One of the best forms of therapy can be bonding with people from all walks of life, celebrating the same, beautiful music at a concert together. Dawes happens to be comprised of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, who happen to come from the same – or similar – walk of life, which isn’t lost on me as I glance around at the spellbound crowd around 9pm on Saturday, June 7th. The fact that they have been able to maintain such fantastic stage presence and creative prowess together for so long is a testament to their dedication to their craft, and their ability to see the good in each other. (Working with your family isn’t an easy thing to do. I honestly see it as a marker of genius in most situations.)
The brothers and their talented backing band played at the Star Pavilion at the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri — a venue I hadn’t yet photographed at, but found more enchanting than cheesy.
Dawes tore into a couple of songs before coming up for air to introduce themselves. While many bands will joke about whether they are in Kansas or Missouri, Taylor joked more about not knowing their proximity to the city because of the lack of windows in the room. Small jokes here and there garnered a lot of reaction from the ultra-attentive crowd.
Dawes’ 13-track setlist included crowd favorites, and some slow burns to really cherish together. Witnessing the build of the instrumentals – and watching the way the band jams together live – was an incredibly enjoyable experience, a welcome evening break from the horrors of the world.
Los Angeles-based punk rock outfit NOFX has embarked on a far-reaching farewell tour that helps the band honor their decades-long contribution to music. They brought their quintessential energy — and, at times, fully childish behavior — to all three days of Riot Fest 2024. Through sunshine and heat and endless rain in Douglass Park, Chicago, the guys sang from a catalog that would impress most, with love from fans emanating throughout the aptly named “NOFX World.”
We were lucky enough to capture some magic from night 2.
Manchester Orchestra brought their unique brand of indie rock to the afternoon on day two of Riot Fest 2024. Douglass Park was set ablaze by not only the temperatures but also the energy from the crowd as they recognized and recited song after song during the twelve-track set. Despite the heat, the guys were top form, and we couldn’t have had a more entrancing experience.
Setlist Top Notch Choose You Girl Harbor The Mansion The Ocean Every Stone All That I Really Wanted Trees Indentions See It Again Cope The Silence
Award-winning musician and writer Allison Russell has been bringing her unique blend of magic to the Newport Folk Festival for quite some time. She has performed there in bands and as a solo act now, and is absolutely thrilling to watch. Photographer Eric Tsurumoto grabbed some highlights from her set during Day 1, below.
Ohio-bred indie folk outfit Oliver Hazard swooped through Kansas City last night, lighting up the stage at recordBar — quite literally, with their backdrop and Edison bulbs. The trio brought their melodic magic to a captivated crowd.
To note, it was an audience of mostly Gen Z, carrying Nikon point-and-shoot cameras to capture their memories in a wholesome, “old-fashioned” way. It was a delightful way to spend an otherwise uncomfortably warm Wednesday evening, as the band rolled through their catalog and spoke of singing the national anthem at a Royals MLB game. (You know, as one does.)
Catch Oliver Hazard on one of the upcoming tour dates!
Oliver Hazard Tour Dates: Headline dates June 27 – St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill Jul 26 – Jul 28, 2024 – Newport Folk Festival* August 2 – Bozeman, MT – Sweet Pea Festival* August 16 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center^ Aug 17 – Waterville, OH – Oliver Hazard Day*
w/the 502s Sept 3 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Sept 5 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount Sept 6 – Portland, ME – Aura Sept 7 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage Sept 8 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Sept 10 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom Sept 14 – Charleston, SC – The Riviera Theater Sept 15 – Charleston, SC – The Riviera Theater Sept 16 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel Sept 18 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club Sept 19 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Headline dates Oct 16 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern Oct 17 – Syracuse, NY – Funk ‘n Waffles Oct 18 – Concord, NH – Sound and Color Festival* Oct 19 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom Oct 20 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair Oct 22 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live Oct 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg Oct 24 – Washington, DC – Union Stage Oct 26 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
If you didn’t know who Goose was already, then you could have gotten the full run-down from any man found within a 4 block radius of The Midland on Tuesday evening. “Do you know who Goose is?” a man in a gray tie dyed shirt excitedly asked me as I walked up to the box office to nab my photo pass. “Yes, I’m photographing them.” (And I do know their music. And they’re fantastic.) “Oh.”
But I didn’t have to worry about taking this man’s shine for too long. Almost immediately, he turned to a woman walking from the other direction and excitedly asked, “Do you know who Goose is?” She didn’t, and he was aghast. Immediately he launched into a tale about a young jam band that he and his friends championed from the beginning. I laughed at her expression, got my pass, and went inside.
But that’s what Goose does – they fire up the crowd. They are, in essence, a feel good band with an open, excitable fan base. Walking in, it felt like I was headed to camp. Everyone was complimenting each other’s shirts and looks, asking about strangers’ favorite songs, taking photos with signs and posters.
And that’s another thing… I’ve never seen so many banners and posters in this venue before. I’ve never felt the nostalgia of summer camp inside a venue in Kansas City. In my life. And I’m a native.
That was the vibe they brought. With an enchanting stage set, some quirky accessories (hello stuffed Luigi on a keyboard), and a crowd that was ready to be best friends, Goose brought everyone together on a perfect 70 something degree evening in the midwest.
Since 1990 – give or take a few years here and there – Candlebox (updated lineup: Kevin Martin, Adam Kury, Brian Quinn, Island Styles, BJ Kerwin) has been lighting the stage with its endearing (and enduring) brand of Pacific Northwest grunge rock. Consistently, they’ve brought heavy-hitting sets to dedicated crowds with hints of glam metal and blues in tow.
What the band has not always conveyed in their performance, is a sense of nostalgia or wide-spanning appreciation. Citing the pandemic – and other circumstances over the years – lead singer Kevin Martin took things a little slower, leaving space for reflection during their set at Starlight Theater in Kansas City, MO on Wednesday, September 6.
Martin told us about his flawed and wonderful immigrant grandmother and his incredible parents – including a wonderful anecdote about a cradle-robbing father. He later took time to appreciate the people he – and we all – have lost too soon. Grief is a tricky bitch, and we have all been touched by it over the years. A sense of true empathy fell like a blanket over the Theater, on what was – admittedly – one of the most temperate and enjoyable evenings of the summer. (Despite the additional quilt of smog over us, brought down from the fires in Canada. Oops.)
Setlist Don’t You Change Blossom No Sense Elegante Arrow Mothers Dream He Calls Home Cover Me Far Behind You
With COVID cases on the rise (despite what your local news might omit from its reports), photographers were not allowed a wide variety of angles to shoot from. However, the energy and the wild abandon are palpable through our Candlebox highlights, below.
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.
