Hello! I apologize for the delay but it has been an action packed week and a half since I last posted so I'll do my best to recount what I've been up to, mostly so I'll remember and also to catch everyone one up that cares to be caught up...hang on this is going to be a long one.
Outside of the weather, I love Kansas City more and more each day. The weather has been perfect the last couple of weeks actually so we'll save my disdain for it for another post. I have made good on my promise to get out in KC more.
Last Friday I went to Crosstown Station for the first time to see the excellent Cherokee Rock Rifle, I hadn't seen them in months since what I think was their first show and they blew me away with their big rock riffs and their sick lead singer who switched between whiskey fueled yells, growls, and singing - they were just flat out fun and they rocked which I think I was needing to see. I was also blown away and pleasantly surprised by the opening band O Giant Man. They are another local Kansas City band who sang with beautiful harmonies, interesting pop hooks, and they genuinely seemed to be having fun on stage. They even had a song where all of the members played percussion on equally spaced floor toms - truly refreshing and incredible to see. I hadn't even started drinking yet and I liked them. Think Beach Boys meets Gram Parsons meets Beulah meets The Shins. I am convinced that if they lived in Seattle, Sub Pop would have already signed them and they'd be touring the globe with Beach House. They also seemed like good guys, staying the whole show - local bands take note - when bands put you on a bill stay the whole time and support, it's only the right thing to do. The extra six people in the crowd can really make a difference to a performing band's psyche.
I already considered the night a success but it was far from over...we dropped my great friend and roommate Mike Harper off at home and then the equally great Matt Conner and I decided we weren't finished with the night so we went to an awesome bar called the Quaff. It's great if you like at least one of the following: beer, hard alcohol, sports, good people, shuffleboard, food, downtown KC. I'm still completely enamored with downtown KC - it really does have a pulse - I'd love to live there. We also hit the Riot room and the amazing Jerusalem Cafe gyro truck on the way home - it's at least amazing at 2:30AM every time.
The next night was just as epic for different reasons. It was a night my friends and I had been looking forward to for months. We went to the Sandstone Amphitheater (or whatever it's called now) for the BLACKDIAMONDSKYE tour featuring the Deftones, Mastodon, and Alice in Chains. Because of my past in the music industry and some really great people that are still in it, I'm still able to get free tickets to shows from time to time and this was one of these shows. There is nothing I enjoy more than to be able to provide my friends with tickets to a show they want to see. I'm so happy when I can do it for them because of how much they do for me - have I talked about how much I love my KC friends yet? I was able to get 4 tickets and the aforementioned Matt, Mike, as well as my fucking awesome friends Holly, Josh, and Beau all went out there and had a wonderful night - all of these people deserve their own separate post. During the Deftones set we all just stood close to the stage and rocked - the set was flawless: Rocket Skates, Around The Fur, Be Quiet and Drive, My Own Summer, Diamond Eyes, You've Seen The Butcher, Sextape, Passenger, Change, Nosebleed, Engine No. 9, and 7 Words. It was the best sounding show I've been too outside of a Radiohead or Cure concert. I was in awe. The sad thing is that the venue was only half full. Dear Kansas City, you always get mad when your favorite bands skip playing here on tour - this is the exact damn reason they do skip us. Get your asses out to more shows and more shows will come here, I promise. Kansas City is widely known in the industry as a crappy ticket market - let's do what we can to change it.
Anyway - I feel like I've been rambling too much, I'm just glad there's that much to ramble about. If this keeps up I may have to change the title of my little 'ol blog. I can make any situation boring (just ask my friends) so I think I'll keep it for now...More later, I already have another very different post in the works- thanks, as always, for reading.
The Chairman
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