W♥M

Ninjas ninjas ninjas

House of the Ninjas Read More Ninja Today, I found The Ultimate Ninja Boxset. Look, I already own all these movies (Venom of the Ninja and Ninja: The Final Duel), so what made me want to drop $3 on this? …

House of the Ninjas
netflix.com

Netflix’s latest hit show, House of the Ninjas, is show about a retired ninja family… and it’s pretty good!

Years ago, the Tawara lost a family member to another ninja clan, they put that lifestyle behind to become a normal family. Now the shinobi father is struggling with his brewery business. The mother is now a bored housewife and clepto. The older son is a shinobi who can’t kill. The daughter is an Instagram ninja. The deceptive grandmother. And, of course, the chubby ninja family cat.

The youngest son, who is about 10 years old, is a curious kid… who has the making of becoming a future ninja.

I love it, it has drama of a soap opera, with Game of Thrones secrecy and intrigue… and it’s all about family. You generally care about everyone in the family, and you don’t want to see them get hurt.

Of course, the family is threatened by another ninja group, the Fuma clan, who they thought were destroyed when their eldest son died. But that group went into the shadows, where they remained for years until they resurfaced as a new deadly cult.

Although the story is very Eastern, it does also have a Western feel, due to the show’s creator, American director and write, Dave Boyle. The soundtrack is very 60s inspired, like The Zombies’ “The Way I Feel Inside”. Even the show’s theme song is “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (but reimagined and performed by Tomo Nakayama).

Ninja Kamui Read More Shinobi Ninja They are stopping by next Monday with Brooklyn's Shinobi Ninja. Ninjas are just cool, everybody knows this. …

Ninja Kamui
adultswim.com

A new Japanese anime series called Ninja Kamui recently just premiered on Adult Swim’s Toonami. The series is E&H Production and Sola Entertainment with executive assistance by Williams Street.

It’s about a retired ninja named Joe Logan who went into hiding in the Midwest in America. He witnessed his wife and son get murdered by this weird techno ninja clan… and now Joe is on a revenge quest to destroy the people who murdered his family.

So far, there’s only two episodes, but this world is bonkers! We’re talking supernatural-level super powers. For example, an assassin ninja who split into a doppelganger. Our hero, he has this black cloud breath that can summon multiple limbs. The craziness reminds me of Ninja Scroll or Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls.

I do love a revenge story, and this series is starting off on a strong note. So far, fans and critics have been loving what they’ve seen.

Episode 3 will be airing this Sunday: Feb 25, 2024.

Description

After his family was brutally attacked by a gang of masked assailants, Joe Logan is approached by FBI agents Mike and Emma to help investigate the murder of his wife and son.

Higan learns that a string of recent murder victims were all former ninjas who had their covers blown. Higan goes after the boss ninja and swears to take revenge for his dead wife and son by crushing the organization.

Read more Television and Shaw Brothers.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Photos: Twin Cities Con (05 Nov 2023)

11/05 Twin Cities Con: Danny Trejo Read More Twin Cities Con 2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks) …

Comic, anime, celebrity convention, Twin Cities Con ended on Sunday. Turnout was still very strong, which is very good for a Sunday show.

Sunday had the advantage of good programming, with panels from Rachael Leigh Cook, Danny Trejo, Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead), and Jason Lee. Lee and Trejo haven’t been in Minneapolis before, so it was a big deal for longtime fans.

As with Saturday’s show, Sunday’s show ended with the Costume Contest.

Again, the Twin Cities Con is one of the best comic conventions in the area. We’ll discuss more on this topic in a later article… but for now, enjoy cosplay photos.

We saw plenty of Genshin Impact cosplayers, indicating what an incredibly popular game it is with the youth. It also felt like the convention had more anime fans than, say comic book nerds or gamers (although they were all well represented). Me? I like it all: anime, comic books, video games, manga, movies… it’s all good.

Everyone who attended the convention said that they had such a good time and are looking forward to doing it again next year. Can’t wait for Twin Cities Con 2024!

More photos of panels and speakers on the way. Stay tuned.

Fizzarolli (Helluva Boss) and Corazon (One Piece) Invaders from Zim

Fallout

Dragon Ball Z

Lady Dimitrescu (Resident Evil) and Fairy Godmother

Ghost BC

Freddy Fazbear

Genshin Impact Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact

Jon Snow and Captain America

Joel (The Last of Us)

Halo

Crowley (Good Omens), Vanessa (Five Nights at Freddy’s), Jester and Marion (Critical Role)

Mami Tomoe (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Martian Manhunter

Childlike Empress and Falko (Neverending Story)

Nightwing

Sex Machine (From Dusk Til Dawn)

The Outer Worlds

Batman and Gotham City Police Department Star Wars Dance Off: Garrett and Connor

Castle in the Sky and Ponyo (Studio Ghibli)

League of Legends

Spaceballs

Danny Trejo

Raven and Beast Boy

Deathstroke and GCPD

Kinger (Amazing Digital Circus)

Costume Contest at Twin Cities Con, Minneapolis (05 Nov 2023)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Photos: Twin Cities Con (04 Nov 2023)

11/04 Twin Cities Con: Clerks Read More Twin Cities Con 2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks) …

Traditionally speaking, Saturday is always the biggest turnout for comic convention, and, boy did the fans turned up for the second night of the third annual Twin Cities Con, in Minneapolis.

We previously mentioned that Friday’s turnout was also strong, but Saturday’s attendance was more than double… and as they say, the more the merrier.

Unfortunately, the large turn out resulted in lining up to get to the registration area… only to find out there is another line once you got in. “There’s a line, inside the line!” can be overheard.

Of course, VIP holders can skip the lines, but at the cost of almost double the price of general admission.

Since headliner Kevin Smith cancelled his special Q&A (this is not the first time Smith cancelled his appearance… he previously cancelled his Q&A in May 2015 at Wizard World Minneapolis). While it may not be Smiths’ fault, it just sounds like he overbooks or does not understand logistics.

Since his 6pm appearance was cancelled, the Clerks 29th Anniversary Cast Reunion panel was moved to be the headliner for the convention. Unfortunately, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson already made plans to see a hockey game and only appeared for half an hour… leaving Marilyn Ghigliotti and moderator Ming Chen on their own.

Otherwise, the Twin Cities Con was well run, and had a lot to offer. There were six panel rooms (two big ballrooms and four smaller rooms), a big game room, and a massive merchandise area. If you were bored with one room, you can always sit in another panel, or just walk around and see all the wonderful costumes.

Wyatt Earp (Tombstone) with Batman ‘66 and Superman Convention Floor Pillow Pascal (Pedro Pascal)

Prince

Omni-Man

Little Nightmares

One Punch Man Ghostface (Scream) Daft Punk

Spider-Punk (Spider-Man)

Ghost Rider and Domino (Marvel Comics)

Jedi (Star Wars)

Fandom & Mental Health: Why A New Hope is More Important Now Than Ever Harley Quinn, Raven, and Joker (DC Comics) Jason Mewes

Cobra Commander (GI Joe)

Death

Raven

Game Room Mandalorians (Star Wars) Futurama

Skeletor

Chainsaw Man

Ash (Evil Dead)

Clerks with Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Marilyn Ghigliotti, and Ming Chen

Mad Max: Fury Road Matt Lanter Ghostbusters

Costume Contest at Twin Cities Con, Minneapolis (04 Nov 2023)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Photos: Twin Cities Con (03 Nov 2023)

11/03 Twin Cities Con: VOICEAPALOOZA Read More Twin Cities Con 2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks) …

It’s the first night of the Twin Cities Con, and wow, what a great turn out! Stay tuned for a full recap, in the meantime, enjoy photos from Friday night.

Update: The 1PM Clerks 29th Anniversary Cast Reunion panel will be moving to 6PM in the Ballroom! This will be done to accommodate Kevin Smith’s autographs and photo ops.

>>>
11/03/2023 Friday
11/04/2023 Saturday
11/05/2023 Sunday

Twin Cities Con
at Minneapolis Convention Center
twincitiescon.com

2023 is shaping up to be Twin Cities Con’ biggest show yet! Looking over their guest list, you can see the big draw is the Kevin Smith universe: Jason Mewes, Jason Lee, Brian O'Halloran (Clerks), Marilyn Ghigliotti (Clerks), Ethan Suplee (Mallrats), Ming Chen (Comic Book Men).

Jason Mewes (02 May 2015)

We saw Mewes in and said, “The Refuge in the Mall: A Mallrats Reunion with Jason Mewes and Michael Rooker was a lot of fun. It's been more than 20 years since the Kevin Smith film Mallrats, in some ways, was ahead of its time. The two joked about meeting in a hot tub (a recurring joke throughout the panel) and reflect back on that film. Apparently Rooker broke Jason Lee's beloved skateboard off set.”

For the full listing, head over to twincitiescon.com:

Jason Lee Danny Trejo Kevin Smith Jason Mewes David McCormack Melanie Zanetti Steve Burns Rachael Leigh Cook Ross Marquand Ashley Eckstein Matt Lanter James Arnold Taylor Janet Varney Dante Basco Zach Tyler Eisen Jack De Sena Grey DeLisle-Griffin Greg Baldwin

Brian O'Halloran Jeremy London Trish Stratus Jeff Anderson Ethan Suplee Amy Dumas fka Lita Marilyn Ghigliotti Eddie Steeples Ming Chen Jonah Scott Yuri Lowenthal Tony Todd Nadji Jeter Neil Kaplan Tom Gibis Brian Donovan Doug Erholtz Michael Yurchak

Monica Rial Justin Cook Emily Neves Kyle Phillips Emi Lo Ryan Bartley Reba Buhr Brent Mukai Charlet Chung Maki Roll Milo Beasley Lucie Pohl Tom Ruegger Mikal Mosley David Yost Paul Rugg Bobbi Miller Steve Cardenas Wes Johnson

Kid Cadet Michael Kingston Jamal Igle Joe Hunter Jordan Gunderson Steve Conley Phil Hester Chris Anderson Lan Pitts Ant Lucia Bryan Tillman Tracie Ching Jarrett Melendez Dave Wheeler Andy Price Chad Corrie Timothy Zahn Andrew Aydin

Ben Templesmith Bryan Turner Amy Chu Fabrice Sapolsky Adrean Clark Destiny Davison Peter Wartman Armand Clark A.L. Peterson Ted Anderson Ashleigh Popplewell Jenny Fine J.N. Monk Zander Cannon Alé Garze John Bivens Lupi McGinty Eliot Rahal

Furries

Call of Duty Guts (Berserk) Luna Shadow

EthanSuplee, Jeremy London, and Ming Chen

Ellie (The Last of Us)

Mandalorians (Star Wars)

Side Quest Here

VOICEAPALOOZA, feat. Paul Rugg, Tom Ruegger, Wes Johnson, Monica Rial, Kyle Phillips, Emily Neves, at Twin Cities Con, Minneapolis (03 Nov 2023)

Vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Asian Invasion: Rocktober

Read more Asian Invasion and Minneapolis Music Guide.

10/14 ZHU with Noizu at Armory Read More Daft Punk Daft Punk fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, out on Daft Life/Columbia Records on May 21st, 2013. Personally, I love the French dance/techno duo, been a fan since Homework in 1997 …

10/14/2023 Saturday

ZHU
with Noizu
at Armory
armorymn.com

American (Chinese heritage) Zhu is headlining the Armory in Minneapolis this Saturday, October 14th. The electronic music producer and singer is described as “the next Daft Punk.”

Zhu’s new album Grace will be out January 19, 2024, on Astralwerks.

Los Angeles based Noizu to open.

Tour dates:

10.11 Madison, WI The Sylvee
10.12 Chicago, IL Radius
10.13 Chicago, IL Radius
10.14 Minneapolis, MN Armory
10.17 Boise, ID Revolution Concert House
10.19 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
10.24 Spokane, WA The Podium
10.26 Vancouver, BC Harbour Events Centre
10.27 Vancouver, BC Harbour Events Centre
10.28 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
10.29 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
11.01 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
11.04 Magna, UT The Great Saltair
11.09 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
11.10 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
11.11 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
11.17-19 Mexico City, MX Corona Capital

10/18 The Rose at Armory

10/18/2023 Wednesday

The Rose
at Armory
first-avenue.com

South Korean indie rock band The Rose (더 로즈) will be headlining the Armory on October 18th. The band is composed of four members: Kim Woo-sung (vocals, guitar), Park Do-joon (keyboard), Lee Ha-joon (drums), and Lee Jae-hyeong (bass).

Tour dates:

Oct 10 Vancouver, BC, Canada PNE Forum
Oct 12 Salt Lake City, UT, US The Complex
Oct 15 Denver, CO, US Fillmore Auditorium
Oct 18 Minneapolis, MN, US The Armory
Oct 20 Toronto, ON, Canada Coca-Cola Coliseum
Oct 22 New York (NYC), NY, US The Theater
Oct 24 Fairfax, VA, US EagleBank Arena
Oct 26 Columbus, OH, US KEMBA Live!
Oct 28 Atlanta, GA, US Coca-Cola Roxy
Oct 29 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Nine O'clock Players
Oct 31 Miami, FL, US James L. Knight Center
Nov 5 Grand Prairie, TX, US Texas Trust CU Theatre
Nov 7 Austin, TX, US Moody Theater
Nov 10 Phoenix, AZ, US Arizona Financial Theatre
Nov 12 Inglewood, CA, US Kia Forum

10/24 Talking Volumes with Viet Thanh Nguyen hosted by Kerri Miller at The Fitzgerald Theater

10/24/2023 Tuesday

Talking Volumes
with Viet Thanh Nguyen
hosted by Kerri Miller
at The Fitzgerald Theater
first-avenue.com

Minnesota Public Radio and the Star Tribune are proud to announce the 23rd season of Talking Volumes.

Talking Volumes is hosted by award-winning journalist Kerri Miller, who will be interview/talking to Vietnamese/American author Viet Thanh Nguyen at the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul, on October 24th.

Tour dates:

Oct 10, 2023 Los Angeles @Barnes and Noble at the Grove
Oct 16, 2023 Philadelphia at Parkway Central Library
Oct 17, 2023 Cambridge— Harvard University
Oct 17, 2023 Harvard University Norton Lectures
Oct 18, 2023 Brooklyn at St. Joseph's University
Oct 20, 2023 New York at 92nd Street Y
Oct 21, 2023 Harrisburg Book Festival
Oct 22, 2023 Washington DC at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Oct 23, 2023 Chicago at American Writers Museum
Oct 24, 2023 St. Paul at The Fitzgerald Theatre

BONUS:

11/09 to 11/22 SHIGETO KOYAMA CCMS experiment OBAKE at NowHere NYC Read More Anime Red Comet aka Andy Denk next took the stage with heavy beats and Japanese anime which seemed to electrify the crowd whenever they saw their favorite characters …

11/09/2023 to 11/22/2023

SHIGETO KOYAMA CCMS
experiment OBAKE
at NowHere NYC
nowhere-nyc.com

If we were in New York City, we would be checking out the SHIGETO KOYAMA CCMS experiment OBAKE. The inaugural solo exhibition will debut on November 9th (and runs until November 22nd) at NowHere NYC.

All this is courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. (SMEJ), as part of their new “Art × Entertainment” project, which aims to expand the appreciation of art in previously unexplored directions, honor unique talents, and create a platform for the artistic essences of key contemporary artists.

Shigeto Koyama (HEROMAN, Rebuild of Evangelion, Kill la Kill, Gundam Reconguista in G, and Promare) will present a range of work from his critically acclaimed animated projects and expound on the creative processes at their genesis, though to him this is, “Not an ‘exhibition’ but an ‘experiment.’”

Mr. Koyama will also host a pair of talks at the gallery. The first will be on Saturday, November 11, from 2pm to 4pm EST and will be free. The second will be ticketed, and held on Monday, November 20, from 6pm to 8pm EST. More information can be found here.

If you were wondering what CCMS is, it is a group of creators formed CCMS in 2010. The members are Shigeto Koyama, Tsuyoshi Kusano and Ai Nonaka. The three, known as professionals in animation and design, began producing original works through a series of zines called "dojinshi," which are derivative works of their original creations.

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Nurko at Skyway Theatre (07/22/2023)

07/22 Nurko at Skyway Theatre Tour Dates July 29 — Atlanta, GA — Believe Music Hall August 3 — Salt Lake City, UT — Therapy Thursday August 4 — Houston, TX — 9PM August 5 — Austin, TX — Kingdom August 12 — Chicago, IL — Concord August 26 — Honolulu, HI — HB Social Club Read More Nurko Breakout New York producer Nurko (Jack Leech) is on his tour in support of his Discovery EP (Astralwerks). While discussing the arrival of his long-awaited EP, Nurko says, “The Discovery EP marks the next chapter in the NURKO story. .…

The question is whether there is enough entertainment value to watch a musician stand behind a bank of mixers and computers all night. The answer is absolutely yes for along with the light show and propulsive music there is the audience. Those who go to EDM shows create the spectacle: girls in bikinis; groups in matching bowling shirts; edible bracelets; fluorescent beach balls; daffy hats, eclectic eyewear and midsummer costumes to create an iridescent ball.

ETHOS XCIX aka Eric Thompson opened the evening with a gathering crowd. Based in Minneapolis his songs got the everyone moving before announcing the title of the song as being “Nightmares” or “Suicidal.” Incongruous? Not really for on his website he believes it his mission to reach out to those in dark places with uplifting music.

Red Comet aka Andy Denk next took the stage with heavy beats and Japanese anime which seemed to electrify the crowd whenever they saw their favorite characters briefly flash on the screen. Denk kept up the energy and at times it was difficult to determine who was having more fun: the crowd swaying to the music or Denk pumping his fist.

Denk explained at the end of his set that it was probably the best show of his life for it was not too long ago that he lost his father to a heart attack and he seriously considered giving up music. But based on the audience reaction to his set, it looks like he made the right decision to continue.

Crystal Skies was up next. They are a duo of Aaron Dawson out of Denver and Brian Holcomb out of Minneapolis. Unless the rising smoke and humidity were starting to affect me, it looked like only Holcomb made it to the stage. No matter, the crowd was still into melodic dubstep with little said from the man behind the console.

Although few words were mentioned, Holcomb did say in a DJ Times interview in April of 2021 that he sees creating music as more than a paycheck: “Music has been one of the main things to help me keep perspective on everything and avoid becoming overwhelmed with the situation.”

The headliner finally took the stage well past the bewitching hour and long after “Cinderella” had to leave the ball.

Nurko aka Jack Leech aka Jackson Leech Nurković is a New Jersey native who has been actively involved in the EDM scene since 2015. His sound has been catalogued as Future Bass, meaning melodic, airy and euphoric, just the adjectives needed to keep a dance party going.

Starting out as a DJ, Nurković has slowly started to branch out by first remixing popular songs (Halsey’s “Nightmare”), then collaborating with others (His collaboration with ILLENIUM and Valerie Broussard, “Sideways”, debuted #6 Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic chart and has amassed over 40 millions streams to date.), and now touring with his own music with Discovery, an EP that was released in June.

What was impressive was how nimble he was, playing a quick snippet of a song you knew, but before you could place the name, he was off in another direction like a sneaky NBA guard, dribbling the ball behind his back before splitting two defenders with the narrowest of seams.

He made the music dazzle and fun, as he told EDM Identity in January of 2022: “Music is freeing. It is an escape.”

Electronic LED Mask Ethos XCIX Ethos XCIX

Ethos XCIX

fairy steampunk Red Comet Red Comet

Red Comet

Crystal Skies duck bucket hat Crystal Skies

Crystal Skies

hula-hoop Nurko Nurko

Nurko at Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis (22 July 2023)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! February 21-28, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More Kimbra More than somebody that you used to know-- New Zealand-born Kimbra is back, touring in support of her second album, The Golden Echo (Warner Bros. Records) …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Mostly good reports coming out of Springsteen’s recent KC stop, despite having no sax player due to a positive Covid test, just before showtime. At least half their band has been affected, but the tour rolls on, like most traveling shows these days.

P!nk just announced for late October and Jelly Roll is also headlining T-Mobile Center in late August, and Guns n' Roses will play Kauffman Stadium on Sept 23, so the Fall is already starting to take shape.

This week has a good mix from different genres, with a few being very sold out and/or limited tix remaining, so lock in your seat while you can!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from February 21st-28th.

TUESDAY FEB 21

International Anime Music Festival, The Midland, $45

This inaugural tour brings virtual music superstars to 37 venues and is the first time the popular VTubers (virtually generated animated YouTubers) and Vocaloids (virtual singers with computer generated voices) will appear on stage together.

Stars Kizuna AI Original Singeroid "#kzn", vocal duo HIMEHINA, vocal trio MaRiNaSu, the North American debut of fan favorite GUMI, and pop twins LiLYPSE, the show will be a live DJ-led multimedia concert. Featuring brand new songs and never-before-seen content, the tour brings these characters to life on LED and digital projections. These characters are fan-favorites of international anime-music, generating over 62 million Google searches, and more than 1.2 billion combined views.

National Geographic Live Presents Wild Cats of India with Sandesh Kadur, Kauffman Center, $33.50-$68.50.

With landscapes spanning the Himalaya, arid plains and jungles, India is home to an unmatched diversity of wild cats. Photographer / filmmaker Sandesh Kadur is on a mission to highlight the country’s lesser-known felines in order to protect their future. Through his images and video, you’ll get a unique and up-close look, and the presentation includes an audience Q&A.

WEDNESDAY FEB 22

 THURSDAY FEB 23

Giovannie and the Hired Guns, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $23-$25

This rising rock band melds metal, country and Latin music with radio-friendly pop melodies. Formed back when front man Giovannie Yanez was working at a pawnshop, the Stephenville, TX-based band has had great word of mouth related to their live shows and toured last year with Classless Act, who we saw headline to end the year.

In 2019, the band even supported country star Jason Aldean to a crowd of 36,000 at Globe Life Park stadium. With their third full-length, Tejano Punk Boyz, they remain intent on bringing that passion to each and every live set. “Anytime we’re onstage the most important thing is connecting with the crowd in a way that makes them feel like they’re part of the show,” says Yanez.

SunSquabi, recordBar, $17

Incorporating aspects of many genres including electronic, jam band, and funk, among many others the trio is Chris Anderson (drums), Josh Fairman (bass, synth), and Kevin Donohue (guitar, keys, production). They just performed on the Jam Cruise last month and are now making their way around the country. Megan Hamilton also on the bill.

Gary Allan, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, SOLD OUT

The longtime Country artist will be performing his greatest hits including “Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain,” "Watching Airplanes," "Nothin' On But The Radio", and others, in a relatively intimate setting. We saw him years ago in Nashville, and his smooth voice and solid songs, are just as strong as ever.

FRIDAY FEB 24

DakhaBrakha, Polsky Theatre. SOLD OUT

This show is Very Sold Out! Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, this unique “ethno chaos” band creates a world of unexpected new music.

They began in 2004 by avant-garde theatre director Vladyslav Troitskyi, with a name that means “give/take” in the old Ukrainian language and their shows are always staged with a strong visual element. Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, Russian and Australian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a trans-national sound rooted in their native culture. Support Ukraine!

Fit for a King w Northlane, Alpha Wolf, Kingdom of Giants, Granada- Lawrence, $25-$28.

****POSTPONED TO FEB 27th*****

Supporting their latest metalcore opus, The Hell We Create (released in Oct via Solid State Records). This lineup is packed so prepare for early doors, a long night, and fervent headbanging.  Limited tix left - Act Quick!    

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, $29-$69

Celebrating their 30^th Anniversary, the band named themselves after an autograph by blues legend Albert Collins, and since then, they’ve managed to celebrate and revitalize jazz and swing music and bring a sense of joy and fun to audiences.

They began their 30th (officially in April 2023) celebration early by gathering eight other musicians they’ve played with throughout the years, for a total of 17, and delivering a big band sound in their hometown of Ventura, CA and now their show again hits the road-- no telling how many will be on stage, but it will be crowded!

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, “The Future” feat. Lee Langston, Kauffman Center. $33.50-$68.50

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra embraces the future of music through performance and education. The Future is built wholly upon that tenet, providing the stage for this art to emerge, featuring current and future legends one and all. Along with the big band, vocalists Eboni Fondren and Lee Langston will put their modern spin on tunes from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole, and Sam Cooke. In addition, some of Kansas City’s rising stars, students from Soundwave Academy and KCK Community College, will join onstage.

SATURDAY FEB 25

Blue October, The Truman, $39.50-$75.00

Out on their Spinning the Truth Around Tour, the longtime Houston rock band has an album out by the same name, as part of a planned ambitious triple-album, with the second part due out next month. Always putting on a great live set, we caught them last in Minneapolis in 2019.

Greensky Bluegrass, Uptown, $29-$50

The veteran Kalamazoo-based Americana outfit is out on the road to support their just-released Courage For The Road: Fall 2021 live record, along with cuts from their previous eight studio albums. The five-piece features Anders Beck [dobro], Michael Arlen Bont [banjo], Dave Bruzza [guitar], Mike Devol [upright bass], and Paul Hoffman [Mandolin].

Summer Breeze performing Let It Be, recordBar, $20.

KC’s own soft/yacht rock hits tribute band, whose playlist usually includes the likes of Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Hall & Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Loggins, and Steely Dan, turns its attention to the classic late-era Beatles classic, performed in its entirety, along with special surprise guests!

SUNDAY FEB 26

Kimbra w Tei Shi, recordBar, $22

The New Zealand native who saw her US breakthrough via Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” has returned with new tour and full-length, A Reckoning, with “Foolish Thinking,” as its third single. We caught her live back in 2018 in Minneapolis and she’s even better in concert than you expect.

Opener Tei Shi is a Canadian Colombian singer with music inspired by indie pop, shoegaze and R&B sounds, she's supporting her new EP BAD PREMONITION featuring single, “¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?”. It follows her 2020 EP, Die 4 Ur Love, and features production from herself, Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jacob Portrait, and more. We last caught her headlining back in late 2017.

MONDAY FEB 27

ICM Presents Pianist Claudio Martinez Mehner, 1900 Building, $30 ($10 students)

As part of Park ICM’s 20th Anniversary, a rare U.S. performance by the classical master pianist of a virtuosic work! Friends since their days in school, Park ICM Founder / Artistic Director Stanislav Ioudenitch invited Mehner to come and play Isaac Albeniz’s Iberia, considered one of the most challenging works for piano written. This collection by Spanish composer Albeniz evokes the spirit of Spain and the region of Andalusia in particular, with rhythms and harmonies gleaned from Spanish folk music.  Bravo, Bravo!

TUESDAY FEB 28

Stephen Sanchez w Cece Coakley, recordBar, $15

The buzzing Nashville-based singer/songwriter has returned with his brand-new single, “Evangeline” (via Mercury Records/Republic Records) and he’s out on a 32-date tour.

He became popular on social media, amassing over two million views and a deal with Republic Records. With this opportunity, the young singer wrote another hit song, “Kayla,” in 2021, and a few months later added his EP, What Was, Not Now. Sanchez continued to accumulate hits with his first full album, Easy on My Eyes in 2022.

Joey Molland and Badfinger, Knuckleheads, $38.50-$55

Known for such classic hits as "Baby Blue," "No Matter What" and "Day After Day," Badfinger was one of the first bands to be signed by The Beatles when they decided to start their own record label. Paul McCartney wrote their breakthrough single "Come and Get It," while George Harrison produced both "Day After Day” and "Baby Blue", the latter of which went to #1 decades later, after being featured on the final episode of AMC's "Breaking Bad".

As the only surviving member of this legendary pop band, Joey Molland (a Brit but MN-based for decades) continues the legacy of their music, while also continuing to create new music.

Six (musical), Feb 28- Mar 5, Music Hall, $136+

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived! From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of heartbreak into a celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over (as they are saying!)

SIX has won 23 awards in the 2021-22 Broadway season, including the Tony Award® for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Much anticipated to play locally, the entire run is just about sold out so secure any remaining tix now!

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥Comics - Planet Comicon PANELS 2021

Read More Planet ComiCon Planet ComiCon Kansas City (August 20, 21, 22), Bartle Hall, $35-210 The region’s largest comic book and pop culture event returns to downtown Kansas City with a three-day extravaganza that will please fans …

We return again to our weekend at Planet Comicon Kansas City, the region’s largest and longest-running comic and pop culture event held at downtown’s Bartle Hall, for a closer look at some of the most interesting Panelsheld during the three-day event.

Panels are among the best chances to hear what your favorite celebrity has on their mind, listen to behind-the-scenes humorous stories, potentially have a chance to ask your own question, and occasionally get to see or hear something completely unexpected. 

Sam Jones

Sam Jones

Best known as Flash Gordon from the 1980 film with the memorable Queen soundtrack, a falling out with producers unfortunately scuttled a planned film trilogy.  Jones later starred in the late 80’s NBC series The Highwayman, but is probably more known to more recent audiences playing himself in the two Ted films. 

Jones has been in some 66 films, but freely admits he’s maybe seen half of them at best, though remains thankful and doesn’t regret any previous roles, big or small.  The 67-year old also revealed that as hard as acting can sometimes be, it’s more difficult raising his children and now six grandchildren, but also more rewarding.

Roy Thomas

Roy Thomas

The legendary writer/editor has been in the comics industry for almost six decades, starting out as a fan growing up in southeast Missouri and rising through the ranks to work on every character imaginable (at both Marvel and DC) and became a Hall of Famer in 2011.

Thomas was enthusiastic when asked to bring Conan the Barbarian to comics (a risk for Marvel at the time), having read pulps like Weird Tales as a teen and knowing about the Robert E. Howard source material. Thomas as Editor-in-Chief was often on a budget, so had to think extra creatively and highly values the time he spent directly with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as they expanded the Marvel Universe, comparing their partnership to that of Lennon and McCartney, but joking that each would have claimed doing 97% of the total work. 

Gaten Matarazzo and Gabriella Pizzolo

Stranger Things

Two of the young stars of Netflix’s Stranger Things spoke to a crowded ballroom with a welcome young energy and were obviously glad to be in town for their first convention appearance in almost two years.  Both were self-described “Broadway Babies” starting young and honing their skills on the live stage, and taking a cue from Stranger Things’ season three, convinced the crowd into an early sing-a-long of “The Never-ending Story”(...Limahl would be proud).

Asked about the upcoming season four which started filming in March 2020 and managed to finish with health protocols in place, both remained contractually tight-lipped but did cop to their favorite musicals – Matarazzo saying Les Miz, Into the Woods and Sweeney Toddwhile Pizzolo showed her affection for Ragtime and Avenue Q.  They had even forgotten they had first met ten years ago while Matarazzo appeared in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert until they were reminded.

Dennis (Hopeless) Hallum / Kyle Strahm

Hopeless and Strahm

In a Breaking Into Comics panel, the two locally based creators each related their own story of getting that initial foot in the door with the comics industry and continuing to create original work.  Both advocated hard work with no shortcuts and the value of networking, especially with editors, as they are the gatekeepers that request the work.

Supernatural cast (Katie Cassidy, Felicia Day, Emily Swallow, Rob Benedict, Samantha Smith and Kim Rhodes)

Supernatural

One of the most anticipated panels of the weekend, fans got to ask about favorite episodes, any chances of a possible continuation of the series, and what they might change about their individual characters if they had the chance. 

Cobra Kai cast (William Zabka and Martin Kove)

Cobra Kai

While co-star Ralph Macchio’s cancellation was unfortunate, the duo entertained the crowd and promised some surprises for season four of the streaming series (also just renewed for a season five), available this December. All were initially worried about signing on to the series, acknowledging the pressure involved to get the show “right” for the fans. 

Both have become more recognizable in public (for better and worse) and when asked if they ever ad-lib lines on the show, both deferred to how the script reads, saying “you don’t fight a well-oiled machine”.  When asked what they would be if not actors, Kove deadpanned answered “a time traveler” while Zabka kept things grounded, saying probably a filmmaker.

Stephen Amell

Stephen Amell

The star of CW’s Arrow and the just premiered Starz wrestling drama Heels, was joined onstage by wife Cassandra and the panel started with a fan dressed as Buddy from the “Elf” movie who had it on his bucket list, to shoot arrows with Amell.  A couple Nerf bows appeared and both were aiming at Amell’s wife, each with miserable but fun results. 

Amell took in a Royals game the day before and were also in nearby Lawrence the day prior, wandering downtown and stopping into a used video store and spotting DVDs of the early Arrow seasons. Deciding to sign them, he was initially refused a Sharpie from the clerk, who didn’t recognize him, but another thankfully did (and the seasons quickly sold). 

Amell admitted that he wished that Arrow would have met Bruce Wayne during the show’s run, and also wanted the trademark Oliver Queen goatee but knew sacrifices had to be made along the way, to better service the overall show and always liked its street nature, compared to other superhero shows.  When asked what his Arrow training regiment consisted of, Amell replied “Weights, cardio, diet,...and fear!”

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Cindy Williams

The retro TV actress spent her birthday weekend at the show, charmed by show staff visiting her booth to serenade her on her special day.  She recently debuted a one-woman show called “Me, Myself and Shirley” which will reveal numerous anecdotes about the classic comedy. 

Williams mentioned the famous "Schlemiel! Schlimazel!” from the show’s opening, was actually how co-star Penny Marshall and director brother Garry counting their steps to school as children

Jodi Benson

Stephen Amell

The voice of Disney’s The Little Mermaid for the last thirty-six years came across as very positive and whose favorite joy has been the fans’ reaction to her voice work.  Benson has represented Ariel in every category- from digital, to merchandise, to gaming and in other media, saying the one time she did not voice Ariel was for a licensed toy vanity set, which her young daughter received one Christmas, but immediately could tell it was not her mother’s voice as expected.  Needless to say, Disney people were on the phone to the manufacturer the next day. 

Benson reminisced about her early years, originating the song “Disneyland” on Broadway for 1986’s Smile, and praised working with Disney lyricist Howard Ashman (and the recent documentary Howard) and Alan Menken who composed the Little Mermaid score as well as other hits like The Little Shop of Horrors. 

Britt Baker

Britt Baker

The current AEW (All Elite Wresting) female champion is actually a dentist by day in Winter Park, FL.  The Pennsylvania native only began wrestling in 2015, but quickly gained attention and joined AEW in early 2019.  Well spoken and personable, she related the story of filming a bout during the pandemic, in front of only a few dozen vaccinated fans, all raucous with high energy to make up for missing numbers.  During the match, Baker suffered a broken nose but played up the drama, knowing how much the fans appreciate the showmanship.

Baker said her dream international match destinations would be to stage one in the UK and/or Japan, mostly due to the fans in each country, being so passionate about the sport and Baker’s finishing move, dubbed The Lockjaw, is one she’s very proud of. 

Misha Collins

Misha Collins

The angel Castiel from CW’s Supernatural was one of the big draws of the weekend, filling the large ballroom for his solo panel.  Wearing a “♥KC” t-shirt, fans immediately connected to him and very open to Collins and everyone listening about how his character influenced their confidence in overcoming personal odds, gender-preference reveals, and life-changing moments.

Collins lightened things up mentioning the 1967Impala featured in the series, couldn’t realistically have driven as much as it did without constantly breaking down, and was proud that the show was set in the Midwest.  His favorite part of his character was the powers he had, which also gave him more overall freedom.  As to a potential title of a Castiel autobiography, Collins first replied “The Humans Who Broke Me” which got a laugh, then thought and changed it to “For Love”.

Greg Cipes

Greg Cipes

The seasoned voice actor best known for Beast Boy from Teen Titans Go! (as well as Astro Boy, TMNT, Ben 10, and more) came out with his small dog in hand, singing about waffles then had the crowd meditate to start his session.

His own voice-acting beginnings started as a child, making prank phone calls and horsing around on a CB radio, and Cipes is no surprise, a big fan of the old Crank Yankers show.

Cipes loves his life in Venice Beach as a self-described vegan free spirit and frequent surfer and calls his fellow voice actors on Teen Titans Go! all close friends and an extended family. 

===

Start counting the days, after necessary postponements to make the 2021 edition finally happen, Planet Comicon Kansas City returns to its more traditional schedule, next held on April 22-24, 2022.

(click any image to enlarge, photos by Brian Davenport / Beed Photography)

My Hero Academia

Sam Jones

Stranger Things

Stephen Amell

AEW Britt Baker

Misha Collins

Roy Thomas

Cobra Kai

Cindy Williams

Greg Cipes

Supernatural panel at Planet ComiCon Kansas City, Bartle Hall (2021)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

International

Here are some foreign movies or television show you can watch if you’re in lockdown, as we are.

Read More Ghost in the Shell [15 Jan 2015] Origa (singer for Ghost in the Shell: StandAlone Complex anime), 44, lung cancer [15 Jan 2015] Kim Fowley (hated manager of The Runaways), 75, bladder cancer …

DOROHEDORO
netflix.com

My new favorite anime is Dorohedoro (ドロヘドロ), based on the Japanese manga series by Q Hayashida.

The series is about a lizardhead man called Caiman and his friend Nikaido. They try and uncover what happened to Caiman and how and why he’s a lizard.

I haven’t read the comic book, but looking at some of the art and pages online, I can tell you that Q Hayashida’s style is very unique and when they adapted it for animation, they had to streamline some things - even though the animation is still very detailed and very well animated.

As for the series, it’s action-packed. Genre-wise, it’s all over the place… from punk-rock to comedy to food anime to straight-up horror.

Although I did really enjoy the series, I do have some minor complaints about Dorohedoro. Despite being 12 long episodes, it still felt unfinished by the time you watch the finale - it was all to set up Season 2! There are way too many episodes that has nothing to do with the main storyline. For example, there is a cooking contest episode and a baseball game episode… out of left field, to use the phrase. There are also too many episodes devoted to each character - I don’t need to know the backstory to Noi. I think sometime it’s better to leave things a mystery.

Overall, I love the art and the action and the strange world’s rules.

You can watch Dorohedoro on Netflix. Netflix also has an exclusive to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2045 (worst title ever), which is on my next watchlist.

About Dorohedoro:

Amnesiac Caiman seeks to undo his lizard head curse by killing the sorcerer responsible, with his friend Nikaido's help. In the Hole, that's a threat.

Read More Films Night of the Living Deb is a delightful "Zom-Rom-Com" (Zombie Romantic Comedy) film starring Maria Thayer as local camerawoman Deborah and Michael Cassidy as Ryan. …

CLIMAX (2018)
a24films.com

Gaspar Noé’s films are not for everybody. You have to keep that in mind, as you watch his latest film, Climax. The movie is just a very long dance sequence into hell. There is not much of a story here, just a long journey … told through dancing. They based the film on a true story, so keep that in mind.

The dance sequence (many of them as one-take) are amazing, and the intro soundtrack of a remixed Cerrone’s “Supernature”, is very catchy.

I’ve seen all of Noe’s film, except for his debut I Stand Alone, and can tell you that his films are for art house fans. It’s not feel-good or have coherent storyline. His films are all about raw, primal emotion… from sex to ultra violence. Love it or hate it, you have to admit he has a certain vision to his films.

The first time I heard of Gaspar Noe, was through his breakout international hit, Irréversible (which I own on DVD). The movie is told in reverse, but unfortunately, at the time, everyone said it was too similar or had copied Christopher Nolan’s Memento.

Anyway, if you want to watch Climax, it’s available to stream on Amazon Prime.

About Climax:

From director Gaspar Noé (Irreversible; Enter the Void; Love) comes a hypnotic, hallucinatory, and ultimately hair-raising depiction of a party that descends into delirium over the course of one wintry night. In Climax, a troupe of young dancers gathers in a remote and empty school building to rehearse. Following an unforgettable opening performance lit by virtuoso cinematographer Benoît Debie (Spring Breakers; Enter the Void) and shot by Noé himself, the troupe begins an all-night celebration that turns nightmarish as the dancers discover they've been pounding cups of sangria laced with potent LSD. Tracking their journey from jubilation to chaos and full-fledged anarchy, Noé observes crushes, rivalries, and violence amid a collective psychedelic meltdown. Starring Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) and a cast of professional dancers, Climax is Noé's most brazen and visionary statement yet.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Weekend Gamer: Free Edition

Read More Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons… Blizzard Internet connection required: For piracy issues, Blizzard requires you to log into their server (battle.net) to authenticate the game that you bought. If you're not online, you can't play your single-player ..… Xbox One As a weekend gamer, I’ve been following the Xbox One X (formerly known as Xbox Scorpio) for a while. Over the E3 gaming expo weekend, Microsoft … GOG At least there’s still GOG (Good Old Games)... which will likely be my #1 PC gaming solution now. This company doesn’t require you to be online to play games you own. . … Vudu Tip: If you want to grow your iTunes library on the cheap, you can do the Vudu to Go conversation with 10 Blu-Ray Discs for $10 ($1 per film). Once you have the HD Digital Copy . …

With China’s Singles’ Day (or 光棍节 / Guanggun Jie) (11/11) here and United States’ Black Friday (11/22) coming up, we’re seeing huge savings on products across the board. While most of these items won't be on sale until the set dates, some retailers are already slashing prices this week in celebration.

Clearly you don’t have to spend any money, as some companies are just giving away stuff…. If you’re a Weekend Gamer like me, you’ll appreciate the free games. Even if you have no intention of playing these games, it’ll be good to have access to them if you decide to give it a go.



DESTINY 2
blizzard.com

Activision Blizzard is giving away Destiny 2 for free for two weeks (ends November 18), as part of their celebration at BlizzCon annual convention. The game was originally priced at $59.99 at launch.

The company mentioned that they're making money from core players, who purchase in-game purchases, like cosmetic skins and upgrade packages.

I actually have played a bit of this game via PS4, and I can confirm you can play the single player campaign without the need of PlayStation Plus.

To get the game for free on your PC, download the Blizzard Application from their website and login. You'll find a Destiny 2 key in your inbox.



XBOX
xbox.com

Microsoft's XBox is giving away a couple of free games. The first is part of their free multiplayer celebration this weekend (November 8-11), you can grab PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (aka PUBG) and Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (aka PES 2019) for free to all XBox Live members (not just Gold members).

Although you do own the game, it may be useless if you don't actually have Xbox Gold, since those games requires the subscription to play.

Also, Crackdown is free. The 2007 game can be played on both Xbox One (via backward compatibility) and Xbox 360, you can get it here microsoft.com.

With the free games from MicroSoft, I’d say they are winning. Sony is too cheap to give away any games on their popular PS4 (unless you pay for PlayStation Plus, of course).



THE WITCHER
thewitcher.com

Normally $10, this full concert movie Video Game Show — The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently free for a limited time. If you love the Witcher, as much as I do, you need to get this, especially for free.

The 90-min orchestra concert was filmed live during the Film Music Festival 2016 in Kraków, Poland.

Head over to gog.com and click on "giveaway".



VUDU
vudu.com

Fairy Tail Season 1, Part 1 and Attack on Titan Season 1, Part 1, are both free on Vudu for a limited time. Obviously, they want you to buy Part 2 after you get hooked. You know what they say, the first taste is free…

Attack On Titan is actually a very popular anime and manga, so it’s actually worth checking out if you’re into anime.



FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE
freemusicarchive.org

Due to lack of funding, the Free Music Archive is going offline, its end date is currently November 16th. You can grab all the free music on the website before they migrate the content over to archive.org (where we store all our old W♥M podcasts).

Although FMA have been around since 2009, I’ve actually never heard of it until they announced they were going away.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic