(Above: Tom Waits makes it rain on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)
By Joel Francis
With a mighty thump of his foot, Tom Waits took the stage of the Fox Theater in St. Louis kicking up a white cloud of dust. Surrounded by old instruments, antique bric-a-brac and dangling Victrola horns, the stage looked more like Fred Sanford’s back yard than one of Missouri’s most historic theaters.
Opening with “Lucinda,” Waits voice recalls a phrase coined by another Lucinda: car wheels on a gravel road. For the next two hours he lorded over the sold-out crowd with a persona equal parts junkyard dealer, carnival barker and vaudeville performer.
“Way Down in the Hole,” the song used as the theme to HBO’s “The Wire,” was next up. For “Heigh Ho,” a song Waits appropriated from the Seven Dwarfs for a late-‘80s Disney compilation, Waits bellowed into a megaphone on a stage bathed in a blood-red light. The setting and arrangement transformed the children’s song from a work chantey into a foreboding descent into purgatory.
For all his theatricality, though, Waits knew when to let a song speak for itself. A gorgeous reading of “Falling Down” struck the balance between dramatic and unvarnished early. Waits later picked up an acoustic guitar to deliver “Day After Tomorrow” for a rapturous crowd that wasn’t afraid to shush someone talking too loudly.
On his 2006 rarities collection, “Orphans,” Waits classified his songs three ways: brawlers, bawlers and bastards. The bawlers got the most work, but well-placed brawlers like “Get Behind the Mule” and the spoken-word vignette “What Is He Building?” kept the pace varied.
Waits didn’t talk much until he got behind the piano for a few songs. Once on the bench he was transformed into the non-sequitor spouting beatnik introduced on his second album, 1975’s “Nighthawks at the Diner.” Waits joked about some of the obscure laws he encountered playing the night before in Tulsa, Okla. and his adventure buying Henry Ford’s dying breath on eBay.
The piano set was far too short. After the beautiful “Lost in the Harbor” Waits returned to his podium for “Make It Rain.” A torrent of glitter fell on the singer halfway through, which made him sparkle for the rest of the night.
Waits stole the spotlight, but was ably assisted by his five-piece band. Guitarist Omar Torrez added an amazing flamenco intro to “All the World is Green,” which was driven by Vincent Henry’s clarinet. Keyboardist Patrick Warren added depth and texture to “Hang Down Your Head.” Drummer Casey Waits pounded his way through his dad’s warped rhythms while bass player Seth Ford-Young pinned everything together.
The two-hour evening ended with Waits behind the piano, leading an audience sing-along through “Innocent When You Dream.” After a 30-year absence from the area, Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better return.
Setlist: Lucinda, Way Down in the Hole, Falling Down, Black Market Baby, All the World Is Green, Heigh Ho, Get Behind the Mule, Day After Tomorrow, Cemetery Polka, Hang Down Your Head, Lucky Day, Johnsburg, IL, Lost in the Harbour, Make It Rain, Lie To Me, On The Other Side Of The World, Singapore, Dirt In The Ground, What’s He Building?, 16 Shells, Rain Dogs (encores:) Goin’ Out West, Anywhere I Lay My Head, Innocent When You Dream
Mary Wells – “You Beat Me To the Punch,” Pop #9, R&B #1
If the Contours’ “Do You Love Me” was Motown at its most raw, “You Beat Me to the Punch” was really where the “Motown sound” started to be defined. The vibes in the background smooth all the rough edges while the bongos add an extra bounce to the melody. Backing vocals from the Love-Tones add to Mary Wells’ delivery without distracting from it and foreshadowed the relationship this song’s writer, Smokey Robinson, would have on record with The Miracles.
Wells sounded insecure in her debut single, “The One who Really Loves You,” (although the pedestrian songwriting doesn’t give her much to work with), but she nails the surprise and thrill of new love here. Smitten from the first time she saw her man, the shy girl is delighted to learn her feelings are reciprocated.
This is an underrated gem in Wells’ too-small Motown catalog. –By Joel Francis
The Marvelettes – “Beechwood 4-5789” Pop #17, R&B #7
The Marvelletes’ follow-up single wasn’t as successful as “Please Mr. Postman.” Berry Gordy hoped to cash in on the telephone song trend that included Glenn Miller’s earlier big-band hit “Pennsylvania 6-500” and Wilson Pickett’s “634-5789,” but the chorus wasn’t as strong or memorable as either of those songs or the Tommy Tutone’s ‘80s hit “Jenny (867-5309).”
Gladys Horton’s earnest lead vocals sound more desperate than inviting. Although she’s trying to sound casual, it’s clear that Horton’s request for the boy of her dreams to call her up for a date, “any old time” is her frustrated, final attempt at being noticed. While the dream date may never have phone, this number did become the most popular in America until Jenny arrived on the scene in the ‘80s.
The song was written by Marvin Gaye, Berry Gordy and musical director William “Mickey” Stevenson, who was memorialized in The Miracles’ song “Mickey’s Monkey.” Like “Please Mr. Postman,” “Beechwood 4-5789” was also covered by The Carpenters. Time has preserved the superior renderings of both of these songs. — By Joel Francis
Above: The Flaming Lips “Race for the Prize” at Wakarusa 2008.
By Joel Francis
The Kansas City Star
Arrested Development – Friday afternoon, Revival Tent
The sound of Arrested Development warming up was funky enough to send a crowd scrambling to the Revival Tent and its ankle-deep mud, but the group had trouble keeping them there.
The group’s Afrocentric rap harks back to De La Soul’s daisy age and capped a three-act run of hip hop in the Revival Tent, including Blackalicous and Del tha Funky Homosapien. Their low-key approach had difficulty translating to the half-populated tent, but part of the problem could have been the 15-plus years since the band last hit the area.
Flanked by two vocalists and backed by a guitarist, DJ and rhythm section, MC Speech warmed the crowd up on a couple newer numbers before heating the crowd up with “Fishin’ 4 Religion” and a spirited gospel arrangement of “Tennessee.”
Fans who weathered the bass solo were treated to a karaoke romp through “Billie Jean” and a full-band cover of “Redemption Song.”
Although the set’s energy lagged at times, the greatest hits still sounded, well, great. “Mr. Wendall” is still as fun and timely as it was nearly 20 years ago. The closing one-two of “Mama’s Always Onstage” and “People Everyday” had a sea of smiling faces hoping it wouldn’t be another half-generation until the next show.
Flaming Lips – Friday night, Sun Down Stage
The Flaming Lips performed nearly the same show at their Wakarusa debut two years ago. Damn if it didn’t work just as well the second time.
Flanked by a horde of Teletubbies, the band took the stage as front man Wayne Coyne rolled over the crowd in a giant hamster ball. “Race for the Prize” kicked off the night as confetti, streamers and smoke snowed over the crowd.
It would be easy to get lost in the spectacle of a Flaming Lips concert and forget about the band onstage if the music wasn’t so good. “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” rocked so hard that Coyne himself called it “glorious.” The group funneled their anger and passion for a better America after the November elections into a devastating version of “The W.A.N.D.” that was prefaced by an anti-war airing of “Taps.”
The quartet also got some help from their fans. Coyne encouraged the crowd to get naked during their cover of “The Song Remains the Same” and a half dozen women jumped onstage and took him up on the offer. Spontaneous fireworks from the back of the lawn punctuated the trippy “Pompeii am Gotterdamerung” and heightened the atmosphere of “Vein of Stars.”
The night ended with “Do You Realize.” A million pieces of yellow and orange confetti falling from the sky created a nice cinematic moment that made the song sound even more majestic than usual.
Set List: Race for the Prize/Free Radicals/The Song Remains the Same/Fight Test/Mountain Side/Vein of Stars/Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (pt. 1)/Pompeii am Gotterdamerung/The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song/Taps->The WAND/She Don’t Use Jelly/(encore:) Do You Realize
“Christmas On Mars” – Friday night, the Flaming Lips tent
The chance to catch a band-hosted screening of the Flaming Lips’ seven-years-in-the-making movie “Christmas on Mars” overpowered the need for sleep for many Wakarusa campers.
Shortly after the Lips’ spectacular set on the Sun Down Stage, 200 fans lucky enough to snag a free ticket earlier in the evening were ushered into the band’s large “Eat Your Own Spaceship” tent. Inside, it felt a lot like summer camp. Everyone sat on long wooded benches and roadies handed out popcorn.
After a short personal introduction from lead Lip Wayne Coyne and a longer recorded interview, the film finally started around 1 a.m.
The movie follows the descent of paranoia and psychosis on a crew of astronauts in their Martian space station on Christmas Eve. Multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd plays the main astronaut while Coyne portrays an emerald-hued, antennae-sporting Martian who swallows an asteroid, is detained by the space crew and then forced into the role of Santa Claus.
The results are pretty much what you’d expect from a group with no acting or screenwriting background, paying for their production as they go. Fans started sneaking out almost as soon as the rock-show volume movie started. When I finally succumbed an hour into the movie a herd of fans were seated on the ground outside the tent for the next showing. Live and learn.
Ozomatli – Saturday afternoon, Sun Down Stage
Listening to Ozomatli is like flipping through a National Geographic. The L.A.-based band deftly mixes traditional South American music with African rhythms, hip hop, rock and a splash of Indian raga.
Opening with consecutive songs in Spanish could be an obstacle for some bands, but Ozomatli’s groove needs no translation. Although a moderate crowd had gathered on the lawn in anticipation of the set, each song saw more arms raised as the multitude grew.
The septet kept the energy high for all of its 90-minute set, from the Indian-influenced improvisation on “Believe” to the straight hip hop of “City of Angels” and vibrant African rhythms of “Como Ves.”
Ozomatli is not only proficient with different styles of music, but its members all play more than one instrument. This broadens their palate even further. The clarinet solo introducing gave “Cumbia de los Muertos” a Yiddish flavor, while the horns on “Magnolia Soul” added a New Orleans feel.
The appearance of Tre Hardson, aka Slimkid3 of the Pharcyde, who has been touring with the band since last winter, was an unexpected treat. He led the band through a great cover of “Passing Me By” that drew big cheers from the crowd.
Porter Batiste Stolze – Saturday afternoon, Sun Up Stage
Porter Batiste Stolze was more than 30 minutes into their set when Ozomatli wrapped up. I entered just in time to hear the band roll into a faithful cover of “Like A Rolling Stone” with a sidestepping backbeat that definitely gave the drummer some.
In front of me a father and son stood with their arms on each other’s shoulders, belting out every word with absolute delight. Proud mom looked on, her face radiant.
The Dylan cover gave way to the booty-shaking, Bo Diddley beat of “Not Fade Away,” which, in turn, fed into “Little Liza Jane.” No matter how many gnarled honky tonk guitar licks Brian Stolze threw at his band mates, George Porter, Jr.’s bass kept things funky while drummer Russell Batiste, Jr. shuffled the beat like a Vegas card dealer.
The New Orleans-based trio honed their chops together as in-demand session musicians, and worked Art Neville as three-fourths the Funky Meters until 2005. PBS’ three-part harmonies and musical sensibilities sounds like The Band filtered through Kool and the Gang and given a late-night run on Bourbon Street. They touched on nearly every style of American music in the half hour I heard, and could groove on them all.
Jennie Arnau – Sunday morning, Sun Up Stage
From a distance, Jennie Arnau sounds a lot like Kathleen Edwards. Both have mournful country vocals supported by muscular rock hooks. Up close, however, Arnau’s alt-country sound is less plaintive than Edwards and owes as much to Fleetwood Mac as it does to Emmylou Harris.
Backed by a four-piece band, the blonde South Carolinian performed four songs from her latest album, “Mt. Pleasant,” and one song from each of her last three.
While Arnau’s “Float On” is not a Modest Mouse cover, its buoyant melody should please fans of Edwards, Neko Case and Caitlin Cary. Set closer “You’re Not Alone” is the type of song that Sheryl Crow should be doing. It ended the show on a strong note.
While late morning, closing day festival gigs are never coveted, the two dozen folks who showed up for Arnau’s set seemed genuinely appreciative of the music and pleased by the 45 minute performance that held nothing back. Hopefully Arnau will be invited back at a better time slot and in front of the bigger audience she deserves.
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk – Sunday afternoon, Sun Down Stage
Dumpstaphunk know how to ride a groove and aren’t afraid to hop on at a moment’s notice with several hundred hip-shaking hitchhikers in tow.
Opening with the aptly titled instrumental “Stinky,” the band quickly drew a dancing crowd to the lawn in front of the stage. By the time their hour-long set reached its midpoint the congregation had easily doubled.
With staccato riffs from his Hammond organ, Ivan Neville led the quintet through songs like “Shake It Off” and “Ugly Truth” that sounded like a streamlined, less bizarre P-Funk.
While vocal responsibilities shifted, they were always soulful. Between songs, Tony Hall would sometimes abandon fellow guitarist and Ivan’s cousin Ian Neville, and drop one string and several octaves to add another bass guitar and even more bottom to the sound.
Dumpstaphunk aired their views on the handling of their native New Orleans in “Meanwhile.” Easily the most fun Hurricane Katrina protest song to date, the band’s philosophy was summarized with the chorus “might as well have a good time/it might be the last time.”
Although, many of its members have worked with Ivan Neville’s father Aaron and the Neville Brothers, Dumpstaphunk is firmly rooted on The Meters side of the family tree.
(Above: Radiohead perform “Paranoid Android” in St. Louis.)
By Joel Francis The Daily Record
Radiohead is more a like sect than a band. Its fans are the most passionate and devoted outside of the jam scene. Theirs are a holy grail of concerts: They tour frequently enough to be accessible, but not often enough to be taken for granted.
It was not surprising to find the lawn at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis dotted with Royals and Jayhawks apparel from devoted fans who trekked across the state or farther to catch their band in its first area performance in five years.
The evening started with the subdued intro of “All I Need,” which slipped into the more energetic “Jigsaw Falling Into Place.” Both tracks were from their latest album “In Rainbows,” which they would play in its entirety, though not in order.
The unquestionable high point for me was a transcendent reading of “Fake Plastic Trees”; then again, everything from “The Bends” and “OK Computer” albums drew strong response. The performance of “Myxomatosis,” off “Hail to the Thief” was also particularly inspired. The congregation hung on every note: There was little talking in the crowd; and the beer lines were short.
In concert, Radiohead is an altered beast from its studio counterpart. On record, the band strives for (and gets close to) perfection. There’s no trace of this fussiness on stage, where the songs are more raw, visceral and immediate. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood ripped into the opening riff or “Airbag” with punk energy. Similarly, the guitar line to “15 Step” was slinkier and sexier than it comes across on album.
Radiohead’s influences also shine brighter on stage. A stripped-down reading of “Everything In Its Right Place” showed hints of Stevie Wonder on the electric piano. “Bangers + Mash,” a cut from the “In Rainbows” disc-box bonus CD, found frontman Thom Yorke on a second, smaller drum kit and sounded like a lost Rage Against the Machine B-side.
“Idioteque” sounded straight out of the Manchester club scene and prompted an inspired dance from Yorke. “Faust Arp” found Yorke and Greenwood alone on stage duetting at the same mic like John and Paul over a melody that split the difference between “Blackbird” and “Julia.”
The stage was dressed simply with dozens of descending LED pool noodles and a video board spotlighting the band members. The luminescent stalactites rippled and shimmered with light either splashed across them or projected through them. It was a pretty cool effect, but one the band thought would not transfer over the venue’s cameras. It wasn’t the greatest to be stuck on the lawn and learn that, at the band’s request, the amphitheater video screens would not be used, but it was nice to be able to view their presentation in its entirety.
By the end of the night I was feeling euphoria and exhaustion. Euphoric from the energy of what I’d just witnessed, but exhausted from its sustained intensity. I could have either guzzled an energy drink and stayed up writing all night a la Kerouac or “Tarantula”-era Dylan or slipped right into slumber. I chose the latter.
Set list: All I Need, Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Airbag, 15 Step, Nude, Kid A, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, The Gloaming, You and Whose Army?, Idioteque, Faust Arp, Videotape, Everything in Its Right Place, Reckoner, Optimistic, Bangers + Mash, Bodysnatchers (Encore 1): Exit Music (for a film), Myxomatosis, My Iron Lung, There There, Fake Plastic Trees (Encore 2): Pyramid Song, House of Cards (/No Surprises), Paranoid Android
“Do You Love Me” sounds more its cross-town cousin Detroit garage rock than the Hitsville factory. Completely devoid of the “Motown sound,” this is the rawest release from the label until the signing of Rare Earth seven years later.
After the guitar accompaniment of the spoken intro, the song is all piano, drums and handclaps. The lead vocals borrow more than a little from James Brown, but the sheer joy and exuberance of everyone in the room is what carries the song. The five singers are having too much fun to care to care about love. If this woman won’t have them back, they know there are plenty more hopping in line.
Like a party that steamrolls past curfew, this song has too much energy to stop. The first attempt at shutting down is little more than a hiccup. After a false fade that fools absolutely no one, the Contours are right back in the pocket. If it weren’t for radio restrictions, this bash would have carried on all night. Ultimately, the engineer has no choice but to fade the track.
Legend has it this song was originally going to be a Temptations vehicle, but I can’t imagine anyone topping this performance. Forty-five years later, the smiles are still audible. — By Joel Francis
Mary Wells – “The One Who Really Loves You,” Pop # 8, R&B # 2
Mary Wells was billed as “Motown’s First Female star” but she got off to a slow start with this song. Penned by the usually reliable Smokey Robinson, “The One Who Really Loves You” suffers from overly simplistic lyrics and a melody that doesn’t try much harder. Wells’ vocals are frequently flat as she basically just calls out her smitten rivals – like Silly Lily – and points out their flaws. After listening to the song a half-dozen times, I think the singer may be exaggerating the threat of Ginnie and Minnie to steal her man, but I’ve also never been a lovelorn teenage girl. Then again, neither has Smokey Robinson.
Thankfully, while this song doesn’t work, it didn’t take long for the Robinson-Wells collaborations to click. Special note should also be made of Eddie “Bongo” Brown’s lilting percussion, supposedly inspired by the island rhythms of Harry Belafonte. — By Joel Francis
George Clinton’s show hasn’t changed much over the past several years, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to attract new fans.
Saturday night’s show at Crossroads KC marks the third time Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic have performed in Kansas City in the last four years, and each time the legion of hands branded with an “X” – signifying under 21 – is prevalent.
The forecast of a chilly evening – temperatures dipped into the 40s – and rain didn’t keep the lot behind Grinders from filling up over two-thirds with a crowd that cut through every demographic in the city.
The band opened with “Funkentelechy” followed by “Bop Gun.” Clinton wouldn’t emerge in his rainbow dreadlocked-glory for another half hour, but his crew of funksters were more than capable of keeping the music and spectacle rolling in his absence.
Parliament-Funkadelic shows may be closer to a three-ring circus than a traditional concert. Onstage at any moment are longtime band leader Garry “Diaper Man” Shider and backing singers dressed like roller girls and buffalo soldiers. Toss in characters like the Poo Poo Man, a pimp in zoot suit who lead the band through a James Brown tribute they’ve been doing since before Brown died, and Sir Nose, a dancer and agitator, and you’ve got a cross between Cecil B. DeMille’s cast of thousands and Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters.
Of course having a first-class catalog doesn’t hurt either, and Clinton’s stable is definitely up to the task. The philosophy is simple: if you have something to add to the song, go out and play it. If not, get off the stage and make room for someone who does. The result can be up to six guitars wailing away on the metal instrumental “Maggot Brain” or horns and keyboards leading a charge through “Tear the Roof off the Sucker” and “Up for the Down Stroke.”
Though the predicted rain never appeared, when the wind picked up around the two-hour mark the crowd thinned so quickly it was like watching time-lapse video. The hearty souls who stuck around for the final hour were treated to a devastating medley of “Standing on the Verge of Gettin’ It On,” “Pumpin’ It Up” and a cover of Chuck Brown’s go-go classic “Bustin’ Loose.”
The evening ended with Clinton and nearly all of his two dozen musicians onstage for “Flashlight” and a ferocious “Atomic Dog” with several audience members dancing up alongside the group. There were so many people onstage it was hard to differentiate the band from the audience. But maybe that was the point. We were “One Nation Under A Groove.”
Discovering a new local band can be as easy as searching Myspace, checking the weekly entertainment listings or visiting a club’s Web site (see below). Here’s the skinny on the six bands interviewed for this story.
The Architects Label: Anodyne Records Description of music: “Colossally loud and exciting. We’re not retro, but if you like The Who, Credence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin or The Clash, you’re going to like us.” – Brandon Phillips, vocals/guitar myspace.com/architectskcmo
In the Pines Label: Second Nature Description of music: “I always think of us as pretty but dark folk rock, although that might sound like a cliché.” – Brad Hodgson, guitar/vocals inthepinesmusic.com
Olympic Size Label: unsigned Description of music: “Cinematic love songs. It’s very lush. A lot of people call it ‘chamber pop’ because of the harmonies. I’ve also heard it called ‘urban folk.'” – Kirsten Paludan, vocals/guitar/keys myspace.com/olympicsize
The Republic Tigers Label: Chop Shop
Description of music: “Super-sexy, melodic pop, or future folk with an edge.” – Kenn Jankowski, guitar/vocals myspace.com/therepublictigers
Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys Label: Bloodshot Description of music: “Honky tonk. Drinking and cheating. Love songs.” – Rex Hobart, vocals/guitar rexhobart.com
The Roman Numerals Label: Anodyne Description of music: “Dance music the punk fans can dance to and punk music the dance fans can punk to. But we’re all children of the ’80s, so that’s also reflected.” – Billy Smith, guitar, vocals theromannumerals.com
(Note: the following feature appeared in the April, 2008 issue of KC Magazine.)
By Joel Francis
When Keenan Nichols was 19, he couldn’t wait to get out of Kansas City. The Avondale native and North Kansas City High School graduate wanted a bigger city where he had a better chance of making a living as a guitarist. He escaped to a town with a more promising music setting-Dallas.
“The scene in Dallas was great at first, but over the last few years, it started dying off,” Nichols said. “Everyone down there lost interest in live music. Everything became a race to become the next Miami and see who could build the most dance clubs.”
When Nichols came back to Kansas City on visits, he’d catch glimpses in his hometown of what he’d hoped to find in Dallas. Eventually, he moved back.
“It seemed like the scene had grown up a little bit,” said Nichols, guitarist for the hard rock band The Architects. “With that distance, I gained a big appreciation for everyone here sticking to their guns and trying to make things happen.”
Scott Hobart moved to Kansas City in 1989 to take classes at the Kansas City Art Institute, but he found himself gravitating to the clubs more than the classrooms. Hobart was a member of the hard rock band Giant Chair when he had a change of heart (and name) and started writing country songs. Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys celebrated 10 years of honky tonk last December.
“I’ve never felt stifled geographically by playing in Kansas City,” Hobart said. “Being a country band, people always ask us why we aren’t in Nashville. Nashville’s inundated. Our music doesn’t mean anything there. There’s something more original about playing here. You can’t just be in a band to impress someone. It has to mean something.”
In the neighborhood
The desire for musical integrity, which is shared by many Kansas City bands, translates to a neighborhood of musicians who collaborate more than compete.
“The greatest thing about our scene is that it is so supportive,” said Auggie Wolber, member of Americana band In the Pines. “We’ve all played together so long, everyone has gotten to know each other.”
The spirit of fraternity is reflected in the number of benefit shows thrown for other musicians. When blues guitarist Danny Cox’s house burned down in January, several bands (including Irish ensemble The Elders) eagerly signed on to perform at a sold-out benefit concert. That same spirit showed at a successful 2006 benefit for Blackpool Lights drummer Billy Brimblecom.
Making the decision to help Billy was not difficult for The Architects.
“Our old band and his old band had done some touring together and become pretty close. If he had needed a transplant, I would’ve considered it,” said Architects singer Brandon Phillips. “It turned out he only needed us to play [for] 45 minutes and not get paid.”
Audiences show the same supportive spirit.
“The biggest show of support I’ve seen was when I was playing hard rock and decided I wanted to sing songs with a story in front of a country band,” Hobart said. “It may have confused some people at first, but everyone I knew from the rock side came out to hear me, and they’ve supported me the whole time.
“If you can switch genres drastically and have people willing to try it on some level, it proves the open-mindedness and good nature of our community,” Hobart said.
It also means more musical diversity. A punk band might play Davy’s Uptown opposite a country band at the Record Bar one night, but the next day those same clubs may offer blues or indie rock.
“One of the great things about this town is you can go to the Record Bar and see Rex (Hobart) and have dinner, or you can go to Davy’s Uptown and hear free jazz,” said Wolber of In the Pines.
The success of First Fridays and the revitalization of downtown points to the appetite and appreciation Kansas Citians have for the arts.
“I’m always surprised at how many people turn out for The Pitch Music Showcase,” said Record Bar co-owner and Roman Numerals instrumentalist Steven Tulipana. “Five bucks gets you all over town to hear different kinds of music.”
Ayo Technology
In the past, record stores provided an outlet for local artists with in-store performances and prominent displays. Today, Myspace pages and email lists provide a level of promotion and exposure that reaches far beyond stapling a flier to the wall.
Just ask Adam McGill of The Republic Tigers, a local band recently signed to an imprint of Atlantic Records and discovered via the band’s Myspace site.
“An A and R (artist and relations) rep with Atlantic found us on our site and started talking with us,” McGill said. “She asked for a CD and then passed it on to Alexandra.”
Alexandra is Alexandra Patsavas. The name might not be familiar, but the TV shows for which she selects music are-“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Numb3rs” and “Gossip Girl.” Patvas loved the band and made them the first act signed to her Chop Shop Records label. The Republic Tigers’ debut album was just released earlier this spring.
Similarly, Olympic Size found one of their songs featured prominently on MTV’s “The Real World” thanks to a pitch from Anodyne, a local record label. It’s an impressive feat for anyone, let alone a band without a long-term record contract or even a finished album.
“I think you’re more likely to get discovered out of Kansas City than you are in a big city where you’ll get lost in the mix of a billion other bands,” said Republic Tiger Kenn Jankowski. “With the Internet, it’s easy for anyone to find you.”
Join Together
Knowing about the “next big thing” could be as close as a write-up in The Pitch or The Kansas City Star‘s preview section.
“If a band shows up in there, it’s a pretty good chance they have their stuff together,” said Olympic Size guitarist Kirsten Paludan. “I think some people have a perception that rock isn’t for everyone, but this is a music scene that can appeal to a wide range of people. It’s not just for teenagers, hipsters or artists.”
Kansas City is big enough to support many types of music yet small enough that it’s not difficult to stay in the know about what’s happening across town.
“Our city is very diverse. There’s a band out there for everybody-for the kids, for the rockers; it’s all out there waiting to be discovered,” said Darren Welch of In the Pines. “Just take a chance. Pay the $5 cover and wait to be surprised.”
joelfrancis.com 