On Friday, March 8th, Andrew McMahon brought his Upside Down Flowers tour to The Truman in Kansas City, MO. Thrilled to see one of Kansas City’s favorites, we were delighted at the stage decor and gorgeous lighting setup. Per usual, McMahon’s energy was unmatched and really led us into the weekend on a high note.
Keep up with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness here.
On Saturday, March 9th, the illustrious Flor opened for Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at the Truman in Kansas City, MO. The city welcomed them back like old friends, as they explained how the city had accepted them so graciously during their first performance at that venue last year. Their soundscape is magical, and the feeling in the room as they performed was no different. Here are a selection of our favorites – unedited – so you can experience some of that energy.
P.S. If you haven’t seen them live, then you haven’t experienced the electricity of “Warm Blood” the way it was meant to be enjoyed
Keep up with Flor here!
If you haven’t witnessed UPSAHL live, now is the perfect time. This female act is about to be major, and if her recorded music is not already any indication of that, then her live performance is absolute proof. And we couldn’t have thought of anyone better to open Max Frost’s show at The Riot Room on Monday, March 11th.
Rolling through . And during “All My Friends Are Rich”, you could tell the entire crowd was identifying with the lyrics in some way or another. (Hi. Yes. “Now where in the hell is my money?”) In fact, we were thrilled to see her perform any of the tracks off of her new Hindsight 20/20 EP, as it is such a vulnerable and theatrical work of art. Lucky us, UPSAHL’s vocals are just as raspy and enticing in real life as they are recorded, so her entire performance felt as though we were inside the EP itself. Not to mention, “Drugs” gave us all the confidence.
We walked away from that set to the bar like the badasses we had always dreamt of being, and we owe it all to an evening of fun with UPSAHL.
Keep up with the artist here.
Recently, Kansas City’s own indie rock ensemble Fathers – comprised of Kenneth Storz (Voice, Guitar, Keys), Brooke Honeycutt (Voice, Bells, Percussion), David Littlewood (Voice, Keys, Bells), Matt Guilliams (Bass, Percussion), Bryce VZ (Vibraphone, Voice, Percussion), Josh Seerden (Guitar, Keys, Bass, Percussion), and Celeste Tilley (Trombone, Voice, Percussion) – released their new EP High Horses. In fact, if you want to hear our (very impressed) thoughts, here are some words we wrote about it. To celebrate this release, they hosted an EP release party at 2016 Main in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, March 8th. This performance made us wonder what could possibly be better in life.
Imagine: a beautiful, warmly lit room with vaulted ceilings, a mellifluous performance put on by an ensemble with a drum line that just won’t quit. Their music is unique and enigmatic, therefore it goes to assume that their live performance is as well. The way they layer in the instrumentals – provided by eleven ensemble members – is absolute magic, and watching each member of the collective work so diligently to bring this beauty to the surface is an absolute honor.
Seeing Fathers is an emotional experience. Just the thought alone of being able to correctly communicate to create such beautiful music with so many helping hands is extraordinary, but the way they chose this EP release space to cater to their esthetic and the overall feel to the band was exceptional. The way they play with dissonance here and there is admirable, but most importantly it is the energy with which Fathers performs that makes them such a standout act. The evening was a truly curated experience, a night of tranquility with a band that is undoubtedly going on to great things together.
Keep up with Fathers here.
On February 26th, Soccer Mommy made a phenomenal appearance at the recordBar in Kansas City, MO to a sold out crowd. Openers Mess and Hovvdy laid perfect groundwork for the rowdy group, who were all in for a night of emotional and heartbreaking music. The house was packed before Hovvdy even started playing. which would normally come as a surprise to Kansas City concert-goers, as our city isn’t known for showing up early for the opening act. But Mess has developed a reputation of incredibly vibrant vocals and highly relatable songs that bring their crowds out early with anticipation. This evening seemed to be no exception, and we’re overjoyed that we got to witness that spark Mess ignites with each performance once again.
When Hovvdy took the stage, their steady, slow, crooning energy took over. And that same energy continued into the night, Soccer Mommy propelling it forward with her own brand of east coast bedroom pop. Within the summertime sounds of “Last Girl”, woven into the edge of “Skin”, and found in her older catalog inclusions as well, this type of energy is almost indescribable. Quirky, young, inspired, fun.
It seemed – in a moment surrounded by this soundscape, this crowd – around the third song of Soccer Mommy’s performance, that perhaps it wasn’t just this crowd that had latched on to the debut album she released just last summer. No, it seemed as if the words from Clean had soaked into our very surroundings, and that recordBar was emitting this palpable energy that made said surroundings feel like home.
If you haven’t gotten to see Soccer Mommy live yet, there is no better time than now. Lots of tour dates are coming up, as well as a couple of appearances at Coachella. Catch her set. You have no excuse not to.
Keep up with Soccer Mommy here.
On February 22nd, LA Jones made an unforgettable appearance at Riot Room in Kansas City. Photographer Michael Arnold Porter Jr. was on hand to capture the intensity for us.
On Valentine’s Day, Lawrence, KS favorites The Sluts opened for FIDLAR at 96.5 The Buzz’s holiday show at The Truman. Entertaining as ever, the duo Kristoffer Dover and Ryan Wise injected an intense energy into the audience, making it easy to blow FIDLAR away when they hit the stage. KC, we love you.
On Valentine’s Day, fans of 96.5 The Buzz gathered at The Truman for their annual Valentine’s Day show. This year, FIDLAR joined Kansas City as the headliner, with openers The Sluts. It was a night of wonderful entertainment, surrounded by an enormous amount of blue balloons.
Keep up with FIDLAR here.
Saturday, February 2nd, wasn’t just a day in the books because Panic! @ The Disco made an appearance at Sprint Center. Kansas City rejoiced that evening because the tow openers were there to party. Betty Who brought her crazy intense dance moves and powerful voice to the stage, leading in to Two Feet‘s display of impeccable guitar skills. We got a few snaps of these energetic performers, and they can be seen below!
