Whomever says that cool things never happen in Kansas City clearly has never been to one of the Middle of the Map Festivals. Middle of the Map is kind of like a miniature version of Austin’s SXSW festival, but with a spotlight on Kansas City/Lawrence bands. This year’s festival kept the Westport setting of last year’s debut, featuring over 100 bands spread across 10 venues. Middle of the Map expanded to include a third day to accommodate even more bands than last year. In addition to an extra day of music, an interactive forum with movie screenings was even added. Headlining bands from across the nation such as the catchy Fun., a reunited Mission to Burma, the chill Neon Indian and the wild Fucked Up were part of the draw, but a stellar local lineup featuring bands such as Quiet Corral, Cowboy Indian Bear, Making Movies and Capybara made the ticket price a steal. It’s with little surprise that the festival sold out nearly all three night.
In Photos: Middle of the Map Fest Day 3 featuring fun., Neon Indian, Friends, Making Movies & more
“Happy Father’s Day, bastards.” That’s how Joshua Tillman opened his set at the Granada Sunday evening. Rather than offending the eager audience that chose to spend Father’s Day at a concert, Tillman was greeted by cheers. Lawrence had chosen to celebrate the holiday with a special Father — Father John Misty.
The Lumineers kicked off 96.5 the Buzz’s summer concert season to a packed house at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater. It was a low key night of good vibes that were reinforced by openers J. Roddy Walston & The Business, The Mowgli’s, The Neighbourhood and Cold War Kids.
Superman is one of the most iconic characters in pop culture. Even people who haven’t picked up a comic or seen one of the many films or tv show iterations have heard the name and know the gist of Superman. So director Zack Snyder and writer David S. Goyer’s big challenge with “Man of Steel” was how to present this character in a new way that we haven’t seen before — a way that stays true to what Superman is, but also doesn’t dull or ham it up. Interestingly, in the quest for a new Superman story, Snyder returns to the origin story and amazingly, he succeeds in making a mostly fresh and compelling tale in “Man of Steel.”
In a year of big blockbuster action movies and gut wrenching dramas, the comedy world hasn’t even been a contender in the fight for blockbuster dollar signs. Cue Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Their latest installment, “This Is The End,” literally puts Rogen and all of his real-life friends into the movie. A big part of the film’s allure is that every character in the movie is literally playing his or herself, but in a story that is as fiction as fiction can get.
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