Opening Soon: The Scotch Tape Store

Lots of topics tonight…

Topic # 1: In tonight’s installment of the Wednesday Night Music Club, a video from the cutest band in existence The Ditty Bops. For those wondering, Amanda is the tall cute one and Abby is the short cute one. The music is so sweet you risk diabetes just by listening to it. I’m not quite sure how a guy who wears black and listens to The Smiths all the time can dig this but man, I hear this song once and it stays with me all day long.

Topic # 2: On a related note, I’m going to be expanding the music selection of the blog. My apologies to those of you on dial up but if I had to upgrade so do you. Basically the thought is that Wednesday night will feature all of the bands that I listen to and see who are flying well under the radar. I’ll use it mainly to provide proof that the bands that I talk about do technically exist. Sunday Nights will be “Best of 120 Minutes” as I will post a classic alt-rock video from the days of my youth. Not sure if anyone else will dig this but I’ll enjoy it.

Topic # 3: Turned on the TV this morning and the newscaster went “President Bush awoke this morning in Kansas City…”, which pretty much explained that piercing cry of existential despair I heard this morning. It’s a sound very familiar to me as you wake up and suddenly go, “How in God’s name did I end up here again?” Though to be honest the invasion of the presidential candidates that we’ve been experiencing lately has made me feel like I’m in Iowa. That is in no way a good thing.

Topic # 4: Bad news from Westport as it looks like the Napoleon Bakery is going to be closing. Don’t have any official word but the note on the door saying “We’ll be closed for awhile in order to take our family vacation” is not promising. Neither is the huge For Sale sign in front of the building either. That would be a bummer as it is one of those nice alternatives to the pre-package blandness that you find elsewhere. It’s one of those places that makes me feel like I live in an actual neighborhood as opposed to a collection of strip malls.

On a similar note, there is a new store in Westport that I need to write about before it goes out of business, which will probably be next Tuesday. Honestly, I can’t figure out how they didn’t close a week after opening. See, at the far end of Westport Road (to the point that it is actually 43rd Street) they’ve opened a boutique underwear store. For men and women with also a swimwear collection but the main focus is on underwear with more of a male bent based on the window display. Now Westport is a cool and eclectic place but this is shop is way out on the edge where there is no foot traffic and I only know about it because I drive by it all the time. Which makes me wonder about the entire business model.

I can draw up a scenario where this would work. Get a town with a nice art district with some unique shops and this would work. Lots of foot traffic, lots of people looking for something different and you’ll get people in the door. However, the storefront facing a busy street where no one walks just doesn’t seem to work. I’m not even sure if a boutique underwear store would fit anywhere in KC. That just seems too adventurous by a factor of ten. I mean, I wish them luck as they do make my drive home slightly more interesting but I have a feeling that these guys would not win any business plan competitions.

Topic # 5: Speaking of driving, yesterday on my way to work I passed by Rockhurst High School and on their sign they had “Welcome Class of 2011”. As a member of the class of 1991 this might explain why I was found at work curled under my desk in the fetal position. That just made me feel really, really old. I mean, worse than when I was in Lawrence the night before. On that note, tomorrow will be the annual analysis of the Beloit list. How old am I? Will I ever be able to relate to a college student again? You’ll have to wait and see.