Review: Crossroads Music Fest

Maybe, just maybe, Kansas City is ready to host a major music festival. That was my thought after a full night of fun at Saturday's wonderful Crossroads Music Fest. Over two dozen local acts performed on five stages within steps of one another. If expanded to a three-mile radius, dozens of existing stages would be available to accommodate musicians from around the world. Why not have a SXSW or CMJ in KC?

Of the eleven acts I witnessed, five were particularly noteworthy:

1. Makuza- I'd only seen the self-described "Afro-Cuban, funk and jazz" act in jazz settings, so their electrifying set at Crosstown Station was a revelation. Alas, no one asked me to dance...

2. The ACBs- Could they really be worthy of comparison to Dwight Twilley and Matthew Sweet? They were on Saturday.

3. Hearts of Darkness- The de facto Fela tribute band provided the soundtrack to a joyous celebration.

4. The Pornhuskers- You've heard of the Sex Pistols? These knuckleheads could be called the Sex Idiots. Good times.

5. Quixotic- The performance ensemble isn't my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean I can't be awed by their incredible presentation. Hey, PBS! Quixotic are your next fund drive superstars.

I was so turned off by all the professional photographers fighting for position in front of every stage that I didn't touch my point-and-click Kodak. (This is a photo I snapped at a Hammerlord show earlier this year.) The outstanding work of Michael Forester and Lucas Hutmacher captures the night for posterity.

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Regular readers of There Stands the Glass know that I've long harbored strong opinions about Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Kanye West. I'll say no more in this forum only because I'm terrified of Satan's minions "Team Taylor."

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Kansas City Click: Hammerlord (pictured here) opens for Static X Tuesday at the Beaumont.

Review: Tech N9ne Versus Steddy P

I caught Tech N9ne at the Granada and Steddy P at the Record Bar Friday night. The two hip hop shows provided a mind-blowing study in contrast. Because I'm often accused of being Tech N9ne's most notable apologist, some haters will be shocked when I acknowledge that Steddy P's performance was far more interesting and enjoyable than that of the "Kansas City King."

I still love Tech N9ne. I'll never tire of classics like "Einstein." Having seen him perform over a dozen times, I've often said that the only missing element at Tech N9ne's otherwise outstanding concerts is the lack of a live band. That's a big part of why Steddy P bested Tech N9ne Friday. These are my notes.

Performance : Midway through his already joyous set, Steddy P was joined by a rock trio. It solidified his effort as one of my favorite performances of 2009. As always, Tech N9ne was solid. He's touring in Australia now and audiences there will see exactly the same show I witnessed Friday. Spontaneity isn't much of an option when you're working with prerecorded tracks.

Guests: Steddy P played host to many of the town's premier underground names- Approach, MilkDrop, Reach, Smoov Confusion, Royce Diamond and the Soul Servers were among the artists who were on the Record Bar's small stage. Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko and Kutt Calhoun was supported by Mr. Stinky and Irv Da Phenom. The highly-hyped Big Scoob didn't appear. The unexplained absence was rare for a Strange Music show. The label usually operates with refreshing precision.

Booze: Tech N9ne celebrates Caribou Lou. Steddy P sipped PBR from a can. Tech N9ne fans like to drink until they drop. I saw a beautiful woman at the Steddy P show scold a man for spilling a drop of beer on her blouse.

Fans: The Record Bar was a hipster haven. Demencha provides an representative photo gallery of the stylish scene. Conversely, many of Tech N9ne's male fans wear face paint. And a lot of his female fans wear next to nothing. A Steddy P fan is likely to have a Noam Chomsky tome on his or her bedside table. The reading material of a typical Tech N9ne fan gets no deeper than the instructions on a box of condoms.

Stacking Paper: Tech N9ne sold out the Granada. With 1,700 people at $31 a pop, the show's gross was over $50,000. Throw in t-shirts, V.I.P. packages and other merch and it was another hugely profitable night for Strange Music. On the other hand, less than 100 fans paid the $7 cover Friday at the Record Bar. And bless his heart, Steddy P told the audience that he'd give his new CD to anyone who told him that they couldn't afford it. That's not how they do it at Strange.

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Kansas City Click: The Mars Volta play the Midland on Monday.

(Orginal image by There Stands the Glass. I forgot my camera Friday.)

Ivie Anderson- He's Tall Dark & Handsome

He's gone.

I was perplexed to see a Sophie Tucker compilation join Willie Nelson and Diana Krall at the top of jazz sales charts until a little research revealed that the New York Times recently published an enthusiastic review of the release by boutique label Archeophone.

I get excited whenever there's a brief flash of interest in bawdy saloon singing. Maybe, I think, someone outside of Kansas City will finally take notice of the great Myra Taylor. Although she recently turned ninety, Taylor is as scandalous as ever.

The risque "Tall, Dark & Handsome," recorded in Los Angeles in 1946, is included on this collection of material from Ivie Anderson's ill-fated career. The one-time Ellington associate was sleeker than Tucker and Taylor, but her sophistication makes the ribald lyric even more titillating.

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Still wondering about Sophie Tucker? This is rich.

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Hermon Mehari, who was featured at There Stands the Glass last week, makes a sales pitch for UMKC.

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A giant among us, Arvo Part, turns 74 today. This piece stops me in my tracks.

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It's no American Gangster, but the new Jay-Z is a lot better than I expected.

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Kansas City Click: There Stands the Glass favorite Steddy P performs Friday at the Record Bar.

The Crossroads Music Fest goes down Saturday.

Guy Forsyth returns to Knuckleheads on Sunday.

Exclusive Interview With ...music video?

Thanks, guys.

Tucson band ...music video? embarked on an extensive tour of the United States this week. Fans in markets including Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Nashville and Austin will hear material from their wonderfully winning album Now That My TV Has Wings I'll Never Be Lonely. It and Fireproof Your TV are available at iTunes. The nation's interstates and cheap motels may prove taxing, but they might be less grueling than enduring my silly questions.

There Stands The Glass (TSTG): Did you deliberately set out to find the most difficult, least Google-friendly band name possible?

Wes McCanse of ...music video? (MV): Yes, that was our goal since day one. But joking aside, no.

TSTG: Your music is very emotional. That's something that I don't always associate with electronic-oriented music. Am I listening to the wrong stuff or do you feel that your approach is unique?

MV: We've always felt we were a pop band that happens to be electronic and not the other way around. We think it's important for the listener and
ourselves to have a good song to listen to first and foremost.

TSTG: I love the lyrics to "The Little Boy On Fire"? Is it (dare I ask) autobiographical? Is there an overriding philosophy behind your rather unusual lyrics?

MV: No it wasn't autobiographical per se, but I didn't particularly enjoy practicing the piano as a kid. As far as a lyrical philosophy, I do try to blend fiction and non-fiction in my writing without making it too obvious.

TSTG: Does your music sound like it does because of- or in spite of- your base in Tucson, Arizona?

MV: I think Tucson has a very diverse music scene. We don't all sound like
Calexico or Giant Sand down here. I think our music is a byproduct of the
the music that we listen to. However, the music fans in Tucson have
definitely embraced our sound.

TSTG: Which is a bigger influence- Brian Eno or the Flaming Lips?

MV: Paul: The Flaming Lips. Wes: The Flaming Lips. Justin: Brian Eno.

TSTG: Should fans in Kansas City expect to see three dudes hiding behind laptops? What's your show like?

MV: Definitely not, we'll all be playing instruments. We don't rely on laptops
to make music, we do make our music using laptops though. Chicken vs. egg, right? We play traditional instruments like guitar, but we also play synths, samplers, and a slew of other gadgets that tend to intrigue the audience.


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I had no idea what I'd been missing. I love Speech Debelle. Thanks, Mercury Prize!

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The BBC's tender portrait of Dave Brubeck is charming.

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Bones! (Found via Lawrence.com.)

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I remain completely smitten with We Were Promised Jetpacks, perhaps because I experience them as equal parts Arctic Monkeys and Mogwai.

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Kansas City Click: ...music video? is joined by Tut Tut and Thee Water Moccasins Thursday at the Record Bar.

(Image by Joe Odea.)

Dub Syndicate- Drainpipe Rats

Exterminated.

I was horrified when "Murder She Wrote" revolutionized the reggae scene in the early '90s. It represented everything I loathed about the direction the music was heading. Over fifteen years later, I wholeheartedly embrace the hit. Funny how that happens. One of the men responsible for updating- for better or for worse- the sound of reggae was Wycliffe Johnson, a.k.a. Steely. He died September 1. Here's a partial listing of his credits. And here's one of his typical productions. Steely played keyboards on the out-of-print 1983 album One Way System.

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Meeting Laroo was an unexpected bonus at the Jacka's instore Saturday.

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I attended Rock the Light last weekend. Here's my review. I was delighted that a Christian rocker captured the amusing schedule for a recent Lil Wayne concert at the same venue.

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Kenny Diamondz' TwitPic of last weekend's White Linen Party starring Lyfe Jennings depicts quite a scene.

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Even with a lineup that failed to featured a fresh "must-see" act, I had a great time (as always) at the 2009 edition of the Kansas City Irish Festival. If forced to choose, I suppose David Munnelly and his band of merry men were my favorite group.

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My friend Michael Byars is the best music trivia player I've encountered. His fine podcast probably has something to do with his encyclopedic skills.

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Kansas City Click: I intend to stay back home with my (new) Beatles and my Stones on Tuesday night, so I'll miss the Ruskin Quartet's gig at Chaz.

Artie Shaw- But Not For Me

No more.

Blue-haired big band fans are frequent targets of my wrath at Plastic Sax. Because they're so passionate about their favorite music- and because they have the money to back it up- they continue to dictate much of what gets booked at the various jazz series in my town.

Here's a difficult admission for someone of my generation: their music was great.

On the rare occasions I dip into the white sweet big band sounds of Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Jack Teagarden, I find myself bingeing on the style. This enchanting 1945 track from Artie Shaw's orchestra shows why. It's one of 65 tracks on this wonderful collection. The intricate chart, Shaw's masterful clarinet and a horn section that includes Roy Eldridge (the band was integrated by this date) combine to create unbeatable dance music.

It's difficult to comprehend decades after the fact, but big bands were the popular music of the day and jazz musicians like Shaw were celebrities. Need proof? In addition to selling tens of millions of recordings, Shaw could boast that Lana Turner and Ava Gardner were among his eight wives. Can you imagine, say, Brad Mehldau marrying both Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba? I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Need more? Of course you do. Check out this elaborate video from 1939. You also need to get hip to "Nightmare", Shaw's foreboding and awesomely evil theme song.

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"Heaven Only Knows" how much I love the new song and video from A.R.M. It features There Stands the Glass favorites Brother Ali and Budo.

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Wonderful jazz pianist Eddie Higgins passed away. Here's his remarkable discography. Doug Ramsey wrote a nice tribute. (Tip via BGO.)

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Saxophonist Joe Maneri died last month. I hadn't been familiar with him, but after listening to his music online, I realize that I'd been missing out on a wonderful talent. This, for instance, is dope.

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I'm saving my initial session with the leaked Jay-Z album for the holiday weekend.

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The Jacka is back in Kansas City. I plan to stop by during his appearance Saturday at 7th Heaven.

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I'm really impressed that this weekend's Chicago Jazz Festival prominently features the likes of Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown.

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I recall consciously skipping DJ AM's last gig in Kansas City. It's just not my scene. Here's good fan footage of what I missed.

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Here's a new track from XTA-C, Kansas City's "Mr. So Heavy."

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Kansas City Click: There's a startlingly enthusiastic buzz surrounding the Dandy Warhols' Thursday show at the Beaumont.

Nashville's Kat Jones joins Kansas City staples Howard Iceberg and Chad Rex at Prospero's Books on Friday.

You've never been to Santi Cali Gon Days? Remedy that situation Saturday. I'm sure there's an Eagles tribute band or some such but I usually bounce between a beer tent and the gospel stage.

The KC Irish Fest wraps up Sunday with the Elders.

Review: Lee "Scratch" Perry at the Beaumont

Why do I even bother going to reggae shows? I don't touch ganja and I'm notoriously impatient. I'm just not equipped to "be happy".

It was disappointing but not surprising, consequently, that the guy working the door of the Beaumont Club a couple nights ago warned me that the night's headliner, Lee "Scratch" Perry, wasn't even in the building when I arrived after ten. As I forked over thirty dollars, I advised the bouncers that I'd burn the place down Scratch-stylee if the legend wasn't on stage in an hour's time.

The Westport club was nearly torched.

After an hour of listening to his backup band riff tediously- they resembled a Robin Trower tribute act that had just learned to play reggae three months ago- an unmistakable voice cried, "Hello hello hello hello hello hello hello!"

My frustration evaporated as one of my true musical heroes appeared from behind a curtain. Nothing he performed was remotely as good as this or even this. I was pleased, however, that he still possesses an obsession with fire. As a woman says in that loony clip, the Upsetter "lives in a sort of different dimension." I even caught a glimpse of it when I looked into the eyes of the 73-year-old legend as I shook his hand.

Joel Francis wrote a proper review of the show. And the Pitch's photographer has a really nice camera.


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Kansas City native Chris Connor has died. Here's Steve Paul's obituary. The jazz vocalist was featured at There Stands the Glass in 2008.

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Kansas City Click: AU makes new age music for hipsters. The group drones Tuesday at the Pistol Social Club.






















(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Diverse

Best wishes.

Diverse. What an atrocious name for a band! Not surprisingly, the group's song titles are similarly lame.

Those two objections aside, I absolutely adore the self-titled debut album by Diverse. In fact, it's my favorite jazz album recorded in the Kansas city area since Passages, the 2006 release by the late vocalist Gregory Hickman-Williams.

Diverse recalls the pleasant grooves of seventies albums by the Blackbyrds, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine and Grover Washington, Jr. Yet Diverse is anything but a throwback act. The rhythm section, for instance, often implies an keen awareness of hip hop.

Not every note in Bobby Watson's hands-off production is perfect, but everything seems entirely heartfelt and completely honest. It's the musical equivalent of a veteran basketball coach doing little more than tossing a ball on the court and telling his team to play hard. And the five young members of Diverse do just that. Each is an outstanding player, but it's the inventive efforts of drummer Ryan Lee and keyboardist John Brewer that contribute the most to the band's unique identity.

Diverse works best as a cohesive whole; no one moment is definitive. Still, fans of the classic Blue Note sound will be impressed by the opening line of "Vitality." It sounds as if it was pulled from an unreleased Kenny Dorham date. The melodic "B-Day Song" could be mistaken for a Robert Glasper cover of a Chick Corea tune. And Najee would applaud the breezy "Sojourner." The cumulative effect makes Diverse an ideal soundtrack for both backyard barbecues and intimate candlelit dinners.

Diverse doesn't play smooth jazz. But their jazz goes down smooth.


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I will happily pay money too see both Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta perform in 2010. Here's my review of last night's American Idol arena show.

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Jason Harper covered a few of last weekend's Charlie Parker-related events in the Kansas City area. He offers a dispatch from the Sunday's graveside function and editorializes about what he characterizes as Saturday's "Bird Flu". I was there too- this fuzzy shot was taken Saturday- and generally concur with his assessments.

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Kansas City Click: The New Familiars join the Rural Grit crew Monday at the Brick.

(Original image of Diverse trumpeter Hermon Mehari by Plastic Sax.)

Robert Lee Nighthawk- My Friend Has Forsaken Me

Friends no more.

My seemingly perverse obsession with the state of jazz has placed me on the periphery of today's fierce "Can Jazz Be Saved?"-related infighting. While it has also seen better days, the blues is no such mortal danger. It will never die. The immediate appeal of this track, recorded in Aurora, Illinois in 1937, remains universal. Twenty-five early sides by Robert Nighthawk, a.k.a. Robert Lee McCoy, are featured on this compilation. And everyone simply must see this incredible footage. Nighthawk's tough performance- "I'm gonna murder my baby..."- is fantastic, but it's the crowd's response that's completely mesmerizing. (For the record, I dance like the guy at 3:03.)

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A new video from Miles Bonny was filmed at several of Kansas City's most scenic locations.

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Call me square and old-fashioned. I love Anthony Hamilton's "The Point of It All".

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The 2nd Annual International Conference on Minimalist Music begins next week in Kansas City.

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After much deliberation, I've decided not to feature the late Rashied Ali. I simply don't possess the right music for a There Stands the Glass post. Go here instead. The remarkable jazz drummer died August 12.

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Kansas City Click: Young jazz act Diverse perform at the Blue Room on Friday.

Two concurrent events- the Yardbird Jazz & Film Festival and the Bird Lives Festival- take place Saturday in the vicinity of 18th & Vine. Details are here.

The legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry is at the Beaumont on Sunday.

Ellie Greenwich, 1940-2009

Adieu.

It's an almost incomprehensible concept, but someone actually wrote "River Deep, Mountain High". Surely, it seems, something so monumental must have existed since the beginning of time. "Be My Baby", "Then He Kissed Me" and "Leader of the Pack" are also integral contributions to today's popular culture. Click the links if you need to be reminded of each song's epic grandeur.

While it's true that we wouldn't remember these songs quite as fondly were it not for the contributions of giants like Phil Spector and Tina Turner, each classic was written or co-written by Ellie Greenwich.

Greenwich died yesterday. This disc includes the entirety of her 1968 and 1973 solo albums. The glorious "Baby Baby Baby" was included on the former.

I probably gained more insight into the minds of teenage girls from Greenwich than from Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy and Judy Blume combined. Consequently, I'm willing to forgive Greenwich for "Chapel of Love", a ditty that makes even happily married men cringe.

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Soulja Boy? Is that you? (He just wants to be "Successful.")

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The new Raekwon is- dare I say it?- great.

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Bongo Berry, a Kansas City-area children's musician, died unexpectedly yesterday. He was 55. He seemed like the picture of health when I saw him at Jiggle Jam in May.

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Kansas City Click: Look At These F***ing Hipsters Sorry- wrong blog. French Horn Rebellion perform Thursday at the Record Bar.

The V-Roys- Wind Down

Wound down.

Steve Earle was a bummer Saturday night. Don't misunderstand- artistically, his performance was excellent. But the combination of the solo-acoustic format and Earle's focus on Townes Van Zandt's sad songs didn't exactly make for a good time. Here's my review. I saw Earle tour behind Guitar Town and Copperhead Road, and I longed for a similarly rocking band. Earle certainly knows how it's done. He produced, for instance, the The V-Roys's excellent 1996 debut Just Add Ice. It represents precisely the sort of Southern blues-rock that I was hankering for Saturday.

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John E. Carter of the Flamingos and the Dells died August 21. I pulled out "Stay In My Corner" for the first time in years when I heard the bad news. It sounds better than ever.

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Joe Schwab of Euclid Records displays a few amazing folk art album covers.

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Here's my review of last night's Lil Wayne concert.

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Kansas City Click: Deke Dickerson returns to Knuckleheads on Tuesday.

Jim Dickinson, 1941-2009

Farewell.

"I got a honky tonk heart and a juke box brain," Calvin Russell sings. "I got the rock and roll rhythm flowing in my veins."

Russell might have written that line specifically for Jim Dickinson, the producer of his excellent 1999 album Sam. Russell explains his career in this remarkable video.

Dickinson's list of credits reads like the soundtrack to the Saturday night of my dreams. The Flamin' Groovies. The Rolling Stones. Toots & the Maytals. Big Star. Bob Dylan. Tav Falco. Furry Lewis. Mudhoney. The Texas Tornados. The Replacements. Joe "King" Carrasco. Green On Red. Aretha Franklin. He even produced two of my favorite surprises of recent years, Lucero's Nobody's Darlings and the Tarbox Ramblers' Fix Back East.

Dickinson died August 15.

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Kanye West is pushing There Stands the Glass favorite and my fellow Kansan XV at his blog.

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In her blog at MySpace, Kansas City, Kansas, resident Marva Whitney announced today that her "first solo show in New York in 40 years" will take place on September 26. How about a gig here, Marva?

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Maybe I should try to hitch a ride to next weekend's Nebraska Pop Festival with the Transmittens.

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Kansas City Click: I don't think it's supposed to be a secret show, but Dave Alvin's Friday gig at the Folly Theater sure seems that way.

Lakeside will take the audience at Saturday's Soul Food Festival at Parade Park on a "Fantastic Voyage".

Lawrence pop masters Mammoth Life perform at the Record Bar on Sunday.

Review: George Strait's Twang

Twang EPK at YouTube

If you've heard one George Strait album, the mantra goes, then you've heard 'em all.

Then why am I the proud owner of over a dozen of Strait's 38 albums?

I bought his first album, Strait Country, as a new release, in 1981. The first song on that first album, "Unwound", is still one of my favorites. And Strait sings "El Rey" , the final song of his predictably fine new release Twang, in Spanish. The two tracks serve as bookends for (literally) days of great music.

Sure, a lot of it is formulaic and sappy. But Strait is also the most prolific and expert practitioner of my most cherished country music tradition- the drinkin'-to-forget song. "Living For the Night" is Twang's real keeper in that category.

Strait name-checks Hank Williams on the title track and Louis Armstrong on "Where Have I Been All My Life." Guys like me love that stuff.

I also appreciate the fact that it took Strait to finally break the six-week stranglehold that Michael Jackson's Number Ones had on the top of the charts. Loyal readers of There Stands the Glass know that I cried when M.J. died. But the tears I shed as I listen to Strait's hurtin' songs have an entirely different taste.

It's fitting then, at least from my perspective, that "King George" displaced the King of Pop.

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Until Tuesday, I'd never seen Over the Rhine. They absolutely floored me. I had no idea what I'd been missing. Here's my review of their stellar performance.

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Between the sets of Ari Hest and Over the Rhine, I snuck into the Blondie show down the street. The veterans looked and sounded phenomenal. And I got to hear "Hanging On a Telephone"!

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I encourage you to share the Gnawledge.

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This Blue Note/Wu-Tang mash-up is dope. (Found via NPR's jazz blog.)

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Kansas City Click: The rarest of events in Kansas City- an in-store performance- takes place with Micro Giant at Streetside Records Thursday. It's followed by a proper gig at the Riot Room.

Les Paul, 1915-2009

Goodbye.

Is it supposed to sound like that? That's the question I ask myself every time I hear Les Paul. Even the squarest selections on this terrific compilation crackle with weird experimentation. "Brazil," a track from 1947, is typical. Perhaps the enormous attention paid to Paul's death will inspire a new generation to discover the innovator's work. Nothing against Hendrix, but the world would certainly be a better place if more guitarists were also influenced by Paul's imaginative catalog.

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James Christos blasts KPRS.

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Kansas City Click: What are the chances that my favorite Blondie song will be performed Tuesday at Crossroads?

Review: Blind Pilot at the Record Bar

Maybe it's time I stop making fun of my friend.

"Henry" and I are both incorrigible music fiends. We have an informal contest to see which one of us can catch the most live performances. (I'm at about 200 for 2009 but Henry is winning.) The funny part is that we have wildly different tastes. I'm obsessed with the Knowles sisters, hip hop, metal and jazz. Henry favors girly folk singers. We don't share much common ground.

Partly because I recently featured the band at There Stands the Glass, Henry insisted meet up Thursday for Blind Pilot's show at the Record Bar.

My friend is on to something. Blind Pilot was absolutely exquisite.

Working as a sextet, their delicate chamber folk completely enchanted me. Intricate arrangements featuring unlikely instruments including vibraphone, harmonium, trumpet, banjo and dulcimer were tasteful rather than fussy. Bandleader Israel Nebeker isn't exactly charismatic, but it didn't matter. Blind Pilot's music is best experienced while gently swaying with eyes closed.

The capacity audience consisted largely of attractive young women and simpering men. Thankfully, Henry's calming presence kept me on my best behavior during Blind Pilot's hypnotic 55-minute set. Consequently, I didn't spoil a man's marriage proposal during this song. (She said "yes.")

This rough fan footage reveals the night's sole flaw- insanely inconsiderate chatter from the back of the room. Blind Pilot could use a few more uptempo songs like this to win over the oblivious few.

I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to forsake mercilessly mocking Henry and his love of what I call "NPR rock."

But we'll always have Blind Pilot.

The opening set by Sons of Great Dane was solid, but I was too distracted by the audience's bizarre behavior to give the Kansas City band my full attention. The room was packed, yet everyone excluding myself stood no closer than six feet from the stage. It's as if the entire audience was wearing dog shock collars to avoid an invisible fence. The moment Sons of Great Dane's set ended, the crowd rushed to the lip of the stage.

Even Henry laughed at that lame move.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Mike Seeger, 1933-2009

Thanks, Mike.

"If he dies I'll tan his skin and if he lives I'll ride him again." The line from The New Lost City Ramblers' version of "Old Johnny Booker Won't Do" is an apt way to remember the late Mike Seeger. He died August 7. Few individuals contributed more to the ongoing rediscovery and reinvention of American music. Yes, Mike was the half-brother of Pete, but where the latter is notoriously strident, Mike seemed to focus on music. Honestly, I'd consider trading Pete's entire catalog for two or three collections of Mike's straightforward folk music. He relates charming stories about his childhood here. "Old Johnny Booker Won't Do" is from the Rambers' wonderfully titled Out Standing In Their Field. I wholeheartedly recommend virtually everything by the Ramblers as well as all of Mike's solo albums.

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I took no pleasure in trashing Wednesday's Blues Traveler concert. This fan footage is all too representative.

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Get a load of all that hair! I like the new video for Lonely H's "The Singer." The song is like a mash-up of The Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling" and Johnny Paycheck's "(Don't Take Her) She's All I Got." And yeah, that's intended as a compliment.

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I defy anyone not to like Brother Ali's new track.

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My friend and neighbor Mike Webber is interviewed about his stint at Caper's Corner record store.

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Alas, it looks like There Stands the Glass will return to its status as an obituary site for the foreseeable future. I'll try to toss in a few non-death posts in an attempt to stave off the unrelenting gloom.

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Kansas City Click: Hobo Tone appears at Bodyworks Friday.

The Avett Brothers, two of my favorite beardos, open for Railroad Earth Saturday at Crossroads.

Carolin Pook's Sunday gig at Jardine's looks promising.

Review: Yonder Mountain String Band at Crossroads

Banjos and mandolins sound sublime when they ricochet off buildings in midtown Kansas City.

Other obligations forced me to arrive late and leave early to last night's Yonder Mountain String Band concert at Crossroads. My inconvenient schedule allowed me to experience an unexpectedly effective psychedelic sound mix outside the gates of the outdoor venue. Crossroads has a reliably solid sound system, but the echo-laden remix enjoyed by hundreds of fans who chose to enjoy the show from nearby parking lots was in many ways superior.

The other not-so-surprising revelation was that I could smell the crowd of 2,000 from a block away. (That explains the accompanying image.)

Once inside Crossroads I joined one of the happiest, hoopiest crowds I've encountered in a long time. And why not? Music like this goes down easy on a warm summer evening.

One of the night's biggest cheers came in response to a Split Lip Rayfield reference. But where Kansas' alternative bluegrass act works with a punk and metal sensibility, Yonder Mountain evokes Jerry Garcia.

Grateful Dead t-shirts abounded for good reason. With their long pauses between songs and sincere roots-based jams, the Colorado band resembles the Dead in both spirit and approach.

The cumulative effect was so delightful that I seriously considered growing dreadlocks and joining the tribe. Only later did I realize that it was just the secondhand smoke talking.

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It's the talk of the town. In a music trivia match Monday at the Record Bar, my teammates and I failed to identify a Charlie Parker track. How humiliating! My excuse? Emcee Robert Moore seemingly used a remastered mix that sounded too contemporary to be a Parker recording. Still, I'm deeply shamed.

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Kansas City Click: Do you have the time to listen to Green Day whine Wednesday at Sprint Center?

Blind Pilot recently opened for the Decemberists at the Uptown. They're headliners at the Record Bar on Thursday.

(Original image taken at There Stands the Glass' family homestead near Hutchinson last weekend. I'm told that the plant "grows naturally" in the area.)

Willy DeVille, 1950-2009

Goodbye.

Garland Jeffreys. Robert Gordon. Gary U.S. Bonds. Joe Gruschecky. I discovered each of them through Bruce Springsteen. Bruce was among my favorite performers during my formative years. I accumulated albums by artists with any kind of affiliation with the star. That's how I discovered Willy DeVille, or more precisely, Mink DeVille, his band at the time. Although DeVille never developed more than a cult following in the United States, it's certainly not because he wasn't worthy of wider recognition. Just check, for instance, the credits on Victory Mixture. It's loaded with stars of soul, blues, funk and the New Orleans sound- Wayne Bennett, Eddie Bo, Dr. John, Leo Nocentelli and Allen Toussaint play on the 1990 date. DeVille died August 6.

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I take no pleasure in throwing a miniscule wrench in the marketing machinery, but watching a crass sales pitch for The Beatles: Rock Band on a home shopping channel Sunday night made me nauseous.

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I identify the single most encouraging moment of 2009 on the Kansas City jazz scene over at Plastic Sax.

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I encountered The Kansas City Bear Fighters for the first time last week. I can't wait to catch these oddballs again.

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Kansas City Click: Consider the Source and Mouth get jammy Tuesday at the Czar Bar.

Review: Sugarland's Live On the Inside

60-second advertisement at YouTube

Sometimes it seems as if "Don't Stop Believin'" is the biggest song of 2009. The Journey staple is often used to escort audiences out of arenas after concerts. I also saw it unite a crowd of 46,000 baseball fans at Dodger Stadium earlier this week.

Anyone wondering about the potential source of new songs in the tradition of "Don't Stop Believin'" needs to get hip to Sugarland. Don't be fooled by the mandolins or the twang of vocalist Jennifer Nettles. Sugarland is the new Journey. Their new DVD/CD Live On the Inside, is brimming with gargantuan melodies, universal lyrics and delectable, Journey-flavored cheese.

Almost all of Sugarland's songs demand to be sung by drunks in dives, tweens at slumber parties and celebrants at pre-game parking lot barbecues. They're that good. "Steve Earle," a ditty about the songwriter's wives, is one of the few songs that doesn't apply.

As one would expect, the concert footage showcases the band at their loose, fun-loving best. Clever renditions of songs by Beyonce, the B52's, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam and R.E.M. demonstrate the band's crossover approach.

In fact, most Sugarland fans are probably more familiar with Aerosmith than with Willie Nelson. And I guarantee that almost all of them know the words to "Don't Stop Believin'."

Live On the Inside is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Buy it for $12 here.

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Former Kansas City, Kansan, and There Stands the Glass favorite Mad Marlon has a new video for "Say My Name".

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My friend Jason is amused that the word verification for his most recent comment at Plastic Sax was "UNCOL." Here's a screenshot. The indignities I face as a jazz blogger...

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Here's a virtual diary entry I wrote about getting kicked out of record stores.

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Kansas City Click: The Pitch's annual music showcase goes down Thursday in Westport.

Atmosphere was great last time around. They're at the Beaumont on Friday.

Alaadeen hits the Blue Room on Saturday.

Motley Crue's extravaganza comes to the Sprint Center on Sunday.

Billy Lee Riley, 1933-2009

Farewell.

"My gal is red hot. Your gal ain't doodley squat." Rockabilly boasts thousands of great lyrics, but perhaps none are better than Billy Lee Riley's "Red Hot". The rockabilly giant died August 2. The Los Angeles Times' fascinating obituary of Riley recounts a great story about Riley's reaction to Sam Phillips' alleged suppression of the song. It's worth noting that much of Riley's original Sun sessions are pure blues. The instrumental "Thunderbird" is just plain greasy.

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While in Los Angeles earlier this week, I heard a DJ play a track from a Jerry Garcia solo album. It was shockingly great. I'd never heard the Bert Jansch-style psychedelic folk-rock song. I'm quite agitated that I'm now compelled to dig into Garcia's catalog, a project I never expected to undertake.

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Kansas City Click: Longtime rivals for the title of Kansas City's premier melodic metal band, Red Line Chemistry and The Leo Project battle tonight on the Power & Light stage.