« November 2008 | Main | January 2009 »
So, a lot of us have moaned and whined about re-purchasing our record collection on CD, only to see the record company gouge us with a "special edition" that features bonus tracks or better mastering just a few years later. I am pretty annoyed at myself for giving in to that lure sometimes, especially with a few all-time favorites that I have now purchased multiple times (in the case of one, in at least seven formats and re-releases -- I know, kill me now).
Others, though, have still not seen the light of day in any digital format.
Robert Folsom, one of our fine copy editors and a proud Oklahoman who occasionally reviews shows and books and CDs for us, gives us his eclectic list of the best "musical events" of the year:
1. Joyce DiDonato with the Kansas City Symphony
2. Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson with Sam Bush
3. Wynton Marsalis with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
4. "Wicked" musical
5. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
6. Santana with concert moment of the year: trumpeter Bill Ortiz's solo of Miles Davis' "Time After Time" (Oklahoma City Ford Center)
7. The Cure
8. Coldplay
9. "La Bohème" by Lyric Opera of Kansas City
10. Branford Marsalis with Philarmonia Brasileira
What were your shows of 2008? Tell us in the comments below.
| David Frese, The Star
All right, gang. We've had a swell time making fun of one another's favorite songs of 2008.
Tony Ladesich is philosophical about the demise of his band, Pendergast.
"It’s the existential nature of what we do," he said. "You play gigs, you put out records, and eventually you go your separate ways."
The Kansas City-based band’s legacy includes "hundreds of shows" over six years and two exceptional albums. Its final performance is Friday at Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club.
Pendergast’s gritty, raw, roots rock careens between earnest twang and punk-informed thrash. The band’s repertoire includes tales of romantic heartbreak, bleary alcohol-fueled celebrations, grim stories of economic woe and the small shards of salvation harbored inside jukeboxes.
"It’s just American music with roots based in rock ’n’ roll, country and early folk music," Ladesich explained. "But a little Rolling Stones swagger (is) thrown in."
Continue reading "Friday night at Davey's | Pendergast's final show" »
The Mongol Beach Party reunion was already booked when Mark Southerland found out about it. "I think what happened was (drummer) Bill (Belzer) booked the show, called (guitarist) Jeff (Freeling), and everyone else found out through third parties," said Southerland, who plays saxophone in the band. Although the idea had been floated casually in conversation before, this time no one said no. Seventeen years apart seemed like the right time to hook back up. "When we started this band, none of us had been in bands before," singer Christian Hankel said. "Now we’ve spent our lives since then in bands and music."
Continue reading "The Mongol Beach Party says hello, goodbye" »
(The greatest car that ever lived poses with Weezer.)
Pitchfork dropped its list of the 100 best tracks of 2008 this week. The top 5:
(Photos by Chris Oberholtz, The Kansas City Star.)
For nearly two hours on Monday night, Neil Diamond and his beautiful noise turned an arctic December evening to a hot August night.
After opening with high-energy performances of “Holly Holy” and “Beautiful Noise,” Diamond slowed down for “Love on the Rocks.” Strolling the perimeter of the stage, the applause swelled every time Diamond approached a new seating section. Although the Sprint Center wasn’t full – the end sections were curtained off up top – Diamond worked the crowd like he was playing a massive living room.
Recent Comments