Hampton Stevens

Stories by Hampton Stevens

The Weekend Starts Today

You never know when the end might come. Even as you read these words, in fact, a North Korean missile might be hurtling toward us. Or perhaps there’s a giant asteroid barreling toward the planet, set to impact sometime next week. You never know. Granted, these things are unlikely. Quite. Still, it never hurts to…

A man being thrown off a bull.

The Weekend Starts Today

It’s the weekend before Valentine’s Day, so the city will flood with couples, new and old, looking for a romantic night on the town. The rest of us will stay home and weep. Kidding. We’ll get out and weep in public. No matter. Whether you are part of a pair, want only to hang with…

Three individuals on stage.

The Weekend Starts Today

When the world is in turmoil, it can be hard to focus on things like art, music and dance. Life, though, matters. Feeding the soul matters. So, we’ll quickly run through some of the fun events happening around town this weekend. First, though, let’s look at some of the more important stuff. Ironically enough, given…

Dancers on stage.

The Weekend Starts Today

Chinese New Year is this weekend. Saturday, to be precise. But you don’t have to be Chinese to celebrate. For that matter, you don’t have to celebrate. If you do, however, wear red. According to my deep knowledge of Chinese culture, meaning a five-minute internet search, red is the traditional color of the holiday. Just…

A man and woman on stage.

The Weekend Starts Today

This week, the United States will inaugurate a new president. So there’s that. But there are also a lot of cool cultural happenings going on around town. Let’s ignore the former and get right to the latter, shall we? With the Chiefs dispiriting loss on Sunday, football season is over in Kansas City. That leaves…

A statue dressed in Chiefs shirts.

6 Reasons the Chiefs Will Beat Pittsburgh

Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The game could be a huge step for the Chiefs. If KC wins, it will be their second straight season with a playoff victory and their first home playoff win since 1994, back when the quarterback was…

Ramsey Lewis plays the piano laughing.

The Weekend Starts Today

Not everybody gets the day off on Monday, a federal holiday. But everybody in the country can take time to celebrate the life and works of Dr. King, a civil rights giant. More on how to do that below — along with a ton of other fun stuff going on around town. In addition to…

A man singing into a microphone.

The Weekend Starts Today

This week, we find ourselves deep in a New Year’s lull. Maybe the folks who plan shows figure that we’ll all be tired from the holiday festivities. Or, for that matter, maybe they figure that we’ll all be too broke to buy tickets. Whatever the reason, there’s just not that much scheduled at the bigger…

The cast of a Cirque du Soleil show on stage.

The Weekend Starts Today

Most holidays have some sort of spiritual or historical significance — an underlying theme that gives meaning and purpose to the festivities. Not so for New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31st doesn’t commemorate a religious event or the founding of a nation. The holiday exists as a quirk of timekeeping, and celebrating it makes as much sense…

A ballerina touching a canvas that rads "2017."

Preview: Art in the Year Ahead

In Kansas City, the arts have long been an engine for growth. During the city’s first golden age, jazz was the dominant medium. In the 21st century, though, visual arts have led the way. That leadership should continue in 2017, with a concornopia of impressive events and exhibits to keep our city at the forefront….