Arts & Entertainment
Downtown Stanford Comedy Club Struggles to Recover from ‘Incident’
By Kevin Collison General Manager Richard Montano is upfront about how a shooting incident Feb. 25 has hurt business at the Stanford 813 comedy club, which had been open just a couple months. “We were doing better before the incident,” he said. “We stopped the dance club and we’re now strictly a comedy club and…
Building Housing Crossroad’s Favorites YJ’s, Birdies Sold
By Kevin Collison The red-brick building at the corner of the Crossroad Arts District‘s funkiest retail scene has been sold, leaving unclear the future of its creative collection of tenants including Birdies. But for artist David Ford, whose run YJ’s Snack Bar for 20 years, the sale means good-bye to the whimsical, bohemian Crossroad scene…
Kansas City Jazz Swings Across Downtown
By Kim Mueller Lonnie McFadden stood smiling beside the piano inspecting his trumpet before beginning his regular gig at The Phoenix where he entertains the Friday night crowd by playing his horn, tap dancing on the bar or singing a variety of songs. “What you have here is a music venue,” McFadden said before beginning…
Downtown UMKC Arts Campus Idea Revived, Barney Allis Plaza in the Mix
By Kevin Collison The possibility of a UMKC arts campus in downtown Kansas City is being floated again and this time Barney Allis Plaza is the apparent preferred candidate. University of Missouri-Kansas City officials announced Thursday they will seek proposals, described as a “request for interest (RFI),” for a new arts facility that would house…
Tech N9ne Gets Down with Boulevard on New Brew
Take Boulevard Wheat, improvise with some pineapple and coconut flavors and throw down some Tech N9ne and you’ve got a new collaboration from two of Kansas City’s favorite sons. Downtown-based Boulevard Brewing and Strange Music announced this week the new “Bou Lou” collaboration will debut at this summer’s Boulevardia festival in the Stockyards District of…
Dog Day Afternoon in East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison It was a true dog day afternoon in the East Crossroads Sunday, with hundreds of hounds and their owners enjoying a microbrewery tour organized by Beer Paws. The first-ever “Pup Crawl” event by Waldo-based Beer Paws included nine breweries and other businesses, and was a laid back way for owners to chill…
Art in the Loop Returns to Downtown
By Kim Mueller Be prepared to play in the city this summer when art comes alive in the park, library, streetcar and studios as part of the 2018 Art in the Loop project. “We look forward to this year being the biggest and boldest yet,” said Donna Mandelbaum, KC Steetcar Authority communications director. Art in…
Restored Savoy Grill is Centerpiece of New 21c Museum Hotel
By Kevin Collison First off, breathe easy Kansas City history buffs. The inner sanctum of the Savoy Grill, that 1903 time-capsule of dark oak woodwork, terrazzo floor, Old West murals and Harry Truman’s “Booth No. 4,” returns when the $47.5 million renovation of the Savoy Hotel is completed this summer. Yes, the adjoining dining room—a…
Something Funny Happening Downtown at The Box Gallery
By Kevin Collison A “funny” and memorable show has opened at The Box Gallery downtown, a colorful look at Andrews McMeel Universal and its influence on our national popular culture since its founding here in 1970. “The Art of the Comics” displays how Andrews McMeel, a national syndication, publishing and entertainment firm based at 1130…
Restored 1887 Mansion Offers Unique Airbnb Stay on Downtown’s West Side
By Kevin Collison The 130-year-old Queen Anne Revival Victorian mansion on downtown’s West Side charmed Megan Duma the moment she saw it listed more than a year ago. Only problem, the Kansas City, Kan. native was on the other side of the world in Sydney, Australia, when she fell in love with the old brick…