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arts & culture
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KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, SEPT.19, 2016
Aries
(March 21-April 19) Face family conflict between fantasy and reality. Household issues require attention over the next two days. A theory gets challenged through application
Mighty Tamales opens on Mass Street
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Pursue answers. Don't believe someone who says it's impossible. Get into an exploratory phase over the next two days. Study and practice. Talk with experienced teachers.
(June 21-July 22) Step into greater power today and tomorrow. Get coaching to go further, faster. Keep practicing. You're especially sensitive. Ignore chaos and push toward a personal goal.
enced teachers.
Slow the action. Make modifications.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
personal goal.
Gemini
(July 23-Aug.22)
Leo
Grab a bargain without maxing out your card. Don't touch savings, either. Slow down and think over what you really want. Get philosophical. Indulge in private
(May 21-June 20)
Keep communication channels open. A surprise gets dished up. Make changes to manage shifting circumstances. You can still make money over the next two days. Postpone chores.
Virgo
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Collaborate with friends over the next few days.
Discuss wishes and goals for the future. Consider the tough questions. You don't do it all.
Libra
have to do it all
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Plan for two days in the spotlight. You're attracting the attention of someone important. Stick by your principles. Stifle complaints or criticism, and smile for
Scorpio Oct.23-Nov.21
After living in Lawrence and working toward their goal for seven years, Kristy and Justin Buster finally opened their restuarant, "Might Tamilales," downtown.
Kaila Trollone/KANSAN
clear conditions.
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) The next two days are good for expanding your territory. Slow down for unexpected developments. Give your loved ones full attention when requested. Wait for clear conditions.
A critic helps you fix something that's broken. Creativity is required. Read the manual first. A lack of funds could threaten plans. Manage the budget today
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec.
Capricorn
and tomorrow.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Negotiate with your partner today and tomorrow. New information compels a change in plans. Proceed with caution. Guard against losses. Shift priorities as required. Sort out details
Aquarius Jan. 20-Feb. 18
(Jan. 20-Feb.18) Balance your work with your health for the next two days. Make sure you're well fed and rested for endurance. Acknowledge limitations, and make adjustments.
Don't jump to conclusions. A friend or relation provides keen insight. Slow down around confusion.
Pisces
(Feb. 19-March 20) Focus on romance today and tomorrow, although cables could get crossed.
COURTNET DIERMAN
@courtbierman
There's a new restaurant in downtown Lawrence. Mighty Tamales opened its doors earlier this month inside the Veterans of Foreign Wars building at 18th and Massachusetts Street with a menu of Mesoamerican-inspired dishes, but tamales are owner Kristy Buster's specialty.
"Show me a recipe and I can make it," Buster said. "I started making tamales years ago, and it then just turns out that's something that's in high demand. And because it's fun to make, I don't mind actually standing and putting the time into it. Everybody likes them."
Mighty Tamales is a family business, and Buster owns the restaurant with
her husband Justin. The couple moved to Lawrence from Dallas with their three kids in 2009 so Justin could attend Haskell University.
Owning a restaurant has always been a dream for Kristy, who said she's been cooking since she was 5 years old.
"I can remember the first pot of spaghetti I ever made," she said. "It's hilarious. It's just something I've always loved to do."
The restaurant entered the planning stages over the summer after Kristy decided that it was the right time to start working toward her goal. The Busters started a GoFundMe page, and their friends and family helped spread the word about Kristy's tamales by word of mouth and Facebook.
Kristy and her husband have mostly been working odd jobs since moving to
Kansas. While Justin was in school, Kristy managed donut shops and held other jobs in the food service industry. It was a way for her to learn the business, and she said that when she wasn't working, she was cooking.
Kaila Trollope/KANSAN New tamale restaurant opens in downtown Lawrence.
Although Justin is Kristy's "right hand man," he said he's as likely to be greeting customers as he is working in the kitchen.
"[I'm looking forward to] the freedom there that comes with being your own boss," Justin said. "At the same time, you work really hard and a lot more than you do for someone else, but it's a good tired; it's a good hard work."
Hannah Edelman/KANSAN Ben Snooks, a senior at the University, and his band Miki Moondrops, just released their first album Aug. 30. The album is titled "Vegetable Head."
Mighty Tamales is currently open Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., but it's still in "beta mode" until its grand opening on Sept. 24, which will be a fiesta-style party with a band and lots of food.
"This is what I've wanted to do my whole life," Kristy said. "Cook, and cook for massive amounts of people, have my own restaurant,
cook my own foods, [and] watch people enjoy the foods I've put my own time into."
Miki Moondrops releases debut album
▶ MIKE LAVIN
@TheLavinRant
Miki Moondrops combines a flavorful mix of idiosyncratic guitar, upbeat production and silky vocals on its debut album "Vegetable Head," which released on Aug. 30. The band is made up of multi-instrumentalist David Lord, producer Benjamin Snook, and singer and bassist Miki Masuda.
"Vegetable Head" is Masuda's vocal debut. She sounds very much at ease on the record, but still has an edge to her voice that separates it from other indie pop singers, according to Lord.
"I had written all this music not quite knowing what I was going to with it, and then it just kinda hit me all of a sudden that Miki's voice would be perfect for it," Lord said. "And then she started coming in and adding vocals to it. Now it's really hard to imagine anyone else singing on it. It seems like it was sort of crafted for her voice, even though it wasn't consciously known she would be singing on it."
"Fred Hats" opens the record with a fun feel that introduces Masuda's vocals and the upbeat nature of the production. It is clear
that Miki Moondrops isn't like most projects Lord has worked on. Lord has done atmospheric and instrumental work in the past as Francis Moss and the Wonder Revolution. The album captures a bright and happy sound that is reminiscent of carefree summer mornings.
"I've done some other poppy stuff with The Wonder Revolution, but nothing like this," Lord said. "I think adding Ben's percussion took it to the next level as far as making it much more poppy and brighter
Snook's percussion adds a layer of fast-paced beats alongside Lord's meandering guitars and synths. "The Time Is Right For Birds" sums up the perfect collage of sound — like a musical conversation.
than anything I've done in the past."
Snook, a senior at the University from Wichita, lives in Lawrence, so there was a lot of long-distance communication between him and Lord, who lives in Wichita. Snook said Lord would send him musical
samples, to which Snook added his flare of production.
"I wanted it to be kind of a groovy album, because if there wasn't a strong backbeat behind the songs. You couldn't get into it, and I really wanted that with this project," Snook said.
Lord said he wasn't excited about the long-distance working relationship, because the initial material he sent back wasn't what he was looking for. However, he said Snook is someone who turns back material
very quickly, and he was eventually on board with the "grooves" that Snook was putting together.
Snook was kept in the dark about what the final product of the record would be.
I had written all this music not quite knowing what I was going to with it, and then it just kinda hit me all of a sudden that Miki's voice would be perfect for it."
David Lord Band member
"I never actually heard the final version of the album until the final master," Snook said. "I didn't know what even the melodies would be. I hadn't heard Miki's voice at all, and I just trusted David would make it sound good. I'm really happy with how it turned out."
- Edited by Cody Schmitz