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 28, 2026
Mará Rose Williams + Malek Azreal + Yvette Walker + Eldon Painter
Mark Plays More New & MidCoastal Releases from: The Freedom Affair, Making Movies, Rudy Love & The Encore, Eldon Painter, IVORY BLUE, Malek Azrael, Nan Turner, Geese, Neko Case, The War & Treaty, and Hannah Jadagu.
At 11:00 Dan Talmadge who is performing and recording under the moniker, Eldon Painter joins us LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studio. Eldon Painter’s new debut album is called FANTASIA, and was released on September 12, 2026 on Blue Dream Records (Eldon’s label). This Kansas City based musician formerly played in the bands: Minden, Kyle Craft, Soft Reeds, and Capybara. Eldon relocated to Portland, Oregon in 2012 when the band Minden moved there as a group. Eldon was there through 2020 doing all things music. He returned back to Kansas City at the end of 2020. In 2024 Eldon began work on a new set of songs that would become FANTASIA. The album was recorded in his home in Kansas City and at the Honeymoon Suite in Los Angeles with multi-instrumentalist/producer Riley Geare. Eldon Painter played his first show at the recordBar in 2025. Eldon Painter plays miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO, on Saturday, October 31, at 8:00pm with Hoaxes, and Scammers. More info at: www.eldonpainter.bandcamp.com
During the entire show: Mará Rose Williams, Malek Azrael and Yvette Walker, join us as our Guest Co-Hosts. Our team will encourage our listeners to consider KKFI’s Fall On-Air-Fund Drive. Please call 888-931-0901, or visit www.kkfi.org to donate to 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio during Wednesday MidDay Medley’s Fall Fund Drive Show.
Mará Rose Williams is The Kansas City Star’s Senior Opinion Columnist. She previously was assistant managing editor for race & equity issues, a member of the Star’s Editorial Board and an award-winning columnist. She has written on all things education for The Star since 1998, including issues of inequity in education, teen suicide, universal pre-K, college costs and racism on university campuses. In 2008, she received the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship and traveled to Kenya to teach journalistic writing in the aftermath of a tribal massacre and raids on newspapers. She was a writer on The Star’s 2020 “Truth in Black and White” project and the recipient of the 2021 Eleanor McClatchy Award for exemplary leadership skills and transformative journalism. Mará served as host and producer for three installments of the nationally award winning Voices of Kansas City series she created in collaboration with 90.1 FM KKFI. In June Mará was inducted into Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame by the The Missouri Press Association.
Malek Azrael is a 26 year old Kansas City-based singer, songwriter, and producer whose music effortlessly blends elements of Indie Rock and R&B Pop. Born and raised in the heart of the Midwest, Malek’s music is a reflection of his upbringing and his experiences, which he translates into honest, heartfelt lyrics and infectious melodies. Malek released his first album, WAVES on October 15, 2021, which first featured members of his live band “The Vibez” drummer Josh Luke, bassist Jack Roberts, and guitarist Calvin Haverkamp. Upon the release of the debut project, they have played live concerts at Boulevardia Festival, Ameri’Kana, 18th & Vine Gumbo Fest, RecordBar, The Truman, Grinders, and Knuckleheads. Malek & The Vibez released the EP, FEELS LIKE… on February 28, 2025. This year Malek released LIVE AT GREENWOOD (MALEK AZRAEL & THE VIBEZ with MIKE DILLON on May 15, 2026, and the singles: “Only You”, “YOU”, “ANNOY MY FRIENDS”, and “DON’T WANNA BE ALONE” on October 2, 2026. Malek Azrael was part of Making Movies non-profit organization Art As Mentorship, and currently works for the Zhou B Art Center, at 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO, where he was instrumental in producing their Rock is Black, and Pop is Black concerts and well as their new Spirit & Song series. More info: www.zhoubartcenterkc.com
Yvette Walker is the Vice President and Editorial Page Editor covering the Opinion section for The Kansas City Star. She graduated with degrees from University of Missouri School of Journalism, and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She joined McClatchy in 2023. She has extensive experience as a senior editor for multiple news outlets. She has been a senior editor for five award-winning news outlets. She was part of the Star’s team that won the 2024 Scripps Howard Distinguished Service to the First Amendment. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2020 and was a college dean of journalism at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has been instrumental in promoting media ethics through conferences and educational initiatives. Journalism, for Yvette, is a form of service that helps people understand the world and holds institutions accountable.
On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org
Show #1171
