On a balmy 88 degree day, with direct sunlight beating down on us, the ever-extraordinary Elle Exxe sat down to do a quick interview and portrait session with us. You can check out the interview and a few of our favorite shots from that day below!
Keep up with Elle Exxe here.
On Friday, March 16th, we caught up with the guys from Marmalakes on the streets of Austin, Texas during the SXSW madness to take some photos and do a fun little interview. Check out some of the photos below, interview to come!
Keep up with the band here.
On March 14th, Walk Off The Earth made an invigorating appearance at Kansas City’s VooDoo Lounge with support from Darenots. Photographer Katie Young was there to capture some fun moments for us.
**photos by Katie Young
SXSW 2018 was absolute insanity. We caught up with the infinitely amazing – and beautifully decorated – band Gold Casio on Friday, March 16th, for a quick portrait session. (Did we mention it was in a back alley?) Here are some fun photos from that, with more on the band to come!
Keep up with Gold Casio here.
Recently, The Hillary Watts Riot made an incredible performance at The Rino, with support from Closed Quarters and Eggs on Mars. Photographer Zaria Dukes snapped some photos exclusively for us.
Keep up with The Hillary Watts Riot here.
**photos by Zaria Dukes
Mt. Joy made its Kansas City debut last night at The Riot Room. The LA/Philadelphia alternative band filled up the Westport venue bar on the beginning of its spring tour. Opening acts included local singer Chloe Jacobson and rocker Olivia Jean.
Concert goers travelled from all over, including a few members of lead singer Matt Quinn’s family who trekked from their hometown three hours away. Now, less than two weeks after debuting its self-titled album, Mt. Joy is no stranger to drawing and playing for the masses with a solid setlist consisting of now 15 songs, thanks to the new album. Songs like “Astrovan” and “Silver Lining” mix the setlist with new and old tracks.
Fresh off playing 10 shows at SXSW in just a few days, it won’t take long before the rest of the Spring 2018 tour sells out clubs and theatres all over the United States.
This band is hungry and excited to see what comes next the tour continues through the end of May. “Mt. Joy” features 13 songs with deep lyrics and meanings. Find it on your favorite streaming service.
**Photos and writeup by Ashleigh Lee
On one of the most gorgeous nights of 2018 so far, Thursday, March 15th, P!nk regaled a massive crowd at Sprint Center in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Bursting into the room in her signature aerial acrobatic harness, she came swinging in from a chandelier to “Get This Party Started”, as if there were any better way to make a grand entrance. Decked out in so much glitter the audience probably should have been wearing sunglasses, she bounced right into “Beautiful Trauma” and then a little throwback rendition of “Just Like a Pill” for the loyal fans who have been around to enjoy her incredible career for the last two decades. There were a lot of them, as the event itself sold out so quickly that the arena had to open more seats on the side to accommodate her midwest fanbase.
Which is really no surprise, as this woman has been setting the world on fire – literally and figuratively, if you count the pyrotechnics during “Just Like Fire” – since she started back in the last 90s. With a flare for the most athletic endeavors, her stage performance has taken a turn from upbeat pop maneuvers, to an intense and beautifully artful experience, replete with Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics and bright, fun pops of color amidst glitter for days. Slowing it down for a soulful rendition of “Barbies” and “I Am Here” brought the crowd to their feet, belting out the lyrics with a fiery passion we haven’t witnessed at another show in quite some time. But not all the magic was found in the lyrics, though so relatable in so many ways.
But if ever our hearts stopped during a cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, this was it. Dressed in a more grunged up look, the crowd went wild with her slightly more soulful vocals layered over those unmistakable guitar riffs and edgy flare.
P!nk incorporated her moving and incredibly heroic 2017 MTV VMAs acceptance speech into her set, bringing faces of every color, race, and ethnicity to the forefront in a little video that played while she was changing outfits. But the message hit very close to home, as we continue to deal with issues of sexism, racism, and other types of hatred. P!nk’s message is just as resounding as in tracks like “What About Us?” where she seems to call out people in power with her questioning, much like she did in 2011’s “Dear Mr. President”. And though she didn’t get to sing that song in particular, her rally cry could probably be heard for miles while thousands of women joined her in powerful, captivating song.
I personally got to enjoy the show with my mother and my sister, both of whom I have gone with to see P!nk’s previous shows. I will say it once and then say it a million times after, this woman knows how to impress. Not even for the sake of others, but you can tell she does this to prove everything to herself and to pave the way for other dreamers, which leaves little room to be disappointed in the work she does. We even got a treat this time, as the last show she came through held no encore goodness – Though, really, who is complaining? – with an exciting, Tinker Bell-esque performance of “So What” and “Glitter In The Air” before she disappeared into the night, most likely to get into a cuddle puddle with her adorable traveling family.
Keep up with P!nk here, and make sure to check out her Beautiful Trauma tour in a city near you!
Oak House played Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines on Friday, March 9. The indie-grunge 3-piece from Georgia put on a powerful and energizing set.
Moon Taxi rocked The Truman in Kansas City on February 17. It was the band’s final performance before a well-needed break after touring for several months. The resume their tour later in March.
