At 9:30pm on Friday, June 16th, Jason Isbell took the stage to headline Day 1 of Boulevardia in Kansas City, Missouri. The festival focuses on the vibrant beer-centric culture in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It brings hops from all over, as well as music, vendors of all kinds, and interactive experiences you can’t find anywhere else. Find Boulevardia in Kansas City every Father’s Day weekend. (aka quite often the hottest weekend of the summertime.)
The Grammy award-winning act took the main stage overlooking Crown Center. Here, the bustling center in the heart of the Crossroads District now plays home to the annual fest. Surrounded by smoke – and an incredibly talented band – Jason Isbell entertained the masses who had gathered in the street to get a glimpse of the Americana crooner.
With the lights of the city behind him, Isbell set the tone for the rest of the (sweaty) beautiful event.
Day 2 of Boulevardia was a hot one. Per usual, the annual festival occurs on just about the hottest weekend of the year, Father’s Day in downtown Kansas City. Day 1 featured many favorite local acts, an array of vendors (some of which provided a reprieve from the heat), and a metric ton of photo opportunities. Day 2 brought much of the same, with an earlier start time that easily drained the battery on many of us throughout the day.
But at 5:05 pm, the legendary Big Freedia took the main stage. If ever there were someone to reignite the flame on a fiery – yet sweaty – festival, she is that person. Her catalog of high-energy music brought the whole crowd to their feet, encouraging people of all ages to dance. (In fact, I witnessed many employing her twerking tactics throughout the evening as we got deeper and deeper into our alcohol consumption.) The show was an absolute work of art
Big Freedia brought beauty to the beginning of the evening on stage. She continued to bring good energy in her kindness to those who approached her after her performance as she roamed the festival grounds with her friends.
**Big Freedia was introduced by Kansas City’s current mayor in what many are considering to be a performative move. While he is championing legislation to make our city a safe haven for trans people, he is fighting against affordable housing for tenants and has voted down vital mental health, housing, and arts funding for the city. He has also pumped more money back into policing in Kansas City while defunding public health resources, a controversial and uneven approach.
On June 24th, Imperfect Fifth hosted our first official variety show with the indelible Cat Call. An idea sparked by Cat Call founder Brittany Brave, we were more than happen to collaborate it into existence with a badass lineup of incredible female voices. We started the evening with some awkward banter from Imperfect Fifth’s Meredith Schneider, followed by a bangin’ comedy set from Brittany Brave. Jillian Riscoe, Kamber, Jessie Hyde, and Lauren LoGrasso followed, with a night of compliments and good feelings all-around. But, truly, we were there for the talent. And not a single beautiful human disappointed.
Keep your eyes on the scroll for everyone’s tip jars. Remember, we’re all out of work to one degree or another right now, so every little bit helps. Feel free to donate to the Imperfect Fifth Tip Jar, and leave a note for which writer/intern/performer you’d like to support. Enjoy the entertainment, and remember to be kind to yourself and others!
P.S. Please take a moment to adore Brittany Brave, who is the object of our featured photo.
Cancelled Plans Continued, Night II was one of our favorite livestream events. Practice brought some amazing key work to the lineup, and we’re very excited to share the replay with you. Dive into it for some ambiance tonight!
Ships Have Sailed did some incredible work as the last act in our 9 hour stretch of talent at Cancelled Plans Music Festival 2020. If you didn’t get a chance to watch live, revisit it now. And be sure to tip if you have the means!
Parrot Dream, hands down, provided one of the most spectacular light shows of Cancelled Plans Music Festival 2020. We enjoyed their entire set… and all the comments on their visual and audio artistry afterward. Make sure to tip them for their work!
Dear Lord, it’s too easy to get lost in Jada Michael‘s captivating vocals. Need to infuse our lives with a little more of this, so playing her performance from Cancelled Plans Music Festival on repeat.
We love Bandits on The Run so much and we were incredibly thrilled when they decided to play our Cancelled Plans Music Fest last Friday! They nabbed two time slots and entertained the masses. Legitimately, this is the trio I look forward to releases from the most and I KNOW we had some tips their way that evening.
If you didn’t get it before, now you do. You’re welcome.
Crowd favorites Scarves made us laugh and dance on Friday night during our Cancelled Plans Music Fest festivities. I got 8 different texts from friends and family about how delightful their particular set was, and I would concur. Catch it in all of its glory below, and don’t forget to tip them here!
