Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + Christena Graves + IVORY BLUE + Dandelion Lakewood + Rosie O’Brien & Sass-a-Brass Band

Mark Spins More New & MidCoastal Releases from: IVORY BLUE, Dandelion Lakewood, Christena Graves, Loose Cannon Brass Band, Mary Gauthier, Paula Boggs Band, Irreversible Entanglements with Helado Negro, and Anjimile.

At 10:15 Mark welcomes Christena Graves who writes songs to make sense of her world, with lyrics that are a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain & suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Graves own deep connection with the natural world helps her frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. Growing up in Michigan, she learned to sing harmonies with older brothers & sisters. She joined the music industry touring and recording with the band Waterdeep in 1990s and 2000s. Christena stepped away to raise her family, but continued songwriting and participating in music programs with her church. In 2019 the Christena Graves Band began, and in 2021, Christena’s solo album, “Finding My Footing,” marked her return to the music industry. Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods. Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm. More info at http://www.christenagravesmusic.com

At 10:30 we welcome back IVORY BLUE who released her recent single “Afterglow” on February 20, 2026, from her album “Echo” scheduled for release on April 24, 2026. IVORY’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. The EP helped give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations. In 2017 Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. IVORY BLUE released their debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022, and her album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on November 17, 2023. The album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge. IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, and Englewood Arts Center. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com

At 11:00am, Dandelion Lakewood joins us in our 90.1 FM Studios. Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. He released the single “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” on January 29, 2025. The song is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. A bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums, tambourine, and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mix.

At 11:30am Rosie O’Brien joins us to talk about Sass-a-Brass Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of street activism, street band energy, and New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. mission is to bring queer musical joy to the public, and also provide a welcoming space where underrepresented groups experience a sense of belonging and sustained growth as musicians. Since its inception Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities. Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer and nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #1139