Sympathetic Vibrations | RecordBar’s Last Song

After 10 years showcasing local and national talent, the RecodBar closed on Saturday, Jan. 2. On Friday, Jan. 1, owners Steve Tulipana and Shawn Sherrill played with their band, Roman Numerals. Using four cameras, Flatland's John McGrath shot a music video of their performance of "The Rule of V".

Halfway through Making Movies’ farewell set at RecordBar on Saturday, lead singer/guitarist Enrique Chi quipped, “We’re trying to play long because we don’t want to leave this place.” Chi’s joke resonated with the sold-out crowd, and likely the larger Kansas City music community, that reluctantly bid farewell to the space that has housed an institution…

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What’s in a Trademark? Law. Lots and Lots of Law.

Royals shirts

In 2014, while stuck in Kansas City rush hour traffic listening to N.W.A.’s infamous track, “Straight Outta Compton,” Mattie Green had a great idea. Why not replace “Compton” with “Kauffman” – a reference to the Kansas City Royals’ home field? In March 2014, Green had a single T-shirt printed with the phrase and a photo…

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Sympathetic Vibrations | Holiday jams that get you out of a jam

As we near the end of the holiday season, many of us are also nearing the end of our holiday ropes. Thanksgiving came early and left bloated. Chanukah had its eight-night residency at beginning of the month. Milad un Nabi is either currently in swing or coming up, depending upon which team you play for.…

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Sympathetic Vibrations | Celebrating This Guy

In a week and a half, millions of cosplaying moviegoers will file into theaters in Kansas City and across the country, eagerly awaiting the sound of two iconic horn stabs that will accompany the words “Star Wars” on screen as they fade into a backdrop of space. This music will herald the beginning of “The…

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Sympathetic Vibrations | Beautiful Stuff

Erik Branstetter has a remarkable reverence for the past. And at his Westport store, It’s a Beautiful Day, Branstetter has created a haven for preserving the spirit of all things 60s and 70s, right down to that sought-after analog sound. The majority of It’s a Beautiful Day is filled with typical head shop fare –…

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