A photo portrait of a man bun in KC. Shot with Lomo Lens. #whitepeople
Archive for the ‘Kansas City’ Category
A Hairy Situation: Portrait of a Man Bun in KC.
February 20, 2016Self Portrait 2/19/16.
February 20, 2016
“Guns Don’t Kill People. People From Texas Kill People.”
February 20, 2016
Sonic Exploration at YJs: Falling into the Minimalism Void.
February 19, 2016As I sat in YJs the other afternoon, a minimal soundscape floated through the snack bar. I asked a barista friend of mine what was being played. “It’s this Japanese composer, Ryoji Ikeda. These are all micro sounds, subsonic sounds,” he clarified. The music was shifting, weird and oddly soothing. It was new to me and melted my mind. In a CD booklet, Ikeda once said about his approach to sound, “A high frequency sound is used that the listener becomes aware of only upon its disappearance.”
I went through a brief minimal music phase in my life. I love the minimal electronica of Plastikman.
However, I often feel pretentious when the subject of minimalism comes up. It can make for strange conversation, “Sounds you can totally hear are so mainstream. I prefer mostly subsonic sounds. I like my music like the amount in my bank account, micro.” “Does he ever play live? It sounds like he plays on the moon or underwater,” I asked my friend. “It seems like he mostly plays art galleries and really hip places,” he said. “Underwater would be the place to see him. I saw him before he was dry. I saw him before he formed land legs.”
JR JR: A Hairy Situation.
February 16, 2016
JR JR (Photo credit Jeaneen Lund).
JR JR hit the Midland crowd hard on Friday night with electronica-tinged indie pop. The Michigan-based group brought the fun, the energy and beasted it so hard live. However, one thing about the show made it a very hairy situation. The keyboardist/vocalist’s haircut was one of the strangest I have ever seen at a show.
JR JR at the Midland, 2/12/16
The coif was intense for sure. It looked like a hip version of Foghorn Leghorn. “I SAY, I SAY, I SAY MY JEANS ARE WAY TOO SKINNY!!!” It looked like it was in 4 dimensions.
Foghorn Leghorn (Image via looneytunes.wikia.com)
“Why doesn’t he just pull it back?!?! JUST PULL IT BACK!” my friend cried out in distress. I heard that the hairstyle will be voting in the next election. I almost expected the haircut to pull out a tiny drum kit and play a solo. I would like to note that I am no style critic. I’m probably just jealous because I look like Casper the Friendly Ghost and Harry Potter had an unholy love child that overdosed on recreational bath salts. It freaks me out now, but in five years everyone will probably have hair like this. JR JR indie pop smashes it. You can wear your hair however you want, just be sure to crush it live.
Here’s a snippet of JR JR’s Kansas City set
Yes You Are’s Midland Debut and the Importance of the Opening Act.
February 16, 2016
Yes You Are, Midland Theatre, 2/12/16
Yes You Are played their debut Midland set on Friday night. The set was a part of the annual Valentine’s Day-themed show put on by local radio station 96.5 the Buzz. The Kansas City-based indie rock band’s songs quickly won over the crowd during their short set. Lead singer Kianna Alarid’s voice was in strong form all night.
Especially within the Kansas City indie music scene, Midland opening sets can serve as the proving ground for bands. It has happened before with Grouplove, alt-j, Of Monsters and Men, and Glass Animals. They have all gone from Midland openers to headlining the venue.
I’ve been fortunate to cover hundreds of Midland shows over the years.The Midland indie crowd can be hard to impress. If you can win over the audience at the ornate 3,000 seat venue, it really means big things can happen. The crowd reaction is so essential. With up-and-coming bands, the audience often responds in stages. At first, there is a bit of interest. As the set goes on, individual audience members start to get it. If a set is going well, the band will unleash a big tune and smash it out of the park. It is the indie rock equivalent of a home run. When the band and crowd locks in as one, I call it a “yeah fucking yeah!” moment. It is a collective experience. Yes You Are’s song “World Without End” lit up the audience and kept them enraptured.
As an opener, if you can win over that Midland crowd, you can leave with a bunch of new fans. Make the audience pay attention and it points to a bright future. Yes You Are is headed in the right direction.
Here’s a snippet of “World Without End” from Yes You Are’s Midland debut:
Hooping at the Indie Rock Show.
February 14, 2016
Hooping isn’t just limited to raves and jam band shows anymore. Many white people enjoy hooping in diverse scenarios During indie rock band Marian Hill‘s set in Kansas City on Friday, a fan tried to hoop to the sax-laced tunes. Some music is not easy for hooping. A+ for effort though. A nice change of pace from most fans at indie shows that just look at their feet and try to act unimpressed.
Udder Mayhem at the Floozies.
February 14, 2016
Holy cow! It was udder mayhem at the Floozies Kansas City show last night. This raving cow milked the show for all it was worth. It was a high steaks night. Some of the crowd had some beef with him. However, no fights broke out. It was an act of bovine intervention.
It was a real zoo at the show. The penguins at the zoo recently started walking outside. This chill bro made an epic trek to go raving. It’s great to see the penguins beasting hardcore. I also had a friend of mine come up and greet me with a “suh dude” in public. This was a first for me and terrified me to the very core of my being. It made my soul cry. Quality rave funk jams last night. I learned a lot about my culture and white people.
The Floozies Bring the Rave Funk to the Midland.
February 14, 2016
The Floozies, Midland Theatre 2/13/16
The Floozies brought a sprawling set of rave funk jams to the Midland Saturday night. The concert was like a fusion of a jam band show and a rave in the best way possible. The Lawrence-based duo also brought a massive production which really added to the show. The hard partying crowd was grooving all night. Here are some photos and videos of my evening diving deep into the face-melting world of rave funk.
The Floozies, Midland Theatre 2/13/16
The Floozies, Midland Theatre 2/13/16
The Floozies, Midland Theatre 2/13/16
The Floozies, Midland Theatre 2/13/16
The Floozies, Midland Yheatre 2/13/16
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