stjoenews.net | Blake Hannon

Plug into ... Surfer Blood

Anymore, a lot of artists in indie rock seem to clutter their music with instruments like synthesizers, ukuleles, accordians and glockenspiels or try to capture a tiny, intimate, almost cute vibe that wouldn't even wake the neighbors if it was played on their doorstep. So, it's almost refreshing to hear a group that wants to crank up their distorted guitars and lay down some rock that's catchy and anthemic. And for that, I would like to say "thank you" to Surfer Blood.

The green goes on

America already has enough holidays it can call its own. Independence Day. Memorial Day. Columbus Day. Thanksgiving. The list goes on. But it seems like we’ve had no problem taking the Irish holiday known as St. Patrick’s Day and celebrating it like each and every person came straight from the Emerald Isle. And some people simply won’t settle for just one day of revelry.

Review: 'Green Zone'

Whether it’s Scorsese and De Niro or Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, there have been certain director/actor collaborations that seem to bring out the best in both participants. This seems to be the case for director Paul Greengrass and leading man Matt Damon based on their successful reinvigoration of the action thriller with “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “The Bourne Supremacy.”

Entertainment calendars for March 12, 2010

We recommend for March 12, 2010

Family thrills

You just have to look around to see the circus has a lot more competition than it used to.

This is: The art of Kee-Ho Yuen

The Shuffle: Edward going elsewhere

Most people in town are probably looking forward to getting their Irish on for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade or having some good, clean family fun at the Moila Shrine Circus at the Civic Arena — unless they happen to be a teenage girl.

Bettering the burn

When you hear the word “cardio,” what’s the first image that pops into your head? Quick! What do you see? If you’re like most Americans, you might see chaining yourself to a treadmill or elliptical machine, setting it on a particular speed and running until the very sight of the equipment causes your legs to ache. While this does burn calories and helps you lose weight, it isn’t the be-all-end-all of cardio.

Coming out swinging

The Scottish quartet We Were Promised Jetpacks suspects it may have a few anthems on its hands. The hungry post-punkers — Adam Thompson (vocals, guitar), Michael Palmer (guitar), Sean Smith (bass) and Darren Lackie (drums) — are on their first headlining tour of the states.

Entertainment calendar for March 5, 2010

Girl power

It’s been more than two decades since the screen adaptation of the off-Broadway play “Steel Magnolias” made its way to theaters. And the female-driven film with an all-star cast has demonstrated plenty of staying power, as Robidoux Resident Theatre business manager Jeff Haney discovers regularly with a bit of channel surfing.

The Shuffle: Doing the twist

If you’re like me, one of the only times you get joy out of dealing with numbers is when you’re looking at weekly film box-office results. If you’re not like me, well, allow me to give you an update.

Stories for the statue

Let’s face it, people don’t really seem to care about awards shows anymore. Whether it’s the Grammys or the Emmys, ratings have been down since their heyday. But neither one of those awards shows seem to come with as much hype, excitement and planned pre-parties as the Academy Awards, and some say there’s a reason behind it.

This is: “Downtown Skyline” by Steve Zipp

The after-Mardi

You’ve got to hand it to St. Joe. It’s not going to let a technicality get in the way of a good time. For the past month, after the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society’s decision to cancel its annual Mardi Gras Parade, downtown bar owners banded together to salvage it, and people have been marking, scratching out and re-marking their calendars in preparation for the much-anticipated event.

Western brings hard rock hitmakers to St. Joe

Last year, Missouri Western brought in a little bit of country. This year, it’s bringing in a little bit of rock ’n’ roll.

Entertainment calendars for Feb. 26, 2010

Young and evolving

Employees at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art remember how placing the art submitted every year for the museum’s Regional High School Art Exhibition into defined categories used to be an easy task.

The Shuffle: Bad as she wants to be

Previously on “Blake rails on a musical artist,” Katy Perry got served for her Girls Gone Wild bisexual pop hit “I Kissed A Girl” and Lady Gaga was broken down as a style-over-substance pop star.

This is: Alone After All

Trails West! artwork showcases history

Organizers for the Trails West! Music and Arts Festival have decided to pay homage to local history with an artistic twist.

The sound of a city

Galactic bassist Robert Mercurio remembers when the Big Easy made its big impact. The co-founder of the jazz-funk outfit went to see a brass band in New Orleans when he first moved to the area from Washington, D.C., in 1990. It was a far cry from D.C.’s hard-core punk scene and gave him his first tangible taste of sounds conceived in the Crescent City. It also helped him realize the feelings he’d like his own band to induce.

Entertainment calendars for Feb. 19, 2010

Artistic impressions

For 75 years, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has been giving Kansas City and surrounding areas an ample taste of the arts as one of the top museums in the country. Now, as a result of some appreciative generosity, visitors will get something special. In honor of the museum’s 75th anniversary, patrons have donated numerous works of art for the occasion in the special exhibition “Magnificent Gifts for the 75th.”

Characters welcome

Trailer Choir is likely to catch your eye as much as it catches your ear.

Weekend recap: This Is Energy at Cafe Acoustic

You knew this was one of those weird mismatches between venue and band before the St. Louis pop rockers This Is Energy played a single note at Cafe Acoustic Friday night.

This is: ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Dinosaur’ by Tim Morrison

The Shuffle: Indie identity

Guess what? Sometimes there are weeks where I’m just not sure what I’m going to cover in this column. But every so often I come across something that sparks a debate in my head.

Move it or lose it

Kids can be one of two ways: glued to the television screen with a tiny little vice grip on the remote control or video game controller, or overflowing with energy ready to burst at the seams. Either way, you can give them an excuse to have fun by giving them toys that encourage physical activity while being so entertaining that they don’t realize they’re actually getting exercise. Here are a few options.

Artistic impact

Some people in St. Joseph may think they have a lot to complain about when it comes having exciting things to do in town. They probably look at the arts, music and entertainment scenes of their neighbors to the north (Omaha) and south (KC and Lawrence, Kan.) and wonder why Joetown doesn’t have similar offerings.

Review: 'The Wolfman'

Warning to teenage girls: Unlike Taylor Lautner’s Jacob in “The Twilight Saga,” you won’t get a crush on this werewolf. In fact, aside from noteworthy special effects, a bit of strong action and a lot of effort to revitalize the 1941 monster classic “The Wolf Man” for a new audience, “The Wolfman” isn’t a film most audiences will walk away remembering due to its derivative style and underdeveloped storytelling.

Entertainment calendars for Feb. 12, 2010

Willing its way

As far as band names are concerned, you’re putting some instant and weighty expectations on your group when you give yourself a moniker like This Is Energy.

This is: ‘Study For Roman Holiday’ by Geo Sipp

Being Frank

When you hear the name Mel Brooks, you instantly think of “comedy.” Come to think of it, words like “genius,” “offensive,” “hilarious,” “politically incorrect” and “HA HA” also may come to mind.

The Shuffle: Bowl lessons

There are plenty of things I learned from watching last week’s Super Bowl, and they have nothing to do with well-timed onside kicks or Colts receiver Reggie Wayne running better routes in big games.

From the head to the page

Tired corporate speak may tell you to “think outside the box,” but that happens to be where Kyle Strahm does his best work. The horrific, humorous and often bizarre world in Kyle’s head comes to life in elaborate detail on panels and pages through his career as a comic book artist.

A cause for movement

Folk rocker Langhorne Slim’s strength also gets him the most flack. The nature of the Brooklyn-via-Pennsylvania singer/songwriter’s music — rooted in guitar strumming mixed with poetic lyrics of hope and heartache — gets him a lot of comparisons to legendary singer/songwriters, like your Dylans and Guthries, but leaves him on the “tries but fails” side of the comparison.

A fan’s favorites

Cafe Acoustic was where everybody knew Jeremy Kitchen’s name. He practically had a reserved seat any given night located at the right side of the bar, where he could swig drinks and chat with staff and friends while having a telescopic view of the performers on stage through the venue’s long hallway.

The Shuffle: Halftime, full change

What is one of the biggest testaments to the power of the Super Bowl? It’s the one event where people actually care who is playing the halftime show.

This is: ‘Neil Underwater’ by Anne Kufahl

Despite best efforts, Grammys still don't click with young viewers

The “biggest night in music” still seems of little interest to young music fans. Despite the fact that the Grammys serves as a pinnacle achievement for musical artists, the awards show itself doesn’t register as must-see TV for the younger generation.

Coffee talk

With a winter like this one, getting out of a comfortable bed may seem impossible without something to warm you up and perk you up at the same time. So, some hot coffee is probably just what you'll need in the morning. But just because a cup of coffee might seem uneventful doesn't mean the machines have to be. Here are three coffee makers that will help give you the caffeine kick you're looking for in fresh, fast and mesmerizing ways.

Got to get them into your life

Technically, Beatlemania occurred when John, Paul, George and Ringo made the trans-Atlantic flight from England to America in the early 1960s and proceeded to change the music world forever. But if you ask Marty Scott, co-founder of the Beatles tribute Liverpool Legends, that mania never subsided. When the group isn’t performing as Branson’s must-see act, they tour the country and the world bringing the Beatles’ legendary catalog to thrilled fans. And anywhere they go, there are Beatles tribute bands. Whether they’re in Chile or Japan, they’ve witnessed groups singing the Fab Four’s songs phonetically with little knowledge of the English language.

Entertainment calendar for Jan. 29, 2010

This is: Odd Man Out

Feeling the love

The good love song is the one you can’t escape. It’s played at proms and weddings, as radio dedications and rehashed in drunken karaoke serenades, usually complete with shout-out to the hottie at the back table sipping on a cold one wearing the cute hat. In this respect, country artists Richie McDonald and John Berry have either sang or written love songs of that caliber. This makes their collaboration on The Amazing Love Songs Tour more than appropriate — but a rare event. The two artists will come to our area just in time for Valentine’s Day when they perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Missouri Theater.

The Shuffle: You’ve got Mel

Back in 2002, movie megastar Mel Gibson was having a pretty good year. He was still one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men and was putting two box office successes under his belt with the war epic “We Were Soldiers” and M. Night Shyamalan’s otherworldly pic “Signs.”

Accusations fly as Mardi Gras Parade canceled

An event that coincides with the birthplace of jazz just hit a sour note. The Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society announced Monday its annual Mardi Gras Parade, originally scheduled for Feb. 13, has been canceled. This action comes with event organizers, bar owners and Downtown officials throwing out accusations of failed communication and cooperation.

Blake Hannon

Stories by Blake