I was denied entrance to the Power & Light District last night.
The inner sanctum of the entertainment area had reached its capacity of 3,500 for a free concert by Cameo. I stood among more than 1,000 disappointed people who were also shut out. After listening to the brilliant band for about twenty minutes as I verified that all external doors were locked and that every security guard took his job seriously, I dropped into the RecordBar.
Johnny Hamil led a “gawdy cartoonnoirjazz” (his words and stylization) band for a handful of fans, friends and family members. After marveling at the blood moon from the venue’s smoking patio, I moved a few blocks west on Westport Road.
An adorably sincere little punk show at Records With Merritt provided me with the thrill I’d been seeking. Rather than feeling self-conscious about being the oldest member of the audience by at least twenty years, I took pleasure in knowing that I was the only listener who had attended performances by Sonic Youth and Cameo thirty years ago.
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I'm featured in Sylvia Maria Gross' otherwise outstanding examination of The Popper’s "I'm KC."
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I previewed Vince Staples’ concert at the Granada for Ink magazine.
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I write weekly music previews for The Kansas City Star.
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I previewed Ernest James Zydeco’s album release party for KCUR.
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I reviewed Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein at Plastic Sax.
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Tech N9ne has a new video for ”No K”.
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I’ve long adored K.T. Oslin. Even so, I can’t tell if Simply, a brief album of remakes, is a last gasp or a welcome comeback.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
