Sunday, March 27, 2011

Winter Relapse Day in Lawrence Kansas

"He squinted at the cool florescent sky, and he knew he was out of luck..."

Hey, check out the flyer wall at the bottom of the page to see what is going on....

2011-03-24.17.11.15.jpg

I hadn't made a roadtrip to Larryville for a show in years...  I used to do it whenever I could.  It was a treat.  The distance between central Missouri, and the 1st liberal city of Kansas was great.  So, it really was a rare treat that I used to look forward to.  Then, I moved there, and the treat became an every day occurrence.  What was exceptional and rare, now became mundane, and I burned out on it.  I grew up.  So when I made a day of going to Lawrence to see James McMurtry and the Bottlerockets, it stirred up some very old memories.  I was very happy to make a  day of it alone... well, actually, not quite alone, as I had my favorite  traveling companion... Tima.

Dashcam Pictures
I always used to take the backway in.  I would take K-32 to 58 hwy, however, on this day, I left late and took I-70.  No trip to Lawrence is complete without a visit to the lively downtown.   I have no stats to back it up, but I believe that there are more empty storefronts than ever.  I hope that downtown Lawrence is not becoming like downtown Topeka.  My memories are always of driving down Massachusetts street tuned in to KJHK.  This day, however, KJHK was stuck on a sports program.
IMGA0001
IMGA0003height="281" alt="IMGA0002" />IMGA0004IMGA0005IMGA0006IMGA0007IMGA0008IMGA0008IMGA0009IMGA0010IMGA0011IMGA0012IMGA0012IMGA0013IMGA0013IMGA0014IMGA0014IMGA0015IMGA0015IMGA0016IMGA0016IMGA0017IMGA0017

Lawrence, Kansas

IMG_5466IMG_5468IMG_5469IMG_5472IMG_5474IMG_5475IMG_5476IMG_5494IMG_5495IMG_5496IMG_5499IMG_5507IMG_5508IMG_5509IMG_5510
IMG_5499IMG_5501IMG_5504IMG_5505IMG_5507IMG_5508

Several names have an instant association in many minds to live music in Lawrence -- the Bottleneck, Liberty Hall... the Outhouse...
2011-03-24.17.13.13.jpg

IMG_5509IMG_5510IMG_5512IMG_5513IMG_5514

Look Ma!  It's an indpendent bookstore.  Those things were killed off by large chain bookstores subsidized with corporate welfare....
IMG_5515

Speaking of which.....
IMG_5516

In 1996/1997, I worked at Sunflower Cable shooting news part time.  One of the big issues was the destruction of this block of New Hampshire by a developer who wanted to bring a big chain bookstore to downtown.  Despite howls of protests by the citizens of Lawrence, the city council passed the measure allowing the block to be razed.  The only exception was the eastern and northern facade of this former car dealership on the corner of 7th and New Hampshire, which was spared, and shored up artificially to placate the protests.  Now, the chain which the block was razed for is going out of business.  All over the United States there are examples of this kind of blight.  One way or another, if you are a taxpayer, your taxes are paying for it.
IMG_5516IMG_5517IMG_5557IMG_5558IMG_5561IMG_5562
Hate to say we told you so...

Santa Fe Depot
Not a great place to watch trains, but the Chief comes through here twice a day.  I like to come here now to check out the progress of the preservation of the station.   Here is a live webcam of the depot.

IMG_5518IMG_5519IMG_5521IMG_5522IMG_5523IMG_5524IMG_5525IMG_5526IMG_5527IMG_5528IMG_5529IMG_5530IMG_5531IMG_5532IMG_5533IMG_5534IMG_5535IMG_5536IMG_5537IMG_5539IMG_5540IMG_5542IMG_5543IMG_5544IMG_5545IMG_5547IMG_5548IMG_5549IMG_5551IMG_5553IMG_5554IMG_5555

I went to Rudy's to get some pizza slices, then onto Henry's for some kawfee....
2011-03-24 20.05.29.jpg
IMG_5560IMG_5563IMG_5564IMG_5568

In the 70's and 80's, there were plans to replace downtown Lawrence with a mall.  I even saw proposals where most of downtown was condemned and torn down, replaced with a huge mall complex.  A mall did open about 1990, again, met with protests.  The mall is now dead, but downtown is still there...
IMG_5565IMG_5566IMG_5567

In the 50's and 60's, as a means to try to keep downtown competitive with the strip malls, there was an effort to turn the storefronts around to face the parking lots.  Many of these rear entrances have been boarded up, with signs stating that you have to enter the store from the Massachusetts street side.

IMG_5477IMG_5478IMG_5480IMG_5481IMG_5482IMG_5484IMG_5486IMG_5487IMG_5488IMG_5489IMG_5490

IMG_5569

At one time, a person could take a train from downtown Lawrence, to downtown Kansas City for a minimal fare.  Government subsidies of the automobile killed that.
IMG_5570IMG_5571IMG_5572

Solitude in the Shadows
IMG_5573IMG_5574IMG_5575IMG_5576IMG_5577IMG_5578IMG_5579IMG_5580IMG_5581IMG_5582IMG_5583IMG_5584IMG_5585IMG_5586IMG_5587IMG_5588IMG_5589IMG_5590IMG_5591IMG_5592IMG_5593IMG_5594IMG_5595IMG_5596IMG_5597IMG_5598IMG_5599IMG_5600IMG_5601IMG_5602IMG_5603IMG_5604IMG_5605IMG_5606IMG_5607IMG_5608IMG_5609IMG_5610IMG_5611IMG_5612IMG_5614IMG_5615IMG_5616IMG_5617IMG_5618IMG_5619IMG_5620IMG_5621IMG_5622IMG_5623IMG_5624IMG_5626IMG_5628IMG_5629IMG_5630IMG_5631IMG_5632IMG_5633IMG_5634IMG_5635IMG_5636IMG_5637IMG_5639IMG_5640IMG_5641IMG_5643IMG_5644IMG_5645IMG_5647IMG_5648IMG_5649IMG_5650IMG_5651IMG_5652IMG_5654IMGA0001_2IMGA0001IMG_5638IMG_5640

FLYER WALL



I will endeavor to post flyers that I find around town up on my own virtual wall, so that you can peruse them and see what is happening...
2011-03-25.13.51.45.jpg
2011-03-25.14.48.00.jpg


Gem in the Gizmo 2-23-11
2011-03-25.14.45.35.jpg2011-03-25.14.11.04.jpg2011-03-25.14.12.06.jpg2011-03-25.14.08.25.jpg


2011-03-20.11.19.02.jpg
2011-03-25.14.02.34.jpg2011-03-25.14.04.59.jpg
2011-03-25.13.55.09.jpg
2011-03-20.11.14.54.jpg
2011-03-25.14.00.47.jpg
2011-03-20.11.12.57.jpg
2011-03-24.17.29.41.jpg
2011-03-24.19.10.14.jpg2011-03-24.19.08.54.jpg

2011-03-24.19.11.27.jpg
2011-03-20.11.22.09.jpg





Watch live video from stevosvoboda on Justin.tv Finally... I have my handy dandy google calender with all the upcoming events in the area and beyond...
BLOG DOG
June 4, 2009 at 8.06am PDT
PLEASE LOOK AT AND COMMENT ON MY BLOG...
If you are interested in expressing your opinion about art, or this blog, or if you have ideas, calender updates or even blog entries, send me a message at http://www.facebook.com/Svoboda.KC TMI, BRD

Blog Archive