hall and Oates. (The two are at Starlight this Saturday, September 8.) When the phone rang, it was Daryl Hall on the other end. There'd been a miscommunication between me and the band's publicists somewhere along the way. It rendered many of my questions — a few of them having to do with Oates' hairstyles — unusable. I tried to salvage the interview, but Hall seemed miffed and gave mostly curt answers. It was a total missed opportunity. But he said a few interesting things; read on for the full conversation.
Posted
by Abbie Stutzer
on Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 11:12 AM
To celebrate the unofficial beginning of the fall season on Labor Day (Monday Sep. 3), Czar is hosting the monthly Slaughter Movie House, which begins at 7 p.m. and is free for patrons 18 and older. We recently contacted Jill Gevargizian (Jill Sixx), Slaughter Movie House organizer, and asked her about this month’s feature film, Mold, who she met at Crypticon KC, and what special spooks she’s planned for Halloween night.
Posted
by April Fleming
on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 10:01 AM
For someone who started out as That Dude with the Crazy Voice, Bobcat Goldthwait has had a long, successful career. He did stand-up in the early '80s, appeared in character on Letterman and in '80s classics like Scrooged and three of the Police Academy movies. As he grew out of his character, he turned to a mellower variety of stand-up, and tried his hand directing television and his own films. Last year’s God Bless America, a Natural Born Killers-meets-reality-TV gore comedy is among his most well-received and successful ventures. We caught up with Goldthwait over the phone earlier this week as he prepared to swing through town. He's at Stanford and Sons Comedy Club at the Legends both tonight (Friday) and Saturday night.
Posted
by Abbie Stutzer
on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 8:42 AM
Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith formed Dawes in 2009. The band's Los Angeles ties typically elicit comparisons to other California rock bands, such as the Eagles and Buffalo Springfield.
Well, yeah. Dawes draws inspiration from the roots-rock bands of yesteryear. But it doesn't mimic those classic California sounds. The foursome takes the "rock-and-roll-with-it, man" vibe, and build on it — writing lyrically rich songs with buttery harmonies. Dawes is at the Grinders stage this weekend, on Saturday the 25, and we recently spoke with Taylor Goldsmith (songwriter, guitar, vocals) and asked him about his songwriting process, how he feels when performing with legendary musicians, and how Dawes maintains its tight-knit, family-like bond.
Posted
by Abbie Stutzer
on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 7:48 AM
Chelsea Wolfe benefited from living in a music-filled home. Wolfe garnered musical inspiration from jamming out to R&B music and Fleetwood Mac. She also tinkered around in her father’s at-home music studio. She wrote songs, learned how to use her voice, and played pop covers on a Casio keyboard.
Wolfe now creates skeletal songs that are sparse and soulful on the piano or guitar, all of which make a nice complement to her intense voice. She's at the Jackpot this Sunday, August 26, and we recently emailed with her about teaching herself how to perform, what she learned while performing in a nomadic dance troupe, and what fans can expect to hear on her October release.
The quest to bring a retro arcade and cinema to KC.
Posted
by Nick Spacek
on Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 7:18 AM
Partners Jason Chaffee and Eric Graves have a grand plan to bring a revival theater and retro arcade to Kansas City. It's a plan not without its ups and downs, nor is it a small financial commitment. In an effort to gauge interest in the project — which they call Echo Cinema and Arcade — the pair have launched a crowd-sourced fund-raising effort, in which they hope to raise $150,000 by the end of the year. It's a substantial amount of money they're looking at, and for a rather ambitious project. Curious about what leads an online marketer and chemical engineer to such lofty goals, we spoke with Chaffee via e-mail about the particulars of Echo Cinema and Arcade.
Posted
by Nick Spacek
on Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 8:51 AM
Girl in a Coma's release on Blackheart Records, Exits & All the Rest, was named as one of NPR's 50 best records of 2011. It's an astonishing bit of rock and roll from a Los Angeles group that blends rock, punk and girl-group harmonies to create something that's all their own yet immediately familiar. The trio pops through our fair city on a regular basis, and this summer's jaunt sees them at the Riot Room Monday, July 30, with the Black Box Revelation and Wick & the Tricks. We recently spoke with drummer Phanie Diaz via e-mail.
Boulevard and Sierra Nevada join forces for Terra Incognita, which hits shelves Wednesday
Aixois Brasserie celebrates first birthday in a spirited fashion
McDonald's sued by employee who wants a check, not a debit card
Kiss' Rock & Brews will 'Shout It Out Loud' in Overland Park in early 2014
Jewish Family Services' food pantry now offers pet food
Phoenix will headline Buzz Beach Ball in September
Aaron Sanchez and John Besh to collaborate on a restaurant named Johnny Sanchez?
Infusions Grill & Bar wants you to spread 'em