in the whale @ riot room
On July 30th, Denver-based rock collective In The Whale played to an excited crowd at Riot Room in Kansas City, MO. Photographer Ashleigh Lee was on hand to capture the energy for us.
Keep up with the band here.
hall & oates @ sprint center
On July 20th, Hall & Oates graced the stage at Kansas City’s premiere concert venue, Sprint Center. Opening the night with a performance from Train, the duo performed some of their most exhilarating tracks from every era of music they’ve created in, and then some. In fact, Pat Monahan came out on stage after both bands had performed their entire sets to regale the audience with renditions of “Philly, Forget Me Not”, “Wait For Me”, and “Calling All Angels”. It was a show we’re not soon to forget, and we hope to catch them on their next stop through town (every time they come, until they stop performing).
train @ sprint center
Train stopped through Kansas City a couple of weeks ago, and we got the pleasure of enjoying their set as they opened for the illustrious Hall & Oates at Sprint Center. The band made a point to hit all the high notes, working their way through hits like “Drops of Jupiter”, “Hey, Soul Sister”, “Drive By”, “50 Ways to Say Goodbye”, “Meet Virginia”, and many more. Though on previous tours, the band has married couples on stage during “Marry Me”, we were happy to see there weren’t any shenanigans around that this time around.
Though we did witness at least one proposal during that song.
Between songs, Pat Monahan regaled the crowd with selfies, yoga poses, and more. Ever the ladies man, we didn’t stop hearing about his performance for the remainder of the night. And we totally get the hype.
wonderfuzz, pageant boys, fullbloods, the beholders, + other americans @ motm 2018
Middle of The Map Fest 2018 brought insane amounts of talent from all corners of the U.S., though none as impressive as our Kansas City-based lineup. (That is, if we do say so ourselves.) Check out some photos of Wonderfuzz, Pageant Boys, Fullbloods, The Beholders, and Other Americans below!
sports, red shahan, the vik g. trio, calvin arsenia, + belle & the vertigo waves @ motm 2018
Middle of The Map 2018 was absolutely insane. Not only was it one of the hottest weekends in Kansas City of the year thus far, but there was construction on every corner, and a lot of other events happening in the area. Despite all of the hullabaloo, we were able to nab some photos throughout the weekend. Below, check out some shots of Sports, Red Shahan, The Vik G. Trio, Calvin Arsenia, and Belle & The Vertigo Waves.
quiet slang @ rough trade
Frontman James Alex of Beach Slang brought his stripped-down project, Quiet Slang, to Brooklyn’s Rough Trade on July 9th.
It was a rainy Monday evening, and the show had been rescheduled from a prior date. Given those conditions, Alex was unsure, as he relayed to the audience between songs, how many people would show up. However, those concerns proved to be unfounded as the room was filled with fans hanging on every word.
Unlike Beach Slang shows, which are loud, clamorous, and brash, Quiet Slang is another entity entirely. As heard on Everything Matters But No One Is Listening, Quiet Slang’s debut LP, Alex has taken his work with Beach Slang and reimagined it, doing away with its thrashing, thunderous elements. Instead, Alex takes a sparse, orchestral approach: cello and piano, paired with his gritty vocals, give these formerly driving punk songs space to breathe, resurrecting them with new, balladic life.
This was reflected decoratively, as well. The stage set its own scene with flowers and strings of white lights with makeshift cotton clouds hanging in the distance. The rest of the venue was pitch-black save for a projector screen playing images of ballet dancers. Moving through the set, Alex was all heart from his honest vocals and earnest speeches of appreciation, thanking his fans over and over.
Quiet or loud, Alex delivered his audience an unforgettable night.