Further Friday Picks: Matt Pryor Forms An Orchestra; OILS Makes a Cassette: Artists Exhume Burroughs

It's the weekend.  It's gonna snow (probably).  Here's some stuff that's happening in addition to Roky Erickson and other things we've already mentioned.

Matt Pryor is playing at the LAC with a 20 piece orchestra apparently.  Plus Ghosty is playing their own set and also joining his orchestra.  That sounds like something.  We totally want to hear "Mass Pike" with a full orchestra.  Will that happen?




Cassettes are still hip and OILS is releasing one tonight at SeedCo.





And of course somebody's gotta do some Burroughs' stuff on Final Friday.  Head to Cider Gallery.

Thursday Activities: Winter Nights Under the Lights / BaioWolf at Replay

As you may have noticed, it's perpetually Christmas in LFK, since downtown has decided to leave the lights up until...Valentine's Day, maybe?

A shopping/eating/boozing event tonight called "Winter Nights Under the Lights" gives you a chance to stroll around and look at the lights some more. It might not even be snowing (yet).  Visit the FB event page here, though we're still confused as to who all is participating and what the deals may be. Is there a cheaper than usual PBR special somewhere?

Afterward, you can catch Coolzey, all the way from LA, and LFK's own BaioWolf and New Suede at the Replay.  We predict hijinks. Perhaps a cover of "Home on the Range," even though Kansas Day is (sadly) over.  Visit the FB event page here, where will you learn important info (BaioWolf has a drummer now?) and see an illustration of what tonight will look like:

Must-See Scenester Show of the Week: Roky Erickson / Kansas Day

LFK will normally turn up in good numbers to see a legendary tortured artist, but we haven't heard a lot of scenester buzz about Roky Erickson's Granada appearance on Friday.  If nothing else, this is likely to be the best show of the week in terms of the drugs on hand.







In the meantime, proceed with your Kansas Day celebrations. You might even consider giving PBR a rest and enjoying a nice Free State Beer.  We recommend a Mosaic Ale while gazing upon the new mosaic along the stairway.  But we still don't recommend the fries!  (Zing!...never forget).

Check out some details on the mosaic here via the artist's site.

Early Final Friday Picks: Make More Love at the Percolator and Music at Love Garden

Following the very hip Snipe Hunt exhibit, the Percolator gets back in touch with its hippie roots with this month's Final Friday opening, titled "Make More Love." We predict that the evening will end with a fleshy gropefest.  Here's the pic from the FB event page.  Chip deems it "erotic." 





And it's an evening of tunes and art down at Love Garden on Friday: flyer below.  We hope that Gunnerson will be telling some jokes to complement his artwork.  Check out the FB event page here.

Also, our friend Katlyn in La Guerre needs some help getting to Europe this summer.   Visit the indiegogo site to read more and contribute.  So far, you sonsabitches have only given her $10.  She may need a little more than that.

 Also, if you're in KC tonight, catch La Guerre with Frankie Rose at the Record Bar.

Tuesday Scenester Picks: Burroughs' Storytelling at LAC and Trash Nite T&A at Bottleneck

The Burrough's 100th birthday festivities continue on Tuesday with a storytelling night at the LAC in which old friends and acquaintances can swap tales about...shootin' art with shotguns and such.  What tales will Wayne Propst tell? Our friends from Watkins Museum will be on hand with a recording booth if you want to share a story to be archived or possibly used in future exhibits.  Details here via LAC.

Follow that up with a trip to Trash  Nite at the Bottleneck for an evening which looks like it was designed specifically with Chip in mind:  "two plugged-in hours of T&A arcade comedies."  Chip has always argued that Joy Sticks is "a forgotten classic that's as touching and tender as anything by Rohmer and surely one day worthy of Criterion treatment."  How did Joe Don Baker not win an Oscar? Watch the trailer below.

Weekend Scenester Picks: Love Bones, Nerds, Noise Boys, Coens Classics, and More

After today, it might be warm enough to leave the house without fear of frostbite.   Let's find out what's happening.

We like kicking off our Fridays with some matinee action at the Replay, plus Chip thinks the name "Love Bones" is surely a boner reference.

 


Stick around late for All Blood (which contains a Rooftop Vigilante), plus Lazy and perpetual LC favorites Wayne Payne and the Shit Stains.  We can't find a flyer for the show, but here's a video of Wayne Payne and company from last year. They seem to have really matured as artists.

Super Nerd Night returns to the Bottleneck with the usual hijinks plus music from The Sluts and many more. The Sluts seem almost as prolific as Psychic Heat, but maybe not quite.  FB event page here.

 

It's a big weekend at the B-neck.  Patty Griffin hits the stage on Saturday.  It sold out quick.



Here is a great flyer for Saturday's Replay show from the mighty Muscle Worship. Yep, they chose the perfect Stallone flick to reference.  Our old Joplin pals Me Like Bees are also on the bill.  Re-read our 2012 Bees interview here
 

 

And the Noise Boys return to LFK on Saturday for a Granada show.  Normally we ask them to write a guest piece for us, but we let 'em off the hook since they so recently did a Christmas post for us about their KC fundraiser.  However, they did promise to send us their review of I, Frankenstein in the near future. It's the one where a bare-chested Aaron Eckhart (playing Frankenstein's monster, AKA "Adam") fights some gargoyles. NO ONE is more excited about I, Frankenstein than the Noise Boys.







And you should follow your viewing of I, Frankenstein by seeing an actual film.  Perhaps Liberty's Film Church screening of the Coens' classic Raising Arizona at 7:00 Sunday.  The Coens' are the first directors to be featured twice at Film Church (remember that scratchy 35mm print of Blood Simple?).  Perhaps Film Church should continue featuring all the Coens' films, and in order!

Chip's going in costume, with a "panty" on his head.

Is there a contest for best Nic Cage impression?
  
"I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House."

Our Interview with England in 1819: "We're raising french horn awareness one city at a time. Soon it will seem weird if you don't have a french horn in your band."

Readers, England in 1819 may sound like a dull-ass history documentary but don't panic:  it's actually a band.  A cool one.   In fact, it's two brothers based in Baton Rouge who will make you dance with their "grandwave" sound that mixes synths and french horn.  Give their new album Fireball Electric Tomorrow a listen via Bandcamp, give them a "like" on Facebook, and see them at the Record Bar on Sunday night.  We chatted with the Callaway boys, Andrew and Dan, about recording in cabins, "southern bands," Duck Dynasty, and (of course) french horns.  Enjoy. 


Chip:  Your band name is interesting, but it also sounds like the title of a history textbook.  It doesn't exactly scream: "Let' rock!!"  Tell us a bit about the origin of the name and how it might reflect your sound and/ or sensibility.

England in 1819:   When the band was formed in LA a few years ago, it was atmospheric post-rock. There was a lot of slow builds and swells and the songs were drawn out. The name 'England in 1819' fit really well because it's a far away plac, and a far away time - so there was a built in sense of large space and time. The sound has changed as the band has grown, but we still really like the name, and we've held on to the atmosphere and crescendos. It has underlying electronics now, but it still fits really well.

Richard:  Recording stuff in a cabin is so hot right now (I call it "the Bon Iver syndrome.").  Tell us about the recording of Fireball Electric Tomorrow...and maybe tell us about that odd title too.
 

England in 1819: There's a certain level of focus that you get when you're isolated. There really wasn't anything to do up there except work on the music. No TV, no internet, just a couple couches and some tables.  We just set everything up and started making noise. We’d get bored and go back to writing. We’d get bored of writing the way we were writing and change up the whole process. On one song, you can hear Dan slamming the fridge in the background, because I was in my “record everything through the laptop mic” phase. 

Fireball Electric Tomorrow is actually the name of one of our Dad's songs he wrote a long time ago. We just felt it fit perfectly with the sound we were making. 

Chip:  You guys seem to LOVE the french horn. Why? Also: do you think your work will start a trend of french horns in the indie-rock world?

England in 1819: We do love the french horn! It's a beautiful instrument. Dan studied french horn in school, so it was natural to include that talent when it came to making our music as well. I hope we start some trend. Or add to it. We see them out there every now and then. We're raising french horn awareness one city at a time. Soon it will seem weird if you don't have a french horn in your band. 

Richard:  You guys have southern roots, as do I.  Do you think of yourselves as a "southern band" at all?
 

England in 1819: We do. I suppose there is the textbook "southern band" image that we don't really fit. But times are changin'! There's a ton of incredible bands coming out of the south that aren't country or traditional southern rock. There's so many talented musicians, artists and producers who are down here working together. It's a tight-knit scene that's developing really nicely and we're very happy to be a part of it.

Chip:  If I were in a band with just me and my brother, at least fifteen minutes of each show would consist of us calling each other assholes and maybe throwing a punch or two.  How well do you get along on tour and on stage?  Any major sibling rivalry?
 

England in 1819: We actually get along great. Everyone has their ups and downs, but for the most part it's really positive. Touring can be really stressful, so I think it's good that we know each other well. We know what we need to get along and how to work things out when we don't. On stage is a breeze. Once the music starts we both get swept up and it takes over.

Richard:  Leave our readers with a blurb that convinces them they absolutely MUST skip Downton Abbey and Sherlock on a Sunday night and head to the Record Bar to see England in 1819?
 

England in 1819: To quote my good friend Walter Lewellyn "England in 1819 strike an accessible balance between formless ambience and melodic song structure" (read more here).  That sounds pretty good to me. Plus, you can always watch your TV shows later, but this performance on this day, at this space, will only happen once in your lifetime.

Chip: Oh, one more thing, since you're based in Louisiana. Are you fans of Duck Dynasty? And, if so, who's your favorite character? 

England in 1819: Sadly, neither of us have actually ever seen Duck Dynasty. Don't worry though, it's on our bucket list so we'll get back to you with our favorite character!

 

 

 

What's New(ish) and Coming Soon in West Lawrence / Addictions, Obsessions, and Superstitions Trivia Night at Watkins

Readers, we are mostly downtown denizens who rarely venture out to the 6th and Wakarusa area of West Lawrence.  It might as well be fucking Westeros to us, if you catch our Game of Thrones reference!  But today we consider a few new(ish) and upcoming establishments way out West.

Chip is always talking about much he loves a "big biscuit."  We always assumed it was a sexual innuendo, but perhaps he was simply referring to breakfast foods.  At any rate, he's  pretty hyped for the opening of The Big Biscuit, which has locations in KC and Independence.  It probably won't top the biscuits and gravy at the Roost (and it probably won't serve morning cocktails), but we'll sample it nonetheless.

We knew that 6th and Wakarusa had a Glory Days pizza joint and a Morningstar's Pizza (does Brady Morningstar work there, or doesn't he?) and of course the pizzas served by Johnny's West, but we didn't know there was a Johnny Brusco's pizza place out there until yesterday.  What's the verdict?  Here's one from Yelp: " We stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home for Red Baron microwaveable pizza."

We also need to give Scratch Bakery a try, especially since their Facebook page is pretty cool and features some funny stuff such as this pic of Johnny Cash enjoying some cake:

 


A local movement is afoot (spearheaded mostly by our pal Steve) to get somebody in this town to reliably bake a good pie.  But we hear Scratch is not in the pie business (yet).

And of course we have a tendency to forget about Theatre Lawrence looming over the horizon out there in WLFK. But they are doing a play we like (Other Desert Cities) in February, so we're finally planning to give them a visit (our first since the open house).   Their current production, a Hitchcock parody called Wrong Window, is not likely to lure us out there this month.





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Most of the "Burroughs 100" events this month and next are centered around the LAC, but everyone wants a piece of that sweet Burroughs action, so consider visiting our friends at Watkins Museum this Friday for a trivia night called "Addictions, Obsessions, and Superstitions."  The Watkins gang always has beer on hand, but hopefully heroin will be on sale for this one as well.

 Here's the press release:

 "Are you addicted to aspartame? Obsessed with Oprah? Superstitious about your socks? This is the trivia contest for you. To celebrate William Burroughs’s 100^th Birthday, the Watkins Museum is hosting its second trivia night filled with questions about addictions, obsessions and superstitions. AOS Trivia Night will include refreshments of the alcoholic variety, snacks, and trivia with a museum twist. The topics cover celebrities, sports, authors and topics relating to Lawrence and Kansas. Build a team of up to six or compete solo for a $50 Downtown Lawrence gift certificate and a behind the scenes tour of the Watkins.

The addictions, obsessions, and superstitions themed trivia night will be held on Friday, January 24^th  at 7:30pm. The cost per person is $10. Reservations are highly encouraged and can be made at reservations@watkinsmuseum.org or by calling 785-841-4109. We look forward to testing your twisted trivia knowledge!

For more information, contact the Watkins Museum at 785-841-4109 or visit watkinsmuseum.org. 

Theatre Review: "Jessie's Song" Gets Sung at Frank's

As soon as we heard that Card Table Theatre intended to re-enact an episode of Saved by the Bell in the basement at Frank's, we said to ourselves:  This is an idea so dumb/clever that it's going to draw a HUGE crowd of scenesters.  And we were right.  The group even added an extra performance.  Both sold out. 

We were too old for the Saved by the Bell phenomenon and have probably never seen more than ten minutes of an episode at a stretch (all of which we hated), but the series proved a perfect choice for this kind of theatrical "experiment," capable of working on several different levels.  The show's fans were no doubt getting a huge kick out of  the familiarity and anticipation of favorite lines and seeing local favorites like Jerry Mitchell (of Victor Continental fame) taking on beloved characters (he played A.C Slater).  But somehow we suspect it may have worked even better for those with no investment whatsoever in the series, since the group's earnest treatment of the material highlighted the vapidity of the show in fascinating ways, with the play becoming a  deconstruction of sitcom conventions:  most of what was funny was only funny because it was so aggressively unfunny.  Puzzle over that awhile. 

Coupled with hysterical actual public service announcements (such as Andy Morton warning of the dangers of downed power lines) and a high-energy, frenetic condensed version of Die Hard, the evening was about as much fun as one can (legally) have in an old cockfighting pit.

Suggestions:  we'd totally watch a whole evening of condensed film classics.

Give Card Table Productions a "like" on FB over here and pitch them some ideas for future projects.  For instance, we're hard at work on a musical about famous LFK true-crime cases which will begin with a tender duet between local cereal thieves Buffkin and Becker called "Honey Nut Cheeri-Ode" and will end with an aria titled "Jimboy's Song (Donuts in the Ceiling").


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If you missed the boat on the Frank's show, you can still catch some fine art over at the Burroughs' "Creative Observer" exhibit at LAC.

Burroughs' realized that a lot of art is easily improved by shooting it full of bullet holes or, in this case, dismantling it with "bowling ball cannon blasts."

What We Learned At Nerd Nite 23 / Weekend Nostalgia Pick: Card Table Theatre Takes On Saved By The Bell

What we learned:

--Nerd Nite is apparently more popular than ever.  Man, there were a lot of nerds flooding the ballroom. Even the beer lines were long.  (pro tip:  race to the bar during the Q&A sessions).

--Video games give you "agency"  (remember when you tried to shoot the dog on Duck Hunt?).

--Soma Cubes are cool as hell and easier than Rubik's Cubes.

--The "sleeping pill diet" makes a lot of sense:  if you're asleep, you won't eat.

--Recent Nerd Nite surveys show that nerds would like future events to include:  food specials (not gonna happen in the ballroom, but the Star Bar is now offering discounts in the hours leading up to the presentations);  drink specials (yes, please); and incorporation of trivia in some fashion.  The surveys also showed that nerds do NOT want a speed-dating event (because, of course, nerds are scared of dating).

Most touching moment:  a toast to William Burroughs on his 100th birthday (even though his 100th birthday is actually Feb. 5).

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A lot of people really love Saved by the Bell for some reason, so expect a big turnout in the cockfighting pit at Frank's on Saturday as the jokers from Card Table Theatre re-enact a "classic" episode, presenting a "live stage version of "Jessie's Song"... accompanied by 90's PSA's, commercials, and a move trailer or two."  Visit the FB event page here.  And read Nick Spacek's excellent interview with Card Table's Will and Jacqueline over here

And presumably you've all read  Chuck Klosterman's classic essay "Being Zach Morris."  If not, go do that in advance of the show (we can't find it online in full).

Klosterman:   "...I could watch Saved by the Bell without caring and still have it become a minor part of my life, which is the most transcendent thing any kind of art can accomplish (regardless of its technical merits)."  




 

Obligatory Burroughs' Post as the 100th Birthday Festivities Approach

Stock up on heroin and dust off your guns because, obviously, LFK has to pull out all the stops for the 100th birthday of its most infamous resident.  A major exhibition kicks off this Friday, Jan. 17 at the Arts Center followed by a month of events including film screenings, staged readings, and lectures (one of them with Mr. John Waters).

Visit the LAC here for info on the exhibit and a handy calendar of related events.  And visit our smelly pals over at Fartlyfe for a preview of a Burroughs-y art exhibit opening at the Cider Gallery on Final Friday.

We're surprised (and a little disappointed) that tonight's Nerd Nite is not Burroughs-centric. 

What's New and Coming Soon in NoLaw: Coffee, Carny Classes, and Hostels

IWIG Dairy didn't last long near Dapper Dillon's. That location is now called E-CIG,  keeping two of the letters from IWIG in a clever/lazy cost-saving maneuver: check out the photo below.

But these days you can visit IWIG in NoLaw and then grab a cup of coffee next door at the newly-opened Brewhaus.  Click that link and give them a "like" on FB. 


LJ-World's Town Talk has also recently alerted us to two important future additions to No Law.

1) A school called The Last Carnival that will teach important skills such as using a bullwhip and walking on glass  (full LJ-World piece here).

Chip:  "I thought carny-skills were genetic?  Can they be taught?  And isn't this going to create even more buskers in this town?  They already breed like rabbits."

2)  A banquet hall/hostel, which seems like an unexpected combination:  won't the buskers and drunk musicians of the hostel end up crashing most of the swanky receptions? (full LJ-World piece here).  

What else is new in NoLaw?

Nerd Nite 23 Preview: New Year, New Nerds / LFK: America's 7th Drunkest City!

First off, a reminder that LFK's first-ever Riptide Comedy Festival kicks off tonight.  We showcased it last week: check that post out here.  The post got a lot of hits and shares, so hopefully that means people will show up and check it out.  Today's event is at the Taproom.



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Nerd Nite is back on Wednesday after a December hiatus with a whole crew of new "co-bosses" running the show.  We're confident they'll be a solid group of nerds, though (it must be said) we're certainly missing Becky on the FB event page, which contains only a logo and lacks the bad-ass flyers we looked forward to each time. Step it up, nerds!

There are presentations on video games and dieting myths.  And one called:  “From Heisenberg to Parker Brothers: Cracking the Soma Treasure Map." 

Our friends at Larryville Artists recently posted a little blurb from new co-boss Chad O'Bryhim with his vision for the new year. Read it over here.




 




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LFK was recently designated the 7th drunkest city in America by this poll, which also reveals that Brookings, SD (#5) easily outdrinks us. We can't let that go unchallenged.

Is being the 7th drunkest city in any way connected with being the 9th smartest city (as another recent poll declared us)?  Or is it more likely connected to LFK being the nation's "2nd worst performing small metro area?"

Hard to say.  Let's discuss it at the bar this morning over powerful cocktails at The Roost.

Weekend Picks: Muff Punch; Wells the Traveler; More Dead Girls; and the Coens at Liberty Hall

It seems a bit slow this weekend in LFK but here are some ideas.

There's a band called Muff Punch at Frank's tonight.  We haven't listened to a note, but Chip has already declared the band name to be one of the greatest he's ever heard.  The FB event page is here.


 

 Our pals in Wells the Traveler are at the Jazzhaus tonight. King Tosser has deemed their genre as "MILF-rock" because there are always a lot of "mature" ladies on the dance floor. 





Those prolific Dead Girls are at the Jackpot on Saturday along with Rooms Without Windows and Grenadina.  Will they please play the Revolver album for us?  They keep doing it for KC...but why not for us good folks in LFK??  The FB event page doesn't have a flyer, but it does have a picture of Statler and Waldorf.




Also music-related:  the Coens' lovely, melancholy Inside Llewyn Davis arrives at Liberty Hall.  We've seen it once already.  We'll see it at least once more on the big-screen.  If the cat doesn't win an Oscar for "Best Cat," there is just no justice in Hollywood.

 

Thursday Scenester Picks: Beatles vs. Stones in KC With Dead Girls and Choosy Beggars / Narkalark at Replay

Some of our more aged readers may remember the time the Hardaways played Abbey Road in its entirety at the Replay Lounge, which remains one of our favorite LFK shows (read about our top three all-time favorite Replay shows over here in a piece we wrote for our pals at I Heart Local Music).   Carrying on that proud tradition of album re-creation today is The Dead Girls,  whose Beatles' album of choice is Revolver.  Hear them tackle it again tonight at Knuckleheads, along with The Choosy Beggars, who will play the entire Stones' Beggar's Banquet album. Will the Beatles vs. Stones argument be settled once and for all?  Perhaps.

Great flyer!

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Closer to home, catch Narkalark at the Replay for some "experiments in synthesizers, drum machines, and robots."  Check out four tunes via Bandcamp.  They describe their genre as "dogstep." We don't know what it means, but it's probably the next big thing.

A Week of Comedy in LFK: Harpoon's Riptide Comedy Fest

As people who enjoy funny things, we're pleased that LFK's sketch-comedy scene (with Loaded for Bear and Card Table Theatre) has been going strong even in the wake of Mr. Victor Continental's retirement.   Mark our words: Card Table's Saved by the Bell night at Frank's (Jan. 18) is gonna be huge.  

LFK's stand up-scene is booming too.  Starting Monday Jan. 13, you've got more opportunities than ever to check out the action (local and beyond) when an ambitious, week-long, multi-venue showcase called the Harpoon's Riptide Comedy Festival kicks off.  How ambitious, you ask?  Well, one of the events is to be held at Charlie's Eastside, for fuck's sake.  Have you ever tried to convince a bunch of scenesters to hang out at Charlie's on a Tuesday? It ain't easy.  Visit the official Harpoon Presents site here for full info and check out their Facebook page here for links to individual FB events and much more.  Clicking our links below will get you to individual FB event pages as well.

Our personal picks for the Fest?

We're particularly hyped about the two Taproom events. Richard is interested in Monday's "Hot Riffs" (Chicago comics--including the Puterbaugh Sisters--talkin' music) and Chip is partial to Thursday's "Bedside Table," which is likely to be especially dirty, a night of dating/hook-up stories with a theme of "admissions, omissions, and emissions." 

After all the "emissions" talk, the week climaxes (get it??) Friday with another edition of Comedy Freakout at Frank's, featuring noted out-of-towners Sam Tallent (Denver) and  Ryan Thompson (Pittsburg) along with the usual hijinks from LFK's Peter and Chance and the gang.

Remember:  comics are funnier if there's somebody on hand to laugh at their jests.  So go out and support this thing!