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 7:30pm 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 7:30pm 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 7:30pm 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

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, August 27, 2025

New & MidCoastal Releases + TheBabeGabe & TyFaison + Mitzi McKee + Don Simon & Morgan Holcomb

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. Cass McCombs – “Peace”
   from: Interior Live Oak / Domino / August 15, 2025, 2019
   [First single from Cass McCombs new album Interior Live Oak. Pubnlicity material reports this is Cass’s most personal album to date, and, more than any previous record, shows Cass’ vast range as a lyricist and musician. It draws from everything Cass has created over two decades of experimentation to cut through with a direct and clarifying light. Throughout, his attitude is hopeful, which may sound odd for someone who often sings about the more extreme aspects of modern life. Interior Live Oak, however, is the resolve of someone who has lived those extremes. NPR MUSIC writes: “Cass McCombs’ songs are slow, languid and beautiful, which feels like the right counterbalance to our fast-paced times.” MOJO writes: “Steadily, Interior Live Oak becomes the kind of record it’s impossible to be casual about… Those who find themselves in his songs can expect to be transformed, no longer just lover, friend, chance encounter, but an epic hero, warrior, a creature in the throes of metamorphosis.” // Cass McCombs was born 1977 in Concord, California. He is an American musician, best known for blending genres such as rock, folk, psychedelic, punk, and alt country, he has played in numerous bands in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest during the 1990s, often in DIY spaces, before relocating to New York City. He moved to San Francisco in 2001, where he recorded his debut E.P., entitled Not the Way E.P., released on Monitor Records in Baltimore. McCombs then recorded a Peel Session for John Peel in 2003, and that year released his first LP A, also touring with Baltimore’s OXES as his backing band. McCombs and his band spent much of 2003 and 2004 touring, performing everywhere from the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival to house shows. McCombs otherwise divided his time amongst the Pacific Northwest, England and Baltimore. In spring 2005 he released PREfection on Monitor Records and 4AD, and in support of the album he toured with Modest Mouse. Later that year, he moved to Southern California to begin work on his third full-length, Dropping the Writ, which was released on October 9, 2007, by Domino Records. It was named one of Amazon.com’s Best Albums of 2007. Also in 2007 he toured with Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. He signed a multiple-album deal with Domino Records, who released his following four records including Catacombs (2009), which was voted one of the “50 Top Albums on the Year” by Pitchfork. It was followed by Wit’s End (2011), Humor Risk (2011), and Big Wheel and Others (2013). He toured with John Cale in 2012, and also performed at the benefit concert Occupy Sandy. Other bands he has performed or toured with include Ariel Pink, Cat Power, Band of Horses, Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire, Peter Bjorn and John, Papercuts, The Shins, Iron and Wine, Deerhoof, The Walkmen, Jana Hunter, Thurston Moore, Joe Russo and The War On Drugs. His single “Bradley Manning” premiered on the Democracy Now News Hour in 2012. His songs have been featured in films including the surf film The Present (2009), and Ralph Arlyck documentary Following Sean, as well as notable skate videos featuring Jason Dill, Jerry Hsu Chima Ferguson and Dylan Rieder. His song “Bobby, King of Boys Town” appeared in HBO show Girls (Season 2, Episode 9 – “On All Fours”). In 2014 he did a co-headlining fall tour with the Meat Puppets. McCombs is a member of The Skiffle Players, who released their debut LP, Skifflin’ on February 12, 2016. In June 2016, McCombs performed at the Primavera Sound and Field Day music festivals. McCombs ANTI- Records debut, Mangy Love was released on August 26, 2016. // Cass McCombs released Tip of the Sphere on Anti Records on February 8, 2019.]

3. Kathleen Edwards – “Save Your Soul”
   from: BILLIONAIRE / Dualtone / June 3, 2025
   [Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Kathleen Edwards returns with her highly anticipated new album, Billionaire, August 22 on Dualtone Records. Evoking her debut, Failer, the new 10-song album is full of Edwards’ trademark lyrical sharpness and unflinching observations and was produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson. Celebrated as one of the forebears of modern alt-country and Americana music, Edwards is beloved by fans and fellow musicians, and praised by The New York Times for her, “droll, observant and unsparing tone that is all her own. In her best lines, Edwards has the conversational vernacular and emotional eloquence of a great short-story writer.” Since debuting in 2003, Edwards has released five albums, including 2020’s Total Freedom — her first after stepping away from music for almost a decade. Released to overwhelming acclaim with pieces at The New Yorker, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and more, Pitchfork called it,”a creative breakthrough, written solely for the thrill of discovery,” while Rolling Stone declared it as, “devastatingly great.” Most recently, Edwards released a covers EP featuring special guests Isbell, Bahamas and Daniel Tashian and including renditions of Isbell’s “Traveling Alone,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” The Flaming Lips’ “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate,” Tom Petty’s “Crawling Back To You” and more. She has been nominated for multiple JUNO and Americana Awards and, in 2012, was awarded the SOCAN Songwriting Prize.]

4. Jon Batiste – “BIG MONEY”
   from: BIG MONEY/ Verve – Interscope / August 27, 2025
   [Multi-GRAMMY® and Academy Award® winner Jon Batiste today announced his new album BIG MONEY, out August 22 via Verve/Interscope. Described by The Guardian as “a certified musical genius,” Batiste continues to defy categorization with BIG MONEY—a bold, groove-driven statement about humanity, capitalism, and Americana. Stripping things down to their most essential elements, the album delivers a richly textured sound layered with spirit, irony, joy, and depth. Written and recorded mostly live in single takes over the course of just two weeks, BIG MONEY captures the raw immediacy of creative expression. The emphasis on collective energy and spontaneity draws on the roots of American music as a communal force—and offers an antidote to modern disconnection. // At the heart of the album is its title track—a percussive, hook-laden anthem sparked by a moment of inspiration following Batiste’s 2024 performance at The Ryman Auditorium. He wrote the song on guitar before he even knew he was making a new album. On the surface, it’s an infectious call for ambition. Beneath the rhythm, it’s a layered meditation on capitalism, survival, and what we choose to value. // “This is the circus of love. Under our tent there is revival and joy,” Batiste says. “You don’t lose your soul—you gain it. When Mama says, ‘Don’t be a dummy, everybody chasing that BIG MONEY,’ Mama is pushing you—while warning you. It cuts both ways.” // The track, anchored by Batiste’s guitar and retro-soul revivalist Nick Waterhouse, is brought to life by the soaring vocals of The Womack Sisters—a rising trio and granddaughters of soul legend Sam Cooke—who echo the refrain: “Might as well live for something you can feel…something that’s real.” // Batiste co-produced the album with longtime creative confidant Dion “No ID” Wilson. Other collaborators include Andra Day, Randy Newman, and a tight-knit group of musicians, songwriters, and engineers. Rather than aiming for polish, the sessions prioritized feel and presence—capturing performances in real time and preserving their imperfections as part of the record’s spiritual DNA. // Anchored by lyricism, heart, and the power of collaboration, BIG MONEY reframes and recasts Americana for a new generation—drawing on Batiste’s New Orleans roots, his gospel and protest music lineage, and his love of raw, immediate expression. The sonic palette spans blues, soul, reggae, and minimalist balladry, daring to classify them all as part of a new, evolving genre: New Americana. // Variety has called Batiste “a protean pianist and megawatt personality”—a description embodied here as he dances between styles and philosophies without losing cohesion. Each track builds on the last to create a unified vision of music as both resistance and release. // “However you interpret the songs,” Batiste says, “you can’t help feeling them. You can’t help accepting an invitation into the tent. Come in and have fun…some deeply serious fun.” // Earlier this year, Batiste made headlines for his powerful performance of the National Anthem at the 2025 Super Bowl, which brought his singular artistry to one of America’s most-watched stages. He also took home two GRAMMY® Awards—Best Music Film for the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary American Symphony, and Best Song Written for Visual Media for “It Never Went Away,” the Oscar-nominated track he co-wrote with Dan Wilson for the film. // BIG MONEY follows Beethoven Blues, released November 15 via Verve/Interscope. The album marked Batiste’s biggest sales week to date, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart and No. 9 on the Top Album Sales chart. It also entered the Billboard 200 at No. 64—his highest debut on the chart and his fifth career entry. Beethoven Blues held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums chart for nine consecutive weeks and topped the Billboard Classical Albums chart for five weeks. Showcasing his interpolations of Beethoven’s most iconic works through an expansive and innovative lens, the album expands the boundaries of classical music by infusing it with spontaneity, soul, and inclusivity. // Batiste will support BIG MONEY with a national headlining run, The BIG MONEY Tour: Jon Batiste Plays America, kicking off August 27 in Kansas City, MO. The tour will stop at more than 30 venues across the country, including Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Grand Ole Opry, and a co-headline date with Diana Ross at The Muny in St. Louis, MO. Full tour dates below and ticket information are available at jonbatiste.com.]

[Jon Batiste plays The Midland Theatre 1228 Main St, KCMO, TONIGHT – Wed., Aug. 27, at 8:00, doors at 7:00pm.]

5. KeiyaA – “stupid prizes”
   from: “stupid prizes”- Single / XL Recordings / August 20, 2020
   [After five years of navigating loss, grief, and anger, Chicago-born, NYC-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer keiyaA emerges in the light of reinvention and healing, shaped by years of solitude spent in the unending tide of mess and renewal, returning to share her findings with unapologetic clarity. Her new single “stupid prizes,” accompanied by a self-co-directed music video with Caity Arthur, is a soulful, arresting prelude that marks a powerful next chapter. Known for her penetrating explorations of Black womanhood and liberation, rich harmonies, and fearless experimentation, keiyaA reintroduces her artistry with the same emotional intensity and sonic innovation that defined her 2020 debut Forever, Ya Girl, arriving in the wake of her first theatrical stage play, milk thot. // Speaking about “stupid prizes,” keiyaA says: “i wrote, recorded, and produced “stupid prizes” all in one sitting, at home late at night in my living room in Brooklyn. i sampled Percy Faith, an orchestral composer known for creating rich and luscious scores and show tunes, helping contribute to this classic “American” sound. i sought out to create this sort of bed of irony, to speak and sing about being miserable on top of this beautiful, dreamy and romantic music. which speaks not only to what it can feel like navigating my internal and external worlds, but also what it feels like being a marginalized person in America.” // In 2020, keiyaA released her self-produced debut album Forever, Ya Girl, a genre-defying blend of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and experimental music that earned widespread critical acclaim. The project went on to receive Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” designation, landed on year-end best-of lists from The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and was later named to Pitchfork’s Best of the Decade So Far list. It also drew praise from artists including Solange, Jay-Z, Earl Sweatshirt, Blood Orange, Kimberly Drew, and Moses Sumney. The album announced keiyaA as one of music’s most vital new voices and producers, and the attention it garnered gave her the access to expand on her creative vision—one that has since grown into a thriving garden of projects, performances, and collaborations, each distinct but rooted in her singular artistry. // Since the release of Forever, Ya Girl, keiyaA showcased her dynamism through a Tiny Desk concert and appearances at Solange’s El Dorado Ballroom show at BAM, Wales Bonner’s Togetherness presentation at the Guggenheim, ESSENSE’s Girls United Summit, and MoMA PS1’s Warm Up series. She walked in Telfar’s 20th-anniversary show, contributed music to the brand’s Moose Knuckles collaboration, and scored Nike’s Come Thru series. She also performed at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, as well as in her hometown of Chicago at Pitchfork Music Festival and Theaster Gates’ Kenwood Garden community space. // Earlier this year, keiyaA expanded her artistic expression with milk thot, her first full-length stage production, which premiered at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. The performance combined live music, poetry, and choreography to delve into topics such as self-image, family lineage, and societal consumption. Developed during a residency at Abrons, milk thot marked a significant evolution in her multidisciplinary approach to storytelling. // In 2025 keiyaA will release her much anticipated sophomore album. // KeiyaA released her break through album Forever, Ya Girl through Forever Recordings on March 27, 2020 This album was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2020. The debut album from KeiyaA originally from Chicago, now based in NYC. Written and produced by keiyaA, featuring additional production from dj blackpower & dj cowriiie. Mixed & mastered by BSTFRND. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born July 28, 1992. She is known professionally as Keiyaa (stylized as KeiyaA), is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a record producer. She independently released her debut album Forever, Ya Girl in 2020. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born and raised in Chicago on the city’s south side. During childhood she sang in the Chicago Children’s Choir until switching to the alto saxophone in seventh grade. She cited soul artists including Chaka Khan, Patrice Rushen, jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Miles Davis and R&B groups such as SWV as early musical influences. She also finds inspiration in goth and post-punk/alternative rock artists like Nirvana and Siouxsie and the Banshees. // Richmond attended University of Illinois at Chicago and Columbia College to study jazz and play alto sax before leaving due to disillusionment with the program’s hierarchical nature, as well difficulty balancing school with working full-time. Shortly after she decided to pursue music professionally. // While still playing and performing on alto sax, she collaborated with Chicago musicians including Noname and Vic Mensa. She decided to switch her focus to solo work producing and singing R&B and electronic music. Perform-ing under the name Keiya, she released her debut EP, WORK, in July 2015. It was described as “emotional, sleepy, and yet strikingly optimistic” by These Days magazine. Shortly after its release she moved to New York. She added an additional “A” to her name (KeiyaA) in order to differentiate herself from other performers on streaming sites. // KeiyaA’s debut album Forever, Ya Girl was released in March 2020 and self-produced under her personal label Forever Recordings. It was reviewed by Olivia Ovendon for KEXP as featuring “powerful mantra-esque lyrics, and woozy, heady, immersive beats in captivating fashion.” Esquire described the sound as “downcast grime and smooth R&B.” Pitchfork writer Clare Lobenfeld rated the album an 8.2/10 and praised its “resolute realness that can only happen outside the major label gaze.” Forever, Ya Girl was named to Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian’s “Best Albums of 2020” lists. // Keiyaa resides in Brooklyn.]

6. Kat King – “It’s In A Dream”
   from: “It’s In A Dream”- Single / Kat King / July 11, 2025
   [Kat King released the single “Somersaults”on May 2, 2025.// Kat King released the single “I Might Like It” through Manor Records on February 28, 2025 / / Kat King, on lead vocals, Derek Melies on guitar, John Kaul McCain on bass, Daniel Cole on drums, & Kara LePage on keyboards. Produced by Isaac Flynn of Hembree. // Kat King released the EP Domestic Bliss on April 5, 2024. Domestic Bliss was in the Top 25 of WMM’s 129 Best Recordings of 2024. // On October 6, 2023 Kat King released the single. “Bight-Eyed.” // On June 16, 2024 Kat King released the single “Baby Talk.” // On Jan. 13, 2023 Kat King released “Gone South” Produced by Joel Martin. Centering on themes of self-care, steadfast friendship, and revitalizing optimism. On September 20, 2022 Kat King released the single “With Nothing In My Way.” This followed their single “New Sun” released July 29, 2022. “New Sun” was a follow up to the June 9, 2021, SAY WHAT YOU MEAN 5-track EP, recorded with her band. Co-produced & mixed / mastered by Joel Martin. Lawrence KS based singer songwriter Kat King released her last single “Song of Spain” in 2019 and her single “2017” in, 2018. She released her 5-song EP “Falling Up” on Dec. 1, 2017. // Kat King’s career started as far back as 2nd grade in small town Kansas. As a solo singer-songwriter act, she produced one 13-song album and three EP’s. Now based in Kansas City, Kat King graduated into a 5-piece indie-pop rock group who are gearing up for the release of their second EP together. Their infectious energy has landed them on some of KC’s biggest stages.]

[Kat King plays The Ship 1221 Union Ave., KCMO WEST BOTTOMS on Saturday, October 25.]

7. Paris Williams & Bloom Allen – “Truthfully” (radio edit)
   from: Give Em Hell, Truthfully – Single / BitterSweet Sound / August 12, 2025
   [Paris Williams is a 26-year old artist from Muskegon, Michigan in the midst of redefining the bedroom pop label. Employing his own sound that he’s dubbed, “bittersweet,” Williams never shuts away from his DIY aesthetic – producing his own work to maintain full creative flexibility. Premiering in December of 2019 with his debut album, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, Paris is a believer in hitting the ground running and then just never letting off the gas. This mentality was shaped by the inspiration he’s pulled from other famously out-of-the-box artists: such as Kanye West, Pharrell, and Toro y Moi. // Fueled by the multi-faceted artists, Williams believes heavily in pulling from all creative mediums as a way to add layers and texture to his music. This approach has led to Williams seeing support from larger than life musical pillars, like Iggy Pop himself – who showed love to Williams’ song of the same name by spinning it on his BBC radio show in 2018. Williams reshapes the musical landscape around him as his burgeoning career continues to solidify its own form more and more each day by bringing in a breath of fresh air with him everywhere since he wrote his first bars in elementary school. Paris Williams previously released the EP COCOA on December 10, 2020 . // He released the single , “Austin”on February 18, 2021. // Paris Williams released the single, “Sweeter” on July 9, 2021. // He released the single, “Sunsets & Solariums (feat. Bloom Allen)” on October 21, 2021 through Bittersweet Sounds. // He released the single ,“Chunky”on April 20, 2022. // He released the single, “Hopscotch” on June 21, 2022. // Paris Williams released the EP REBEL HEART on January 31, 2023. This release was part of WMM ‘s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. // Paris Williams released the single, “Pack Light” on July 25, 2023. // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “C.est La Vie” on September 14, 2024, // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “Ayo (Feat TyFaison)” on September 18, 2024. // Paris Williams & The Human released the 10-track album, A Paris Williams Joint through Bitter Sweet Sound on November 19, 2024. This release was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. // Paris Williams & TheBabeGabe released the single “Me Again” on April 28, 2025, // More info at: allmylinks.com/popstarparis]

[Paris Williams plays Turnaround Fest August 29 – 30 at White Schoolhouse, 1510 N. 3rd Street, Lawrence, KS. with, Dalima Kapten, The Elektrik Band, Flora From Kansas, Teazers, Discotek Mama, and 95 Sweetbird – All Ages.]

8. Significant Brother – “Look At You Now”
   from: Low Tempo, High Times / The Record Machine / July 18, 2025
   [Written, performed, mixed by Alex Ward“Look At You Now” is one of three mew singles released from the upcoming solo debut album LOW TEMPO, HIGH TIMES. The single “Temporary Phase” was released on June 20, 2025. // The Single. “Less Me, More You” was released on August 22, 2025. // Significant Brother is the indie-rock solo project of Alex Ward – a longtime collaborator in bands like Hembree, The Noise FM, and Scores. After more than 25 years playing in bands, Alex decided it was finally time to release music that didn’t rely on his bandmates texting him back. // Significant Brother’s debut album, Low Tempo, High Times, is a five-year collection of tracks pulled directly from the “could this be a song?” folder on his desktop. These were the oddballs, the misfits, the tracks that didn’t quite fit with his other bands but were too personal (or too weird) to let go. Nearly every sound on the album was written, performed, and mixed by Alex — sometimes at 3 a.m., usually in gym shorts, and never far from his cat Carl. The result? Dreamy, low-key, yet danceable songs about navigating aging, relationships, and the end of the world — set to a melodic, slightly offbeat soundtrack.]

10:28 – Underwriting

10:30 – Interview with Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon

Morgan Holcomb is a senior at Smithville High School in Smithville, Missouri. For over a year, she has hosted The Local Show with Morgan, a program spotlighting local and regional artists. The show airs Sunday evenings from 5-8 p.m. on Warrior Radio, the school’s online station, and is also syndicated on community radio stations Oak Grove Radio in Minneapolis, Kansas, and Radio Joe in St. Joseph, Missouri. After graduation, Morgan plans to attend Missouri State University in Springfield, where she will major in marketing and minor in broadcasting.

Don Simon teaches broadcasting, business, and marketing at Smithville High School in Smithville, Missouri. Now in his fourth year as a high school teacher, he previously worked in a variety of legal and business roles in the Kansas City area. He is a former Board Member of 90.1 FM KKFI, he has worked with the Art Institutes of Kansas City, Artist Inc., Folk Alliance International, and has consulted artists and worked in record labels and festivals.

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon join us in our 90.1 FM studios to share details about Warrior Radio, an award-winning, Internet student-run station for Smithville High School, in Smithville, Missouri. More info at: http://www.tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon Thank you for being with us on WMM

About Warrior Radio: Curated by high school students, Warrior Radio is on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the Live365 streaming service.

The following link is http://tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio.

From Smithville to the World…it’s Warrior Radio, an award-winning, student-run Internet station! Part of the Smithville Media Network.

The station can also be accessed by downloading the Warrior Radio app from Google Play or the Live365 app to a mobile phone or tablet from the Apple App Store or Google Play and adding Warrior Radio as a “Favorite.” Or listen on ROKU, AppleTV, Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, or other streaming devices by adding the Live365 app

645 S. Commercial Ave., Smithville, MO, United States, Missouri (816) 532-0405

Morgan Holcomb is a senior at Smithville and is host of “The Local Show with Morgan,” Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00pm, spotlighting local & regional artists.

It’s The Local Show with Morgan! Three hours of local and regional artists every Sunday. This week, new music by 90 MInute Cassette, Land Lion, and Kasey Rausch.
If you want to hear your music on a future episode of the Local Show, email or share your MP3s and album art to: broadcastingshs@smithville.k12.mo.us.

Morgan plans to attend Missouri State University in Springfield, and major in marketing and minor in broadcasting.

Don Simon teaches broadcasting, business, and marketing at Smithville High School. Now in his fourth year as a high school teacher, he previously worked in a variety of legal and business roles in the Kansas City area.

Morgan Holcomb and Don Simon Thank you for being with us on WMM

For more information about Warrior Radio you can visit: http://www.tinyurl.com/Warrior-Radio

10:51

9. Katy Guillen & The Drive – “What If”
   from: “What If” – Single / Are and Be Recordings / July 25, 2025
   [One of two new singles (including “Outcome” released August 22, 2025) from the band’s upcoming album MAKE THAT SOUND.// “What If” was written by Katy Guillen & The Drive with Megan McCormick. Produced by Megan McCormick, Engineered & Mixed by Brandon Bell with Annie Petrik, Mastered by Kim Rosen. Katy Guillen on vocals & guitar; Stephanie Williams on drums & percussion; Megan McCormick on bass, backing vocals, additional guitars & percussion; Erin Manning on Synthesizers; and Brandon Bell on Loops & programming. // Established in 2019, Katy Guillen & The Drive is an independent Indie Roots Rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, formed by partners Katy Guillen (Vocals, Guitar) and Stephanie Williams (Drums). The band’s 2022 debut album Another One Gained, produced by Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Heartless Bastards), “hit the sweet spot with a mix of spiky garage rock and soulful country torch songs,” lauds Uncut Magazine. Under The Radar Magazine declares the duo “evokes a timeless indie rock sound” and displays “effortless instrumental chemistry that gives both members a chance to shine.” Following this release, the band unleashed Another One Gained Deluxe featuring ‘Batallas,’ a highly anticipated Spanish version of the fan-favorite ‘Battles,’ which spotlighted special guest Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos (Flor De Toloache) on violin and backing vocals. // Katy Guillen & The Drive prides itself on fostering empowered spaces for women in music both onstage and off, and performances showcase the group’s signature all-female powerhouse formation, technical prowess, and electrifying chemistry. This core value heavily influenced the band’s second full-length effort Make That Sound. Guillen admits, “Having never worked with a woman in the studio, that’s something we wanted to change on this record. We wanted more female energy, ideas, and power to influence this album.” With this goal in mind, the band was eventually led to Producer Megan McCormick (Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah). As a result of their fast friendship and facile chemistry, the duo embraced their newfound creative trust in this relationship and ran with it. Within a matter of a few days, the three collaborated on everything from songwriting and arrangements to live tracking and overdubs, resulting in a liberated, emboldened, and nuanced new record. Williams shares, “The recording process was dense and fast. It required being totally present, trusting our initial instincts, and pushing into some uncharted territory at times.” Guillen speaks to the inspiration behind the songs and process, “In creating this album I felt particularly inspired by the countless strong and important women in my life, the love that I’ve grown with my partner, and the strength I’ve gained from digging inward through challenging times.” Make That Sound is a celebration of self-empowerment, liberation, vulnerability, honesty, and love. In addition to McCormick, the band was fortunate to work with engineers Brandon Bell (Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell) and Annie Petrik on tracking and mixing, as well as mastering engineer Kim Rosen (Bonnie Raitt, Allison Russell). The band will partner with Nashville-based indie label and artist collective Are & Be Recordings for the release.]

[Katy Guillen & The Drive set out for a 32 city tour September 19 through November 23, 2025 with a show at Knuckleheads on Friday, November 14 at 8:00pm.]

10. Religion of Heartbreak – “100 Degrees”
    from: LUNATE EP / Kosmic City Records / September 12, 2025
    [Religion of Heartbreak transform perpetual longing into dance floor salvation with their new single “100 Degrees,”another taste of their upcoming EP Lunate (September 12). Mikal Shapiro’s sensually detached vocals float over Dedric Moore’s pounding EBM foundation, where snakey synth leads coil around italo disco-ized bass lines in a haze of post-wave nostalgia. The track resuscitates lost loves through desperate dreamscapes that spark second chances, casting shadows from the past while the fog machine churns at maximum capacity. // “100 Degrees”captures that feeling when eyes meet across a crowded floor and resistance becomes impossible—a moment when dancing eyeliner moves and syncretic chemistry collide. This is electronic pop music for the romantically wounded, the perfect soundtrack for those who prefer their heartbreak served with a relentless beat. // Religion of Heartbreak Bio: Music for those broken moments and flashes of love. // Religion of Heartbreak formed out of a desire to make music with a darker dance floor focus. The combination of Mikal Shapiro’s vocals battling against Dedric’s icy synths, mechanized beats and dub-inflected electro-bass creates a juxtaposition that works in all the right ways. // Religion of Heartbreak delves into the sounds of Darkwave, EBM, and the darker side of Synth Pop. The grooves are there. The songs are clever, and always filled with a sense of lost love as we follow our dark hearts. // Religion of Heartbreak delves into the sounds of Darkwave, EBM, and the darker side of Synth Pop. The grooves are there. The songs are clever and always filled with a sense of lost love as we follow our dark hearts. // ROH is the band formerly known as Monta At Odds. It was recently announced that Krysztof Nemeth was stepping away for Religion of Heatbreak to focus on his band ReViser also with Dedric Moore and with Breaka Dawn. // On June 27, 2025 Religion of Heartbreak released the single “Love Tourniquet” through Kosmic City Records // On February 3, 2025 Religion of Heartbreak released the 5 song EP Dream Reflection with Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals, Krysztof Nemeth: baritone guitar, electronic percussion; Alexander Thomas on electronic percussion on MGGG, Dream Reflection, Skeptic; Regan Moore on electronic percussion on Dark Hour of Meditation // Dream Reflection EP carries forward the motorized heartbeat of classic darkwave while forging its own metallic path. Drawing from EBM and Synth Pop traditions, this five-track release sees the Monta At Odds offshoot strip away unnecessary embellishments, leaving only the essential elements and textural remnants that speak to our collective digital malaise. // The EP’s centerpiece and title track emerges like a ghost in the machine, with Mikal Shapiro’s coolly delivered vocals floating above Dedric Moore’s gritty synth programming and precision-guided guitar along with Krysztof Nemeth’s synth pad percussion. Each track builds upon this foundation, from the robot-dance urgency of “Forget About You” to the beautiful desolation of “Skeptic,” creating a cohesive statement about modern isolation and the personas we construct. The result feels familiar and alien—like catching your reflection in a black mirror and seeing someone else staring back.]

[Religion of Heartbreak plays miniBar, 3810 Broadway Blvd., KCMO on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 7:00pm with Carrellee and Sleep Akima, Juliette Frost opening.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Your Scream and Shout”
    from: Inverted Shadows / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / Fall, 2025
    [From upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Sat., Sept. 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, Kissy Fit and Cat Voltron.]

11:03 – Interview with Mitzi McKee

And now we happily welcome back to Wednesday Midday Medley, Kansas City based Mitzi McKee who grew up in a musical and theatrical family in Phoenix, AZ, and has played in several punk bands over the years, along with performing in over 40 plays & musicals since the age of 5. Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi began playing out solo here in KC back in 2022, frequenting The Pairing and Chartreuse Saloon, until forming the Precious Cargo in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency. Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo are proud to be releasing their debut album, Inverted Shadows, later this fall.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

Mitzi McKee thanks for being with us on WMM.

We just heard “Your Scream and Shout”

We had Mitzi on WMM on July 3, 2024. That was over a year ago and so much has happened since then…

The Pairing closed.

Mitzi and wife had a baby, Charlie – a new addition to their family.

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo have recorded a new album called Inverted Shadows

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo have been playing out more.

Mitzi McKee grew up in Phoenix, Arizona in a musical theatre household, and performed in nearly 40 stage productions in Phoenix.

Mitzi McKee played in punk & hardcore bands for over 10 years.

Mitzi played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun,

and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair.

Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency.

Mitzi began playing out solo here in KC back in 2022, frequenting The Pairing and Chartreuse Saloon, until forming the Precious Cargo in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency.

Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo are proud to be releasing their debut album, Inverted Shadows, later this fall.

11:12

12. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Metamorphosis”
    from: “Metamorhosis”- Single / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / August 6, 2025
    [First single, ‘Metamorphosis’, off our upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.]

11:15 – More Interview with Mitzi McKee

We are talking with singer-songwriter Mitzi McKee

Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she worked the front-of-house.

The Precious Cargo were formed in 2024 with longtime friends & previous bandmates Brendan Bennett (bass) of The Stonebreakers & Nuthatch 47, and Caleb Robertson (drums) of Valency.

Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

She/her. Musician, mama, actress, baker, cook. Thinks mostly in movie quotes. Punx 4 lyfe

Mitzi writes: I actually didn’t join AA until last December, having already white-knuckled it for 29 months. My addictive tendencies, while not succumbing to alcohol, were manifesting in other ways that were of no help at all to my mental health & family life. At the urgent behest of my wife & father, I finally sought out a queer group (which I didn’t think existed in town; BIG thanks to Annie Thrax for the tip-off 😘) that met on Sunday nights, in the backroom of the very same bar where I’d started my heaviest drinking by that point, way back in the summer of 2014. The group was a revelation.

People like me, having dealt with things I had too, all coming together to essentially do some real growing up and become the people we wanted to be. It’s honestly akin to a second therapy session every week, and I highly recommend ripping off the bandaid for anyone who’s been thinking of going but has been hesitant. I’ve realized, and have happily accepted, that I need the group in my life. The camaraderie of the people. The catharsis of speaking my piece every week. It mentally cleanses me somewhat. And I truly couldn’t be more grateful to still be sober, and to have the support of the folks in this lovely group.

Mitzi talked with Mark about her receiving her first-ever recovery milestone coin in front of the whole group after revealing her 3-year soberversary had passed. She talked all the hard work she has been putting in so far in her maturity & self-care, and that even though the learning journey never ceases. “Take it from someone who almost did: Don’t ever give up on yourself. There is always a light.”

Mitzi works as a construction tech at Kind Mind Organization & Renovation

Mitzi McKee is married to Tarryn Godwin-Failla

Their oldest child Lyric James is now in First Grade

Mitzi McKee Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.

Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.

11:25

13. Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo – “Threads and Branches”
    from: Inverted Shadows / Mitzi McKee and The Precious Cargo / Fall, 2025
    [From upcoming debut album Inverted Shadows. Mitzi’s band, Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, call themselves a “spacey KC rock & roll trio” w/ Mitzi on guitar, piano, & vocals; Brendan Bennett on bass, & Caleb Robertson on drums Mitzi has lived in KC since 2011 where she began singing in the jazz fusion band Valency. // Mitzi has also played drums, keyboards, and sang backup in the KC proto-punk Iggy & The Stooges cover band, No Fun, and the New York Dolls cover band, Trashed with Britt Adair. Mitzi played her first solo show in 2022 at the Pairing, where she also worked the front-of-house. Mitzi and on first Saturdays, at Chartreuse Saloon in the Crossroads.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming Street, West Bottoms, KCMO on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 7:00pm with Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Stephonne, Supermassive Black Holes with Les Izmore.]

[Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo play a Single Release Party @ miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 at 7:00pm with Shapiro Brothers, and Cat Voltron.]

11:28 – Underwriting

14. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “Miss U”
    from: HONEYPOP: RELOADED / Seven Rings Media / August 15, 2025
    [This isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. // Production by The Human which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. // After years of being the girl in the band, TheBabeGabe is stepping out, and standing ten toes down. As she dives into her solo career, Gabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy that she did as 1/3 of the alt-rap trio BLACKSTARKIDS. This time though, she’s telling her story, and forging a fresh start. The debut mixtape HONEY POP introduces the world to a young black girl from Kansas City that’s hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. Her energy is infectious, and you won’t want to be the one standing in her way, which becomes clear from the rowdy hook of the project’s lead single PSA. “It’s in my DNA, killing shit like every day, take this as a PSA, don’t give a fuck ‘bout what you say.”

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS. on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

11:33 – Interview with TheBabeGabe & TyFaison

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison are 2/3rds of the BLACKSTARKIDS. After the break-up of the band last year, longtime friend TyFaison is collaborating with TheBabeGabe in launching her solo career. Years of being the girl in the the alt-rap trio, TheBabeGabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy to the released of her debut mixtape HONEYPOP, on March 5, 2025 and five months later, HONEYPOP: RELOADED on August 8, 2025. RELOADED isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. Both albums introduce to the world a young black girl from KC hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, and Glass Animals. That confidence shines through as she pulls from influences such as Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Missy Elliott, & Janet Jackson to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound.

BabeGabe thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

HONEYPOP and HONEYPOP: RELOADED were both produced by “The Human” which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. On Bandcamp we found that TyFaison made a 14 track album when he was 13. He released Space Cult on August 31, 2013, followed by the 12 track album, internet en casa, which was released September 26, 2015, and the 12 track album, scottie, which was released on October 8, 2016. (Ty told us there were several others before these that he didn’t put on Bandcamp.) The first album from BLACKSTARKIDS, LET’S PLAY SPORTS was released August 1, 2019, followed by SURF in February 2020, WHATEVER MAN on October 22, 2020, PUPPIES FOREVER on October 15, 2021, CYBERKISS on September 23, 2022, SATURN DAYZ on September 20, 2024, and HEAVEN ON EARTH in September 20, 2024. With Medici as “The Human” Ty produced Paris Williams 2024 album A PARIS WILLIAMS JOINT released November 19, 2024, and the full length album MANGO MARAI & SATURN STAR, released in December 2024.

TyFaison Thanks for being with us on Wednesday Midday Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

Formerly a member of alternative Kansas City trio BLACKSTARKIDS, rapper-singer TheBabeGabe reemerges on her debut solo mixtape HONEYPOP. Released on March 5, the 12-track project is a detour from the original Gabe, born Gabrielle Kearney, that BLACKSTARKIDS loyalists met in 2019. Just five months separated from the group’s final release, Heaven on Earth, Gabe’s fearlessness shows in her delivery and vision, no longer being hindered as a lone female voice.

Over spaced-out beats by BLACKSTARKIDS alum TyFazion, one-half of production duo TheHuman, Gabe’s deeply reflective on HONEYPOP, whether she’s intensely expressing the burdens she carries (“Soul Food”) or seamlessly fitting herself in the current drum and bass wave (“Futuristic Lovers”). Gabe’s individuality knows no bounds, and on HONEYPOP, she gets to know explorative versions of herself.

Gabe and Ty met in high school, where they first planned to collaborate on a project together, but it was following the disbanding of BLACKSTARKIDS, including former member Deiondre, that the artist sat with herself to rediscover her musical perspective.

When we first heard BLACKSTARKIDS – “Sounds Like Fun!” from: SURF on Bedroom Records, released February 28, 2020, we lost our minds. It was one of our most played song on the radio show that year and landed at #2 in WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020.

Blackstarkids were/are phenomenon who came out of Raytown, Missouri and SURF became the soundtrack for the summer of 2020.

Blackstarkids are a pop/R&B/hip-hop trio based in Kansas City, Missouri. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective).

The members have known each other since high school in Raytown, Missouri. Members met at Raytown South High School and formed the band in 2019.

The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, on August 1, 2019. Blackstarkids then released their second album SURF through their own label Bedroom Records on February 28, 2020.

Blackstarkids caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and were then signed to The 1975’s management company and UK-based label Dirty Hit Records. They were featured in Clash Magazine. Blackstarkids then released, Surf Basement Demos on Dirty Hit Records on March 5, 2020. On October 29, 2020,

Blackstarkids released Whatever, Man on Dirty Hit Records, their 3rd album of 2020.

Gabe, of Blackstarkids recently described the KC Music community to an interviewer, “The music scene here is really nice. There are a lot of bands who are super talented and do all types of genres. The jazz music here is really great as well. Kansas City is honestly a hidden gem when it comes to music. I feel like you can meet an artist anywhere and anyplace in this city.”

Ty wrote, “The Kansas City scene is great, the community here is so supportive and genuine. This is a really prideful city here and I think they’re finally getting the musicians they deserve.”

11:42

15. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “Minutes”
    from: HONEYPOP: RELOADED / Seven Rings Media / August 15, 2025
    [This isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. // Production by The Human which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom. // After years of being the girl in the band, TheBabeGabe is stepping out, and standing ten toes down. As she dives into her solo career, Gabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy that she did as 1/3 of the alt-rap trio BLACKSTARKIDS. This time though, she’s telling her story, and forging a fresh start. The debut mixtape HONEY POP introduces the world to a young black girl from Kansas City that’s hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. Her energy is infectious, and you won’t want to be the one standing in her way, which becomes clear from the rowdy hook of the project’s lead single PSA. “It’s in my DNA, killing shit like every day, take this as a PSA, don’t give a fuck ‘bout what you say.”

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

11:45 – More Interview with TheBabeGabe & TyFaison

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison are two thirds of the acclaimed BLACKSTARKIDS. After the break-up of the band last year, longtime friend TyFaison is collaborating with TheBabeGabe in launching her solo career. Years of being the girl in the the alt-rap trio, TheBabeGabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy to the released of her debut mixtape HONEYPOP, on March 5, 2025 and five months later, HONEYPOP: RELOADED on August 8, 2025. RELOADED isn’t a remix album, these are 12 new songs. Both albums introduce to the world a young black girl from Kansas City hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, and Glass Animals. That confidence shines through as she pulls from influences such as Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Kelis, Missy Elliott, & Janet Jackson to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound. HONEYPOP and HONEYPOP: RELOADED were both produced by “The Human” which is the production duo of Kansas City based TyFaison and Medici from Manchester, United Kingdom.

BabeGabe and TyFaison thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, October 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

The following notes are from: TheBabeGabe’s HONEYPOP Era: A Black Girl Weirdo Anthem By Jaelani Turner-Williams March 19, 2025

TheBabeGabe:

“When I was working on this project, there was so much going on in my personal life and then we’d just disbanded the group, so I was just kind of lost on what’s next,” Gabe tells AFROPUNK. “I just had doubts about going as a solo artist. It’s not always easy for people who are in bands to make that transition, so just worried about that and then coming out of a label situation that didn’t go as well. So, I feel like this project in a way really healed me and Ty specifically because we got to regroup together and figure out what’s next.”

“We were both going through the band breakup. It was kind of hard for us and so we really took that time to come back together and figure out what’s going to be next. I’ve known Ty for so long and I feel like it just makes sense that me and him really locked in on this project,” Gabe shares.

“I feel like a lot of the songs on ‘HONEYPOP,’ they would not make sense to do in BLACKSTARKIDS, but those are the songs I’ve been wanting to make for so long,” Gabe says. “After ‘Saturn Dayz,’ we were going to take a break initially and just say, ‘Yeah, let’s do the solo run,’ so we were already prepared to do the solo albums.”

“Everybody thought I was the weirdest girl ever ‘cause I love Tyler, the Creator. And it’s so crazy now because like the kids absolutely love him, but [initially] they were like, ‘Girl, he’s kind of different. What’s the appeal here?’”

It has been written that Gabe in a transitional stage with HONEYPOP.

“I definitely feel like growing up, I wasn’t as welcome in certain communities just because I liked things that might not have been [accepted in] my culture. I really want those girls who feel like, ‘I like this and I like that’ to feel welcomed into what I’m doing because I know what it feels like to feel outcasted, in a way.’”

TheBabeGabe and TyFaison thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS. on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.

We close w/ TheBabeGabe X The Human – “FUTURISTIC LOVERS” For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening.

11:55

16. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “FUTURISTIC LOVERS”
    from: HONEYPOP / Seven Rings Media / March 5, 2025
    [Production by The Human // After years of being the girl in the band, TheBabeGabe is stepping out, and standing ten toes down. As she dives into her solo career, Gabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy that she did as 1/3 of the alt-rap trio BLACKSTARKIDS. This time though, she’s telling her story, and forging a fresh start. The debut mixtape HONEY POP introduces the world to a young black girl from Kansas City that’s hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. Her energy is infectious, and you won’t want to be the one standing in her way, which becomes clear from the rowdy hook of the project’s lead single PSA. “It’s in my DNA, killing shit like every day, take this as a PSA, don’t give a fuck ‘bout what you say.” // With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, Glass Animals, & more. That confidence shines through on braggadocios tracks like Only See Me, Pulse, and Pep Rally where she raps, “hoe shut the fuck up when I’m talking, got a pretty face but this mouth repulsive.” Pulling inspiration from future peers like Doja Cat & Tyler, The Creator, Gabe is quick to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound. There’s no shortage of variety with sticky hooks, soulful ballads, Janelle Monáe -esque pop hits, somber reflective cuts, and boomy west-coast kickbacks. // No song boasts this genre-bending ability better than the double track RIOT GRRL//DRAMA QUEEN. Starting with an inspirational pop-punk banger that could make any Olivia Rodrigo fan nod in approval, it soon turns to the emotional DRAMA QUEEN, seeing Gabe grapple with difficult changes and struggle to find the best way forward. Listening to Gabe can often feel like hanging with your bestie in that you’re getting both the yap sessions about the everyday as well as the venting about life’s drama and all its uncertainties. // These confessions, boasts, hooks, croons, screams, beats, and sounds all come together to create an extraordinary portrait of a young artist figuring it out. It’s an unfiltered showcase that sees Gabe pull back the curtain and step forward so you can meet her where she’s at. So when you listen, you’re seeing her for who she really is. And for many, that’s someone you can see yourself in. That’s TheBabeGabe. // TheBabeGabe was one-third of the Kansas City based BLACKSTARKIDZ Gen-Z upstarts BLACKSTARKIDS have released their sixth studio album Saturn Dayz on Sept. 20, 2024 through Dirty Hit Records and immediately followed with an 8-track 7th studio album HEAVEN ON URF, on Oct. 25, 2024 on Dirty Hit Records. Music writer Bill Brownlee talked with us about how the band created a double album, but the record company decided to release as two separate albums. The music from both albums relate to each other. Before the release of Saturn Dayz the band released their single and video “SOULMATEZ!” on August 30, 2024. “SOULMATEZ!,” is a magnetic, blissed-out bop that brings together pop, indie, and alt-rap, reminiscent of Dev Hynes-era Solange mixed with De La Soul. // The follow up to BLACKSTARKIDS’ acclaimed 2022 album CYBERKISS* which featured standout singles “CYBERKISS 2 U* ft. beabadoobee” and “SEX APPEAL,” SATURN DAYZ is an otherworldly, genre-crossing testament to their unrelenting artistry and is their most impressive work to date. PRESS HERE to pre-save SATURN DAYZ. // Putting out music at a prolific rate and making waves for their formidable songwriting and producing talents, as well as their endless energy and truly limitless sound, BLACKSTARKIDS have received critical acclaim from New York Times, MTV, UPROXX, Billboard, Alternative Press, SPIN, Ones To Watch, Rolling Stone France, The Line Of Best Fit, DIY, Coup De Main, and more. Blending garage rock with synth-punk and hip-hop to usher in a new surge of indie, such as on their beloved album Puppies Forever which features anthemic singles “ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS,” “JUNO,” and “FIGHT CLUB,” BLACKSTARKIDS are well on their way to indie stardom and have previously toured with the likes of The 1975, COIN, Glass Animals, beabadoobee, Christian Leave, GroupLove. // Incorporating each member’s wide-ranging influences into their blissful DIY sound, such as Toro Y Moi, NERD*, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Outkast, Odd Future, and A Tribe Called Quest, BLACKSTARKIDS first captivated the internet with their “black coming of age trilogy” of projects Let’s Play Sports, Surf, and Whatever, Man that feature critically acclaimed singles including “BRITNEY BITCH” and “FRANKIE MUNIZ.” // Blackstarkids are phenomenon who came out of KC in 2020 became the soundtrack for the summer. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The members have known each other since high school in Raytown, Missouri. Members met at Raytown South High School and formed the band in 2019. The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, on August 1, 2019. Blackstarkids then released their second album SURF through their own label Bedroom Records on February 28, 2020. Blackstarkids caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and were then signed to The 1975’s management company and UK-based label Dirty Hit Records. They were featured in Clash Magazine. Blackstarkids then released, Surf Basement Demos on Dirty Hit Records on March 5, 2020. On Oct. 29, 2020, Blackstarkids released Whatever, Man on Dirty Hit Records, their third album release of 2020. Gabe, of Blackstarkids recently described the KC Music community to an interviewer, “The music scene here is really nice. There are a lot of bands who are super talented and do all types of genres. The jazz music here is really great as well. KC is honestly a hidden gem when it comes to music. I feel like you can meet an artist anywhere and anyplace in this city.” Deiondre added, “The music scene here is getting cool now, there’s a lot of jazz musicians that go to school for music here too but you can find people from different scenes all over if around the city.” Ty wrote, “The KC scene is great, the community here is so supportive and genuine. This is a really prideful city here and I think they’re finally getting the musicians they deserve.”]

[TheBabeGabe plays The Bottleneck 737, New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS.on Friday, August 29 at 8:00pm opening for Niontay with Tah, Naasha,, Lov3, L4va, and Melak.]

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

NEXT WEEK, on September 3 – we welcome special guests: Bill Sundahl joins us to share all of the details of the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest. We will feature music from the Festival. AND…we also welcome very special Guest and the Crossroads Music Headliner – Krystle Warren.

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 #1110

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, June 25, 2025

WMM presents Suzannah Johannes + Marmoppes + Keelon Vann

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. David Byrne & Ghost Train Orchestra – “Everybody Laughs”
   from: Who Is The Sky? / Matador Records / September 25, 2025
   [In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close, David Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody and assembling them into demos he recorded with just an acoustic guitar atop a programmed beat or loop. The prior three years had given him, and much of humanity, the opportunity to ask, “Do I like what I’m doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?” Byrne’s attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, a first-time collaboration between himself, Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon aka Tom Hull (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus) and New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, and featuring guest appearances by Paramore’s Hayley Williams, longtime collaborator St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. The album builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, but more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly personal, cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it’s always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne’s gift for riding the razor’s edge of avant-garde and accessible pop. // Since co-founding Talking Heads, David Byrne has been involved with photography, drawing, installations, performance, design, as well as a solo music career. Recent works include American Utopia on Broadway (and the Spike Lee directed film), SOCIAL! Social; Distance Dance Club, Theater of the Mind, and his non profit Arbutus and its primary project, Reasons to be Cheerful, an online news magazine. http://www.davidbyrne.bandcamp.com]

3. Religion of Heartbreak – “Forget About You”
   from: Dream Reflection – EP / Religion of Heartbreak / February 3, 2025
   [ROH is the band formerly known as Monta At oddsIt was recently announced that Krysztof Nemeth was stepping away for Religion of Heatbreak to focus on his band ReViser also with Dedric Moore and with Breaka Dawn. Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals, Krysztof Nemeth: baritone guitar, electronic percussion; Alexander Thomas on electronic percussion on MGGG, Dream Reflection, Skeptic; Regan Moore on electronic percussion on Dark Hour of Meditation // Dream Reflection EP carries forward the motorized heartbeat of classic darkwave while forging its own metallic path. Drawing from EBM and Synth Pop traditions, this five-track release sees the Monta At Odds offshoot strip away unnecessary embellishments, leaving only the essential elements and textural remnants that speak to our collective digital malaise. // The EP’s centerpiece and title track emerges like a ghost in the machine, with Mikal Shapiro’s coolly delivered vocals floating above Dedric Moore’s gritty synth programming and precision-guided guitar along with Krysztof Nemeth’s synth pad percussion. Each track builds upon this foundation, from the robot-dance urgency of “Forget About You” to the beautiful desolation of “Skeptic,” creating a cohesive statement about modern isolation and the personas we construct. The result feels familiar and alien—like catching your reflection in a black mirror and seeing someone else staring back. // Religion of Heartbreak, an offshoot of Monta At Odds, dives deep into darkwave and EBM territories, crafting a sound that’s nostalgic and cutting-edge with Dedric Moore on vocals, guitar, synths, programming; Mikal Shapiro on vocals; and Krysztof Nemeth on baritone guitar and electronic percussion.]

[Religion of Heartbreak play miniBar, 3810 Broadway, KCMO, on Thursday, June 26 at 7:00pm with Hex Cassette, and Yama Uba.]

4. The Royal Chief – “Hi-Def (Radio Mix)”
   from: Fire – EP / Sovereign Sound / July 10, 2025
   [New 5-track EP from The Royal Chief / Born in Kansas City, Missouri as Jamel Thompson to a single mother, The Chief is the youngest of six – two brother’s on his mother’s side and another brother and twin sisters from his father. Growing up, his mother fostered his mind; she encouraged The Royal Chief to read relentlessly and to experiment with his talents. This promoted a period where The Royal Chief began expressing himself by writing stories. Chief spent most of his early life in the urban areas of Kansas City. He and his mother moved to Dallas, Texas briefly before returning to Kansas City – to the suburbs – which provided an interesting contrast to his life before. // At the age of 13, after attending a concert in which Kanye West performed, Chief knew his path was in music and began rapping. Courtesy of his mother, he drew inspiration from R&B and Soul while getting his introduction to Hip Hop from his father and brothers. Hip Hop became a love and an outlet for him – a way to vent and document how he perceived the world. It was also an instrument for The Royal Chief to cope with the pain of losing his older brother and godmother who had a hand in raising him. // The Royal Chief moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2012. He spent his first year there living out of his Honda Civic and obtained membership to a local gym to have access in order to take showers. He established a relationship with the manager at Tree Sound Studios through a mutual friend and was soon allowed to live in the studio’s building. He made the most of this opportunity by observing and learning many of the aspects of the music industry, audio/video recording, marketing, and most importantly building relationships and networking. Soon, he began to nurture a relationship with “Cyhi The Prynce” who took him under his wing allowing Chief to create and write for other G.O.O.D. Music artist. During this time, Chief was able to go on tour and learn just to write raps and incorporate rhythm and flow into his pieces to make them sound appealing. // In 2015, under his original moniker “J-Dub,” The Royal Chief began to meticulously focus on his own projects and released his first mixtape entitled Trial and Error. Later that same year, after a trip back to his hometown of KC, he made a conscious decision to change his stage name to something that reflected his passion for his two favorite home-town sports teams and one that represented his city. And in combining the names of those teams, he thus became “The Royal Chief”. Feeling the need to release some music to commemorate the name change, in September of 2016 he released his second project, an EP entitled Dawn – representing the beginning or “dawn of” something new. // In 2017, after seeing a Kareem “Biggs” Burke’s interview in which he said “if you don’t have your city you don’t have anybody,” Chief decided it was time for him to return home and build his name and his following up in his own city. That same year, after a house fire in which he lost everything but his life, he released his third project – an EP titled Homecoming. While building traction in the city, Chief worked diligently to network and perform live all around the Kansas City Metroplex and surrounding areas. In 2018, he released a three-track EP titled 3 Pack. Chief spent the next year working towards expanding existing relationships and building new ones. Chief’s objective was to spend time building a backing band for his live performances as well as collaborate with local artists and producers. And with this feat accomplished, in 2020, Chief released his fourth project titled Groundwork. Groundwork represents “laying the foundation” – it’s the cumulative efforts of networking, touring, and building a following. More info at: http://www.theroyalchief.com]

The Royal Chief will play the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Saturday, September 6, 3:00pm to Midnight, in West Bottoms at Lemonade Park, Stockyards Brewing, Livestock Exchange Lot, The Campground, Voltaire, The Ox Cafe & Bakery(VIP Venue) with KRYSTLE WARREN / LAURA NOBLE & FRIENDS / THE MGDS • RUDY LOVE AND THE ENCORE / SEYKO • STRANDED IN THE CITY / FRIENDLY THIEVES • LITTLE MISS DYNAMITE / FLAT SUSAN • ROYAL CHIEF • SASS-A-BRAS / THE WHIPS • JESUS CHRIST TAXI DRIVER / SARA SWENSON • TALIA KEYS • JELLY ROSE / MARIACHI ESTRELLA & GRUPO FOLKLÓRICO ALMA TAPATÍA / TERI QUINN & THE COYOTES • 3 TRAILS WEST / DJ THUNDERCUTZ • NATURE BOYS • TIMBERS / SKY SMEED • JULIE BENNETT HUME & ERNEST JAMES / DJ NANA G • LINEA FRONTERA • DYM N D / RURAL GRIT ALL STARS • THE APOLOGIES / JOHN KECK • OSEZUA • BOBBY SCHARPING / ART AS MENTORSHIP PRESENTS THE REBEL SONG ACADEMY More info at: http://www.cmfkc.com

5. Mavis Staples – “Godspeed”
   from: “Godspeed” – Single / Anti / June 10, 2025
   [Written by Frank Ocean. A legendary performer who will turn 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.]

6. Tre’ Mutava – “Walls Talk”
   from: “Walls Talk” b/w “Where Have You Been All My Life?” – Single / Currently Crafting / May 30, 2025
   [Born in 2001 in Marietta, GA — Tre’ grew up with a love of gospel music, inspiring him to write his own. His first performance of an original song was for his elementary school while knowing only two chords on his guitar, but he knew that this is what he loved. Upon entering high school, he became interested in producing after hearing the musicality of artists’ works like 21 Pilots, Jon Bellion, and AJR. He was recognized initially by fans on the 4th single of his debut album, “GO! (feat. PEABOD),” in 2021. “The Movies” proved a cinematic experience for listeners through Tre’s unique vocals and inclusion of choir, horns, and strings. In addition to his personal works, Tre’ has been recognized for his production and co-writing work on songs like “Sunset” and “Take Me Back” by Noah Anthony, “Find You” by Jaishon Jenkins, and “Imagination” by Bobby Labrecque. Most recently, he was featured on The Whips’ album, How To Hold A Grudge, on their track “Please Help Me.” More info at: http://www.tremutava.com]

7. Wednesday – “Elderberry Wine”
   from: “Elderberry Wine” – Single / Dead Oceans / June 9, 2025
   [Wednesday, the North Carolina rock band led by generational songwriter Karly Hartzman, share a twangy and timeless new single titled “Elderberry Wine,” alongside a video directed by Spencer Kelly.\ // “‘Elderberry Wine’ is about the potential for sweet things in life (love, family, success) to become poison if not prepared for and attended to correctly,” Hartzman explains. “Elderberry is known as a healing fruit, and is an ingredient in many tonics and syrups to aid the immune system. One time however, my sister consumed them raw and it immediately induced vomiting. So ‘Elderberry Wine’ is ultimately a love song about creating just the right environment for fulfillment. There’s a delicate balance that needs to be created, especially in love, for two lives to intersect without poisoning each other.” // “Elderberry Wine” is the first taste of new music from Wednesday since the release of their breakthrough album Rat Saw God. The album was one of 2023’s most critically acclaimed releases, landing on year end lists at the New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, The Altantic, The Ringer, The FADER, Paste, Consequence, Stereogum and more. // Wednesday is Karly Hartzman, MJ Lenderman, Xandy Chelmis, Alan Miller, and Ethan Baechtold. // “What makes Wednesday one of the best bands in the world is Hartzman’s songwriting. It’s paradisiacal in a scuzzy way, adaptable to any underbelly in North America and wickedly unafraid of being too truthful or unabashed.” -Paste // “Karly Hartzman’s storytelling remains a beautifully magpie-like collection of little details drawn from memory and observation, woven together into a transcendent indie rock tapestry.” -The AV Club // Rat Saw God released September 8, 2022. It was ij the top 30 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. // // Hartzman was inspired to start playing guitar after watching Mitski’s NPR Tiny Desk concert. Hartzman attended college in Asheville, where she met Daniel Gorham. The two recorded an album together under the moniker Wednesday titled yep definitely. The band’s name was inspired by the British band The Sundays. // After releasing this record, Hartzman formed another band called Diva Sweetly, alongside members of the band Pictures of Vernon. Hartzman was interested in making shoegaze music, which was not the music Diva Sweetly was making. Thus, Hartzman gathered new members to join the Wednesday band and released the second album with the group, titled I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone in 2020. The group released their third record, Twin Plagues, on August 13, 2021.// On March 11, 2022, the band released a covers album titled Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ’em Up, featuring covers versions of songs by Gary Stewart, Chris Bell, Roger Miller, Drive-By Truckers, Hotline TNT, Greg Sage, Vic Chesnutt, Medicine and The Smashing Pumpkins. On September 8, 2022, the band left Orindal Records and signed to Dead Oceans, releasing the single “Bull Believer”. On January 18, 2023, the band released the single “Chosen to Deserve” and announced a fifth album, Rat Saw God, which was released on April 7, 2023.] [Wednesday played the recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO, on Wednesday, May 17 at 7:00 PM ]

8. Chad Brothers – “Family Tree”
   from: “Family Tree” – Single / Chad Brothers / January 23, 2024
   [Chad Brothers is a Kansas City-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandmate to many. An accomplished guitarist and vocalist of 35+ years, Chad has strong sense of melodic and harmonic patterns, with a uniquely soulful perspective from which he writes original folk, bluegrass, rock and psychedelic music rooted in acoustic and electric guitar. // Born and raised on a family farm outside of Winfield, KS, Chad was deeply influenced from a young age by the acoustic mecca of the Walnut Valley Festival, absorbing and evolving musically under the rich history and uniquely-inviting campground jamming culture of the annual event. // These days, you can find Chad performing around Kansas City and surrounding areas in his impressive array of musical projects, including with Old Sound, Supermassive Black Holes, Shapiro Brothers, Mikal Shapiro & The Musical, Howard Iceberg & The Titanics and several others. Chad has also served as Chief Operator at KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio since August 2019. // You can Watch + listen to “Family Tree” at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_TIRVvgO70 one of Chad’s most recently-written original songs.}

[Chad Brothers plays Mike Kelly’s Westsider, 1515 Westport Road, KCMO on Thursday, June 26 ay 6:30pm opening for Big Love Carwash.]

10:29– Underwriting

9. Suzannah Johannes – “Bordeaux 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. 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. 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 Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas.]

10:34 – Interview with Suzannah Johannes

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. 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.

Suzannah Johannes plays Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas. More info at: http://www.suzannahjohannes.com.

Suzannah Johannes Thank you for being with us on WMM.

In 2008, Suzannah Johannes was an up-and-coming singer-songwriter with a debut EP—S/T—from Range Life Records. 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.

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.

Suzannah Johannes is a singer-songwriter based out of Lawrence, Kansas. 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, and plenty of YouTube tutorials.

In 2006 or 2007, she won the KJHK Farmers Ball and used the prize money to record at Black Lodge Studio with Josh Adams and David Wetzel. Four tracks from those sessions became his debut EP, released by Range Life Records in 2008.

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.

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.

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.

Suzannah is playing a matinee show from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 at Hillsiders in Kansas City, Kansas.

After the Kansas City album is released on Friday, August 29, she will have a release show on Thursday, Sept. 11 at The Ship, and another show in Lawrence on Saturday, Sept. 13.

More information about her upcoming albums and shows can be found on her website, http://www.suzannahjohannes.com.

Suzannah is releasing (Kansas City: Hanz Bronze Boulevard on Aug. 29, and Los Angeles: The Missing Album on Jan. 2, 2026):

10:44

10. Suzannah Johannes – “St Megan”
    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. 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. 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 Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas.]

10:48 – More Interview with Suzannah Johannes

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. 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.

Suzannah Johannes plays Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas. More info at: http://www.suzannahjohannes.com.

Suzannah Johannes Thank you for being with us on WMM.

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.

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.

Suzannah is playing a matinee show from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 at Hillsiders in Kansas City, Kansas.

After the Kansas City album is released on Friday, August 29, she will have a release show on Thursday, Sept. 11 at The Ship, and another show in Lawrence on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Suzannah is releasing (Kansas City: Hanz Bronze Boulevard on Aug. 29, and Los Angeles: The Missing Album on Jan. 2, 2026):

Suzannah Johannes Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Suzannah Johannes plays Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas. More info at: http://www.suzannahjohannes.com.

10:57

11. Suzannah Johannes – “Rebecca”
    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. 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. 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 Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00pm. Kansas.]

10:00 – Station ID

12. Marmoppes – “Gyatt Time”
    from: “Butterfly” – single / Big Nip Records / March 17, 2024
    [Since the Spring of 2024 Marmoppes have released five new singles. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, the band includes: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller: on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes More info at: Marmoppes- https://www.instagram.com/marmoppes/ ]

11:02 – Interview with Marmoppes

We are happy to welcome back members of the Kansas City suoer group, Marmoppes who return to Wednesday MidDay Medley to share new music and perform LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios. Marmoppes include: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, since the fall of 2023 Marmoppes have released five singles: “Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig” (Sept. 5, 2023), “Butterfly” (March 17, 2024), “Yr Chemical” (April 28, 2024), “Gyatt Time” (Sept. 20, 2024), “Nos” (March 23, 2025) Marmoppes will premier their brand new single on WMM. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes

Simon Huntley, J. Ashley Miller, Alyssa Murray and Ernest Melton Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Simon Huntley is a British-American musician, percussionist, producer, composer and visual artist combining classical sentiments with new world rebellion. Growing up in France then relocating in 2011, Simon now divides his time between the United States and France, investigating and collaborating with the world’s best talent including: QUIXOTIC, A$AP Rocky, Mireya Ramos, Tech9, Making Movies, Calvin Arsenia, Mike Dillon + Nikki Glaspie, Chipotle, Hilton Hotels, Qatar Airways, and many more. Preformed in venues such as: Red Rocks Amphitheater—Colorado / The MGM Grand—Las Vegas / Faena Hotel—Miami / T-Mobile Arena. // And events such as: Invision Festival—Costa Rica / Alaska World Arts Festival—Alaska / Fringe Festival—Edinburgh / Live At Heart—Sweden / Wanderlust—Canada + California // As well as festivals, PACs, Live TV and Radio.

J Ashley Miller is a recipient of the 2016 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Award. He’s a self-taught musician & composer. For nearly 20 years he has worked as Composer / Producer/ Recording Engineer / Founder of The Infoaming Vertex in Kansas City, Missouri, a recording studio which he built in 2006. For the last 12 years he has produced, engineered and mixed nearly 100 full length albums and countless smaller projects for both local and international artists including Calvin Arsenia and SSION // With SSION he co-wrote and produced 2 full length albums. The videos were always a central focus for the project, and he fine tuned his ability to work with a director and bring about a coherent final product. // He founded the musical entities Metatone and Jametatone with multiple released from 2013 through 2022. // He once told an art writer that his training was “tens of thousands of hours on computers and playing in bands”, as well as a conductor, music director, producer, performance artist, filmmaker, and recording engineer (among other interests). “I got into all of this by shooting live music films and really tailoring compositions to our filming locations,” Miller said, citing site-specific performances at La Esquina, Oppenstein Park, and Turkey Creek. Filmed and recorded onsite, in one take (multi-camera, multi-track), the final product of these shows was the resulting film or album. // Miller founded the performance group Quadrigarum for site-specific projects and to showcase the chariot instruments he designed, using wheel-mounted guitar picks and an amplified single-stringed guitar on a wooden frame. Chariots are a core element of the Atemporchestra, an ensemble of eclectic instrumentation (including pan flutes, vibraphone, drums, horns, computers, and keyboards, for starters) that he originally put together from the TEDxKC show.

Alyssa Murray recently released her album ‘SCROLLIN’ in 2023. that called “a sonic kaleidoscope of synth-tastic beats and experimental delight. Written, performed, and produced by Alyssa Murray and mixed and mastered by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Soundlab in Kansas City, MO. // Always feeling a strong pull towards songwriting, Alyssa studied piano, voice, and guitar in her teens deep diving into such influences as Fiona Apple and Stevie Wonder. Further pursuing her passion for jazz and improvisation, Alyssa moved to Kansas City to study jazz-piano at the UMKC Conservatory while immersing herself in the local music scene. Alyssa has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has studied under the direction of Bobby Watson and Dan Thomas; as well as classical repertoire with Karen Kushner and Diane Petrella. // In addition to her solo performances, Alyssa Murray plays with Marmoppes. Alyssa Murray also plays in the trio, Easy Match with Claire Adams and Steve Gardels.

Ernest Melton is a saxophonist, composer, and band leader currently residing in Kansas City, Missouri by way of Goldsboro, North Carolina. He relocated to his mother’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri at the age of ten where he picked up his first saxophone at Longfellow Academy of the Arts. Bored with the classical curriculum of the music department, Ernest studied more contemporary genres of music and the guitar until the age of fourteen when he joined his first jazz program through the American Jazz Museum of Kansas City. Playing mostly tenor sax by the age of fourteen, Ernest joined Lincoln High School jazz band and many other musical programs around the Greater Kansas City area. Naturally excelling, Melton left school at the age of sixteen to study music on his own. With kind neighbors and a supportive mother, Ernest was free to practice the saxophone, study albums, and write compositions at any hour of the day. It was during this time he found his first major influences in jazz like Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, and Pharoah Sanders. Pharoah’s polyphony were like echoes of Melton’s father, a Primitive Baptist preacher, and became a large influence of his playing. An avid composer as well, Ernest studied with tutors in classical orchestration, big band arranging, and Afro-Cuban drumming. He cites Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky, and Wayne Shorter as his favorite all around composers and still tries to implement their techniques in his music today. After being accepted into Berklee College of Music he decided not to attend and began his career playing music in bands of every genre around the Greater Kansas City area. In 2018 Ernest released his first full length album entitled, “The Time Of The Slave Is Over”, which received raved reviews at home and abroad by media such as Plastic Sax, Quest TV, and JAZIZZ to name a few. Ernest Melton has played all over the country and plans to continue to travel abroad. // Ernest Melton released the single “Waves” on April 21, 2025. He released the single, “Sonnet for Sanity”on December 18, 2020 and the single, “Chronicles of Conception” on April 21, 2020, and “Narrative for Natives” on March 9, 2020. Ernest Melton released the album “The Standard Imperfections” on September 1, 2019. Ernest Melton is also featured on the BodaciousThang singles, “Drank!” on August 7, 2019 and “Say Hi” released Sept. 2, 2020 on Juicy Burrito Records. ]

11:09 – Marmoppes LIVE

13. Marmoppes – “Butterfly” (LIVE)
    “Butterfly” was released as a single on Big Nip Records on March 17, 2024
    [Since the Spring of 2024 Marmoppes have released five new singles. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, the band includes: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller: on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes More info at: Marmoppes- https://www.instagram.com/marmoppes/ ]

11:12 – More Interview with Marmoppes

We are happy to welcome back members of the Kansas City suoer group, Marmoppes who return to Wednesday MidDay Medley to share new music and perform LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios. Marmoppes include: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, since the fall of 2023 Marmoppes have released five singles: “Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig” (Sept. 5, 2023), “Butterfly” (March 17, 2024), “Yr Chemical” (April 28, 2024), “Gyatt Time” (Sept. 20, 2024), “Nos” (March 23, 2025) Marmoppes will premier their brand new single on WMM. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes

Simon Huntley, J. Ashley Miller, Alyssa Murray and Ernest Melton Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Last time Marmoppes were on WMM was Wednesday, April 16, prior to their live performance on April 18 for The Love Note at The Strand Theatre.

Earlier Marmoppes played The Ship performing live to the film Nosferatu.

The mix of film and music has been a constant for Marmoppes

11:17 – Marmoppes LIVE

14. Marmoppes – “Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig (LIVE)
    “Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig” was released as a Single on Big Nip Records on September 5, 2023
    [Since the Spring of 2024 Marmoppes have released five new singles. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, the band includes: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller: on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes More info at: Marmoppes- https://www.instagram.com/marmoppes/ ]

11:20 – More Interview with Marmoppes

We are happy to welcome back members of the Kansas City suoer group, Marmoppes who return to Wednesday MidDay Medley to share new music and perform LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios. Marmoppes include: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, since the fall of 2023 Marmoppes have released five singles: “Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig” (Sept. 5, 2023), “Butterfly” (March 17, 2024), “Yr Chemical” (April 28, 2024), “Gyatt Time” (Sept. 20, 2024), “Nos” (March 23, 2025) Marmoppes will premier their brand new single on WMM. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes

New Music from Marmoppes: 4×10 = 75

Marmoppes discography:
4 x 10 = 75 – June 25
“Nos” – March 23, 2025 (Big Nip Records)
“Gyatt Time” – Sept. 20, 2024
“Yr Chemical” – April 28, 2024
“Butterfly” – March 17, 2024
“Cerulean Blue Truffle Pig” – September 5, 2023

Simon Huntley, J. Ashley Miller, Alyssa Murray and Ernest Melton Thank you for being with us on WMM.

More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes

11:24

15. Marmoppes – “4 x 10 = 75″ (CD #15) (3:39)
    from: “4 x 10 = 75” – single / Big Nip Records / June 25, 2025
    [Since the Spring of 2024 Marmoppes have released five new singles. Originally formed on Groundhog Day, the band includes: Simon Huntley on drums; J. Ashley Miller: on vocals, guitar & bass; Alyssa Murray on synths & keyboards; and Ernest Melton on saxophone. More info at: https://linktr.ee/marmoppes More info at: Marmoppes- https://www.instagram.com/marmoppes/ ]

11:28 – Underwriting

16. Keelon Vann – “Poison”
    from: T H I R D (•) / Keelon Vann / May 23, 2025
    [Keelon Vann, a 26-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist who doesn’t believe in genre. Keelon Vann is a KC native who has been deeply moved by music since childhood. His earliest influences stem from R&B, Soul, and Funk—artists such as Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke, The Temptations, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, James Brown, and Prince. Vann taught himself to play guitar, evolving his sound and adding new icons to his growing list of influences—Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. A former NCAA Division II College Footbal Athlete at William Jewell College, where Vann also served as a Choral Music Scholar in both the Concert Choir and Schola Cantorum balancing athletics, academics, and music. Vann has remained steadfast in his artistic path. Keelon just released his 3rd album, T H I R D (•), pronounced “Third Eye.”]

11:31 – Interview with Keelon Vann

Keelon Vann, a 26-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist who doesn’t believe in genre. Keelon Vann is a KC native who has been deeply moved by music since childhood. His earliest influences stem from R&B, Soul, and Funk—artists such as Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke, The Temptations, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, James Brown, and Prince. Vann taught himself to play guitar, evolving his sound and adding new icons to his growing list of influences—Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. A former NCAA Division II College Footbal Athlete at William Jewell College, where Vann also served as a Choral Music Scholar in both the Concert Choir and Schola Cantorum balancing athletics, academics, and music. Vann has remained steadfast in his artistic path. Keelon just released his 3rd album, T H I R D (•), pronounced “Third Eye.” to foster interesting music, and not worry about the little things.’ Let’s see if we might be able to figure out something that might make the music bigger. That’s the goal.”

Keelon Vann thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Keelon Vann, a 26-year-old American singer-songwriter and guitarist, seeks to break barriers by honoring the classics while drawing inspiration from modern productions. The Kansas-born artist doesn’t believe in genre. “It’s pretty hard to put you in a box,” said Steve Kraske of KCUR 89.3 Radio. It is, however, to Vann’s dismay that such fusion of sounds may lead to quite an unorthodox niche—but according to Vann, art transcends genre and exists to inspire and to heal. This is Keelon Vann.

Born on August 28, 1998, to Juanita Moten and the late Kwasi Vann, Keelon Vann is a Kansas City native who has been deeply moved by music since childhood. His earliest influences stem from R&B, Soul, and Funk—artists such as Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Musiq Soulchild, Luther Vandross, Robin Thicke, Boyz II Men, Eric Benét, Maxwell, Usher, Justin Timberlake and more. He also draws from timeless legends including Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, The Temptations, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Prince, among many others. These artists were foundational in shaping Vann’s vocal talent.

Upon picking up the guitar, Vann expanded his musical world. Teaching himself to play, he discovered Blues and Rock N’ Roll, evolving his sound and adding new icons to his growing list of influences—Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, and a furthermore extensive list.

A graduate of Piper High School and former NCAA Division II College Football Athlete at William Jewell College, Vann also served as a Choral Music Scholar in both the Concert Choir and Schola Cantorum. Balancing athletics, academics, and music has never been easy, but through it all, Vann has remained steadfast in his artistic path.

Now with three independently released albums:
ŠUÑFŁØWĘR PÂRĀDØX
Tales of the Gypsy,
T H I R D (•)

11:54

17. Keelon Vann – “Heaven Help Us”
    from: T H I R D (•) / Keelon Vann / May 23, 2025
    [Keelon Vann, a 26-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist who doesn’t believe in genre. Keelon Vann is a KC native who has been deeply moved by music since childhood. His earliest influences stem from R&B, Soul, and Funk—artists such as Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke, The Temptations, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, James Brown, and Prince. Vann taught himself to play guitar, evolving his sound and adding new icons to his growing list of influences—Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. A former NCAA Division II College Footbal Athlete at William Jewell College, where Vann also served as a Choral Music Scholar in both the Concert Choir and Schola Cantorum balancing athletics, academics, and music. Vann has remained steadfast in his artistic path. Keelon just released his 3rd album, T H I R D (•), pronounced “Third Eye.”]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, July 2, we’ll talk with Mara Williams Assistant Managing Editor for Race and Equity Issues at The Kansas City Star and J.M. Banks – Kansas City Star Culture and Identity Reporter who will discuss Season Three of The KC Star’s new 5 – week series, VOICES OF KANSAS CITY starting July 9, airing Wednesdays at 7:00pm to 8:00pm featuring the stories of eight young black educators in Kansas City. More info at http://www.KansasCity.com. Also next week, Spencer Thompson about the return of Kansas City’s popular comedic horror show, The Spooky **** Show, created by local Kansas Citian, Derek Trautwein returning to Kansas City Fringe Festival (July 17-27), More info http://www.kcfringe.org // And Beth Watts Nelson joins us to share her latest release.

Big THANK YOU TO THE FABULOUS 44 PEOPLE WHO DONATED in support of Wednesday MidDay Medley for KKFI 90.1 FM’s during our On-Air Winter Fund Drive! With the help of my amazing co-hosts, we raised $2,693.00 toward our goal of $2,685.00. We achieved 100% of our goal for KKFI 90.1 FM. Thank you Betse Ellis, Rachel Christia, and Mikal Shapiro and J Kelly Dougherty and all our fabulous donors and listeners!

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

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 #1101