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

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Thom Hoskins + John Keck
+ Vi Tran’s “The Butcher’s Son” +
Spinning Tree Theatre’s “Fiddler on The Roof”
+ More Music from The Middle of The Map

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[Wednesday MidDay Medley’s theme song]

2. The Lucky – “We Are One”
from: Swimming Invisible / Independent / May 24, 2014
[Camilla Camille on vocals, guitar, octave pedal; Iason Mac Ai on vocals, lead guitar; Calandra Rene on bass; Dustin Mott on drums. Recorded at Massive Sound Studio by Paul Malinowski More info and to see The Lucky’s new music video, visit their FB page: http://facebook.com/theluckyband.%5D

[The Lucky play Middle of The Map Fest for Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party Saturday, April 25, starting at 2:00 pm at The Westport Saloon, with The Project H, She’s A Keeper, The Big Iron, and Not A Planet]

Tonight is the first night of INK’s Middle of the Map Fest, curated by The Record Machine, through Saturday, April 25, with FOUR days of music, over 130 bands, at The Uptown and on seven stages in Westport. More info at: http://www.middleofthemapfest.com

Tonight, April 22, Middle of The Map starts at The Uptown Theatre, at 7:30 – The Noise FM at 8:30 – The Republic Tigers, at 9:45 – OK Go.

We started with music from 5 bands playing Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party, Saturday, April 25, at 2:00, at The Westport Saloon, 4112 Pennsylvania Ave.

2:00 The Lucky https://www.facebook.com/theluckyband
2:45 The Project H https://www.facebook.com/theprojecthkc
3:30 She’s A Keeper https://www.facebook.com/shesakeepermusic
4:15 The Big Iron https://www.facebook.com/thebigiron
5:00 Not A Planet https://www.facebook.com/notaplanet

3. The Big Iron – “Anything I Can Do”
from: We Will Fail / Independent / May 30, 2014 [The band’s third full-length release was produced and mixed by Joel Nanos of Element Recording. It’s the band’s follow-up to 2008’s “Thanks for the Therapy,” and their 2001 debut recording, “Bury My Mistakes.” Ricky Reyes on guitar; Jon Paul on drums; Jeff Pendergraft on vocals, PK on guitar; and Mike Farren on bass. More info at: thebigiron.bandcamp.com/]

[The Big Iron play Middle of The Map Fest for Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party Saturday, April 25, starting at 2:00 pm at The Westport Saloon, with The Project H, She’s A Keeper, The Lucky, and Not A Planet]

4. She’s A Keeper – “Pennsylvania”
from: Westside Royal / Independent / January 17, 2015

[KC based band includes: Fritz Hutchison – vocals, banjo, percussion; Zac Jurden – vocals, guitar; Colin Nelson – vocals, guitar; Elliott Phillips – bass, mandolin. Recorded and produced by She’s A Keeper and Joel Nanos at Element Recording in Kansas City.]

[She’s A Keeper play Middle of The Map Fest for Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party Saturday, April 25, starting at 2:00 pm at The Westport Saloon, with The Project H, The Big Iron, The Lucky, and Not A Planet]

5. The Project H – “Not A Person”
from: We Live Among The Lines / Independent / September 8, 2014
[3rd release from collective that includes: Clint Ashlock- trumpet, Ryan Heinlein- trombone, Brett Jackson- woodwinds, Matt Leifer- drums, Andrew Ouellette- keys, Dominique Sanders- bass, Jeff Stocks- guitars.
Record, mixed and mastered by Duane Trower, Weights and Measures Soundlab, KC, MO.]

[The Project H play Middle of The Map Fest for Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party Saturday, April 25, starting at 2:00 pm at The Westport Saloon, with The Big Iron, She’s A Keeper, The Lucky, and Not A Planet]

10:15 – Interview with Gary Neal Johnson and Michael Grayman

Gary Neal Johnson has been a part of Kansas City’s theater community for nearly 40 years, appearing in more than 180 productions on the city’s professional stages, more than half of those with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre (formerly Missouri Repertory Theatre) where you may have seen him as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Pizarro in Royal Hunt of The Sun, George in Of Mice and Men, or as Harry Truman. Gary has also worked at Kansas City Actors Theatre, New Theatre, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, The Unicorn Theatre, as well as The Goodman in Chicago, Utah Shakespeare, American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. Gary Neal Johnson is making his theatre debut with Spinning Tree Theatre.

Gary Neal Johnson is currently playing the iconic leading role of Tevye for Spinning Tree Theatre’s production of Fiddler on The Roof, running April 23 through May 10 at The Just Off Broadway Theatre. Previews are Thursday and Friday, April 23 and 24, with opening night on Saturday, April 25. For more information about the show and tickets you can visit: http://www.spinningtreetheatre.com

Gary Neal Johnson, is Kansas City acting royalty. He has been working non-stop on stages bringing to life so many great and larger than life characters on stage from Julius Ceasar, King Lear, Willy Loman, Harry Truman, and now Tevye the milkman, the father of five daughters. This is his first experience playing this role.

23 actors are in the cast, plus a 4 person band/orchestra.

This is one of the most successful musicals in theatre history. It’s original production in 1964 was the winner of 9 Tony Awards. It has had four successful revivals, and a 1971 award winning film. Some have called it a perfect musical.

Fiddler on The Roof is co-directed by Spinning Tree Theatre Artistic Director – Michael Grayman and Managing Director – Andy Parkhurst.

Spinning Tree Theatre has produced shows in many different venues in KC, but are returning to Just Off Broadway Theatre, where they recently staged Black Pearl Sings and Aint Misbehavin’.

Gary Neal Johnson’s notable roles at the KC Rep and elsewhere include eleven seasons as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Charlie in August: Osage County, Virgil in Bus Stop, Pizarro in The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Gallimard in M. Butterfly, John in Oleanna, Morgan in The Drawer Boy, Gloucester in King Lear, Herr Schultz in Cabaret, Caesar in Julius Caesar, Lear in King Lear, Harry in A Delicate Balance, George in Of Mice and Men, Gloucester in King Lear, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby, and Harry Truman in two extended runs of the one-character play, Give ‘Em Hell, Harry. In San Francisco, Mr. Johnson was honored with a Dean Goodman Award for Supporting Actor for his portrayal of George Booth in the premiere of David Mamet’s adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance at the American Conservatory Theater. Mr. Johnson performed the role of King Lear at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. In other regional theatre he played – King Lear (Goodman Theatre, Chicago); Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice (Utah Shakespeare); Witness for the Prosecution, (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre).

Julie Shaw plays Tevye’s wife Golde. Julie Shaw has been seen on many Kansas City stages, including Quality Hill Playhouse, Musical Theatre Heritage, The Coterie, Unicorn Theatre, American Heartland Theatre and Chestnut Fine Arts. Julie has also performed at The New Victory Theatre in NYC, reprising her roles in the original musical Lucky Duck. Julie Shaw is a veteran of Spinning Tree Theatre where she has played roles in Violet, Motherhood Out Loud, Hello Again, and The Fantasticks, and for Spinning Tree Theatre’s upcoming season she’ll be working as associate director for West Side Story.

T J Lancaster as Lazar Wolf, Nancy Nail as Yente, and a cast of 23 actors.

Spinning Tree Theatre’s Fiddler on The Roof, runs April 23 through May 10 at The Just Off Broadway Theatre, 3051 Penn Valley Drive. Previews are Thursday and Friday, April 23 and 24, with opening night on Saturday, April 25. More information at 816-569-5277 or http://www.spinningtreetheatre.com

10:28 – Underwriting

10:30

6. Not A Planet – “Girl Comes Down”
from: The Few, The Proud, The Strange / Independent / May 10, 2013
[Kansas City based Rock and Roll trio formed in 2010. Nathan Corsi, on Guitar & Vocals; Liam Sumnicht on Drums & Harmony Vocals, and William Sturges on Bass Guitar & Harmony Vocals.]

[Not A Planet play Middle of The Map Fest for Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party Saturday, April 25, starting at 2:00 pm at The Westport Saloon, with The Project H, The Big Iron, The Lucky, and She’s A Keeper.]

10:33 – Interview with Thom Hoskins

7. Thom Hoskins – “The Bird in the Cage Vanishes Again” (LIVE)
(This new song might be included in Thom’s upcoming full length release)

10:37

Singer/songwriter, Thom Hoskins has been playing in the KC music scene for 10 years as a solo artist, and in the bands: Buffalo Saints, The Belles, Blackpool Lights, and Hidden Pictures. Balancing music with marriage and two children, Thom Hoskins wrote, recorded and pressed his four song E.P. Still Feeling Bronze in his home studio. Hoskins is working to release a follow up full-length record. Also balancing being a student working on a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition, Thom Hoskins plays Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Kansas, TONIGHT, Wednesday, April 22, at 9:30 pm with Bobby Bare Jr., and The Josh Berwanger Band. Thom Hoskins also plays Middle of The Map Fest, Saturday, April 25, at 5:00 pm, at Mills Record Company, 314 Westport Road, as part of Tim Finn’s Back To Rockville Singer-Songwriter Showcase!

10:42

8. Thom Hoskins – “Untitled” (Live)
(This new song might be included in Thom’s upcoming full length release)

10:46

Thom’s Influences:

Van Dyke Parks, The Kinks, Left Banke, Brian Wilson, The Zombies, The Easy Beats, Edith Piaf, Tom Waits, Jon Brion,

Thom enjoys:

French films, Film Noir, Photographs, Places traveled, Places untraveled, Inaudible noise, Dreams, Nightmares, Awakenings, And the Natural world as it is seen through my eyes. Writing complex chord progressions, cycling, working outside, reading, recording & listening to music that make me feel not quite like myself.

10:51

9. Thom Hoskins – “Lighter and Lighter” (Live)(This new song might be included in Thom’s upcoming full length release)

Thom Hoskins plays Replay Lounge in Lawrence, Kansas, TONIGHT, Wednesday, April 22, at 9:30 pm with Bobby Bare Jr., and The Josh Berwanger Band. Thom Hoskins also plays Middle of The Map Fest, Saturday, April 25, at 5:00 pm, at Mills Record Company, 314 Westport Road, as part of Tim Finn’s Back To Rockville Singer-Songwriter Showcase! More info at: http://www.middleofthemapfest.com or http://soundcloud.com/nervous-fingers

10:55 – More Music from the Middle of The Map Fest

10. Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear – “Dead Daffodils”
from: Skeleton Crew / Glassnote Entertainment Group / expected May 19, 2015
[Singer songwriter, Madisen Ward graduated from William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri in 2007. He plays live and records with his mother, Ruth Ward, both on guitar, with Mama Bear harmonizing with her son. Their debut EP was recorded in Kansas City’s Element Recording by Joel Nanos. Wednesday MidDay Medley was the first radio show to play Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. They have played live on our show 4 times in the last year and a half, and were featured in 90.1 FM’s Tribute to Pete Seeger at Unity Temple, and The Crossroads Music Fest. They played the Americana Music Fest in Nashville, last fall, where the national music press fell in love with their music. They were signed to Glassnote records and have spent several months recording their new album in Nashville. Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will be making their network television debut, this Wednesday Night, Feb. 11, on The Late Show With David Letterman.]

[Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear will be opening for Iron & Wine at The Uptown Theater, Thursday, April 23rd, for the 5th annual Middle of the Map Fest. More info at: middleofthemapfest.com]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Kasey Rausch with Victor & Penny and Their Loose Change Orchestra – “This Little Crow”
from: This Little Crow – Single / unreleased song / April 2015
[Recorded in March 2015 with Erin McGrane, Jeff Freling, Rick Willoughby and James Isaac, by Rob Nold Audio.]

[Kasey Rausch writes: “This Little Crow” is a song for all you parents out there who have “babies” about to fly. It’s about being so proud to “cut the apron strings” as you recognize that you’ve raised your young’n up just fine and it’s time to watch them take off. It’s a song for my daughter, Kaya, as she graduates high school in May and takes to wind for a grand new adventure in life. More info at: http://www.kaseyrausch.com]

[Last November Kasey released her third solo release Guitar in Hand on Mudstomp Records. Kasey Rausch hosts/produces RIVER TRADE RADIO Sunday mornings at 9am, on 90.1 FM with Mikal Shapiro. Kasey Rausch plays with The Naughty Pines every Tuesday at CODA.]

[Kasey Rausch w/Chad Brothers play Middle of the Map, Thurs, April 23, at The Westport Saloon, 4112 Pennsylvania, w/Jason Beers, Old Sound, The Hardship Letters, Dusty Rust, The Blue Boot Heelers.]

11:03 -Interview with John Keck

12. John Keck – “Lilies ” (Live)

Singer songwriter John Keck is a busy guy. John Keck hosts a monthly songwriter series, works as a collaborator and as a solo artist, and has been working on new music and recordings. John Keck plays a special House Concert, Tuesday, April 28, at 6:00 pm, at 3718 Warwick Blvd. #2, with Von Strantz, Dan Smith, and Destroy Nate Allen. John Keck plays The Guild, May 14, for RAWKC presents SENSORY, 1621 Locust St. with The Cosmic Tady Brothers. John Keck’s songwriter showcase is moving to The Buffalo Room starting June 13.

John Keck’s release, “Jack Moon Sessions,” was part of WMM’s The 113 Best Recordings of 2013.

In 2011 while John was visiting the famous Sun Studios in Memphis, TN where Presley, Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so many others have recorded he decided to produce a single at the legendary studio and a session was booked. He originally only booked 2 hours thinking that would be plenty of time to get several takes of his song “Die with Me.” 2 hours turned into 4, and 8 tracks were recorded with 3 takes of each song.

This “live” album was brought back to KC and discussed with Brent Jamison & Chappy Felkins of Dreamwolfanimalbear Productions, with the intention of adding more instrumentation to it, to bring out a full band sound that John had planned for most of the songs. John’s friends Betse Ellis; Elaine McMillan; Megan Zander & Chris Taddy of Dream Wolf; Clint Hoffmeier of Ned Ludd and Vehicle; and Hume Man were asked to sit in on the Chappy Road sessions and create the sound John was hearing in his head.

11:15

13. John Keck – “The Road Home” (Live)
(New music)

John Keck’s songwriter showcase Devils and Angels is moving to The Buffalo Room starting June 13.

11:21

14. John Keck – “Easy Going Woman” (Live)
(New music)

John Keck plays a special House Concert, Tuesday, April 28, at 6:00 pm, at 3718 Warwick Blvd. #2, with Von Strantz, Dan Smith, and Destroy Nate Allen. John Keck plays The Guild, May 14, for RAWKC presents SENSORY, 1621 Locust St. with The Cosmic Tady Brothers. John Keck’s songwriter showcase is moving to The Buffalo Room starting June 13. More info at: http://www.johnlkeck.com

11:25

15. Genevieve – “Colors”
from: Show Your Colors / Wind-up Records / March 10, 2015
[Genevieve Schatz, better known simply as Genevieve, is an American indie pop singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California, United States. The former frontwoman of Chicago indie rock band, Company of Thieves, Genevieve embarked on her solo career in early 2014. “Colors” is her first solo track.]

[Genevieve plays MOTM April 25 on the Outdoor Stage. ]

11:28 – Underwriting

11:30 – Interview with Vi Tran

Writer, actor, musician, artist, teacher, singer, songwriter – Vi Tran was born near Saigon, Vietnam and raised in southwestern Kansas. He began performing as a toddler in the refugee camps of southeast Asia. Vi has appeared in theatres all across Kansas City as an actor, and is also a big part of the Kansas City Music Scene. In 2013 his debut full length recording “American Heroine” was part of our Wednesday MidDay Medley’s The 113 Best Recordings of 2013. Vi is also the creative force behind The Buffalo Room at Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Road. Vi joined us today to talk about his critically acclaimed play THE BUTCHER’S SON that will be performed and broadcast LIVE on 90.1 FM, tomorrow, Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 pm, for KKFI’s LOCAL SHOWCASE.

THE BUTCHER’S SON – A Refugee Play & Performance Memoir

Vi Tran uses drama, spoken word, slam poetry, and folk music to tell the story.

Directed by Mackenzie Goodwin,
featuring: Vi Tran, Ai Vy Bui, Erika Crane Ricketts,
and Ben Byard, Kate Hogan, and Jake Stanton as the orchestra.

LIVE RADIO BROADCAST of The Butcher’s Son, Thursday at 8:00 pm on 90.1 FM / Streaming live at http://www.kkfi.org

The Butcher’s Son will return at The Buffalo Room, April 30 – May 11.

The Buffalo Room at Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Rd., KCMO. A performance venue and creative commons in the grand tradition of the historic artists’ salons of Paris, London, and New York, but with a Midwestern twist. More info at: http://www.facebook.com/buffaloroomkc

THE BUTCHER’S SON – A Refugee Play & Performance Memoir by Vi Tran, and directed by Mackenzie Goodwin will be performed and broadcast LIVE on 90.1 FM, tomorrow, Thursday, April 23, at 8:00 pm, for KKFI’s LOCAL SHOWCASE. Stream at kkfi.org The show returns to The Buffalo Room, April 30 – May 11.

11:45

16. Sleater-Kinney – “Hey Darling”
from: No Cities To Love / Sub Pop Records / January 20, 2015
[8th studio album from Sleater-Kinney, formed in early 1994 in Olympia, Washington, by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. The group’s name is derived from Sleater Kinney Road, Interstate 5 exit number 108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. Tucker was formerly in the influential riot grrrl band Heavens to Betsy, while Brownstein was formerly in the queercore band Excuse 17. They often played at gigs together and formed Sleater-Kinney as a side-project from their respective bands. When Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17 disbanded, Sleater-Kinney became their primary focus. Janet Weiss of Quasi is the band’s longest lasting and final drummer, though Sleater-Kinney has had other drummers, including Lora Macfarlane, Misty Farrell, and Toni Gogin. Upon Tucker’s graduation from The Evergreen State College (where Brownstein remained a student for three more years), she and then-girlfriend Brownstein took a trip to Australia in early 1994. Their last day there, they stayed up all night recording what would become their self-titled debut album. It was released the following spring. They followed this with Call the Doctor (1996) and Dig Me Out (1997), and became critical darlings. The lineup features: Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).]

[Sleater-Kinney play The Uptown Theatre, Sunday April 26, at 8:00 pm.]

17. Heather Thornton – “So Fast”
from: Working for a Living – Ain’t What it Used To Be / Independent / April 27, 2015
[4th solo album from KCK based singer songwriter.]

[Heather Thornton plays a CD Release show, Monday, April 27, at 6:00 pm, at The Arts Asylum 1000 E 9th St KC, MO, with Special guests G. Victor Penniman & Michael O’Shiver, and The an special band to back up Heather Thornton made up of: Bree Plaster, Brian Ruskin, Jeramy Johnston, Caleb Aldrich, and Rachel Bowerman-Deering.]

11:56 – 1 of 4 Singer songwriters named Scott

This Saturday, April 25, at 6:30pm, at Coda, 1744 Broadway Blvd, KCMO, for the 4th Saturday Happy Hour, Scott Hrabko welcomes 3 other fine KC songwriters who also happen to be named Scott: Scott Easterday, Scott Hobart and Scott Stanton.

Here is new music from Scott “Rex” Hobart…

18. Rex Hobart and The Misery Boys – “Long Shot of Hard Stuff”
from: Long Shot of Hard Stuff EP / Little Class Records / March 6, 2015
[Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys are…Rex Hobart on vocals, Blackjack Snow on bass, J.B. Morris on guitar, T.C. Dobbs on drums, and Solomon Hofer on pedal steel.]

[Scott “Rex” Hobart plays Coda, 1744 Broadway Blvd, KCMO, this Saturday, April 25, at 6:30pm, at Coda, for the 4th Saturday Happy Hour with Scott Hrabko, Scott Easterday, and Scott Stanton.]

11:59:30

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

Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Next week on Wed, April 29, we’ll talk with Gk Callahan about Contracting an Issue – A social awareness project, producing/archiving collections of public, spoken-word documentary performances, which reference HIV/AIDS. More info at: http://www.contractinganissue.com. We’ll also hear brand new music from Mat Shoare who will play LIVE in our 90.1 FM studios. In our second hour we’ll welcome back to the show, Judy Mills of Mills Record Company as our special guest producer and co-host.

Please join us Saturday, April 25, Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 90.1 FM Day Party for Middle of The Map Fest, at Westport Saloon, 2:00 to 6:00, with Not A Planet, The Big Iron, She’s A Keeper, The Project H, and The Lucky …5 of our favorite bands playing, and we’ll have special prizes, vinyl and CD give aways!

90.1 FM’s crystal clear, 100,000 watt signal, delivers some of the best quality of sound you will hear in the metro radio airwaves.

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

Show #574