SPORTING KC'S NEW HOME
BIG NAMES, BIG CROWDS
Exclusive photos of the first KANROCKSAS PAGE 6
SETTLE IN FOR SUMMER'S END
CLAIRE MCINERNY
cmcinerny@kansan.com
With classes about to start and homework in the future, everyone wants to hold on to summer as long as they can. To enjoy the last few days of the season and to welcome fall's approach, here are the Top 9 places to hang out outdoors in Lawrence.
1. Local Farms
EARTH, an environmental club sponsored by the Center for Community Outreach, hosts volunteer opportunities at local farms on weekend mornings. Students provide labor for the farmers and in return learn about organic and local produce.
2. The Kansas River
For a more adventurous outdoor activity, students can canoe down the Kansas River. For cheap equipment, the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center rents out canoes and kayaks to students for less than $10.
3. Final Fridays in August
On the last Friday of each month, Downtown Lawrence hosts a celebration of the arts open to the public. Head to Massachusetts St. Aug. 26, to watch performances and see various exhibits.
4. Ernie Miller Nature Center
909 North Highway 7 Olathe, Kansas 66061
909 North Highway 7 Oatline, Kansas 68067 For an outdoor experience a little farther out of town, the Ernie Miller Nature Center off Highway 7 has trails and gardens to visit.
7. Potter Lake
With help from the Potter Lake Project, a student group at KU that worked to clean up the lake in environmentally friendly ways. the newly clean Potter Lake continues to serve as a quiet spot to relax outdoors on campus.
8. Lawrence Farmers' Market 8th and New Hampshire
Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, local farmers sell seasonal produce and homemade products at the Lawrence Farmers' Market. Enjoy fresh food, music and plenty of products until the end of October. The Saturday market is located in the parking lot between New Hampshire and Rhode Island and 8th and 9th Streets.
5. Clinton Lake and Clinton State Park 798 N 1415 Rd Lawrence, KS 66049
To get a last minute tan or cool off during the final days of summer, the beach at Clinton Lake is perfect for a weekend afternoon. Lie in the sand or take a dip to relax, but remember to get there before fall approaches.
Bob Billings Parkway
Not only does Clinton Lake serve the community for swimming and tanning, the 15 miles of trails near the lake are considered some of the best biking trails in the state.
The park also serves hikers who want a moderate to challenging course.
6. Lawrence Rotary Arboretum
5100 West 27th Street
One of Lawrence's fastest growing outdoor areas is the Lawrence Rotary Arboretum, located by the Clinton Lake Softball Complex (5100 W. 27th St). The arboretum includes a pond, multiple gardens, waterfalls, shelters for picnics. And a new trail is in the works.
9. South Park
1141 Massachusetts Street Lawrence, KS 66044 South Park serves as the Central Park of Lawrence, located downtown in between Massachusetts and Vermont Streets. The large park is perfect for students who want to get away from campus and take a walk, have a picnic, or sit and enjoy a fall day after eating or shopping on Mass St.
MUSIC
Building a following quickly, but not quietly
Formed in 2010, a Lawrence band has wasted no time finding success
Members of the band Quiet Corral, (left to right) Eric Davis, Isaac Flynn, Jim Barnes, Matt Green, Garrett Childers, and Jesse Braswell Roberts, wrote and recorded their self-titled LP after being together for only a short time. They went on tour this summer as the opening act for platinum recording artists.
KELSEY CIPOLLA
kcipolla@kansan.com
Most college students' attempts at forming bands never really get off the ground. Even if they do, few actually have the talent, knowledge and ambition to be successful. Enter Quiet Corral, a six-piece band comprised of a Lawrence native and former KU students. After only a year and a half together, the band will be playing alongside rock superstars such as Bush, Incubus and Jane's Addiction at Buzz Beach Ball on Friday, Aug. 19.
Isaac Flynn and his childhood friend Garrett Childers often talked about starting a band, but it wasn't until Childers and singer Jesse Braswell Roberts met at their fraternity that the pieces began to fall into place. By early January 2010, all six members started playing together. By November, they had written and recorded their self-titled LP, available on iTunes, which Braswell Roberts describes as folk rock with undeniable pop sensibilities.
After building a local following, the guys went on tour this summer and played with radio favorites and platinum recording artists Matt Nathanson and Mumford & Sons.
"They're really cool. They were really nice, really complimentary," said Flynn.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
opportunities to play to crowds of various sizes and enthusiasm levels.
The tour provided them ample
"It's funny, we play in front of 20 people and 2,000 people," said Flynn. "It's kind of humbling to play to a smaller crowd. We've been really fortunate because a lot of bands that have only been at it for a year go out on tour and play in front of ten people and do that for five to 10 years, and we've defeated that a little earlier on," he said. "We're just really fortunate that we had enough connections early on."
Those connections include access to Massachusetts St. recording studio The Art House, which is co-owned by Flynn, his father, and Quiet Corral drummer Jim Barnes. It was the help of Kansas City radio DJ Jeremy, who hosts the "Homegrown Buzz" program on 96.5 The Buzz that showcases local artists, that allowed Quiet Corral to become more widely exposed. The band played at several Buzz concerts before landing the Beach Ball gig. But the Quiet Corral guys aren't letting the big crowds and big name bands go to the heads.
"I think we're just excited to play as much as we can wherever we can," said Braswell Roberts.
Flynn added: "We're having fun. Just the idea of it being able
to turn into a career at the moment is really exciting. If that's the case, it doesn't get much better than this. We don't really know what to expect, and maybe that's part of the excitement."
Quiet Corral will play along with artists such as Bush, Incubus and Jane's Addiction at Buzz Beach Ball on Aug.19 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
Edited by Marla Daniels
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