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Blake Hannon has been an arts and entertainment reporter for the News-Press since 2007, covering all facets of arts and entertainment events and news in St. Joseph and surrounding areas. He reports on art exhibits, theatrical productions, classical performances and festivals and handles event listings for our entertainment calendar. He also does movie reviews and regularly speaks to national and local bands while maintaining an entertainment column.
A native of Ironton, Ohio, he moved to St. Joseph from Lexington, Ky. As a musician and a writer, in high school he always joked that he would either be on the cover of Rolling Stone or writing for it. Since the former is less likely to happen, he can think of nothing better than taking whatever writing talent he has and dedicating it to covering something he loves.
He has a 25-pound schnauzer named Daxter that he inherited thanks to his fiancée. He could watch the movie "Pulp Fiction" or "Braveheart" on a loop and never get tired of it and finds himself easily getting hooked on some of the dumbest reality TV shows. He’s as tall as Michael Jordan without any of the athletic ability and can consistently be found snacking on peanut butter straight out of the jar and dying to play his drum set. If you have a band and need a drummer, you know where to find him.
- The Shuffle: Age restrictions
- Monday, Nov. 16, 2009
- American rock ’n’ roll stalwart Aerosmith has made more news in the past two years than it has since the 1990s. Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with the band’s music.
- Young lives
- Monday, Nov. 16, 2009
- America is a culture obsessed with recapturing youth from a physical standpoint. But with many of the problems adults face, they may also be wishing they were a kid again to go back to childhood when things were much simpler.
- ‘Tis the season to be jazzy
- Monday, Nov. 16, 2009
- It doesn’t take long for people to start getting into the holiday spirit. Stores already have swapped out the orange and black colors of fall for shades of red and green, ornaments and snowflakes.
And sure enough, those familiar Christmas carols will start drilling their way into your heads. But your ears may perk up when you hear the Second Annual Holiday Jazz Express perform at 4 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Missouri Theater. - This is: “Father Wind” by Aleda Haug
- Monday, Nov. 16, 2009
- This is: “Father Wind” by Aleda Haug
- Putting in the work
- Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
- Country music is flooded with blonde starlets and hunky heartthrobs. There’s the occasional duo, trio or guitar hero.
So, the popularity that the everyman Georgia-based outfit Zac Brown Band has attained is a bit refreshing by Music City’s current standards. - Entertainment calendar for Nov. 13, 2009
- Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
- Entertainment calendar for Nov. 13, 2009
- All aboard!
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
- There’s a lot of activity going on in Union Station in Kansas City at any given time. Between its numerous traveling exhibits and permanent fixtures like Science City, it’s enough to make you forget why people came to Union Station in the first place.
But through the KC Rail Experience, people get a healthy reminder of the building’s original purpose along with the storied history and nostalgic allure of train travel.
While Union Station was built in 1914 and still operates as a train stop for Amtrak today, it wasn’t until 2004 that officials realized people may want to come for activities that tied in to the station itself. - The Shuffle: Campaigning for Mayer
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
- I think that whether you’re a casual listener or a geek with encyclopedic knowledge, every music fan has at least one artist that they have to do a little campaigning for. You say that you like them and for any number of reasons, you encounter resistance from your peers and the questioning of your taste. So, you state a case — yours and theirs — to convince them that not only is your fanship justified, but that they should get on board.
For me, that artist happens to be John Mayer. - Sister’s theater
- Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
- “Late Nite Catechism” makes a lot of references to the “joy” that was the Catholic school experience. Does anyone remember the Pagan Baby Fund? Have you resorted to burying a St. Joseph statue in your yard to help sell your house in this economy? Have you committed an act of insubordination that it will go on ... GASP ... your permanent record?
If so, you could find yourself on a blast from the past. If none of this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry. Mary Zentmyer, who plays Sister in the production coming to St. Joseph at 2 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Missouri Theater, says there is one aspect of “Late Nite Catechism” that crosses any religious barriers. - This is: Science Hill
- Monday, Nov. 9, 2009
- This is: Science Hill
