stjoenews.net | Shea Conner

Experience is essential

Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Los Lobos, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Double Trouble’s Chris Layton and Jonny Lang — you might think this is a list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, but it’s actually the group of musicians who have joined former Band of Gypsys and Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Billy Cox to pay tribute to one of the greatest guitarists who ever lived. The Experience Hendrix Tour will come to the Uptown Theater in Kansas City at 8 p.m. March 16.

We recommend for March 12, 2010

Area girls to take stage at Apple Blossom Pageant

Fifty-seven local girls will participate in the Apple Blossom Pageant Saturday evening at the Missouri Theater.

An interactive investigation

Everyone loves a good whodunit. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be three “CSI” shows on TV, and Sherlock Holmes would be irrelevant in the pantheon of pop culture. With this in mind, Robidoux Resident Theatre service manager and education director Connie Willis decided to host a few murder mystery dinners at the Robidoux Landing Playhouse and the Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast. All of them were packed, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive that she decided to schedule a few more in 2010.

Entertainment briefs for March 12, 2010

March Madhouses

Considering many conference tournaments start today and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off next Thursday, March Madness is in full effect. March Madness is a time when basketball fans and non-basketball fans alike can come together, cheer on small schools that they’ve never heard of before and use their expertise to fill out brackets for a shot at $50 (give or take).

The overlooked season

This summer may be the most profitable in the history of the movie industry. May and June are stacked with blockbusters like “Toy Story 3,” “Iron Man 2,” “Robin Hood,” “Sex and the City 2” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” just to name a few. But in anticipation, many moviegoers may overlook spring remakes like “Clash of the Titans” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” legit action flicks such as “Green Zone” and “Repo Men” and comedies with — ahem — interesting titles (in all my days as a reporter, I never thought I’d write “Kick-Ass” and “Hot Tub Time Machine” in the same sentence).

One little lie

Ask any of the kids in the upcoming Missoula Children’s Theatre play “Rumpelstiltskin” what the moral of the story is, and they’ll all give you about the same response.

Entertainment briefs for March 5, 2010

Boston’s finest

If you ask drummer/vocalist Matt Kelly how Dropkick Murphys became arguably the most successful Celtic punk band of all-time, he would simply chalk it up to dumb luck. “These wacky milestones happened one after the other,” Kelly says. “To have even one-quarter of the success we have is like Bizarro World.”

It's all about the Benjamins

With the exception of Danny Ocean and his 10, 11 or 12 buddies, few are interested in touring a bank and seeing its vault. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, however, isn’t your typical street corner bank with an ATM vestibule. It has the largest cash vault in the Midwest and serves not only Missouri and Kansas, but Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska and Oklahoma as well.

Taking their best shots

You’ll find a few bands playing at bars around town on most nights, but stand-up comedians only come to St. Joseph on rare occasions. Local comedians Nick Ford, Brian Myers and David Allison plan to fill that void.

Up in the air

Only one breed of horse can balance on just its hind legs, jump, land with its hind legs together and keep its forelegs from ever touching the ground. This maneuver is called a Courbette and it can only be done by the Lipizzaner Stallions.

Entertainment briefs for Feb. 26, 2010

Get your Golden Ticket

It’s hard to imagine Willy Wonka’s giant chocolate factory fitting on the Missouri Theater stage, but the cast of Robidoux Resident Theatre’s upcoming production of “Willy Wonka” promises it will all be there. All of the different rooms will be there. The Oompa-Loompas will be there. So will the flying Wonka-vator and the Fizzy Lifting drink testing area.

Review: Shutter Island

Had any other director filmed “Shutter Island,” we’d have another mediocre insanity thriller on our hands. Luckily, Martin Scorsese’s excellent narrative filmmaking and outstanding visuals give this film noir mind-bender plenty of life. Plus, the dude knows how to get the best out of Leonardo DiCaprio (see “The Departed”).

Celtic pride

When the average music fan hears the phrase “Celtic rock,” he or she almost immediately thinks of bands like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys and Kansas City’s The Elders.

Entertainment briefs for Feb. 19, 2010

All mixed up

The stand mixer has become a household must-have. From mixing pancake batter to mashing potatoes, these kitchen workhorses are indispensable to home chefs and evening/weekend cooks alike. Here is a guide to some of the best mixers around.

Oscars! Oscars! Oscars!

My Oscar predictions weren't too far off, although my hopes for "The Hangover" getting some kind of recognition were completely destroyed. Let's review my forecast.

Slow and steady

For years, country music listeners assumed the Eli Young Band was fronted by a man named Eli Young. In fact, lead singer/guitarist Mike Eli still gets it to this day.

An afternoon for lovers

The Saint Joseph Symphony plans to make the most romantic day of the year just a little bit more so.

Entertainment briefs for Feb. 12, 2010

Man-made

Like many men, I am utterly hopeless in the kitchen. My culinary skills don’t extend far beyond flipping grilled cheese sandwiches and boiling spaghetti noodles. My wife and I have grown tired, however, of going out for dinner on Valentine’s Day (and so has our bank account). Now, I’m in a bind. I’m the Herman Edwards of cooking (seriously, I once screwed up Kraft macaroni and cheese), but on the most romantic day of the year, I can’t willingly let her so much as open an oven door. The solution: prepare an elegant meal within my capabilities. That’s easier said than done, so I’ve sought out a bit of advice, and hopefully some of you guys out there find it as helpful as I did.

Review: Liverpool Legends at Missouri Theater

Maybe I wasn't alive for Beatlemania, but I feel like I know more about the band than the typical person. I've seen the six-hour "The Beatles Anthology" DVD, I own and routinely play "The Beatles: Rock Band" and my Zune is filled with many of the Fab Four's hits and lesser-knowns. With that in mind, the Liverpool Legends tribute is as close as I or anyone under the age of 30 will ever come to seeing The Beatles live. The tribute group put on a great show Friday, Feb. 5 at the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph.

Worth the hype?

You know something’s big when it overshadows a presidential address. Nearly two weeks ago, Apple unveiled its new iPad tablet in San Francisco and stole the day’s headlines. Why not? The hype had been building for months. Beforehand, some pundits went so far as to say the Apple tablet could revolutionize the publishing and health care industries.

Trends for '10

Three days after the monster known as “Avatar” hit theaters, I received an e-mail press release from Paramount Pictures. It read that the third “Jackass” movie would be making its way to theaters on Oct. 15, 2010 — this time in “eye-popping 3-D.”

One Wilde ride

Most bands these days wouldn’t use a 19th-century Irish playwright as a focal point in their music. But for Chicago triumvirate Company of Thieves, Oscar Wilde remains a true inspiration.

Entertainment briefs for Feb. 5, 2010

Oscar nomination forecast

Everyone may still be buzzing about last night's Grammy Awards, but the Academy Awards are just around the corner. In fact, the Oscar nominees are announced tomorrow. There are a few guarantees ("Avatar" for Best Picture), but there are sure to be a few surprises as well.

Online opportunities

Between layoffs and pay freezes, more and more people are seeking a college education. The problem is that many can’t quit their full-time jobs to go back to school. Others have been out of school for so long that they feel uncomfortable returning to classrooms full of 20-somethings.

Review: ‘Edge of Darkness’

On a few occasions, “Edge of Darkness” shows glimpses of greatness. Unfortunately, they’re muddied with over-the-top performances and some really, really bad Boston accents. One word can describe this Mel Gibson thriller: uneven. “Edge of Darkness” meanders between the realms of corporate suspense and shoot-’em-up revenge flicks with a handful of cute father-daughter flashbacks.

Perseverance with a personal touch

Four bands headlined the Super Rock Festival in Japan in 1984. Bon Jovi, Scorpions and Whitesnake went on to sell millions of records. Despite being praised by many metal icons, Anvil caught some bad breaks and went home to Ontario, Canada, to play for small bar crowds. But the group’s dream never died.

Interview: Steve "Lips" Kudlow of Anvil

The acclaimed 2008 documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” follows lead singer and guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner as they attempt to re-capture their 15 minutes of fame from the early '80s. Since the film's release, fans from all over the world have connected with Anvil on a personal level and the group is more popular than ever. Anvil will perform at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Riot Room in Kansas City. Shea talked to "Lips" earlier this week about the show, the film, the band's new wave popularity and many other things. Here's the interview:

Have a ball

On Super Bowl Sunday, some will be just fine sitting alone on the couch and watching the hours and hours of meticulous pregame analysis, lip-synched pop performances and pre-recorded packages that lead up to kickoff (Archie Manning used to play for the New Orleans Saints, but his son plays for the Indianapolis Colts! Who will he root for in the Super Bowl?!).

No easy answers

This isn’t quite “Willy Wonka.” This isn’t anything like “Peter Pan,” “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” or “Holiday in Plaid” either. Robidoux Resident Theatre’s upcoming production of John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable” cuts much, much deeper.

Entertainment briefs for Jan. 29, 2010

Couped up

Coupons have been the special weapon of bargain shoppers and frugal living artists for years. But even those deal-seeking experts (you know, the ones who unload stacks of coupons from their purses to intimidate cashiers) may not be saving as much money as they could be. Use these three helpful reminders the next time you're clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper:

Idol promises

To say “American Idol” is a pop-culture phenomenon would be an understatement. No other TV show has transformed nobodies into Grammy winners in a matter of months. No other TV show has pulled in more than 28 million viewers for seven consecutive season finales. And no other show has given viewers the comedy provided by those bizarre audition sideshows (we know “Pants on the Ground” is still stuck in your head this week).

A warm welcome

Phil Keaggy’s resume could be as thick as Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” so here’s the summary.

Entertainment briefs for Jan. 22, 2010

Review: 'The Lovely Bones'

If the Disney Channel ever made a movie about a 14-year-old girl being brutally raped and killed, it would be called "The Lovely Bones."

Organic road warriors

Lawrence, Kan., is no stranger to Tea Leaf Green. The popular San Francisco jam band played the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival in Lawrence every year before the event moved to Arkansas in 2009. "It's kind of sad that it had to leave Lawrence," says Trevor Garrod, Tea Leaf Green's lead singer and keyboardist. "Lawrence needs that festival. What other cool places in Kansas are there? I mean, there are probably other ones, but Wakarusa in Lawrence is the one everyone knows about."

Four kings

Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 75th birthday one week ago if he were still alive today. In honor of the occasion, Elvis Presley Enterprises and On Stage Touring recently announced the launch of the first-ever Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Tour.

Party starters

Times like last week often remind us how miserable a Midwest winter can be. Frigid temperatures, bitter winds and knee-high snow will kill just about anyone's ambition to go out and have a good time. The perfect cure? Game night. No, we're not talking about tedious battles of Trivial Pursuit or the long, ultimately irrelevant bargaining sessions that come with a game of Monopoly. Several new board games bring parties to life, and at the very worst, provide a few laughs and an opportunity for guests to break the ice. Here are five party game favorites:

Entertainment briefs for Jan. 15, 2010

Shea's 10 Favorite Films of the Decade

Last week, Blake Hannon contributed a list of his 10 favorite films of the 2000s to this blog. So I thought I'd reveal my 10 faves, too.

Full of life

The scenery isn't pretty in St. Joseph these days, from the gray, overcast skies to the brown sludge filling just about every curbside. If this lousy winter has you down, you might want to step into the warmth of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art next week, when the vibrant "Flora and Fauna" exhibition will open to the public. "It will be colorful and full of life. And God knows we need that," says Albrecht-Kemper director Terry Oldham.

Running down a dream

By the age of 17, most people come to terms with the fact that they won't be moon-walking astronauts, Super Bowl quarterbacks or elegant ballerinas.

Sounding off

Most people will never pay $350 for headphones, especially when a pair of JVC Gumy earbuds only cost about $10 at Wal-Mart. But Monster Cable believes its Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones are worth the price and will change the way people listen to their iPods. "This is the most advanced headphone ever built and delivers a music experience I think people will find amazing," says Kevin Lee, vice president of product and marketing for Monster Cable.

Shea Conner

Stories by Shea