I recently saw the whitest thing I’ve ever seen at a show. A couple was doing acroyoga during Umphrey’s McGee‘s set at CrossroadsKC. This woman was upside down with her elbows balanced on this guy’s shins. If you listen to a jam band show upside down, it will realign your chakras. You will actually hear the transitions more clearly and your third eye will open. At first, I thought it was ridiculous, then I realized I was just jealous I didn’t have a yoga partner. No, I was slamming whiskey in the corner with some bearded dudes. I’m going to start a new business venture, www.hippieacroyogajambandmatch.com, to find my true love. Namaste!
Kansas City-based blues guitarist Samantha Fish and her band recently lit up CrossroadsKC with a blazing performance. Check out this rollicking live version of “Turn It Up.”
Vertical Horizon recently hit CrossroadsKC with a set focused on their ’90s jams. I covered the show for X1051. Check out this live version of the classic “Everything You Want.”
Everclear recently rocked CrossroadsKC with a full performance of their album So Much for the Afterglow. I covered the show for X1051. Check out this live version of the classic “Father of Mine.”
Sylvan Esso lit up a recent performance at Fed Up Fest at CrossroadsKC at Grinders. The glorious vocals and thumping beats blended together perfectly. Sylvan Esso closed their set with their latest single, the grooving “Radio.” Check out this live version of “Radio” I shot in KC last month:
“If you don’t like my music, fuck you! Eat shit and die!” –Ted Nugent, addressing the crowd at his recent concert at CrossroadsKC at Grinders.
At least Uncle Ted speaks his mind. You never hear indie bands say, “We’re Death Cab for Cutie. Go screw yourself!” It was a nice change of pace from the humility bands often display when bantering with the crowd.
He might have abhorrent political views and spout inflammatory rhetoric, but Ted Is one hell of a musician. Ted Nugent is 68. It was 90 degrees out and he smashed through a blazing hour and 30 minute set. It was an impressive performance for sure. Love him or hate him, Ted Nugent is true to himself and great at what he does.
Yonder Mountain String Band at CrossroadsKC, 7/1/16
I’ve been a Yonder Mountain String Band fan since 2005. I saw them at Wakarusa one year and it got me hooked. They are past interview subjects, really nice and light it up live.
Yonder Mountain String Band at CrossroadsKC, 7/1/16
One of my favorite Yonder memories was the time I caught a late NOLA Mardi Gras night show with my friend, Tim. I had seen Galactic play for 8 hours the night before. Tim smuggled in a Camelbak filled with a box of Franzia. We were passing out cups of boxed wine. At one point during the second set, a dude in a green dinosaur costume ran me over.
The early CrossroadsKC Yonder shows were also insane. Long, sweaty, packed evenings of quality jams and mayhem. Yonder shows create such a fun sense of joy and community.
Yonder Mountain String Band crowd at CrossroadsKC, 7/1/16
Yonder fans are often referred to as the kinfolk. At the recent Kansas City show, a fan described his viewpoint of the Yonder fans as “a mix of bros, old ass hippies over 50 and hot girls. Everyone just wants to get down on some jams. No one judges each other. It’s not like when I go to indie shows and everyone is too cool.”
I hadn’t seen Yonder live in three years, but their July 1st show at CrossroadsKC reaffirmed what I love about them. The Colorado-based band’s two-hour set kept the crowd fired up. The interplay was tight, the tunes were on point and everyone had a great time. As the jams flowed and the breeze was rolling in, it was glorious. I took a bit of a break, but it feels great to be back! Woo!!
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