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

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Marilyn Maye + Michelle Shocked + Spike Hellis + Zachary Van Benthusen

Mark and Zachary will be playing New & MidCoastal musical releases from: Spike Hellis, Peterson Pistol, FLVMING CR3VTVR3S, Couch Serf, BACTXE, Brave Boy, Molecules featuring Anais Nin 2, Michelle Shocked, and Marilyn Maye.

At 10:00 Mark talks with legendary musical icon Marilyn Maye who plays The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO, on Friday, September 25 at 7:30pm. Marilyn Maye celebrated her 98th birthday April 18, on stage at 54 Below, New York’s Broadway themed supper club, doing what she has done for nearly nine decades interpreting the American songbook in front of her adoring fans. She is an American singer, musical theater actress and masterclass educator who appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 76 times. At age nine, Marilyn won a Topeka talent contest that led to her doing a 13-week radio spot on WIBW. By age 13, she was performing inside ballrooms singing big band music. At 98 she is preparing a 10-show run at 54 Below in New York City, November 17 thru 28, and a 4-show run at Birdland in New York City, December 31 thru January 3, 2027. The New York Times called her “the last of a great generation of American Songbook singers.” Ella Fitzgerald (a friend of Maye’s and a fan of her work) referred to Maye as “the greatest white female singer in the world”. More info at www.follytheater.org

At 10:30 We welcome back to the show, Zachary Van Benthusen, a musician, actor, model, filmmaker, playwright, scene maker and producer. Fascinated by his dad’s Kiss records hanging on the walls when he was in 1st grade, he dressed up like Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley for halloween. In 2nd grade Zachary dropped out of school as part of an “unschooling” movement. He took guitar lessons with “Fast” Johnny Ricker, and at 9 he served as a guest DJ on 90.1 FM playing The Doors, and Pink Floyd. As a 12 year old he started working with Paul Mesner Puppets while also starting a photography business. When Zach was 16 he was modeling underwear for Late Night Theatre, and at 17 was writing plays with The Coterie Theatre’s Young Playwrights Roundtable. Zachary has worked in film & video. He has collaborated on music & videos for SSION, with musician & director Cody Critcheloe. Zachary has been a collaborator with Whoop Dee Doo and has worked with the band Nature Boys. For five years Zachary played music with the band Lazy and produced videos for the band.

At 11:00 we talk with Cortland Gibson of Spike Hellis. Spike Hellis recently release their new 10 track album Successor. Spike Hellis plays Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St., in Lawrence, Kansas on Wednesday, September 23, at 10:00pm with DJ Hylle, and Soulfire Sky. Spike Hellis is Cortland and Lainey, the Los Angeles-based electronic duo became fully formed on October 31st, 2019. Following the release of their first EP Crisis Talk in 2020, they self-released their debut full-length under their imprint Over-Pop in April 2022. They’ve since toured relentlessly across North America, Europe, and Latin America with no end in sight. he band’s new album Successor was released by Over-Pop records. More info at: www.spikehellis.com

At 11:30 Mark welcomes internationally acclaimed, Grammy winning singer songwriter Michelle Shocked who plays The Greenwood Social Hall, Thursday, September 24, at 7:00pm with her Roadworks 2026 tour combining songs and stories from throughout her career alongside material connected to her audio memoir, Bootleg This!, marking 40 years since her bootleg debut recording. Shocked received her first international exposure after Pete Lawrence recorded her performance on a portable tape recorder at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Lawrence released the tape in Europe as The Texas Campfire Tapes (1986). The album’s success brought major labels asking her to sign a contract. Shocked was resistant to what she saw as the machinations of the music industry, and worked to retain a degree of creative control. Her first US success came with the release of her 1988 debut album, Short Sharp Shocked, and the debut single, “Anchorage.” Shocked has released 14 albums, three compilations and multiple re-releases. More info at www.michelleshocked.com

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

Show #1166