In The Loop: March 6, 2022
Downtown is Big 12 Country
This week brings us one of KC’s favorite signs that spring is approaching: The Big 12 Basketball Championships tournament Downtown. The men’s games will be held March 9-12 at T-Mobile Center. The women’s games will be held March 10-13 at historic Municipal Auditorium.
The first version of the men’s postseason conference tournament—back when it was called the Big 8—was held in Kansas City in March 1977. The first round of games was held at campus arenas, with winners advancing to Kemper Arena in the West Bottoms. The Kansas State Wildcats defeated the Missouri Tigers 72-67 in overtime to win the first-ever title, sending KSU to the 1977 NCAA Tournament—the only Big 8 team to qualify that year.
From 1977 to 1996, Kansas City hosted 20 Big 8 tournaments. Missouri won the most titles with six, followed by Kansas and Oklahoma with four each. Colorado was the only team that never won the Big 8 Tournament.
On March 10, 1996, Iowa State won the last Big 8 tournament, with a 56-55 win over regular-season champion Kansas.
Death of Charlie Parker
Saturday marks the day in 1955 that the man who played in Kansas City jazz clubs as a teen—and then went on to world renown as an alto saxophonist—died in his hotel room at age 34. Charlie “Yardbird” Parker left Lincoln High School at age 16, because he wanted to make music. He lied about his age, saying he was 20 years old, in order to join a local musicians union.
When he actually did turn 20, “Bird” moved to New York, playing with the greats, and making a name for himself in the Big Apple and worldwide. One Manhattan club even played on Parker’s popularity by naming the venue they opened in 1949 “Birdland.” Ironically, Parker rarely played there, apparently because he wanted too much money according to the owners. (Count Basie, who spent seven years making his name in Kansas City, was a regular with his orchestra at Birdland.)
Sadly, Parker was introduced to drugs and alcohol at an early age while hanging around the Kansas City music clubs. At 16, he was involved in a car crash on the way to an Ozarks performance that broke his ribs and cracked his spine. One fellow passenger was hospitalized, the other was killed. During his long recovery, Parker became addicted to doctor-prescribed medicines such as morphine and heroin. Depression, nervous breakdowns, suicide attempts, hospitalizations, even time spent in mental institutions followed. Being subjected to lifelong racism—even after earning fame—and the death of his two-year-old daughter in March 1954 compounded his struggles. He would die almost exactly one year after losing his daughter.
For weeks following Parker’s death, fans—led by a beatnik friend of Parker’s—took to the streets and wrote “Bird Lives” on walls, subway platforms, sidewalks, and other public places. Some consider the campaign to be the origin of modern graffiti.
Part of the fun of the Big 12 Tournament is all the activities—and the electricity—surrounding the games Downtown. In this link, VisitKC provides all the information you need to make the most of this coming four days of hoops—whether you’re a visitor or a local.
The KC Rep’s production of “The Royale,” based on Jack Johnson, who fought his way to being the first black heavyweight champion in 1908, opens this Tuesday on the Downtown Copaken Stage. The Kansas City Star tells the story of Johnson’s visits to Downtown Kansas City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Last week, a West Side tortilleria was named as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award in the category of Outstanding Bakery. KCUR 89.3 FM tells the story of the Mexican bakery that has a storefront at 16th and Jefferson, and a manufacturing facility in the East Bottoms:
To accommodate event traffic (Big 12 tournament, maybe?), the Missouri Department of Transportation has postponed street and highway closures related to demolition and construction around the Buck O’Neil Bridge. MoDOT has the details (but not the details of when they will actually begin the closures):
LINK: Traffic Alert: Buck O'Neil Bridge project closures downtown postponed
And, hallelujah! Three new micro-mobility hubs (parking for scooters) are being installed around the River Market. I’d say, “No more scooters blocking sidewalks!” but we know that using the hubs will still require thoughtful, community-minded riders who are willing to walk from the hubs to their destinations. And stop riding illegally on the narrow River Market sidewalks! (This concludes my rant.)
Artful City: One weekly selection with a Downtown connection
Quick Clip: The city in motion—just a few seconds at a time
Downtown Lens: A single image depicting the urban aesthetic
Give a friendly Downtown-Kansas City welcome to….
Theatergoers attending “The Royale,” opening this Tuesday at the KC Rep’s Copaken Stage Downtown
Hoops fans attending the men’s and women’s Big 12 Basketball Championships this Wednesday through Monday at T-Mobile Center and Municipal Auditorium
Canine enthusiasts attending the Heart of America & Leavenworth Kennel Club Cluster Dog Show Thursday through Sunday at Hale Arena
Ticketholders to the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s presentation of “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” next weekend at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Fans of actor/comedian/writer Tom Segura, appearing Saturday night at the Midland
Got a tip about Downtown KC?
Know a favorite artwork by a Downtown artist, or a piece located in a Downtown art gallery or art museum? Let me know, and I might feature it in “Artful City.”
Take a recent snapshot of Downtown that you’d like to share? Send it my way for consideration in “Downtown Lens.”
Live in a cool Downtown home, or know someone who does? Drop me a line to be considered for “Downtown Digs.”
Have an upcoming Downtown event? Let me know. Send details and links.
Know the scoop or have a question about what’s happening in your Downtown district, neighborhood, or street? Please share by sending me an email.
Write to: tips@kcdowntownloop.com or contact me via social media
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week—enjoy the city!
