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The Pitch 12.15.11
The Pitch December 15, 2011
DECEMBER 15�21, 2011 | FREE | VOL. 31 N O . 24 PITCH.COM buisness Liquidation Maps, Prints, Fine Art and Rare Books www.DirkSoulisAuction.com 816.697.3830 � C O N T E N T S V O L U M E 3 1 � N U M B E R 24 DECEMBER 15�21, 2011 Spivey's bid now! E D I T O R I A L Editor Scott Wilson Managing Editor Justin Kendall Music Editor David Hudnall Staff Writers Charles Ferruzza, Ben Palosaari Editorial Operations Manager Deborah Hirsch Proofreader Brent Shepherd Calendar Editor Berry Anderson Clubs Editor Abbie Stutzer Food Blogger, Web Editor Jonathan Bender Contributing Writers Danny Alexander, Aaron Carnes, Kyle Eustice, Ian Hrabe, Elke Mermis, Chris Packham, Chris Parker, Nadia Pflaum, M.T. Richards, Nancy Hull Rigdon, Dan Savage, Brent Shepherd, Nick Spacek, Abbie Stutzer, Kent Szlauderbach, Crystal K. Wiebe Editorial Intern Jenna Jakowatz A R T Art Director Ashford Stamper Contributing Photographers Angela C. 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C O M Vice President Sales & Marketing Carl Ferrer Business Manager Jess Adams Accountant David Roberts D I S T R I B U T I O N The Pitch distributes 45,000 copies a week and is available free throughout Greater Kansas City, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $5 each, payable at The Pitch's office in advance. The Pitch may be distributed only by The Pitch's authorized independent contractors or authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Pitch, take more than one copy of each week's issue. Mail subscriptions: $22.50 for six months or $45 per year, payable in advance. Application to mail at second-class postage rates is pending at Kansas City, MO 64108. C O P Y R I G H T The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2011 by KC Communications, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch address: 1701 Main, Kansas City, MO 64108 For The Pitch information, call: 816-561-6061 To report a story, call: 816-218-6915 Editorial fax: 816-756-0502 For classifieds, call: 816-218-6721 For retail advertising, call: 816-218-6702 FO RT � 'S WAY Police Chief Darryl Fort� doesn't view homicides just as numbers. BY JONATHAN BENDER | 8 PUTTING D OW N R O OTS El Salvadore�o is slaw good in downtown Overland Park. BY CHARLES FERRUZZA | 19 Insert: The Pitch New Year's Guide 4 6 8 13 15 16 19 20 22 27 34 T H E PI T C H Q U E ST IO N N A I R E P LO G F E AT U R E N IG H T + DAY STAG E FILM CAF� FAT CI T Y M U S IC C O N C E RTS S AVAG E LOV E 12 Days of Christmas MEANWHILE, AT PITCH.COM THE DAILY PITCH: GET UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON PLOG (OUR NEWS BLOG), FAT CITY (OUR FOOD BLOG) AND THE WAYWARD BLOG (MUSIC). SEARCH HUNDREDS OF AREA RESTAURANTS BY NEIGHBORHOOD OR CUISINE TYPE; SEND RESTAURANT INFORMATION TO YOUR CELL PHONE OR WRITE YOUR OWN REVIEWS. GIVEAWAYS! Head to pitch.com for a chance to win a prize a day for the 12 days of Christmas! Starting December 7, a new prize will be added to our Free Stuff page at pitch.com and a new winner will be chosen each day. 2 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 RESTAURANTS: CALENDAR: FIND ENTERTAINING AND ENLIGHTENING EVENTS ALL OVER TOWN, TODAY AND EVERY DAY. ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABRINA STAIRES BARS/CLUBS: CHECK HUNDREDS OF LIVE-MUSIC LISTINGS BY DATE, VENUE OR ARTIST. pitch.com pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 3 Remember the Christmas you gave the gift of SCUBA DIVING J D E A R N E N M E Y R The Pitch Questionnaire Occupation: Brewer, Boulevard Brewing Co. Hometown: Lexington, Missouri Current neighborhood: Waldo Who or what is your sidekick? I'm not sure how my wife, Randyl, would feel about being called my sidekick, but we spend a lot of time together. I'm really lucky to have married my best friend, and we share a ton of common interests. I think I'm her sidekick, though. If Randyl's busy, then my sweet pit bull, Emma, is my go-to sidekick. What career would you choose in an alternate reality? I'm incredibly happy with what I do in this reality, but it would be cool to be in a bluegrassy jam band. I'd be the banjo player who only sings when he has to. What was the last local restaurant you patronized? I brought dinner home from Chelly's Caf� on 85th Street the other night. We have so many options for killer authentic Mexican food in Kansas City. Where do you drink? Because of my job and access to fresh, free beer, I drink a lot at home, but when I do go out, I usually hit Beer Kitchen, Swagger or Waldo Pizza. I also try to frequent the local brewpubs as often as I can. Favorite arts organization: I'm a big fan of the growing improv scene in Kansas City. We're not nearly as organized and hard-core as some other cities, but we're getting there. There's a passionate group of people slowly building things up. Favorite place to spend a significant portion of your paycheck: My wife and I aren't collectors of possessions but, rather, we believe in the experience of life, so we like to drop a lot of money on good food and drink. What local phenomenon do you think is overrated? I don't know if this counts as a phenomenon, but it seems that everyone is serving their version of short ribs these days. I just don't get it. They're good, and I've had some that border on great, but it seems like short ribs are the cool food right now. I'd much rather have a medium-rare steak. Where do you like to take out-of-town guests? Of course, I bring out-of-town folks to the brewery for a private tour. On my tour, you always have a full glass of beer, and we see all the cool areas the public tour doesn't. The pitch.com 75th & Nieman 913-962-2323 adventuresportskc.com Lessons starting every week! Ages 10 and older are eligible. CHRIS MULLINS best place in Kansas City to drink beer is on the roof of the brewery. I usually take folks to Oklahoma Joe's for lunch afterward. Finish this sentence: "Kansas City screwed up when it ..." Failed to draft Albert Pujols. "Kansas City got it right when it ..." Stayed Midwestern and "normal." I travel quite a bit for work, and it's always nice to come home to normal, down-to-earth, friendly people. What TV show are you embarrassed to admit you watch? I started out just making fun of So You Think You Can Dance, while my wife watched it. But I think deep down, I actually grew to like it. I have no idea if the dancers are any good, but it's entertaining. I want to be a B-boy so bad! take up a lot of space in my iTunes: Yonder Mountain String Band, Cake, Beastie Boys, Soul Coughing and Radiohead What movie do you watch at least once a year? I don't repeat-watch many movies, but I usually watch Fight Club a few times a year, and anytime I catch Ghostbusters playing, I just have to watch it. Celebrity you'd like to take on a gondola ride: I get queasy on the water, but I'd totally get seasick in a boat with Megan Fox. I read she's crazy, but I don't care. Favorite person or thing to follow on Twitter: I follow a lot of beer people on Twitter. There are quite a few of us from KC who are very active, so it's like one big, ongoing conversation about beer (and dumb dude jokes). Person or thing you find really irritating at this moment: Beer snobbery! Let's be geeks, dorks pitch.com lulu's Are you a lulu? or nerds, but not snobs. Snobs turn people off. Kansas City beer culture is starting to boom, but we're not going to get people drinking better beer by telling them how stupid they are for drinking whatever it is we think is inferior. I drink all kinds of beer. If you had me over to your house and offered me a PBR, you bet I'd drink it, and I'd ask you for another one. What subscription -- print, digital, etc. -- do you value most? I don't have any subscriptions at all, but I follow the videos on wimp.com pretty religiously. I appreciate some good distraction. I'm a sucker for cat videos. What was the most important thing you learned in school? I was very dorky in high school and probably still am. I'm thankful that I was never the "cool kid." When I graduated and moved away from Lexington, I discovered that I wasn't dorky but instead I was unique, and the cool kids were boring. This is supercheesy, but be yourself. Finish this sentence: "People might be surprised to know that I ..." Am incredibly afraid of slugs and birds. I can't explain it, but both really freak me out. Describe a recent triumph: Boulevard Brewing Co. won four medals at the Great American Beer Festival this year. We're not huge on accolades and awards, but coming away with two golds and two bronzes is extraordinary. We brew in a total team environment, and everyone shares in the success. That's pretty cool. A Hip & Trendy Boutique lulu (loo'loo) n 1. A remarkable person or thing. 2. stunner, mantrap, knockout, beauty, peach 6017 Johnson Drive Mission, KS 913.362.CHIC (2442) luvlulus.com Bu y � S e l l � T r a d e 4 the pitch DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad, aged in oak bourbon barrels and loosely based on the Smokestack Series' Sixth Glass, is out now for a limited time. M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X THE PITCH 1 2 Pairs of Sunglasses for $10 an $18 VALUE! pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 5 Finding a marsupial-friendly city won't be easy for a 16-year-old and her pet. P L O G ALL KU BASKETBALL TICKETS NOW ON SALE! EH STOREWIDCHIEFSOLIDAY SALE! VS. PACKERS Sunday, DEC 18th VS. RAIDERS Saturday, DEC 24th NATIONWIDE TICKETS ACE SPORTS & CHIEFS No Wallabies Allowed hoever called 911 Thanksgiving morning must have known that he sounded like a lunatic. "I'm not drunk. There is a kangaroo or a wallaby just ran past my house," he told the dispatcher. "I'm not kidding. I'm not drunk." The caller was right. Noah, a 4-year-old wallaby, had been hopping around Platte City after escaping his owners' backyard during a feeding. Noah made it about two blocks before he wound up fenced inside the yard of a nursing home. While a wallaby on the lam made for great TV news on a typically eventless holiday, Noah's escapade could also result in his never going home to Emily Wood, his 16-year-old owner. Platte City doesn't allow its residents to own exotic animals. The code bans "any warm blooded, carnivorous or omnivorous, wild or exotic animals (including, but not limited to, non-human primates, raccoons, skunks, foxes and wild and exotic cats; but excluding fowl, ferrets and small rodents of varieties used for laboratory purposes)." The species isn't listed by name, but the 3-foot-tall marsupial may fall into the banned category. Noah is staying at the Kansas City Zoo as the Platte City Public Safety Sub-Committee gathers information. The committee will issue a recommendation to the Board of Aldermen in January on whether Wood and Noah can be reunited. Last week, Wood told the subcommittee that her family would leave the city before losing the pet. "We are adjusting quite nicely to our schools and wouldn't like to have to move, if we didn't have to, in order to keep him," she said, according to Fox 4 News. "But if it came down to it, we would." Finding a nearby wallaby-friendly town won't be easy. Most cities in the Kansas City COTTON BOWL KSU vs. ARKANSAS KSU vs. ALABAMA Friday, JAN 6th, 7PM Monday, DEC 18th, 8PM SPRINT W 50% OFF HOLDS TICKETS! ALL Chiefs Apparel 20% DOWN ALL CONCERTS 1ST 10 ROWS! NOW SELLING MLB ALL STAR TICKETS! ACE AT OAK PARK NATIONWIDETICKETS.COM 913-541-8100 OPEN 9AM-10PM DAILY metropolitan area have bans on keeping nontraditional animals. In Parkville, for instance, the city law outlaws ownership of "exotic or wild" animals, which are described as "any mammal, fowl, fish or any other species not commonly considered as pets or commonly raised for food or agricultural purposes which pose a possible threat to the life or health of humans." It's up to Parkville Police Chief Kevin Chrisman to decide whether animals fit the legal definition. A wallaby, Chrisman says, is definitely a wild animal. "It would not be acceptable in Parkville, and I think you would find that in any city," he says. Indeed, animal-control agencies in several cities contacted by The Pitch say wallabies would fall under dangerous-animal bans. Overland Park, for instance, outlaws animals that "due to size, vicious nature or other characteristics would constitute a danger to human life, physical well-being, or property." An Overland Park animalcontrol officer says it's highly unlikely that a wallaby would be allowed to call that city home. The story is similar in North Kansas City, where banned animals are listed as "including but not limited to nonhuman primates, raccoons, skunks, foxes, leopards, panthers, tigers, lions, and any member of the canine species other than domestic dog." An Animal Control staff member there says he doubts that Noah would be welcome. Kansas City isn't an option because both the city and Jackson County have broad bans on exotic animals. A chimpanzee named Suco got loose and smashed a police car last year. In a widely publicized trial, Suco's owners were found guilty of having kept her in the city. So it appears that Noah's best hope is a reprieve from the Platte City Public Safety Sub-Committee. Walkabout at pitch.com/plog 6 the pitch DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com EXCLUSIVE SPECIALS FOR WRISTBAND HOLDERS 75th STREET BREWERY 810 ZONE ANGELS ROCK BAR BLUE ROOM BOBBY BAKERS BRIO BROOKSIDER BUCCA De BEPPO BUZZARD BEACH CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN CALIFORNOS CHARLIE HOOPER'S CLASSIC CUP COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT DARKHORSE DAVE'S STAGECOACH INN DRUM ROOM ERNIE BIGGS FIDEL'S CIGARS FIREFLY FREAKS ON BROADWAY FRED P OTTS GORDON BIERSCH GRANFALLOON GUSTO HARPOS HARRY'S BAR & TABLES HOWL AT THE MOON INDIE BAR IT'S A DREAM SMOKESHOP JERUSALEM CAFE' JERSEY DOGS JOHNNY'S TAVERN JOHN'S BIG DECK JUKE HOUSE THE ULTIMATE KC PUB CRAWL EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT 1 RO C K I N F L E E T O F TROLLEYS O P E R AT I N G 7 P M - 3AM 8 E N T E RTA I N M E N T DISTRICT S 10 0 + R E STAU R A N T S & BARS E XC LU S I V E F O O D & D R INK SPECIAL S Tickets ONLY $10 Must be purchased at the Trolley stop. KC JUICE LEW'S M&S GRILL MAKER'S MARK MARRAKECH CAFE MCCORMICK & SCHMICK'S MCCOYS MCFADDEN'S SPORTS BAR SALOON MISSIE B'S MONACO MOSAIC MURRAY'S ICE CREAM & COOKIES O'DOWD'S OTTO'S P.F. CHANG'S PBR BIG SKY PIZZA BAR POWER AND LIGHT GRILL RAGLAN ROAD RAPHEAL HOTEL RIOT ROOM SHARK BAR SIMPLY BREAKFAST SOL CANTINA TEA DROPS TENGO SED CANTINA THE BEAUMONT CLUB/ SIDECAR THE DROP THE FOUNDRY THE MIXX THE OAKROOM THE UNION-WESTPORT THE WELL TOMFOOLERIES TOWER TAVERN VELVET DOG WESTPORT COFFEE HOUSE WILLIES STOPS: POWER & LIGHT 18TH & VINE SNOW & CO MARTINI CORNER WESTPORT O'DOWDS BROOKSIDE WALDO thekansascitystrip.com 816.512.5555 pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 7 FO R T � ' S TO NEW POLICE CHIEF DARRYL FORT�, KC'S HOMICIDE RATE ISN'T JUST A NUMBER. B Y J O N AT H A N B E N D E R | P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y S A B R I N A S TA I R E S WAY D T arryl Fort� sits behind his desk, his head angled down slightly, a bit of scalp showing through his closely cropped black hair. His crisp white shirt is the very same one that he wore as a member of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department's homicide unit in 1994. And 17 years later, as chief of police, he's still dealing with the city's troubling homicide rate. He spins his chair and pulls a pair of three-ring binders off a credenza behind him -- one is an inch thick, the other the size of a telephone book. "These are the biggest ones you can get," Fort� says. "We're going to be doing an analysis of every homicide within 24 hours. This is not just crime analysis -- it's intelligence analysis. We have to get away from collecting statistics and instead ask: What are we going to do with them?" Since Fort� was sworn into office two months ago, on October 13, there have been 21 homicides in Kansas City. By his count, he has personally attended 19 of those crime scenes. Each has left a fissure in the community. But it was the shooting of his childhood friend, Anthony Carlos Richardson, that nearly cracked the city's new police chief. As Fort� lays down one of the binders, he begins to talk about Richardson and the quiet anguish of the past month. he morning of Friday, November 11, started as most mornings do for Fort�: with a text from Richardson. He had received the following from his friend two days earlier. Darryl, you sound tired. Get some rest. You can't do God's work dead. Love you, man. Richardson had been looking out for Fort� since the two grew up together as next-door neighbors in south Kansas City. "He used to tell me: `You're going to be a police officer -- you better not do that. You need to be a good boy,' " Fort� says. Richardson had recently moved to a home on Lister Avenue, bragging to Fort� that he was going to illuminate the whole block with Christmas lights. Fort� was planning to bring his friend a washing machine and a loveseat, but the day got away from him. At 6:30 p.m., he spoke briefly with Richardson, told him that he didn't think he could get there that evening. Less than four hours later, Richardson and his wife, Mary, and his cousin, Stephanie Brown, had been shot and killed at the Lister house. "I called dispatch and I had to stop my car because I knew that was Carlos' house," Fort� says. "That was probably the worst day of my career. I'm going to my buddy's house, driving slowly, and I'm thinking about not going." But he did go, and he spent four hours at the scene -- an empty feeling building in his stomach as the bile rose in his throat. Someone asked for the male victim's age, and the chief unconsciously recited Richardson's birthday: April 29, 1961. November 11 was a brutal night in Kansas City. Police responded to six homicides that were committed within just 10 hours. It was the kind of night that has defined this chief's brief tenure, reinforcing the idea that the community and law enforcement are a long way from reducing violent crime in Kansas City. "We have to have a sense of urgency in what we do," Fort� says. The 49-year-old is a trim 5 feet 7 inches, and the authority he exudes stems from his moral certainty rather than from physical intimidation. Fort�'s eyes crinkle slightly when he smiles, which is surprisingly often. Still, his face offers only subtle clues to what he's thinking. It was Fort�'s sense of urgency that led the Board of Police Commissioners to select him from a pool of five candidates, including Deputy Chief Kevin Masters and retired Deputy Chief Vince Ortega. It was an urgency expressed by a 37-page action plan that he submitted to the board: "One Community, One Vision." In it were 221 "priority actions" and nine "individual strategic objectives." "He had a plan," says Mayor Sly James, who sits on the board. "It was well-thought-out and inventive. He was also very willing to make changes in how things were done. He was willing to be bold and a little bit controversial." Fort� transferred 52 officers within the department the week that he was sworn in, and he has committed additional resources to four designated "hot spots," areas that together cover roughly 13 square miles of the city. Last week, he added a sergeant and six detectives to the department's gang squad. But Fort� says his actions so far haven't been a direct response to the late autumn's wave of violence. Instead, they're moves that the new chief has been calculating, in some cases, for decades. "It was necessary to change the culture, when people are entrenched in their positions," Maj. Jim Pruetting Jr. says. "He took them out of their comfort zone." ort� is the fourth of five children. The youngest son of Willia Fort�Davis was going to be either a race-car driver or a police officer. But first he had to graduate from high school, one of continued on page 10 F 8 T H E P I T C H D E C E M B E R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 1 pitch.com 2 T H E P I T C H M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X pitch.com pitch.com D E C E M B E R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 1 T H E P I T C H 9 pitch.com M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X T H E P I T C H 3 CALL NOW! Roses! Roses! Roses! p Independently Owned & Family Operated Forte's Way continued from page 9 Next to Sunfresh 4029 Mill St. (816) 561-7387 citypets.wordpress.com Fort�-Davis' requirements for her children. The single mother was strict. Fort� remembers that the kids in the neighborhood called her "the warden." "I never expected to raise boys," Fort�Davis says. "I expected to raise men. That means being accountable for your actions and keeping the promises you make. If you can't keep it, you have to give that person a reason why you can't keep it." In those days, Fort� and Richardson were inseparable, heading out to the store together or sleeping overnight in a two-story fort they built in the woods next to their Stratford Estates neighborhood. When Fort� was in the sixth grade, he met a police officer and asked what he needed to do to join the force. The patrolman responded that he could never smoke or drink. That advice, coupled with his mother's insistence that he live a good life, formed the basis of Fort�'s own strict character. "I do believe in the underdog," Fort�-Davis says. "I always have, and that's the reason that I told him to think for himself. I said that if something feels like it's right, then you have to pursue it." After graduating from Ruskin High School in 1980, Fort� began taking college courses and working. "I was fired off nearly every job that I had before the police department," he says. Sometimes it was the job -- a McDonald's shift that went on too long for a young man's taste. Sometimes it was Fort� -- a disagreement about the way his supervisor at a bank had treated a co-worker. The young Fort� could be brash and sometimes confrontational. His sense of fairness -- a compulsion to tell the truth -- sometimes overwhelmed his jobpreservation instincts. The first time he applied to the Police Academy, he was rejected because, as he puts it, "They thought I lied on my polygraph." He had passed the test, but the proctors refused to believe that he had never smoked or had never drunk alcohol. He says that's still true today. Fort� received a letter in the mail telling him that he had been declined and should not reapply to the academy. He reapplied the following Darryl Fort� addresses the media at a community meeting held November 19. year. Fort� again passed his polygraph test and this time was admitted, although only after two potential cadets dropped out at the last minute. In 1985, he earned his associate's degree from Penn Valley Community College and was sworn in as a KCPD officer. "I knew from day one that I could do things differently," Fort� says. "I thought, We can change things." The young beat cop began filling what would become dozens of notebooks, critiquing his own actions and those of his superiors. He started with the simple things, such as whether he checked the trunk on a routine traffic stop. By this time, Fort� had learned to be more reserved in offering his opinion; on the force, he earned a reputation as someone who listened before he spoke, which gave more weight to what he did say. Former Police Chief Rick Easley, now the president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission, was Fort�'s commander in the personnel division (now called human resources) nearly two decades ago. "What I always appreciated about him was, he didn't hesitate to ask you the hard questions," Easley says. By then a sergeant, Fort� was responsible for overseeing the recruitment and hiring of officers. Easley recalls that Fort� often gave candidates on the verge of disqualification one last look. "We didn't always agree, but he would always be willing to look through my window and see what I was seeing," Easley says. "You can change his mind if you can make a good enough case. He's not bullheaded." Fort� sat down with the KCMCC last month and agreed to name a sergeant as a liaison to the commission's Second Chance Program, which helps more than 3,000 ex-offenders merge back into the community. That decision reflected something Fort� had told the Board of Police Commissioners a month earlier: that the input of ex-offenders was needed in developing a comprehensive plan to combat violent crime. "You don't just drop out of the sky with salt-and-pepper hair and become chief," Easley says. "But I think Darryl knows what he needs to do, and that's to develop as many partnerships as he can." During his time in personnel, Fort� also continued his own education, observing that the police force was moving away from the traditional path of recruiting ex-military and looking to cadets who were college graduates. Fort� earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Park University in 1990 and a master's degree in management from Baker University seven years later. Gary Palmer, a part-time instructor who recently retired from Park University, remembers Fort� as thoughtful, polite and studious. "His presentations were succinct, well-organized and easy to follow," Palmer says. "I really appreciated his serious approach to the class. He was very thoughtful in the contributions that he made." Fort�'s skills as a communicator have allowed him to relate to people in and out of uniform. In 1998, he began conducting community surveys, approaching citizens at bus stops and other public places and asking for a few minutes of their time. He wanted their frank opinions of the police and the job they were doing. The surveys were always anonymous, meant to tell him whether people were disillusioned or encouraged by the actions of the department. He has kept up this practice, off and on, ever since. "I have some in my car right now," he says. "Chief [Fort�] gives us credibility with the community from the beginning," Pruetting says. "It's a sincere change of culture, one where we're not going to be adversarial. We're going to build trust." Fort� rose rapidly in the ranks, receiving promotions under each of the five chiefs he served. While undercover in vice, he played the role of a recovering alcoholic at the clubs. In homicide, he worked the night shift, trying to keep a normal schedule for his wife, Lori, and two young daughters at home. It was as a major in the Violent Crimes Division that he caught his first high-profile case. Fort� identified three separate crime scenes involving partially clothed women as possibly being the work of a serial killer. He was named the lead investigator on the case. While cameras taped for the A&E show The First 48, the officers broke the case. Terry Blair was arrested in September 2004 after an intensive 10-day investigation. He's serving a life sentence, convicted of killing six women. In the episode that A&E eventually broadcast about the case, Fort� is hardly the star of the show. In fact, he is never interviewed on camera. His arm can briefly be seen in one shot -- "I didn't get out of the way fast enough," he explains. "I just wanted to make sure the crime got solved," Fort� says. "The people who want the cameras and the ribbons can have them." The case didn't make Fort� a TV star but it did cement his status in the department. And he says it taught him how to mobilize the force to achieve fast results. Having been on the job for 19 years, Fort� knew which officers he wanted on the Blair investigation. In a departure from procedure, he had told those officers to approach their superiors and ask to be put on the case. The Blair case was a swift, decisive victory for Fort�, but he knew that solving one case wouldn't fix a bad neighborhood. The area 10 t h e p i t c h D E C E M B E R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 1 pitch.com 4 T H E P I T C H M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X pitch.com where the bodies were discovered -- along the Prospect corridor -- was blighted. Fort� saw an opportunity to involve himself directly in the community: as a property owner. "During the Terry Blair investigation, I heard a lot of `The city should do this or do that,' " he says. "I decided I didn't want to point fingers, so I looked in the worst parts of town and bought lots." In 2005, he purchased five lots. At 2033 Prospect, he tore out a dilapidated set of steps where crack addicts liked to congregate. A few years back, he tried to sell a property 15 blocks farther south on Prospect, but the sign kept getting stolen. "I found the guy who kept taking it, and he told me someone was paying him to do it because they didn't want me to leave. I haven't put up a for-sale sign since," Fort� says. The following year, he was named deputy chief and began working within the Executive Services Bureau. Then-Chief Jim Corwin had urged Fort� to make that move. Understanding the budget and finances of the department were, Corwin told him, vital to the job that Fort� saw himself in next. ight days after Richardson's slaying, Fort� walked into the first of what he intends to be quarterly community meetings at the Robert J. Mohart Multi-Purpose Center. He spent 10 minutes shaking hands and introducing himself to people in a line near the door, politely putting off a TV news crew. Members of patrol divisions, the street crimes unit, and the gangs unit sat around tables, their roles identified by prim white tabletop signs. Hundreds of Kansas Citians had come out to talk about what was happening in their neighborhoods. "Community policing can be defined in many ways," Pruetting says. "It's been referred to as a policy. He's making it a practice. The old mission was to partner with the community. But we're not partnering with the community -- we are the community. It breaks down the culture of us versus them." Over four hours that day, Fort� was inside a community room down the hall, sitting down with citizens individually. Community organizers, professors and members of Fort�'s family all sat waiting while Sgt. Mike Schofield called them in one by one and crossed their names off a list on his clipboard. The tone of most of these conversations (many of them about the city's homicide rate) Fort� reaches out to the community at the Robert J. Mohart Multi-Purpose Center. was more optimistic than confrontational. Hopeful was the word that Atziri Tovar, the youth and community liaison for the Mattie Rhodes Center, used to describe her sit-down with the chief. "He was welcoming and wanted to help," Tovar says. "He has an open door for us, and what else can we ask for? It's going to be difficult, but I'm hopeful. We have to trust the police, that they'll work for us." Tovar is also part of the Latino Advocacy Taskforce, a two-year-old group that advocates for victims' families. Within 48 hours of a crime, the LAT provides financial support, counseling and -- when necessary -- coordination of funeral services. It also works to set up communication between those families and the police, which is one reason that Tovar is pleased with Fort�'s pledge to visit the Northeast satellite of the Mattie Rhodes Center in the next month. "It's inspiring. It makes us want to keep going, having him there," Tovar says. Fort� believes that these forums can kickstart trust between police officers and citizens. The chief says he'll know that this is happening when more calls come in to investigate nonviolent crimes. "One way I'll know we're making progress is if property crime goes up," Fort� says. "Although those numbers should then go back down, if we're doing our job." Engaging the community is one of the challenges faced by the chief in the coming months, but it's his relationships within the department that may ultimately determine the success of his initiatives. Sgt. Brad Dumit, president of the Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police, has found Fort� to be respectful and open in the initial talks with the FOP. "Fort�'s done a great job," Dumit says. "His sense of being able to listen to people, truly listen to them and dissect what they're saying, means a lot." The prevailing feeling around the department is that Fort�'s rank hasn't changed his approach to policing but, rather, is changing those around him. Commanders are moving into the field, and officers are now being graded on their positive interactions in the way they may have been evaluated in the past on ticketing or traffic stops. Fort� is holding colleagues to the standards he has set for himself. "As a commander, he was what I would call a people person," Easley says. "He's an effective leader because he can communicate what he's done and what his expectations are." The mayor says his new chief's early days will be critical to finding a long-term solution to combating violent crime in Kansas City. "A problem this entrenched doesn't turn around in five days, five weeks, five months or maybe even five years," James says. "But it's the foundation that's being laid out there now." Fort� is less than 60 days into his tenure as chief, but he seems to understand that the gravity of the homicide issue, combined with the inevitable political pressures of the job, requires him to think about a succession plan. "Everything has a shelf life," he says. "I'm trying to be as fresh as I can be for as long as I can. But I need to start putting people in places where they can grow. It's not just about what I do when I'm here. We need to have good leaders when I leave." And that may be Fort�'s single greatest impact on the department. He's determined to groom its future leadership. E F ort� attended Richardson's funeral on November 21. Since then, he has found himself checking his phone in the mornings, looking for a text from his friend. "I tell my daughters, `You can't be a victim,' Fort� says. "Things happen to everyone. The question is what are you going to do about it." E-mail email@example.com 6:00 PM WEEKNIGHTS 6:30 PM pitch.com D EM E M T H RX 1 5 - 2X ,, 2 0 0 1 pitch.com C O N B E X�X 1 2 0 1 X TIME WARNER CH. 7 COMCAST CH. 2 t h e p iIt c h THE P TCH 11 5 GREAT DRINK SPECIALS INTOXICATING CUISINE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPAGNE TOAST BALLOON DROP LARGE HEATED INDOOR POOL GAME ROOM DANCING DJ'S O| X OXFORD EXCHANGE BAR|BISTRO Tickets start at $10 $100 includes Hotel Room, Party, Food, Champagne Toast........Breakfast!!! |7240 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Overland Park, KS 66202 | (913) 999-6876| there's a new girl in town. herkansascity.com coming Monthly { Kansas City secret little hot spot! } Now open on New Year's Eve 1617 Gennesee, KC, MO. visit rbarkc.com for new menu 12 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com T U E S D AY PAGE 14 The finest old-school spins at Gusto. W E D N E S D AY PAGE 14 Waldo market heads inside for winter. W E D N E S D AY PAGE 14 Hear real -deal Celtic music. . NIGHT + DAY WEEK OF DECEMBER 15�21 T H U R S D AY [FOOD & DRINK] | 12.15 | F R I D AY [NIGHTLIFE] | 12.16 | KENNETH KUPFER Earlier this year, the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Kansas City Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art collaborated for The Dining Room Project, eight weeks of installations, discussions, workshops, FIND screenings and eating MANY MORE experiences at the Paragraph Gallery and KCJMCA's Epsten LISTINGS Gallery. A collection of this work, along with ONLINE AT essays and recipes from PITCH.COM the artists involved, has been published as The Dining Room Project Catalog Cookbook, and the release party is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange (1924 Main, 816-471-2177). For the price of a $100 ticket, an attendee receives a copy of the book, a glass of wine, a three-course meal (prepared by Rieger chef Howard Hanna from recipes in the book), and a raffle ticket. The raffle winner dines out with The Pitch's own Charles Ferruzza. RSVP at 913-266-8413 or e-mail email@example.com. -- BERRY ANDERSON HAVE A POTATO, PLATO 472-7777) holds a Snooki Look-a-Like Contest, hosted by the pocket-sized guidette queen herself, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. Juice your pecs, get fresh to death and join -- or just watch dozens of KC women vie to become top meatball. Admission is a diminutive $10. See voodookc.com for more information. -- MEGAN METZGER [NIGHTLIFE] EVENT Wearing furry Ugg boots, sassy-assed sweatpants and ugly holiday sweaters may cut it at some winter parties, but at the Winter Dance Party Formal, sponsored by Kansas City Rockabilly, you'll be better off in a pair of brothel creepers, a poodle skirt or tapered chinos. "The event isn't as formal as our annual prom, but we do encourage folks to dress up in their best vintage outfits. But, of course, it's not required," says DJ Hepkat, head honcho of KC Rockabilly. Nevertheless, Knuckleheads Saloon owner Frank Hicks and his staff are judging a best-dressedcouple contest. This 8 p.m. shindig features Wayne "the Train" Hancock, Jayke Orvis, and the Rumblejetts. Merchandise from KC Rockabilly and Pinups for Pitbulls 2012 calendars will be available for purchase. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. See kcrockabilly.com for more information. -- ABBIE STUTZER Ladies, how smush-able are you? (Saturday) [THEATER] SLICK AS ICE [HISTORY] Kelly Osbourne was known as a fleshy loudmouth before her Dancing With the Stars debut. But when Ozzy Osbourne's daughter danced the salsa, she transformed into a sultry little thang, prompting judge Bruno Tonioli to declare her "flirty, dirty and sexy." For locals seeking such a makeover -- or those simply seeking a new nightlife adventure -- the Kansas City Salsa Club offers help with free salsa lessons for beginners at 9 p.m. every Friday at the Marquee Lounge, inside AMC Mainstreet (1400 Main, 816-474-4545). Prior experience of shakin' it to Latin music is not required. "We go easy on salsa virgins," club leader Howard Carney says. The club also has dance lessons five nights a week, but only the Friday lessons at the Marquee are provided free of charge. For more information, see kansascitysalsaclubs.com or call 816-812-1175. -- NANCY HULL RIGDON HOT SALSA Full disclosure: We are hooked on Downton Abbey. We find the beautiful PBS Masterpiece, British-period drama soothing, surprisingly easy to follow and full of useful lessons in Edwardian etiquette. The end of the first season left the Crawley family and their household of servants facing the beginning of World War I. Important questions remain: What of Lady Mary and her search for a husband? What of the mysterious valet Bates and his romance with Anna? Is Lady Sybil a lesbian? If you can't wait until the January 8, 2012, premiere, see a sneak preview of the first hour of the new season tonight at the National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial (100 West 26th Street, 816-784-1918). Seating is first-come, first-served. Reserve a spot at kcpt. org/events. The high drama begins at 7 p.m. -- BERRY ANDERSON DOWNTON DOWNTOWN REVENGE ON THE UNDEAD S AT U R D AY [NIGHTLIFE] | 12.17 | RAISE THE POUF Months ago, following a pickle-margarita nightcap, we dreamed about being Snooki. And in the dream, we discovered that being Snooki meant being whisked away beyond a bumpin' Vegas club's velvet rope to an exclusive, zebra-skinned corner, along with fellow Jersey Shore shit starters Mike "the Situation" Sorrentino and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola. We drank cocktails by the yard and danced in the dark with our sunglasses on while the whole crowd gawked at us. It was friggin' awesome. Beginning at 9 p.m., our dream becomes your reality. The VooDoo Lounge (1 Riverboat Drive, 816- Andromeda Sparks, lead character of the locally produced Slaughterhouse Opera, has seen her family and friends destroyed by zombies. Committing herself to vengeance, Sparks starts to zero in on the origins of the zombie outbreak. Along the way, she falls into bed with a hard-living rock star. Sparks (played by Aurelie Roque) is one of five characters contending with the undead in this production of Slaughterhouse Opera, brought to us by writer Samn Wright. The live theater and rock show also features Wright as lovelorn musician-waiter Joe Swain, Matt McCann as a power-hungry mogul and Jeremy Ford as a zombie-killing scientist. There is, of course, a chorus of zombies and something called a cowbell pistol. The bloody mayhem goes down at 9 p.m. at Czar (1531 Grand, continued on page 14 pitch.com D E C EO NB E R X X�X 1 ,, 2 0 10 X t T H E pP I T C H 13 he itch pitch.com M M T H 1 5 - 2 X 2 0 1 1 continued from page 13 816-421-0300). Those dressed as zombies get free kazoos. Tickets cost $7; see slaughterhouseopera.com or call 816-456-1872 for more information. -- APRIL FLEMING S U N D AY [MUSIC] | 12.18 | CHRISTMAS GRASS fiddle playing, so see the rootsy countrybluegrass band one more time before it takes that break. The Wilders play two family-friendly shows at the Reading Reptile (328 West 63rd Street, 816-753-0441) today at 4 and 6:30 p.m. (a second show was added due to popular demand). Both sets comprise Christmas and holiday songs exclusively, Ellis says. Tickets cost $10 and are going fast. Buy them at Reading Reptile. -- BERRY ANDERSON [ H O L I DAY M US I C ] Unfortunately, one of the city's most beloved bands, the Wilders, is going on a yearlong hiatus. "We're gonna be giving the Wilders some time off, to check out life from a different focus and direction for a year, and then see how we feel after that," frontman Ike Sheldon says on the band's website, thewilders.us. A year is awhile to go without Nate Gawron's stand-up bass and Betse Ellis' Kids getting dragged by their folks to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra are sure to pull out all the classics on the trip to the Sprint Center (1407 Grand, 816-949-7000) -- eye rolling, sulking, long silences punctuated by furious texts to friends: omg this is gunna suk. But here's the thing. With synchronized [ S U N DAY 12 .1 8 ] NUT ROCKIN' lights and lasers, indoor fireworks, snowflakes made of soap suds, and flame-spewing geysers, even a little brother's violin recital would feel like an epic evening, let alone a booming sonic spectacle. Will the holidaythemed, prog-leaning arrangements be wildly overdramatic and earnest? Likely! Will Trans-Siberian Orchestra play songs from its upcoming Broadway production, Romanov: What Kings Must Whisper? We hope! Meanwhile, expect even the most petulant teen to gasp in acne-cheek-warming wonder at the heat of pyrotechnics and the opening bars of "Wizards in Winter." The rock opera is performed at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $29-$58.50. See trans-siberian .com for more information. -- NADIA PFLAUM The Wilders bring holiday cheer. has been inviting some vendors from the weekly Waldo Farmers Market inside, on a monthly basis. The Waldo Farmers MiniMarket kicks off at 2 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month through April. December's event runs 90 minutes longer than usual -- until 6:30 p.m. In addition to organic vegetables, sweets, breads and meat, the goods include locally made, nontoxic personal care and household products such as natural toothpaste, deodorant and laundry detergent. Sandra Francis and her husband, John, make and sell those products under their own Nutressant brand. "Anything that you put on your skin is available without petroleum or the many harmful chemicals and preservatives," Sandra Francis says. For more information about the mini-market, see Waldo Farmers Market on Facebook. -- CRYSTAL K. WIEBE [MUSIC] M O N D AY [SPORTS] | 12.19 | FAIRY DUST S A B R I N A S TA I R E S Few KU basketball fans will forget the nailbiter that was the KU-Davidson matchup during the 2008 NCAA Championship. Leading the Davidson assault was sophomore guard Stephen Curry. He scored 33 points in the Sweet Sixteen game versus Wisconsin to lead Davidson to its first Elite 8 appearance since 1969. But he was no match for Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. KU won the game 59-57, ending Davidson's winning streak at 25, the longest in the nation at the time. Curry, Rush and Chalmers have moved on to Golden State, Indiana and Miami, respectively, but you can see a rematch when KU takes on Davidson at the Sprint Center (1407 Grand, 816-949-7000) at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $25, $35 and $70. See sprintcenter .com for more information. -- BERRY ANDERSON KU AND THE OTHER WILDCATS he Fairy Princess tradition in Kansas City dates back decades, to the mid-1930s, when hordes of young women descended upon Kline's Department Store, at 1113 Main, in hopes of being chosen to wear white gowns and crowns while granting children's holiday wishes in the store's Toyland. The fairy princesses have been holding court at the Kansas City Museum (3218 Gladstone Boulevard, 816-483-8300) since the '80s, and this year, five fairy princesses work their magic on December weekends, through today. Princess Cara, 21, is in her sixth consecutive season on the throne. We've asked her what it takes to hold such a coveted position. The Pitch: Do you celebrate Christmas? Princess Cara: The fairy princess celebrates the holiday season and the idea of love and happiness for all families no matter which holiday they celebrate. She chooses to celebrate the time of giving by granting wishes for all the children of Kansas City. What does it take to be a fairy princess? One must have a good heart and attitude. Being the fairy princess requires a lot of responsibility because the children depend on you to grant their wishes and get them in the spirit of the season! Also, I am required to go to the Slipper Camp, a yearly, intensive fairy-princess training camp that all of the museum princesses are required to go to, to keep up on princess etiquette. Do fairy princesses have to work out and watch what they eat and drink this time of year? I do not follow a diet because I believe that image is not what makes you beautiful. It is the person you are on the inside that makes you truly beautiful. I do, however, think it is important to stay active and healthy! Staying active makes me feel great and gives me the energy to balance the busy life of the fairy princess. What's your policy on sick children? Fairy princesses see all children, sick or healthy, old or young! All children deserve to have their wishes granted this time of year. I did get a flu shot, though, as a fairy princess is not immune to all illnesses. See Princess Cara today from noon to 4 p.m. A $5 fee gets a photo, a snack, a chance to make holiday arts and crafts, and the opportunity to share holiday wishes with a fairy princess. -- BERRY ANDERSON 14 t h e p i t c h D E C E M B E R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 1 pitch.com 2 T H E P I T C H M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X pitch.com T T U E S D AY [NIGHTLIFE] | 12.20 | BOOGIE-OOGIE-OOGIE According to the gospel of old-school rappers Eric B. and Rakim, "It ain't where you're from. It's where you're at." It's also why all the soul-havin' scenesters are going to Gusto Lounge (504 Westport Road, 816-974-8786) to bask in the glow of the Dropout Boogie when the four-man DJ collective picks up its every-other-Tuesday residency at the bar's new location. Christian LaBeau, Don Beasley, Ryan McBee and Jeff Harvey spin 45s of funk, soul and mod music from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Imagine "Grandma and Grandpa dancing their teeth out and free Werther's Original candy at the door," LaBeau says. "It's old-people music, but everyone loves it." If you miss tonight's Dropout Boogie, see the group spin at Gusto the first and third Tuesdays of the month. There is no cover. -- NADIA PFLAUM Celtic musician Ashley Davis is legit. The Lawrence- and NYC-based singer received a master's degree in traditional Irish singing from the University of Limerick, won a solo part in the Las Vegas premiere of Lord of the Dance, has recorded music in Manx Gaelic, has drawn praise from Philip Glass, and -- this is how you know she's for real -- has appeared on the Today show. Davis is also a master storyteller, weaving experiences and tales of her travels in her American-folkinfluenced Celtic tunes. See Davis at the Lied Center of Kansas (1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, 785-864-2787) when she performs and releases her latest album, Songs of the Celtic Winter. You can hear her music at daisyrings.com and pre-order the wintry mix for $15. (It comes with medieval gift wrap!) Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert cost $20. -- BERRY ANDERSON Night + Day listings are offered as a free service to Pitch readers and are subject to space restrictions. Submissions should be addressed to Night + Day Editor Berry Anderson by e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com), fax (816-756-0502) or mail (The Pitch, 1701 Main, Kansas City, MO 64108). Please include zip code with address. Continuing items must be resubmitted monthly. No submissions are taken by telephone. Items must be received two weeks prior to each issue date. Search our complete listings guide online. IRISH EYES W E D N E S D AY [ FA R M E R S M A R K ET ] | 12.21 | HABITAT FOR FARMERS Since snow-cone weather has turned to snow-cold weather, Habitat for Humanity's ReStore (303 West 79th Street, 816-231-6889) stage Christmas Funtime IGGY SCROOGE PUTS SOME ROCK IN YOUR STOCKING. f you notice smoke in the air before the show starts, don't be alarmed. It's just atmosphere, setting the stage for Iggy Scrooge, rock star, in concert, light show included. It's an appropriately flashy opening for The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge, pulling the audience in fast -- two audiences, really, in a kind of play within a play. "Marley is dead," Iggy Scrooge (played by Matthew Rapport) wails, the show's first reference to its source material. And off we go, with BY parallels to Charles Dickens' D E B O R A H A Christmas Carol resonant inside a punked-out packHIRSCH age. The Scrooge we know is right here, his personality revealed in that opening concert as he pub- ture of what lies ahead for him: Marley's licly berates a backup guitarist (Matthew ghost pays a visit. That's reggae artist Bob McAndrews) who's been with Iggy for 15 Marley, powerfully played by Rufus Burns years -- and has taken 15 years of Iggy's abuse. in a costume that, along with the chains that Fifteen years? McAndrews looks more like bind him, seems to incorporate wires belongJustin Bieber than a veteran rocker. (This ing to a strapped-on bomb. Despite Marley's show, a co-production with UMKC Theatre, warnings and Iggy's initial fright, Iggy talks incorporates student actors.) But he's per- himself out of self-reform and reacquaints fectly cast later in the show as Buddy Holly, himself with his bottle. And so sets the stage for the Ghost of Christmas Past, a Buddy Holly the Ghost of Christmas Past. Bieber wasn't born when The Salvation of uncannily embodied by a joyous McAndrews. All of the actors play more than one role, Iggy Scrooge was first staged, but his name is dropped more than once in this new pro- and Megee gets laughs from his first entrance. duction. Larry Larsen and Eddie Levi Lee's He has a following -- on opening night, his fans script, with music by Edd Key, is from the were in obvious attendance -- but the adoration is deserved here. Megee 1980s but hasn't really aged. embraces the sadistic nun who As directed by Missy Koonce, The Salvation of was Iggy's teacher in Catholic it has a lot of current -- and Iggy Scrooge school (on a journey to Iggy's local -- references. Through December 24 past), and he's hilarious as Iggy is hardened, arrogant, at the Unicorn Theatre, Elvis, the Ghost of Christmas self-centered, burned-out. 3828 Main, 816-531-7529, Present. As an elderly custoWe see his nature in full force unicorntheatre.org dian, he channels the voice backstage in a break before an of Dustin Hoffman's Dorothy encore. It's a long break, but the audience waits for him because he's, you Michaels in Tootsie. As funny as Megee is, his know, Iggy. Rapport looks the part (and has presence threatens to -- well, does -- steal the the musical chops to sound it, too). Mean Iggy show for a while in Act 2, leaving poor Iggy to lays into another of his musicians, Cratchit take a backseat. In fact, Megee breaks the fourth wall (Dean Vivian), as well as his nephew Fred (Greg Brostrom), and wants to party with completely, and the show slows a bit in the two women who visit him backstage (played second part. It also borders on camp, particuby Ron Megee, in the first of his many roles, larly when Elvis and Iggy visit the Christmas and Erin McGrane). But the women are there dinner of Cratchit and his family. But it reto promote a benefit concert and want Iggy mains entertaining. Cratchit's wife, Rainbow to play. The cause? Mad cow disease, which (McGrane), prepares organic tofu turkey (reaffects Cratchit's daughter, Tiny Tina (Kelly member mad cow?), and their son, Marty (Matt Weiss, in one of his roles), is a roadie Gibson). Of course, Iggy says no way. After the show, when Iggy falls into a for Huey Lewis & the News, in an appropriate whiskey- drunk sleep, he gets the first pic- Back to the Future reference. C Y N T H I A L E V I N , C O U R T E SY O F U N I C O R N T H E AT R E Kauffman Performing Arts Center! Special Art Exhibit Ped E i LIV MUSIC Reception: JAN. 6 from 6 - 9pm www.harrietbigham.com Only 2 blocks from Harriet Bigham to Kauffman Cabs Now serving beer, wine & select cocktails Prix Fixe Menu: soup or salad, savory crepe, dessert crepe & glass of wine for $25 at a $8 savings on Best Creperie Friday & Saturday evenings. in KC Fri & Sat Evenings Open til 9pm Breakfast & Lunch FREE WiFi (816) 471-2616 1713 Summit St. KCMO www.chezellekc.com I Ron Megee as the ghost of Christmas karate kicks, man. Camp may be the selling point here, though. If the emotional range of the actors is limited, it's because humor is this version's reason for being. This isn't your typical holiday show. Even with Megee's star presence, the musical succeeds as an ensemble piece about Iggy's ultimate transformation. The Ghost of Christmas Future is the scariest of Iggy's guests (convincingly brought to life -- or brought back to life -- by Weiss) and gets his message across. And the show winds down to its still-relevant conclusion with a modern and comical take that's in the spirit of both Dickens' story and this production. Tony Bernal's musical direction is seamless, and the players (Bernal on keyboards, Brian Wilson on bass, Julian Goss on percussion) are neatly integrated into the action with the actors, especially in a scene in Cajun Louisiana in a trip to the past. The ghosts make their entrances quickly; suddenly they're there, surprising the audience as well as Iggy. The smoke machine and the set's revolving stage effectively create a veil between reality and that other, ethereal world. Costumes (designed by Genevieve V. Beller) help portray time and place as well as character, and the sets are simple but just right. The Salvation of Iggy Scrooge rocks from the start, telling its familiar story with propulsive pop-rock, imaginative impersonations and wit. Iggy takes his journey -- which, like all trips, is about the whole megillah -- and we accompany him. His visits to the past lead to a very present gift for the audience, and an Iggy who finally finds a lust for life. E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com pitch.com D E C E M B E R 1 5 - 2 1 , 2 0 1 1 T H E P I T C H 15 pitch.com M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X T H E P I T C H 1 Starts PLAYING! NOW Wed 11/30! Dickens wishes he'd written The Christmas story film Home Wreck CHARLIZE THERON GOES TO WAR IN YOUNG ADULT. except her ex-boyfriend, Buddy Slade. Patrick Wilson, so eager to forsake marital vows in Little Children, plays Buddy with as much awareness as a bowl of instant oatmeal, without quite as much appeal. Cody can't mean to make Mavis this blind, can she? Maybe. Mavis' determination to wrest her old prom king from his new baby and rockin' wife (really -- Buddy's wife plays drums in a band of mommies) should play as a series of mortifying jolts. And there are a few good, sickening laughs (most of them before the halfway mark). But the satisfaction that Cody takes in refusing to let Mavis feel anything finally saps the movie of its already limited vicarious thrills. Mavis stops having fun long before Theron does. She's too damaged to be tempting, and he's too stupid for her to keep. When Mavis' meltdown arrives, at a crowded christening party, she claims to have wanted the same things she has set out to destroy. (The Charlize Theron won't grow up. through line in Cody's screenplays so far is a By the reed-thin standards of multiplex queasy ambivalence toward motherhood, at all comedy, that's a solid-gold setup. For the pre- its stages, that is satisfying neither as comedy sumably more ambitious Diablo Cody, Oscar- nor drama.) For a moment, she's George Bailey winning screenwriter of Juno, in reverse, a toxic force made and Jason Reitman, director of to squirm at the sight of good Young Adult both movies (and the equally and genteel Bedford Falls. In Directed by schematic but far superior Up this version of It's a WonderJason Reitman. in the Air), it's also the outer ful Life, everyone is better off Written by Diablo Cody. boundary of storytelling. Not without the hometown star. Starring Charlize Theron, a lot happens in Young Adult, Her Clarence is a broken Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson. unless the bottoming out of its but clear-eyed former classprotagonist counts. Unfortumate named Matt Freehauf, nately, that's the point. played by the comic Patton With The Hangover now a franchise and the Oswalt. Cody has never let a story's momentum why-should-men-have-all-the-fun conversa- stand in the way of a motivation-explicating tion well under way in 2011's Bridesmaids and monologue, and so it is here, too. In the one Bad Teacher, Mavis is not the shock she might or two such scenes required of him, Oswalt is have been even a couple of years ago. Neither is Theron's equal. They understand their characCody's shallow vision of irredeemable narcis- ters -- understand cruelty -- better than Cody sism, embodied by Theron with mesmerizing does. That makes Young Adult watchable, somelust and fine screwball zest. It's impossible to times even fascinating, but also frustrating -- too look away from Mavis -- impossible for everyone damaged to be tempting, too stupid to keep. of Shadows -- Ritchie owes Robert Downey Jr. and Christopher Nolan. He was already in hock to Downey, whose committed vamping made 2009's Sherlock Holmes feel smarter than it was. The actor is more burlesque than brains in this sequel, but the point now is to give Warner Bros. another franchise to milk after Nolan's Batman goes dark next year. So Game of Shadows spends its budget in Nolan-y ways: on frame-busting crowds darting through CG steam clouds, impossible vantages overlooking ominous structures, a rib-rattling sound design. Shared detective roots aside, though, this is no Dark Knight, and Ritchie's idea of movement remains regrettably his own: kinetoscopic slo-mo, weaponry POV (really, weaponized POV), bluntness where ballet is needed. (Ritchie also owes Nolan's go-to composer, Hans Zimmer, whose sonic boom-and-bustle again elevates the proceedings with a sly self-awareness otherwise beyond the movie's grasp.) The principles of sequeldom mandate the amplification of whatever is least appealing in the original, so Game of Shadows unspools in a Europe of phallic towers and cannons waiting for dick-joke close-ups, and the byplay of its Holmes and Watson (the doctor is again played by Jude Law's mustache) stops just a few inches from "Did one of you fellas order a pizza" territory. Just as homoerotic but much more satisfying are Downey's brief duets with Jared Harris (born to play Moriarty) and Stephen Fry (a big, gay Mycroft Holmes, just right). Noomi Rapace (the original Lisbeth Salander) is also here somewhere, looking for actual work. If Ritchie keeps some of his habits in his pants for the inevitable third Holmes movie, he might turn out to be ... nah. -- SCOTT WILSON pitch.com BOLDNEWPLAYS Co-Produced with UMKC Theatre 816.531.PLAY www.UnicornTheatre.org 3828 Main Street | Kansas City, MO 64111 OUT THIS WEEK Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Cinema would be no worse off without Guy Ritchie. No, no! you protest. He gave us Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels -- then generously gave it to us again and again under other titles. He unleashed producer-turned-director Matthew Vaughn on an innocent planet. He made a star of Jason Statham. Yes, exactly -- that's the CV of a man permanently at breakeven with movie karma. On the other hand, with Vaughn and Zack Snyder ascendant, and Brett Ratner and Michael Bay still bankable, Ritchie's thickskulled approach to action now seems almost ... intelligible. For this unexpected development and its latest demo reel -- the overlong, overcooked, overcocked Sherlock Holmes: A Game pitch.com How about we... go pumpkin picking and cook the seeds ...make apple cider ...walk in the farmers market ...sit by a fire and drink wine at night ...be tourists in our own city ...sit on a park bench and make up conversations for the people we see. Sign up now at The Pitch is partnering with HowAboutWe to revolutionize online dating. Now it's all about getting offline on better dates with better people. 16 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 C O U R T E SY O F PA R A M O U N T P I C T U R E S Book by Larry Larsen and Eddie Levi Lee Music by Edd Key iggy scrooge the salvation of ver the past 10 days or so, I've seen The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I've seen Young Adult, and I'm having trouble remembering which is which. Neither film offers deep lessons or universal truths, and if I publish a review of David Fincher's new Dragon Tattoo before the studio says it's OK, I won't be allowed to attend screenings BY of anything but old ViewSCOTT Master reels for five years. But one thing I know for WILSON sure: Lisbeth Salander ain't got nothing on Mavis Gary. Mavis is the alcoholic sociopath Charlize Theron plays in Young Adult. Unlike steely, inked-up Lisbeth, she's no super hacker. Her computer expertise is limited to knowing how much saliva must be dribbled onto an empty toner cartridge for a printer to spit out one last image. But Mavis' appetite for destruction is as visceral and terrifying as anything in Stieg Larsson's carnival of Scandinavian depravity. We meet Mavis as she wakes from what looks like her thousandth consecutive night of blackout-drunk disappointment. She suckles a 2-liter Diet Coke bottle held in both hands, her body hunched against the pale, white Minneapolis morning that has invaded her pale, white Minneapolis singles-tower apartment. Avoiding a deadline -- she's a writer about to close out a once-popular series of young-adult novels -- she opens an e-mail from her high school boyfriend. He has a new daughter, a wife, a life. Which means, Mavis decides, that he must be miserable. So she sets off to rescue him, returning to pitiable small-town Minnesota, a beige skidmark of drive-thrus and retail chains. O MONTH FIND MOVIE TIMES ON pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 THE PITCH 17 Wrap Up Something Delicious from The Classic Cookie in the heart of Westport buy one entree,get the second 1/2 off 816.753.7520 marrakechcafekc.com 4116 Broadway street | KcMo Fine Moroccan cuisine Marrakech Caf� Breakfast � Lunch � Catering � Gift Baskets Breakfast: Mon-Fri 7-11am, Sat 7-12pm, Sun 8-1:30pm Lunch: Mon-Sat 11-3pm, Sun 11-1:30pm 409 W. Gregor y, KCMO (816) 444-1933 � theclassiccookie.com Fairy! Princess! DIE-aries The Mystery Train 816-813-9654 www.kcmysterytrain.com A Merry Murder! 18 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com caf� Putting Down Roots IT'S SLAW GOOD AT EL SALVADORE�O, KC'S CURTIDO CAPITAL. El Salvadore�o 7926 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, 913-871-6165. Hours: 9 a.m.�9 p.m. Sunday� Thursday, 9 a.m.�10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Price: $�$$ y friend Carmen, a native of Guatemala, asked me for a favor. It seemed like a simple task. She wanted to fi nd out if the new Salvadoran restaurant, El Salvadore�o, planned to serve some of the holiday dishes that she ate growing up, that she has had to live without in BY Kansas City. "The cuisine of the two CHARLES countries is very similar," she F E R R U Z Z A told me. "Both countries are very small and share a border, and have similar terrain and agriculture. Most of the signature dishes of the cuisine of El Salvador stuffed with chopped carrots and paper-thin slices of squash, onion and potato, is parare familiar dishes in Guatemala, too." Carmen had yet to venture across the bor- ticularly delicious. (Like the yuca frita, it's der to dine at El Salvadore�o, but she'd heard fried in vegetable oil. And all of the meatless that the place in Overland Park served the best dishes here, including the refried beans, are pupusas in the metro. "I just want to find out vegetarian-friendly.) And what would the most divine condiif the restaurant serves the dishes I remember from holidays in Guatemala, like a sandwich ment on the El Salvadore�o menu be withcalled pan con chumpe, and a jam-filled pastry out the lowly carrot? Almost everything I ordered here I ate with the spicy, vinegary called semita." I tried to get the correct answers on my slaw called curtido, a combination of chopped carrots, onion, cabbage and second visit to the very bright, red-pepper flakes. Some of little storefront restaurant on El Salvadore�o the more bland offerings the main drag of Overland Pork tamale .............. $2.95 at El Salvadore�o, like the Park's old downtown, but I Yuca frita ................... $6.50 cheese pupusa or the fried wound up having a "Who's Vegetable pastele ..... $2.00 yuca, are a lot tastier and on First" exchange with my Cheese pupusa ......... $2.50 livelier when smothered server. Instead of finding out Loroco pupusa .......... $2.50 under a heap of curtido. It's about a semita, I got a mango Carne asada so popular in this restaurant shake. In the moment, it satisspecial...................$12.99 Mango shake ............ $5.00 that the servers bring giant fied my curiosity. plastic canisters of the slaw Salvadoran food does -- with convenient tongs -- share turf with Guatemalan dishes -- and with any American burger shack. to the tables. It's punchy, not fiery, and it's Many of the dishes aren't so much exotic as excellent with everything except perhaps they are starchy and fried. Those pupusas -- the flan. The small restaurant (seven tables and delicious masa tortillas filled with cheese or beans or other ingredients -- are as tasty and eight counter stools) is family owned and opuncomplicated as any fast-food sandwich, and erated by three professional cooks: Benjamin the beverages are sweet, like soda or milk-and- Sol; his wife, Blanca Alvarenga; and Blanca's ice-based shakes. But it's not entirely the stuff brother, Jonathan Chavez Alvarenga. Various of drive-thru windows; El Salvadore�o may other relatives were working in the dining room during my visits, all very friendly and offer this area's only carrot milkshake. In fact, you'd better like carrots if you're accommodating. Benjamin Sol told me that few diners he going to enjoy the cuisine at El Salvadore�o. The root vegetable is an important compo- has met have any experience with the foods nent of the place's fat, empa�ada-like savory of Central America. His first task is to dispel pastries: pasteles. The vegetable version, any assumptions about the cuisine. B R O O K E VA N D E V E R M "We're not Tex-Mex and we're not a Brazilian steakhouse like Fogo de Chao," Sol said. "I think we do a very good job in explaining what exactly Salvadoran cuisine really is. It's simple food and not very expensive. People come in and leave full and happy." The afternoon I stopped in for lunch with Carol Jean and Martha, I watched Carol Jean's eyes glaze over as she scanned the limited menu and its blurry photographs of some of the dishes. Carol Jean's taste for ethnic cuisine starts with tacos and ends with chicken-fried rice. She could barely pronounce the word pupusa, let alone consider ordering one. Luckily, her eyes gravitated to the blackboard on the other side of the counter, and she saw the magic word: breakfast. She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll have breakfast!" I had assumed that El Salvadore�o must offer some kind of morning dish because it opens each day at 9 a.m. The weekday breakfast business hasn't really caught on yet, according to Sol, but weekend breakfast business is brisk. Even better, the restaurant serves its single breakfast special -- two eggs, fried plantains, sour cream, refried beans and house-made corn tortillas -- all day and evening. It's a great breakfast. The eggs are cooked to order, the refried beans (prepared with vegetable shortening) are silky smooth, and the slightly sweet plantain slices are saut�ed in olive oil until they're golden. Fold a spoonful of each of these into a soft corn tortilla (with a forkful of curtido) and you'll have a truly satisfying breakfast taco. Carol wasn't so keen on the plantains but loved everything else on her breakfast platter. "You won't find a breakfast like this at Waid's," she said brightly. Fried yuca with deep-fried pork (left) and sweet dessert empa�adas Martha wanted to taste a pupusa and a tamale, so she ordered both. We agreed that the El Salvadoran pork tamale may be one of the very best in the city. The blanket of masa is incredibly fluffy and light, wrapped around chunks of tender, long-simmered pork. Martha didn't want to get too adventurous with the soft pupusa -- it looks like a pillowy flapjack -- and ordered only the cheese version. I've tasted the whole array of pupusa choices, and my favorite is the cheesy center with the tart and slightly bitter bud of the fernaldia pandurata, better known as the loroco. "It tastes a little like broccolini," Sol told me, and he was right, though it lacks that vegetable's peppery bite. El Salvadore�o is attractively decorated -- a mural of San Salvador's iconic Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo dominates -- but the lighting is harsh. It's about as intimate as a police interrogation room. Worse, one morning while I was there, the TV monitor on the wall was tuned to The 700 Club. The food mostly makes up for those small missteps. The carne asada, one night's dinner special, looks good in any light. An inexpensive and surprisingly tender little grilled steak, it arrives covered with saut�ed onions, with beans and a little salad on the side. I loved it. El Salvadore�o doesn't offer alcohol, but some steaks taste better with a carrot shake anyway. Have a suggestion for a restaurant The Pitch should review? E-mail email@example.com pitch.com D E C E M B E R X1X�X X,, 2 0 10 X tT H E pP I T C H 19 5-21 20 1 he itch pitch.com M O N T H 1 Like us on fat city Brand New Restaurant In Overland Park AUTHENTIC EL SALVADOREAN DISHES! Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner [OPENING] P 7926 Santa Fe Drive Overland Park, KS 66204 Sun - Thur: 9am - 9pm Fri-Sat: 9am-10pm s s, P n R l n s, Tml n r! Lab Results JASON BURTON TAPS INTO A POUR ECONOMY IN HIS NEW BEVERAGE-GEEK PALACE. 913.871.6165 K Offer expires December 30, 2011. Discounted item must be of equal or lesser value. New Authentic Mexican Cuisine Located Just West of 1-29 on the 64th St. Exit mazatlankcmo.webstarts.com 816-746-1225 5225 NW 64th St. KCMO 64151 HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY! Voted Best Reason to Go Gluten Free "The Orient's Oh Boy Chicken" -The Pitch EN : NA NCY NG UY LAW RE NC E SE RV ING SI NC E 19 85 H OI CE � R E A D E R S' C H O 1008 & 1006 Massachusettes St. Lawrence, KS 66044 www.OhboyChicken.com � 785.856.6269 ansas City's newest spot to get a cup of coffee isn't really a coffee shop. In spite of its name, it isn't exactly a culinary school or a test kitchen, either. The Lab (3185 Terrace Street) is likely to be all of those things at once. The beverage marketing firm wants to turn its office into a community hub with pour-over coffee service and Soda Vie from a tap starting this week. "It's a big beverage-geeky palace," founder Jason Burton says. Burton moved his two-year-old company into the building on Terrace Street in October, after forming a new partnership with About the Coffee, a coffee-services company owned by Marty and Tooti Roe that has a mechanical repair shop in back -- you're as likely to see a Volkswagen Beetle in the process of being restored as BY you are a coffee roaster -- and J O N AT H A N clients in three states. The two companies are BENDER planning collaborations on a series of classes, expected to start in January, using what Burton calls the "toy shop for coffee geeks," a room off the main entrance. The key piece of equipment in the toy shop -- the space resembles a coffeefied version of a DIY lab -- is a gleaming La Marzocco espresso machine. But baristas and coffee nuts will be drawn to the prototype cups and gadgets on display from About the Coffee. "We're lucky enough to have a community that can come together and share a love of coffee," employee Kim Lovelady says. The Lab, formerly known as Lab 5702, should be familiar to survivors of the Caffeine Crawl, a guided tour of a dozen coffee shops in Kansas City this past September. Lovelady, a former barista who has judged the World Barista Championships, is in charge of future Caffeine Crawl events. She plans to hold events next year in Atlanta; Phoenix; New Orleans; and Vancouver, B.C. "Some people say they don't like coffee," Lovelady says. "They just haven't had a coffee that's right for them." Julie Levitt, the office's third employee, found out about the Lab while attending the local Caffeine Crawl. She's involved with the daily operation of the company's social-media campaigns and plans to help lead classes this spring. She sees her hiring as a natural extension of the company's approach to marketing. "The Lab doesn't really find people," Levitt says. "People find them." pitch.com J O N AT H A N B E N D E R The Lab's fourth employee, Naomi Havlen, lives in Aspen, Colorado, and works on the Riverbench Vineyard and Winery account, one of the Lab's four major clients. "We're a beverage-hybrid marketing company," Burton says. "We are one of the very few consumer-friendly marketing companies out there. We don't want to be snooty or pretentious. We're very Midwest that way." The dominant feature in the new office is the coffee bar. With its rotating Soda Vie tap and selection of local coffees (E.F. Hobbs and Oddly Correct among them), it sits waiting for those who walk through the unmarked front door. In a room behind the bar is a cupping table that rotates like a jumbo Lazy Susan. Burton envisions people there designing custom brews or sampling craft coffee. The shop's aesthetic is like that of the Crossroads District's Hammerpress shop -- some industrial-design elements softened by the compact space's inherent intimacy. As at Hammerpress, there's a small, smartly chosen array of curios. Milk crates have been fastened to the one wall of the lobby to hold displays of the Lab's burgeoning retail line: the doo-zie, a leather wrap for wine and spirit bottles; a set of birch drink coasters featuring cocktail recipes from craft bartenders around the country; and a sampler pack of Kansas City coffee featuring beans from E.F. Hobbs, Oddly Correct and Benetti's. There's also a collection of thrift-store drinking glasses selected by Burton, who admits that he tired of breaking expensive, boutique glasses. "Everything here is reclaimed or reused, except for that," Burton says, pointing to a metallic magazine holder hanging on the wall by the front door. "That I've had for at least 10 years." The new shop is very much a reflection of Burton's own experiences in Kansas City. He left his job as a marketer for the Roasterie in 2007 to take a position with Houlihan's as a brand manager. He worked in the specialty- From left: Jason Burton, Julie Levitt and Kim Lovelady are ready to welcome the public to the Lab. concepts branch, which includes the Bristol and J. Gilbert's. When he was laid off in 2009, Burton launched his beverage consultancy out of his home (the numbers in his address put the 5702 in Lab 5702) and focused on package design and social-media branding. Right now, the Lab may have a higher profile outside the city limits than it does locally. Previous clients include PT's Coffee Roasting Co. (of Topeka) and Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Co. (of Basalt, Colorado). In town, Burton recently collaborated with chocolatier Christopher Elbow on drink recipes for Snow & Co., the craft frozen-cocktail bar that opened last month in the Crossroads. "I like that we're taking Kansas City out to other places." Burton says. "And I'd rather that Boulevard just be our good friends down the street." To that end, he imagines the hometown brewery cracking open a test beer in a pop-up bar at the Lab. Beer, wine and spirits figure into the tastings that Burton wants to put on in the new space, but immediate plans for the Lab are educational: classes on brewing methods and the history of coffee, and one-on-one training in the art of pulling a proper shot of espresso. Burton also notes that Marty Roe has agreed to teach workshops on welding and how to customize beverage equipment, using his machine shop in the back. The walk-in coffee hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, though both Lovelady and Burton encourage frequent looks at the Lab's Facebook page (facebook.com/lab5702) for updates. "This is not revenue," Burton says. "This is a community." Pore over pitch.com/fatcity pitch.com IC � R E A D E R S' C E� R E A D E R S' C CE H OI 20 the pitch OI CE � R E A D E R S' C H DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 MONTH 12/16 & 17 12/17 The Zeros 10pm Ugly Sweater Party Prizes for ugliest & sexiest sweaters BURGER DAY EVERY THURSDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY Lonnie Ray Blues Band EVERY THURSDAY Live Reggae with AZ One FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16TH The Good Foot -10:00 pm SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17TH Camp Harlow -5:00 pm Drew 6 -10:00 pm NIGHTLY SPECIALS FOOD AND DRINK P Weekly Restaurant Specials Here are just a few of the hottest deals being served up this week! DOWNTOWN THE BULLDOG 1715 Main 816-421-4799 kcbulldog.com Cheapest Happy Hour in KC Thur & Fri FLYING SAUCER 13th & Walnut 816-221-PINT beerknurd.com EVERY MONDAY OVER 60 BEERS ON FIRESALEHAPPY HOUR DRAUGHT SPECIALS 4-7PM, TUE-FRI PIEROGUYS CAFE 307 Main 816.252.1575 pieroguys.com Cafe now open! Serving hot & frozen pieroguys daily. SMOKIN GUNS BBQ & CATERING 1218 Swift Avenue 816-221-2535 smokingunsbbq.com $6.95 Lunch Special THE MAJESTIC RESTAURANT 931 Broadway 816-221-1888 majestickc.com Mon-Fri 2-6pm $5 on select food and wines GENGHIS KHAN 816-753-3600 All you care to eat Mongolian BBQ � Business lunch WESTPORT FLEA MARKET 817 Westport Road 816-931-1986 westportfleamarket.com 1/2 Price Burgers & Alcohol Sunday 8pm-Clo WHEAT STATE PIZZA 2820 W. 47th Avenue 913.281.9000 Any medium pizza $7.77 Catering, Delivery, Dine In and Carry Out $4.99 PATIO & DECK BANQUET & PRIVATE PARTY FACILITY 6330 Brookside Plaza 816.363.4070 wwww.brooksiderbarandgrill.com Voted Best Bar to Take a Shot in KC! Pizza by the slice 10pm-close, 7 days a week Marble Top Caf� ChEf KaMal is baCK! KANSAS SUBURBS Coffee, Tea, Middle Eastern Cuisine & Treats 8436 Ward Parkway 816.444.1040 LUCKY BREWGRILLE 5401 Johnson Drive 913-403-8571 luckybrewgrille.com Enjoy daily food and drink specials served to you by the friendly Lucky Brewgrille Staff. 77 SOUTH 5041 W. 135th Street 913-742-7727 77south.net Happy Hour M-F 4-6:30 in the Lounge! Half Price Small Plates & Daily Drink Specials. MISSOURI SUBURBS WESTPORT | MIDTOWN | PLAZA RESTAURANT & BA R Beer, Whisky, Vodka 19 Great Sandwiches Plus 7 Entrees, 6 Salads, and 4 Pizzas COME TRY OUR HOLIDAY DONUTS BRIO TUSCAN GRILL 502 Nichols Drive 816561-5888 $2.95 Tuscan Tasters Mon-Fri 3-7 & Mon-Thurs 9-cl THE BROOKSIDER SPORTS BAR & GRILL 6300 Brookside Plaza 816-363-4070 Brooksider Value Meal 1/4lb. Black Angus Beef burger, w/ or w/o cheese, chips or fries & your choice of any drink just $4.99 PHO HOA NOODLE SOUP 1447 Independence Ave 816-842-6800 phokoakc.com Health Conscious Choices Daily Sun-Thurs 8am - 8pm Fri & Sat 8am - 11pm B.B'S LAWNSIDE BAR-B-Q 1205 E. 85th street 816.822.7247 bbslawnsidebbq.com save Check a new special every week just for pitch readers! BEST HAPPY HOUR EGGNOG OR PEPPERMINT! Get a FREE 12oz Specialty Coffee w/ purchase of a dozen donuts OPEN 5am-11pm 7 days a week! 816-472-1412 1715 M A I N | 816 . 4 21. 47 9 9 KC B U L L D O G . C O M CHECK OUT PITCH.COM FOR FULL MENUS 2320 N. ARMOUR RD NORTH KC pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 21 music A Christmas Comp SAM BILLEN AND FRIENDS PRESENT A LIGHT GOES ON. ast winter, Lawrence musician Sam Billen wrote and recorded a song called "How My Brother Ruined Christmas." It contains references to Billen's older brother, Dan, rising early on Christmas mornings, when they were children, to play with Sam's presents -- Big Wheels and a drum set are given as examples -- beBY fore Sam woke up and could D AV I D play with them himself. Billen released "How My Brother H U D N A L L Ruined Christmas" as part of A Word of Encouragement, a collection of Christmas-themed songs that he made with friend and fellow musician Josh Atkinson. Billen has returned this year with another Christmas album, A Light Goes On. It's a compilation of original and traditional holiday songs featuring local artists and musicians, and it has provided Dan Billen with an opportunity to respond to his brother's provocations. "We lived on this little hill growing up, and apparently one year, I lined up all these little sleds and tried to charge our neighbors, who lived on the same hill, 50 cents to ride sleds down the hill," Billen says. "So Dan wrote a song making fun of me about that." In a display of magnanimous maturity, Billen allowed "Sled Rides" onto A Light Goes On. He even created a stop-motion video for the song using old family photos. It's not the Billens' first collaboration: The brothers were bandmates in the Topeka indie-rock act the Billions in the late 1990s and early '00s. "We got signed to a label in California called Northern Records and thought we were set," Billen recalls. "Then we started to learn about the music business. Those were some adjusting years. Then we all started getting married, having kids, going back to school. We had all been living in a farmhouse outside Lawrence for, like, four years. It got to the point where it wasn't sustainable anymore. "The dream of doing big-time major-label touring was basically put to rest," he continues. "And, honestly, that's not something I even want anymore. I cannot say how happy I am now with a family -- my wife, my daughter. I love being a normal dad, a normal guy. But the dream of doing music never died. The dream is just different now. I just want to put out music and have fun 22 the pitch CD Reviews 24 Music Forecast 26 Concerts 27 Nightlife 28 L with it, and I can totally do that because it's so easy to record and release music now." It's in this spirit that Billen has been producing a Christmas-themed release of some kind every December for the past five years. He started out recording modern versions of Christmas carols ("very dreamy, lots of reverb and harmonies," he says), burning them onto CDs, and passing them out to friends. The response was positive, so the next year, he added some songs and printed 1,000 copies and sent them out. The following year, Billen attempted to put together a compilation with local Lawrence musicians. "It was my first time doing a comp, and I started way too late," he says. "I didn't get it finished until a week before Christmas." A Word of Encouragement, a 13-song collaboration with Atkinson in 2010, was more ambitious. But Billen has really hit it out of the park with A Light Goes On. He set a goal of $600 but raised $1,200 on Kickstarter to pay for flash drives of the compilation, which he's giving away. (Remaining funds are being donated to water.org.) He also has brought artists into the fold. "I have a lot of friends who do art and design, and I wanted to get them involved in the pitch.com Sam Billen, in his brand of Christmas spirit project," he says. "But I wanted it to be spontaneous, too, so what I did was sort of assign songs to artists that were written by people they didn't know, and ask them to translate the song into art." All 14 songs on A Light Goes On are accompanied, then, by visual representation -- four videos and 10 still-art pieces. It's a rare project in that it's perhaps most rewarding to experience online, at alightgoeson.org, where the art and music are neatly paired in a clean, vibrant, simple setting. "I wanted the website to be set up like a museum, where you can go in and explore, piece by piece," Billen says. "I didn't want it to have a specific order to it. It's geared toward people who want to browse a little and spend time with it." There's plenty of delightful browsing to be had. One of the more moving contributions is "Someone Came in the Night," an original song by Atkinson set to archival footage of Christmas-morning living-room scenes and children on old sleds flying down snowy hills. It's a soft, piano-driven song with pretty harmonies, and it builds beautifully up to its last moment. "Josh and I just have a strong connection, I think," pitch.com Billen says. "When he sent over that song, I was like, `That sums up this project.' It's totally where my heart was going with this." Billen's song, the title track, is also a highlight, with its sweet, soulful sketches of youthful holidays. I was 8 years old/In the back of the family car/Moving through the neighborhood/Where all the houses with all the lights were/I couldn't get to sleep that night/Because a light went on. You can practically hear the gentle snow falling onto the grass outside your window. Elsewhere on A Light Goes On is video work from Kansas City artist Danny Gibson; a charming rowhouse scene by Justin Newhouse that accompanies Katlyn Conroy and Austen Malone's version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside"; and the Tenniscoats, an avant-garde duo from Japan. ("I reached out to them, and they responded and were interested," Billen says. "I'm really thrilled they're involved.") Ghosty contributed "Holiday Hymn," an upbeat Vic Godard cover that singer Andrew Connor discovered through the band Orange Juice. "I feel the need to do at least a little bit of Christmas-y music every year, maybe because my parents put on a great series of concerts for years called `A South Dakota Acoustic Christmas,' " Connor says. "[And] Sam is a friend from way back. We may have played the first Ghosty show ever with the Billions at Hashinger Hall at KU back in 1999." Matt White, who made the video for Atkinson's song, says, "What Sam does that I appreciate is bringing people together. He creates situations that are fun and collaborative, and I think that's what this compilation is really about. It's why I wanted to be a part of it." What is it about Christmas music that draws Billen? "I think it's mainly the fact that it reminds me so much of my childhood and my family," Billen says. "I grew up in a Christian home, and Christmas was always a really important time for us. The Christmas programs at church, midnight Christmas Eve service at the Catholic church even though we weren't Catholic, decorating the Christmas tree together, getting together with our extended family down in Oklahoma -- it was all integral to how I experience Christmas. After my mom died from breast cancer in 2000, Christmas became the time of year that I missed her and thought of her most. She's my inspiration for keeping Christmas special with my own family now. "I actually hate most modern Christmas music," Billen adds. "Some of it is a love-hate type thing, [like with] Mariah Carey's `All I Want for Christmas.' But so many artists and labels just churn out Christmas music because they know people will buy it. That's one of the reasons I try really hard to make my Christmas projects free and continued on page 24 M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X THE PITCH 1 DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 ANGELA C. BOND pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 23 THREADZ BY HEADZ FOR THE HEADS continued from page 22 CLOTHING - JEWELRY ACCESSORIES - ART 1607 Westport Rd. KCMO 816-442-8400 Mon - Thurs 12-9pm � Fri - Sat 12-10pm � Sun 12-6pm not about `promotion.' Of course, as an artist doing a project, I can only run so far from it being viewed as a promotional project. I get that. But I just really love putting these things out." E-mail email@example.com or call 816-218-6774 C D R E V I E WS Mon - Thurs 12-9pm � Fri - Sat 12-10pm � Sun 12-6pm Replacements, when Paul Westerberg was curbing his punk leanings. Elsewhere, the band hews closely to established power-pop patterns (big bar chords, big buildups) but makes room for surprising diversions: a crinkly interlude before the chorus on opener "Hey (I'm on Fire)," a two-minute fade-out that hints at, but never returns to, the hook on closer "Downtown." Writing a catchy song is one thing; having a keen sense for inhabiting space is another. Not a lot of debuts have both. -- DAVID HUDNALL VICTOR AND PENNY Antique Pop (Self-released) As the allure of antiques lies in their rarity, so the allure of Antique Pop lies in the rare ground it covers. Most of these songs from Victor (Jeff Freling, guitar) and Penny (Erin McGrane, ukulele) are sugary, romantic, lighthearted spins on selections from the Great American Songbook -- Jimmy McHugh's "Exactly Like You," the Mills Brothers' "Dirt Dishin' Daisy," Sam Theard's "You Rascal, You." The string arrangements and the harmonic melding of McGrane's silky lyrics with Freling's old-timey, wah-wah voice are most superb and add extra layers to the pair's sound. Both of Freling's instrumentals -- "Victor's Dream" and "Rickshaw Chase," which includes a collaboration with gypsy-jazz guitarist Gonzalo Bergara -- contain solid guitar work and provide respite from McGrane's theatrical vocals (too often the centerpiece of the songs). It's like an antique gem, this Antique Pop. And much like semiprecious stones, slightly antiquated easy listening isn't -- BERRY ANDERSON for everyone. WRATH AND RUIN Mouth of Oblivion (Self-released) Lawrence's Wrath and Ruin operates on the belief that metal doesn't have to exhibit some sort of Cookie Monster grind to be heavy. The band's synth-laden sound drones and pulsates, emerging from speakers like the soundtrack to some sci-fi horror film. The futuristic tone also wages an attack on that part of the brainstem still beholden to the lizard that crawled from the ooze to walk on land. Hearing Dean Edington's vocals pierce the mix, you know what it is to fear something instinctively. His words fall somewhere between shouted commands and impassioned cries. As the band's orchestral, grandiose metal swells behind him, it's as if the songs become proclamations from on high. This kind of metal doesn't plod along, all sludge and doom. It's ponderous music, with words and instruments so heavy that the sheer crushing weight causes everything to slow down, forcing you to listen carefully to the forward-thinking ideas the band -- NICK SPACEK is communicating. MAN BEAR Talking Drunk at 2 a.m. (Self-released) For three or four years there, a discouraging number of independent rock bands felt compelled to exile their hooks and melodies to the back of the track, behind layers of fuzz and hiss. Craft fell out of fashion; "artful" noise poisoned the well. Nobody seemed to have any idea what was good or what was shit, and everybody just kept congratulating each other for being DIY. It was weird -- and lame. But I'm sensing a sea change lately, and I credit it, in part, to the rising influence of '90s alternative rock on young bands. The debut EP from Man Bear, a Kansas City-based three-piece, offers an energetic dose of straightforward, crunchy pop-rock, with echoes of Archers of Loaf, Dinosaur Jr. and, most obviously, Superchunk. (Singer Alex Courtney's scratchy bleat at times bears an alarming resemblance to that of Mac McCaughan.) "Shimmer," with its happily plodding bass and upbeat acoustic strum, sounds like late-era 24 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 SOUTH SEA ISLAND MAGIC Death to Winter (Self-released) The band and album names are misleading. There are no sunny ukuleles on Death to Winter, and nothing about the music or lyrics is evocative of coconuts, pineapples or palm trees. Instead, this debut from local duo Gavin Snider and Jacob Simanowitz is a moody survey of the last 30 or so years of electronic dance music. The vocals on opener "Dream in the Dark" recall the hushed rapping on Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls." "Tobacco Road," with its IDM bleeps and bloops, comes across as an unsubtle Postal Service knockoff. And the synths that thunder, sparkle and soar on "Young Sun Paradox" reveal a chillwave influence. The best of the lot is "Waves Will Crash," a fuller song that makes room for a memorable, ringing guitar line and vocal harmonies. A MIDI can take you only so far. -- DAVID HUDNALL pitch.com pitch.com 2 THE PITCH M O N T H X X�X X , 2 0 0 X LIVE MUSIC. NO COVER 1515 WESTPORT RD. � 816-931-9417 WED 12/14 TROY ALLEN & FRIENDS THUR 12/15 FRI 12/16 $4.95 DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS � NIGHTLY DINNER & DRINK SPECIALS CHECK OUT THE NEW ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR WIFI NOW AVAILABLE! SESSIONS @ 3PM INTERSTATE ASTRONAUTS 9PM TUES 12/20 CRITTER'S TYE DYE TUESDAY WED 12/21 SCOTTY McCORMICK & FRIENDS SAT 12/17 IRISH LONNIE RAY BLUES JAM EDDIE DELAHUNT Bar & Grill WED: Open Jam w/ Syncopation 6pm THU: Ladies Night FRI: KARAOKE, DJ & Drink Specials SAT: Smooth Down Under 8pm SUN: Open Jam w/ Syncopation 6pm MON: closed TUE: OPEN MIC Acoustic Jam 7pm www.bleacherskc.com 11/30 - 12/6 816.561.2444 WWW.ERNIEBIGG S.COM 15510 State Ave, Basehor, KS 66007 � 913.662.7474 DROPOUT BOOGIE TUESDAY SUNDAY DJ HIGHNOONE CHEAPEST DRINK WEDNESDAY "YOU SING IT" LIVE BAND KARAOKE FRIDAY & SATURDAY IN TOWN THURSDAY S pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 25 music forecast Pokey LaFarge, with the Wilders The Wilders bummed some of us out earlier this month by announcing that they're taking an "indefinite hiatus" after 12 years as a band. Lucky for Kansas City, the countrybluegrass act had already booked a few local gigs, including this Sunday at 4 and 6:30 p.m. at Reading Reptile in Brookside. Another appearance is two days earlier at Liberty Hall, where they open for Pokey LaFarge. LaFarge slicks his hair back, wears a baggy suit and generally looks like a character on Boardwalk Empire. He and his band come from St. Louis and draw inspiration from 1920s and '30s American music -- a stew of ragtime, Dixieland, blues and folk. And they recently cut a 7-inch for Jack White's Third Man Records called "Chitlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County," which is perhaps the finest song title of 2011. Friday, December 16, at Liberty Hall (644 Massachusetts, in Lawrence, 785-749-1972) records solo in addition to her duties as a full-time member of Cowboy Indian Bear. Of late, Conroy has been working on a new batch of songs with Hospital Ships' Jordan Geiger, and she performs them Friday at RecordBar under a new stage name, La Guerre. Joining Conroy on the bill is Hidden Pictures, a Lawrence folk-pop outfit that may or may not perform a cover of mid-'90s Cranberries hit "Dreams." Friday, December 16, at RecordBar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207) St. Louis' Pokey LaFarge (left) and San Francisco's Moon Duo Moon Duo's Mazes, Wooden Shjips put out two excellent records in 2011. Monday, December 19, at the Replay Lounge (946 Massachusetts, 785-749-7676) The Fray, with We the Kings, and Gravy and the Biscuits It's been a minute since I last pondered the Fray, the mid-'00s kings of piano-pop ballads. Six years ago, the Denver group's overwrought Applebee's rock was going head to head with Coldplay and Keane in the battle for the sensitive spots on sorority girls' iPod playlists. That momentum appears to have dropped off these last few years, but all it takes is another hit, which might come on the band's third LP, due out in early 2012. Perhaps there will be some teases of new material at this show. I also suspect a moment when the singer falls to his knees and sings an especially poignant lyric. Sunday, December 18, at the Midland (1228 Main, 816-283-9900) Moon Duo, with Long Shadows Wooden Shjips, a heavy stoner-rock act out of San Francisco, released one of my favorite records of 2011, West. The band marries powerful, repetitive classic-rock riffs with spaced-out ambience, connecting the dots between Ozzy Osbourne and the Velvet Underground. Moon Duo, a side project of guitarist and vocalist Erik "Ripley" Johnson, embraces the same aesthetic: lots of dense, two-chord burners; wild guitar solos; and big, fat layers of fuzz. I'm sure Johnson views Moon Duo as distinctly different from Wooden Shjips, but I can hardly tell the difference. Which is great: If you count La Guerre, with Hidden Pictures and Fullbloods Katlyn Conroy, one of the leading ladies of Lawrence's music scene, performs and FO R ECAST K EY BY D AV I D H U D N A L L ...................................Pick of the Week ..................................... Folk Revivalism ....................................... Farewell Show ............................................ Local Pride ............................................ Hey, Ladies ............................................ Devil Horns ........................................Weed-Friendly ............ I Secretly Like "Over My Head" ...................... And "How to Save a Life" 26 the pitch DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com pitch.com MONTH concerts Nightlife listings are offered as a service to Pitch readers and are subject to space restrictions. Contact Clubs Editor Abbie Stutzer by e-mail (abbie.stutzer@pitch .com), fax (816-756-0502) or phone (816-218-6926). Continuing items must be resubmitted monthly. The Civil Wars: Tue., Jan. 17. Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-1972. Cursive, Ume: Fri., March 2, 9 p.m. RecordBar, 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Dr. Dog: Thu., Feb. 2, 8:30 p.m., $15. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos: Thu., Feb. 2. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, 816-283-7300. Every Avenue: Thu., Feb. 23. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Excision, Liquid Stranger, Lucky Date: Mon., Feb. 20. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Falling in Reverse, Oh, Sleeper, Skip the Foreplay: Sun., Feb. 5. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Craig Finn: Sat., Feb. 11, 9 p.m. RecordBar, 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. The Fresh Beat Band: Fri., Feb. 24, 5 p.m. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Hail! Hornet, Zoroaster, and Slow Southern Steel (a film): Wed., Feb. 1, 7 p.m. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Reverend Horton Heat, Larry and His Flask, Goddamn Gallows: Sat., Feb. 25. The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-5483. Hot Chelle Rae, Electric Touch: Tue., May 1, 7 p.m. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. In Flames, Trivium, Veil of Maya, Kyng: Sat., Feb. 11. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. MANY MORE Jack's Mannequin, Jukebox the Ghost, Allen Stone: Fri., Jan. 20. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Mat Kearney: Tue., Feb. 7. ONLINE AT The Beaumont Club, 4050 PITCH.COM Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. The Kills, Jeff the Brotherhood, Hunters: Sat., Jan. 21. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Kittie, Blackgaurd, Bonded by Blood, Sicadis, Sidewise and more: Wed., May 9. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. The Lemonheads: Fri., Jan. 27. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. LoCash Cowboys, Burford, Lucas Cook: Fri., Feb. 17. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Shelby Lynne: Fri., Jan. 13. Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St., 816-474-4444. M83, I Break Horses: Tue., May 1, 8 p.m., $15. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. moe.: Sun., Feb. 12. Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-1972. Mutemath: Thu., Feb. 16. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Brad Paisley: Thu., Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, 816-283-7300. Railroad Earth: Wed., Feb. 8. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Randy Rogers Band, Kip Moore, Sam Sliva and the Good, Travis Marvin: Sat., Jan. 28, 6 p.m. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Billy Joe Shaver: Sun., Jan. 15, 8:30 p.m. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. JD Souther: Sat., Jan. 28. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. George Strait, Martina McBride: Sat., Feb. 25. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, 816-283-7300. Supersuckers, the Spittin' Cobras: Wed., Feb. 8. The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-5483. Symphony X, Iced Earth, Warbringer: Sun., Feb. 26. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster: Thu., March 8. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Pacific Dub: Wed., Feb. 15. The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-5483. The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show: the Contours, Sylvester Potts, Jimmy Clanton, the Marcels, the Edsels, Paul & Paula, the Volumes, the Eldorados, Blue Suede Orchestra: Fri., March 2. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Jimmy Webb, Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter: Fri., Feb. 10. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Zola Jesus: Fri., Feb. 24. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. You ready to get snowed in? hihihihih We love ... Artful frozen CoCktAils THIS WEEK THURSDAY, DEC. 15 Communist Daughter, the Caves: Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-7676. Anthony Gomes: 8 p.m. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Me Talk Pretty, Madina Lake, Hell or Highwater, New Years Day: The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Large groups Separate checks and cute lol cats (but who doesn't right?) hihihihih Upcoming Events : Dec 23 Festivus for the Restofus hihihihih FRIDAY, DEC. 16 Almost Kiss, Carl Palermo: 7 p.m. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Anthony Bourdain: The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Calling All Humans: Multiple DJs perform. Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, 816-753-8665. Pokey LaFarge, the Wilders: Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-1972. La Guerre, Hidden Pictures, Fullbloods: RecordBar, 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Raul Malo and Band: 9 p.m. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. All Inclusive NYE Bash with thePhantom Dec 31 tIckets now $99.00 hihihihih snowandcompany.com hihihihih 1815 wyandotte | 816.214.8921 Just two blocks south of the new kauffman Performing Arts center FIND SATURDAY, DEC. 17 AM Taxi, the Architects, Cherokee Rock Rifle, the Runaway Sons: 8 p.m. The Riot Room, 4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179. Big Smith, Brothers Green: 8 p.m. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Wayne Hancock, Jayke Orvis, the Rumblejetts: KC Rockabilly's Winter Dance Party. 8 p.m., $10 advance, $15 door. Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Steel Panther, Rev Theory, Red Line Chemistry: sold out. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. CONCERT LISTINGS SUNDAY, DEC. 1 8 The Fray, We the Kings, Gravy and the Biscuits: The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: 3 & 7:30 p.m. Sprint Center, 1407 Grand, 816-283-7300. The Wilders: 4 & 6:30 p.m. Reading Reptile, 328 W. 63rd St., 816-753-0441. MONDAY, DEC. 19 Moon Duo, Long Shadows: 10 p.m. Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-7676. UPCOMING Ryan Adams: Wed., Feb. 1. Municipal Auditorium/Music Hall, 301 W. 13th St. (in the Convention Center Complex), 816-513-5000. Allstar Weekend, the After Party: Sat., Jan. 14, 5:30 p.m. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Emilie Autumn: Wed., Jan. 25. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Avicii: Thu., Jan. 12. The Midland, 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Awolnation: Sun., Jan. 22, 7 p.m. The Riot Room, 4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179. Blind Pilot: Sat., March 3. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. Boondox, Cousin Cleetus, the Drp, Mars, Wicked Wayz, Freddy Grimes, Deranged: Tue., Jan. 17. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals: Sun., June 10. Arrowhead Stadium, 1 Arrowhead Drive, 816-920-9300. The Chieftains: Wed., March 7. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway, 816-994-7200. Childish Gambino, Danny Brown: Tue., April 3. The Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-561-2560. Children of Bodom, Eluveitie, Revocation, Threat Signal: Mon., Feb. 6. The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390. pitch.com D E C EO NB E R X X�X 1 , , 2 0 10 X t T H E pP I T C H 27 he itch pitch.com M M T H 1 5 - 2 X 2 0 1 1 Kansas City "Knuckleheads is Kansas City's premier roots music venue of the last 30 years." - Bill Brownlee KC Star Voted KC's Best Live Music Venue 6 years running nightlife T H U R S DAY 1 5 ROCK/POP/INDIE RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Rob Foster and Dudes, Project H, Brian Ruskin Quartet. The Riot Room: 4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179. Sterling Witt, Camilla Camille, Bad Ideas. Harleys & Horses: 7210 N.E. 43rd St., 816-452-2660. The Mooreheads, 9 p.m. Jerry's Bait Shop: 13412 Santa Fe Trail Dr., Lenexa, 913-894-9676. The Shanks. Raoul's Velvet Room: 7222 W. 119th St., Overland Park, 913-469-0466. Disco Dick and the Mirror Balls. The Well: 7421 Broadway, 816-361-1700. Perpetual Change. BLUES/FUNK/SOUL B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ: 1205 E. 85th St., 816-822-7427. Nick Hern Blues Band. Jazz: 1823 W. 39th St., 816-531-5556. Valency. The Phoenix Jazz Club: 302 W. Eighth St., 816-2215299. Dan Doran Band, 9 p.m. Trouser Mouse: 625 N.W. Mock Ave., Blue Springs, 816220-1222. Mary Bridget Davies. Jazz: 1859 Village West Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., 913328-0003. Billy Ebeling and the Late for Dinner Band. The Phoenix Jazz Club: 302 W. Eighth St., 816-2215299. Monique Danielle and Rick Bacus, 4:30 p.m.; Cold Sweat, 9 p.m. R Bar & Restaurant: 1617 Genessee, 816-471-1777. Kathleen and Frenchie, 8 p.m. Tonahill's South: 10817 E. Truman Rd., Independence, 816-252-2560. Roadhouse Band, 8 p.m. Trouser Mouse: 625 N.W. Mock Ave., Blue Springs, 816220-1222. Bob Harvey. ROOTS/COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS The Granada: 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785842-1390. Yuca Roots, Truckstop Honeymoon, the Brody Buster Band. Mike Kelly's Westsider: 1515 Westport Rd., 816-9319417. Interstate Astronauts, 9 p.m. Wil Jenny's Tables and Tap: 6700 W. 135th St., Overland Park, 913-897-1114. Slightly Refined Hillbillies, 8 p.m. lots of special guests DECEMBER 15 Christmas Party Anthony Gomes DECEMBER 16 DECEMBER 14 BLUES/FUNK/SOUL Fat Fish Blue: 7260 N.W. 87th St., 816-759-3474. Phil Callier Open Jam. Jazz: 1823 W. 39th St., 816-531-5556. Grand Marquis. Mike Kelly's Westsider: 1515 Westport Rd., 816-9319417. The Lonnie Ray Blues Jam. The Phoenix Jazz Club: 302 W. Eighth St., 816-2215299. Rod Fleeman and Dan Bliss. ROOTS/COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS Bar West: 7174 Renner Rd., Shawnee, 913-248-9378. The Outlaw Junkies. R Bar & Restaurant: 1617 Genessee, 816-471-1777. MANY MORE The Konza Swamp Band. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Howard Iceberg, Sons of Great Dane, 6 p.m., free. Replay Lounge: 946 ONLINE AT Massachusetts, Lawrence, PITCH.COM 785-749-7676. Scroat Belly, Snakebite. Wil Jenny's Tables and Tap: 6700 W. 135th St., Overland Park, 913-897-1114. Lonesome Jake. FIND DJ The Eighth Street Taproom: 801 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-6918. Gold Label Soul with Hector the Selector. Raoul's Velvet Room: 7222 W. 119th St., Overland Park, 913-469-0466. DJ Xclusive. The Well: 7421 Broadway, 816-361-1700. DJ Ashton Martin. DJ Raoul's Velvet Room: 7222 W. 119th St., Overland Park, 913-469-0466. DJ Kirby. CLUB LISTINGS Raul Malo ACOUSTIC Mike Kelly's Westsider: 1515 Westport Rd., 816-9319417. Eddie Delahunt. JAZZ The Blue Room: 1616 E. 18th St., 816-474-8463. The James Ward Band, 8:30 p.m. Jazzhaus: 926-1/2 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-7491387. Christmas Formal with the Jazzhaus Big Band. The Majestic Restaurant: 931 Broadway, 816-2211888. Rich Hill, 5 p.m. Seasons 52: 340 W. Ward Pkwy., 816-531-0052. Candace Evans, 7 p.m. Take Five Coffee + Bar: 5336 W. 151st St., Overland Park, 913-948-5550. The Hymnuts. JAZZ 1911 Restaurant & Lounge: 1911 Main, 816-527-0200. Joe Cartwright. The Blue Room: 1616 E. 18th St., 816-474-8463. Mike Pagan, 7 p.m. The Eighth Street Taproom: 801 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-6918. The Lawrence 5. Great Day Caf�: 7921 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park. Greg Tugman, 11 a.m.; Customer Quartet, 7 p.m. The Majestic Restaurant: 931 Broadway, 816-2211888. Bram Wijnands, 6 p.m. DJ The Eighth Street Taproom: 801 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785-841-6918. Mingle. VooDoo Lounge: Harrah's Casino, 1 Riverboat Dr., North Kansas City, 816-472-7777. Flirt Fridays with DJ Josh El Bravo con Salsa Brava, Making Movies Salsa Orchestra. HIP-HOP The Granada: 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785842-1390. Ben Kres CD release, C3, Rich Brown. Jackpot Music Hall: 943 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-832-1085. Winner's Circle, Nicole B, BBS, T-rell, Young Ceezy, Team Bear Club, 9 p.m. DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES The Brooksider: 6330 Brookside Plz., 816-363-4070. Ugly Sweater Party, 8 p.m. Hurricane Allie's Bar and Grill: 5541 Merriam Dr., Shawnee, 913-217-7665. Ultimate DJ Karaoke, 8:30 p.m. Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater: 7260 N.W. 87th St., 816-759-5233. Matt Braunger, 7 & 9:45 p.m. The Indie on Main: 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Karaoke with KJ David, 9:30 p.m. Missie B's: 805 W. 39th St., 816-561-0625. Dirty Dorothy on the main floor, 10 p.m. Winter Dance Party Wayne (The Train) Hancock Jayke Orvis (of the 357 String Band) DECEMBER 17 CHORAL/CLASSICAL London Heights Baptist Church: 734 N. 78th St., 913334-2140. KCK Community Orchestra Holiday Concert. Mid America Nazarene University: 2030 E. College Way, Olathe, 913-782-3750. Overland Park Civic Band. ACOUSTIC The Fig Tree Caf� and Bakery: 817 N.E. Rice Rd., Lee's Summit, 816-347-0442. Erik Karlsson. & the Rumblejetts DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES Bleachers Bar & Grill: 210 S.W. Greenwich Dr., Lee's Summit, 816-623-3410. Ladies' Night. Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater: 7260 N.W. 87th St., 816-759-5233. Matt Braunger, 7:30 p.m. Johnny's Tavern: 13410 W. 62nd Terr., Shawnee, 913962-5777. Live Trivia, 9 p.m. Johnny's Tavern: 8262 Mission, Prairie Village, 913901-0322. Boogie Bingo, 8 p.m. MoJo's Bar & Grill: 1513 S.W. Hwy. 7, Blue Springs. Pool and dart leagues; happy hour, free pool, 4-6 p.m. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Trivia Clash, 7 p.m., $5. Skeeter's: 6505 Nieman Rd., Merriam, 913-912-1191. TakeOver Thursdays With Mysunderstood, 8 p.m. JAZZ The Blue Room: 1616 E. 18th St., 816-474-8463. Wild Men of Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. EASY LISTENING Great Day Caf�: 7921 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park. Roy Dodson Phillips, 7-9 p.m. Gospel Lounge w/ Levee Town Cassie Taylor & Danny B Harvey New Years Eve Eve Trampled Under Foot Main Stage Jeff Bergen's Elvis Show in Retro Lounge 816-483-1456 2715 Rochester KCMO Free Shuttle in the Downtown Area TICKETS NOW ON SALE AT knuckleheadsKC.COM 28 the pitch DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 DECEMBER 21 DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES The Indie on Main: 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Ladies' Night, Low Dough lady specials, 10 p.m. Missie B's: 805 W. 39th St., 816-561-0625. The Early Girlie Show, 8 p.m., free; Ab Fab Fridays on the main floor, 10 p.m. Retro Downtown Drinks & Dance: 1518 McGee, 816421-4201. Trivia Riot, 7 p.m. Tengo Sed Cantina: 1323 Walnut, 816-686-7842. Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Westport Flea Market: 817 Westport Rd., 816-9311986. Deelightful karaoke, 9 p.m. FOLK Jackpot Music Hall: 943 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-832-1085. Drakkar Sauna, 9 p.m. OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS Knuckleheads Saloon: 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Open jam with Billy Ebeling and Duane Goldston, 1 p.m. DECEMBER 22 DECEMBER 30 OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS Czar: 1531 Grand, 816-221-2244. Vi Tran and Katie Gilchrist's Weekly Jam, 10 p.m. The Indie on Main: 1228 Main, 816-283-9900. Open Mic, Low Dough Beer Night., 8 p.m. Jerry's Bait Shop: 302 S.W. Main, Lee's Summit, 816525-1871. Jerry's Jam Night, 9 p.m. METAL Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club: 3402 Main, 816-7531909. Garoted, Vanlade, Alsatia, Hellevate, Meatshank. FOLK Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club: 3402 Main, 816-7531909. Root and Stem, David Burchfield and the Jubilation Shakers CD release, KC Bear Fighters. VARIET Y Czar: 1531 Grand, 816-221-2244. The Slaughterhouse Opera (a Zombie rock opera), Matt McCann, 9 p.m. VARIET Y The Brick: 1727 McGee, 816-421-1634. KC Songwriter Forum, 7-9 p.m. S AT U R DAY 17 ROCK/POP/INDIE Aftershock Bar & Grill: 5240 Merriam Dr., Merriam, 913-384-5646. The Tempest, Uncountable Kings, Mad Libby, the Never Ending Fear Project. The Brick: 1727 McGee, 816-421-1634. Appropriate Grammar, the B'Dinas, Langen Neubacher, 9 p.m. Danny's Bar and Grill: 13350 College Blvd., Lenexa, 913-345-9717. Petty Theft, Snafu. Jerry's Bait Shop: 302 S.W. Main, Lee's Summit, 816525-1871. Flashback. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Hearts of Darkness, Deejay Platinum. S U N DAY 1 8 ROCK/POP/INDIE The Beaumont Club: 4050 Pennsylvania, 816-5612560. Desert Wine, Aluna, No Ferrum, Seven, the Neverending Fear Project, the Jips, Vaughn Hemingway, Waltz of the Rabid, Slab, HCL, Static Static, Sarmatian Night, Man the Cannons. F R I DAY 1 6 ROCK/POP/INDIE Aftershock Bar & Grill: 5240 Merriam Dr., Merriam, 913-384-5646. Johnny Rokker Christmas. The Brick: 1727 McGee, 816-421-1634. We Are Voices, Cloud City, O, Giant Man. The Brooksider: 6330 Brookside Plz., 816-363-4070. The Zeros, 10 p.m. Clarette Club: 5400 Martway, Mission, 913-384-0986. Diamond Eyed Jack. Czar: 1531 Grand, 816-221-2244. Burning Symmetry, Apples for Archers, From the West, the Strive, 9 p.m. BLUES/FUNK/SOUL Trouser Mouse: 625 N.W. Mock Ave., Blue Springs, 816220-1222. Kyle Elliott. BLUES/FUNK/SOUL Fat Fish Blue: 7260 N.W. 87th St., 816-759-3474. Nick Hern Band. JAZZ Take Five Coffee + Bar: 5336 W. 151st St., Overland Park, 913-948-5550. Village Gypsy Ensemble. pitch.com pitch.com MONTH pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 29 LUNCH � DINNER � DRINK � MUSIC � ART THUR 12/15 FRI 12/16 FRI 12/16 SAT 12/17 KC SONGWRITER FORUM 8PM HAPPY HOUR HOLIDAY TRUNK SHOW 5PM WE ARE VOICES � CLOUD CITY O GIANT MAN DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES The Bottleneck: 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785841-5483. Smackdown Trivia and Karaoke. Hurricane Allie's Bar and Grill: 5541 Merriam Dr., Shawnee, 913-217-7665. Double Deuce Poker League, 4 p.m.; Ultimate DJ Karaoke, 8:30 p.m. JR's Place: 20238 W. 151st St., Olathe, 913-254-1307. Karaoke with Mad Mike, 9:30 p.m. Westport Flea Market: 817 Westport Rd., 816-9311986. Texas Hold 'em, 3 & 6 p.m. JAZZ Jazz: 1823 W. 39th St., 816-531-5556. Rick Bacus and Monique Danielle. The Majestic Restaurant: 931 Broadway, 816-2211888. Joe DeFio, 6 p.m. TOUCH OF COLOR 5PM APPROPRIATE GRAMMAR B'DINAS � LANGEN NEUBACHER SONS OF GREAT DANE � FILTHY 13 HOLIDAY SHOW BITCH BINGO W/ MS. SOLO MARCO'S V7 & FRIENDS KATY & GOGO NYE HAPPY HOUR HAIR OF THE DOG 2012 DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES Flying Saucer: 101 E. 13th St., 816-221-1900. Trivia Bowl, 7:30 & 10 p.m., free. Jackpot Music Hall: 943 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-832-1085. Karaoke. The Roxy: 7230 W. 75th St., Overland Park, 913-2366211. Karaoke. Westport Flea Market: 817 Westport Rd., 816-9311986. Chess Club, 7 p.m. 1727 McGee Kansas City, MO 816 . 4 21.163 4 SAT 12/17 MR.MARCO'S V7 ORIGINALS & REVIVAL THRU THE AGES HOLIDAY HAPPY HOURS thebrickKcmo.com FRI 12/30 BRICKFAST SAT: 9AM - 3PM OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS Bleachers Bar & Grill: 210 S.W. Greenwich Dr., Lee's Summit, 816-623-3410. Open Blues and Funk Jam with Syncopation, 6 p.m. Jazzhaus: 926-1/2 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-7491387. Speakeasy Sunday, 10 p.m., $3. FRI 12/23 TUE 12/27 FRI 12/30 SAT 12/31 SUN 1/1 NOW BOOKING EASY LISTENING Finnigan's Hall: 503 E. 18th Ave., North Kansas City, 816221-3466. Abel Ramirez Big Band with Frank Cherrito. VARIET Y Ernie Biggs Dueling Piano Bar: 4115 Mill, 816-5612444. Local Music Sunday, DJ Dropout Boogie, 8 p.m. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Jeff Harshbarger presents an Alternative Jazz Series: Mark Southerland's birthday roast with Mike Dillon and Snuff Jazz, 7 p.m. ADVANCE TICKET INFO CALL 913-709-1367 WWW.ELVISBASH.NET RECORD BAR � JANUARY 6 � 7:30 VOODOO LOUNGE � JANUARY 7 � 3PM KNUCKLEHEADS � JANUARY 7 � 8PM FLAMINGO LOUNGE � JANUARY 8 � 11AM BIRTHDAY BASH ELVIS OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS Bleachers Bar & Grill: 210 S.W. Greenwich Dr., Lee's Summit, 816-623-3410. Open Mic Acoustic Jam. The Phoenix Jazz Club: 302 W. Eighth St., 816-2215299. Open Jam with Everette DeVan, 7 p.m. Stanford's Comedy Club: 1867 Village West Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., 913-400-7500. Open Mic Night. M O N DAY 1 9 ROCK/POP/INDIE RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Jenny Carr farewell and birthday show, Andrew Ashby, Jared Tomasina, Matt Shoare, 9 p.m. Replay Lounge: 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785749-7676. Moon Duo, Long Shadows, 10 p.m. The Riot Room: 4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179. Bowinero, Margo May, Atlas, 8 p.m., free. SINGER-SONGWRITER Harleys & Horses: 7210 N.E. 43rd St., 816-452-2660. Scott Ford Songwriters Showcase, 7 p.m. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. John Velghe and friends, 6 p.m., free. W E D N E S DAY 21 ROCK/POP/INDIE The Bottleneck: 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785841-5483. Social Jet Lag. Jerry's Bait Shop: 302 S.W. Main, Lee's Summit, 816525-1871. Moaning Lisa, the Slowdown. The Riot Room: 4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179. The Electric Lungs, Steady States. DJ Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club: 3402 Main, 816-7531909. Stranger Than Friction featuring DJ Byron and DJ Henery. JAZZ Take Five Coffee + Bar: 5336 W. 151st St., Overland Park, 913-948-5550. Tim Doherty's 9plus1 Big Band. BLUES/FUNK/SOUL B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ: 1205 E. 85th St., 816-822-7427. Shinetop Jr. Knuckleheads Saloon: 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456. Miss Major & Her Minor Mood Swings, 7:30 p.m.; Gospel Lounge with Carl Butler, 7:30 p.m. DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES The Brick: 1727 McGee, 816-421-1634. Karaoke with Nanci Pants; Rural Grit Happy Hour, 6 p.m. Harleys & Horses: 7210 N.E. 43rd St., 816-452-2660. Magic Mondays with Jason Dean. Missie B's: 805 W. 39th St., 816-561-0625. MANic Monday on the main floor, 10 p.m., free. MoJo's Bar & Grill: 1513 S.W. Hwy. 7, Blue Springs. Pool and dart leagues; happy hour, free pool, 4-6 p.m. Westport Flea Market: 817 Westport Rd., 816-9311986. Texas Hold 'em, 8 p.m. HIP-HOP RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Mark Lowrey and the KC Hip-Hop All-Stars, 9 p.m. JAZZ 1911 Restaurant & Lounge: 1911 Main, 816-5270200. A La Mode. OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS The Bottleneck: 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, 785841-5483. Open Mic Night. Czar: 1531 Grand, 816-221-2244. Grand Jam hosted by Supermassive Black Holes, 9 p.m. WORLD The Buzz Coffee and Bar: 12056 W. 135th St, Overland Park. The Sons of Brasil, 7:30 p.m. VARIET Y Californos: 4124 Pennsylvania, 816-531-7878. Opera Supper, 6-9 p.m. DRUNKEN DISTR ACTIONS/COMEDY/ BAR GAMES Beer Kitchen: 435 Westport Rd., 816-389-4180. Brodioke. Hamburger Mary's: 101 Southwest Blvd., 816-842-1919. Charity Bingo with Valerie Versace, 8 p.m., $1 per game. MoJo's Bar & Grill: 1513 S.W. Hwy. 7, Blue Springs. Pool and dart leagues; happy hour, free pool, 4-6 p.m. Tonahill's South: 10817 E. Truman Rd., Independence, 816-252-2560. Ladies' Night with DJ Thorny, 6 p.m. T U E S DAY 2 0 ROCK/POP/INDIE Aftershock Bar & Grill: 5240 Merriam Dr., Merriam, 913-384-5646. 3 Son Green, Liv Stat, An Alien, Forget About Adam, Mason City, Wilson & Co., Antler Salmon with Samantha Fish, Dead Eye and the Toy Bajo, 4 p.m. Czar: 1531 Grand, 816-221-2244. Spencer Ward, Tyler Gregory, Nolan Rhyne, Joe Secondhandking, 8 p.m. RecordBar: 1020 Westport Rd., 816-753-5207. Deco Auto, Lollipop Factory, the Clementines, 9 p.m. EASY LISTENING Fuel: 7300 W. 119th St., Overland Park, 913-451-0444. Colby & Mole. OPEN MIC/JAM SESSIONS Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater: 7260 N.W. 87th St., 816-759-5233. Open Mic Night, 7:30 p.m. Jerry's Bait Shop: 13412 Santa Fe Trail Dr., Lenexa, 913-894-9676. Jam Night, 9 p.m. BLUES/FUNK/SOUL B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ: 1205 E. 85th St., 816-822-7427. Trampled Under Foot. DJ Coda: 1744 Broadway, 816-569-1747. DJ Whatshisname, service industry night, 10 p.m. The Gusto Lounge: 504 Westport Rd., 816-974-8786. 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Helping KC Relax for over 12 years ASK ABOUT SPECIALS by appt. only!! 6am-8:30pm in call 8am to 2am out call Mature only Metro Area Out Call Grandview & Downtown In Call NEW LOCATION savage love Kink-stands Dear Dan: I'm a man who recently started seeing a wonderful woman. Like me, she's divorced. My wife left me for another man, but my girlfriend's ex-husband was controlling and abusive. Our relationship is the opposite -- emotionally, psychologically and sexually. Here's the thing: His abusive behavior is my kink: spanking. In all my relationships, spanking was light, playful and consensual; with her ex, it was about pain and humiliation to the point of tears and bruising. She knows about my kink and unBY derstands that my motivations are completely different, but she DAN has zero interest in fetish play. S AVA G E That's fine because I feel so connected to her, I don't need my kink indulged to feel fulfilled. But I find myself feeling guilty for having the kink in the first place. Lacking a Clever Acronym Dear LACA: If your girlfriend's ex-husband had manipulated or bullied her into vaginal intercourse -- if he had repeatedly and brutally raped her vaginally -- would you feel guilty about an interest in consensual, vanilla, missionary intercourse? No. You probably would have reacted in a similarly compassionate way. You would have been willing to stick to oral, mutual masturbation, and whatever else your new girlfriend was comfortable exploring and capable of enjoying. And you would have looked forward to the day when she felt ready to enjoy sensuous, consensual and mutually pleasurable vaginal intercourse again. And if that day never arrived, then perhaps you would have been willing to forgo vaginal intercourse to be with her. But you wouldn't be sitting there feeling like a monster for being aroused by -- and for having enjoyed -- consensual penis-in-vagina intercourse with other women. Your willingness to drop your harmless kink is evidence that your priorities are in order, your heart is in the right place, etc. Anytime you start feeling bad about your kink, remind yourself that a consensual kink isn't abuse just as consensual vaginal intercourse isn't rape. You can love this woman and make this relatively small sacrifice without having to shame yourself or to retroactively define all your past spanking experiences as abusive. Dear Dan: My boyfriend of five years had a onenight stand with a much younger woman. In some ways, it's a good thing. We're having conversations we should have had a long time ago. He's seeing a therapist (his idea, not mine), and somehow I know more than ever that I want to be with him. Two questions: (1) I've hit the age that I've started to worry about looking older, and it's been devastating that not only did he cheat on me but did so with a much younger woman. 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Salve It, Please Dear SAP: (1) LTRs are only possible if we're willing to take "yes" for an answer: He says yes he loves you, and you will yourself to believe him; he says yes he's having sex with you because he's attracted to you, and you will yourself to believe him; he says he strayed and is sorry and swears he won't do it again ... and you will yourself to believe him. Time can strengthen a sexual connection, even as sex itself becomes less important when weighed against everything else your LTR is or should be about. In the words of singer-songwriter Tim Minchin: "Love is made more powerful by the ongoing drama of shared experience and synergy and symbiotic empathy, or something like that." (2) Betrayal, if the relationship survives it, sometimes activates a couple's sex life. With all the kink-and-whatever-else cards on the table, the couple starts going at it like they have nothing to lose -- because they don't have anything to lose. As for those images: The passage of time is your body's enemy on the physical-perfection front (and his, too), but it's your best friend on the searing-mental-images front. The more time you two spend doing, enjoying and perfecting X, Y and Z sex acts, the more they become about you two and your connection, and the mental images will gradually cease. Give it time. Dear Dan: A letter in a recent column was from a guy trying to figure out how to get into gay BDSM. You suggested advice from a gay BDSM blogger -- Ben In Leather Land (tinyurl.com/bensten) -- and it was awesome. Do you have any suggestions of similar blogs for women into BDSM? Looking Lady Dear LL: Sex writer, blogger, thinker and haver Tristan Taormino, who's publishing a new book about BDSM and kinky sex (The Ultimate Guide to Kink: BDSM, Role Play and the Erotic Edge), recommends fetish icon Midori's column in SexIs magazine (tinyurl.com/edenmidori). Where people & jobs find each other. 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FEMALE BACK UP SINGER NEEDED FOR AWARD WINNING ROCK COVER BAND. 913-963-1952 thebigdealkansascity.com pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 35 vertising Department! This is an inside sales position, but does require some outside sales. Employment * Be a great multi-tasker * Self - Motivating * Have attention to detail * Be able to operate on FREE revolving deadline a& PHOTOS AT KC.BACKPAGE.COM ONLINE ADS * Have strong TO PLACE YOUR AD TODAY, CALL 816.218.6721 organizational skills 5172 Sales & Marketing Jobs Entry Level Sales/Marketing No Exp. needed/ Training Provided/ Opportunity to Advance to MGMT. Submit Resume at www.mp-inc.org under contact us or call 816912-2890 The PITCH is currently seeking Multimedia Advertising Sales Pros for our Classified Advertising Department! This is an inside sales position, but does require some outside sales. You must: * Be a great multi-tasker * Self - Motivating * Have attention to detail * Be able to operate on a revolving deadline * Have strong organizational skills Some sales, customer service and/or media experience is required. 2-3 years of Media Sales Experience that includes a strong digital focus is preferred. Minimum expected annual income potential of $32K - $34K with no cap. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, Life, Disability 401K and more!! Please send your resume to: firstname.lastname@example.com You must: P Some sales, customer service and/or media experience is required. 2-3 years of Media Sales Experience that includes a strong digital focus is preferred. Minimum expected annual income potential of $32K - $34K with no cap. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, Life, Disability 401K and more!! Please send your resume to: email@example.com 5185 Misc. Jobs ATTENTION: EX-OFFENDERS & AT RISK JOB SEEKERS Do You Need Your Criminal Record Expunged? Do You Need Housing? Do You Need Job Placement Assistance? Wills, Divorces, Child Support, Civil & Criminal Motions Filed. Contact: Beyond The Conviction for these and other Career and Life Barrier Removal services. (Some service fees apply) 816-842-4975 or 816-7187423 www.beyondtheconviction.org Licensed Massage Therapist wanted. No Rental Fees/All Supplies Furnished. Must have 500 or more hours & transcript. 40% paid daily & Great F/T & P/T, No Sundays, flexible evening hours. Call 913-400-2540 Undercover Shoppers Get paid to shop. Retail/Dining establishments need undercover clients to judge quality/ customer service. Earn up to $150 a day. Call (800)722-6351 5190 Business Opportunities Become Self Employed with an elite opportunity. You can make residual income for you and your family's success. Get your position immediately! Call Donnel: 816-316-6717 TRAVEL Needed 10 Guys / Gals over age 18. Travel Entire USA demonstrating "Citrus Clean". Transportation. Expenses Paid. High Earnings. Immediate Employment. 1-800-8986229 or 407-221-2929 NOW HIRING FOR KU BASKETBALL CONCERTS CONVENTIONS Event Staff, Ushers Ticket Takers Apply in person: 4050 Pennsylvania Ste.111 KCMO or apply online: www.crowdsystems.com MYSTERY SHOPPERS Get Paid To Shop! Retail/Dining Establishments Need Undercover Clients To Judge Quality/Customer Service. Earn Up To $150 A Day. Call 877-737-7559 www.MoneyMakingClub.ORG $12,000+ / month attainable (913) 526-5150 www.MoneyMakingClub. ORG $12,000+ / month attainable (913) 526-5150 36 the pitch DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com Now you can flip though the pages of P on p Our entire issue is there for when the racks are empty, you need to check out an old issue, or just because you want to... Just click and enjoy! pitch.com/f lipbook to join the Elite Pitch League of Super Heros Schizophrenia Schizoaffective Disorder Do you or a loved one have Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study with an investigational medication. Qualified participants may receive study-related care and medication at no cost. Compensation up to $150 per visit may be provided. Transportation is available. Call for additional details. Powers Include: or Must be able to handle mul tiple projects at once experienced in ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE Extraordinary Abilities Strong Moral Code Must currently be enrolled in college able to receive college credit Super Human Strength must have an interest in GRAPHIC DESIGN send resumes to headquarters: JAIME. email@example.com *Cape optional pitch.com 913-696-1601 vinceandassociates.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 the pitch 37 38 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com MO-GILLHAM PARK $495/MO 816-785-2875 RARE opportunity 1 unit vacancy. Beautiful Loft style Apartment on Gillham Park great views completely New everything. Exposed brick, marble floors, exposed ceilings (3rd floor units), hardwood floors, claw foot or jacuzzi tubs its all here right on Gillham Park with great sunset views. Completely new and updated with new Refrigerator, stove, Central air, furnace, garbage disposal, microwave/hood, maple cabinets and tons more. As low as $495/mo w/ lease. Big 1 bdrms in a great part of town. Onsite mgmt. Call Wes at 816-785-2875 or Dave at 913-244-4892 MO-HYDE PARK $299+ 816-960-4712 Clean, quite & safe. Historic Hyde Park Studios and 1 bedrooms. Walk to Westport. Cats welcome. Updated kitchens and baths. New carpet. Mention this ad for a $299 a month special Alps Apartments 816-960-4712 MO-KANSAS CITY $650/MONTH 816-536-5902 Armour & Gilliam. Clean 1 br Loft Apt. In Historic Hyde Park Home. Hardwood Floors & Wall to Wall carpet. Modern Island w/ Tiled Kitchen. All Appliances Included. 10 New Windows to Brighton the Area. over 8' Ceilings. HEAT, WATER, TRASH & LAUNDRY FREE!!!! 1ST TIME ON MARKET IN 5 yrs. LOOK & COMPARE TO AREA. MO-KANSAS CITY STARTING AT $395 816-231-2874 Stonewall Court apartments-2500 Independence Ave. Central air, secure entry, on site laundry, on bus line, close to shopping. Nice apartments, Sec 8 welcome. $100 Deposit Office hours M-F 8-5 MO-KCAI $550 (816)756-2380 3966 Warwick spacious 2 BR Carpeted, Heat Paid, Near KCAI. 2 BR $550 www.KNAACKPROPERTIES.COM MO-WESTPORT/KUMED $695 816-531-3111 3942 Roanoke~ ground floor Duplex. 1 BR, lrg rooms, lots of closets. Off street parking, front porch. No pets please. MO-WESTPORT/PLAZA $500/MTH 816-561-9528 Winter Special- Large 2 Bedroom, Central Heat, Balcony, Private Parking, Garbage disposal. 3943 Roanoke and 3821 Central Call for details PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to adverise, "any preferences, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or dicriminaiton. We will not knowing accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on a equal opportunity basis. MO-WALDO $850 816.531.2555 7247 Wyandotte, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, appliances, central air, basment, garage. MO-Waldo Area $550 816-254-7200 Cozy and charming 2 bedroom house, newer carpet, open living room, garage, fenced yard, appliances including washer/dryer, pets OK; rs-kc.com KC3LZ 5367 Office Space For Rent MO - DOWNTOWN 816-421-4343 One-of-a-kind spaces in a variety of historic fully restored buildings throughout Downtown, Crossroads, Westside, and West Bottoms. Commercial, residential, office, loft, art studios, and live/work spaces. 5320 Houses For Rent KS-KANSAS CITY $420/MONTH 816-531-6817 Charming 1 bedroom house near 7th & Central. Dining room, kitchen with new floor, refrigerator, ceiling fans, sun porch, full basement with w/d hook-ups, front porch & fenced yard. Credit app-application fee & deposit required. KS-KCK $800 913-962-6683 Room for everyone! 4 bed/2 bath house, walkout finished basement, dining and living room, appliances, deck and BBQ pit, bring the pets! rs-kc.com KC3L3 KS-Near KU Med $550 913-962-6683 2 bedroom house loaded with charm, stretch out in the living room, full basement for storage, fenced yard, appliances, pets welcome! rs-kc.com KC3L2 KS-Shawnee Area $675 816-254-7200 Freshly updated 2 bedroom house, newer carpet, living room, full basement for storage, loaded with kitchen appliances, pets OK! rs-kc.com KC3L5 KS-South JoCo $575 913-962-6683 Serene setting for this 2 bedroom house, newer carpet, functional floorplan with a larger living room, storage shed on the property; rs-kc.com KC3L1 KS-STRAWBERRY HILL $500/MONTH 913-302-1888 Nice 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath Home for Rent. Fenced Yard, Single Car Garage, Appliances Included, W/D Hook-ups. Ceiling Fans. Close to Downtown/ P & L & Westport. Deposit & Credit Check Required. KS-Turner Area $800 816-254-7200 3 bedroom house, recently remodeled throughout, newer carpet, living room for entertaining and weekend relaxing, pets OK; rs-kc.com KC3L4 MO-39th St-KCMO $700 816-254-7200 Walk to dining and entertaining; 2 bedroom house, hardwood floors, full basement, safely fenced yard, appliances, pets welcome! rs-kc.com KC3LY MO-85th & Wornall $900 913-962-6683 Pet friendly 3 bed/2 bath house, luxurious feeling throughout, hardwood floors, full basement, garage, fenced yard, pets welcome! rs-kc.com KC3L0 MO-Brookside Area $1250 913-962-6683 Newly updated and charming 3 bedroom house, recently stained hardwood floors, oversized yard, basement, appliances, pets OK! rs-kc.com KC3LX MO-SOUTH KANSAS CITY $645 816-761-2382 2 Bedroom, 2 bath house for rent. 7901 Oldham Rd. All appliances including W/D. MO-KCMO-Armour Rd $1200 913-962-6683 No application fee! 5 bedroom house, 2 bathrooms, bonus room for a home office, full basement, fenced yard with deck, appliances; rs-kc.com KC3LW MO-NKC $515 816-531-2555 319 E. 27th Ave. 1 bedroom, central air, appliances, garage. MO-KCAI $725 (816)756-2380 4124 Warwick Large 3 bedroom, large balcony, hardwood througout. www.KNAACKPROPERTIES.COM MO-MIDTOWN $650 816-753-1923 Ask About Winter Move-In Special. 4440-4444 Jarboe, 2BR, 1BA apt available now! Amenities include pool, shared balconies, you pay electric utility only, and a nice West Plaza location. Also Studio available for $ 425.00. Call John A. Krugh Realty, LLC today for your appointment to view these units. MO-MIDTOWN $415-$700 913-940-2047 Newly Renovated Studios,1 & 2 Bedrooms in convenient Midtown Location. Off Street Parking. MO-MIDTOWN $375 - $475 816-560-0715 ARMOUR FLATS APARTMENTS - Studio & 1 bedrooms available in a newly remodeled building. Great location! Gas, water, trash paid. MO-MIDTOWN $595 (816)756-2380 4011 Warwick. Large 2 bedroom, central air, carpet, patio. KNAACKPROPERTIES.COM MO-MIDTOWN $425 (816)756-2380 712 E. Linwood. 1 bedroom apts. Carpet. New renovation. Walking distance to Costco, Home Depot, Martini Corner. Pets ok. www.KNAACKPROPERTIES.COM MO-NE KC $400-$450 816-472-1866 Now renting 502-520 Maple Blvd. Colonial Court Apartments w/ air conditioners. Super move in special 1/2 off 1st month rent & $200 Deposit. For more details call Kelly James Onsite Manager (816)472-1866 Home (816) 777-6965 or the San Diego Branch Office is (619) 954-2703 MO-VALENTINE $400-$850 816-753-5576 CALL TODAY! Rent Studios, 1 & 2 BR Apartments & 3 Bedroom HOMES. Colliers International, EHO pitch.com DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 THE PITCH 39 Back Page � 816.218.6721 2 yr. Certificate Program. Call For Winter Enrollment! Classes Begin January For info. & Tour Call BRC Audio 913-621-2300 or visit www.recordingeducation.com * RECORDING ENGINEER/PRODUCER* **BE A PROFESSIONAL * SUNNY MASSAGE - 2500 W. 6th St. Lawrence, KS 66049. Walk-in or by appointment 785.865.1311 ~~~HOTEL ROOMS~~~ 6101 E. 87th St./Hillcrest Rd. ,HBO,Phone, Banq. Hall $39.95 Day/ $159 Week/ $499 Month + Tax Real Estate & Bankruptcy Reasonable rates! Evening & Weekend appt. Susan Bratcher 816-453-2240 www.bratcherlaw.biz DUI/DWI, KS, MO CLUBEROTICAKC.COM #1 Lifestyle House Party Friday & Saturday PARTY WITH POKER IN HIS LIMO 913-238-4339 ( Roomate wanted ) 99.7% Toxin Free w/n an hour We can help you pass Coopers 3617 Broadway, KCMO 816.931.7222 A-1 Motel 816-765-6300 Capital Inn 816-765-4331 $99 DIVORCE $99 Simple, Uncontested + Filing Fee. Don Davis. 816-531-1330 Lady Photographer Available for Model Shoots. Alexandra 816-716-0761 Rates Reasonable MODEL SHOOTS www.MoneyMakingClub.org $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $12,000 + / month Attainable. (913) 526-5150 Auto Insurance Starting @ $40.00 SR22-Non-owner / MO: 816-531-1000 / KS: 913-239-0900 **www.DeMastersInsurance.com** $99 DIVORCE $99 A-1 Motel 816-765-6300 Capital Inn 816-765-4331 Simple, Uncontested + Filing Fee. Don Davis. 816-531-1330 ~~~HOTEL ROOMS~~~ CAREER EDUCATION LEARN BARTENDING!! 6101 E. 87th St./Hillcrest Rd. ,HBO,Phone, Banq. Hall $39.95 Day/ $159 Week/ $499 Month + Tax Big fun, Big money, Two week program-Job placement assistance FT, PT, Parties, Weddings, Always in demand! International School of Professional Bartending. Call 816-753-3900 TODAY !!! Affordable Family Law Attorney Support, Paternity. KS & MO. The choice of a lawyer is important and should not be based soley upon advertisements. 816-842-6700. Divorce, Child Custody and Practice emphasizing DWI defense. Experienced, knowledgeable attorney will take the time to listen and inform. Free initial phone consultation. * DWI * * CRIMINAL * * TRAFFIC * 816-221-3691 $100 Deposit, All Utilities Paid, Laundry Facilities. On Metro Bus Line as of 10/3/11. Holiday Apts, 115 W. Harlem Rd, KCMO 816-221-1721 Se Hable Espanol DOWNTOWN AREA STUDIO APT $110/WEEK Min. THE LAW OFFICE OF DENISE KIRBY CASH FOR CARS Wanted/Unwanted Autos, Wrecked, Damaged or Broken. Cash Paid. www.abcautorecycling.com 913-271-9406 $100 Deposit, All Utilities Paid, Laundry Facilities. On Metro Bus Line as of 10/3/11. Holiday Apts, 115 W. Harlem Rd, KCMO 816-221-1721 Se Hable Espanol DOWNTOWN AREA STUDIO APT $110/WEEK Min. $$ Paying Top Dollar $$ For Junk Cars & Trucks Missouri: 816-241-7548 Kansas: 913-321-1000 U-PICK IT SELF SERVICE AUTO PARTS CASH PAID FOR JUNK/UNWANTED VEHICHLES. Call J.G.S. Auto Wrecking For Quote. 913-321-2716 ot Toll free 1-877-320-2716 CASH PAID FOR JUNK/UNWANTED VEHICHLES. Call J.G.S. Auto Wrecking For Quote. 913-321-2716 ot Toll free 1-877-320-2716 99.7% Toxin Free w/n an hour We can help you pass Coopers 3617 Broadway, KCMO 816.931.7222 $10 Reunites Love- Depression-Finances Success 100% Guaranteed Results ! ERICA'S PSYCHIC STUDIO 816-965-7125 Free consultations-Law Office of Joseph W. Alfred 913-538-6720 www.lojwa.com Marriage & Family Visas Green Cards/Work Permits CASH FOR CARS Wanted/Unwanted Autos, Wrecked, Damaged or Broken. Cash Paid. www.abcautorecycling.com 913-271-9406 Readings HOME Sellers & Tired Rental Property Owners SPEEDING, DWI, POSSESSION, ASSAULT I provide efficient legal services & close personal attn for clients For a free consult call: The Law Office of J.P. Tongson AFFORDABLE ATTORNEY (816) 265-1513 I have pre-qualified buyers for your property. We guarantee your payment. Our lease purchase program is the sales solution for your property. 816-853-8369 No Exp. needed/ Training Provided/ Opportunity to Advance to MGMT. Submit Resume at www.mp-inc.org under contact us or call 816-912-2890 - MP Incorporated Entry Level-Sales/Marketing SPEEDING, DWI, POSSESSION, ASSAULT I provide efficient legal services & close personal attn for clients For a free consult call: The Law Office of J.P. Tongson AFFORDABLE ATTORNEY (816) 265-1513 40 THE PITCH DECEMBER 15 -21, 2011 pitch.com