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, October 7, 2026

Calvin Arsenia + Just Angel, T.A. Rell & Friends + Fanny Mandelberger

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
   [WMM’s theme song]

2. Meshell Ndegeocello, Lizz Wright, Emily King – “Be Real Black For Me”
   from: Synonym / Blue Note – Verve / October 2, 2026
   [15th album from acclaimed GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello. // This is Ndegeocello’s 3rd Blue Note album, With Synonym, the singer-bassist-producer reimagines and reconceptualizes a brilliantly curated collection of classic songs as duets with an astounding roll call of guests. // Written by Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway & Charles Mann for the album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, released April 1972, with producers Joel Dorn & Arif Mardin. Be Real Black for Me centers on a plea for authentic self-expression within an intimate relationship. The speaker addresses their partner directly, asking them to embrace their natural Black identity without pretense or alteration. The song celebrates Black physical features and cultural identity while expressing deep emotional dependence on the relationship’s continuation.// Synonym was introduced with the lead track “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” an arresting take on the George Michael/Aretha Franklin duet sung by Ndegeocello and Cynthia Erivo. Other featured guests on the album include Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Bill Callahan, Chris Thile, Madison Cunningham, Laura Lee (of Khruangbin), Lianne La Havas, Moses Sumney, Destin Conrad, Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper, ANOHNI, WILLOW, Evann McIntosh, and Ink. // The album also notably marks a reunion with David Gamson, the producer of Ndegeocello’s first two classic albums – Plantation Lullabies (1993) and Peace Beyond Passion (1996) – who co-produced Synonym with Ndegeocello and Abe Rounds. A rotating cast of instrumentalists also anchors the music on the album, many of whom are Ndegeocello’s close artistic conspirators, including drummers Rounds and Deantoni Parks; guitarist Chris Bruce; keyboardists Jake Sherman, Jebin Bruni, and Larry Goldings; saxophonists Josh Johnson and Levon Henry; flutist Elena Pinderhughes, banjoist Bela Fleck; and others. // Exploring expressions of desire, care, heartbreak, friendship, disappointment, and love in all forms, the songs range from 1960s folk and 70s soul, country, and pop to 80s R&B and electro-boogie, early-90s alternative rock, and early-aughts hip-hop. “This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello says. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.” // When asked about the album’s intriguing title, Ndegeocello first suggests that the word “just feels good on the mouth,” before expounding upon its true definition: a word or phrase that means the same thing as another word in the same language. “That’s how humans are,” Ndegeocello theorizes, “Regardless of our differences, deep down we essentially want the same things: healthy food and a safe place to live. We are all different. But at the core of the human condition, we are the same.” / / On August 2, 2024 Meshell Ndegeocello released her acclaimed No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin on Blue Note – Verve. A tribute album to African-American thinkers and writers, including namesake James Baldwin and Audre Lorde. The album was released on Baldwin’s Centennial: August 2, 2024. (from www.bluenote.com): The visionary work is at once a musical experience, a church service, a celebration, a testimonial, and a call to action. With No More Water, Ndegeocello embarks on a prophetic musical odyssey that transcends boundaries and genres, delving headfirst into race, sexuality, religion, and other recurring themes explored in Baldwin’s canon. Following 2023’s The Omnichord Real Book, her acclaimed Blue Note debut which won the inaugural GRAMMY Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album, the multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer renders an immersive and palpable document that is as sagacious, unabashed, and introspective as Baldwin was in life. // Co-produced by Ndegeocello and guitarist Chris Bruce, No More Water features some of the bassist’s frequent collaborators including Bruce, vocalist Justin Hicks, saxophonist (and Omnichord producer) Josh Johnson, keyboardist Jebin Bruni, and drummer Abe Rounds. Also appearing on various songs are vocalist Kenita-Miller Hicks, keyboardists Jake Sherman and Julius Rodriguez, and Executive Director of the NYCPS Arts Office and trumpeter Paul Thompson. The album also showcases powerful spoken word by venerated poet Staceyann Chin and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and critic Hilton Als. // Nearly a decade in the making, the album’s origins began in 2016 during a performance at The Harlem Stage Gatehouse as part of their annual showcase honoring Baldwin. Ndegeocello had delved into Baldwin’s work the year before, including the seminal nonfiction work The Fire Next Time, which she considers “life-changing” and carries with her as a “spiritual text.” Ndegeocello says, “It was just a revelation to me, and it softened my heart in so many ways.” // Meshell Ndegeocello released her Blue Note Records debut with The Omnichord Real Book, on June 16, 2023. // At The 2024 Grammy Awards, Meshell Ndegeocello won the first-ever GRAMMY for Best Alternative Jazz Album for The Omnichord Real Book. In her acceptance speech, the two-time GRAMMY winner and 12-time nominee thanked Don Was, the president of Blue Note Records, as well as other colleagues and loved ones — including her two sons. “I hope I haven’t forgotten anybody,” Ndegeocello graciously said at the end, and invoked an elder of the music: “Oliver Lake, this is for you.” // It was a visionary, expansive, and deeply jazz-influenced album that marks the start of a new chapter in her career. Following her 2018 album Ventriloquism, Meshell returns with an album of new original material that taps into a broad spectrum of her musical roots. The Omnichord Real Book was produced by Josh Johnson and features a wide range of guest artists including Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Julius Rodriguez, Mark Guiliana, Cory Henry, Joan As Police Woman, Thandiswa, and others. // Meshell Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968 in West Berlin, Germany, to US Army Sergeant Major and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Oxon Hill High School. She is a singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning one. She also has been credited for helping to “spark the neo-soul movement”. // Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means “free like a bird” in Swahili.]

The tracklisting for Synonym is as follows:
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) with Cynthia Erivo
Don’t You Want Me with Cat Power
Don’t Stop The Music with Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper
Islands In The Stream with Chaka Khan
It Ain’t Me Babe with Madison Cunningham
Always on Time with Laura Lee
Be Real Black For Me with Emily King, Lizz Wright
Don’t Look Any Further with Lianne La Havas
The Closer I Get To You with Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney
Golden Ring with Brandi Carlile
I Got You Babe with ANOHNI
Here We Come (Here He Comes) with Evann McIntosh
Guilty with Ink
Hunger Strike with WILLOW
With God On Our Side with Bill Callahan, Chris Thile.

3. Mary Gauthier – “Alcohol and Adderall”
   from: Reckoning / Soundly/Thirty Tigers / September 25, 2026
   [Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/author Mary Gauthier releases her haunting new song, “Alcohol and Adderall,” off her powerful album, Reckoning. Co-written by Gauthier, Ben Roberts and Jaimee Harris, “Alcohol and Adderall” is a portrait of a relationship with someone struggling to outrun addiction, loneliness, and the wounds that keep pulling them inward. Through vivid imagery, the song captures both the narrator’s desire to reach them and the painful realization that some battles cannot be won for another person. // “My friend Ben and I were talking about a friend of his who was having major trouble with alcohol and pills,” says Gauthier. “People all around were trying to help, trying to pull him back toward the life he could have. And he just kept screwing it up. As we talked, our conversation turned to what it feels like to love someone who is sinking in self-destruction. The helplessness. The sadness. The fear. The anger. The wrenching ache. This is where the song began.” “Ben and I are both in recovery,” she adds. “We know what it feels like to be that person spiraling downward. But being on the other side of that struggle, loving someone who can’t seem to stop hurting themselves, is a different kind of heartbreak, reaching for someone who keeps building walls between themselves and the people who love them is a hard place to be. Sometimes all you can do is step back and watch them disappear.” // The songs on Reckoning exude an urgency during turbulent times, while offering inspiration and hope. Each song serves as a compelling vignette with characters who arrive at pivotal moments and face choices that ultimately define lives, communities, and even history. After nine critically accl // Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, known for songs that blend emotional resonance, depth of character, and lyrical insight. Her storytelling—raw, honest, and unwavering—has established her as one of America’s most compelling voices, offering beauty in sorrow, healing in loss, and perspectives only an artist of profound empathy can provide. Gauthier’s songs have been recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, Bettye LaVette, and many more. She has received honors from the Americana Music Association, International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, the GLAMA Awards, and the UK Americana Association. Her work has appeared extensively in film and television, including Yellowstone and ABC’s Nashville, and her memoir, Saved by a Song, was published by St. Martin’s Press.]

4. Brandi Carlile – “Joni – Sad Gay Version”
   from: Returning To Myself (Sad Gay Version) / Interscope – Lost Highway / Sept. 25, 2026
   [New deluxe version of Brandi Carlile’s critically acclaimed album, Returning To Myself. // Returning To Myself (Sad Gay Version) features intimate reimagined versions of all ten songs from the original album, with Carlile returning to Long Pond Studio to co-produce four tracks with Aaron Dessner. The collection includes a collaboration with Grammy-nominated composer and electronic musician Jon Hopkins (Brian Eno, Coldplay) on the breakout single, “Human,” as well as a new version of Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” exclusively on DSPs (a version of which is also featured on the official soundtrack for Practical Magic 2). See below for full track list details. // Adding to yet another monumental year, Carlile wrapped the fall leg of her extensive “The Human Tour” earlier this week, which included three sold-out shows at Red Rocks featuring opener Stephen Wilson Jr. and surprise appearances from Alanis Morissette and Nathaniel Rateliff. The tour also included “Be Human: A Concert For Minneapolis.” Filmed during her sold-out show at Minneapolis’ Target Center, “Be Human” is now available in full on YouTube and raised over $750,000 to date for The Advocates for Human Rights via Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation. “A monumental gig” (Rolling Stone), the show includes a special performance of “It’s Okay to Change Your Mind” with Minneapolis’ Singing Resistance as well as Carlile and The Head and the Heart joining forces for Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” // Furthermore, Carlile won Song of the Year at the 2026 Americana Awards (“Returning To Myself”), was honored as one of TIME’s 2026 Women of the Year and performed “gorgeous” (Billboard) renditions of “America The Beautiful” at Super Bowl LX (watch HERE) and as part of ABC News’ America 250 celebration (watch HERE). She also returned to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series and NBC’s Saturday Night Live as musical guest for the fourth time, was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Las Culturistas, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, The Howard Stern Show, NPR’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin and The Drew Barrymore Show, and spoke with The New York Times for an in-depth profile.

Critical acclaim for Returning To Myself:

“Carlile is a bona fide superstar whose compositions feel like instant classics”—NPR Music

“It has the luster and confidence of an artist realizing her prime, finding memory and maturity in the lyrics.”—The New York Times

“It’s a record about navigating the second half of life with fortitude and not fear; and how the best way to do that is to remember where we came from, and who we got there with.”—Rolling Stone

“For an artist already established as one of her generation’s brightest songwriters, this represents another significant evolution”—Rolling Stone U.K.

“Carlile’s eighth album does the difficult work of cracking open the soul to let flow her vulnerability. The songs succeed in their tasks: bringing her into a fresh creative moment where she flourishes”—Paste

“A pearl from the new queen of Laurel Canyon…it never sounds less than gorgeous”—MOJO

“An album full of warmth and humanity”—The London Standard

One of music’s most respected voices, Carlile is an Oscar-nominee, 11x Grammy-winner, 2x EMMY-winner and #1 New York Times Bestselling author. Throughout her acclaimed career, Carlile has released eight studio albums including Who Believes in Angels?, the universally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated collaborative album with her childhood hero, Elton John, which debuted at #1 in the U.K. and top 10 in the U.S. She received her first Oscar nomination in the Original Song category in January 2025 for “Never Too Late,” a Grammy-nominated track written alongside Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt for the Disney+ documentary of the same name. // Additionally, Carlile is a renowned producer with recent Grammy-winning projects from Joni Mitchell and Brandy Clark. She also produced and recorded a rendition of Indigo Girls’ “Closer To Fine” with her wife, Catherine, which was included on Barbie The Album as well as a version of “Home,” which was featured in the final season of Ted Lasso, while her song “You Without Me” was featured twice in the season three finale of Apple TV’s Shrinking.// Beloved by her peers, Carlile has worked with artists such as Soundgarden, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys, Hozier, Noah Kahan, P!nk and Dolly Parton, was named OUT Magazine’s Icon of the Year, awarded Billboard’s Women In Music Trailblazer Award and NMPA’s Songwriter Icon Award as well as multiple awards from the Americana Music Association. She also launched a partnership with the National Park Foundation to raise critical funds to preserve and protect these cherished places across the country and is a founder of the Looking Out Foundation, which has raised over $10M for grassroots causes to date. Carlile lives in rural Washington state with her wife and two daughters.]

5. Ivory Blue – “Come On Over Rover”
   from: “Come On Over Rover” – Single / IVORY BLUE / September 25, 2026
   [Ivory Blue released her single “Feelin’ Like A Star” on Jly 17, 2026. Ivory Blue released her New 10-song full length album ECHO on May 22, 2026. Her third full length album. IVORY BLUE released the singles: “History” on April 3, 2026.,“afterglow” on February 20, 2026; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the singles “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025; “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025; “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // “Exiled” on November 29, 2024; “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track 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 and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when 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 has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, Middle of the Map Fest, Westport Roots Festival, KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. Info at: www.ivorybluemusic.com]

[IVORY BLUE plays The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO West Bottoms on Saturday, October 10, at 7:00pm EX LIBRIS CABARET – A Birthday Party for Wick Thomas. This is Banned Books Week, celebrate your Freedom to Read with the only librarian in the Missouri legislature. Featuring our Emcee Annie Cherry and Performances by: The Wanderlust Revival, Damian Blake, and more.]

6. The Nature Boys – “Tin Foil Hat”
   from: Reno Man / Dead Broke Rekerds / October 21, 2026
   [The band includes: Danny Fischer on guitar & vocals, Suzanne Hogan on bass & vocals, Brad Highnam on drums. Recorded // Nature Boys – Kansas City, Missouri punk rock & rollers that have been kickin’ up dust all across the country since 2009! They left for our first tour in January of 2010. // Nature Boys released their album IV /on September 24, 2021. Nature Boys started playing together in Kansas City, Missouri September of 2009. They wrote this about their band: “We had our first show in November or December at the Troost House, and then our second show at Dave’s Stagecoach Inn. // Nature Boys released the single: “Common Visions” from / Dead Broke Rekerds on April 11, 2025 // They released their IV album and first on Dead Broke on Septembr 24, 2021, after self-releasing a slew of their previous efforts including: Nature Boys 3rd album on April 19, 2017, Nature Boys 2nd Album on February 16, 2014, and Natures Boys 1st Album on January 26, 2014. Imagine if Dead Moon was a bunch of punk rockers from the south, then you might be getting close to what Nature Boys scrappy & energetic punk rock is all about. ]

Danny Fischer Discography

The Afterparty – Forever After – 2005
Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Vocals – Josh Mobley
Bass – Chris DeVictor
Drums – Paul Andrews
Vocals – Sarah Carpenter
Vocals, Guitar – Danny Fischer, Dave Regnier*
Recorded By, Engineer – Chad Meise, Clarke Wyatt
All Songs Written – The Afterparty
Arranged – The Afterparty

The Afterparty – Under The Rainbow – 2006
Vocals, Guitar, Organ – Danny Fischer
Piano [Rhodes] – Josh Mobley
Bass – Chris Devictor
Drums – Paul Andrews
Guitar – David Regnier
Vocals [The Brunettes] – Amie Nelson, Sarah Carpenter, Sonya Andrews
Guitar [Guest Musician] – Marco Pascolini
Saxophone [Guest Musician] – Mark Southerland, Mark Weinberg, Sam Hughes
Soprano Saxophone [Guest Musician] – Jolin Smith
Sousaphone [Guest Musician] – Bill McKemy
Trombone [Guest Musician] – Jeremiah Kidwell, Seth Lee
Trumpet [Guest Musician] – Bobby DuSoul
Fiddle [Guest Musician] – Betse Ellis
Recorded – Chad Meise
Mastered – E. Clarke Wyatt*
Arranged – The Afterparty
Artwork [Art/Packaging] – Pascolini Design Lab

The Afterparty – unreleased 3rd album – 2007 (a limited number of cassettes were created.)
Side one:
boots
Big Mamou
Rock Bump Head
Tacoland Blues
In Blazes
Dinosaurs
Side two:
Butterflies and Clothesline
Drakkars Mamma
Phil
I Love You

Nature Boys – Nature Boys – 2010
San Huevos Records
Guitar, Vocals – Danny Fischer
Bass, Vocals – Suzanne Hogan
Drums – Aaron Rommel
Recorded – Ashley Miller
Recorded [Assisted By] – Zachary VanBenthusen
Written – Nature Boys
Artwork, Photography, Design Concept – Nature Boys

Nature Boys – Nature Boys – 2013
San Huevos Records
Danny Fischer – Guitar, Vocals
Suzanne Hogan – Bass, Vocals
Aaron Rommel – Drums
Danny Fischer – Lyrics
Recorded by – Jon Kraft
Mixed – Mike Tuley, Jon Kraft, Nature Boys
Photography – Michael Boles
Will Burnip – Artwork [Insert Art]

Nature Boys – 2017
San Huevos Records
Suzanne Hogan
Suzanne Hogan – Bass, Vocals
Evan Malone – Drums
Danny Fischer – Guitar, Vocals
Recorded by – Danny Fischer
Mastered By – Carl Saff
Written By – Nature Boys

Nature Boys – IV – 2021
Dead Broke Rekerds
Suzanne Hogan – Bass, Vocals
Evan Malone – Drums
Danny Fischer – Guitar, Vocals
Recorded By – Danny Fischer, James Rumsey
Carl Saff – Lacquer Cut
Pam Fischer – Cover, Artwork
Grace Ambrose – Layout

Warren Burns – Warren Burns – 2023
Danny Fischer – Guitar, Vocals
Recorded By – Danny Fischer
Mastered By – Carl Saff

Warren Burns – Burn Again – April 10, 2026
Warren Burns on vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Brad Highnam on bass, backing vocals, piano
Marco Pascolini on pedal steel
Jon Kraft on drums
with Mark Cohick on pipes,
Marvin Gruenbaum & Tony DeMarco & Kent Brauninger on violin;
Steve Molloy & Danny Fischer on trumpet;
Kari Agosti & Suzanne Hogan & on backing vocals.
Recorded by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab.
Mastered by Carl Saff

Nature Boys play official Kansas City release will be Friday, November 13, 2026 at Sister Anne’s Records and Coffee, 901 East 31st Street, KCMO w/ Prion and Bad Ideas

Nature Boys on Tour
November 12 Fayetteville @ Punk Truck Stop
November 11 Little Rock @ Kylie’s house
November 10 Hattiesburg/Jackson? Maybe day off…
November 8 New Orleans @ Emma’s House w/ Tonya, STGMA, Subsidence
November 7 Pensacola @ Betty’s
November 6 Huntsville @ Lone Goose w/ EVRYTHNGISWRNG, Curdled Milk Bitch
November 5 Chattanooga @ JJ’s Bohemia w/ Laughter, Defoliant
November 4 Asheville @ Fleetwoods
November 3 Richmond @ Cobra Cabana w/ Housie
November 1 Philadelphia @ Cousin Danny’s Lounge
October 31 New York City @ Property Is Theft (P.I.T.) w/ Sub Rosa and ShellShag
October 30 Providence w/ Excess Blood
October 28 Portland @ Apohadion Theater
October 26 Pittsburgh @ The Rock Room
October 25 Cleveland @ Little Rose Tavern
October 24 Detroit @ Painted Lady
October 23 Cincinnati @ Motr Pub w/ Spirit Level and Poor Little Critters
October 22 Chicago @ Max’s house
October 21 St. Louis @ CBGB w/ Sorry and Little Big Bangs

7. The Utilitarians – “We Battle Babylon”
   from: The Utilitarians / The Utilitarians / March 8, 2026
   [Theresa Schloegel, Billy Guilfoyle, Chris Tady and Jack Boyd… flapper punk, tap and roll… a ‘real good time’ // The Utilitarians have tricks up their sleeves, they rip and shred, but they cool it didn’t go to their head, they treat their fans with respect and in this Rocking form of art this is the “Band with a Heart.” Stars all in their own rights: this 4 piece outfit has the charm of each member being legendary in the KC Underground Community. – Patrick Sumner – Bent Edge KC Punk.]

8. Michigander – “Taxi”
   from: Over Before You Know It / Totally Normal Records – Thirty Tigers / July 31, 2026
   [Michigander – the acclaimed indie rock project led by Nashville-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jason Singer – has announced his sophomore album. Over Before You Know It is the follow-up to last year’s self-titled debut album and is heralded by “Freaking Out.” The first song that Singer wrote for the album, the dissociative anthem is the thematic core of the forthcoming Over Before You Know It. Singer tells us clearly about all that’s going wrong, from the weed that seems to be cleaving him from reality to his world that seems forever wobbling. “I don’t know about you,” he deadpans, “but I haven’t been happy in a while.” In the chorus, though, Singer lands on a line that pushes these three minutes well beyond complaints: “This is what it feels like to be alive,” he sings, the sound of a smile stretched across his lips. // “One of my favorite lines from the entire album is on ‘Freaking Out’, and it is, ‘this is what it feels like to be alive’, says Jason Singer. “I’ve learned that life is complicated and not as black and white as I thought it would be. Growing up is hard. So many things happen that you’re never prepared for. Life is all about the constant battle of good and bad. It’s about coming to the realization that it’s all just ‘part of it.’”]

[Michigander plays recordBar 1520 Grand Ave, Kansas City, MO. on October 20, 2026.]

9. Kelly Hunt – “One Of These Days”
   from: Requiem for a Sleepless Night / Compass Records / September 18, 2026
   [Produced, Recorded & Mixed by Dirk Powell at the Cypress House, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Mastered by Eric Conn at Independent Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee. Photography by makemade. Graphic Design by Kelly Hunt. // Memphis native Kelly Hunt returns with her most contemporary and personal album to date: Requiem for a Sleepless Night, a third full-length written in the disorienting hours of insomnia and recorded in taut trio form with acclaimed producer Dirk Powell and his daughter, Amelia Powell, on harmony vocals. // Where Hunt’s earlier work drew its warmth from her storied Depression-era tenor banjo — the instrument at the heart of her 2019 debut, Even the Sparrow (International Folk Music Awards “Album of the Year” finalist) — Requiem for a Sleepless Night marks a shift toward a more guitar-centric sound, with banjo reserved for a handful of key tracks. Recorded once again at Powell’s Cypress House studio in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana — the same room that produced her acclaimed sophomore release, Ozark Symphony, praised by GratefulWeb as a project that “truly captures the spirit of America” — the new album inhabits the rarefied space between waking and dreaming, meditating on love, fear, and the search for meaning.// Self-taught on banjo and guitar, Hunt brings a highly original style built on drones, inflections, pulsing rhythms, and percussive strumming, paired with a voice Rolling Stone’s Greil Marcus says “lets the instrument shape her syllables.” Popmatters has praised her “innate ability to summon the same vigorous energy of classic folk players” while pushing the tradition forward.// For fans of Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith, and the wider Americana/Roots tradition, Requiem for a Sleepless Night is Hunt’s most fully realized work yet — atmospheric, intimate, and unmistakably her own, hovering beyond the constraints of genre to navigate the tension between past and present, old world and new. As Folk Radio UK puts it: “keep your eye on this sparrow.” // “If you’ve ever been enchanted by the lyrical power of Lucinda Williams or felt the emotional tug of Nanci Griffith, then you’re about to meet your next obsession.” —Grateful Web // “Standing shoulder to shoulder with contemporaries like Gillian Welch and Rhiannon Giddens…folk music harking back to the stripped-down sounds of Leadbelly, Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie.” —Americana UK // “Hunt lets the instrument shape her syllables. From the first instant you know you’re in a place where there is no sense of time, where anything can happen and no one will ever have to admit to a thing.” —Rolling Stone ]

[Kelly Hunt plays Paola Community Center in Paola KS., Fri, Oct. 23, 2026 at 7:00pm w/ Dirk Powell]

10:29 – Underwriting

The 19th Annual Apocalypse Meow

[The 19th annual Apocalypse Meow on Saturday, November 7th, Doors at 6pm, Show at 7pm, at recordBar, featuring live music from: ROMAN NUMERALS, JAMOGI & THE JAMMERS, PHAZE II, and STUBBLEFIELD. Apocalypse Meow is MMF’s main fundraiser for Abby’s Fund For Musicians’ Health Care, which provides local musicians and music workers with essential health care resources. In addition to live music, the RockDocs will be on site to offer flu shots and COVID boosters provided by the KC Indian Center, as well as discuss screenings, wellness programs, health conditions and concerns, and arrange follow-ups. We’ll also have live raffles that feature an assortment of items donated by local businesses at AM19, and an online auction running the month of November. // We are seeking donations for our annual Apocalypse Meow silent auction and fundraiser! Advertise your business or band while supporting our mission to provide healthcare grants to music professionals in the Kansas City area! Items like merchandise, music, classes, gift certificates, experiences, and art are greatly appreciated. // If you would like to donate or know of someone who can, please email Rhonda Lyne at rhonda@midwestmusicfound.org. // In 2008, Apocalypse Meow was established to raise medical funds for local musician Abigail Henderson, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Compelled to give back to the community, she co-founded MMF to provide musicians with health care assistance. Though she passed away in 2013, Abigail’s mission continues — MMF provides financial resources, educational programs, health clinics and events throughout the year. Abby’s Fund dispenses emergency health care grants to KC-area musicians, having contributed more than $780,000 since its inception. // Midwest Music Foundation provides grants to musicians faced with urgent health care expenses and preventative health care services through Abby’s Fund for Musicians’ Health Care. This assistance is available to active KC area musicians and music personnel. LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE or email our Executive Director, Rhonda Lyne, for more information at rhonda@midwestmusicfound.org.]

10:31 – Interview with Fanny Mandelberger

Fanny Mandelberger is a Massage Therapist and an Occupational Therapist who joins us to talk about Occupational & Physical Therapy in the Performance Arts. As owner of Massage Off Broadway and Eco-Massage by Fanny, she has been providing therapeutic massage care for over 45 years and has built practices in NY, Miami, DC & Maryland, and now in Kansas City. Being the first generation of Holocaust survivor parents, Fanny was drawn to life-affirming paths, resilience, possibility. This has led her to combine her private practice as an Occupational Therapist to specializing in contracts with the performing arts in NYC, Miami, and KC working with performers from: Cats, Random Hearts, Dreamgirls, Fun Home, Washington National Opera, Kennedy Center, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Based in Kansas City for the last 10 years, Fanny is dedicated to a wellness model reinforcing that we are all equipped to handle what life presents with the variety of tools available to learn and practice. More info at: www.fannyswebsite.wixsite.com

Fanny Mandelberger thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

As owner of Massage Off Broadway and Eco-Massage by Fanny, Fanny has been providing therapeutic massage care for over 45 years with a varied population.  I have built practices in NY, Miami, DC & Maryland, and now in Kansas City.

Fanny – “I had a private massage therapy client, an actor/musician who referred me to the MTV shooting of Rim Tug Tugger number from Cats, the Andrew Lloyd Weber Broadway musical. Next thing I know I was asked to be the company massage therapist for the entire run of the show, over 3 decades! What a gift to educate on injury prevention, energy conservation, flexibility, and diaphragmatic breathing. Those client relationships to this day have yielded entrees into other theatres, dance, film, fashion, and music communities.

Fanny Margaret Mandelberger is a therapist based in Kansas City, Missouri. Moved to KC ten years ago. She is specialized in Occupational Therapy. Active license number of Fanny Margaret Mandelberger is 17-0317 for Occupational Therapy in Kansas. Her current practice location is 11228 Military Club Rd, Kansas City. Patients can reach her at 913-362-7518. Fanny Margaret Mandelberger is OTR/L in Occupational Therapy and her NPI number (Unique professional ID assigned by NPPES) is 1295243053.

Fanny Margaret Mandelberger provides interventions based on evaluation and which emphasize the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (i.e., occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of facilitating participation in roles and situations and in home, school, workplace, community and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and are provided to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction.

Fanny’s modality specialties include Pre & Postnatal, Labor Induction Reflexology, Integrative Reflexology, Deep Tissue, Yogassage, Hot Stone Therapy, Swedish Massage, Stretching, Range of Motion Exercises, Mindful Meditation Techniques, Energy Work, Breathwork, etc.  From our microfiber plush linens, to our therapeutic grade, locally handcrafted organic lotions, balms, energy efficient lighting and cleaning supplies, our mission is to offer compassionate care while gently and intentionally treading on the planet.

Fanny Mandelberger has always been a curious seeker since a young child. Being the first generation of Holocaust survivor parents, she was innately was drawn to life-affirming paths, resilience, possibility, and healing.

Fanny comes from a courageous lineage of holocaust survivors. Her parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles modeled “not to sweat the small stuff” and that life is a precious gift and to embrace it with kindness, compassion, service, fearlessness, love and adventure. She knows that’s why she chose her profession or it chose her, to model to clients and patients that they are equipped to thrive and not be defined by their circumstances.

Fanny’s brother was Arthur Sandy Mandelberger was a Documentary Filmmaker Film Professional and Journal-ist, most recently Editor-in-Chief of Film Festival Today. After he passed his partner of 37 years Richard compiled Sandy’s writings in a printed book. Fanny read to us one of her brother pieces.

For the past four decades, This personally snd professionally led her to combine her interest in holistic health in clinical settings and in private practice educating on broadening the scope of rehab as an Occupational Therapist and massage therapist utilizing mindfulness, breathwork meditation along with traditional modalities to benefit the best quality of life for clients and patients of all demographics.

Fanny had a private practice Massage On/Off Broadway specializing in contracts with the performing arts in NYC, Miami: Random Hearts, Dreamgirls etc. DC: Fun Home, Dreamgirls, Washington National Opera, Randy Graff one woman show at Kennedy Center etc. At Center for the Healing Arts,.

Fanny was the owner providing eco-friendly treatments in Takoma Park MD, now Kansas City, Mo. I’m dedicated to a wellness model reinforcing that we are all equipped to handle what life presents with the variety of tools available to learn and practice.

Having your own practice can have flush and lean times as far as clients’ finances, and my attitude of abundance has served me well to stay focused, steadfast and. Provide sustainability. I am very passionate about my field, and that makes all the difference.

Massage On/Off Broadway nationwide is active which provides dance , theatre, fashion, film, music industries, therapeutic preventative care to include: massage therapy, physical therapy, Occupational therapy for rehabilitation for injuries, acupuncture, reflexology, stretching, range of motion .Please contact for contract prices nationwide. Clients on Broadway: Cats, Starlight Express, Les Miserables, Fun Home, Phantom of the Opera, A Chorus Line, Dancin’, Off Broadway:Hamilton, Beauty and the Beast.

Bringing a holistic wellness approach in clinical, theatrical, end-of-life care, film sets, pre & post-natal has been a passion of mine since my youth. And I feel most fortunate to have attracted purposeful ways of service through my skills and entrepreneurship

Fanny also has practiced tap dancing.

Fanny has also spent time kayaking, floating down the Buffalo, 11 point rivers.

Fanny says, “Resiliency is in my bones!”

Fanny says, “She enjoys making vegan soups, and selling them to the local community.”

I am available to set up meetings with theatre producers/company managers / stage managers.

“We are all in this together mindset. Life is short and precious. Be curious, kind and stay connected. We learn from each other of all cultures, diversity and it enriches us!”

Fanny Mandelberger thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

More info at: www.fannyswebsite.wixsite.com
Email: ecomassagebyfanny@gmail.com
Facebook: Eco-Massage By Fanny
Linkedin: Fanny’s Eco-Wellness Collective for the Performing Arts
Yelp: Eco-Massage By Fanny

10:52

10. Jazlyn – “Dangerous”
    from: “Dangerous” – Single / JNaz Productiond / September 11, 2026
    [Jazlyn Epps is a talented actor, singer, songwriter, and teaching artist based in Kansas City. She began her artistic journey at the age of nine in Springfield Missouri. and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Avila University. Since moving to Kansas City in 2015, she has actively contributed to the local arts scene. // Jazlyn specialize in R&B music, but truly loves all genres. She is known for being on the stage and under the lights, whether that’s performing at Musical Theater Heritage in Crown Center, or at Made Mobb singing my original pieces. She has been in 33+ theatrical productions in her lifetime and have had the opportunities to sing at the Vatican, in Italy. Travel and sing throughout Rome and France. And She has released 10 songs within a year. She is most proud of her resilience and never putting herself into a box.]

[Jazlyn Epps plays LOCAL THURSDAYS presented by Manor Records at J. Rieger & Co.’s Electric Park, 2700 Guinotte Ave, KCMO on Thursday, October 8, 6:00 to 8:00pm.]

11. Bobby Watson – “Carter’s Way (For Larry)”
    from: Continuum / HighNote Records / October 5, 2026
    [Bobby Watson is a multi-GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator and producer, who trained formally at the University of Miami and then, from 1977-1981, earned his “doctorate” as musical director of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. During his four-plus years with the legendary drummer, the saxophonist contributed to 14 Jazz Messengers recordings — more than anyone else in the group’s 35-year (1955-1990) storied history. // From wikipedia.org: “Bobby Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, August 23, 1953. he is an American post-bop jazz alto saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator. Watson now has 29 recordings as a leader. He appears on nearly 100 other recordings as either co-leader or in a supporting role. Watson has recorded more than 100 original compositions. Watson grew up in Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kansas. // From his years with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers through decades leading Horizon, Bobby Watson has remained a vital force in contemporary jazz. Like Blakey before him, the acclaimed saxophonist, composer and educator has long embraced the responsibility of nurturing the next generation, welcoming fresh voices while remaining firmly rooted in the values of the music. // Joined by longtime collaborators Curtis Lundy and Victor Jones, along with the younger talents of Jordan Williams, Wallace Roney Jr. and Kysen Ellis, Watson once again demonstrates the artistic philosophy that has guided his remarkable career. More than a reflection on past accomplishments, Continuum captures Bobby Watson in constant motion, building on a lifetime of experience while continuing to create, challenge and inspire with undiminished imagination. His distinctive compositions continue to reveal new possibilities, his longstanding musical relationships remain as vital as ever, and his commitment to the next generation ensures that the tradition he inherited continues to move forward.]

[Bobby Watson will be the musical guest when Chuck Haddix presents “Bird: Charlie Parker on Record in Kansas City” at KC Oasis, 1717 W 41st St, KCMO, Sun., Oct. 11, 11:00 to 1:00pm. By participating, you agree to abide by the Oasis Code of Conduct: II. CORE VALUES At KC Oasis, we think: People are more important than beliefs. // Human hands solve human problems.// Reality is known through reason. // Meaning comes from making a difference. // Be accepting and be accepted.]

11:00 – Station ID

12. Calvin Arsenia – “River”
    from: all is calm / Calvin Arsenia / December 13, 2019
    [Arsenia’s dreamlike whimsy shimmering through your favorite Christmas Classics. All proceeds for this album go towards the purchase of Calvin’s first harp. Featuring: Ben Muñoz on Cello, Shane Borth on Violin and Voila, and Luke “Skippy” Harbur on Beatbox. Mastered by Jametatone at the Infoaming Vertex and special thanks to Simon Huntley. Calvin wrote: “I recorded the majority of this album in my bedroom in between flights to and from KC and SF. I had my nephews and friend’s kids in mind and wanted an album of Christmas lullabys. I think it became just a little more sassy than anticipated, but I think you’ll enjoy it.]

[Calvin Arsenia & Friends play The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO on Tuesday, October 13 at 8:00pm More info at: www.follytheater.org]

11:04 – Interview with Calvin Arsenia

KC Magazine hailed Calvin Arsenia as “equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator, a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.” Calvin Arsenia was voted KC’s Best Musician in The Pitch in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He has been featured in Billboard, NPR.org. Calvin is the recipient of the Charlotte Street Foundation 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards, along with The Black Creatures. Calvin is also the co-creator of the podcast, “We Were Christian Kids” created with childhood friend Justin Randall who is a stand up comedian working in New York City and Los Angeles. Calvin is also the published author of EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE, a collection of Poetry & Prose published on October 5, 2021, by Andrews McMeel Universal.

Calvin Arsenia a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, teacher, writer, actor, model, designer, and artist. Calvin Arsenia was born in Orlando, Florida. His creative journey began when he moved to Olathe, Kansas, teaching himself guitar, piano, banjo. He learned the harp, at the age of 20. Calvin Arsenia first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. His passion for stretching the boundaries saw him transformed after a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career. An Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer where at 24 he released his EP, MOMENTS, in 2014, his EP, PROSE in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP, CATASTROPHE in 2016.

On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his full length debut, CATASTROPHE, with a live show at recordBar in November 2016, involving 50 people: dancers, body painting, stilt walkers. After signing to Center Cut Records, Calvin released the albums: CANTALOUPE in 2018, with a sold out show at The Gem Theatre on September 15, 2018. He then released, L.A. SESSIONS in 2019, along with the EP, HONEY DEW, the EP, GODDESS with Quixotic, and the holiday album, ALL IS CALM. In 2020 Calvin collaborated with Mike Dillon on the Soundtrack to “SUMMER IN HINDSIGHT,” a feature-length film created by The West 18th Street Fashion Show that starred Calvin as an actor. Calvin Arsenia released his 14 track album PARADISE to fans on June 23, 2023. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, racism, probation, gay love, and collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow & Jametatone.

If that isn’t enough Calvin is the proprietor of The Greenwood Social Hall 1715 Belleview, KCMO West Side, a historical Black Baptist Church that sat empty for several years was refashioned by artist Peregrine Honig and now in the investing hands of Calvin Arsenia who is raising funding ti purchase the building and is producing multiple shows shows in a full calendar of events featuring musical artists, performance artists, vkisual artist theatre artists, and meeting place.

Calvin Arsenia & Friends play The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO on Tuesday, October 13 at 8:00pm More info at: www.follytheater.org // www.calvinarsenia.com

Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM.

---

Calvin says “We are gathering at historic Folly Theater to convene in the name of love, beauty, and truth, reminding us all that, despite its difficulties, being alive is a magical, beautiful, and delicate thing.”

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Calvin sent a special message to his e-mail subscribers and fans:

My name is Calvin Arsenia. I grew up in Olathe, Kansas. My family reaches back to West Africa and the British Isles through the sieve of Colonial Virginia. I first discovered music’s power to heal and inspire growing up in evangelical and protestant churches. Week in and week out, I attended – spellbound – profoundly emotional and reverent musical experiences and got involved in choirs and worship team as soon as I could. I spent over a decade singing songs dedicated to ushering in the second coming of Jesus in coffee shops, school gyms, living rooms, and large sanctuaries. I sang in choirs and wrote worship songs and ambiguous love songs that I often self-produced and sold at coffee shop concerts. As a young adult, I eventually wound up on staff with a community of Christians in Edinburgh, Scotland, and there, through the deep friendships I made with musicians and storytellers, I discovered the power of telling one’s own story as an alternative way to freedom from “sin.”

I canceled shame. To chalk it up to sexual identity would be an over-simplification. I was deeply afraid to be perceived as gay, but moreover, I didn’t want to be separated, isolated… humiliated. To be excluded from the community I was going to help save the world with, from “the sacred,” from “home.” I thought I was destined for hell until I realized I was not alone, or odd, or evil. The more transparent I’ve been, the more I realize that we have way more in common than not.

After I came back to Kansas City from Scotland, I had a newfound hope and an appetite for provocative performance art. I presented an album, Catastrophe, on a Tuesday night where I told the story of my precarious love life up til that point. I was terrified of being seen by the friends I had made in my church days. I so badly wanted to be understood, to be honest, and to be loved for who I am.

In the time surrounding The Pandemic™, I spent several years performing in marvelous places – from Alaska to Miami to Mexico to Lincoln Center to Paris to New Orleans – festivals, fashion shows, film scores – all the while studying the mix of vulnerability, perception, frequency, and hospitality. I’ve shared the stage with other fantastic performers and others fail to connect with their audiences at all. How and why are some musical experiences life-changing? What’s the secret sauce? Here is what I’ve learned so far: Intention, care, risk, and preparation are all essential ingredients in creating performances that can change the world.

One of my favorite places to share music is right here in Kansas City: Greenwood Social Hall. It is a treasure trove of musical wonder and artistic delight. Over the last three years, I have curated and hosted hundreds of intimate concert gatherings, always enjoying and studying, and sometimes performing.

Every few years, I host a blow-out musical extravaganza somewhere in Kansas City where I gather a bunch of friends, we dress up, and attempt to transcend yet again. This year, it is happening at the Folly Theater – a place also known for its salacious past.

Next Tuesday, I’m bringing you the cream of the crop – a talented blend of people who call Kansas City home; a selection of the most beautiful songs I have written or discovered, inside our beloved Folly Theater. For the love of live and living music!

As part of the VIP package, I will perform a short prelude of songs I wish could be a part of the main show. I am bringing new t-shirts, candles, soaps, CDs, and some technological items for world-immersion gifts and merchandise. Holiday Gifts!

Thank you, dear friends and loved ones in Kansas City, for providing me with the space and resources to let the music of my mind and the meditations of my heart have a safe place to play – and for coming to play with me. This is my wildest dream coming true. I do not take it for granted.

Calvin Arsenia is inviting an orchestra of performers for his Folly Theater Concert

Calvin Arsenia: voice, harp, guitar, banjo
Canterberries: Vocals
Matt Bennett: Violin
Joanna Metzker: Violin
Christine Grossman: Viola
Eman Chalshotori: Cello
Alyssa Murray: Keys
Simon Huntley: Drums
Joe Donley: Bass
Marcus Rattler: Steel Pan and Auxiliary Percussion
Xion Soundwaves: Choir/Ensemble
Trevor Turla: Trombone
Josué Estrada: Trumpet
Tajma Stetson: Woodwinds
Drew Doran Crane: Piano
Lucas Miguel Parker: Electric Guitar

Special Guests:
Laurel Morgan
Cheery

Each artist brings decades of dedication to their playing. Wit, humor, and revelry.

Calvin Arsenia Live at The Folly Theater
300 W 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64105
6:00PM VIP
7:00PM Doors
8:00PM Music
Attire: A Night at the Theater (Furs, Velvet, Gloves, Odd or Opulent, Victorian Surrealism)

After party – TBD

Ten years ago, Calvin Arsenia premiered Catastrophe at recordBar on Grand Boulevard, introducing Kansas City to a theatrical concert vocabulary that would become central to his work: harp, voice, movement, spectacle, storytelling, and a cast of collaborators large enough to make a concert feel more like a small civilization. Since then, Arsenia has become one of Kansas City’s most singular musical figures, voted Kansas City’s Best Musician by The Pitch for eight consecutive years, 2018–2025, while receiving recognition and support from organizations including the Charlotte Street Foundation, ArtsKC, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance. His work has moved between concert halls, fashion runways, theaters, recordings, and film, including the feature-length Summer in Hindsight, for which he contributed original music and performance.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Arsenia returns to the historic Folly Theater with a seasoned gathering of beloved Kansas City musicians for an evening that looks across a decade of songwriting. Familiar songs will sit alongside new arrangements, offering a portrait of an artist whose work has continued to evolve without losing its appetite for beauty, theater, intimacy, and transcendence. A curated VIP experience will provide an additional, more intimate entry into the evening. Ten years after Catastrophe, the Darling Harpist comes home to the stage that KC built for its most extravagant little secrets.

11:20

11:20

13. Calvin Arsenia – “Rose Petals” (LIVE)
    just released as a single on September 25, 2026

11:23 – More Interview with Calvin Arsenia

Calvin Arsenia & Friends play The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO on Tuesday, October 13 at 8:00pm More info at: www.follytheater.org // www.calvinarsenia.com

Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM.

Calvin Arsenia Discography

Calvin Arsenia – Moments [EP] / Independent / April 9, 2014
Calvin Arsenia was 24 when he released this EP after returning home to Kansas City after living and performing in Edinburgh, Scotland. Calvin works as a songwriter, composer, lyricist, producer, and engineer. Calvin Arsenia played live on Wednesday MidDay Medley on October 22. 2014.

Calvin Arsenia – Prose [EP] / Independent / February 3, 2015
Recorded over the course of three live sessions at Edinburgh’s Napier University. Produced by Graham Coe. Engineered by David O’Leary. Music and Lyrics: Calvin Arsenia, with Fiona Reid & Liselot Van Oosterom on Vocals, Graham Coe on Cello, Mark Smith on Percussion, Lyle Watt on Guitar Calvin Arsenia on Vocals & Guitar & Piano. Calvin Arsenia joined us on WMM on March 18, August 5, and October 28.

Calvin Arsenia – Catastrophe {EP] / Calvin Arsenia / February 17, 2016
Limited edition EP, produced for Folk Alliance International, contains demo recordings of original gems that are the blueprints for Calvin’s soon to be released full length debut, coming in 2017. Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. He has played all over town, including showcases at Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and collaborations with bands like My Brothers and Sisters. Standing at 6 foot 5 inches, Arsenia’s powerful vocals span a 3.5 octave range, while playing piano, bango, guitar and harp. Calvin Arsenia is getting ready to release a new album in the fall. Calvin teaches music to elementary students. Calvin is also a graduate of Artist INC professional development program for artists in the Kansas City metro area and across the Mid-America Arts Alliance five state region. Calvin Arsenia joined us live on WMM on February 24, July 13, and November 2.

Calvin Arsenia – Catastrophe [Album] / Calvin Arsenia / February 14, 2017
Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. Standing at 6 foot 6 inches, Arsenia’s powerful vocals span a 3.5 octave range, while playing piano, banjo, guitar and harp Calvin teaches music to elementary students. Calvin is also a graduate of Artist INC. Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Calvin recently returned home from a three month US/European Outlyre Tour where he has played San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, NYC, Boston, Edinburgh, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerlnd, Lyon and Paris. in over 40 shows, with musician and friend Simon Huntley who plays with Quixotic. Calvin is working to release new music from Calvin’s June 11th, Live Recording at Kansas City’s newly restored Greenwood Social Hall, at 1750 Bellevue Ave. in KC. ] [Calvin Arsenia played Big Bang Buffet’s “Black Sheep Rising,” Tuesday, April 11, at 8:00 at The Buffalo Room. A benefit for 90.1 FM KKFI featuring Ron Megee, Lisa Cordes, Jon “Piggy” Cupit, The Sleazebeats, Kristie Stremel, Jen Harris, Maria Vasquez Boyd, Jen Appell, Bill Belzer, Charlie Colborne, Mark Manning, Susan Cedarquis-Brewington, BJ McBride, Michael McQuary, Janet Henry, Ryan Wilks, and Nico Gray.] [Calvin Arsenia was on WMM on Feb. 15, April 12, Sept. 20, and Oct. 25 , 2017.

Calvin Arsenia – Live at Greenwood Social Hall / Unreleased / June 11, 2017
Solo live performance at Greenwood Social Hall, 1760 Bellevue, KCMO.

Calvin Arsenia – Caviar [EP] / Calvin Arsenia / December 5, 2017
Produced for attendees at Calvin’s “Secret Show,” Tuesday, December 5, at Wickstock West, 1324 West 12th Street, in The West Bottoms, and for supporters of his Outlyre Tour. Words and Music by Calvin Arsenia. Produced by Jametatone, Simon Huntley and Calvin Arsenia. Recorded at The Infoaming Vertex. Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. n the late Summer and Fall Calvin went on a three month US/European Outlyre Tour where he has played San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, NYC, Boston, Edinburgh, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Switzerlnd, Lyon and Paris. in over 40 shows, with musician and friend Simon Huntley who plays with Quixotic. Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Standing at 6 foot 6 inches, Arsenia’s powerful vocals span a 3.5 octave range, while playing piano, banjo, guitar and harp. Calvin teaches music. Calvin is a graduate of Artist INC.

Calvin Arsenia – Cantaloupe / Center Cut Records / September 15, 2018.
Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe (Center Cut Records), has been acclaimed for melding diverse textures into an alluring signature sound for the adventurous artist.

Calvin Arsenia – L.A. Sessions / Center Cut Records / September 20, 2019
Calvin performed live at L.A.’s The Mint, showcasing songs on LA Sessions with musicians who collaborated on the album. Says Calvin: “It’s such a special experience to play with them. To be able to perform these songs in front of an audience and do this for a living – to have made a career out of something I love is so amazing – it is an honor that I never take for granted.”

Calvin Arsenia – Honeydew / Center Cut Records / June 28, 2019
[On September 15, 2018 Calvin released Cantaloupe on Center Cut Records. This new EP is a remix of three of the songs from Cantaloupe, plus a Talking Heads cover that was performed live in this style at a New Year’s Eve show at The Truman opening for Making Movies who performed the entire Talking Heads album, Remain in Light. The last three songs on Honeydew were from performed in this style at The Nelson Atkins 2019 event “Party Arty.” Honeydew was produced by Jametatone, Simon Huntley, Calvin Arsenia.

Quixotic & Calvin Arsenia – “Goddess – EP / Quixotic / May 17, 2019
[An innovative performance art collective that fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection, mapping & live music to create fully-immersive, multi-sensory experiences. Quixotic harnesses light, rhythm and expressive emotion. Quixotic was given Silicon Valley’s unofficial stamp of genius when they were invited to perform at the global TED Conference in 2012. A unique blend of performance art, technology & emotion. Quixotic fuses all these elements in to what the New York Times branded an “innovative circus performance”.]

Calvin Arsenia – all is calm / Calvin Arsenia. / December 13, 2019
[Arsenia’s dreamlike whimsy shimmering through your favorite Christmas Classics. All proceeds for this album go towards the purchase of Calvin’s first harp. Featuring: Ben Muñoz on Cello, Shane Borth on Violin and Voila, and Luke “Skippy” Harbur on Beatbox. Mastered by Jametatone at the Infoaming Vertex and special thanks to Simon Huntley. Calvin wrote: “I recorded the majority of this album in my bedroom in between flights to and from KC and SF. I had my nephews and friend’s kids in mind and wanted an album of Christmas lullabys. I think it became just a little more sassy than anticipated, but I think you’ll enjoy it regardless.

Calvin Arsenia – Summer in Hindsight / Calvin Arsenia & Mike Dillon / Oct. 16, 2020
Soundtrack by Calvin Arsenia and Mike Dillon for The West 18th Street Fashion Show’s 20th year as a feature-length film. COVID-19 changed everything in 2020. “We are moving it from the street to the screen,” says Peregrine Honig to inkansascitymagazine. “Mike Dillon and Calvin Arsenia will be scoring and performing in the film.” The film premiered October 16, 2020 at The Boulevard Drive-In. Honig wrote,. “We did this during a pandemic and a cultural revolution. I am not sure where else or how else this could happen at this moment in history.” Calvin Arsenia had recently been emotionally and greatly moved by the area and national Black Lives Matter Movement. His own research into his own family revealed that Calvin’s great, great, great grandmother Alice Gilliam Scott, was a former slave who lived to observe her 100th birthday as noted by a regional newspaper Calvin had written. In the summer of 2020 Calvin wrote “Revelation” an unreleased track inspired by Black Lives Matter. Calvin premiered the song on WMM on August 12, 2020. He later shared his other new songs, “Scars and Stripes” and “The Flying Monkees are Coming!” on our October 14, 2020 edition of WMM. Both of those songs ended up on Summer in Hindsight.

Calvin Arsenia & Rewound – Love Story EP / Outlyer Productions / May 9, 2023
Rewound is a trio with Carmen Dieker on violin, Alyssa Bell on viola, and Ezgi Karakus on cello that perform classical and contemporary music re-imagined. For these recordings they are collaborating with Calvin Arsenia on harp.]

Paradise / Calvin Arsenia – Paradise / June 23, 2023
Paradise is Calvin Arsenia’s new 14 track album. It is only available through www.calvinarsenia.com // A new turning point as a songwriter. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, Racism, The Police, being on probation, gay love. The album contains collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow and Jametatone. Calvin Arsenia one of our most frequent guests, who first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. KC Magazine has hailed Calvin as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ // Calvin Arsenia played a PARADISE Album Release Party, Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, at 7:00 PM at The Emerald, 1715 West 9th Street, KCMO, WEST BOTTOMS.

Calvin’s Book VERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE / Andrews McMeel Universal / Oct. 5, 2021 a collection of Poetry & Prose

Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM

Calvin Arsenia & Friends play The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO on Tuesday, October 13 at 8:00pm More info at: www.follytheater.org

More info at http://www.calvinarsenia.com

11:26

4. Calvin Arsenia – “Experience”
   from: Catastrophe / Calvin Arsenia / February 14, 2017
   [Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in the Kansas City music scene and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter/performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. His full length album Catastrophe on February 14, 2017, His EP Caviar in Novenber 2017. Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, was released on September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On September 20, 2019 Calvin released LA Sessions. On December 13, 2019 Calvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Calvin is also a graduate of Artist INC.]

[Calvin Arsenia & Friends play The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street, KCMO on Tuesday, October 13 at 8:00pm More info at: www.follytheater.org // www.calvinarsenia.com]

11:29 – Underwriting

15. Just Angel – “Intent”
    from: Just Angel: Pt. 2 {EP] / Just Angel / December 25, 2021
    [Just Angel is a Kansas City based, singer, musician, songwriter, dancer. and creative artist. She recently contributed vocals to the recent Sisterbot record. More info at: /distrokid.com/hyperfollow/justangel/just-angel–pt-1: Just Angel: Pt. 2 is a followup to Just Angle Pt.1 – EP released on December 24, 2020 More info at: https://linktr.ee/JustAngel_TigerLilyStar]

[Just Angel plays POETRY IN PINK GALA – Sunday, October 25 at 6:00pm at Sherri’s Executive Lounge, 3834 Genessee Street, KCMO for the 2nd annual Cancer Awareness Gala for Cancer Survivors, Angels, Families and Communities.]

11:34 – Interview w/ Just Angel, T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, and Jon Hypocrace Lewis

Just Angel, is a a creative singer hailed as “Passionate … Soulful… and an Inspiring Voice.” She’s an Earthy Vocalist, whose voice finds its home in Rock, Jazz, and Alternative music, but has found a way to incorporate those genres within her love of Soul & R&B. Just Angel and her band The Wades can be found playing eclectic takes on popular music, along with her original songs from her EPs, Just Angel Part 1 & 2, and her, newest singles “Dumb”, released August 9, 2024, and “Sad Song”, released June 8, 2025.

We are happy to welcome back to the show Just Angel, with T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis, who share details about POETRY IN PINK GALA – Sunday, October 25 at 6:00pm at Sherri’s Executive Lounge, 3834 Genessee Street, KCMO for the 2nd annual Cancer Awareness Gala for Cancer Survivors, Angels, Families and Communities. Joining Angel will be Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis and Sherri Hall.

Just Angel will perform LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios with musician T.A. Rell.

Just Angel T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis, Thank You for being with us on WMM

Just Angel has performed with My Brothers & Sisters. Just Angel and her band, The Wades (which include T.A. Rell) can be found

She released her debut EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 1 on December 24, 2020. She released her follow up EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 2 on December 25, 2021. She also contributed vocals to the amazing Sisterbot record. Just Angel released the single “Dumb” – part of WMM’s favorite 50 Singles of 2024.

Just Angel has performed in multiple theatre theatre productions., and has been working on her musical degree at UMKC.

Just Angel collaborates with T.A. Rell who plays keyboards and sings background with Just Angel in their band The Wades. The Wades rock the stages with Just Angel’s original songs from her recordings and eclectic takes on popular music.

Arick “T.A. Rell” Ridgell is a 24 year old musician has been writing and producing music since the age of 18. The Kansas City, Missouri native was born August 29, 1990. He’s an alumni of Center High School (Kansas City, MO), and a current student at Longview Community College (Lee’s Summit, MO), where he’s currently looking to obtain a degree in Audio Engineering.

Just Angel has been working on her musical degree at UMKC.

11:48

16. Just Angel and T.A. Rell – “I.B.H.D.” (LIVE)
    this song can be found on Just Angel: Pt. 2 {EP] / Just Angel / December 24, 2020

11:53 – More Interview w/ Just Angel, T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis

We are happy to welcome back to the show Just Angel, with T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis, who share details about POETRY IN PINK GALA – Sunday, October 25 at 6:00pm at Sherri’s Executive Lounge, 3834 Genessee Street, KCMO for the 2nd annual Cancer Awareness Gala for Cancer Survivors, Angels, Families and Communities. Joining Angel will be Gie Santana, and Jon Hypocrace Lewis.

Just Angel T.A. Rell, Gie Santana, Jon Hypocrace Lewis Thank You for being with us on WMM

POETRY IN PINK GALA – Sunday, October 25 at 6:00pm at Sherri’s Executive Lounge, 3834 Genessee Street, KCMO for the 2nd annual Cancer Awareness Gala for Cancer Survivors, Angels, Families and Communities.

Just Angel, has been seen on stages of The Barn Players Community Theatre, at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center in BEAUTIFUL, The Carole King Musical,, The Music Theater Heritage: Ruby Room performance of “Piece of My Heart” in 2023, The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City “After Midnight” in 2022, and playing Osceola Mays in “Texas in Paris” in 2021.

We are talking with Just Angel who with their band, The Wades can be found rocking stages with original songs from their recordings and eclectic takes on popular music.

Just Angel produced the 4 song EP, JUST ANGEL PT.1 in 3 days in 2020, She then produced a second 4-song EP, JUST ANGEL PT. 2 in 24 hours in 2021. Just Angel has a birthday on December 24. Producer & Musician T.A. Rell helped birth into fruition the Just Angel EP releases with the 5 month hiatus between recordings.

More at https://linktr.ee/JustAngel_TigerLilyStar]

11:57

17. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    rom: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next week, on Wednesday, October 14,

At 10:00 Ned Stacie joins us to share details about NED’s Fright-Hole Cabaret, November 7th, 12th, 13th at 7:00pm doors, 8:00pm Show at The Warwick, 3927 Main Street, KCMO. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neds-fright-hole-cabaret-tickets // ALSO Joey Moreno and their partner Bella Cybin, The Emerald film crew and document most all of Ned’s Night-Hole shows is fund raising for their independent short film Level Sands – making art at the end of the world. https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/bella-cybin/level-sands

At 10:30 Our favorite Soul Child – Nicolette Paige joins us to talk about her healing work, her musical performances, farming and gardening and her recent travels to Africa.

At 11:00 Shawn Saving of Black Site Records also joins us with writers Francis X. Connor and Darren DeFrain to talk about: No Choice but Action: Kansas Postpunk 1978-1994. Featuring twenty-four tracks ranging from basement tape demos to professional studio recordings, this double LP highlights the evolution of the DIY music scene in the heart of “flyover country” from its nascent punk roots in the late 1970s to the alternative rock era of the early 1990s. Produced in collaboration with Wichita State University, this record is the essential audio companion to the book from University Press of Kansas, No Choice but Action: The Kansas Postpunk Revolution, by Francis X. Connor and Darren DeFrain.

While the history of punk has mostly focused on the coastal cities of the US, a fiercely independent music scene was thriving across Kansas in the late 1970s and 1980s. From Lawrence to Wichita, bands like The Embarrassment, Get Smart!, Micronotz, Pedaljets and Truck Stop Love built a decentralized, grassroots network fueled by basement venues, cassette culture, zines, and pure creative urgency—without the backing of major labels or industry infrastructure. This electrifying cultural history challenges everything we think we know about where music revolutions begin, revealing how Kansas became an unlikely but influential center of the American postpunk movement.

At 11:30pm the band Truck Stop Honeymoon joins us live to talk about their last album and shows.

You can find our playlists at: www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & www.kkfi.org
www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein-Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Office Manager Book Keeper – Shaina Littler.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’s Summer Fund Drive during WMM we had a total of 33 people donate a total of $3513.50. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1168