Tag Archives: Hearne Christopher Jr.
Today: Life After The Kansas City Star for Movie Critic Robert W. Butler
Here we go again…
Forget about Thor and Hangover 2, the summer movie season launches tonight with X Men: First Class. And absent for the first time in decades is the watchful eye of venerable Kansas City Star movie critic Robert W. Butler. Butler took a bullet early last month in the latest round of quarterly layoffs and cutbacks at the newspaper.
But wait – he’s baaack!
Like a bad teen terror flick, Butler has risen from the dead (kinda like me), not once but thrice!
On Facebook, a blog and a geezer repository, "Senior Correspondent."
Today: Blanc Burgers Smashes Groupon Record, Explains How the Game is Played
Oh, ye of little faith…
How many Groupon deals have to go down before skeptics concede that – if structured properly – the half-price marketing schmoozes are win-win deals? Good for buyers, good for sellers.
How about a record-smashing 20,150 Groupons?
That’s how many $10 gets you $20 Blanc Burgers Bottles deals were sold over the weekend by Groupon.
How businesses can afford to sell food for 25 cents on the dollar seems to be the main question.
Simple, says Blanc Burgers main man Ernesto Peralta.
Hearne: Top KC Jazz Guns Mysterious Brush with Buckethead @ Beaumont
On the surface, it was an unlikely match….
To say the very least. Two of Kansas City’s top jazz musicians opening for serial killer-looking guitar god Buckethead at the Beaumont Club last night.
"You know, I opened up for him," said piano man Mark Lowrey, as Buckethead wailed away onstage. "He’s awesome. He’s probably the biggest star I’ve ever opened for. I mean, I closed for Max Weinberg at Jardine’s. But Buckethead’s a mutha fu…I mean, he’s a mofo – I don’t cuss on the record. But I mean, check him out, man."
Today: The End of the World as We Know It? Nah.
One week ago we were staring down the barrel of the tornado season from hell…
For the second time in just a few days I looked out the backdoor of my Prairie Village home as I listened to sirens and reports of impending storms. A tornado had touched down somewhere in Overland Park said one.
And KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak perched on his hillside house in South O.P. watching an ominous, swirling cloud approaching from the south while laying down a live play-by-play on Channel 41.
Hearne: Add Buckethead to Your Bucket List; Tonight @ Beaumont Club
Donning a KFC bucket and a dialed back Friday the 13th mask is hardly a recipe for rock ‘n’ roll success…
That said, it’s worked out quite well for the artist known as Buckethead who headlines tonight the Beaumont Club in Westport. To the tune of 32 albums and a cult following that won’t quit.
"I love Buckethead," says Crossroads and Wakarusa promoter Brett Mosiman. "I’ll see him down on the mountain (Wakarusa in Arkansas) on Thursday."
What to expect at a Buckethead show?
"He’s in costume and in character," Mosiman says. "And he’s got crazy guitar skills. He’s kind of a freak – he’s got eight-inch fingers and plays an incredible guitar. He’s been a Wakarusa favorite for a long time."
Glazer: Mencia Kicks Butt, Addresses Joke Stealing Controversy
Carlos Mencia was outstanding Thursday at Stanford’s…
His first show sold out before he got here, so we added a second and the guy almost sold it out in just a couple days. Carlos did a show in another city and drove in with his crew to KC at 4 AM Thursday morning. Still he did four radio shows and Johnny Dare at 7:30 AM and came back at 9:45 AM and closed his second show.
Wow, very nice of Mencia. This is not something many big name stars will do.
What was great about his radio appearances was that Mencia addressed the Joe Rogan attacks of stealing jokes and his semi-retirement for one year and why he is back.
Hearne: Don’t Waste Your Money on Hangover Part 2
Look everybody knows, most sequels suck, right?
And let the record show that I worship at the alter of Jack Poessiger’s movie reviews as much as the next guy.. more, actually.
Frankly, Jack has better taste than me – I mean, in movies. Other than his tendency to laugh hillariously at fart humor. But in my humble opinion, his relatively rave review of Hangover 2 was completely off the mark.
It sucked.
Hearne: Blanc Burgers Bottles Shatters Groupon Record, Still Going Strong
This just in…
The Mighty Casey is back at bat. In this case, it’s Blanc Burgers Bottles and the field of play is Groupon. And for the third time in a little over a year the local gourmet burger and fine dining powehouse is off to what is likely to be a record-setting start.
"They’re at 14,000 sold now," says spokesdude Will Gregory. "But by 7 p.m. they should be well into the 15,000 range. They hold the previous Groupon record for 14,000 and change sold."
Here’s the deal….
Hearne: Talkers Magazine’s ‘Heavy Hundred” – No Local Jocks Allowed
Now that we’ve cleared the air on the sad state of local talk radio, lets take a look at Talkers magazine’s "Heavy Hundred" for 2011…
The first thing worth noting is there’s nobody on it that broadcasts locally. No Mike Murphy or Tom Becka types. And somewhat obviously, Mike Shanin and Scott Parks are nowhere to be found. Not even on the watered down 101 to 250 list that does include Becka, former KC guy Ray Dunaway and KMBZ’s Darla Jaye.
Columnist insert: Talkers is a mag that relies on radio hosts and stations as readers, subscribers and advertisers.
So it’s maybe a safe bet that some of the aforementioned personalities were listed in Talkers expanded Top 250 list via either schmooze or sheer attrition. My impression over the years being that just about anybody in the biz with a regular gig can more or less schmooze their way onto the list.
Let’s take a look…
Today: Storm Chasers, Heroes or Hotshots? You Make the Call
There’s been no shortage of twister footage on cable news this past week…
Not only have CNN and other news organizations run a ton of footage, they’ve dragged the storm chasers on camera to serve as eyewitness experts. Raising the question, are these dudes community heroes or just thrill seekers?
"No, they’re not heroes," says KSHB TV weather wonk Gary Lezak. "I would say there are some legitimate meteorologists who have a knowlege of what they’re doing and understand the science. And then there’s a whole lot of thrill seekers who go out there and just risk their lives."
Is storm chasing even legal?
Today: The Rise & Fall of Talk Radio in Kansas City
Once upon a time Talk Radio seemed to matter in Kansas City…
Notice I said, seemed to matter. By the 1990s most music listeners had migrated to FM or prerecorded music – CDs, even cassettes still. Pretty arcane sounding, huh? Let’s go back a little further.
In the late 1980s a local blowhard emeritus by the name of Rush Limbaugh was making his mark via a nationally-syndicated, politcally-driven talk radio show. Unfortunately, Limbaugh’s amazing success set talk radio upon a course of right wing rant radio that continues to dominate even today.
But in those early, heady days of talk radio there was a lot of variety here in the Cowtown.
Today: KMBZ’s Move to FM Simulcast Fails to Impress
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Guess who didn’t fare so well in the April radio ratings…
News Radio KMBZ, that’s who.
It was the station’s first month of simulcasting on both 980 AM and sister station KUDL FM’s former signal at 98.1 FM.
The game plan: lure lots of new, news-talk listeners on the FM dial. Boost ratings. Attract younger, more affluent listeners. Pass those ratings wins on to advertisers via higher ad rates. Make lotsa money with less out-of-pocket.
However, here’s how things shook out in adult listeners ages 25 to 54, Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. until midnight:
Today: Jardine’s Unleashes New Menu & Digs
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jazz joint just off the Plaza called Jardine‘s is no more…
After a fashion.
That’s because owner Beena Brandsgard spent the past three months spiffing the place up. Newly refinished hardwood floors ( they were painted black), a fresh paint all around, new window and signage treatments, new kitchen and Vegas-style, lighted, red carpet on the stairs I tumbled down three years back.
"We’re the only ones in the city that has those lights," Brandsgard says of the stairs. "They’re from China and they’re LED lights so they save energy. But mostly they look cool – they’re more hip."
Today: OK Sports Talk Radio Fans, Screw On Your Thinking Caps
Think of it as a barstool rush to judgement…
So eager were some comments crowd types to dismiss 610 Sports ratings win in April over sports talk powerhouse WHB 810, they threw everything at the wall. Happens every year when the Royals season starts, they clamored. Nick Wright sucks.
But does it happen every year? Did it happen last year?
Let’s take a look…
As reported here, 610 with a 3.2 share beat WHB’s 3.1 share in April for listeners 12-plus, 6 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Sunday.
Exact same thing that happened last year, right? Wrong.
Hearne: KC Star Sportsbabe 68 Lands New Job, Jettisons Former ‘Friends’
Turns out there is life after the Kansas City Star...
Even for folks who leave under a cloud. Take the case of former sports editor Holly Lawton aka Sportsbabe 68 on Twitter. Lawton’s sudden and unexplained resignation from the newspaper last summer went down amidst a growing controversy that culminated with sports scribe Jason Whitlock leaving the paper.
But not before Whitlock made it perfectly clear in a radio and television interview that he and other Star staffers were convinced Lawton and bad boy Star editor Mike Fannin were involved in an "inappropriate relationship."
Lawton’s abrupt bailing from a high dollar position at the Star to go job hunting in the worst recession in decades added to the mystery.
Turns out Sportsbabe 68 is staying in sports.
Kinda. She’s landed a job at ad agency VML, her Facebook page says.
Hearne: Kansas City’s April 2011 Radio Rankings for Persons 12-plus
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It’s not the most sophisticated measure of radio listenership but the 12-plus rankings are basically the broadest.
Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to midnight:
1) KQRC-FM The Rock 7.3 Share
2) KCFX-FM The Fox 6.6 Share
3) KCMO FM 5.9 Share
4) KMXV-FM Mix 93.3 5.6 Share
5) KBEQ-FM 5.2 Share
5) KFKF-FM 5.2 Share
6) KPRS-FM 5.1 Share
7) KCHZ-FM The Vibe 4.9 Share
Today: 610 Sports Dethrones WHB, Wright Closing on Kietzman
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Here’s a sports shocker to everyone with the possible exception of Nick Wright…
Entercom’s 610 Sports blew by sports radio powerhouse WHB 810-AM in listeners 12 and older, Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to midnight for the month of April.
Blew past, you say?
610 Sports won with a 3.3 share and a weekly cume of 266,800 listeners. To WHB’s 3.2 and 176,100 listeners.
There’s more…
Star Search: A Closer Look at Star Publisher Mark Zieman’s Ascension
There’s something to be said for being in the exact right place at the exact right time…
Such appears to be the case with Star publisher Mark Zieman. The Star announced yesterday Zieman is being promoted to VP at the newspaper’s embattled parent company, McClatchy.
Some newsies say they’re surprised at the promotion, given Zieman’s lack of business experience.
Zieman has only three years working the business end of the newspaper. He was appointed publisher in 2008. And as for the Rockhurst "Executive MBA" the newspaper is touting, Zieman picked that up on the night school plan a handful of years back.
Second, there’s a reason the Star has fared better than many newspapers in the current catastrophic three-year downturn, insiders note:
Today: Bob Lewellen Sendoff, Radio Ratings Returns & Robert Butler’s Last Stand
Bob Lewellen’s Memorial Service
Services for former KC Councilman and Parks Commissioner Bob Lewellen went down this morning at the St. Thomas More Catholic Church near his home at 118th & Holmes. The place was packed and highlights ranged from jokes about Lewellen being a die hard Kansas City, Missouri dude but having to die on the Kansas side of State Line, to a touching reference about him being trapped in a body that was falling apart, even "while his mind was as sharp as a sword."
Former KC mayor Dick Berkley – appearing to stand no taller than 4’11” – eulogized Lewellen from the pulpit.
"His motive was to improve this area," Berkley said. "Bob Lewellen was for what was best for the community, not what was best for Bob Lewellen."
Early Radio Ratings Returns…
Hearne: Through the Glass Jaggedly at Rainmakers Reunion
For starters, this is not a review per se of last weekend’s Rainmakers reunion show at Knuckleheads…
Think of it as a birdseye window into the sold out third-coming of a KC band from the ’80s that almost made it. Hey, they got a lot farther – locally and nationally – as recording artists than pride of Blue Springs, David Cook.
As for the show, it’s amazing how old people from the mid 1980s are looking these days.
"I haven’t seen this much grey hair since the Golden Girls were on TV," cracked Cowtown Ballroom director/producer Joe Heyen.
