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Showing posts from 2016

spin kaliki grin

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Closing out the year of 2003 was a bit more work than originally thought.  The number of events were equitable to July, and a standard for the coming year. It all started harmlessly enough at a neighborhood spot, with a new event for those in the northland called Northern Soul.  It was just a few blocks from home, so definitely an advantage, especially since it snowed just as we were leaving. It was an omen for the rest of the month in KC, where cold and bitter weather found its way into nearly every weekend.  We managed to stay warm enough though, dancing our way through the month, until the last beat dropped well into the New Year. A few others and I gathered for another showing at Undaground Illastrations the next night.  This little even was really beginning to gain some traction, in spite of its distance from the regular First Friday.  An indoor art showing, with cocktails, was much more preferable to wandering the Crossroads. We headed over to the Empire

art groove prophecy

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As winter began to grab hold of the city, events continued to ramp up, back in November 2003. Folks wanted to be out, not stuck in the house!  It would only escalate throughout season, and that was not necessarily a bad thing. The month kicked off with a dirty little affair featuring Jungle music and Art, but ended up getting busted up by KC's finest.  I don't think anyone got arrested, but there were a few tense moments, and everyone kind of laughed about it later. The Original Low Riders came to town a few days later, featuring most of the members of the band previously known as War.  It really was quite a bit of fun, and a decidedly different crowd.  Everyone was up out of their seats dancing. I made of couple of unique stops too.  The Place was starting to host a few events, for the spiritually-minded.  A little spot down in Westport called the Main Street Cafe held a fundraiser too, that they asked me to stop in on. A few days after that, it was back down

zombie halloween

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But is it really?  Crawling out of their graves, the dead put on their boogie shoes and got on the dance floor to party like it was 1979! Local disco cover band Boogie Wonderland brought the stars of the era back to life, keeping the dance floor full all night long.  Zombies, Cheerleaders and Ghostbuster were getting down in the aisles, and out in the playground at Knuckleheads, during a warm night to remember in the east bottoms of KC. Having caught their act a month or so ago at Depot # 9, and really digging the show, we were determined to get back out there and see if what we had originally experienced was only fluke.  It was not.  They brought all the energy of the last show we saw, and then some. We could not have asked for a better evening either.  Having been in the 80s F earlier in the day, and with the warmth lingered throughout the night, everyone got a bit more involved with dressing for the occasion.  Indeed, I think everyone was in costume. The show

impur phreakz renaissance

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Another round of diverse events filled October 2003, with a bit more artistic leanings.  It started off with a stop by a local gallery in the West Bottoms, for a show featuring art work from several local graffiti artists, and after finishing up there it was back to the loft space in the same area for another "I" rehearsal.  They were quite a collaboration.  I have to wonder what became of these guys. I know the girlfriend of one of them ended up out in California, pursing theater, but that is about it. The next day I got up early and headed down the street for a little local festival parade that the kids were appearing in, then it was another late night down at Kabal for some Frisky fun with local legend DJ Pat Nice. Rinse and repeat, for another early morning and a full day out at the Renaissance Festival.  One of the kids was an actor during the season.  It was quite a bit of fun, and we mused over all there was to offer from beginning to end, then down to the Beach

cleburne county ozark trail festival 2016

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It was a pleasant surprise to find the Ozark Trail festival downtown today.  When we last looked to see what was going on in the area, nothing came up. We must have just missed this.  While much smaller than the annual Springfest, it filled a few hours of our Saturday afternoon nicely on a perfect fall afternoon in North Central Arkansas. We got a late start after dealing with a few chores around the house, and did not make it down until about 1 pm.  We headed straight for the car show, since it was to end at 2 pm.  There were not a huge amount of cars, but some of the old standbys were there, as well as few I had never seen before. After getting our fill of perfect paint jobs and glistening chrome, we made our way back down to Spring Park to see what there was to see there.  The arts and crafts were slim and surprisingly in this election year, no political booths to be found anywhere! Maybe we just missed it, but the closest thing we discovered was the Republican Wom

gladfest 2016

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It has been quite a while since we dropped in on the local Gladfest fall festival.  Over the years, it seemed to lose its luster, and became little more than a sideshow of political nonsense, sprinkled over a carnival atmosphere. Things change though, and we thought it might be worth a look. Another couple invited us to tag along with them though, so we went up for a look around. They had been at the parade earlier in the day and echoed many of the same sentiments others had throughout the day, further validating our reasons for not attending the affair. The previously fun-filled parade of school bands, dance clubs, local businesses, and charitable organizations showing off their float-making abilities had been replaced with an overabundance of waving politicians.  That is really the last thing in the world we cared to see on a Saturday morning, so we abstained. As well, the festival portion promised rides, games, and a wide selection of various arts and cra

drive-by truckers sun volt

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Initially bowing out, but then later caving under pressure, I ended up at the Crossroads for another show. I really had nothing better to do, but am generally persistent in my quest not paying unnecessarily large sums of money for shows in which I am not extremely well acquainted with the work of the artist. I usually regret it. The price tag to see the Drive-By Truckers along with Son Volt seemed like it might be one of those situations.  I had not heard anything recent from either in years.  In fact, I think it was the 1990s when I had last heard anything, and could not recall whether I really even cared for it or not. I did end up going anyway, and really enjoyed the performances by both bands, as well as recalling a few of their tunes.  It has been a long time indeed.  Son Volt played quite an extended set and while they were good, but a bit slow mode for a Friday night, and I think everyone was anxious for the headliner. The Drive-By Truckers took the stage and de

dinner with phoenix tim

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We dropped in on The Phoenix for a late dinner and were pleasantly surprised to find a little live Jazz happening inside. While it was not quite as crowded as it usually is, we decided to camp out on the sidewalk.  It was a beautiful evening out, and we were more interested in conversation.  The music was a background bonus. Tim Whitmer and his band KC Express played straight through for the nearly 2 hours we were there, cranking out some solid Jazz for the patrons inside.  They were really enjoying it too, from what I noticed the one time I stepped inside. He has been playing at the Phoenix since the day it opened.  His award winning group KC Express consists of some of the town's premier musicians including Tom DeMasters, Rick Huyett and Ray DeMarchi.  Additionally, every week he hosts the vocal talent of Millie Edwards, Lori Tucker, or a special guest. If you ever need a place to kick back and enjoy dinner and Jazz, this is the place!  We only took the couple of photo

septemplur grooves

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The summer of 2003 was coming to a close quickly, but that did not slow the pace any.  There were a lot of different things going on, and I was determined to diversify things just a bit.  I think I accomplished that, while at the same time hitting all the usual high points that were becoming increasingly significant in the Kansas City dance scene. Kicking off the month of September back in 2003, Industrial Area hosted a little CD Release Party for the Clan of Xymox, featuring The Jesus Complex, Biocarbon 13 along with local support from their group down at Davey’s. It was fun, but turnout was low, as with many events that month.  Perhaps there was too much going on? I tripped out to Lawrence a few days after that for Heather B’s birthday at the Paradise CafĂ©, a low key event really, promising much the same vibe as the Cup down on Delaware.  I am not sure if they ever pulled it off, as I never really made it back out there.  Things just got too busy. A couple of days after that