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 11, 2023

WMM presents Fearless Women: Karen Lisondra & GHOST LIGHT + Bitch + Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre & Nicolette Paige

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Hannah Jadagu – “What You Did”
   from: Aperture / Sub Pop Records / May 19, 2023
   [Fresh out of high school, Hannah Jadagu released her debut EP, What Is Going On?, a collection of intimate bedroom pop tracks recorded entirely on an iPhone 7, which was, at the time, Jadagu’s most accessible mode of production. An off-the-cuff approach to music making and instinctive ability to write unforgettable hooks belied the intensity of Jadagu’s subject matter. In a short run time, What Is Going On? confronts some of the nation’s most urgent struggles all through Jadagu’s compassionate perspective. “I want my songs to be both super intimate and still universally relatable,” Jadagu says. “With the EP, so many people told me that the songs resonated with them on a personal level, and that’s what I’m always hoping for.” // Resonate it did; What Is Going On? is Jadagu’s first Sub Pop release, but she’d been putting out music on SoundCloud for years, garnering a small online fanbase as she settled into an aesthetic, and recognition from a broader audience was overdue. “It really took off when I became a percussionist in my middle school’s band,” she says. “Writing songs started as a hobby and quickly became a passion to the point that I spent all my free time recording.” // On May 19th, 2023 Jadagu premiered Aperture, her first LP and most ambitious work to date. Written in the years between graduating from high school in Mesquite, TX and her sophomore year of college in New York, Aperture finds Jadagu in a state of transition. “Where I grew up, everyone is Christian; even if you don’t go to church, you’re still practicing in some form,” Jadagu says, laughing. “Moving out of my small hometown has made me reflect on how embedded Christianity is in the culture down there, and though I’ve been questioning my relationship to the church since high school, it’s definitely a theme on this album, but so is family.” // As a kid, Jadagu followed her older sister – a major source of inspiration who she refers to as “the blueprint” – to a local children’s chorus, where she received choral training. “I hated it,” Jadagu admits. “But it taught me how to harmonize, how to discover my tone, how to recognize and write melody.” The aching single “Admit It” is dedicated to Jadagu’s sister, whose boundless love and impeccable taste has been a constant for Jadagu ever since she was a kid. At home, the siblings were raised on mom’s Young Money mixtapes and the Black Eyed Peas (to whom she credits her love of vocoder) but it was in the sanctity of her sister’s car that Jadagu discovered indie artists who would go on to inspire her work. // “Lose” showcases Jadagu’s love of contemporary indie auteurs as it weaves a spare and unpretentious guitar riff with barebones piano chords all while Jadagu sings about the thrill and underlying fear that comes with beginning a new relationship. It is, in her words, a “classic pop song.” “The things we haven’t done/ Play out in my mind/ Would you just give me time?” she sings, nearing the end, as the skittering drumbeat propels the song from a place of contemplative yearning to defiance. “Every track on this album, except for “Admit It”, was written first on guitar, which is an instrumental throughline,” Jadagu says. “But the blanket of synths I use throughout helps me move between sensibilities. There’s rock Hannah, there’s hip-hop Hannah, and so on. I didn’t want any of the songs to sound too alike.” // Emblematic of this ethos is the single “Warning Sign,” which starts out as an acoustic, R&B slowburner before a muscular electric guitar enters the mix and the song morphs into something akin to psychedelic. “I knew I could make another album on my phone, but I wanted to make sure that I was leveling up, especially for the debut,” Jadagu says. So she began the difficult process of searching for a co-producer capable of complementing her work without dominating it. Enter Max Robert Baby, a French songwriter and producer who captured Jadagu’s attention with his take on Aperture’s lead single “Say It Now.” The duo worked together remotely, sending stems to one another via email, before eventually meeting in-person for the first time at Greasy Studios on the outskirts of Paris. // “When I recorded my EP, it was all MIDI, but in the studio Max and I worked with a ton of analog instruments,” Jadagu says. “There’s some Glockenspiel on the album, calling back to my percussionist days, and some synth warping that adds texture.” While What Is Going On? was heavy on layered reverb, making Jadagu’s vocals feel “shy,” she took what she calls a more “intimate, up close” approach while recording her voice for the LP. That experimentation is best heard on the rousing “What You Did,” which leverages crushing accusations against the song’s unnamed subject. Screaming static and a crunchy guitar part softens under Jadagu’s calm delivery as she sings: “Act like it’s best if we make amends, but I don’t wanna talk to you again.” // An aperture is strictly defined as an opening, a hole, a gap. On a camera, it’s the mechanism that light passes through, allowing a photographer to immortalize a moment in time. For Jadagu, the word perfectly encapsulates the mood of her debut album. In the years it took her to complete, she faced moments of darkness, sure, but the process of making it, her first ever in a professional studio, was ultimately a cathartic experience, one she now shares with you, the listener. Let the light in.] [Hannah Jadagu played the Bottleneck in Lawrence Kansas on Friday, September 29, 2023]

3. Sweeping Promises – “Shadow Me”
   from: Good Living is Coming For You / Feel it Records – Sub Pop / June 30, 2023
   [“For more than a half century, underground music revolutionaries have taken a whack at the mundane mainstream like a piñata. England punks spat “NO FUTURE” at germ-free adolescents. Ohio new wavers devolutionized mankind with whips. Athens art school students chomped at hero worship. MetroCard-carrying riot grrrls rebirthed the bomp with a gasoline gut. In 2020, Sweeping Promises read our pandemic minds with Hunger for a Way Out. In 2023, they return with a new message: Good Living Is Coming For You. At first glance, this nouveau wave slogan offers hope wrapped around relief. At first listen, we realize this may actually be a warning. Darker still, a threat. // A band famous for their unfussy, monolithic anthems, Sweeping Promises elegantly ravage us again with another future classic. They return as a fist of velvet rose petals roaring inside a compact wrecking ball. Gone is the Boston brutalist ambience of their subterranean concrete laboratory and the revelatory single mic recording technique. In its place, a retired and resplendent nude painting studio in Lawrence, Kansas, bathed in light with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Guided once again by their surrounding architecture, a reverb-rich space remains the defining element at the heart of their highly stylized sound. A watery ghost from the golden age of art-punk now wields sharper knives and more microphones. // If the mood of HFAWO was hungry, GLICFY is RAVENOUS. In 2023, appetite is addressed in new ways: Power struggles are aired in “Eraser,” restraints are broken in “You Shatter,” anguished excla-mations sting in “Good Living Is Coming for You.” The taboo subject of aging is (s)heroically dragged out into the open. Every line is delivered with such joyous, soaring layers that each punch lands like a chef’s kiss. // Sweeping Promises are Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug. A chance meeting in Arkansas led to a decade of playing in an eclectic assortment of projects together. Their relentless practice made perfect. Bass playing Lira is an emotive bolt of thunderous energy with the iconic blast of a girl group rolled into one robust throat. Caufield is an intentional guitar player and drummer. No note or hit is extraneous. Together they are meticulous sound engineers, using space as a key ingredient to their distinct sound. Controlling every aspect of their craft, from the first note they write together, all the way through to the final mastering process, each record is an unspoiled fingerprint unique to their dynamic chemistry. // Written before the pandemic, Hunger for a Way Out was released on Feel It Records in 2020. The songs drip with the anxious urgency of a commanding live performance yet their gauzy production transports us like the fading memory of a favorite song. This distorted sense of time resonated with thousands of quarantined listeners who turned the album into a life-saving floatation device and most beloved album of the year. This is when Feel It Records (North America) and Sub Pop (everywhere else) joined forces to divide/unite and conquer; beginning with the 2021 single “Pain Without a Touch” and now carrying through to G.L.I.C.F.Y.. // The pandemic went on to trigger an absurd chain of events for Sweeping Promises. Under financial strain, Mondal & Schnug uprooted their lives, and surrendered their studio in Cambridge to take refuge with family in Texas. They completed over 50 demos between their Austin bathroom and a Marfa abode, but feeling unsatisfied, they sought another fresh start. When a disused church in Ohio proved too difficult to rehab, they ultimately found lasting inspiration in Kansas. With their home & studio all under one roof, life is music & music is life. // G.L.I.C.F.Y. ultimately reflects being thrust into a severely unpredictable world. A capsized boat isn’t entirely bad. In fact, it can be the necessary push toward finding solid ground.” – Tracy Wilson (Courtesy Desk) ]

[Sweeping Promises play Outer Reaches Fest, on Saturday, October 14 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO, On the Les BonsBons Electrique stage w/, Keo & Them, Static Phantoms]

10:06 – Pledge Break #1

Thanks for tuning into WMM on 90.1 FM KKFI. I’m Mark Manning. Today WMM features 15 Fearless Women w/ New & MidCoastal Releases from: Heidi Lynne Gluck, Jass & The Boys, Keo & Them, Julia Othmer, Crys Matthews, Bitch, Samara Joy, Karla Thomas, Meshell Ndegeocello, Joni Mitchell. We started w/ Hannah Jadagu, & Sweeping Promises.

At 11:00 we talk with Karen Lisondra, Associate Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 4th Annual GHOST LIGHT: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two outdoor performances October 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park, 3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO, with performances by poets Glenn North and Mary Silwance, and Black Light Animals, Jass, Julia Othmer and more.

At 11:30 we’ll talk LIVE with singer songwriter Bitch who released her acclaimed album BITCHCRAFT, the long-standing queer icon’s 9th studio album. Bitch first achieved notoriety as one half of the queer folk duo Bitch and Animal. In the mid 2000s, Bitch went solo, and shared stages with the Indigo Girls, acted in the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus, co-wrote a song with Margaret Cho, produced two albums of her elder folk hero Ferron, and licensed her music to The L Word. Bitch will play recordBar on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 PM with Folk Music award winning artist, Crys Matthews.

We take break to encourage YOU to support 90.1 FM KKFI. To help me, is my friend…

Marion Merritt is our most frequent contributor to WMM, She grew up in Los Angeles, and St. Louis. She went to college in Columbia, Missouri. She studied art and musical engineering, and is a avid lover of classic films and punk rock music. She saw Talking Heads on their first U.S. tour when they played One Block West in 1978. For nearly 20 years she has been sharing her musical discoveries and information from her musically-encyclopedic brain on Wednesday MidDay Medley. With her partner Ann Stewart, Marion is the proprietor of Records With Merritt, a minority owned business at 1614 Westport Rd. in Kansas City, that features new vinyl releases, in-store performances,, and was once the location for a wedding. More information at: http://www.recordwithmerritt.com

Marion Merritt, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Also with us is Joelle St. Pierre, a friend of the show, a friend of mine since the early 1990s when we worked together at Cafe Lulu. Joelle is a super volunteer for 90.1 FM KKFI, helping with KKFI’s special events, the Crossroads Music Festival, answering phones for our On-Air-Fund Drives, being a “Listener Evaluator” for KKFI’s Program Evaluation Initiative. Joelle works full time for an Insurance Company but also finds time to volunteer for Midwest Music Foundation, Folk Alliance International, and several other charity organization.Joelle helped me build two 18-raised bed gardens for schools in KCK, and also helped water gardens for several years. Poet Kahlil Gibran notes that “Music is the language of the Spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife”.

Joelle St. Pierre, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Nicolette Paige released her debut album, NICOLETTE PAIGE on May 2, 2008, and her 11-song album, THE OTHER SIDE on October 19, 2012. Those were followed by five singles. Nicolette is the owner and founder of Soul Child Awakenings, where she combines her musical talents with her healing practices. She brings her gifts to schools, hospitals, and elderly care centers, providing participants with hand-held instruments and integrating indigenous healing practices into her sessions. In the past three weeks Nicolette Paige headlined the Gaea Goddess Gathering Festival in Waynesville, Missouri., opened the Art In The Park Festival in Lawrence, KS. And perform for Farm Fest last Saturday, at The KC Farm School at Gibbs Road in KCK. More at: http://www.SoulChildAwakenings.com

Nicolette Paige thank you for being our guest on WMM

90.1 FM KKFI is “Radio Powered By Diversity” For 35 Years our Kansas City Area Community Speaks Through our Airwaves and this Program.

So far in 2023 on WMM we have conducted over 125 interviews with 118 special guests: Karen Lisondra, Bitch, Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, Nicolette Paige, Dedric Moore, Brenton Cook, Mark Ronning, Nathan Reusch, Krysztof Nemeth, Jennifer Owen, Stacy Busch, Marty Bush, Spencer Brown aka Daisy Buckët, IV0RY BLUE, Alyssa Murray, Mica-Elgin Vi, Noah Bartelt, Shaun Crowley, Jeffrey Stolz, Wallace Cochran, Betty Berry, Scott Easterday, Cody Wyoming, Mara Rose Williams, Nick Carswell, Fally Afani, Dan Jones, Steve Tulipana, Miki P, Mireya Ramos, Trevor Turla, Bill Sundahl, Jocelyn Olivia Nixon, Sophia and Analiese of The Black Mariah Theater, JNabe, Danny Alexander, Michael B. Tipton, Mark Meisenheimer, Tillie Hall, Joy Zimmerman, Paris Williams, Zava, Kevin Willmott, Mark von Schlemmer, Heidi Gluck, Nate Holt, Kirsten Paludan, Jade Osborne, Alisön Hawkins, Fritz Hutchison, Audrey Crabtree, Beth Byrd, Chip Ashby, Stephanie Iszory, Jass, Clarence Copridge, Calvin Arsenia, Kirstie Lynn, Galen Clark, Chris Haghirian, Nico Gray, Mike McCoy, Madisen Ward, Mikal Shapiro, Jen Harris, Stephonne, Betse Ellis, Luke Harbur, Julia Reynolds, Andrew Connor, Ryan Connor, Bill Belzer, Krystle Warren, Mike Dillon, Malek Azreal, Philip Dickey, Elyshya “Millz” Miller, Ethan Eckert, Sondra Freeman, Alicia Ellingsworth, Patrick Sprehe, Kate McCandless, Megan Birdsall, Michael Andrew Smith, Jess Shoman of Tenci, April Fletcher, Brad Cox, Necia Gamby, Iris DeMent, Kelly Dougherty, Audrey Bramlett, Erika Cecilia, Paul Jesse, Deegan Poores, Gayle Cade-Price, Patrick Sumner, Aaron Rhodes, Frank Loose Jr., Kurt Witt, Tim Miller, Anthony Cruz, Olivia “Liv” Wyrick of Cardio Party, Aisha Kahlil, Hermon Mehari, Nan Turner, Elizabeth Suh, Howie Howard, Nani Noam Vazana, Kelley Hunt, Rachael Sage, Michelle Bacon, Devon Teran, and Aaron Mitchum.

10:14 – Joni Mitchell

4. Joni Mitchell – “Both Sides Now”
   from: AT NEWPORT / Rhino / July 28, 2023
   [Roberta Joan “Joni” Mitchell was born November 7, 1943. She is soon to be 80 years old. She is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time, known for her starkly personal lyrics and unconventional compositions which grew to incorporate pop and jazz elements. She has received 10 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. AllMusic has stated, “When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century”. //On March 2015, Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm rupture, which required her to undergo physical therapy and take part in daily rehabilitation. Mitchell made her first public appearance following the aneurysm when she attended a Chick Corea concert in Los Angeles in August 2016. She made a few other appearances, and in November 2018 David Crosby said that she was learning to walk again.// Joni Mitchell stunned the Newport Folk Festival audience last summer when she gave a surprise performance – her first in 20 years – delivering a heartfelt set filled with some of her greatest songs. // Mitchell’s triumphant return to the stage on July 24, 2022, is featured on a new live album from Rhino, AT NEWPORT, available on July 28, 2023 on CD and 2-LP black vinyl. Produced by close collaborator Brandi Carlile, along with Mitchell. // Mitchell was joined on stage at the Newport Folk Festival by a star-studded band led by Carlile, the 9x GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter. Other performers included Carlile’s bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Wynonna Judd, Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and more. // Mitchell delighted the audience, blending her voice with the other singers on stage on classics like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case Of You,” and “Both Sides Now.” For good measure, she even flashed her guitar prowess, playing a solo instrumental version of “Just Like This Train.” // In his liner notes for AT NEWPORT, Cameron Crowe writes about Mitchell’s arduous and miraculous recovery from a life-threatening brain aneurysm in 2015, that led to her emotional return at Newport. // “Mitchell emerged from the side of the stage, swaying smoothly, in fine summer-style with beret and sunglasses. Her good-natured mood instantly set the tone. This performance would be an intimate gathering of friends, not unlike the Joni Jams she’d been hosting in her own living room over the last few years of recovery. Smiling broadly, Mitchell made her surprise appearance, taking her on-stage seat alongside Carlile. Within minutes, the news had rocketed around the globe. Mitchell was back, sparkling with enthusiasm, delivering a tender and passionate set of 13 songs, ending with a joyful sing-along of ‘The Circle Game.’” // On June 10, 2023, Mitchell headlined a once-in-a-lifetime “Joni Jam” at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington, with special guest Brandi Carlile. Mitchell’s first ticketed show in 20 years, the concert sold-out immediately when it was announced last in the fall of 2022. // Mitchell’s ongoing return to the public eye continued in March when she was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C. The show featured performances by James Taylor, Graham Nash, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, and Diana Krall, along with several artists from the Newport concert, including Carlile. The concert – “Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song” – was broadcast on PBS stations on Friday, March 31.]

5. Joni Mitchell – You Turn Me On I’m a Radio (with Neil Young & The Stray Gators) [For the Roses Early Sessions]
   from: Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) / Rhino / Oct. 6, 2023
   [Come 1972, Joni Mitchell’s singular songwriting talent and poetic gifts were undeniable. Fresh off the back-to-back Platinum-certified releases of 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon and 1971’s Blue (totemic albums whose artfulness and ubiquity would influence generations of songwriters) Mitchell had grown wary of mounting media scrutiny. Everything from her style choices to romantic partners became the subject of far more gossip column inches than were ever dedicated to the lifestyle minutiae of her male counterparts. // In response, she had pulled back, announcing an early retirement from the stage in 1970 and moving to the quiet expanses of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. It was a fruitful change of scenery. Inspired by her proximity to nature and refreshed by the peaceful seclusion, she began constructing the songs that would become For The Roses. This respite thrust Mitchell into a remarkably fertile creative period, yielding a run of albums — 1972’s For The Roses, 1974’s Court And Spark, and 1975’s The Hissing Of Summer Lawns — that would simultaneously expand and refine the scope of her music. Her adventurous, intricate arrangements and growing formidability as a bandleader injected these songs with a clarity of purpose, a potent muscularity, and a sense of possibility — it is among the most exciting eras of a near peerless career. // This era comes into even greater focus on Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975), out October 6, 2023 on Rhino Records. It’s the latest entry in Rhino’s ongoing, GRAMMY® Award-winning series exploring the vast untapped archives of rare Joni Mitchell recordings — a project guided intimately by Mitchell’s own vision and personal touch. Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) will be available both in a 5CD / digital version and a 4LP cut-down version, both with an accompanying book featuring photos and a conversation about this period between Joni Mitchell and longtime friend Cameron Crowe. // As Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) — which won a 2022 GRAMMY® Award for Best Historical Album — and Vol. 2: The Reprise Years (1968-1971) did, Vol. 3 boasts an embarrassment of riches. The collection begins with an early cut of “Cold Blue Steel And Sweet Fire,” one of two songs (along with “For The Roses”) test-driven during a visit to a Graham Nash David Crosby recording session at Wally Heider’s in Hollywood. // From there, listeners are treated to early demos and alternate versions from sessions from For The Roses, Court & Spark, and The Hissing Of Summer Lawns; historic live show recordings, including the entirety of Mitchell’s triumphant 1972 return to Carnegie Hall and a definitive gig with her Court And Spark backing band Tom Scott & the L.A. Express; and tracks from sessions cut alongside James Taylor, Graham Nash, and Neil Young. // As she approaches her 80th birthday later this year, Joni Mitchell is reaffirming the vitality and resonance of her music. Last month, she released At Newport, a live album commemorating her incredible comeback performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. Pitchfork described it as “a joyous surprise, a moment of wonder,” while NPR Music says it “[shows] Mitchell’s legacy in action and how younger generations of musicians carry forth her spirit of imagination and fearless reconfiguration.” // Back in June, Mitchell held her first ticketed performance in over 20 years at a sold-out Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA. Rolling Stone called it “The triumph of the human spirit we all desperately craved…a powerful celebration of Mitchell’s life and resiliency.”] [For The Roses was originally released on Asylum Records in November 1972. Joni Mitchell originally wrote the song “You Turn Me On I’m A Radio” in response to her record label’s desire for her to write a hit song. Mitchell reveals her purpose on lines such as, “And I’m sending you out this signal here, I hope you can pick it up loud and clear”. She believed that including words in the song about radio themes would convince stations to play the recording. The song was recorded in preparation for Mitchell’s upcoming fifth studio album in Hollywood, California, United States at A&M Studios. Although Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Neil Young all contributed to the recording session for the song, only the harmonica piece performed by Graham Nash was included on the official release. “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” was released as a single in November 1972 via Asylum Records. The song became Mitchell’s first top-ten hit in Canada, reaching the tenth position on the RPM Top Singles chart. Additionally, the single became her first top-forty hit in the United States, reaching number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside North America, “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” peaked within the top-forty on the Australian Kent Music Report chart. The single was included on Mitchell’s fifth studio effort For the Roses, which was issued in November 1972. Released between her 2 biggest commercial and critical successes – “Blue” and “Court & Spark”. In 2007 it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. “For the Roses” was Mitchell’s farewell to the business; she took an extended break for a year after. The album was critically acclaimed with The New York Times saying “Each of Mitchell’s songs on For the Roses is a gem glistening with her elegant way with language, her pointed splashes of irony & her perfect shaping of images. Never does Mitchell voice a thought or feeling commonly. She’s a songwriter and singer of genius who can’t help but make us feel we are not alone.”]

10:23 – Pledge Break #2

Our WMM Fall Fund Drive Team: Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, and Nicolette Paige.

Today on WMM we are celebrating 15 Fearless Women with musical tracks 12 of our Favorite New & MidCoastal musical releases and three incredible Guest Hosts who help keep Community Radio alive and on the air. 90.1 FM KKFI’s non-profit organization and governing body is the MidCoast Radio Project. MidCoastal is where we are, on the coasts of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers with a music community that spans the Kansas City Metro region and west to Lawrence and Topeka and south to Olathe and east to Columbia and North to St Joseph. Not necessarily the reach of our 100,000 watt signal but definitely the reach of our community.

WMM and KKFI are committed to featuring artists under-represented in other media, and that includes the music community that lives within Kansas City and Lawrence and the area radiance of our 100 watt signal. The story of Kansas City’s Arts and Music Community is our primary objective on WMM, where for over 19 + years we have shined a light on this music and the artists who create it, and that story also include the music labels who help get this music out into the community and beyond Kansas City. That story also includes the recording studios where this music is engineered and mastered.

Wednesday MidDay Medley 90.1 FM was the first radio show and first radio station to ever play many if these amazing musical artists. WMM was the first to play the recordings of: Calvin Arsenia, and Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, and Krystle Warren, and The Black Creatures and KD Kuro, The Shy Boys, The Salvation Choir. We were the first to interview these artists live on the radio and bring their music to a wider audience.

Timothy Finn Kansas City area music writer named WMM “The Best Place to Hear Local Music on the Radio.” and the Best Place to hear area musicians talk about their music.

10:32

6. Keo & Them – “Fool Me Once”
   from: “Fool Me Once” – Single / Midtopia / October 6, 2023
   Keo & Them released “Don’t Say: as a “single” with the tracks: “Be Still” and “Money Grooves (feat. Greg Spero) on June 2, 2023. Kei & Them are from Wichita, Kansas. // For Wichita-based, Texas-raised singer/songwriter Keo, making music is as much about the one creates and the songs one writes as it is about making deeper connections with the other people partaking in an artistic journey. From the unique flavors, perspectives, and performances they each contribute, Keo finds the “Them” that brings her project Keo & Them full circle. // First formed and conceptualized by Keo in 2018, the collective consists of Keo and a revolving door of musicians and collaborators, each of whose contributions would leave an indelible mark on the project’s ever-adapting sound that merges the worlds of 70’s pop and R&B with the moody glow of contemporary neo-soul and beyond. For Keo, the project’s sole constant member, the fluid line-up allowed her to become immersed and acquainted with a Wichita music scene she was completely new to and overwhelmed by. Through meeting, jamming, and performing with the Kansas town’s tight-knit and eclectic music scene in which Keo found something akin to a family. // With the band’s new EP, Don’t Say, finding that familial connection made for a crucial milestone, as the record is a deeply personal work that showcases Keo’s songwriting in a more vulnerable and brutally honest lens than ever before. As a result, the “Them” heard on Don’t Say consists of people Keo holds incredibly dear: Nathan Harrison (guitar), Cece Raheb (Bass), and Dexter McCoy(drums), with the latter two being part of Keo & Them’s first ever iteration. At its core Don’t Say is a record about acceptance of oneself within oneself, from the quirks that make us unique to the flaws and shortcomings that make us human beings. Between the soulful, somber sway of “Don’t Say,” to the stoic yet brutally honest self-reflection of “Be Still” and culminating in the funk-tinged, content confidence radiating throughout “Money Grooves”, Keo brings listeners along on a vulnerable story of self-growth wrapped in a three-track package of suave, cleverly arranged neo-soul. // More info at: http://www.keoandthem.com]

[Keo & Them play Outer Reaches Fest, on Saturday, October 14 at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO, On the Les BonsBons Electrique stage w/ Sweeping Promises, Static Phantoms, Alyssa Murray]

7. Samara Joy – “Linger Awhile”
   from: Linger Awhile / Verve / September 16, 2022
   [ With her GRAMMY-Award winning and chart-topping album, Linger Awhile, 23-year-old Samara Joy makes her case to join the likes of Sarah, Ella, and Billie as the next mononymous jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable Verve Records. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her legions of fans in addition to millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. In February 2023, Samara Joy took home two GRAMMYs – Best Jazz Vocal Album and the auspicious Best New Artist award.// Samara Joy McLendon, is known professionally as Samara Joy. She is an American jazz singer. She won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019 and was named Best New Artist by Jazz Times for 2021. // A native of the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, Joy was born in 1999 into a musical family. Her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, were founders of Philadelphia gospel group The Savettes. Her father, a bass player who has toured with gospel singer/songwriter/producer Andraé Crouch, introduced her to gospel greats like The Clark Sisters, and soul & Motown were also a big presence in her home. // At Fordham High School for the Arts she performed with the jazz band, and won Best Vocalist at Fordham University’s “Essentially Ellington” competition at Lincoln Center. But she first encountered jazz in a meaningful way when she enrolled in the jazz program at SUNY’s Purchase College as a voice major, and was named an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar. Friends there introduced her to the great jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughan and Fitzgerald and instrumentalists like Kenny Washington, Jon Faddis (with whom she studied) and Ingrid Jensen. While she was still in college, before the release of her 1st album, film director Regina King called her “a young woman who seems like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald are both living in her body.” // In 2019, as Samara McLendon, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. // Working with producer and eventual manager Matt Pierson, she recorded her self-titled debut album while still in college, graduating magna cum laude in 2021. Samara Joy was released on 9 July 2021 with Whirlwind Records. // On February 15, 2022 she performed on Today with guitarist Pasquale Grasso and performed again on Today in Sept. 2022. // She released a number of viral video performances, including one that had been viewed over 1.5 million times as of Oct. 2020.// In February 2021 she was featured in Women of Color on Broadway, Inc.’s music video of “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess and on jazz pianist Julius Rodriguez’s album Let Sound Tell All. // Jazz Times named her Best New Artist for 2021. // On June 15, 2022 she was featured at Carnegie Hall’s 16th Annual Notable Occasion. and appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. On Sept. 16, 2022 she released her 2nd album, Linger Awhile, on Verve Records. The album features drummer Kenny Washington, guitarist Pasquale Grasso, pianist Ben Paterson, & bassist David Wong. // On Feb. 5, 2023, Samara Joy won 2 Grammy Awards, for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album for Linger Awhile // A few weeks ago on September 8, 2023, Two-time GRAMMY-winner Samara Joy has returned with her new single “Tight.” Featuring Joy with her working band (pianist Luther Allison, bassist Mikey Migliore and drummer Evan Sherman), the track was recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in NYC. Originally written by Betty Carter and a true showcase of Joy’s incredible range, “Tight” has been a fan favorite during Joy’s onstage sets. // The release of “Tight” continues a whirlwind year that saw Joy take home the auspicious Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album awards at this year’s GRAMMY’s. Joy also released the deluxe edition of her album Linger Awhile, which includes brand new music plus fan favorites like “Guess Who I Saw Today” and “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood.” // Since Samara’s breakout GRAMMY wins, Linger Awhile has reached #1 on Amazon Best Sellers, Billboard Jazz, Pandora Trendsetters, iTunes and Amazon’s digital-music and CD sales, and more. Samara has garnered over nearly 1 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, and tour dates all over the world have sold out. //.]

[Samara Joy plays The Folly Theatre, 300 W 12th St. KCMO on Saturday, October 14, 2023]

10:38 – Pledge Break #3

Our WMM Fall Fund Drive Team: Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, & Nicolette Paige

On June 28, 2023 about 15 weeks ago, Wednesday MidDay Medley celebrated 1000 Shows! 1000 weeks of broadcasts, with LIVE performances in our 90.1 FM Studios from: Madisen Ward, Mikal Shapiro, Calvin Arsenia, IVORY BLUE, Stephonne, Poet Jen Harris.

1000 weeks equaled 2000 hours of radio, 30,000 hours of preparation, over 2900 Interviews, 2500 guests, and over 20,000 songs, from thousands of musical artists. We have made it our mission to mix musical genres, playing with themes, diversity, equality, free speech, connecting artists and venues and listeners and communities. Wednesday MidDay Medley has proudly endeavored to help tell the story of our growing Kansas City area music scene, “The Midcoast Sound,” as we like to call it. We have dedicated a majority of our programming to New & MidCoastal Releases.

WMM has presented new formats in radio, with our “A Story In A Song” series, and our special shows featuring: Apocalypse Meow, Crossroads Music Fest, Folk Alliance, Manor Fest, International, The Outer Reaches Festival, Boulevardia. KC Fringe Festival, Owen Cox Dance Group, Bach Aria Soloists, KC Pride, and our annual tribute shows to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., David Bowie, Iris Dement, Pioneers of Punk, LGBTQIA Themes, Black Lives Matter and interviews with Tommy Ramone, Iris Dement, Laurie Anderson, Lily Tomlin. Plus, our annual 4-week special: WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of the Year.

To say we’ve been inspired by the KC music scene, is an understatement. The KC music community is fueled by a collaborative and generous heart that is beating in so many of the artists we’ve met while doing this show. We are inspired by the Fearless Women who created radio on 90.1 FM long before us: our friend April Fletcher who plays bass professionally in Los Angeles, and hosted Mix Well Before Serving on 90.1 in 1988 on KKFI’s first year of broadcast, and this year returned after 35 years to host and produce WMM. And our friend Anne Winter, who left us in 2009, and reminded us how we’re all connected. At Anne’s funeral we realized that we are connected to hundreds of other people who Anne had touched with her gentle, wise, guidance and had nudged into taking a job, going out on a stage, organzing an event, doing a radio show. We were all connected, she had loved us all and supported us, and some of us made a pact to do just a little bit of what Anne did, if we all did a little we could continue her work to help build our community, that is how we keep Anne alive in our heart. And through collaboration, and shining a light, like Abigail Hope Henderson, who we lost in 2013, but not before she ignited a movement to create the Midwest Music Foundation supporting heath care needs and mental health care for the music community. I’m inspired by the diverse , intelligent, motivated, listeners, looking for place on the dial, where they can connect to the stories & music & voice of our community.

Today we celebrate the pure idea of community radio, free form radio, radio that tells the story of the people who live here, the artists, the writers, the teachers, the performers. We celebrate 1015 weeks of WMM, the show that has brought us together, at this time, on this frequency, in these community airwaves. Thanks for listening.

YOU are the reason we are able to stay alive. Volunteers are waiting to hear from YOU right now. Call 888-931-0901. You can also visit us at http://www.kkfi.org, or call 888-931-0901 to support Kansas City Community Radio 90.1 FM. It only takes a few minutes, and we have “thank you gifts.” The number is 888-931-0901 to support KC Community Radio 90.1 FM

KKFI’s Mission Statement:
KKFI is the Kansas City area’s independent, noncommercial community radio station. We seek to stimulate, educate and entertain our audience, to reflect the diversity of the local and world community, and to provide a channel for individuals and groups, issues and music that have been overlooked, suppressed or under-represented by other media.

KKFI’s Philosophy Statement:
KKFI is committed to diversity in programming and discourse and seeks to create a climate of mutual respect and collaboration among volunteers and staff.

10:45

8. Carla Thomas – “Sweet Sensation”
   from: Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos selections / Concord / Oct. 2, 2023
   [In its heyday, Stax Records was synonymous with soul music’s biggest stars – from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas to Sam & Dave and The Staple Singers. But behind their iconic hits was a talented team of songwriters. Craft Recordings celebrates the work of these unsung heroes with the collection Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos. The 7-disc box set includes 146 demos (140 previously unreleased) from Stax’s legendary roster of songwriters, including Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, and William Bell. From early sketches of classic ’60s and ’70s hits to never-before-heard songs with full-blown arrangements, Written in Their Soul offers fans a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the storied Memphis label. // Compiled by multiple GRAMMY®-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski, the songs featured on Written in Their Soul fall into three categories: demos that were released by artists at Stax or its subsidiary imprints, including Volt, We Produce, and Enterprise (CDs 1–3); demos by Stax songwriters that were released by artists on other labels, such as Atlantic and Decca (CD 4); and a trove of hit-worthy recordings that were never released (CDs 5–7). Adding context to these songs are notes by Pawelski, plus a new essay by Emmy® and GRAMMY-winning writer/producer Robert Gordon (Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story) and Stax’s original Director of Publicity, Deanie Parker, who later served as the founding President and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, which encompasses the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, among other educational organizations. Ms. Parker, who joined the Stax fold in 1962, was also a songwriter at the label. // “Demo recordings are often tossed off without inhibition, just writer and tape recorder sharing an intimate space,” writes compilation producer Cheryl Pawelski. “I love all these songs as they tumbled out for the first time. They’re filled with the joy and magic of discovering something that wasn’t there moments before. Suddenly, there it is, a song filled with the hope of finding an audience, of saying something, of moving someone.” That magic is palpable throughout Written in Their Soul, which captures some of America’s best songwriters laying down their ideas (often for the first time) on tape. // A fascinating example is Henderson Thigpen’s “Woman to Woman,” which became a signature hit for Shirley Brown in 1974. The idea for the song first came to Thigpen when he heard his wife talking about two women fighting over the same man. “When two men get serious,” Thigpen recalled, “they say, ‘Let’s talk man to man,’ so I thought of these ladies saying, ‘Woman to woman, let’s hash this out.’” // Gordon and Parker point out that the “Woman to Woman” demo is notable in that it is voiced by a male artist, but written from a female perspective. This, they say, “is an expression of a great songwriter’s skill – the ability to inhabit any character, even those not of their gender. While it was a matter of economics for the songwriter to sing across gender boundaries – if the writers brought in an outside vocalist, they’d have to pay them or have a fee taken from their royalties – the real achievement is the writers’ ability to so comfortably imagine themselves as someone else.” // Not all of the demos stray far from their final versions – in fact, fans may recognize some songs immediately. Homer Banks’ demo for “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” (written with Carl Hampton) is a prime example. Originally intended for the Emotions, the song was shelved, only to be discovered two years later by Luther Ingram. The singer-songwriter, who stayed true to Bank’s demo, turned the song into one of the biggest hits of 1972. // Gordon and Parker note that the strength of this demo gave the songwriting duo greater creative responsibilities. “The similarity between [the] demo and Luther’s final release was strong enough to push Homer and Carl into taking more control of the sessions. ‘We found other producers were literally copying the demos and having hits,’ Homer [recalled]. ‘So…we simply decided that we were going to produce!’” // Stax was also home to several female songwriters – a rarity at that time. One of the label’s first big stars, Carla Thomas, was a prolific writer who penned her debut hit, “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” when she was just 15. Thomas’ work is exemplified here on multiple demos – the majority of which she would record herself – as well as several unreleased songs, including “Let’s Be Sure” and “It’s Up to You.” Some of Deanie Parker’s unreleased work is also highlighted, including demos of “Spin It” and “Nobody Wants to Get Old” with Mack Rice. // Among Stax’s most prolific songwriters was Bettye Crutcher, whose songs in this collection include solo compositions as well as collaborations, including works with her hitmaking team We Three (featuring Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson). But Crutcher had plenty of challenges to overcome, explains Parker. “She realized that there were barriers, that the writers had turf, and to be a woman in that environment was extremely difficult. // Crutcher, who passed away last October, told Gordon and Parker, “These guys just didn’t want to accept a girl coming in there doing what they were doing…I really was going to have to win them with my work, they were not going to give me any edge.” Written in Their Soul offers more than two dozen demos by Crutcher – a testament to her talents and tireless work ethic. Adds Parker, “I’ve never seen anybody who could write as many songs in one sitting as Bettye – she was like a machine!” // Other highlights from Crutcher’s rich collection of work include the previously-unreleased feminist anthem by We Three, “Too Much Sugar For A Dime.” Written In Their Soul includes two versions of the song: a raw demo, performed by Homer Banks, followed by a flashier rendition by Crutcher that features a full band, backup singers, and supremely funky guitar licks by Bobby Manuel, who frequently collaborated with the songwriter. // While it is thrilling to hear the early workings of classic Stax tracks, an equal portion of Written In Their Soul is devoted to the songs that never made it out into the world. Many of these tracks are fully-realized studio recordings that were sent to publishers for copywriting purposes. // Looking back at the breadth of demos collected here, Parker marvels, “This music has lasted over fifty years, and it’s still being studied, emulated, enjoyed. It has earned the right to become a tool used to teach a new generation: Culture. Music. Arts. Man’s humanity to man. There’s so many lessons to be learned from these demos, from the Stax vault, from the songwriters at Stax…But every great song starts with something that hits you.” Artist represented: March Wind, Homer Banks, William Bell, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Deanie Parker, Eddie Floyd, Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, Wendy Rene, Veda Brown, and Henderson Thigpen.] [Carla Venita Thomas (born December 21, 1942) is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is best known for her 1960s recordings for Atlantic and Stax including the hits “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)” (1960), “B-A-B-Y” (1966) and “Tramp” (1967), a duet with Otis Redding. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas. // Thomas was born and raised in the Foote Homes Projects in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Along with her siblings, Marvell and Vaneese, she was one of three musical children of Rufus and Lorene Thomas. Despite growing up in the projects, the Thomas family lived near the Palace Theater on Beale Street, as Rufus was the theater’s Master of Ceremonies (MC) for their amateur shows. This access not only gave Thomas her first taste of the music world but it also provided a springboard for her transformation into the Queen of the Memphis Sound. // After her last Stax recording in 1971, Love Means…, and an appearance in Wattstax in 1972, Thomas slipped into relative obscurity when compared to her 1960s musical heyday. She featured in a number of modern-day projects, including a 1994 compilation of her greatest hits, a 2002 live recording of a Memphis performance and the 2007 release Live at the Bohemian Caverns in Washington, D.C., a long lost live recording of Thomas in 1967. She would also occasionally tour during the 1980s and became heavily involved in the “Artists in the Schools” program that provided Memphis schoolchildren with access to successful artists. These workshops were organized to talk to teenagers about music, performing arts and drug abuse. In 1991, she appeared with her father at the Porretta Terme Soul Festival. In 1993, Thomas was awarded the prestigious Pioneer Award, along with such musical heavyweights as James Brown and Solomon Burke, from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in honor of her career achievements. She was featured in the 2003 documentary Only the Strong Survive, that was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and showcased important Stax recording artists. In 2021, Thomas featured on Valerie June’s single “Call Me a Fool”, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best American Roots Song.]

9. MeShell Ndegeocello – “Call The Tune”
   from: The Omnichord Real Book / Blue Note – Verve / June 16, 2023
   [13th album from acclaimed GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello makes her Blue Note Records debut with The Omnichord Real Book, 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. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies were affixed with stickers to help pronounce her name. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; the correct spelling of her stage name as of 2001 is Meshell Ndegeocello.]

10:50 – Pledge Break #4

Our WMM Fall Fund Drive Team: Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, & Nicolette Paige

Where can I find out about what is happening in my community?

Labor Rights, Renter’s Rights, The Environment, The Kansas City Visual & Literary Arts , The Performing Arts, Women’s Issues, Native American Issues, LGBTQIA Issue, Urban Issues, Black Lives Matter, Black Owned Businesses, Jazz, Blues, Reggae, Classical, Hip Hop, Folk, Women’s Music, Indie Rock, Pop, Electronica, Punk

…the answer: KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio. Radio Powered by Diversity

KKFI is an Independent, non-commercial radio station! Now, more than ever, Independent, Community Media is important for our world. KKFI is owned by the Active Members who volunteer to keep KKFI alive! We are here to listen to you, to share your concerns, and offer resources and information. Along with our National Public Affairs shows like Democracy Now and Alternative Radio we offer more locally produced public affairs programs than anywhere else on the dial. We offer programs specifically produced for the LGBTQIA Community, Women’s Issues, Native American News and Culture, Middle Eastern Music and Information, Latino Programming, African American Public Affairs and Community News, Labor and Worker’s Unions, our prison population and justice system, environmental programming, Visual and Literary Arts, and Performing Arts.

Just remember what you don’t have to hear when you are tuned to 90.1 FM KKFI! –- No commercials! We do have brief underwriting announcements, recognizing those who financially contribute to support non-profit community radio. At KKFI there is no automated robot playing the same 40 songs in a “rotation,” based on a formula, created by a singular programmer of the robot. KKFI is the opposite of a robot. There is always human being on the end of the phone line anytime you call 816-931-0901.

90.1 offers 100 different radio programs. 85 of these programs are locally, produced, hosted, engineered and written by over 100 different people, who create content, and personally handcraft each show, each week. There are 64 local music shows and 21 locally produced News, Public Affairs, Arts & Talk shows. You will not find this kind of representative diversity anywhere else on your radio dial. Or from any singular source on your computer. It is very special. It needs to be nourished and kept alive in a world of corporate, nationally owned, commercial or religious broadcasting.

Not only do we bring the most diverse and unfiltered news and information, but our musical playlists are deep, and comprehensive. In one week you can hear over 2000 different songs played, in Blues, Jazz, Folk, Hip Hop, Reggae, Classical, World, Americana, Southern Soul, Fusion, Soul, Rock, New Wave, Electronic, Native, Local, Old Timey, Rockabilly, Women’s, Children’s, Gospel, and Experimental. With all of this, you hear the voices from the hundreds of KKFI volunteers, and thousands of guests from the community, who share their stories, broadcast live from our non-commercial, midtown studios, at 39th & Main, in the center of our metro, across two states, a collective of communities, and thousands of listeners. What is this worth to you?

10:57

10. Julia Othmer – “White Rabbit”
    from: White Rabbit – Single / Fricken’ Awesome Records / August 29, 2021 (Unreleased)
    [Recorded Live at Kulak’s in North Hollywood with Andy Sanesi (Missing Persons, Eminem, Arturo Sandoval) on drums, Jamie Kime (Dr. John, Zappa Plays Zappa) on guitar, and Chris Roy (Nancy Sinatra, Don Randi) on bass. This year Julia released SEEDS VOLUME 2, her 4th album with live recordings from her 30-day “Songs of September Project”, where Julia covered songs of protest & hope, to inspire people to vote. From those songs Julia’s fans democratically selected their favorite tracks to be released together on “Seeds.” In 2020 Julia released SEEDS VOLUME 1. Julia Othmer released “Sound,” on April 12, 2019, her second album, that took 3 years to complete, and was produced with James Lundie, who also married Julia in January of 2016, during the completion of the record. Julia Othmer, is a graduate of Park Hill High School. Julia moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to record her 1st album, OASIS MOTEL. In 2018 and 2019 Julia toured with The Alarm in U.S. and United Kingdom. More info at: http://www.juliaothmer.com.]

[Julia Othmer plays Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 4th Annual GHOST LIGHT: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two outdoor performances October 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park, 3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO. Performances will begin at 7:30 PM featuring poets, Glenn North and Mary Silwance, and Black Light Animals, Jass, Julia Othmer and more. For more information visit https://bit.ly/GhostLight23%5D

11:00 – Station ID

11:00 – Interview with Karen Lisondra

Karen Lisondra is a multifaceted performer/director/educator who spent over a decade doing devised theatrical work in South America, touring the globe with two prestigious theatre companies, Fuerza Bruta and Teatro de Los Andes. She co-founded Resonation Music and Arts with her husband, Amado Espinoza, to inspire curiosity and respect for world cultures, stimulate creativity, and promote a sense of togetherness through music and art in the classroom and beyond.

Karen Lisondra, is the Associate Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 4th Annual GHOST LIGHT: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two FREE outdoor performances October 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park, 3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO. Arts & Mask Making for all ages will happen 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, with a Haunted Parade starting at 7:00 PM led by Amado Espinoza and Karen Lisondra. The GHOST LIGHT performances will begin at 7:30 PM featuring poets, Glenn North and Mary Silwance, and Black Light Animals, Jass, Julia Othmer.

Karen Lisondra Thank you for being with us on WMM

Kansas City Repertory Theatre Announces Artists of 4th Annual Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Storie From KC’s Cultural Crossroads

Two Outdoor Performances Oct. 13 and 14 @ Roanoke Park
FOOD TRUCKS, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AND MORE!

Kansas City, Mo. (Sept. 12, 2023) – Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Stuart Carden today announced the artists in the return of 4th Annual Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two FREE outdoor performances Oct. 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park (3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO 64111). Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will last approximately 90 minutes.

4th Annual Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads returns after packed performances in its last three seasons. Ghost Light features extraordinary musicians, writers, and storytellers that reflect the cultural riches of our KC community, art-making opportunities, and a chance for little-ones to march in the Ghost Light Orchestra and our Haunted Parade. Costumes are encouraged!

ARTISTS – Storytellers include Glenn North (poet) and Mary Silwance (poet). Each night will also feature a winner of the Kansas City Public Library Ghost Story writing contest.

Bands include Black Light Animals and Jass, musician Julia Othmer and J Buch, the youth musician from Art as Mentorship, will also perform.

Music-Making for all & Haunted Parade led by Amado Espinoza & Karen Lisondra.

Original Environmental Design by Rafael Toribio
Environmental Installation by KCRep Props Department
Carden will emcee both performances.

Carden stated, “The beautiful & atmospheric surrounds and tremendous audience turn-out last year has lured us back to the wooded, limestone cliffs of Roanoke Park for our 4th Annual Ghost Light. We are so excited to build on our tradition of sharing original ghost stories & songs of hauntings and the haunted created by a rich array of Kansas City artists and performed just for you. “ He continued, ”This year we are expanding our all-ages arts engagement to both nights of performances and invite all to come out early for mask and lantern-making, learn to play a pan-flute with musician Amado Espinosa and join the Ghost Light Orchestra, & march in the music filled haunted parade. Plus, more food trucks, kid drinks, & City Barrel brews & this is going to be a ghostly celebration for all.”

4th Annual Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads – Oct. 13 & 14, 2023 | Roanoke Park – Conceived & Directed by Stuart Carden

4th Annual Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads returns! This hybrid concert and ghost-story event weaves together local storytellers and musicians to share frighteningly fun tales from KC’s cultural crossroads that will leave you shaking with excitement! Costumes encouraged!

Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14 (ASL on Saturday evening show)

4:30 – 7:00 PM – Ghost Light Arts Engagement for All Ages
Ghost Light Orchestra – Amado Espinoza and Karen Lisondra
Mask Making – Concept by Rafael Toribio
Luminary Making – Concept by Rafael Toribio
7:00 – 7:30 PM – The Haunted Parade w/ Arts Engagement all-ages participants – Led by Karen Lisondra and Amado Espinoza
7:30 – 9:00 PM – Ghost Light Performance

Ghost Light is open to the public. RSVP at: https://kcrep.org/event/ghost-light-2023/ .
For more information about the 2023-2024 season, call Ticketing Services, 816-235-2700, or visit https://kcrep.org/.

Seating is general admission, outside on a grass lawn and is ADA accessible. Parking is free & available at lots on the KCMO Parks grounds and the surrounding area. Food and drink trucks will be on site and patrons are welcome to bring in their own food and drink as well. Restrooms are available in the Westport Roanoke Community Center.

Support – KCRep’s 2023-2024 season is underwritten by the Hall Family Foundation, Hallmark Corporate Foundation, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation, The McDonnell Foundation, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, the Missouri Arts Council (a state agency, whose gift is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts), Theater League, and University of Missouri Kansas City.

Partners for the events are Roanoke Park Conservancy , Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Parks and Recreation, Art as Mentorship, and Kissick Construction.

Young People – Submit Your Ghost Story – The KB Public Library, in partnership with the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library and Kansas City Repertory Theatre, invites kids ages 10-14 to share their spooky tales for its annual Youth Ghost Story Contest. Entrants must live in the service area of one of the two libraries and can submit a short story or poetry – or multiple entries – from September 1 through September 30. Submissions must be no more than 600 words and must be original – in the writer’s own words. For more details, go to https://www.kclibrary.org/ghoststorycontest . Winning entries will be performed at Ghost Light and featured in videos on the Kansas City Public Library’s youth YouTube channel.

KC Rep is celebrating 60 years of transformative theater, KC Rep is a cultural catalyst at the center of our nation’s creative crossroads. Upholding their mission to inspire, entertain, and open minds by creating transformative theatre experiences for all KCRep produces world-renowned classic works and world premieres on their two mainstages, in unique spaces, and throughout the community. Lauded by The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Variety and The Toronto Sun, KCRep regularly produces at Spencer Theatre, where it serves as the professional theatre in residence at the UMKC, and Copaken Stage located in downtown Kansas City. Under Artistic Director Stuart Carden and Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras, KCRep employs more than 150 professional artists, technicians, and administrators, and historically serves more than 60,000 patrons and 10,000 school children annually. To receive KCRep updates: http://www.facebook.com/KCREP, @KCRep or Instagram(@KCRepTheatre) or YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/kansascityrep.

Karen Lisonra Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 4th Annual GHOST LIGHT: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two outdoor performances October 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park, 3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO. Performances will begin at 7:30 PM featuring poets, Glenn North and Mary Silwance, and Black Light Animals, Jass, Julia Othmer and more. For more information visit https://bit.ly/GhostLight23

11:11

11. Jass & The Boys – “Daydream Girl (feat. Jass & Black Light Animals)”
    from: “Daydream Girl”- Single / Groove King Records / August 25, 2023
    [New single from Jass & The Boys follows their earlier single, “Gvn2u(feat. Jass & Black Light Animals)” released on July 14, 2023, and “Love U Like I Love U (feat. Jass & Black Light Animals) “ released December 2, 2022 through Groocve King Records. “The Boys” are the members of Black Light Animals: Colby Bales, Branden Moser, & Cody Calhoun. Colby and Branden also are pare of the Freedom Affair. Jass is Jasmine “Jass” Couch released the EP OFFKEY: TOO HIGH on September 23, 2022. Jass released her single “Higher Ground” on August 16, 2022. It was WMM’s #1 Single in our 50 Favorite Singles of 2022. Jass released her single “Him” on February 23, 2022. Jass released AT THE CLOSE OF A DECADE on November 26, 2022. It was part of WMM’s 121 Best Recordings of 2021. She wrote, “After years of writing and recording in voice memos, I decided to grab my iPad and began recording something that I am very proud of, and named it, At the Close of A Decade, and released it in November 2019. With my iPhone/iPad, some apple headphones, I created this project. The amazing people around me told me it was worth it, even when I didn’t believe it myself. I convinced myself I would be the only one that liked my songs. If you decide to listen you’ll hear sound clips of shows and movies that made a difference in the way I saw the world, the way I saw myself, and the way I overcame my experiences. I remember asking my grandma and my son if I should release what I’ve been writing and they both said very simply to do it, so I’ve done it. I want to thank all of my wonderful friends who have been my soundboards during this process, all of the people that have asked me when it’s coming, the people that have kept me accountable, and believed that this time it was for real. My story is so very triumphant and beautiful because I have overcome experiences and shunned the fear I had to do what I love. It’s crazy how you can talk your way out of some amazing things and also how you can talk yourself into making some amazing things happen. If you partake, I hope you enjoy.” // Jass has played The Essence Festival, Apocalypse Meow, Manor Fest, Farmers Ball, KC Monarchs, recordBar, Bottleneck, Mutual Musicians Foundation, Grinders, Sofar Sounds, The Uptown Theatre . She has shared the stages with The New Respects, Thundercat, Old Sound, and many others. More info at: http://www.jassrcouch.com]

[Jass & The Boys play Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s 4th Annual GHOST LIGHT: A Haunted Night of Songs & Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads with two outdoor performances October 13 and 14 in Roanoke Park, 3601 Roanoke Road, KCMO. Performances will begin at 7:30 PM featuring poets, Glenn North and Mary Silwance, and Black Light Animals, Jass, Julia Othmer and more. For more information visit https://bit.ly/GhostLight23%5D

11:16 – Pledge Break #5

Our WMM Fall Fund Drive Team: Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, & Nicolette Paige

90.1 FM KKFI offers loads and loads of information about what is going on in the community. Not only does this show interview 150 guest each year, not only do we play nearly 900 different songs with more than half of those being locally produced, but we also shine a light on area not-for-profit theatre companies, art museums & galleries, area festivals, service organizations, area record labels and record stores, the area music scene, arts scene, theatre scene, literary arts scene, political action scene.

Here are all of the organizations, people, and events we’ve helped shine a light on so far in 2023: KC Repertory Theatre, Outer Reaches Fest, Owen/Cox Dance Group, No Divide KC, The Folly Theatre, The Kinsey Sicks, recordBar, Lawrence Arts Center, Manor Records, The Rino, KC Blues Society, Records With Merritt, Kansas City Star, Lawrence Music Alliance, MixMaster Music Conference, Midwest Music Foundation, KC Gift, Briarfest, Warwick Theatre, The Record Machine, Synergy Systems, Lemonade Park, Crossroads Music Festival, The Ship, The Black Box Theatre, Amplify Lawrence, Quindaro Ruins, Music Writing of Dave Marsh, Innovation Festival, Queer Narratives Fest, Art in the Loop, The documentary film: NO PLACE LIKE HOME: THE STRUGGLE AGAINST HATE IN KANSAS, KC Fringe Festival, Make Music Day, Boulevardia, Arts in The Park, UMKC Conservatory of Music, The Emerald, The Crossroads Hotel, High Dive Records, Greenwood Social Hall, KC Folk Fest, Manor Fest, One Voice Radio, KC Farm School at Gibbs Road, Center Cut Records, KKFI Band Auction, Charlotte Street Foundation, Women’s History Month!, KC Punk Shindig!, Sweet Honey in The Rock, University of Missouri at Columbia, Lawrence Public Library, I Heart Local Music, Black History Month, Mr. Furious Records, Bach Aria Soloists, Folk Alliance International, Martin Luther King Jr., Tribute to David Bowie, Tribute to Iris DeMent

11:25

12. Bitch & Roma Baran – “Polar Bear (Roma Baran Remix)”
    from: “Polar Bear (Roma Baran Remix)” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / September 26, 2023
    [Bitch is a longstanding queer music icon who Yahoo Entertainment called “a feminist force that the world needs now more than ever” when she released “Bitchcraft,” her ninth studio album, on the legendary label Kill Rock Stars. Bitchcraft, was also included by Yahoo on their list of the top ten albums of 2022. With her signature electric violin and lyrical smarts front and center over huge beats and deep synths, Bitch coined the genre “Poet Pop” and she has been touring nationally ever since, igniting her loyal following and inspiring new followers with her colorful and bold stage shows. // “Bitchcraft is a masterpiece,” said Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, who, along with Ani Difranco, have taken Bitch on tour as their opener. Joey Soloway (Transparent) directed the music video for “Easy Target.” // In addition to headlining over 70 shows in 2022, Bitch honed her acting chops and played a role in the new Audible podcast of Alison Bechdel’s “Dykes To Watch Out For,” alongside Jane Lynch, Carrie Brownstein and Roxane Gay. The series was directed by Leigh Silverman, and Bitch co-wrote a song for it with Faith Soloway. // Bitch first achieved notoriety as one half of the queer folk duo Bitch and Animal. The band toured with Ani DiFranco, and released two albums on her label Righteous Babe Records. In the mid 2000s, Bitch went solo, and shared stages with the Indigo Girls, acted in John Cameron Mitchell’s film “Shortbus,” co-wrote a song with Margaret Cho, produced two albums of her elder and folk hero Ferron. // Bitchcraft, Bitch’s first album in eight years, is one that makes you think and makes you dance. It was recorded in LA, Austin, Provincetown, and Boston. Full of violins, synths, and huge vocals, the record is neon pink and in your face. It’s Joni Mitchell set to a click track; it’s queer Cyndi Lauper and will hex you with its brilliance. It also makes you think: about the state of the world, about evil politicians, about what it means to exist as a woman, and how to find joy along the way.

[Bitch will play recordBar on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 PM with Crys Matthews.]

11:30 – Interview with Bitch

Singer songwriter Bitch released her acclaimed album BITCHCRAFT last year through Kill Rock Stars. Bitch makes witchy poet pop music, with violins & synthesizers, and the songs are spectral, heartbreaking, political, & beautiful. “Bitchcraft” is the long-standing queer icon’s 9th studio album. Bitch first achieved notoriety as one half of the queer folk duo Bitch and Animal. The band went on to tour with Ani DiFranco, who signed the duo to her label Righteous Babe Records. In the mid 2000s, Bitch went solo, and shared stages with the Indigo Girls, acted in John Cameron Mitchell‘s film Shortbus, co-wrote a song with Margaret Cho, produced two albums of her elder folk hero Ferron, and licensed her music to The L Word. Eight years ago, she began to weave together her latest record Bitchcraft that was born in a move from New York City, where Bitch had lived for 15 years, to a log cabin in the woods. It was there, in the cabin, that Bitch began to write some of the songs that would appear on Bitchcraft. Bitch will play recordBar on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7:00 PM with Crys Matthews. Info at: http://www.bitchmusic.com or http://www.therecordbar.com

Bitch, thanks for being with us on WMM.

“Bitchcraft is a masterpiece,” said Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, who, along with Ani Difranco, have taken Bitch on tour as their opener. 

“Bitchcraft is poppy and poetic and will appeal to her loyal fan-base as well as put her on the map for new audiences to discover.”—Brooklyn Vegan

“Danceworthy political anthems, environmental lamentations, and operatic instrumentals. Bitchcraft shows a stunning range that ultimately reveals how an album can draw on multiple genres while remaining a powerful and poptastic whole.”—Louder than War

Bitch is a longstanding queer music icon who Yahoo Entertainment called “a feminist force that the world needs now more than ever.” “Bitchcraft,” her 9th studio album, was included by Yahoo on their list of the top ten albums of 2022. Bitch coined the genre “Poet Pop” and has been touring nationally ever since, igniting fans with her bold stage shows.

Headlining over 70 shows in 2022, Bitch also played a role in the Audible podcast of Alison Bechdel’s “Dykes To Watch Out For,” with Jane Lynch, & Carrie Brownstein, directed by Leigh Silverman. Bitch co-wrote a song for it with Faith Soloway. 

Bitch makes witchy poet pop. She does it with violins and synthesizers, and the songs she writes are spectral, heartbreaking, political, and beautiful.

Bitch grew up with a tap dancing studio in the basement of her childhood home, and began playing the violin, her first love, as a young child. Bitch first achieved notoriety as one half of the queer folk duo Bitch & Animal. The band went on to tour with Ani DiFranco, whom they caught the ears of while playing a gig at a pizza shop in Provincetown on Cape Cod.

In the mid 2000s, Bitch went solo, and shared stages with the Indigo Girls, acted in the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus, co-wrote a song with Margaret Cho, produced two albums of her elder folk hero Ferron, and licensed her music to The L Word. Eight years ago, she began to weave together Bitchcraft, her latest record.

Bitchcraft was born in a move from New York City, where Bitch had lived for 15 years, to a log cabin in the woods. There was all the time in the world to make art, and it was there, in the cabin, that Bitch began to write some of the songs that would appear on Bitchcraft. “It gave me space to think about the biggest version of myself that I could be,” she says of those early days in the cabin. The songs she wrote were a departure from anything she’d ever written before, and she began to craft huge pop tracks with the help of her trusty violin. Then, she moved to LA and Bitchcraft began to shapeshift again.

To complete her album, Bitch called on Anne Preven and God-des who helped her crystalize her vision in terms of writing and production. She called on Roma Baran (Laurie Anderson) to produce the violins on “Polar Bear.” She called on Melissa York (Team Dresch, The Butchies) and Faith Soloway (Transparent) to co-write a couple of the songs. Joey Soloway (Transparent) also directed the music video for “Easy Target”

Bitchcraft is like Joni Mitchell set to a click track, it’s queer Cyndi Lauper. It’s neon pink, in your face, ready to hex you with its brilliance. It’s an unbelievably fun record that is extremely capable of breaking your heart a little bit. It also makes you think: about the state of the world, about evil politicians, about what it means to exist as a woman, and how to find joy along the way.

Bitch Discography

“Polar Bear (Roma Baran Remix)” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / September 26, 2023
“You’re The Man” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / January 12, 2023
Bitchcraft (11 track album) / Kill Rock Stars / February 4, 2022
“Easy Target” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / November 10, 2021
“Hello Meadow” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / October 6, 2021
“Boys of Summer” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / September 21, 2021
“Come to My Window” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / September 15, 2021
“Standing in The way of Control” – Single / Kill Rock Stars / June 17, 2021
Blasted! (11 track album) / Short Story Records / March 23, 2010
Make This Break This (11 track album) / Capital B Records / October 10, 2006
The Be-Sides (One Take Wonders and Poems) / Capital B Records / September 20, 2005
“Tiny Tree Christmas”-Single/ Bitch & John Cameron Mitchell / Kill Rock Stars / 12/9/’21

Bitch and Animal Discography

Sour Juice and Rhyme (12 track album) / Righteous Babe Records / June 10, 2003
What’s That Smell? (13 track album) / Righteous Babe Records / November 9, 1999
Eternally Hard (14 track album) / Righteous Babe Records / September 10, 1997

Bitch, thank yo so much for being with us on WMM.

Bitch will play recordBar on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 PM with Folk Music award winning artist, Crys Matthews. Info at: http://www.bitchmusic.com or http://www.therecordbar.com

11:41

13. Bitch – “Easy Target”
    from: BITCHCRAFT / Kill Rock Stars / February 4, 2022
    [Bitch is a longstanding queer music icon who Yahoo Entertainment called “a feminist force that the world needs now more than ever” when she released “Bitchcraft,” her ninth studio album, on the legendary label Kill Rock Stars. Bitchcraft, was also included by Yahoo on their list of the top ten albums of 2022. With her signature electric violin and lyrical smarts front and center over huge beats and deep synths, Bitch coined the genre “Poet Pop” and she has been touring nationally ever since, igniting her loyal following and inspiring new followers with her colorful and bold stage shows. // “Bitchcraft is a masterpiece,” said Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, who, along with Ani Difranco, have taken Bitch on tour as their opener. Joey Soloway (Transparent) directed the music video for “Easy Target.” // In addition to headlining over 70 shows in 2022, Bitch honed her acting chops and played a role in the new Audible podcast of Alison Bechdel’s “Dykes To Watch Out For,” alongside Jane Lynch, Carrie Brownstein and Roxane Gay. The series was directed by Leigh Silverman, and Bitch co-wrote a song for it with Faith Soloway. // Bitch first achieved notoriety as one half of the queer folk duo Bitch and Animal. The band toured with Ani DiFranco, and released two albums on her label Righteous Babe Records. In the mid 2000s, Bitch went solo, and shared stages with the Indigo Girls, acted in John Cameron Mitchell’s film “Shortbus,” co-wrote a song with Margaret Cho, produced two albums of her elder and folk hero Ferron. // Bitchcraft, Bitch’s first album in eight years, is one that makes you think and makes you dance. It was recorded in LA, Austin, Provincetown, and Boston. Full of violins, synths, and huge vocals, the record is neon pink and in your face. It’s Joni Mitchell set to a click track; it’s queer Cyndi Lauper and will hex you with its brilliance. It also makes you think: about the state of the world, about evil politicians, about what it means to exist as a woman, and how to find joy along the way.

[Bitch will play recordBar on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 PM with Crys Matthews.]

14. Crys Matthews – “Changemakers”
    from: CHANGEMAKERS / Crys Matthews / May 26, 2021
    [Winner of the 2022 Folk Alliance International Folk Muaic Award for Song of the Year. Crys Matthews was also an Official Showcase Artist for the 34th Annual Folk Alliance International Conference, May 18, 19, 21, 21, and 22 in Kansas City, at Westin Crown Center Hotel, More info at http://www.folk.org. Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift “a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” She is made for these times and, with the release of her new, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near. Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times. // ”Matthews began performing in 2010, but cemented her acclaim at Lincoln Center as the 2017 New Song Music and Performance Competition grand prize winner. That year she also released two new projects—her album of thoughtful songs on love and life called The Imagineers, and her EP called Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers, which tackles social justice themes. Matthews also won the People’s Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. Loyal fans quickly followed as Matthews racked up performances at large music festivals and prestigious venues across the country including the Sundance Film Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and locally at venues like The Birchmere, TheHamilton, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, and Jammin’ Java. In her TedTalk about difficult conversations called “Sing, Don’t Shout—An Alternative Approach” Matthews spoke about being born and raised in a small town in southeastern NorthCarolina by an A.M.E.preacher, and how she witnessed the power of music from an early age. A former drum major and classically-trained clarinetist turned folk singer, Matthews is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to be “a drum major for justice.” // “I believe in hope,” Matthews said. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.” And, from the title track to the last track, Changemakers does just that all while tackling some heavy topics like immigration, the opioid crisis, Black Lives Matter, and gun safety to name a few.“ Ani DiFranco said, “People used to make records as in a record of an event,” said Matthews, “so I hope that these songs will serve as a time capsule, a record of the events of the last four years and what it was like to live through them.” Crys Matthews’s thoughtful, realistic and emotional songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul. More info at http://www.crysmatthews.com]

[Crys Matthews will play recordBar on Sunday, October 15 at 7:00 PM opening for Bitch.]

11:49 – Pledge Break #6

Our WMM Fall Fund Drive Team: Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre, & Nicolette Paige

KKFI offers 24-7 programming, and YOU (the listener), basically get all of this amazing programming for “free.” I, for one, love that I can turn on my radio, or computer device, and tune into the 90.1 FM’s 100, 000 watt, crystal-clear signal, and hear the music, information, news, entertainment, events, and stories, that I really cannot find anywhere else. 90.1 is my comfort, my special companion, my interesting friend, introducing me to all kinds of new & local music, as well as the news & information without the intrusion of commercials. It is radio brought to YOU by real people, who create these shows out of love, and are guided by KKFI’s noble mission that “seeks to stimulate, educate and entertain our audience, to reflect the diversity of the local and world community, and to provide a channel for individuals and groups, issues and music that have been overlooked, suppressed or under-represented by other media.”

Driving in your car, at the office, at the gym, in your garage, in your cubicle, in your artspace, on your iPod, at your construction site, in your kitchen, in your barn, YOU can take 90.1 with you, as your companion. 90.1 FM is generally a good date. Good for a few laughs, fun to dance with, always interested in good conversation. Isn’t 90.1 FM KKFI worth a few dollars a day, or a week? So many people tune in to http://www.kkfi.org everyday, but studies show, that less than 1 percent actually donate to keep this miracle of broadcasting alive. Your support means that you will help bring this programming to folks who could not donate at this time, for whatever the reason.

This is your chance to put your money where your ears are. Please help keep this part of our public airwaves alive for our community to enjoy, free from commercials, free from religious sermonizing, free from extremely conservative and slanted right wing “talk radio,” and free from corporately “owned and cloned” robotic affiliates that play the same 15 songs everyday at the same time. YOU deserve better. YOU deserve radio that really reflects our great city, and tells the story of our great music scene, and performing arts scene, and labor rights, and women’s issues, and LBGT information, and programming specifically produced for Latinos and African Americans, working people, Jazz lovers. Support the free-form spirit that is 90.1 FM KKFI!

Marion Merritt, Joelle St. Pierre and Nicolette Paige Thank You! Thank you to everyone who donated! For WMM. I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:55

15. Heidi Lynne Gluck – “I’m Not Free”
    from: MIGRATE OR DIE / Heidi Lynne Gluck / July 7, 2023
    [Heidi Lynne Gluck released the singles: “I’m Not Free” on June 2, 2023 and “Skyscraper” on June 7, 2023. Lawrence, Kansas based Heidi Lynne Gluck is a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist originally from the middle of Canada. After transplanting herself from the plains of Manitoba to the midwestern United States, Heidi quickly became an in-demand player, performing on stage and in the studio both as a solo artist and with renowned musicians including Juliana Hatfield & Some Girls, Margot & The Nuclear So and Sos, Lily & Madeleine, The Pieces, The Only Children, and others. Heidi Lynne Gluck joined us live on WMM on June 8, and August 24, 2016. Heidi Lynne Gluck released her critically acclaimed album, PONY SHOW through Lawrence based Lotuspool Records on August 26, 2016. This was the follow-up to her critically acclaimed release THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ROOM, released April 28, 2015. Heidi Lynne Gluck released the 8th edition of the Too Much Rock, limited edition, 7” vinyl Single Series on August 3, 2018, featuring her original song, “Party Line.” and the B-side, “Good Guys and Bad Guys” a new version of Camper Van Beethoven song. Heidi Lynne Gluck also plays with the band the Roseline and was a featured vocalist on “Beauty in the Distance” with Asterales. Heidi recently released two new singles with Tom Brosseau, “Sunflower” on Dec. 15, 2022, and “Under African Skies” on Feb. 17, 2023.] [Heidi Lynne Gluck joined WMM on July 12, 2023.]

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

Next week on Oct. 18, we’ll talk with Jamogi aka Byron Hyde a KC based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally from LA, California, who released his EP Star-Crossed Lover on March 3, 2023, followed by a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023. Jamogi released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on Dec. 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022. // Jamogi played the 19th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, August 26, 2023

ALSO next week Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming join us to share details about SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love W/ THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Friday, October 20, 8:00 PM at The Brick, 1727 McGee, KCMO. Featuring 50ft. QUEENIE. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is Kate McCandless- vocals, performance, percussion // CODY WYOMING DEAL is Cody Wyoming – guitar, organ, synth, backing vox. Matt Richey-Drums, Justin Muschinske – bass, baritone, organ, guitar, synth; J. Howell – guitar, prepared guitar, sound design; Katie Gilchrist-backing vox, percussion, keys; Rachel Fuentes – cello; Joanna Metsker – violin // 50ft. QUEENIE is Amy Farrand – vox; Katie Gilchrist – vox; Julie Berndsen – vox; Chris Meck- guitar, Brandon Phillips – Guitar, Adam Phillips-drums, Chris Wagner- Bass. More info at: http://www.shespeaksintongues.com

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

THANK YOU to our incredible KKFI Staff; Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers.

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 & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive

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

Show #1015