Tag Archives: M. Donnelly
Sounds Good: Fourth of July & ACBs@The Brick, Reverend Horton Heat@Bottleneck
Plenty of KC area concert news to digest…
First, as pointed out by Hearne last week before any formal press release, it seems that the worst named music festival ever will not be returning for a second year. Instead, the Kanrocksas organizers claim they’re taking a year off "Due to a major construction project at Kansas Speedway during the summer of 2012."
They say they’ll be back in 2013. I put the odds of that at about 50/50.
Also, last week 96.5 the Buzz announced the lineup for their annual Beach Ball, which is being held again this year at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in KCK. The schedule is about as impressive as I’ve seen the Buzz put together, at least for the last 6 or 7 years.
Headliners include The Shins, Foster the People, Flogging Molly, Sublime With Rome, Metric, The Kooks, and a few others. The show takes place on June 2nd and tickets start at just $20!
That just happens to be the weekend of Wakarusa, so I’ll be interested to see how the shows might end up affecting each other.
On to this weeks picks…
Donnelly: Dr. Dog @ The Granada in Lawrence, February 2, 2012
With an album set to be released in a few days, Dr. Dog’s Thursday set at the Granada in Lawrence was sure to feature an excellent preview of their new tunes.
The band took the stage looking goofy and loose, wearing different winter caps and sunglasses.
Co-lead singer Scott McMicken warned the crowd early on, "We’ve got all these new songs, so bear with us."
Indeed, Dr. Dog played a decent chunk of songs off Be The Void, including opener That Old Black Hole, Do The Trick, Lonesome, and Vampire all within the first eight songs.
Sounds Good: Ryan Adams@Music Hall, Old 97’s@Bottleneck, CIB & Fourth of July@Jackpot, Dr. Dog@Granada, Broken Lizard@Stanford’s
Last week I erroneously pointed you in the direction of a party that wasn’t there…
I was operating on some bad information I guess. My bad.
This week, though, I’m almost 75-80% sure all of the events listed in here are actually happening.
It’s Larry-centric again, with KCK thrown in for good measure. Check it out…
Donnelly: The Lemonheads @ The Granada in Lawrence, January 27, 2012
"It’s just that kind of night, I guess," explained Evan Dando after cutting a song off at the ten second mark and deciding to try something 
else.
It wouldn’t be the only time Dando cut a tune short during The Lemonheads’ quarter full show Friday night at the Granada. So I guess he was right about the night.
Sometimes the notoriously fickle front man feels it and sometimes he doesn’t. The thing is, despite Dando’s perceived moodiness and aloofness towards the crowd, he still has the voice and ability to carry a show.
This much was obvious at times on Friday night…
Donnelly: A Quick Chat With Sporting KC Second Round Pick, Cyprian Hedrick
With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting KC is gearing up for the 2012 season…
Friday, the team endured the legendary "beep test," which is a running exercise used to measure the team’s overall fitness levels at the beginning of preseason.
It’s dreaded by SKC players, but is a necessary evil for coach Peter Vermes’ preferred style of play, which involves a lot of running and pressure all over the field. Word is that overall, the team showed up in even better shape than at this point last year, so that’s a good sign players are really buying into the system.
Prior to the "beep test" I had the chance to catch up with one of Sporting KC’s newest additions, defender Cyprian Hedrick (Sip-REE-an HE-drick), who was taken in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft out of Coastal Carolina. He was the 2011 Big South Defensive Player of the Year, and a decent sized, athletic player with the physical tools to play in the league right away if needed.
Most likely, though, he’ll come off the bench, at least at first, and provide some defensive depth on the squad.
Sounds Good: Jack’s Mannequin@Beaumont, Danny Pound Review@Lawrence Arts Center, AWOLNATION@Beaumont
Some big news for Kansas City’s favorite dance/music/acrobatic/visual arts group, Quixotic…
It was recently announced that Quixotic will be a featured "speaker" at the TED Full Spectrum Conference held in Long Beach, California on February 27th – March 2nd. For those unfamiliar with TED, here’s a blurb from their website:
"From dazzling technology and leading-edge science to the richest veins of human creativity and interconnection, we are assembling our most diverse group of speakers ever for TED2012, with just this in common: they have something remarkable to share, and they are able to share it in a remarkable way. We’re inviting them to develop "full spectrum" presentations: blizzards of images, new uses of music, extravagant use of under-used senses, intricate choreography between speaker and screen, new ways of involving the audience, breakthroughs in animation, and intense, campfire-style storytelling."
Sounds kinda weird and new-agey right?
Donnelly: The Civil Wars @ Liberty Hall in Lawrence, January 17, 2012
“I don’t really know how this thing even works, we’re such polar opposites,” said Joy Williams midway through the band’s sold-out Liberty Hall performance.
She was referring to band mate, guitarist and vocalist John Paul White, the other half of Grammy nominated, The Civil Wars. White wore a sloppy tuxedo and resembled a less-gaunt Johnny Depp.
“Yeah, I’m an asshole,” White cooed sarcastically, thrumming his acoustic strings lightly.
“Well, if the shoe fits…” Williams shot back at him with a smirk.
Donnelly: The ACBs@ the Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, Kansas, January 14, 2012
The first thing I thought as I watched the ACBs get ready to play their set at the Jackpot Saloon on Saturday night was, "Holy crap, how tall is that drummer?"
Turns out he’s about 6’9", and it’s a good thing he plays the kit so he can sit down, because he couldn’t stand up straight on the stage.
His name’s Kyle Rausch and he joined the band in 2010 after a couple of the original members split. I’m pretty sure he was a power forward at some point before.
After fiddling around with their instruments for a bit and running through a quick sound check, the ACBs nonchalantly started their set.
They looked fairly underwhelmed with the small crowd that was out.
But that wasn’t going to stop them.
"We’re all drunk and having fun, so this is fun," explained lead singer Konnor Ervin.
Donnelly: Sporting KC’s First Round Pick Talks About Barbecue, Some Other Stuff
All eyes were on KC Thursday morning…
Major League Soccer held its annual draft at the KC Convention Center, which was broadcast live on ESPN2.
And as I predicted, Sporting KC chose a striker with their first pick in the draft, 16th overall. They snagged Dom Dwyer, a quick, tenacious Englishman who spent last season at the University of South Florida, and the previous two years in Texas playing at Tyler Junior College.
Will this pick live up to Peter Vermes’ growing reputation as a draft day wizard? Certainly no one is expecting Dom to replicate CJ Sapong‘s rookie 2011 season in which the James Madison product separated himself from everyone else in his class and ripped the Rookie of the Year award by a mile.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on Dom as the season nears and reporting his progress here at KCC, but I expect him to come in and contribute on the field, probably as a backup, pretty much immediately.
Sounds Good: Jason & the Scorchers@Knuckleheads, A Lull@Replay, ACB’s@Jackpot, The Civil Wars@Liberty Hall
Let’s knock the holiday crust off our pasty, shriveled and malnourished bodies…
Gone are the pseudo-memories from another disgusting New Year’s Eve. Do you really want to know what you said to that girl at the bar? Or what you said about your sister’s douche boyfriend?
No, you do not.
Were couches peed on? Maybe they were, maybe they weren’t. Does it even matter anymore?
Packed away are the "great gifts" you received. And by "packed away" I mean either Goodwill or straight down the gullet. And by "great gifts" I basically mean booze.
Let’s put all that nonsense behind us and get back to our normal kick-ass lives – the ones where we pay a few bucks to get lost for a few hours…
Sounds Good: Making Movies@Jazzhaus, Fire in the Churchyard & La Guerre@Replay & Wakarusa
OK, so maybe I’m getting jaded… .jpg)
I’ve seen so many great shows over the past year, on an almost weekly basis, that I think I’ve gotten a little spoiled. Wilco, The Jayhawks, Bon Iver, Steely Dan, Muse, Bright Eyes, Roger Daltry, Zappa, Arcade Fire, St. Vincent, Mumford and Sons, Old 97’s, Ween, Willie Nelson, My Morning Jacket, the list goes on and on. Breakout local acts, too, like the ACBs, Fourth of July, and The Noise FM to name just a few.
I’ve gotten to the point where I simply demand to be entertained by interesting and talented performers night in and night out. So the last few weeks have been tough for me.
Some people blame their melancholy on the (normally) crappy, grey weather, the short days and long nights. I blame it on the doldrums – the period of time from the middle of December to the middle of January when it seems like the live music scene all but grinds to a halt.
Donnelly: MLS SuperDraft Comes to KC Convention Center, Can Vermes Score Again?
Sporting Kansas City head coach and general manager Peter Vermes is gaining a reputation as a skilled talent evaluator after only a couple years on the job.
Last year in the MLS SuperDraft, he tapped a relatively unknown forward out of James Madison with the 10th overall pick. The selection was universally panned as a reach, with most observers noting that KC really needed a center defender more than another attacker.
Fast forward nine months and that unknown forward, CJ Sapong, was accepting the MLS Rookie of the Year trophy.
And look at some of his other recent high draft picks…
Sounds Good: Split Lip@Bottleneck, Minden@RecordBar
Some call it amateur night…
You know it as New Year’s Eve.
To the hardcore drinkers and scenesters it’s a night to make fun of those slobbering fools who can’t handle their shizz, getting totally, stupidly wrecked.
"Too many amateurs on the road tonight, I’m staying in," they say. "Those rookies really need to leave the drunk driving to us professionals."
They look disgusted and feel invaded, like they have somehow earned more of a right to party by paying their drunken dues all year in all the dark, dirty bars seven nights a week. Then their liver jumps out of their chest and strangles them to death…
Sounds Good: Blueprint Jazz@I-Bar, Dave Shelton’s Holiday Jam@8th Street TapRoom
I know most of you are probably nesting down this weekend, spending time at home with the family, or making that dreaded road trip to the relatives’ house that you spend the rest of the year largely ignoring.
But after all that small talk and pretending to care about your second cousin’s promotion in the HyVee meat department, you may need to cut loose with a stiff drink and some chill music to calm those frazzled nerves.
AmIright?
Or maybe you’re just a hopeless barfly who can’t get away from the scene for just a moment, even on the one weekend that’s supposed to be all about friends, family, and counting your blessings.
Either way, here are a few things to distract you from the twisted train wreck that is the holidays…
Sounds Good: Katlyn Conroy@RecordBar, Drakkar Sauna@Jackpot & Beena@ Jardine’s
All of the shows I’m recommending this week are at Jardine’s because, well, Beena threatened to stab me in the heart with a trident if I crossed her (again).
You guys all know how she can be, right?
I heard that one time she caught an employee taking a non-approved bathroom break and so to make an example, she murdered their whole family on stage in front of everyone.
Yeah.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, she locked the doors and made all the remaining employees listen to jazz for, like, an hour and a half…with no booze!!
Just be careful out there guys, you’ve been warned…
Sounds Good: The Noise FM, Cowboy Indian Bear, and Hawley @ Bottleneck
So I got invited to a porch warming party that’s going down this weekend. 
Not a house warming mind you, a porch warming.
And I think it might be a little chilly, but no matter, I’m going to rock it. I’m going to rock it in preparation for the wilding that is the KCC Christmas Party at Jardine’s on Monday.
What in the hell is a wilding you ask? Well… I don’t really know, but it will feature Glazer, Hearne, some controversy, some (a lot of) booze, and a live band. And me and Leftridge drinking quietly in a corner.
And despite all the venom and speculation that’s been circulating around here lately, trust me, it’ll be a good time that all of you should come out and experience. Don’t believe the hype, people.
So for this weekend, I’m putting all my stock into one show that’s happening in Lawrence Saturday night. It’s a Toys for Tots benefit. It’ll feature some truly kick ass performances from a couple local bands and a couple of former local bands that now take up shop in the Windy City and are likely about to bust through to the national scene.
If you’re a hipster (and I know that most of you reading this are) it’ll be a must see.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s some good local and smaller acts playing around this weekend, but if you have to focus your energies somewhere, focus them in Lawrence at the Bottleneck this Saturday, and bring your ugly holiday best…
Donnelly: Greaser Alert; Brian Setzer Rolling into the Uptown This Wednesday
Something wicked this way comes…
Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot! rolls into town this Wednesday night at the Uptown. 
The show is a general admission on the floor, seated balcony show.
Setzer is the guy, formerly of The Stray Cats of the rockabilly revival pompadour and everything, who converted to swing, and now is playing a mix of both, also with a bit of jazz thrown in. He’s just been nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Album for his solo album Setzer Goes instru-MENTAL! so you can expect some of that as well.
So if you have that leopard print sport coat that you can only wear like five times a year, now is your chance Hearne…
Donnelly: Wilco @ The Uptown Theater, December 3, 2011
“Tonight we’ve got a little something for everyone,” declared Jeff Tweedy midway through Wilco’s sold out Saturday night show at the Uptown Theater. “Merry Christmas!”
He wasn’t kidding.
Wilco’s set list was probably the most unpredictable in all the dozen or so times I’ve seen this band over the years. No Jesus, Etc., no I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, and no Handshake Drugs.
Instead, the band hopped around their discography, with an emphasis, of course,on their newest effort, The Whole Love.
Pretty much everyone agrees that Wilco’s most recent three albums are not as good as the two that came before – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born.
Donnelly: Vermes Pulls Jedi Mind Trick on Montreal
Last week I wrote about the MLS Expansion Draft, how the whole thing works, and who Sporting KC protected from being snatched
away by the expansion Montreal Impact.
I noted that I thought it was odd to protect Davy Arnaud, an aging midfielder who played little in 2011 after undergoing sports hernia surgery. Though Davy certainly had a great relationship with Peter Vermes – indeed, he was named captain the past two seasons – his production was minimal. The team seemed to play better in his absence which also allowed Graham Zusi to emerge and become, in my opinion, SKC’s best player.
Also, Davy had a hefty salary of over $250,000 per year. That’s a ton when you consider the fact that multiple Sporting starters made under $50,000 last season and contributed far more to the team’s success.
So why would Sporting use one of their coveted 11 spots to protect Arnaud from being selected? Maybe because a behind-the-scenes deal was in the works…
Sounds Good: Adam Lee@Replay, Wilco@Uptown & 96.5 the Buzz’s XXX-Mas@Midland
Has the relationship between Miss Piggy and Kermit ever bothered you?
Or made you think a little bit? I’ve been seeing all these commercials for the new Muppet movie, and I think it dredged something up from the past that I had forgotten about. Or repressed, if that’s what you want to call it.
But I don’t need to get into that right now in front of all of you.
Anyway, I noticed that all the songs in the movie are by Bret McKenzie, one half of the New Zealand duo Flight of the Conchords. You know, the Conchords… with hits such as "Leggy Blonde," "If That’s What You’re Into," and "Albi the Racist Dragon."
(Think about it, though, and tell me honestly that you can’t picture Kermy in a leather hood with a zippered mouth. Be honest.)
