Thursday Scenester Pick: The Blind Pets at Replay / Chip Reads 50 Shades of Grey

It seems like a slow night for scenesters in LFK, though Austin's The Blind Pets would probably make for a rocking evening at the Replay.  The Austin Chronicle says of last year's Sweet Tooth:

"...one of the better Saturday night rock LPs in recent memory. There's a SoCal strut to TBP's stoner metal, equal parts Queens of the Stone Age's cocksure sleaze (the opening title track), the heavy vision questing of Sleep ("Mountain"), and Fu Manchu's early asphalt huffing ("The Who")."

Would this "Saturday night rock" play just as well on a Thursday? Sure it would, so long as you drink enough PBR.  Plus, Larryville's Stiff Middle Fingers is also on the bill bringing your favorite punk covers. Check it out and report back to us.

 

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Today we're taking a naughty little detour away from music and into the literary.

This year's biggest publishing success story, E.L. James' 50 Shades of Grey, contains not a single vampire (though it DID start off as Twilight fan-fiction, if that counts).  Instead,  it's the titillating tale of a young college student, Anastasia Steele, who gets in touch with her "Inner Goddess" via a little S&M with the older, charismatic Christian Grey.  Yes, it turns out that American women (even otherwise sensible young feminists) have really been craving a little light bondage and a nice, hard spanking in their "literature."

Obviously, it quickly became essential to obtain Chip's opinion on this book, which is the first in a trilogy.  But he was too busy watching Redtube to read the whole thing.  Luckily, we discovered a Daily Beast post that collects 14 of the book's "naughtiest bits," which Chip believes is plenty to make a number of trenchant observations.

Enjoy.

(1) Chip:  "James consistently uses the word "behind" in these passages.  It's a soft and curvy word that women enjoy.  A man would just use the word "ass" and be done with it.  That's good writing on her part."

Example:  "He places his hand on my naked behind, softly fondling me, stroking around and around with his flat palm. And then his hand is no longer there … and he hits me—hard."

(2) Chip:  "James is extremely skillful in taking us deep into a woman's complex thoughts during the moments of 'discovery' that happen during sexual encounters, such as this moment when Anastasia sees Christian's boner for the first time:

"Pulling off his boxer briefs, his erection springs free. Holy cow!" 

(3) Chip:  "A good writer of erotica must employ a careful selection of metaphors to keep all the boning from getting a little monotonous.  Look at James'' amazing description of a blowjob which transitions skillfully from the innocent imagery of a "popsicle" to the sensuous moves of salsa-dancing within the space of a couple of sentences.   It works extremely well to show Anastasia's corresponding transition from "innocence to experience," as William Blake would term it:

"My tongue swirls around the end. He’s my very own Christian Grey-flavored popsicle. I suck harder and harder … Hmm … My inner goddess is doing the merengue with some salsa moves.”

(4) Chip:  "Women, oddly enough, want their erotica to illuminate not just sex but also the moments after sex, which is usually the moment where I click on another Redtube video.  The following passage is an excellent example. At first it seems as if James' protagonist (and, by extension, her readers) are simply meant to be getting off on the danger of the relationship ("I Survived"), but I suspect James is really riffing on the literary notion of the orgasm as "le petit mort," the "little death."  It's quite clever."


 “We lie there, panting together, waiting for our breathing to slow. He gently strokes my hair … Boy … I Survived."

(5) Chip:  "James is smart enough to know that such a relationship is not all going to be roses and riding crops.  The subconscious of an intelligent college student may occasionally question the choices involved in allowing a man such as Christian to "possess" her in such a manner.  Here we see a bit of the inner struggle, as Anastasia begins to think of herself as his "whore." Despite the darkness inherent in this scene, however, the tenderness of the moment and the familiarity of the "sweatpants" imagery reassures her readers that things will soon return to a happy state of sadomasochistic bliss."

“Sitting beside me, he gently pulls my sweatpants down. Up and down like a whores’ drawers, my subconscious remarks bitterly."


Chip:  "Final verdict on 50 Shades of Grey:   mild boners.  Yet I still eagerly awaiting reading the 14 "naughtiest bits" of the next installment in James' series!"

Our Interview with White Ghost Shivers: "Free Boner Showing Backstage After the Show."

We dig bands that are inspired by "old-timey" music and we dig bands that engage in theatrical hijinks and we dig bands whose songs are full of goofy sexual innuendoes.  Therefore, we dig White Ghost Shivers.

You should catch them at the Granada this Saturday alongside Clyde and Clem's Whiskey Business and (the always delightfully silly) KC Bear Fighters.

We spoke with White Ghost Shivers' front man Shorty Stump about their influences, their penchant for short-haired girls, and (to Chip's delight) boners!

Visit White Ghost Shivers' official website here , get the scoop from the Granada's website here, and visit the Facebook event page here.

Enjoy the interview!


Richard:  We just learned from your website that you won an Austin Music Award in the “Best None of the Above” category.  So how DO you describe the band’s sound, and can you do so using one of those pompous “we sound like _________ meets _________ meets _________” comparisons that music critics love so well. 

Shorty:  We sound like Bugs Bunny pissing off that opera singer, meets Tom the Cat slapping a bass and pissing off Jerry the Mouse, meets Betty Boop getting fucked from behind.  

Chip:  I love the song “Short Haired Girl” on your newest album, which opens with the line: “It takes a short haired girl to drive me out of my mind.”   Is this a true story and what is it about short-haired girls that is so erotic?

Shorty:  Yes, it is a bit of a true story.  I've had it for short haired girls in a big way for years, I suppose from my love of the 20's and the flapper look. I wrote that song after meeting my ex-girlfriend of four years. She really knocked my socks off and that song just came oozing out of me. I do have a recent appreciation for women with longer hairs though!

Richard:  Your lyrics and sound are certainly rooted in “old-timey” musical traditions, and the album artwork for Nobody Loves You Like We Do seems to suggest classic images from old Hollywood serials (the woman tied to the railroad tracks).  Are you influenced  a lot by film and/or theater in your songwriting too?

Shorty:  Absolutely! Silent film, early talking pictures, and musicals have a big influence on us, hence the Mabel Normand reference on the cover of our album. Cella also did some theater when she was a lass, and I've been dabbling in theater a bit for the last four years.  Also, classic vaudeville of all kinds has always been big to us.




Chip:  You have a song called “White Trash Fast Food.” What’s your personal favorite white-trash fast food?  Mine is deep-fried Snickers.

Shorty:  So, Hot Thomas wrote that song, which was inspired by a place we like to play in Berlin, Germany called, well, White Trash Fast Food.  So, I guess White Trash Fast Food is our favorite White Trash Fast Food!

Richard:  Is it true the band is going to appear on America’s Got Talent?  Can you give us any teasers about this?  And did you meet Howard Stern?

Shorty:  It is true that we performed one performance for them, which we intended as a joke, and we hope our fans get it, but, other than that, we can't really say anything else by law.  We didn't meet Howard officially, but we did meet all three of them while on stage.  I think Sharon had a crush on Smokebreak. I wish I could say more. Some day!

Chip:  We’ve seen a few White Ghost Shivers shows in the past, and the ribald lyrics often crack me up, such as the goofy incest jokes and references to “going down south” in “My Land.” [watch the video here]. Will there be any boner jokes at the Granada show and what’s your personal favorite raunchy line from one of the songs?

Shorty:  Well, I'm trying to think of any boner jokes that we've sang about in the past, but now that you mention it, I'll personally make sure there will be several references to boners just for you. We will also be having a free boner showing backstage after the show.

Richard:  Tell our readers who may not have experienced a White Ghost Shivers show before what they can expect at the Granada and how they should prepare for the experience.

Shorty:  Boners. You can expect lots of boners. I would say the best way to prepare for this is to bring some lube.

Chip:  Do you believe in ghosts?

Shorty:  Not usually. They tend to be liars.

First They'll Make You Grind, Then They'll Make You Think: An Interview with Antioquia

Larryville has no shortage of see-and-be-seen shows (for scenesters), but occasionally you just want to cut loose and do some dancing!  We recommend Antioquia's June 1 show at the Bottleneck.  They're rolling in from the Bay Area for all your dancing needs this week (bonus:  their lyrics often consist of trenchant political discourse!).

We chatted with Paul and the Antioquia family about dancing, media fear-mongering, and the importance of Kurt Vonnegut and the Beastie Boys.   Also on the bill:  KC's Making Movies and LFK's Tangent Arc (reread our Tangent Arc interview here ).

Stream Antioquia's new album Viejaro (and all the others) on Bandcamp and visit their official website here .

Enjoy the interview and see you on the dance floor Friday night!


Chip:  We know that the band’s name refers to a part of Colombia (because we looked it up on Wikipedia!). But can you tell us more about why you chose the name and perhaps give us some advice on how to remember and pronounce it?

We chose to be called Antioquia because that's where Craig and Adley were when they decided that they would found a band.  The region was a life changing inspiration and, once you can pronounce it, a pretty cool word.  Here's how to pronounce it - [an-tee-OH-kee-ah].  Or, you can think of it in three parts, Anti, O, quia. 

Richard:  Your press material lists some amusing ways that listeners have described your sound:  Dreamspeaker Village Folk Rockadelia, Progressive Human Beatitudes, Evolutionary Love Funk, Post Dunk Tank, Paraprimordial Jazz.  Can you offer up an amusing one of your own?

Psycho-Tropic-ADD-Fantasy

Richard:  We’re pretty excited about your show because it sounds like we’re going to encounter some unfamiliar genres (soukous, cumbia) and all manner of instruments (gaita flute, chekere).  Tell us a little about the Antioquia-sound and what we can expect at the Bottleneck show.

Our sound is as eclectic as our tastes.  We're like a musical all you can eat buffet. 

Chip:  You list one of your band’s interests as Kurt Vonnegut?  What role does Vonnegut play in the band’s mentality and is it necessary for us to reread Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle in order to “get” what you’re doing?

It's necessary to reread Vonnegut in order to "get" what the world is doing.

 Richard:  We love the title of your album “My Piano Ate the Front Page of the San Francisco Chronicle” and the artwork is cool too.  What’s the origin of the odd title and artwork?

While on a journey through the depths of our minds one night our piano joined us in frustration at mass media's habitual fear-mongering and false information espousing.  The piano offered an answer.






Chip:  There’s obviously a strong political element to some of your songs, such as “Police Brutality” and “Humans Do,” with its opening refrain of “Fighting, fighting, fighting, that’s all you humans do.”  Is it okay if we just grind on a bunch of sexy chicks at your show, or do we also need to stop and reflect on the lyrics?

Due to our oversaturation of entertainment influences, one must alternate between grinding those of the opposite sex and reflection on philosophies of opposite sects.  Simultaneous grinding and reflecting not recommended.

Chip:  We were just listening to one of your songs called “No Sleep Till Oakland.” Is that a Beastie Boys reference and are you major fans of their work?

Yes, yes.  RIP Adam Yauch.  It has been said that Oakland is the Brooklyn of the West Coast.

Richard:  What else is on the horizon for the band in 2012 as far as new music, touring, and other projects?

Antioquia will be touring for most of the year and aims to release another music video this winter.  Check out our video for the tune Idaho here

Here's the band and the new album cover:

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Final Friday and Art Tougeau Photo Blog / Saturday Scenester Pick: Cloud Dog Album Release at the Bottleneck

Readers, we saw a lot of great art at May's Final Friday.

Amber Hansen may be forever associated with chickens in this town after her recent controversial project, but we totally enjoyed her pieces at the Arts Center's "Body of Work" exhibit, particularly this video piece of her rolling down a hill. 

Chip:  "It's a really jubilant celebration of the fluidity and grace of the human form and of humanity's constant forward movement.  Also, I could totally see her panties."




Resident feminist expert Bananasuit was quite taken with another piece by Hansen.  But $3200 bucks was a little out of all of our price ranges.   We could buy 1,422 PBRs at the Replay for that price.

There were also plenty of tasteful nudes on display by all of the artists in the exhibit.  It was really hard to get Chip to leave the Arts Center.  (yes, "hard" was deliberately chosen in that sentence).

 



 Eventually we retired to the Pig, where Bananasuit was less pleased with the "second wave" feminism on display.  Indeed, "second wave" is our least favorite wave of feminism. 

 

But sometimes we get bored of art that just sits politely on the wall, and we get a craving for art that rolls along the street looking weird as fuck!  Today's Art Tougeau parade more than satisfied our needs.

Some old favorites were on hand, such as the Shark Bike:











And there were giant mermaid boobies:







And then there was some crazy apocalyptic Mad Max/Planet of the Apes-style business. The sign on the vehicle says "Man is Evil / Capable Only of Destruction.  This was Richard's personal favorite, but Chip was annoyed by a social agenda getting in the way of his enjoyment of hilarious rolling art.

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Tonight's best bet appears to be Cloud Dog's "epic" album release party at the Bottleneck (with Spirit is the Spirit and Glass Masks).  We predict a hot and sweaty drumming extravaganza performed by dudes who look like this:







Check out this site for more info on Cloud Dog and visit the FB event page for tonight's show here .

Here's the album cover:

Friday Scenester Picks: The Devil, CS Luxem, and Simone du Garfunk / Our (New) Most Anticipated Film of the Year: Holy Motors

We always get excited when The Devil makes an appearance on the scene.  Catch her at the Replay tonight with The Sluts (who seem to have taken over for Mouthbreathers as the band that plays at least one show per week) and Going to Hell in a Leather Jacket.

 Here's The Devil on New Year's Eve (a photo we like to use whenever the opportunity arises):





















Larryville Artists is touting a late-announcement on the Final Fridays art scene:  an opening at Love Garden featuring  tunes from CS Luxem and ceramic art involving LP's and kitties.   According to the FB event page, Luxem will be "singing your favorite Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin songs." Certainly you'll need to witness this.  Read the recent Heart Local Music piece on Luxem here .  You can also pick up some free screen-printed tape inserts for your summer mix CD's at the opening.

And don't forget to check out our buddies in Simone du Garfunk at the Bottleneck.  (Re)read our interview here .  And look at this badass photo from (we're guessing) Winfield.  





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Readers, if you're like us you are spending the weekend bitching that you can't see Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom in KC for at least another month and that the best Hollywood can offer up on a summer holiday weekend at the multiplex is a third Men in Black sequel, ten years after the last shitty sequel. 

So we're contenting ourselves with reading reviews out of Cannes this week, such as the AV-Club's take on the long awaited new film from Leos Carax called Holy Motors.  We dare you to read these excerpts and not want to see this thing ASAP:

"a sequence involving motion-capture sex, while visually spectacular in its own right, gets pointedly contrasted with 19^th-century cinematograph footage depicting athletic movements..."

" musical number sung by Kylie Minogue."

"Eva Mendes as an model in a burqa singing a lullaby to a naked dude sporting a full-on boner ((after he munches on her hair).

Here's a terrifying image from the film:

Our Final Friday Picks: Nudes, Ukuleles, and Politics / Thursday Scenester Pick: Schwervon! at the Replay

Final Friday is almost upon us, so let's see what the scene has in store for us this month.

Chip has always been fascinated by nude modeling (what happens if one gets a boner?), so he's curious to see what kind of tasteful (or tasteless) nudes may be on display at the Body of Work exhibition at the Arts Center.  The street outside the Arts Center also promises to be intriguing with a pre-party for Saturday's Art Tougeau parade featuring The Ukesters (a 15 piece ukulele band) and local legend Arthur Dodge.

Chip: "That's at least 14 ukuleles too many!"

The Pig's opening is called "Turning Back the C(l)ock."  We're certainly curious what that clock/cock thing is all about.  The press material says:

"What year is it? Judging from the work of the Kansas Legislature, in regards to the rights of women, it could be 1960. This body of work was motivated (in part) by the ridiculous and absurd but deathly serious attempts of our elected officials to turn back the clock."

We're hoping for some hilarious Brownback portraits at this opening (remember that great one from our buddy Leo where the baby gov is sucking at the breast of Sarah Palin? we'll post it below just in case you've forgotten its power!).

And our friend Karen over at Larryville Artists highly recommends the "aluminum mesh sculptures" at Invisible Hand's "I Don't Feel Like It" opening. They look delightfully creepy!

See you at the galleries.

 

















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For those of you wanting to kick off your weekend early, head to the Replay tonight and catch Schwervon!

They're a two piece NY duo who just moved to KC, and they've recently been recording in Memphis with the producer Doug Easley, who's worked with Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Cat Power.  Go to Bandcamp and listen to "Cougar Pride" right now.  This shit is irresistible.  As if we weren't already sold by that tune and the exclamation point in their title, they also have a song called "What We Talk About When We Don't Talk About Love."  That's a Raymond Carver reference, folks!  Still not convinced:  LFK's The Ants are opening and they always kick ass.


 

Best Coast vs Beach House: An Epic Scenester Battle / A New Doll For Dennis

With new albums from Beach House and Best Coast just released, summer is off to a fine start for lazy, PBR-sipping scenesters.  You can see Best Coast at the Granada this Sunday (remember when they played the Garage Fest and Bethany brought that kid on stage and we all said "Awwww?  here's a reminder ).

But today we aim to figure out which of the new records is truly the best.  To accomplish this, we will turn to Pitchfork, to Kip's "boner-scale," and to the album covers.

If Pitchfork really loves something (like the most recent Real Estate record), you can bet there's a Terence Malick reference on the way.  Beach House's Bloom gets a 9.1 and this blurb:


"Filmmakers call the part of the day right before the sun goes down "the magic hour." It's that brief moment when the waning daylight causes everything to take on a holy, hazy glow. It took Terrence Malick about a year to shoot his 1978 movie Days of Heaven because he insisted on filming only during this time of day, but the results perfectly capture and distend that dizzy, overripe feeling of right before something very good ends. Bloom does that, too." 

Full review here

Best Coast's The Only Place fares considerable worse, with a 6.2 and some pretty pointed critiques:

"[the title track] has no specificity and comes off like a tourism jingle. "We got the ocean/ Got the babes/ Got the sun/ We got the waves" is a couplet Mike Love would dismiss as shallow."

Full review here

What's our verdict?  Richard gives Beach House the edge because their lyrics sound less like a tweenager's diary, while Chip goes for Best Coast because Betthany Cosentino ranks higher on his "boner-scale" than Victoria Legrand. 

 







What about in terms of album covers?   Obviously, we prefer Best Coast's cute bear to Beach House's...lights?







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But what's happening in Larryville today, you may be asking? The biggest news, certainly, is Dennis's new doll.  The LJ-World captured this terrific photo of a boy who appears more than a little puzzled by the mannequin.  Does this mark some new stage in the evolution of Dennis, arguably downtown LFK's most famous denizen?  Let's wait and see.

 

Our Interview With These United States' Jesse Elliott: "Rock. Beauty. Life. Death. Love. Heat. Combustion. Redemption."

It's a good time for These United States (the band, not the country).  They've got an ambitious new self-titled album, out on June 12th, featuring collaborations with members of Deer Tick, Phosphorescent, and Langhorne Slim (watch a cool little trailer for the album here ).  They've received high praise in the New York Times.  And they're on a major summer tour with Heartless Bastards.

The band hits the Granada next Tuesday, May 29th, for what's sure to be an absolute barn burner with Heartless Bastards.  Check out These United States' page over at Big Hassle here for a lot of info and all the links you need to familiarize yourself with the band prior to next week.

We chatted with front man Jesse Elliott about his Whitmanesque vision of America,  Tupelo vs. Wilco, concept albums, and those disagreeable music critics over at Pitchfork.  To paraphrase Mr. Whitman, we can't wait to hear him "sound [his] barbaric yawp over the roofs of [LFK]" next week!



Richard:  We like the following New York Times description of These United States : “a rambunctious alt-country band with story-songs that are both tangled and aphoristic.”  How would you describe your own sound, ideally using some highfalutin’ terminology like ‘aphoristic?’

Jesse:  Well, I'll admit, I had to look that one up in the dictionary - a sign of good writing, if you ask me - something that stretches your brain in some new direction.  And that particular word shares a history with "horizon," another one of my favorites, so we'll take it.  I'd slip in just a little something extra to that formulation - maybe "exuberant bordering on mystified balderdashery"?  You know, like the good kind of bullshit - like uncles telling stories around the bonfire.

Chip:  Your press material describes your upcoming self-titled album as “a concept album that acts as a panoramic snapshot of numerous American musical styles over the past century, but still looks forward to the weird new world at the completion of the Mayan calendar.”  We’re simultaneously thinking:  “awesome” and “what the hell?”  Can you tell us more specifically about the “concept” of the album?

Jesse:  It's not so much the different American styles we were going for as it is the people and places beaded out all along this big strange beautiful new world necklace.  Again, just stories around bonfires, facts, fiction, dreams.  I was down in southern Mexico when our press person called, so maybe something got blurred on the phone.  It's a good year for that, according to my sources outside Palenque.

Chip:  So you’re collaborating with folks from Deer Tick and Phosphorescent for this album.  We’ve seen both of those bands in action, and their shows were gloriously raucous and drunken.  Can you share any tales of debauchery from the recording sessions?

Jesse:  Can I or should I?  It's like science, and morals, and thinking about what's best for future generations. Just because you can, you know?...

Richard:  Like a lot of scenesters our age, we’ve personally been huge alt-country fans since Uncle Tupelo, but it seemed for awhile like the genre might be fizzling out, at least in terms of popularity.   Do you feel like it’s undergoing a resurgence lately with bands like Deer Tick et al?  And which other new twangy bands should we keep an eye on?

Jesse: I'll be brutally honest with you here - I'm more of a Wilco than an Uncle Tupelo guy, same way [Deer Tick's] McCauley's got just as much or more of the Cobain spirit passed down through him.  But that doesn't really matter.  People focus a lot on how to parse out this or that moment or movement, trying to put a conceptual limit down, very natural, make the universe that's just too wide for any one mind just a hair more understandable. It all sounds like garages and yawps to me.  


Chip:  Those dicks over at Pitchfork have given you guys the business in the past with critiques such as this:  “Elliott gets carried away with his grand vision of America, packing his songs with look-at-me allusions to Mark Twain, Cain and Abel, Dionysius, and Babe the Blue Ox (the blue ox, not the band).”     Personally, we love ‘look-at-me allusions.’  And what’s wrong with a “grand vision of America’ anyway?  Pitchfork would probably give Whitman’s Song of Myself a 3.2.    Anyway, what’s your reaction when you get scathing critiques of your work?  

Jesse: The one you're referring to, I actually thought that was not an unfair assessment.  Deusner's a smart guy.  I rarely agree with his takes on music, and I'm not sure he's the first person I'd call up to take me on a tour of the bayou or the badlands, as they say - but there's no harm, and occasionally even great beauty, in people dancing about architecture.  It's not his fault or Pitchfork's that we all forget he and we and they are each just one more desperate human voice trying to make sense of the infinite swirl.

Richard:  We’re pretty hyped for your show at the Granada with Heartless Bastards?  Tell our readers what they can expect from the evening?

Jesse:  Rock. Beauty. Life. Death. Love. Heat. Combustion. Redemption. Probably a free souvenir wristband or a stamp, too, I imagine.

Here's the new album cover and a photo of the band:

Monday Scenester Pick: Another "Pass the Hat" Show at Percolator / An Interview With Simone du Garfunk

The Percolator's "Pass the Hat" series is back in action tonight with two one-man bands--Craig Comstock's This is My Condition and Rob Schulte's Robocopter--and a one-woman band: Briged Oschhorn's No Milk (who sometimes performs on roller-skates).   Also, on the bill:  Agent X-12. We don't know much about Agent X-12 but we think it's a cyborg.

In a recent interview, No Milk says:  "the reason I’ve always wanted to tour and travel, is to experience getting an opportunity to play in a new environment with unexpected variables ... uncontrolled."  The Percolator should certainly fit that bill.  Let's hope that Compton doesn't bulldoze it and build a resort hotel there during tonight's show.

"Pass the Hat" gigs begin at 5:00 with a potluck and bands play at 7:00. Read our recent interview with Craig Comstock here and read last week's profile of the "Pass the Hat" series here .

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We like bands containing married couples and bands will silly names that make Chip giggle, so of course we enjoy Simone du Garfunk!  They'll be stopping by the Bottleneck this Friday alongside Scott Allan Knost and Tyler Gregory (also, please watch/rewatch THIS Tyler Gregory video which will warm the heart of even the most cold-blooded scenesters.  It's even made the Huffington Post!).

We recently had a fun chat with the Simone du Garfunk gang about thongs, hippie festivals, Waffle House,  and murder ballads.  Enjoy!

Visit the band's website and FB page for more info and to hear the tunes mentioned in the interview.


Richard:  Your band name is delightfully silly.  Tell us the origin story?  And do you cover any Simon and Garfunkel tunes?

Bob:  About 6 years ago my wife and I were in a bluegrass band and we occasionally played as a duo as well. We would bill ourselves as Tammy and Bob Colladay, which are unfortunately our real names. A guy I worked with politely told us that it sounded like a crappy name for a band. He suggested Simone and Garfunk.  Not only do we not play any Simon and Garfunkel, but the guy who gave us the idea has never to my knowledge seen us play as such. I occasionally do "Song of the 59th Street Bridge (Feeling Groovy)" by myself though.

Chip:   We suspect you’ve seen some memorable sights down at Winfield.  Tell us a tale or two, ideally involving drugged-up, nekkid hippie chicks in the campgrounds.

 Bob:  We've had our share of 3 AM partially clothed hippie chicks stumble through our jams. I have been known to sport a prison-kini or go topless on Stage 7. But I saw a photo of the topless show and it looked like I had catcher mitts for a chest so that brought on the prison-kini, more coverage. 

There is a legend in our camp called "the maiden of the blue thong". One late night jam required a pit stop at one of the fine portable toilet facilities at Winfield. There in the moonlight hanging from the plastic handle was a discarded blue thong. As there was nobody there to claim it, it was brought back to the jam tent and has hung above the entry way now for the last 9 or 10 years…just in case the maiden should ever come back to claim her panties. 

After a combination of pain pills, cold medicine and gin, our drummer Matt is known to walk around camp in a red union suit and fedora and goes by the moniker "Union Man". I have photos. 

Chip:  Please write a song called "Maiden of the Blue Thong."  I have a boner just thinking about it.

Richard:  “Waffle House Blues” contains some fun references to great old tunes by Hank Sr. and Kris Kristofferson.  Are they big influences for you, or do you lean more toward bluegrass-y songwriters? 

Bob:  We all like classic country and honky tonk heroes: they are the real deal. Johnny, Hanks, Willie, Patsy, George Jones. Tammy sings the hell out of "You're Cheating Heart" and "Bobby McGee." I think Kris Kristofferson is one of the classic singer-songwriter guys. I would love to write music like those guys but our stuff rides the fence or leans toward singer-songwriter. We kind of fell into bluegrass by accident and hopefully kept what we thought were the good parts.

Chip:  As a follow-up, what’s your favorite food at Waffle House?  And have you had the hash browns all eight ways?

Bob:  Ha! Don't tell anybody but I have only been to a Waffle House once, years ago. I seem to remember enjoying the Marlboro platter with tar sauce. But to answer the question: "Hash browns scattered, smothered, is that all, yeah that's it" to quote Mike West. But I like peppers so anything with peppers. 

Tammy:  Do they have good waffles? I'll have that." 

Matt:   I like a good egg white omelette - just kidding! Give me anything as long as it has gravy on it!

Bob:  I co-wrote this song with a guy we camp with at Winfield...through The Facebook. Roy McClure, or the Old Kentuckian as we call him, posted "There's nothing more lonely than a Waffle House when your baby's out of town." and I said: "That's a song right there!" and it was. Roy probably has had them hash browns all 8 ways and then some.

Richard:  We love bands that feature married couples.  How does that work out for you two?  Do concerts ever devolve into intense marital spats?  And do  you have a favorite husband/wife band? 

Bob:   Practices are sometimes painful if it is just us two working up new material, because I can be a jerk and a taskmaster. I'm sweet as can be when our friend and drummer Matt Parks is there with us. Shows are always fun though!  

Tammy:  Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings - are they a couple? 

Bob:  Truckstop Honeymoon. Going back a few years now we've had the pleasure of being the act to go on right before them on Flood Stage and Stages 5 and 7 at Winfield. Come to think of it, they never have thanked us for getting all those people to come to their set. It seems a large crowd of people had trouble finding us and got there as we were finishing up our set. The crowd was nice enough to stay and listen to Truckstop.

Richard:  We dig your version of “Bill Bailey.”  What other traditionals might make their way into a Simone du Garfunk set?  And do you know any kick-ass murder ballads?

Bob:  Tammy does a good job on that, basically a version of the Patsy Cline version. We don't have a lot of leads or solos in our act, that was me on baritone uke playing hot lead on that one. Not a lot of tradtionals, maybe "Under the Weeping Willow" or "Charming Betsy". I do occasionally break out "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" if I have a uke though.  Murder ballads...hmmm..."Caleb Meyer", "Long Black Veil", "Knoxville Girl" Tammy wrote one called "Stand."  Oh, and the mysterious song about a 70's pop superstar - "Ode to Billy Joe."

Chip:  You’ll be playing on a bill with local Tyler Gregory at the Bottleneck, who is often called a “neo-hobo.”  How would you term your own stage presence and what can our readers expect from this show? 

Bob:  NashVegas Lounge-a-billy? I just made that up, probably taken already, but that's about right. If you've ever seen or heard of Louis Prima and Keely Smith, stage presence-wise, that's us. Tammy singing beautifully, calmly, remaining deadpan while I make an ass of myself. Matt is no help to her either, he only enables and encourages me. Expect Tammy to knock you out with her vocals, expect me to sing something delightfully funny every now and then to give her a break. I also tell jokes that you haven't heard in years, literally years, like when you were in pre-school. "What did the zero say to the eight?" Come to the show and find out.

Richard:  What else is on the horizon for Simone du Garfunk this year?

Bob:  Lawrence is the kick-off for a short summer tour. The next day we head to Columbia Missouri to play at the Blue Fugue then Evansville, IN - Nashville, Memphis, Broken Arrow, OK & Wichita. After that, some gigs closer to home like Tulsa, Salina and Hutchinson. Maybe get some songs written, go to Winfield, record another CD.

Sunday Scenester Picks / LJ-World Editorial of the Week

Sure, KVKL kickball may have reached its scenester zenith a few years back, but let's face it:  the majority of you who are reading this will be at Hobb's Field tonight drinking Hamm's and watching Asteroid Head take on Dirty Mike and the Boyz.

But there are other events today as well.

For the wealthy:  KD Lang graces LFK for the first time.  She's at the Lied Center tonight.

For the poetic:    David Ohle reads at a special "Fiction Edition" of the Tap Room poetry series.  Surely the PBR Book Club will eventually get around to Motorman and invite Ohle out for beers to discuss.  In fact, why has this just now occurred to us??  Read this blurb from Ben Marcus:

"For a long time I was scared to read Motorman. It had come recommended to me in such hushed tones that it sounded disruptively incendiary and illegal. Not only would the reader of this crazed novel burn to ashes, apparently, but he might be posthumously imprisoned for reading the book—a jar of cinder resting in a jail cell. Books were not often spoken of so potently to me, as contraband, as narcotic, as ordnance. There was the whispered promise that my mind would be blown after reading Motorman. There was the assurance that once I read it I would drool with awe, writerly awe, the awe of watching a madman master at work, David Ohle, awesomely carving deep, black holes into the edifice of the English language."

Also on the poetry bill is our friend Tasha.  Go and listen.  And get the full scoop here .

For fans of murder ballads:  MAW's at the Replay matinee.  Familiarize yourself with a few tunes  here .

Look at this terrific poster:



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We haven't showcased an LJ-World editorial-of-the-week in awhile, but here's an amusing one:

"Of all the outlandish pieces to grace the editorial column of the Journal-World over past years, one of the most bizarre appeared in the May 14 issue, entitled “Overreacting.”  Here, the writer dishes up a defense of certain varieties of student hazing as “harmless acts” in the spirit of Gaudeamus Igitur, old times’ sake or just plain “fun.” He mercifully excludes the more sadistic and demeaning forms of hazing from the approval rating, but says it’s OK for kids to litter the homeowner’s premises with toilet paper and deface his car with greasepaint. One wonders what other forms of “harmless” vandalism might pass muster under the writer’s indulgent eye. Can freshman beanies, nightshirt parades and consensual panty raids be far behind?"

Chip:  "For fuck's sake, there's nothing wrong with an old-fashioned panty raid, especially when it's 'consensual.'  This cantankerous writer is just begging for someone to deface his jalopy with greasepaint."

Our Multimedia KVKL Kickball Twitter Tone Poem / Concert Recap: George Clinton and P-Funk at Crossroads in Kansas City

KVKL kickball season kicks off tomorrow, readers, and we asked our Twitter followers to submit their favorite kickball memories this week, which have now been compiled into this powerful, multimedia tone poem.  Participation was sparse, which suggests the following:  (a) no one gives a fuck about kickball anymore, (b) people are tired of these Twitter-poems, (c) scenesters are simply too lazy to compile a tweet and send it to us.  Most likely it's some combination of all three.  Anyway, here's the poem, and special thanks to Late Fees and @eringobooze for a whole bunch of participation to make up for other lackluster scenesters.

We'd encourage you to read it once straight through then go back and click the links for a few pics (and a video!).


10th inning walk-off home run to win the 2010 Less Awesome Championship plate.
Three straight KVKL games in 1 day.
Sweet Jesus.
 '09 upset where No. 23 Liberty Hall took down No. 1 Eldridge
 in triple digit temps
 at the shade-less Broken Arrow field.
 Game of the week:
 Fourth of July weekend last season.
Made that magic happen.
 #kickballerforlife
Streakers during the fireworks on the Fourth of July.
nothing says freedom like PBR and nudity!
One time we saw BARRR's penis.
The summer I became the Bionic Woman!!! #astrokittyspacepussy4ever
My best KVKL memory:  girl on girl 2x play 
under the lights
 getting Shaher from the Goats out for a Sacred Sword victory 2010
 & the goat stew
I only have photo memories.
I met Miss Jen Beck and most of the cool people in town last summer
Slide into third, second degree burn.
Best KVKL-playing memory: kicking the winning run in at Hobbs against a hostile team
 Best KVKL-watching  memory:  [on-field proposal !]
GAME OF THE CENTURY:
7th inning proposal inspires Late Fees to rally from 4 run deficit,
bride-to-be kicks in winning run.
Sorry, I always play kickball in the Parks and Rec leagues,
One word: Overalls. And... Kickball is OVER! #DEAD
I'm ready for Mushball .


And below is the Hobbs backstop, newly painted and ready for the first GOTW.  Enjoy!

As for us, we'll be across the river on the North Side at Frank's, plotting LFK's first mushball league.





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We don't like leaving LFK, but occasionally we find ourselves in need of a summer outdoor concert spectacle, so we found ourselves at the Crossroads in KC last night to await the touchdown of the mothership and the emergence of Dr. Funkenstein his own self!  It was our first time seeing George Clinton and P-Funk, and we learned many important things, such as:

--It's still VERY possible to be funky as hell in one's 70's ("Everybody say 'Shit! Goddam!!').

--Having a half-nekkid woman on rollerskates buzzing about the stage can improve any performance.

--Ditto for having a dude named Sir Nose who walks around on his hands a lot and performs other various acrobatics.

--KC's The Good Foot is a terrific soul party with a super-cool lead singer.  We want to party with her and hope to catch them again this summer!  (3rd photo below)

--Hearing a big crowd chant along with ridiculous innuendoes is a near-religious experience:  "Yank my doodle it's a dandy."

--Hearing "Maggot Brain" from relatively close range may cause minor ear damage.

--PBR costs $6 at the Crossroads.  Avert your eyes, LFK scenesters:  here's the shocking proof.  It's more expensive than whiskey and the same price as every other beer!

Weekend Opportunities: FestyFest, Comanche the Horse, and Liam Neeson Fighting Robots at Sea

Are you a hippie who is bummed out because The Man drove all your groovy brethren down to Arkansas for Wakarusa Fest?  Well, there's still a small-scale camping fest here in LFK that can meet your need (for music and--we suspect--weed).   Yes, it's FestyFest weekend. 

For those not in the know, FestyFest is a "private,  2 day music and camping event held in Lawrence, Ks... made up of up to 50 bands, 3 stages,  and about 20 crew members who love outdoor music!"  Visit the official site for full details on how to attend.  Attendance sounds bizarrely complicated (it involves the website "Band or Bar," a service which has been promised for years but as best as we can tell still doesn't really function), but we're guessing you can attend pretty easily if you've got some "kind bud" (Chip: "That's what hippies call their reefer.").







Other LFK music options for tonight include catching "Jungle Fever" with Mingle and the Team Bear Club crew at the TapRoom and watching a new(ish) band called Comanche the Horse at the Replay matinee.  We're intrigued by this photo from the Comanche the Horse Facebook page :

 



Or perhaps you want to beat the early summer heat with a delightful Hollywood epic such as Battleship, which opens today.  Yes, it's based on the game Battleship and appears to be about Liam Neeson fighting robots at sea.

The San Francisco Chronicle says:
 
"It's loud, it's large, it's stupid, and its best gag involves a chicken burrito."

 Chip:  "You had me at loud."

And the Detroit Metro Times says:

"...more than two hours of high-priced explosion porn that piles on its chest-thumping "America, f&%k yeah!" machismo with a brazenness that makes Top Gun seem Merchant-and-Ivory quaint."

Super Nerd Night Recap / New Scenester Picks / LJ-World Talkbacker of the Week

Today's big scenester news:  the Granada just announced that GBV is stopping by in September.  No big deal.

Now, on with other stories.

We stopped by the "Steampunk Hillbilly" edition of Super Nerd Night last night at the Bottleneck.  Here are the drink specials, though not even the bartenders or Astro Kitty's Joel could explain to us what "fogcutter" was a reference to? (it certainly sounds steampunk-y though!).




We had a nice chat with the AboutSF crew (one of whom had even read Matt Bell's Cataclysm Baby, this month's PBR Book Club selection), and we saw a terrific set from A.J. Gaither of the Fall Down Drunks, which assured us that seeing a full-band set by the Drunks needs to be one of our top priorities.  AJ's stompin' songs about whiskey even impressed the steampunk cosplay girls:  oh, how they danced!  Chip had a boner and could not operate the camera properly, but here's AJ:

Sadly, we didn't get to stay for Monzie Leo and Big Sky since the sets were running at least an hour later than advertised (finish your Magic tournaments up in a more timely fashion, nerds!).

Anyway, our verdict is:  four out of four Fogcutter Shots (whatever the fuck they are).

Other scenester picks for tonight and the weekend:

If you're a nerd, go to the Lawrence Public Library tonight for a live video chat with Neal Stephenson and other SF writers about their multi-authored on-line Mongoliad series.  It's not as good as our Harry Lupus horny-boy-werewolf series, but it's pretty cool.  Read Mongoliad here and get the info on the library event here

Tomorrow night is the opening of the "Body of Work" exhibit at the Arts Center, curated by our friend Karen, who runs the Larryville Artists blog , which you should be following for the local arts scoop.  We're hoping for some "tasteful nudes" at this show (Chip: "Distasteful nudes are also acceptable.")





And local heroes Cowboy Indian Bear, fresh off a major tour, will make a triumphant return to LFK on the Replay patio this Saturday evening from 6:00-9:00.  Also on the bill:  Ghosty!  Go somewhere early for once, scenesters, and see this show!



 


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One of our favorite things on the LJ-World talkbacks recently is flyin_squirrel 's recaps of the many fuck-ups made by the City Fathers.  Here's a new one:

In the last week:
- Student suspended from school for shaving his brothers head in his own home with the parents permission.
- City takes a businesses license because they cater to minorities, yet have less police calls than the Oread, Abe n Jakes, Hawk, Ranch and Tonic.
- City shuts down chick sales because the chicks have to share a cage
- City makes deals behind private doors to open a rec center
- City working with KU to control what students do on their free time, and when off campus
- City creates new Economic Development group, to help speed up the incentive process
- City installing more traffic cameras to supposedly "Help with traffic flow". (how much you want to bet you will soon be getting tickets in the mail from these cameras...)

American Craft Beer Week in LFK / Team Bear Club Gets "Jungle Fever" / The Wait for EMU's Waiting for Godot is Almost Over

Readers, we're smack dab in the middle of American Craft Beer week and, if you're like us, you're drunk right now.  We attended the Full Kimono firkin tapping on the Free State patio last night, which started out as a pushy, sweaty clusterfuck of beer nerds groping toward the firkin like shitfaced zombies but soon gave way to a pleasant evening on the patio with a nice performance by Old Fangled.  Tonight brings an evening of "beer-themed" trivia to Free State at 8:30.  Tomorrow promises Free State beer at Cottin's Farmer's Market (we're hearing rumors of Oatmeal Stout ice cream floats).  And all week long you can "Tour the Taps" at the Oread:  "Get a punch card, try all 14 craft beers and receive two pint glasses" (via LJ-World, which doesn't mention any prices, but we assure you it ain't free!).  The tour sounds pretty great, though, aside from the whole hanging out at the Oread part, but presumably you won't get your ass kicked by former basketball players so long as you stay out of The Cave.

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Also, since it's Wednesday, we're already looking ahead to the weekend.  On Friday, those pranksters in Team Bear Club are bringing the "Jungle Fever" edition of Mingle to the Taproom.  (Chip: "Is this PC?  Is it okay to talk about this?"). 

The FB event page promises "A Booty Mist Rainforest" (which sold us immediately!), "Dengue Fever in the Goomba Forest," and "Cosmic Miscegenation."  We're not sure what any of that means (or even what a "goomba" is, for that matter), but we're certain the evening will offer a lot of chances to grind on folks of all different colors.  Go check it out.




And this weekend is the start of EMU's long-awaited free outdoor production of Waiting for Godot on the Haskell powwow grounds at 6:00 on Friday and Saturday. It sounds made up, but apparently it's true.  And if isn't happening when you get there, just keep waiting.

The EMU website says:

"EMU chose to produce this play, in part, because it is such a hugely significant work of theater despite the fact that many in EMU and the Lawrence community have never seen nor read it."

Hopefully, the actors have read it by this point.  

We await your verdict, sophisticated Larryville theatergoers.  Is there a flier for this thing anywhere?  If we could find it, we'd share it.

KU vs. Mizzou: The Hatred Continues / Plus, Super Nerd Night: Steampunk Hillbilly Edition at the Bottleneck

Sure, the sports rivalry between KU and Mizzou may have ended, but we're pleased to see the hatred living on in the current controversy over whether the KU Alumni Association should be able to make Jayhawk license plates available to Missouri residents.

Missouri state senator Bill Stouffer has vowed to do everything he can to stop this from happening:

"[Stouffer] said he wouldn’t be able to look his grandchildren in the eyes if he allowed the KU license plate to go forward.  “My goal is just to save the world from a mythical bird invasion in the state of Missouri,” Stouffer said."  (via LJ-World:  full story  here ).

Chip:  "People are missing the point of this story.  If a KU alumnus chooses to live in Missouri, they don't deserve the privilege of a Jayhawk license plate anyway."


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Don't forget that the Percolator's "Pass the Hat" series has its official kick-off tonight with Bears of Blue River, CS Luxem, and Oils.  Read our story from yesterday.

Also tonight:  a firkin tapping and live music on the Free State patio to celebrate American Craft Beer Week.  We hear the first 100 boozers get a free commemorative glass (we will punch you out of the way to get that glass).

And tomorrow night (Wed. May 16) brings another Super Nerd Night at the Bottleneck.  This one is a "Steampunk Hillbilly" edition with the usual nerdery plus steampunk cosplay and tunes from Monzie Leo and Big Sky, the Barnes Bros, and A.J. Gaither of the Fall Down Drunks.   Chip plans to wear his overalls in keeping with the hillbilly theme, but he doesn't have a clue what "steampunk" is all about ("Something to do with trains?" --Chip).   Visit the FB event page here for full info.

Here's an image we found by running a Google image search for "steampunk cosplay."  If tomorrow night looks anything like this, it might just be the greatest night of our lives.

LFK Gets a New Music Series at the Percolator and Kansas Gets a Happy Hour (Maybe)

Readers, have you been hoping for a local music series in which each installment begins with Craig Comstock serving up a delicious dish?  If so, your prayers have been answered!

The  "Pass the Hat" series makes its official debut at the Percolator this Tuesday May 15 (potluck dinner at 5; music at 7:00).

The bands for tomorrow will be Chicago's Bears of Blue River, with  CS Luxem and Oils . Check out the FB event page for the show here . Craig sent us a nice press release for the event which we'll print in full: 

"So we are starting this Pass-the-Hat Series at the Percolator. The plan is to have a potluck at 5pm  to feed the audience and the band, then have the music start at 7pm. Whenever possible the show will be outside in the driveway/lawn of the Percolator. All shows will be all-ages.

So far we've had one show that went quite well... A couple of bands from Miami, FL: Scraping Teeth and Holly Hunt plaed on Friday April 13th along with Folkicide from Kansas City and myself, This Is My Condition. I made some Leb Lebi (Tunisian Chickpea Breakfast Soup) and some folks brought popcorn, chips and salsa and a couple other things.

The format is inspired by several shows I played in Europe at TIMC where they had meals before-hand and really created a great relaxed atmosphere for the show. I'm thinking in particular of Hyrbida space in Tarcento, Italy in 2007.

Coming up we have Bears of Blue River from Chicago playing with CS Luxem and Oils next Tuesday May 15th.

After that, on May 21st we have No Milk  from Tampa, FL and  This is my Condition plus a few others yet to be determined  [update: one of them is Robocopter!!].

No Milk is Brigid Ochshorn, synth-pop, sometimes on roller skates. I've seen her play a few times down at the International Noise Conference in Miami. Cool stuff.

INC... is a festival I have gone to about every other year and will likely bring lots of folks from that festival to Lawrence if I can... as well as random folks who need to play shows that are a bit more under-the-radar and odd than the typical bar or even house-party fare.

Really... we're not doing anything all that different than, say, the awesome Pizza Power via Whatever Forever Tapes and generally house shows where people obviously have to eat. We're also continuing in the tradition of the Percolator by including potlucks. We will be "passing the hat" to gather money to pay the bands. The Percolator is a non-profit project space and so is not trying to "make a buck" but just make sure the bands are fed, folks hear them, and they walk away with some money to keep on rolling.

Visit the Percolator site here .

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There's exciting news in the world of Kansas booze this week:  happy hour has been officially approved (so long as Brownback signs the bill).  At long last it's looking like Kansas tipplers can finally enjoy happy hour specials like the rest of civilization.  Here's a funny comment from the Pitch talkback on the issue:

"Good news, but I'm amazed that Kansas got around to this, and will be equally amazed if Brownback gets around to signing it. Has anyone checked to see if there are any provisions involving the uterus in the bill? I was under the impression that no laws could be passed in Kansas without one..."

Now do your duty, Governor, and let's get Happy! 

 

Our Take on Spring Into Summer Fest and Some Sunday Scenester Picks

We only saw two acts at the Replay's Spring Into Summer fest, but that won't stop us from making sweeping generalizations about the fest itself.  Here's our two cents on the experience.

Fourth of July played a nice set of old and new material on the outdoor stage at 7:30.  Most of Fourth of July's fans, of course, are incapable of being out and about as early as 7:30, so the area was 3/4 empty (or 1/4 full, if you're an optimistic scenester).  Freeloading tourists lined the area just outside the "festival grounds," receiving a jokey mention from Brendan:  "I don't think those people have paid yet."   But they really should have paid.  It's only 5 bucks.  Come in and drink a fucking beer.

Hearts of Darkness had the prime evening slot as the sun went down.  They lined up in a wall of funk across the stage and unleashed a high-energy hour of horns and dancing and rapping as the outdoor area finally filled up.  But HoD asks more than many of LFK"s scenesters are willing to deliver, namely: clapping and engagement.  Admittedly, however, they finally got a good little dance party going in front of the stage, but we looked around during the song "Unplug Yourself" and saw...a lot of folks texting and tweeting.  Oh, such a beautifully ironic moment.

Observations:  

It's a shame that the Jackpot is no longer involved in this event.  We like our festivals to have multiple stages and overlapping bands where one has options for which bands to watch. Plus, it's fun to duck back and forth across the street for a change of scene.

While the outdoor line-up was nicely varied (rock, hip-hop, funk, girl-group harmonies), the late-night inside line-up was pretty much the same stuff one can see any given weekend at the Replay, making the event feel less like an "event." 

Scary Manilow's new "Cat Fishing" T-shirt with ALF on it was pretty fucking awesome, and he was justifiably proud of it.

Photos:  Fourth of July and Hearts of Darkness.

You can view more--and better--photos here from I Heart Local Music.

 

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But how will you spend a sunny Sunday evening, scenesters.

It's hard to tell what's happening at the Jackpot, but we think Daymoths have added a show there (prior to their gig in KC tomorrow at the Record Bar).  At any rate, we interviewed them this week.  Read it here if you haven't already done so and make sure to buy some of their handmade soap at the shows! 

And why not go see our friends from Olassa play at the Replay matinee?   They're joined by The New Imperialism and by the Haunted Windchimes, who look like this:

Saturday Picks: Spring Into Summer, Polyphonic Spree, and Truckstop Honeymoon

The most scenester-friendly event of the day is, of course, the Spring Into Summer fest.  It's only $5, and it's held at the Replay (and the street beside the Replay).  Seems like a no-brainer.  Go drink PBR.






If you're in need of a spectacle, Polyphonic Spree is at the Granada tonight.  They have hearts on their robes these days.  And we hear they've been playing "Pinball Wizard" at their shows.   Otherwise, it's probably the same old shenanigans.






And if you're looking for a more off-the-radar location (away from drunken graduation weekend tourists on Mass. Street),  join our buddies at Barnyard Beer as they welcome Truckstop Honeymoon to their stage for the first time..  Visit the Barnyard Beer Facebook page here and get a coupon for $2 off the admission price .

A band called Meatpop is opening.  We haven't heard their music, but if they sell meat popsicles at their shows, then we are sold!

Weekend Picks: Spring Into Summer Festival, New Local Beer, and Smile High Club

Readers, the annual Spring Into Summer Fest is tomorrow and it will have a new feel to it:  there's no Jackpot involved but there is a street party element outside the Replay in the evening.  We're not sure why the Festival necessarily needs to expand beyond the spacious Replay patio, but we're certainly in favor of closing down streets and drinking on them, so no complaints from us!

Most scenesters won't arrive till midnight, of course, making the event feel just like any other night at the Replay, but we'd advise true local music fans to show up early, since two of the most fun acts are kicking off the festivities at 4:30.  We caught The Recessionists on St. Patty's Day and had a blast, and The Hips are one of the best local bands going right  now.  Also playing the earlier end of the Fest:   Fourth of July and Hearts of Darkness (perhaps HoD is the reason the street party area is needed:  there are A LOT of fucking people in this band).

Here's our original review of Recessionists:

The unexpected stars of the night were The Recessionists, a new band which turned out to be a funked-up take on classic girl-groups, complete with "shoobi-doobie" choruses, bad-ass horns, and covers of songs like Erma Franklin's "I Don't Want No Mama's Boy" that were capable of making even the most apathetic scenesters bounce around a little. Go see this band as soon as they play again.

Overheard conversation:

Scenester 1: "I like this band, and yet they're exactly the kind of band that could play at my mother's high-school graduation."

Scenester 2: "No. They are better than that."

The second scenester was right.

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If you're a beer geek, you're hyped for National Craft Beer Week.  But you might as well kick off the festivities today by hoisting a glass of Full Kimono, a collaborative brewing effort from Free State, 23rd Street, and Top City's Blind Tiger.   Here's a description from a press release :

"At over 10% ABV (alcohol by volume) and hopped to the hilt with more hops than any of the three breweries have previously employed in a single batch, the Full Kimono is something special indeed. Full of hop flavor but balanced by a full malt backbone, the Full Kimono lays bare the “magic” of the brewer's art for all to enjoy."

Read more here: http://pressreleases.kcstar.com/release/messages/18642/#storylink=cpy

From what we've gathered, there's a firkin tapping at 23rd Street tonight and another on Tuesday evening at Free State (but it's on tap at Free State today as well).  Anyway, drink it.  And wear a kimono while doing so to get in the Full Kimono spirit.

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And for tonight:  the Smile High Club ladies are on the Replay patio playing dirty songs with titles like "Sweet Ass."  Come join us. And visit their FB page here.

They look like this:




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And finally, we had hoped to bring you a review of the gay rock musical Jonah Qwerty Is Femme Assassin Guy today, but we understand that no one showed up at the Bottleneck last night to perform the play.  Is it happening tonight and Saturday, as listed?  No way to know.   But our interest is utterly gone at this point.  There's even a big Pitch article about the play today: read it here .

Chip: "That kind of unprofessional behavior will almost certainly never happen at Theater Lawrence, which had its groundbreaking yesterday.  I predict Theater Lawrence will perform challenging fare such as Steel Magnolias exactly as planned every time. Plus, one can enjoy a nice West side dinner at Applebee's or Famous Dave's before the show."