Volume 124 Issue 93
kansan.com
Thursday, February 9, 2012
COMMENTARY
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William Elliott Whitemore performs tomorrow night at the Granada with longstanding Kansas friends from local band Horse Weapons and Denver act Me For Radness
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ENTERTAINMENT
--banjo from his grandfathers and listening to his parents' Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Charlie Pride records. Along with a wide variety of soul singers, these artists deeply influenced Whitmore's early songwriting years and helped guide his style into a stripped down blend of folk, country and blues—with a dash of punk.
Iowa songwriter returns to his Lawrence roots //ALEX TRETBAR William Elliott Whitmore recalls his musical coming of age and his old ties to Kansas
He's an accomplished musician who's toured with Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), City and Colour, Murder By Death and Converge. His last couple records were released on ANTI-, a label that has put out albums by Spoon, Elliott Smith, Wilco, Nick Cave and Tom Waits, among many others. William Elliott Whitmore is nearly a household name in the indie music world, and his rise to success has traces through Kansas.
Whitmore has lived his entire life on a family farm in southeastern Iowa, but he considers Lawrence and Wichita integral to his transformation into a skilled touring musician. He performs tomorrow night at the Granada, with some of the same people who influenced him during his early years on the road.
Whitmore spent his childhood learning
At 18. Whitmore ventured into Iowa City to play small gigs and check out DIY punk shows. These were cheap or free all-ages shows in simple, unorthodox locations, organized with the unspoken mentality that even you, the audience member, could "do it yourself." It didn't take money, a promoter, or an expensive venue to put on a concert. Whitmore eventually encountered the hardcore punk/screamo band Ten Grand, an intensely adored group within certain circles in Iowa City and Wichita.
KJHK PRESENTS:
William Elliot Whitmore
Drakkar Sauna
Horse Weapons
Me For Radness
"I had my toes in the water, but Ten Grand really showed me how to go about it in a semi-professional way and really attack it." Whitmore says.
Whitmore started joining the band on tours, often playing in Lawrence and Wichita, where Ten Grand frontman Matt Davis' parents lived. It was on these tours that Whitmore began writing more serious songs about the natural tranquility of farm life—he alternates between touring and country living in Iowa. Ten Grand let him play before each show, travelling as a semi-roadie. Whitmore met people throughout the country that proved helpful years later.
Matt's younger brother Dan (of Lawrence bands Living Ghost and Horse Weapons) grew up in Wichita and eventually became a prominent figure in Wichita's independent music community. He first met Whitmore when travelling to Lawrence to see him open for The Vidablue. Ten Grand formed as The Vidablue, but in 2001 sold the name to Phish's Page McConnell for $10,000, hence the new moniker.
Eventually Dan formed the indiepunk group Ricky Fitts with three fellow Wichitans. Ricky Fitts gained a following in Wichita similar to Ten Grand's devoted fanbase, and even toured extensively with Whitmore, just as Ten Grand had. Ricky Fitts guitarist Casey Loren first met Whitmore in 2002 when the group played with both Ten Grand and Whitmore in Wichita.
"It was a really different time in a lot of ways," Loren says. "My exposure to those
Friday, Feb.10
The Granada Theater
1020 Massachusetts Street
$10 advance (SUA Box Office in Kansas Union) / $12 at the door
ALL AGES
people is what shaped how I feel about so many different things. It could never be duplicated, how magical that situation was."
Loren now performs as Me For Radness — a clever inversion of "Reefer Madness." He'll join Whitmore tomorrow at the Granada as the opening act. Loren, who lives in Denver, loops hip-hop beats, sings and plays guitar and live mandolin, though his recordings include keyboards and bass. He also collaborates with rappers Antimosity and Yours Truly. Dan will perform tomorrow with the heavy psychedelic four-piece Horse Weapons, singing and playing guitar.
"He passed away right before my first record came out, Hymns for the Hopeless, and I started touring alone," Whitmore said. "I missed those guys. But I had lots of friends in different towns that I'd gotten to know through touring, and I haven't stopped doing it since."
Matt Davis suffered a seizure and died unexpectedly in late 2003, and Ten Grand broke up. Matt's death was emotionally crushing and a definite turning point in Whitmore's musical career.
So if you catch Whitmore, Davis and Loren tomorrow night at the Granada, you'll bear witness to a longstanding musical friendship. Whitmore admits that, for him, it all began with Ten Grand, Ricky Fitts, Iowa City and Kansas.
"Ever since I was old enough to get my hands around the neck of a guitar I was trying to learn chords," Whitmore nostalgically recalls. "Years went by, I got to know the guys from Ten Grand, and I jumped in the van with them—and then the rest... just went on!"
the starters only further revealed the depth issues on this Kansas squad.
Robinson finished with 15 points, his third-lowest total in Big 12 play, and 11 rebounds. He was picked up by junior center Jeff Withey's career-high 25 points, but consistency has been an issue for him.
Only five Kansas players scored Wednesday, including junior guard Travis Releford, who finished with just one point. Backup forwards Kevin Young and Justin Wesley looked completely lost at times, combining for zero points and three turnovers.
Junior guard Angel Goodrich plans her execution during the first half of Wednesday's game against Texas. Goodrich had a record breaking 16 assists. Kansas defeated Texas with a final score of 85-61.
When Withey and Taylor were on their game, the Jayhawks looked like the best team in the country, and that was with Robinson on the bench. But concerns over reoccurring problems with the beginning and end of games and the team's overall depth should replace the feeling of euphoria when the Jayhawks return to practice.
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN
She sat courtside and watched me, future point guard find open players and pass the ball with ease. So Henrickson was not surprised when Goodrich, a junior guard from Tahleqh, Okla., broke the Allen Fieldhouse single-game assist record last night in Kansas' victory against Texas.
Edited by Amanda Gage
Goodrich had nine assists in the first half on the way to 16, breaking her previous record.
"It's exciting," Goodrich said. "I'm not much of a numbers person, but having 16 assists means that my teammates were ready to shoot."
Kansas entered the game looking for a Big 12 victory to get them back on track. The team faced Texas, the team they defeated to kick off conference play. The game was similar with scoring fluctuations, but most importantly, the Jayhawks won again.
The Jayhawks pulled together and defeated the Longhorns in a much needed 85-61 victory at home
play.
"Coming off that losing streak this is a great win and gives us the confidence to go out and win another game," senior forward Aishah Sutherland said.
"It is not even a communication, if you say something or make a cut she will see you and get the ball to you," Sutherland said.
Kansas shot 57.6 percent from the field and had 20 assists on 34 baskets. Sutherland, who finished with a game-high 24 points and 10 of 15 shots from the field, was one of the main recipients of Goodrich's historic assists.
Sutherland looked dominant in stretches scoring on multiple possessions in a row. She scored the first six and then finished with a game-high 24 points with 12 rebounds, four blocks and four steals.
"I thought she was really good today, got us off to a good start and hit some tough shots to start it," Henrickson said.
Goodrich matched her 16 assists with 16 points and freshman guard Asia Boyd added some surprising support.
Boyd got a chance for more court time with sophomore guard CeCe Harper on the bench with a concussion. She made the most of it with a career-high 11 points and two steals in 24 minutes.
"I thought she controlled the game from the tip and once we
After trading baskets for the first
couple possessions the Jayhawks jumped out to a 22-9 lead midway through the first half. They built the lead to 17 points before allowing the Longhorns to cut it to four in the second half. Angel Goodrich tipped of an 18-6 run to put the Jayhawks up 20 with under eight minutes to play.
made our comeback she just said, 'no more,' and kind of took things into her own hands, literally, and put the game back out of reach," Texas coach Gall GailOSTenkens said.
Kansas will travel to Manhattan for a rematch with Kansas State at noon on Sunday.
- Edited by Amanda Gage