We laid it on good for my 45th birthday week and did a variety of things, starting with a walk to The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and brunch at the museum's Cafe Sebastienne. The Kemper is small, with just a few wings, so you need not delay your meal for long, out of duty to fine art. We enjoyed the paintings of Hope Gangloff and the photographic portraits and video of Neeta Madahar, in the current exhibition Dressed Up.
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| Neeta Madahar: Falling |
Thursday we walked to The Tivoli and saw The Day of The Locust, part of their movies about movies series. It was a really intense film, and as I had not read the book, I did not know that rioting and cataclysm was the ultimate direction of all the weirdness. Burgess Meredith really put on a show. Amazing film, a must see, from the greatest era of modern American film.
Yesterday we attend the TEDx webcast at the Nelson, in an auditorium full of Benton paintings, with friends. I've seen TED talks here and there and it was fun to absorb a number of them, though my brain shut down after three hours. For every two hours of TED talks, one half hour of ping pong, bowling, or art museum whiffle ball should be scheduled.
My favorite talk was by city planner from New York who spoke about creating soulful park environments along with development. It made me think of the weirdly abandoned, unconscious riverfront in Kansas City and whether the city has anyone visioning a meaningful future for it. There is a cool walkway observatory off the River Market, but along the river proper is a good go-to spot for shooting execution scenes in shows like The Wire or The Sopranos. Out in Parkville you can walk the river at English Landing Park but that is about it for access, that I am aware of.
Then good beer and dinner at Haus on 31st with old friends, and over to the grand opening of Vandal's (at The Black And Gold) on Broadway, for punk rock with Drop a Grand and The Big Iron. I'd never seen The Big Iron. My friends Dave Peterson and Matt Kessler and Wade Watkins would like--kind of Lazy Cowgirls/Social D vibe with some hardcore. Drop a Grand was as good as I've seen them. They should be on Sub Pop.
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| Drop A Grand kicking ass at Vandal's |
Got a copy of the new Workbook 25 by Bob Mould. I bet I'm not the only one who experiences this as a very personal kind of mile marker. Great present for a significant birthday.
The week hurt too because we said goodbye to a hometown friend who changed our lives, Chris Gile. RIP Chris, we will try to keep it funny and real for you.
