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

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

The Folly Theater’s 125th Anniversary + Stephonne + Big Fat Cow

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. Mavis Staples – “Beautiful Strangers”
   from: Sad And Beautiful World / Anti / June 10, 2025
   [Written by Kevin Morby who released this song as a single in 2016 in tribute to the victims of the Orlando Pulse shooting. Staples’ version is gentle and lived-in. It’s got electric guitars from MJ Lenderman and Staples’ bandleader Rick Holmstrom. Brad Cook plays vibraphone, and his brother Phil adds piano. Nathaniel Rateliff and Tré Burt sing backup vocals. Unsurprisingly, Kevin Morby is pretty bowled over by the existence of this cover. Morby says. “It isn’t easy to put into words what it feels like having one of the best, most important vocalists and cultural figures of both the 20th and 21st century sing one of my songs. But hearing Mavis sing “Beautiful Strangers” is hands down the greatest moment and highest honor of my career. Far beyond any kind of accolade or acclaim — having one of my biggest heroes sing something I wrote is the most validating and flattering thing that could ever happen to me as a songwriter and person. Thank you, Mavis. Mavis also wields that extremely rare power to take a song somebody else wrote and make it entirely her own. As the person who penned “Beautiful Stranger,” I feel I have every right to say: Her version is better. // This is the second single from Mavis Staple’s new album of cover songs. The first single was “Godspeed” written by Frank Ocean. A legendary performer who turned 86 next month on July 10, Mavis Staples continues to be a tour-de-force in music and a voice for the voiceless in today’s divided society. Well known for her work in the gospel and Americana space, Staples is also an R&B icon who famously worked with the one and only Prince in his 80’s heyday. // Hailed by NPR as “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace,” Staples is the kind of once-in-a-generation artist whose impact on music and culture would be difficult to overstate. She’s both a Blues and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer; a civil rights icon; a GRAMMY Award-winner; a chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer; a National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient; and a Kennedy Center honoree. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and sang in Barack Obama’s White House. // At a time when most artists begin to wind down, Staples ramped things up, releasing a trio of critically acclaimed albums in her 70’s with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy that prompted Pitchfork to rave that “her voice has only gained texture and power over the years” and People to proclaim that she “provides the comfort of a higher power.” “I sing because I want to leave people feeling better than I found them,” Staples says. “I want them to walk away with a positive message in their hearts, feeling stronger than they felt before. I’m singing to myself for those same reasons, too.” // On July 9, Staples and award-winning children’s poet Carol Boston Weatherford will release the new children’s book ‘Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples’, a vibrant and poetic new picture book that introduces young readers to Staples’ life story, who began singing at age 8 and ever since has used her voice as a rallying cry to the country at numerous civil rights protests and continues to sing and share her message of love, faith and justice in front of large audiences today. // Staples recently celebrated her upcoming birthday early in stellar fashion at Los Angeles’s YouTube Theater this past April, gracing the stage alongside a star-studded lineup including Hozier, Chris Stapleton, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Black Pumas, and more. Currently on tour in Europe, Staples will return to the US and perform at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic on the nation’s birthday. The next day she begins a run of dates with Norah Jones, who she affectionally calls “my baby sister.” All upcoming dates are listed below. // Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family’s band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving member. During her time in the group, she recorded the hit singles “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again”. In 1969, Staples released her self-titled debut solo album. // Staples continued to release solo albums throughout the following decades and collaborated with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Prince, Arcade Fire, Nona Hendryx, Ry Cooder, and David Byrne. Her eighth studio album You Are Not Alone (2010), earned critical acclaim, and became her first album as a soloist to reach number one on a Billboard chart, peaking atop the Top Gospel Albums chart. It also earned Staples her first Grammy Award win. Following this, she released the albums One True Vine (2013), Livin’ on a High Note (2016), If All I Was Was Black (2017), and We Get By (2019); she is also featured on the single “Nina Cried Power” by Hozier. // Staples is the recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and has won three Grammy Awards, including one for Album of the Year as a featured artist on We Are by Jon Batiste.[6] Named one of the ‘100 Greatest Singers of all Time’ by Rolling Stone in 2008; Staples was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, and in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018, as a member of The Staple Singers. Additionally, she was made a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2016. The following year, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as a soloist. In 2019, she received the inaugural Rock Hall Honors Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a soloist. // Staples was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 10, 1939. She began her career with her family group in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with “Uncloudy Day” for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated from what is now Paul Robeson High School in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called “God’s Greatest Hitmakers”. // With Mavis’ voice and Pops’ songs, singing, and guitar playing, the Staples evolved from enormously popular gospel singers (with recordings on United and Riverside as well as Vee-Jay) to become the most spectacular and influential spirituality-based group in America. By the mid-1960s The Staple Singers, inspired by Pops’ close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., became the spiritual and musical voices of the civil rights movement. They covered contemporary pop hits with positive messages, including Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” and a version of Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth”. // During a December 20, 2008, appearance on National Public Radio’s news show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, when Staples was asked about her past personal relationship with Dylan, she admitted that they “were good friends, yes indeed” and that he had asked her father for her hand in marriage. // The Staples sang “message” songs like “Long Walk to D.C.” and “When Will We Be Paid?,” bringing their moving and articulate music to a huge number of young people. The group signed to Stax Records in 1968, joining their gospel harmonies and deep faith with musical accompaniment from members of Booker T. and the MGs. The Staple Singers hit the Top 40 eight times between 1971 and 1975, including two No. 1 singles, “I’ll Take You There”, produced by Al Bell and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning, “Let’s Do It Again,” and a No. 2 single “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?” // Mavis made her first solo foray while at Epic Records with The Staple Singers, releasing a lone single “Crying in the Chapel” to little fanfare in the late 1960s. The single was finally re-released on the 1994 Sony Music collection Lost Soul. Her first solo album would not come until a 1969 self-titled release for the Stax label. After another Stax release, Only for the Lonely, in 1970, she released a soundtrack album, A Piece of the Action, on Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label. A 1984 album (also self-titled) preceded two albums under the direction of rock star Prince; 1989’s Time Waits for No One, followed by 1993’s The Voice, which People magazine named one of the Top Ten Albums of 1993. Her 1996 release, Spirituals & Gospels: A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, was recorded with keyboardist Lucky Peterson. The recording honors Mahalia Jackson, a close family friend and a significant influence on Mavis Staples’s life. // Staples singing during the 2006 NEA National Heritage Fellows concert. // Staples made a major national return with the release of the album Have a Little Faith on Chicago’s Alligator Records, produced by Jim Tullio, in 2004. The album featured spiritual music, some of it semi-acoustic. // In 2004, Staples contributed to a Verve release by legendary jazz-rock guitarist, John Scofield. The album, entitled That’s What I Say, was a tribute to the great Ray Charles and led to a live tour featuring Staples, John Scofield, pianist Gary Versace, drummer Steve Hass, and bassist Rueben Rodriguez. A new album for Anti- Records entitled We’ll Never Turn Back was released on April 24, 2007. The Ry Cooder-produced concept album focuses on gospel songs of the civil rights movement and also included two new original songs by Cooder. // Her voice has been sampled by some of the biggest selling artists, including Salt ‘N’ Pepa, Ice Cube, Ludacris, and Hozier. Staples has recorded with a wide variety of musicians, from her friend, Bob Dylan (with whom she was nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award in the “Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals” category for their duet on “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking”, from the album Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan) to The Band, Ray Charles, Prince, Nona Hendryx, George Jones, Natalie Merchant, Ann Peebles, and Delbert McClinton. She has provided vocals on current albums by Los Lobos and Dr. John, and she appears on tribute albums to such artists as Johnny Paycheck, Stephen Foster and Bob Dylan. // In 2003, Staples performed in Memphis at the Orpheum Theater alongside a cadre of her fellow former Stax Records stars during “Soul Comes Home,” a concert held in conjunction with the grand opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music at the original site of Stax Records, and appears on the CD & DVD that were recorded and filmed during the event. In 2004, she returned as guest artist for the Stax Music Academy’s SNAP! Summer Music Camp and performed again at the Orpheum with 225 of the academy’s students. In June 2007, she again returned to the venue to perform at the Stax 50th Anniversary Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, produced by Concord Records, who now owns and has revived the Stax Records label. // In 2009, Staples, along with Patty Griffin and The Tri-City Singers, released a version of the song “Waiting For My Child To Come Home” on the compilation album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration. // On October 30, 2010, Staples performed at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear alongside singer Jeff Tweedy. In 2011 she was joined on-stage at the Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival by Arcade Fire singer Win Butler. The two performed a version of “The Weight” by The Band. // Staples also performed at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors, singing in a tribute to honoree Paul McCartney. // Staples headlined on June 10, 2012, at Chicago’s Annual Blues Festival in Grant Park. // On June 27, 2015, Staples performed on the Park Stage of Glastonbury Somerset UK. On October 31, 2015, Staples performed with Joan Osborne in Washington, D.C. at The George Washington // University’s Lisner Auditorium as part of their Solid Soul Tour. // In February 2016, Staples’s album Livin’ on a High Note was released. Produced by M. Ward, the album features songs written specifically for Staples by Nick Cave, Justin Vernon, tUnE-yArds, Neko Case, Aloe Blacc, and others. Discussing the album Staples said: “I’ve been singing my freedom songs and I wanted to stretch out and sing some songs that were new. I told the writers I was looking for some joyful songs. I want to leave something to lift people up; I’m so busy making people cry, not from sadness, but I’m always telling a part of history that brought us down and I’m trying to bring us back up. These songwriters gave me a challenge. They gave me that feeling of, ‘Hey, I can hang! I can still do this!’ There’s a variety, and it makes me feel refreshed and brand new. Just like Benjamin Booker wrote on the opening track, ‘I got friends and I got love around me, I got people, the people who love me.’ I’m living on a high note, I’m above the clouds. I’m just so grateful. I must be the happiest old girl in the world. Yes, indeed.” // In January 2017, Staples was featured as a guest vocalist on “I Give You Power”, a single from Arcade Fire benefiting the American Civil Liberties Union. In February 2017, Staples appeared on NPR’s Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me! in the “Not My Job” segment, answering questions about the rock band The Shaggs. In April 2017, “Let Me Out”, a single from the fifth studio album by Gorillaz, Humanz, was released, featuring Staples and rapper Pusha T. // Staples’s sixteenth album If All I Was Was Black was released on November 17, 2017. The record was again produced by Jeff Tweedy and contains all original songs cowritten by Mavis and Tweedy. Following the release, Staples toured with Bob Dylan. She also appeared on the 2017/18 Hootenanny. In 2018, she sang on Hozier’s single “Nina Cried Power”. // In May 2019, Staples celebrated her 80th birthday with a concert at the Apollo Theater, 63 years after first appearing at the theater as a teenager with her family band, the Staple Singers, in 1956. The show, which featured special guest artists, including David Byrne & Norah Jones, is one of a series of collaborative concerts she staged in May to commemorate her 80th birthday. She performed at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival. // In 2022, Staples released Carry Me Home, a collaboration with Levon Helm, recorded at Helm’s Midnight Ramble in 2011. // She released the single “Worthy” on June 18, 2024.]

3. Suzannah Johannes – “Churchy Girl”
   from: Kansas City: Hanz Bronze Boulevard / Suzannah Johannes / August 29, 2025
   [Lawrence based singer songwriter Suzannah Johannes about her new album, Kansas City: Hanz Bronze Boulevard, to be released on August 29, 2025. Raised on a farm outside of Powhattan, Kansas, Suzannah was surrounded by music from an early age but didn’t begin teaching herself guitar and singing until after college, thanks to her friend, Hanz Bronze. In 2007, she won the KJHK Farmers Ball and used the prize money to record at Black Lodge Studio Four tracks from those sessions became a debut EP, released by Range Life Records in 2008. In 2008, Suzannah Johannes was an up-and-coming singer-songwriter and then life happened: she got married, became a mother, dedicated her time to responsibilities outside of music. A few times a year, Johannes would play out in local clubs, but in ways too many women will recognize, her music career felt stuck on pause. // After becoming a mother in 2014 and balancing full-time work, music took a back seat—but with new self-released material on the way, she’s finding balance and momentum creating and playing music in Lawrence and Kansas City. Over the past 19 years, she has performed solo and with a rotating group of collaborators, including David Wetzel, Nate Holt, Sean McCue, Jeff Jackson, Dustin Kinsey, and Gus Seyffert. . // Seventeen years later, it’s time to press play—Suzannah Johannes returns with two brilliant full albums: Kansas City: Hanz Bronze Boulevard and Los Angeles: The Missing Album. // Her most recent album, Kansas City, features contributions from Jimmy Fitzner, John Nichols, and Mike Stover of The Grisly Hand, Bill Dolan from 5ive Style, and Brooke and Mike Tuley of Brooke Tuley and the Moontravelers and Ad Astra Per Aspera. More info at: http://www.suzannahjohannes.com]]

[Suzannah Johannes plays an Album Release Show Thurs, Sept. 11, 2025, at 8:00pm, at The Ship OG – Enter from the back alley, 1217 Union Avenue Kansas City, MO with 95 Sweetbird & Hanz Bronze]

4. The Swallowtails – “I’m On Fire”
   from: LUCKY PENNY EP / The Swallowtails / February 20, 2024
   [The independent acoustic band, experimenting in the rock/pop genres while performing on what are traditionally folk/classical instruments, enter a new era having produced the entirety of this project themselves, with the songwriting matter touching on life’s big changes, challenges, and the realizations that time will heal. // “Since becoming a duo, it was time for us to reinvent our sound again. The songwriting on the LUCKY PENNY EP was split between Rachel and Miki P, and this was Rachel’s debut release as a writer and singer. We spent all of January 2024 finishing the arrangements, recording and mixing the mini-record. It was a much needed release of energy for both of us, and we are definitely looking forward to adding these songs into our live sets and performing new material.”– Miki P, songwriter, singer and musician in The Swallowtails. // Est. in 2018, The Swallowtails are a Kansas City based musical duo comprised of musicians Miki P on guitar/vocals and Rachel Lovelace on bassoon/vocals. Their vision is to write honest, heartfelt songs that feel like you’re coming home to an old friend. As recording and performance artists, they have been showcased throughout Kansas City, performing at the Folly Theatre, Boulevardia Music Festival, The Kansas City Public Library as part of the 2023 Art in the Loop: Celebrate project, and most recently at Green Guitar Folk House opening for The Wildwoods. Their songwriting was awarded Best Song by a KC Band in 2023 by the Pitch Magazine for their tune “Take it Slow.” // Swallowtails embarked on their 4th year entering NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest featuring a song off the EP, called “I’m on Fire” posted to NPR’s official contest site. // The Swallowtails hwere recently approved as part of KCAIC Touring Artists Roster, through the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. // Historically, on May 22, 2023 The Swallowtails released their 7-track EP THE WORLD STILL SPINS with Rachel Lovelace on bassoon, Adee Dancy on cello & vocals, and Miki P on guitar & lead vocals. // Miki P is a self-taught musician/multi-instrumentalist & songwriter driving the Swallowtails into a creative collaboration like any other. Miki P was born in Kansas City, KS. Miki P started playing guitar in middle school. She taught herself to play the drums, while listening to Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon and Ringo Starr. Miki P performed “She Loves You” at her 7th grade talent show. In 9th grade she joined a teen-band called American Slim as drummer & vocalist, and she wrote songs for their full-length album Irreplaceable released in 2017, followed by a single “Queen of Hearts” released April 11, 2018. Miki P has played Middle of the Map Fest, Crossroads Music Fest, Kauffman Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, and The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art before officially ending in 2018. As a teen she played drums for various groups including American Slim. At 21, Miki P began work on her debut solo-record, DOME OF SWALLOWS, that was released August 2, 2018. She then formed Miki P and the Swallowtails who released their first EP, Swallowtail in 2019, In 2021 Miki P released the 6-song EP, DON’T LOSE HOPE, created in covid isolation, in Miki P’s home space. Sitting & working from Miki’s computer, she composed and recorded 80% of the EP, working through the music like a journal entry, creating each song from her internal hurricane of emotions. All songs written, recorded, played, & mixed by Miki P. Recorded & Mixed with Emma Klien & Jake Hilger. Mastered by Joel Nanos. Miki P released her single “Your Love” on June 24, 2022. Miki P’s released the single “Peter Parker!” on March 18, 2022. // More info at: http://www.mikipmusic.com]

[The Swallowtails play Waldo Folk, Wednesday, September 10, at 7:00pm, showcasing their poignant songwriting in the Tap Room at Waldo Pizza, 7433 Broadway Street Kansas City, MO]

[The Swallowtails play Art in the Loop – Thursday, September 11, at 5:30pm, at Oppenstein Park, 1123 Walnut Street, Downtown KCMO with by Unique Sixteen, and EleveN2wenty2]

5. June Henry – “to love you”
   from: chasing 3-song single / june henry nation / April 7, 2025
   [One of several new singles June Henry is releasing this year. Chris Garibaldi of Lotus Pool Records wrote: June and is now our most popular artist. June Henry is a second generation Lotuspool. June is the spawn of Matt Hyde, the other Lotuspool founder. // June Henry released The Exhumation of Princess Pavement on February 14, 2024. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. // June Henry is a 22-year-old is a Lawrence KS. Based, freak folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.. Her music explores themes of mental illness, queerness, and growing up. // Prior to her official debut, Henry had collected her music in a Google Drive folder, shared only with a small group of friends. Bedridden in 2022, she was convinced to release this music in her first official album Class Pet. // It’s not really something I know how to do, as much as something I have to do to stop myself from exploding,“ from June Henry’s Spotify bio. // Since her debut, she hasn’t gone more than a couple months between releases- creating a niche audience and some of her most popular songs, such as Void-Adjacent and Excoriation. // In 2024 she has released 9n singles, two 4-song EPs., the 11 track album, The Exhumation of Princess Pavement, released February 14, 2024, the 14 track album Between Singles and One-Offs, exclusive CD comprised of singles and EP tracks released May 27, 2024, the 17 track album Podium, released June 30, 2024. // June Henry released the single “method act” on December 16, 2023. // June Henry released the single “fall into” on December 2, 2023. // June Henry released the 3-track EP “the light I SPIT OUT” on November 14, 2023. // June Henry released the single “vampire song” on November 3, 3023. // June Henry released the 5-song EP “flat earth romcom” on September 22, 2023. // June Henry released the 11-track album “something friend” on June 20, 2022. // June Henry released the 15-track album “class pet” on March 15, 2022. // June Henry released the 7-track album, “SOUTH RAMP” through Lotuspool Records when she was “a gay boy in high school (released as August Henry.) // June Henry has been posting a bunch of tunes on bandcamp! These are official releases along with things that have been archived from streaming platforms, AND many demos and voice memos from long ago. Her personal favorite is “the trouble i made”, which features five tracks written and recorded in high school. The first one, “straight boys, was recorded when June was 14. Check http://www.junehen.bandcamp.com for even more releases.]

[June Henry play HOWDY Thursday, December 11, at 7:00pm at 6523 Stadium Drive, KCMO, with Cyprus Hartford, Amber River, and Gwyndolin.]

6. Iris DeMent – “The Last Toast”
   from: The Trackless Woods / FlariElla / August 7, 2015
   [6th album from Grammy nominated Iris DeMent who NPR said was ”one of the great voices in contemporary popular music.” The Trackless Woods sets 18 poems by acclaimed 20th century Russian poet Anna Akhmatova to life. Hailed as one of Russia’s finest poets, Akhmatova survived the Bolshevik Revolution, both World Wars and Stalin. She lost family, friends & fellow writers to political killings and labor in the gulags. When Iris randomly stumbled upon Akhmatova’s work in a book of poetry a friend sent as a gift, she was immediately taken by the sorrow and burden of the poems, juxtaposed with Akhmatova’s lightness and transcendence in the face of inhumanity. ”Anna’s gift of song is so strong, about alI I had to do was get really quiet and listen,” says Iris. After reading that first poem the melodies began pouring out of her, and before she even fully understood what was driving her, Iris was gathering musicians & friends, including co-producer Richard Bennett (Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, Steve Earle), to record ‘The Trackless Woods’ in her living room over a 5-days. The result is a pairing of piano and voice in Iris’ style with timeless melodies that are rooted in the American South.]

7. Sisterbot – “You Won’t Play Me”
   from: “You Won’t Play Me” – Single/ Aletheia Maison Records / January 16, 2023
   [Written by Sisterbot. Engineered and Produced by Brandon Yangmi. Lead vocals: Sisterbot. Drums: Bailey Keling. Electric Guitar: Benjamin Hart. Violin: Laurel Morgan Parks, Kaydee Gabel. Viola: Victor Diaz. Cello: Sascha Groschang, Sisterbot. Cello Solo: Sisterbot. Bass Guitar: Madison Monroe. Background Vocals: Hadiza. and Logan Smalley. // Adee Rocket Dancy writes, “Three years ago, I wrote a song called “You Won’t Play Me.” I had been cleaning my apartment when I found an old pile of letters that brought back difficult memories… they were from someone who had spun many webs of lies and manipulations to gain my attention and affection. I hadn’t realized the extent of this mind-molding until my mid-20’s, after nearly a decade of experiences with this person. Holding the letters in my hand, I felt anger, embarrassment, protective of my younger self, but also, freedom. The knowledge that this person had no hold over me today, or ever again, gave me a sense of triumph. In a rush of catharsis, I ripped up all of the letters, tossing them into the air with relief. Immediately, this song came to me. I sat down at the keyboard, and out it poured. // Though it came nearly completely formed as a song, there were pieces missing that took me three years to finish. The composition, the arrangement for the band, and the recording process came slowly. During that time, I also collaborated with the amazing Marísa Adame Grady to write and film a music video for the song. The story portrays the long-term manipulation I faced, particularly on the internet, with dramatized scenes of common control and grooming tactics that I and many others have experienced. We hoped that this song and this music video would bring light to an all-too-common pattern in the dawn of the internet, empowering those who listen or watch to end patterns of manipulation in their own lives. More info at: sisterbotmusic.com]

[Sisterbot sits down for a Perspectives: Artist Talk, at Lavender Studios. 12307 E 47th Street South, Independence, on Sunday, September 14, at 2:00pm. An intimate conversation about the origins of their unique sound, how queerness and community shape their work, and what it means to lead a “punk-pop chamber orchestra” in a DIY music scene.]

10:28 – Underwriting

8. The Freedom Affair – “So Much More”
   from: The Freedom Affair / Sunflower Soul Records / May 9, 2025
   [Shon Ruffin on vocals, Paula Saunders on vocals, Seyko Groves on vocals, Cole Bales on guitar, Branden Moser on bass & Acoustic Guitar=, Chris Hazelton on Hammond B3 Organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Piano, Bass (Track 4), Vocals; Dave Brick on drums; Pete Carroll on trumpet & flugelhorn; Brett Jackson on tenor sax, baritone sax, tambourine. Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, TN. Recording Engineer: Boo Mitchell. Tape Operator: Wesley Graham. Produced by: Chris Hazelton, Dave Brick, and The Freedom Affair. Mixed by: Vince Chiarito. Mastered by: JJ Golden at Golden Mastering. Horn Arrangements by: Hazelton, Carroll, Jackson, and Bales. Design and Layout: Tracy Lenihan // The Freedom Affair has planted deep roots in soul music from their start, but after nearly a decade together, the group’s self-titled sophomore album focuses their sound squarely where Muscle Shoals meets Memphis Soul. It’s a masterstroke of impassioned message-music exploring ageless themes of inequity, love, and togetherness. // A fateful February 2023 encounter with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at Royal Studios created a spark that sent the band back to Kansas City with new musical conviction. By November, the band had returned to record all-new Southern Soul-inspired songs in the legendary Memphis studio. // The ever-powerful female trio fronting the band–Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves, and Shon Ruffin–has been the hallmark of The Freedom Affair’s sound and identity, and their collective vocal prowess is on full display ranging from tough to tender, touching on heartache and hope. The experience at Royal studios convinced the band that there isn’t a better room to record horns. The “one take” horns of Pete Carroll on trumpet and Brett Jackson on saxophone prove their years together as a unit have paid off with their precision and lines written to meet the vibe perfectly. With rhythm section personnel remaining the same from their debut album Freedom is Love, a shift in instrumentation moves Chris Hazelton from bass to his primary instrument of the Hammond B3 organ along with various keyboards. Branden Moser swaps in the bass, which also happens to be his primary instrument, from his former rhythm guitar. Cole Bales continues to dig into timeless riffs on lead guitar, and Dave Brick maintains the backbone with the heavy boom-bap on drums. This album has cemented The Freedom Affair’s sound: enduring melodies with rich arrangements, backed by a gritty pulse. // Royal was the perfect site for this album, and the band took full advantage of the studio’s history by incorporating studio tools and relics throughout the process. With only four days to fully track the ten-song album, the band insisted on using the same Ampex 1” tape recorder that produced all the Hi Record hits from 1974 and prior to preserve authenticity. It was the first time the machine had been used for an album since 1974. The limitations and quirks of using vintage, analog gear made way for magic moments that shape the album’s charm. The record calls fresh attention to classic Southern Soul with all the coziness and warmth you’d expect from listening to Al Green or Ann Peebles, captured in the very same room. Mixed by Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley) and mastered by JJ Golden (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The James Hunter Six, Antibalas), this album is a truly an all-killer, no-filler lesson in soul music.]

[The Freedom Affair play The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 2:00pm for The Folly’s 125th Anniversary Birthday. More information at http://www.follytheater.org]

10:33 – Interview with Rick Truman

Rick Truman is the Executive Director at The Folly Theatre at 300 West 12th Street, KCMO. Rick Truman joined the Folly Theater as Executive Director in January 2022. From 2003 to 2021, Truman served as Managing Director of Quality Hill Playhouse, a local nonprofit theater company, leading financial and administrative operations. He holds a Master in Public Administration from the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in acting and directing from Avila University. In addition to his experience in nonprofit arts management, Rick has performed or stage directed at many Kansas City theaters, including Kansas City Repertory Theater, Musical Theater Heritage, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Spinning Tree Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, and Civic Opera Theater. More information at http://www.follytheater.org

Rick Truman, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Folly’s 125th Anniversary with The Freedom Affair on September 23, 2025.

Rick Truman joined the Folly Theater as Executive Director in January 2022.

From 2003 to 2021, Truman served as Managing Director of Quality Hill Playhouse, a local nonprofit theater company, leading financial and administrative operations.

He holds a Master in Public Administration from the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in acting and directing from Avila University.

In addition to his experience in nonprofit arts management, Rick has performed or stage directed at many Kansas City theaters, including Kansas City Repertory Theater, Musical Theater Heritage, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Spinning Tree Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, and Civic Opera Theater

FOLLY PROGRAMMING AND PARTNERS

Folly Jazz Series
The Folly + 90.9 The Bridge Americana Concert Series
Live! In the Lounge
Folly Kids’ Series
Friends of Chamber Music
Harriman Jewell Series
Heartland Men’s Chorus
Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey
The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

Folly Theater Schedule

Sep 13 Sat • 7:30 PM – Musiq Soulchild

Sep 26 Fri • 7:00 PM – The Ultimate Elvis Concert

Sep 27 Sat • 7:30 PM – The Mask – Stage Play

Oct 4 Sat • 7:30 PM – Pete Escovedo

Oct 11 Sat • 7:30 PM – The Phil Collins Experience – Tribute

Oct 16 Thu • 7:30 PM – Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin

Oct 18 Sat • 7:01 PM – Angela Hewitt

Oct 25 Sat • 11:00 AM – Dogman: The Musical

Oct 25 Sat • 3:00 PM – Dogman: The Musical

Oct 26 Sun • 12:00 PM – Dogman: The Musical

Nov 1 Sat • 7:30 PM – Lakecia Benjamin

Nov 8 Sat • 7:30 PM – Paula Poundstone

Nov 22 Sat • 7:30 PM – Samara Joy

Dec 9 Tue • 7:00 PM – The Brandenburg Concertos

Dec 13 Sat • 2:30 PM – Holiday Harmonies

Dec 13 Sat • 7:00 PM – Holiday Harmonies

Dec 20 Sat • 7:30 PM – Christmas with the Petersens

Feb 7 Sat • 7:30 PM – The Joshua Redman Quartet

Mar 6 Fri • 7:00 PM – Wu Han, Daniel Hope, & David Finckel

Mar 14 Sat • 7:30 PM – Cyrille Aimee

Sun • 3:30 PM – Miles Davis at 100

Rick Truman, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The Freedom Affair play The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 2:00pm for The Folly’s 125th Anniversary Birthday. More information at http://www.follytheater.org

10:53

9. The Freedom Affair – “If You Don’t Want Me”
   from: “If You Don’t Want Me” – Single / Sunflower Soul Records / May 15, 2024
   [The Freedom Affair is a 9 piece soul juggernaut from Kansas City, MO. The band formed in 2017 with a vision to write original soul music inspired by the traditions of the genre’s past with a universal message looking toward the future. Their new single “If You Don’t Want Me” features: Shon Ruffin on vocals, Seyko Groves on vocals, Paula Saunders on vocals, Cole Bales on guitar, Branden Moser on guitar, Chris Hazelton on bass, Dave Brick on drums, Pete Carroll on trumpet, Brett Jackson on tenor Sax, Pat Conway on congas, and Nick Howell on tambourine. Written, Recorded & Mixed by Chris Hazelton. Mastered by JJ Golden // With their debut album FREEDOM IS LOVE, The Freedom Affair has received critical acclaim and have established themselves as a force in the soul music scene across the states and abroad. Keep your eyes and ears open for their songs and album art featured in the series Bel-Air, an Apple commercial, a Netflix series, etc… This band is just getting started. // The Freedom Affair’s live shows have proven to be soul-stirring, transformative events moving audiences both physically and emotionally to joy. // The Freedom Affair released their debut album Freedom Is Love on September 25, 2020. from The album explores themes of love, heartache, empower-ment, and togetherness through a varying landscape of hard-hitting funk, luscious soul, and everything in between. The album was recorded and produced by Chris Hazelton, utilizing the best of vintage and new recording techno-logies to create an authentic experience, befitting of a soul record that would have been relevant 50 years ago as much as it will be 50 years from now. For the debut record The Freedom Affair was: Misha Roberts on vocals; Paula Saunders on vocals; Seyko Groves on vocals; Cole Bales on guitar, sitar (Track 3); Branden Moser on guitar; Chris Hazelton on bass guitar, organ (Tracks 1, 2, 9, & 10), Tambourine (Track 1), Glockenspiel (Track 3), & Chimes (Track 4); Dave Brick on drums; Pete Carroll on trumpet; Brett Jackson on tenor sax, baritone sax (Tracks 1 & 5), & tambourine (Tracks 5, 6, & 8). Additional Musicians: Pat Conway on Congas (Tracks 1, 3, & 6), Alyssa Bell on viola (Tracks 3, 4, & 7), Elizabeth Codd on violin (Tracks 3 & 4), Matt Bennett on violin (Tracks 3 & 7), John Wickersham on timpani (Track 4), Pamela Baskin-Watson on piano (Track 10), Nick Howell on tambourine (Track 10), The Freedom Family Choir (Track 10): Misha Roberts, Erica Hazelton, Seyko Groves, Paula Saunders, Jordyn Saunders, Cole Bales, and Chris Hazelton. All Horn & String Arrangements by Chris Hazelton except: “Heartaches Don’t Come Easy” and “Give A Little Love” by Pete Carroll & Brett Jackson “Don’t Shoot” by Chris Hazelton & Allyssa Bell. Produced, Recorded, & Mixed by Chris Hazelton. Assistant Produced by Dave Brick. Rhythm Section on Track 10 recorded by Chad Meise. Mastered by JJ Golden. Cover Artwork by Matthew “Mo” Manley. Front cover photograph of civil rights protesters in Kansas City, MO (April 9th, 1968). The Freedom Affair and their track “Rise Up” were selected to be part of Colemine Records 3xLP box set, “Soul Slabs Vol. 2” a Record Store Day Exclusive, released April 13, 2019. Colemine writes: “The Freedom Affair is a freight train of KC soul! Dirty, funky drums, gritty horns] [The Freedom Affair played The 20th Annual Crossroads Music Fest Saturday,]

[The Freedom Affair play The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 2:00pm for The Folly’s 125th Anniversary Birthday. More information at http://www.follytheater.org]

10. Danielle Nicole – “Make Love” from: The Love You Bleed / Forty Below Records / January 26, 2024  
    [Danielle Nicole is one of the finest singers and bassists in roots music today. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, she has spent her life making music and pleasing fans, both domestically and abroad. Her stunning new album, The Love You Bleed, includes twelve heartfelt tracks exploring themes of love, loss, and perseverance. It will be released this Friday, January 26 on Forty Below Records. // The Love You Bleed was co-produced by Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) and Nicole, with John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bryan Ferry) mixing. The tight-knit group on the album features Danielle on bass guitar and vocals; Brandon Miller (electric, acoustic, pedal steel, mandolin, and 12-string guitar), Damon Parker (keyboards); Go-Go Ray (drums), and Stevie Blacke (violin and cello). // Nicole was inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of seven Blues Music Awards.  Her last release Cry No More was nominated for a Grammy in the Contemporary Blues category, debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues Charts and boasts over 10 million streams on Spotify. // Danielle Nicole’s last release, CRY NO MORE, released February 23, 2018, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.. Her self-titled solo debut EP was released March 10, 2015 on Concord Records. The self-titled EP features Grammy Award-winning producer-guitarist Anders Osborne, Galactic’s co-founding drummer Stanton Moore and keyboardist Mike Sedovic. On February 25, 2015, American Blues Scene premiered the track “Didn’t Do You No Good” off the new EP. Danielle Nicole was previously in the band Trampled Under Foot with her brothers Kris and Nick Schnebelen. At the 2014 Blues Music Awards, Trampled Under Foot’s album, Badlands, won the ‘Contemporary Blues Album of the Year’ category. At the same ceremony, Danielle Nicole, under the name of Danielle Schnebelen, triumphed in the ‘Best Instrumentalist – Bass’ category. The band was also nominated in the ‘Band of the Year’ category. In September 2015, her debut album, Wolf Den, was released on Concord Records. It reached number 2 in the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart in October that year. Danielle Nicole’s second solo album, Cry No More, peaked at # 1 in the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart. Bill Withers wrote one of the tracks on the new album.]

[Danielle Nicole plays The Folly Theater 300 West 12th Street, KCMO, on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 8:00pm. More information at http://www.follytheater.org]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Stephonne – “1 Think It’s Gonna Be Alright”
    from: “1 Think It’s Gonna Be Alright” – Single / Glory Blue Music / April, 2025
    [Written and Produced by Stephonne Singleton. Additional Production – Justin Mantooth. Engineering, Mixing, and Mastering – Justin Mantooth. Additional Vocal Engineering – Stephonne Singleton. Vocals – Stephonne; Synths, Drum Machine, Keyboard – Stephonne; Guitar – Zachary Arias; Bass – Carly Atwood; Drums – Adam Soliz (McKee); Recorded, mixed and mastered at Westend Recording Studios, Kansas City. Stephonne describes himself as the lovechild of Prince & Billie Holiday. He grew up in KCK and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Benedictine College, and Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Singer, songwriter, actor, model, artist, activist – Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, serving as a board member of KC Folk Fest, organizing tribute shows, playing: music festivals, Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show. Stephonne released his EP SIS: Side B on June 24, 2022. He also released the single “I” on August 21, 2024. Stephonne is a 2023 winner of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Arts Fellows. Stephonne’s new single Forgive Me, Father (Sinead O’Connor) was released an May 21, 2025. More info at: http://www.stephonne.com]

11:03 – Interview with Stephonne

Stephonne returns to the show to talk about his new singles including, “Worship At The Chappell:” his upcoming solo album, and RENT. // Stephonne describes himself as the lovechild of Prince & Billie Holiday. He grew up in KCK and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Benedictine College, and Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Singer, songwriter, actor, model, artist, activist – Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, serving as a board member of KC Folk Fest, organizing tribute shows, playing: music festivals, Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show. Stephonne released his EP SIS: Side B on June 24, 2022. He also released the single “I” on August 21, 2024. Stephonne is a 2023 winner of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Arts Fellows. More info at: http://www.stephonne.com

Stephonne Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Stephonne produced several epic tribute shows, to Mary J. Blige at the Fifth Floor I the historic West Bottoms. And you were one of the featured artists at the Rock is Black concert at the Zhou B Art Center in the heart of the 18th & Vine Arts & Cultural District.

Both of these events were very important to you as a performer, but also in the community building work that you do, is that fair to say?

Stephonne is a multifaceted performer, actor, drag performer, singer-songwriter, model. I personally have loved watching your journey as a musical performer.

Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, serving as a board member of KC Folk Fest, organizing tribute shows, playing: music festivals, Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show

12:12

12. Stephonne – “Worship at the Chappell”
    from: “Worship at the Chappell” – Single / Glory Blue Music / August 15, 2025
    [Co-written with Shawn M. Stewart and produced with Patrick Meagher, the song is a declaration of power, pleasure, and pride—a sonic celebration of being fully and freely oneself. “Worship at the Chappell” is a bold, genre-bending anthem from Kansas City artist Stephonne—an electrifying fusion of disco, pop, and gospel spirit. Inspired by fellow Missouri native Chappell Roan, the track transforms the dance floor into a sanctuary for queer joy, spiritual liberation, and unapologetic self-love. With soaring vocals, provocative lyrics, and infectious grooves, Stephonne delivers a soulful sermon for the marginalized. // Stephonne describes himself as the lovechild of Prince & Billie Holiday. He grew up in KCK and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Benedictine College, and Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Stephonne is a 2023 winner of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Arts Fellows. // Stephonne is an Alternative/Genrequeer singer-songwriter, cultural producer, and generative performing artist from Kansas City, MO. They synthesize music, written/spoken word, performance and visual art/media into an inimitable art. They share their struggles, triumphs, and journey to self-love through multidisciplinary performance and have sent audiences on visceral and experiential journeys through a multitude of music and video releases since 2015. Bold new 2025 singles and videos continue to push boundaries! New experiences, both sonic and visual, await us from the upcoming sophomore LP, STEPHONNE. // Singer, songwriter, actor, model, artist, activist – Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, serving as a board member of KC Folk Fest, organizing tribute shows, playing: music festivals, Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show. Stephonne released his EP SIS: Side B on June 24, 2022. Stephonne released the single “I” on August 21, 2024. Stephonne released the single “I think its Gonna Be Alright” I April 2025. Stephonne released the single, Forgive Me, Father (Sinead O’Connor) on May 21, 2025. // More info at: http://www.stephonne.com]

11:15 – More Interview with Stephonne

Stephonne describes himself as the lovechild of Prince & Billie Holiday. He grew up in KCK and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Benedictine College, and Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Singer, songwriter, actor, model, artist, activist – Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, serving as a board member of KC Folk Fest, organizing tribute shows, playing: music festivals, Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show. Stephonne released his EP SIS: Side B on June 24, 2022. He also released the single “I” on August 21, 2024. Stephonne is a 2023 winner of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Arts Fellows. More info at: http://www.stephonne.com

Stephonne Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Along with your work with KC Folk Fest, you have also worked with Charlotte Street Foundation, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, Crossroads Music Fest, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, and West 18th Street Fashion Show.

Stephonne is a 2023 winner of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Arts Fellows.

Each Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Award receives an unrestricted cash grant of $10,000, recognition by Charlotte Street at the time of the award announcement and throughout 2023. The 2023 Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Awards recognize two exceptional artists in the fields of dance, theatre, music, opera, sound art, performance art, multimedia performance, spoken word, puppetry or hybrid performance-based forms. Along with Stephonne Singleton and Tiara Nicole was the other recipients of the 2023 Generative Performing Artist Awards. Since 1997, 29 performing artists and 106 visual artists in the Kansas City region have received this highly regarded award.

All of the 2023 Charlotte Street Award Fellows were selected through competitive processes beginning with open calls for applications from artists based in the five-county Kansas City Metro Area. Artist selections were made by a panel of jurors consisting of renowned and qualified arts professionals. Jurors participated in interviews, presentations, and studio visits, resulting in the selection of 10 finalists for the Generative Performing Artists Awards and 12 finalists for the Visual Artist Awards.

Stephonne’s Statement:

As a generative performance artist and musician, my music is a result of radical and unconditional love that I have for my life and human connection. That love persists, despite living in a world that relishes my artistic contributions but not the color of my skin nor my queerness. It is within this relentless predicament that I find myself, my melodies, and my lyrics. I share my struggles, triumphs, and journey to self-love through performance. I create music and live experiences that break through the boxes of race, gender, social status and genre so that others may see their reflection in my art. All of my musical influences come together to create something inimitable but familiar. Music has always understood me and It is through music that I continue to define and understand myself. I want my audience to feel accepted and understood by my art, to feel seen – and then to better understand themselves and those around them.

Stephonne Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

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

11:22

13. Stephonne – “1”
    from: “1” – Single / Stephonne / August 21, 2024
    [Written and Produced by Stephonne Singleton. Additional Production – Justin Mantooth. Engineering, Mixing, and Mastering – Justin Mantooth. Additional Vocal Engineering – Stephonne Singleton. Vocals – Stephonne; Synths, Drum Machine, Keyboard – Stephonne; Guitar – Zachary Arias; Bass – Carly Atwood; Drums – Adam Soliz (McKee); Trombone – Trevor Turla. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Westend Recording Studios, Kansas City. // Stephonne describes himself as the lovechild of Prince & Billie Holiday. He grew up in KCK and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Benedictine College, and Masters in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. Singer, songwriter, actor, model, artist – Stephonne Singleton keeps very busy, organizing Tribute Shows, working as a Resident Artist at Charlottee Street studios, playing Music Festivals, Lemonade Park, Lawrence Pride, Manor Records, Midwest Music Foundation, The AIDS Service Foundation of KC, InterUrban ArtHouse, The Black Box, The Folly Theatre, collaborating with The Black Creatures, Calvin Arsenia, Miki P, Jass, Eboni Fondren, putting out EPs, and singles. Stephonne released his EP SIS: Side B on June 24, 2022 it was in the TOP TEN of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. Stephonne was a featured performer at the 23rd Annual West 18th Street Fashion Show on Friday, June 2, 2023, and also in the 24th annual West 18th Street Fashion Show.]

14. Ivory Blue – “Echo”
    from: “Echo” – Single / IVORY BLUE / September 5, 2025
    [What IVORY BLUE says: “Echo” is about the energy in the world and how we get back what we put into it. The theme came to me when I was in the hospital, listening to stories from all kinds of people who were there. Our situations were different, but we were part of the same community striving for the love and connection we all deserve. I wanted this song to capture the echoes of our actions, our struggles, and our hopes all returning to use like a gift from above.” // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” pon August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Fest, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

11:28 – Underwriting

19. Big Fat Cow – “Cat Call”
    from: Behold The Soil! / Big Fat Cow / August 1, 2024
    [Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz with a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling. The band was formed in 2022 and includes: Noah Cassity on lead vocals & guitar, Kole Waters on guitar & vocals, Alex May on bass guitar & vocals; and Matt Chipman on drums. Big Fat Cow released their debut EP, BEHOLD THE SOIL! on August 1, 2024 and supported the release with a 13-city tour across the midwest. More information at http://www.bigfatcowband.com]

[BIG FAT COW play a “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” RELEASE PARTY, on Saturday, September 27. 2025 at The RINO 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, MO – Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30 with special guests: Timbers, Michael B. Tipton & The Scoundrels, and Flash Floods. Presented by Swade!]

10:34 – Interview with Noah Cassity and Cole Waters of Big Fat Cow

Joining us from the band Big Fat Cow are Noah Cassity, and Cole Waters. to talk about the release of their new EP “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” on September 26, 2025. Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz with a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling. The band was formed in 2022 and includes: Noah Cassity on lead vocals & guitar, Kole Waters on guitar & vocals, Alex May on bass guitar & vocals; and Matt Chipman on drums. BIG FAT COW play a “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” RELEASE PARTY, on Saturday, September 27. 2025 at The RINO 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, MO – Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30 with special guests: Timbers, Michael B. Tipton & The Scoundrels, and Flash Floods. Presented by Swade! More information at http://www.bigfatcowband.com

Noah Cassity and Cole Water thanks for being with us on WMM

Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz since 2022.

Big Fat Cow’s first endeavor was a folk album (Glutton for Punishment) written and recorded by Noah Cassity and mastered and digitized by Kole Waters. Wanting to perform the songs live, Noah recruited the help of Kole on lead guitar alongside childhood friend Alex May to play the bass. Kole was able to bring in Matt Chipman to play drums and finish out the band.

Noah Cassidy – lead vocals & guitar
Kole Waters – guitar & vocals
Alex May – bass guitar & vocals
Matt Chipman – drums

Meeting for the first time in KA studios, the newly formed quartet ripped into Noah’s folk songs, turning them into the rock, indie, americana and country inspired pieces that you know today. Each member of the band took and ran with the folk songs that Noah recorded and made it their own, pulling in inspirations from each of their unique musical backgrounds.

Big Fat Cow has made themselves a household name in the Kansas City music scene, leaving an impression on everyone who comes out to see them play. With songs you can dance to and songs that will make you cry in the basement of a DIY show, Big Fat Cow is sure to leave their mark.

“A band this good shouldn’t get saddled with a name this bad … you’re just going to have to tell your friends that you’re going to see Big Fat Cow, and wince while you do it.” – Too Much Rock

The KC based band, Big Fat Cow released their debut EP, BEHOLD THE SOIL! on August 1, 2024 and supported the release with a 13-city tour across the midwest.

Gremlin Goop (released 9/1)

The track is an outward embrace of being tagged “an artsy punk band playing on the side of a gravel road.” The slow, vulnerable intro escalating into sink or swim pacing and squealed protest is signature “cowpoke fuzz,” the band’s internalized blend of post- and cosmic country, alt-Americana, and punk rock.

In Goop, there’s an emphasis on highlighting each member’s further skillset and influence, which could be an interesting conversation point for the members to talk about their respective contributions.

BIG FAT COW play a “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” RELEASE PARTY, on Saturday, September 27. 2025 at The RINO 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, MO – Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30 with special guests: Timbers, Michael B. Tipton & The Scoundrels, and Flash Floods. Presented by Swade!

11:41

16. Big Fat Cow – “Gremlin Goop”
    from: “Gremlin Coop” – Single / Big Fat Cow / September 1, 2025
    [From their upcoming EP – GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT. Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz with a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling. The band was formed in 2022 and includes: Noah Cassity on lead vocals & guitar, Kole Waters on guitar & vocals, Alex May on bass guitar & vocals; and Matt Chipman on drums. Big Fat Cow released their debut EP, BEHOLD THE SOIL! on August 1, 2024 and supported the release with a 13-city tour across the midwest. More information at http://www.bigfatcowband.com]

[BIG FAT COW play a “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” RELEASE PARTY, on Saturday, September 27. 2025 at The RINO 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, MO – Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30 with special guests: Timbers, Michael B. Tipton & The Scoundrels, and Flash Floods. Presented by Swade!]

11:46 – Interview with Noah Cassity and Cole Waters of Big Fat Cow

Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz with a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling.

The band was formed in 2022 and includes: Noah Cassidy on lead vocals & guitar, Kole Waters on guitar & vocals, Alex May on bass guitar & vocals; and Matt Chipman on drums.

Joining us live on the show is Noah Cassidy who is the lead vocalost & plays guitar, and Kole Waters who plays guitar & provides vocals and recording and mastering.

Big Fat Cow is a post-country band delivering cowpoke fuzz since 2022.

The cattle’s broadly appealing, yet super unique brand of post-country, a mix of rock, indie, and americana bold enough to get you moving and heavy enough to have you feeling.

The herd’s captured a bit of what some suit from a less evolved time would’ve called “It.”

Kole Waters is also in the band Dreamist who release the album Shouldn’t Be from midnomid collective on September 13, 2024

Their 7-track debut album LP. “Made for everyone who cannot live within the margins of the culture imposed upon them.” // Written by Dreamist and Former Members Robert Graves and Travis Barker. Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Kole Waters at KA Productions. Released by Midnomid Collective. Album Art by Jaelin Kingsley. Album Packaging Formatted by Jacob Kingsley.

Dreamist is a Post-Emo four-piece based in Kansas City, MO. // Dreamist is the result of the love of art that can simultaneously convey the visceral and esoteric. Holding post-hardcore aggression in one hand and the understated finesse of ambient and art rock in the other; Kole, Eli, Mitri, and Jacob embrace a full spectrum of genre to convey the many highs and lows of the human experience. Whether it is with voice, guitar, drum, synthesizer, or sample, Dreamist creates a space of vulnerability and catharsis in every performance and recording. // Too Much Rock writes: “The band’s songs are long, drifting from twinkling emo into post-rock climaxes. From sung to screamed. From beautiful to brutal. And all of them back again. While Waters’ is generally the pretty guitar, both he and Elisha Ruhman can make their guitars howl. That’s when the crashing drums of Mitri McCawley come into play. Whether on bass or keyboards, Jacob Kingsley filled in the gaps, giving body and weight to the compositions that otherwise might float away on a bed of lighter than air guitar effects.” // More info at: http://www.dreamistkc.com]

Noah Cassidy and Kole Waters thanks for being with us on WMM

BIG FAT COW play a “GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT” RELEASE PARTY, on Saturday, September 27. 2025 at The RINO 314 Armour Rd., North Kansas City, MO – Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 7:30 with special guests: Timbers, Michael B. Tipton & The Scoundrels, and Flash Floods. Presented by Swade!

For more on Big Fat Cow, please visit https://bigfatcowband.com and/or follow https://www.instagram.com/bigfatcowband/.

11:54

17. Santigold – “L.E.S. Artistes”
    from: Santigold / Downtown Music / April 29, 2008
    []Santogold is the debut studio album by musician and singer Santigold (who performed as Santogold at the time of the album’s release). The album was recorded within eight weeks in New York City at Schoolhouse and Pitch Black Studios. It was written and produced primarily by Santigold and former Stiffed bandmate John Hill, alongside contributions from other producers, including Diplo, Switch and Disco D, and vocal appearances from Spank Rock and Trouble Andrew. // This album incorporates a variety of musical styles, such as new wave, punk, electro, reggae and dub, with the aim of defying boundaries and genre classification. This genre-defying approach awarded the album with praise from music critics. It earned multiple spots on music publications’ year-end lists of the best albums of the year, as well as on several decade-end lists. The record charted in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, France and Belgium, and spawned the singles “Creator”, “L.E.S. Artistes”, “Lights Out”, and “Say Aha” // Santi White was born September 25, 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to parents Ron White, an advisor to mayor John F. Street and Aruby Odom-White, a psychiatrist. She attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, and later attended college at Wesleyan University, where she double-majored in music and African-American studies. Santi has described herself as “super-social and a connector of people” in her youth, growing up in Philadelphia. // She is known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold). She obtained her pseudonym in the 1990s after a friend gave it to her as a nickname. She worked for Epic Records as an A&R representative but left the position to co-write and executive produce How I Do, the singer Res’s debut album. // She was the singer of Philadelphia-based punk rock band Stiffed, which released the EP Sex Sells (2003) and the album Burned Again (2005). Both records were produced by Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. While in the band, White was offered a solo contract by Martin Heath of London-based independent label Lizard King Records. // Her debut studio album, Santogold (2008), was released by Atlantic Records and met with widespread critical praise for its cross-genre blending of dub, new wave, and hip hop music. Its second single, “L.E.S. Artistes”, peaked within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. // Her second album, Master of My Make-Believe (2012), was met with continued positive reception and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200. It spawned the single “Disparate Youth”, which entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and moderately entered charts in several countries. Her third album, 99¢ (2016), her second mixtape, I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions (2018), and her fourth album, Spirituals (2022), were each met with continued praise. The latter was described by The Guardian as a “whirlwind album full of feeling and fervour”. // Additionally, Santigold has collaborated with artists including Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, David Byrne, Mark Ronson, Karen O, ASAP Rocky, and Diplo. Her awards include “Best Breakthrough Artist” at the 2008 NME Awards, and the Vanguard Award at 2009 ASCAP Awards.]

[Santigold plays the Warehouse on Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO on TWO NIGHTS! Monday, September 15, and Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00 pm.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on September 17, Nick Carswell of Lawrence Music Alliance joins us to share details about the MixMaster Music Conference Sept. 19 & 20 // Brody Lowe shares new electronic music // Fritz Hurchison will be here // And we will also talk with Mark Ronning of Pool Culture.

A really big THANK YOU to every one of you who donated during Wednesday MidDay Medley and our Summer Fund Drive for KKFI 90.1 FM. We had 47 individuals donate a total of $3529.00 in support of Community Radio. Special thanks go to my co-hosts and guests: Betse Ellis, Mikal Shapiro, Sandra Draper and Steve Tulipana and Lincoln Dreher!!!

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

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the extra effort to keep our station alive.

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

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

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

Show #1112