My Twenty Favorite Kansas City Music Venues

Tim Finn compiled a list of his favorite music venues yesterday. Although I conducted a similar exercise four years ago, both the landscape and my memory bank have since shifted. I couldn't resist posting an update that includes both existing and shuttered clubs.

My friend Chris likes to say that your favorite show can't be in an arena. I tend to agree. I've excluded all large rooms from my list. I included Lawrence venues mostly because my world was turned upside down at The Outhouse.

There's no such thing as a perfect venue. Take my top pick. The sound is spotty, the cover charge is often alarmingly high and patrons have a tendency to yammer incessantly. Even so, Knuckleheads is unique. It has a nice staff, offers cheap man-cans and maintains a solid, if somewhat monochromatic, calendar. (And there's this.)

1. Knuckleheads
2. The Outhouse
3. Parody Hall (both locations)
4. Milton's (Main Street incarnation)
5. The Grand Emporium
6. The Record Bar (Drum Room in same location included)
7. The Hurricane/The Riot Room
8. City Light
9. The Jackpot
10. The Blue Room
11. Jimmy's Jigger
12. Nightmoves
13. Jardine's
14. The Lone Star
15. Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club
16. Crosstown Station
17. The Crossing
18. El Torreon
19. Guitars & Cadillacs
20. BB's Lawnside BBQ

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Ces Cru's new video is an extended shout-out.

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Kansas City Click: The Flatlanders perform at, ahem, Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

While I ordinarily detest songs about marijuana, I've succumbed to Eric Church's "Smoke a Little Smoke". He'll sing it Thursday at the Independence Events Center.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)