WMM Playlist from April 29, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

WMM presents: Lava Dreams + Julie Bennett Hume + Amelia Rose + Alan & Janice Wasserman

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. FlareThaRebel – “Mixology”
    from: “Mixology” – Single / Shafer / May 1, 2026
    [“Mixology” from his upcoming full length album DEAR CITY. // Flare Tha Rebel’s lead single “Mixology” is a confidently smooth record that uses the art of the cocktail as a metaphor for ambition, drive, and balance. The song is produced by longtime collaborator, Bob Pulliam (“Happy Clouds (Bob Ross Flow)”, “Rose’ All Day”, “Royalty Pt.1/2”). The single precedes the release of Flare’s upcoming album, Dear City, which drops Friday, May 1st. // Amplifying the tension between having love for one’s city while not dismissing its inequities, Dear City is a lyrical reflection of truth-telling and hometown pride. The album highlights commonalities experienced by many urbanites regardless of where they call home.  // In the weeks leading up to the album release concert, Flare has been releasing music video reels on social media featuring snippets of the new songs from Dear City. Filmed by Flaming Heart Productions, each reel features only the first verse or at most the first verse and chorus of each song, giving fans a taste of what’s to come and building hype for the album’s release. // Elevating the concoction further, Flare collaborated with bar owner, Bryan Ari, to film the music video reel of “Mixology” at Fern Bar. Flare turned the filming into a “fishbowl experience” inviting guests to watch him create the reel live while sipping cocktails of their own. Flare landed the scene, which involved rapping while mixing a cocktail and flaming an orange rind a precise moment within the song’s verse. The outcome? Confidently smooth – after about six takes and some hands-on coaching from Bryan Ari.// Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director.]

[FlareThaRebel plays an album release concert at recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd. KCMO on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 7:00pm featuring performances by Flare Tha Rebel, Black Light Animals, and Eddie Moore.]

[FlareThaRebel join us on WMM on May 27 just before his appearance at Manor Fest 8, and just after his performances in Ireland with Kadesh Flow and Kemet Coleman on May 13 – 22]

  1. SEYKO – “Anybody High”
    from: “Anybody High” – Single / Groove King Records – Fat Beats / December 1, 2023
    [Produced by Colby Bales of the band Black Light Animals and also a bandmate of SEYKO’s in The Freedom Affair. // Seyko released the single “What I Want” on June 23, 2023. //From http://www.seykomusic.com: Seyko has always found music to be a reflection of her innermost thoughts and feelings, a way of self-expression but even deeper than that. Music was always a life-giving, constant companion from the happiest moments to the darkest days. Music continues to be Seyko’s way of communicating with the world around her. // Seyko developed her musical talent during her formative years through church and school choirs, friendships that evolved into singing groups, and professional training through voice lessons and songwriting. Opportunities presented themselves, but Seyko also created opportunities for herself as she chased her dream to create and perform her own music. // The Freedom Affair and SUNU, two Kansas City bands Seyko performs and writes with, have solidified her place in the music scene and provide a solid foundation for beginning her solo career. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years, and it shows! Her creative growth has led to her being a well-respected artist in Kansas City, allowing her to participate in recording projects for fellow musicians and even singing background vocals for Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022.]

[Seyko plays WOMEN OF THE REBELLION, a special concert headlined by Seyko and Carolina Mendoza, with Gracie Caggiano, Julie Bennett Hume, and Emma Jo, at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd., KCMO, on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm, presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance International, and Missouri Arts Council.]

11:11 – Interview with Julie Bennett Hume

Singer-songwriter Julie Bennett Hume shares details about WOMEN OF THE REBELLION. For over 35 years Julie has played bass, guitar, banjo and performed with: The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, The KC Cajun Band, The All Night Fiddlers, the Afro-Cuban ensemble Manos, The Euphoria String Band, Table for Three, and Lost Cowgirl Revue which toured Germany and the Netherlands. With Leslie Giggler she performs as The Stray Grays. Julie worked for several decades as a High School teacher, and served as producer & host of “River City Chautauqua“. She is currently working with eight women in producing & hosting SHE TALK WHA?, Saturdays at 3:00pm on 90.1 FM. Julie has released four albums: “Late Bloomer” (2017), “Vinegar,” (2019), Songs Of Latter Days With Chris Hudson as The Multiverse, (2020), and “The Lorelei” (2025). Julie Bennet Hume plays WOMEN OF THE REBELLION, headlined by Seyko and Carolina Mendoza, with Gracie Caggiano, and Emma Jo, at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd., KCMO, on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm, presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance International, and Missouri Arts

Julie Bennett Hume thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

WOMEN OF THE REBELLION, a special concert headlined by Seyko and Carolina Mendoza, with Gracie Caggiano, Julie Bennett Hume, and Emma Jo, at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd., KCMO, on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm, presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance International, and Missouri Arts Council

Juoier Bennett Hue is the coordinator of She Talk Wha hosted by a team of 8 women who represent The EPA, The League of Women Voters, Habitat for Humanity, area Public High Schools, Metropolitan Community College system, and more. She Talk Wha? airs every Saturday, 3:00pm to 4:00pm.

The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs on her latest project deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss .

Julie Bennett Hume partial Discography

Julie Bennett Hume – “Vinegar / Lost Cowgirl Records / November 1, 2019
Julie Bennett Hume is a singer-songwriter from Stilwell, Kansas. She has been playing folk music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/Kansas City area. She has played bass, guitar, banjo and sung in numerous folk ensembles such as The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band, The Kansas City Cajun Band, The All Night Fiddlers, the Afro- Cuban ensemble Manos , The Euphoria String Band and Table for Three. She currently performs solo and with the duos The Stray Grays (with Leslie Giggler), The Multiverse (with Chris Hudson), the string band Wolves a’ Howlin’ and the group Lost Cowgirl Revue, which recently toured Germany and the Netherlands. Julie also teaches German part-time at a local high school and is the producer and host of the KKFI program “River City Chautauqua”. Her newest CD, Vinegar, was released in November of 2019.]

Chris Hudson & Julie Bennett Hume – The Multiverse / 2020
Chris Hudson & Julie Bennett Hume have been playing and creating songs for decades in the KC – Lawrence area. Prolific songwriters with a love of poetry and prose, their music is an eclectic mix of folk, blues and country. For this recording of 13 songs Chris wrote 6 and Julie wrote 6 and they wrote one song together. They play on all songs together with help from the Kansas City acclaimed alternative string duo The Wires with Laurel Morgan parks on violin and Sascha Groschang on cello. Also contributing to the recording was Jason Beers. Chris Hudson also plays solo and with the bands “Gullywasher” and “The Bard Owls”. More info at: http://www.themultiversekc.com

Julie Bennett Hume’s “The Lorelei” / February 9, 2025 Part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025. More info at: http://www.juliebennetthume.com

Julie worked for decades as a High School teacher who teaches German in public schools.

Julie Bennett Hume thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Julie Bennett Hume plays WOMEN OF THE REBELLION, a special concert headlined by Seyko and Carolina Mendoza, with Gracie Caggiano, Julie Bennett Hume, and Emma Jo, at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd., KCMO, on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm, presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance International, and Missouri Arts Council

11:26

  1. Julie Bennett Hume – “One Man”
    from: The Lorelei / Julie Bennett Hume / February 9, 2025
    [4 years in the making, “The Lorelei” was produced by Chad Brothers and includes musicians: Chad Brothers, Marco Pascolini, Brandon Day, Scotch Hollow, Mark Montgomery, and Ernest James. // Julie Bennett Hume has been playing and writing music for over 35 years in the Lawrence/KC area. She has played and sung in various ensembles including a blues trio, an Afro-Cuban ensemble, various string bands, a Cajun ensemble and folk/Americana duos and ensembles. Her music shows a strong Cajun, Old-time and Blues influence with a nod to some of her favorite songwriters such as Stephen Stills, Maggie Roche and Gillian Welch. Julie has released four CD’s of original music including “Late Bloomer” in 2017, “Vinegar” in 2019, “Songs of Latter Days” in 2021 with the Multiverse and “The Lorelei” coming in February of 2025. The title track of “The Lorelei” is based on the poem of the same name by the German poet Heinrich Heine and revisits the theme of the dangerous siren. Songs deal with politics, family dynamics, love and loss. http://www.juliebennetthume.com]

[Julie Bennett Hume plays WOMEN OF THE REBELLION, a special concert headlined by Seyko and Carolina Mendoza, with Gracie Caggiano, Julie Bennett Hume, and Emma Jo, at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd., KCMO, on Thursday, May 14 at 6:30pm, presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance International, and Missouri Arts Council.]

10:31 – Underwriting

  1. Ivory Blue – “History”
    from: “History” – Single / IVORY BLUE / April 3, 2026
    [IVORY BLUE released the singles: “afterglow” on February 20, 2026; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // 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 singles “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025; “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025; “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // “Exiled” on November 29, 2024; “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, Middle of the Map Fest, Westport Roots Festival, 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. Info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

10:35 – Interview with Amelia Rose

Amelia Rose, a 21 year old, transgender filipina student currently in her third year attending UMKC. Amelia is majoring in Media Arts and Design. After she graduates, she hopes to pursue a career in either radio broadcasting or graphic design. Amelia is working with other students doing a group oral history project which revolves around LGBTQ+ movements in Kansas City in the 1990s, with a bit of an emphasis on Transgender Rights. This project is part of Dr. Sandra Enríquez ‘s Oral History Class. Dr. Enríquez is an Associate Professor of History / Director of Public History Emphasis; Faculty Internship Coordinator; Associate Director of the Mellon Internship Program School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Enríquez is also the director of the Latinx KC Oral History Project and the co-editor of a digital project on Kansas City activism.

Amelia Rose thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Amelia Rose, a 21 year old, transgender filipina student currently in her third year attending UMKC.

Amelia is majoring in Media Arts and Design. After she graduates, she hopes to pursue a career in either radio broadcasting or graphic design.

Amelia is working with other students doing a group oral history project which revolves
Amelia is working with other students doing a group oral history project which revolves around LGBTQ+ movements in Kansas City in the 1990s, with a bit of an emphasis on Transgender Rights. This project is part of Dr. Sandra Enríquez ‘s Oral History Class. Dr. Enríquez is an Associate Professor of History / Director of Public History Emphasis; Faculty Internship Coordinator.

10:51

  1. Flamy Grant – “Fortune Teller”
    from: “Fortune Teller” – Single / Glam & Glory Records / October 24, 2023
    [Produced by Ben Grace. Sound engineer and electric guitars by Daniel Shearin. // Flamy Grant is winner of 2023 Kerrville New Folk Competition; and the 2023 San Diego Music Award nominee for Best Pop Album for BIBLE BELT BABY, the world’s first contemporary Christian music record by a drag performer. With influences from gospel, blues, folk & rock, hines light on queerness, faith, and overcoming spiritual trauma so often endured by LGBTQ+ people and others who grow up in conservative religious spaces. // Flamy’s iconic roots-rock sound is influenced by singer/songwriters like Natalie Merchant, Tracy Chapman, Over the Rhine, and Amy Grant. Her art shines a spotlight on the queer spiritual journey, telling stories of resilience and recovery from religious trauma. With a bold lip, a big lash, and a blistering voice, Flamy is here to rewrite the rules when it comes to faith-based entertainment, demanding a reckoning for an industry that for too long has silenced and shut out its LGBTQ+ artists and fans. // Flamy’s single “Good Day” released 9/6/23 is the first song by a drag performer to reach #1 on the iTunes Christian charts. It also debuted at #20 on Billboard’s Christian digital chart. Flamy Grant played an Official Showcase the 2024 Folk Alliance Intern. Feb 22.]

Fortune Teller (Lyrics)

I’m a medium, I’m a fortune teller
I know every word you’re gonna say
I’m a headstrong, lifelong city dweller
I can take you where you’re going by the fastest way
It’s gonna be okay

I traveled time, I’m here from the future
I can show you how this all turns out
I can save you with the data in my computer
We can flourish in the flood and avoid the drought
Yeah, we’re gonna make it out

You feel it in your bones 
But your head is moving slow

I’m a scientist, I got a method and a measure
For observable, reliable, repeatable fact
I’m a decorated educator in the field of pleasure
I’ve learned a lot of lessons I can reenact
Yeah, I been keeping track

You sense that I am true
But your heart is split in two

I’m a prophetess, singing my story
A dressed-up, effervescent, ethical fraud
But this world ain’t ready for an allegory, no
We’re still waiting on a literal god
I just smile and nod

You have intuition
And it’s telling you the story isn’t done

  1. Leela James – “Be Your Baby (Nour-Eddine Remix)”
    from: Be Your Baby (Nour-Eddine Remix) – Single / BMG / February 13, 2026
    [Alechia Janeice Campbell, was born June 2, 1983 and is known professionally as Leela James, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. // James made her debut on the soundtrack to the 2000 Jamie Foxx film Bait on the Roots song “Work”, credited as Alechia James. // In 2004, James toured as an opening act for the Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray. That same year, she was featured on hip hop producer, DJ, and emcee Pete Rock’s album Soul Survivor II, providing vocals to the track “No Tears”. In 2005, she lent her voice to the posthumously released Ray Charles album Genius & Friends, duetting with the singer on the song “Compared to What”. // ames’ debut album, A Change Is Gonna Come, was released on June 21, 2005. James co-wrote most of the tracks on this album, two exceptions being her covers of the pop rock band No Doubt’s 1996 hit “Don’t Speak”, and the Sam Cooke song “A Change Is Gonna Come”. Notable collaborators on the album include Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West and Wyclef Jean. // James guested on Robert Randolph and the Family Band’s 2006 album Colorblind, lending her vocals to “Stronger”. // After parting ways with Warner Bros., James signed with the independent label Shanachie Records and released her second studio album on March 24, 2009, an all-cover set entitled Let’s Do It Again, in homage to the Staple Singers. // In June 2009, James appeared on the Moby album Wait for Me, performing the vocal on “Walk with Me”. // James’ third album My Soul, her first with the Stax label, was released on May 24, 2010, and debuted on the US Hip Hop/R&B chart at No. 7. Speaking in May 2010 to UK soul writer Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul, she stated: “With this album I wanted to make sure that I showed all sides of me – in terms of variety in the music and in my vocal range – while at the same time making it clear that every song deeply came from my soul. Plus I also wanted to incorporate a little more hip hop this time, and infuse it with my traditional R&B – because I felt that. By making my beats edgier and harder-hitting, I’d show there was more to me than just doing ballads and things of that sort.” // On July 31, 2012, James released her fourth studio album, Loving You More… In the Spirit of Etta James. Originally the album was going to have one song honoring Etta James, but with her death it became a full tribute album. It was released by Shanachie Records. // On July 8, 2014, James released her fifth studio album, Fall For You. The album’s first two singles, “Say That” feat. Anthony Hamilton and “Fall For You” both reached Top 15 on the Billboard Urban AC charts, with “Fall For You” reaching No. 12. James supported her album with tours nationwide, including performances at Essence Music Festival, Arizona Jazz Fest, San Diego Jazz Fest, Capitol Jazz Fest, and more. // James’ sixth album, Did It for Love was released on March 31, 2017, by Shesangz Music under license to BMG.[5] The album has the singles “Don’t Want You Back” released on October 28, 2016,[6] “Hard for Me” released on February 25, 2017,[7] “Don’t Mean a Thang” released on March 27, 2017,[8] and a video single “All Over Again” on May 4, 2017.[9] The single “Don’t Want You Back” reached number 1 on Billboard’ Adult R&B Songs chart on April 15, 2017, becoming her highest-charting single ever. // In February 2021, James debuted the song “Complicated”, the first single off her seventh studio album See Me. It peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’ Adult R&B Songs chart becoming her second number one. Its music video is her most successful with more than 28 million views on Youtube. // In 2014 & 2015, she starred in seasons 2 & 3 of the TV One reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles. // James cites singers James Brown, Roberta Flack, Toni Braxton, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, and Etta James as influences. // James is an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority; she was inducted on July 27, 2024 at the sorority’s Boulé in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Leela James Discography

A Change Is Gonna Come (2005)
Let’s Do It Again (2009)
My Soul (2010)
Loving You More… In the Spirit of Etta James (2012)
Fall for You (2014)
Did It for Love (2017)
re You Ready? EP (2019) (with The Truth Band)
See Me (2021)
Thought U Knew (2023)
2BHONEST EP (2025)

[Leela James plays The Madrid, 3810 Main Street, KCMO, on Friday, May 1, at 8:00pm]

  1. Jamogi – “HOLLABACK (feat. Les Izmore)”
    from: “HOLLABACK (feat. Les Izmore)” / Jam Tunes / May 15, 2026
    [Jamogi is also know as Byron Hyde a Kanas City based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally from Los Angeles, California.// Jamogi released the single “Georgia Peach (feat. Burgandy)” on September 5, 2025. Jamogi released Jamogi & The Jammers: Live at Flew The Coop Sessions (Flew The Coop Live) through Jam Tunes on April 11, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Do It To Me” on March 28, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Go Big or Go Home” on August 30, 2024, Jamogi released the single “Hot Block” on May 30, 2024. Jamogi released the EP, Star-Crossed Lover on March 3, 2023. Jamogi then released a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023.Jamogi previously released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on Dec. 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022. // Jamogi played the ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire. Kamogi and the Jammers played Boulevardia 2025] // Les Izmore is a Africanfurist, a multi-disciplinary artist, a lover of music. Les Izmore is a musician, spoken word artist, producer, director, curator, poet, DJ, writer, percussionist, songwriter, music composer, beat maker, emcee and vocalist. Les Izmore is a creative centered around experimentation and love. His current project is now known as Les Izmore & The GOATS, it is a project that opens a portal to decolonized worlds using the technology of live looping, hand percussion, vocalization, collaboration and improvisation based off lyricism and heartfelt structured vibrations. Les is part of Arquesta Del SolSoul, a Kansas City-based, cosmic music collective, teleporting through indigeneity, decolonization, love and freedom. Les Izmore has shared the stage with such acts as: Kendrick Lamar, Shabazz Palaces, Public Enemy, Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80, Tank and the Bangas, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force ft. Mádé Kuti, KRS-ONE, dead prez, SOUL GLO, Lupe Fiasco, Mobb Deep, Reflection Eternal (Hi-Tek & Talib Kweli), Sadat X, Slick Rick, Snoop Dogg, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tef Poe, Hermon Mehari, Joc Max, Deejay Platinum, Emcee Reach, The Roots, Chance the Rapper, Del the Funky Homosapien, Combo Chimbita, Earthgang, Fashawn, Exile, Bahamadia, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Clipping, Mobb Deep, Radkey, Ozomatli, Making Movies, Las Cafeteras, Gio Chamba, Busdriver, Milo, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle (Hellfyre club), and The BUHS.]

[Jamogi played KKFI’s Band Auction Last Sat, April 25, at 12:20pm]

[Jamogi plays Manor Fest 8]

11:02 – Station ID

  1. Blue Swede – “Hjooked On A Feeling”
    from: Hooked On A Feeling – 40th Anniversary Collection/ Parlophone / 2014
    [Hooked on a Feeling is an album by Swedish rock band Blue Swede released in 1974. They became internationally recognized largely due to their ‘ooga chaka’ cover of Jonathan King’s 1971 version of the 1968 Mark James song “Hooked on a Feeling”. // Blue Swede (Swedish: Blåblus) were a Swedish rock band fronted by Björn Skifs which was active between the years 1973–1979. Blue Swede released two albums of cover versions, including a rendition of “Hooked on a Feeling”, which brought them international chart success. The band consisted of Anders Berglund (piano), Björn Skifs (lead vocals), Bosse Liljedahl (bass), Hinke Ekestubbe (saxophone), Jan Guldbäck (drums), Michael Areklew (guitar), and Tommy Berglund (trumpet).[2] They disbanded after Skifs decided to embark on his solo career. // Blue Swede was first formed in 1973, when Björn Skifs, a top vocalist in Sweden, was looking for a band to accompany him during his concerts. // The band was originally called “Blåblus” (Swedish for “blue blouse” [could be made out of denim], a pun on the word “blues”) and featured Skifs singing the lead vocals. The band got their international breakthrough in 1974 with their cover of the 1968 B. J. Thomas song “Hooked on a Feeling”. Blue Swede recorded Thomas’s song in 1973, but based its rendition of the song on a 1971 version released by British pop eccentric Jonathan King, which created the “ooga-chaka” introduction.[clarification needed] The producer at the recording sessions was Bengt Palmers. Blue Swede released “Hooked on a Feeling” in Sweden in May 1973 and in the United States in February 1974. The song reached number one in the U.S. for one week in April 1974 and stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 18 weeks. The track also topped charts in Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, where it reached a peak chart position of 26. To capitalize on the success of the song, Blue Swede released the album Hooked on a Feeling that same year. // Throughout the rest of 1974, two follow-up singles from the same LP were released: “Silly Milly”, which peaked at position 71 in the U.S., and a cover of The Association’s “Never My Love”, which made the Top Ten by peaking at position 7. From the band’s 1974 follow-up album, Out of the Blue, they recorded a medley of “Hush” by Deep Purple and “I’m Alive” by Tommy James and the Shondells (not The Hollies’ song of the same name), peaking at position 61 in the U.S., and achieving its greatest chart success in Scandinavia. Skifs left the band in 1975 and the band continued as Blåblus, releasing a further two albums.

11:05 – Interview with Alan & Janice Wasserman.

Alan & Janice Wasserman. Alan was recently elected to his second term as a Board Member for KKFI. Janice has done three Guest DJ appearances on KKFI. Alan & Janice were both born and raised in The Bronx, NYC. The building where Janice grew up was also the home of Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band. Alan graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial Engineering. After leaving New York City, Alan & Janice lived in Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, before landing in Kansas City in 1981. Alan started his own business in 1994. Through all of this time Alan worked in the apparel industry. Janice has received degrees in Speech Pathology and Special Education and has worked in Kansas City, Kansas, and Blue Valley District schools. Janice operated her own Sylvan Learning Center for five years. Besides KKFI, Alan volunteers at his synagogue and Janice volunteers at Children’s Mercy South, both volunteer at The Folly Theatre. Alan & Janice have been married for 52 years and have two children and five grandchildren.

Alan & Janice Wasserman, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

Alan Wasserman was recently elected to his second term as a Board Member for KKFI.

Janice Wasserman has done three Guest DJ appearances on KKFI.

Both are Longtime KKFI Listeners

Alan Wasserman was born and raised in The Bronx, NY. He met his wife Janice while in high school. Alan graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial Engineering. After leaving New York City the Wasserman family lived in Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, before coming to Kansas City in 1981. Through all of this time Alan worked in the apparel industry since I graduated college and started his own business in 1994.

Janice Wasserman was also born and raised in the Bronx. In the building where she grew up Peter Wolf of the J. Geils band also lived. Famous artist Stan Lee of Marvel Comics is her father’s first cousin. Alan Wasserman mother is a cousin to Arthur Murray. She has received degrees in Speech Pathology and Special Education and has worked in District #500 in Kansas City, Kansas and The Blue Valley School District in Shawnee Mission. Janice also operated her own Sylvan Learning Center for five years. Janice has also worked as an actress in community theater and then stand up comedy.

Longtime listeners Janice has done three Guest DJ appearances on KKFI. Recently Alan began is second term as Board Member at 90.1FM. He also volunteers at his synagogue and Janice recently started volunteering at Children’s Mercy South. Both volunteer at The Folly Theatre. Alan and Janice have been married for 52 years and have two children and five grandchildren.

In the 50s, Ann Bancroft went to our HS as well as Christine Jorgenson- 1st transexual. And in more recent years, David Berkowitz aka Son of Sam (my father’s name was Sam!).

Janice plays Mah Jong once a week. She say that it is hilarious like a reality show.

Janice also dabbles in stand up-adult material.

Alan & Janice Wasserman Thanks for being with us on WMM

11:26

  1. Radkey – “Ain’t No Sunshine”
    from: “Ain’t No Sunshine” / Little Man Records / April 7, 2020
    [Radkey released the EP Victory on July 30, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025. // single “Falling Out of Grace” on October 24, 2025. Radkey released the single “Victory” on March 28, 2025. On September 23, 2022 Radkey released the single “Better Than This.” The band released “Games (Tonight)”: on January 28, 2022 on Little Man Records. Isaiah, Dee, and Solomon Radke of the critically acclaimed rock trio Radkey joined us live in our 90.1 FM studios on September 5, 2018. Radkey was formed in 2010 in St. Joseph, where the brothers were raised. The family moved to Kansas City. The band has released multiple full-length recordings. In 2021 Radkey was featured in Dave Grohl’s van-touring documentary film, WHAT DRIVES US. Radkey released GREEN ROOM on Little Man Records on November 27, 2020. On Green Room the band serve as their own producers. Radkey released DARK BLACK MAKE UP in 2015 and DELICIOUS ROCK NOISE in 2016 — plus multiple EPs and singles, and were part of a MasterCard advertising campaign on digital billboards in NYC along with a national television commercial that aired during the 2018 Grammy Awards that brought the band to the attention of Jack White who asked the band to tour with him. In 2018 the band went back on the road with The Damned throughout the United States. In December they went back into the studio to record with producer Bill Stevenson of the California punk rock group Descendents. In early 2019 they played shows in Amsterdam and Stockholm. In 2018 the band released “Basement,” “St. Elwood,” “Rock & Roll Homeschool,” as well as several other singles. On February 22, 2019, Radkey released “No Strange Cats…P.A.W.” a 7-song EP is essentially a collection of the band’s most recent singles. It comes after the January 11, 2019 release of No Strange cats…Spiders – EP a 6 song EP of several new songs mixed with several singles from late 2018.]

[Radkey plays Hammers’s Piano Bar, 3901 Main KCMO, for Lowkey Wednesday, TONIGHT!!! – April 29, 6:30pm w/ Of Tree.]

  1. Anjimile – “Turning Away”
    from: You’re Free To Go / 4AD / March 13, 2026
    [Anjimile also released the singles “Waits For Me on March 13, 2026 and “Like You Really Mean It” earlier this year. Today North Carolina based singer-songwriter Anjimile announces plans to release the full-length album You’re Free to Go, due out March 13, 2026 on 4AD. The announcement comes with the luminous lead single “Like You Really Mean It” which overflows with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Caity Arthur. // Anjimile shares: “I wrote this to make my girlfriend want to give me a kiss. We live about an hour apart, and I was just by myself thinking about her. Thinking about wanting a kiss. What could I do to get a kiss from my sweetheart? Write a song about it! Anyway, it worked.” // “Like You Really Mean It” comes after the November single “Auld Lang Syne II,” a tender note-to-self on resilience and hard-fought freedom, characterized by delicate finger-plucked strings, charming horn passages, and intimate vocal delivery, which Stereogum called “stunning” upon its release; a song Anjimile says was: “originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back.” // Contrasting the intricacy and complexity of The King, You’re Free to Go unfolds organically under the intuitive direction of producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples). The album’s songs bloom naturally, grounded in warm acoustic guitars, subtle synth textures, lush string arrangements, and delicate rhythmic layers. Collaborative efforts with musicians Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), and guest vocalist Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) – a personal hero of Anjimile whose music deeply influenced the album even before his involvement – cultivate an exploratory yet intimate atmosphere, perfectly aligned with Anjimile’s nuanced storytelling. // Anjimile (ann-JIM-uh-lee) Chithambo has forged a distinctive musical path characterised by unflinching introspection and deep honesty. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant indie scene while studying at Northeastern University, Anjimile captivated audiences with earnest songwriting, delicate sonic textures, and performances that felt like prayer and celebration. // Critical acclaim quickly followed; 2020’s Giver Taker, hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the year’s best albums, positioned him as a compelling voice exploring enduring themes of spirituality, identity, and liberation. With The King(2023), Anjimile intensified his examination of Black and trans existence amid personal and societal turbulence, reaffirming his courageous commitment to navigating discomfort as a means of liberation. // You’re Free to Go picks up where The King left off, but with its hands open wide – a central question being: what happens when you let go and let love in? // Crafted over years marked by transformation, the album traces vividly the profound complexities of change – from breakups to new love; deep grief and loss to renewal and rediscovery. “The past two years have been a deeply transitional point in my life,” Anjimile explains. On You’re Free to Go, he learns to trust life again. The album’s title symbolises Anjimile’s expansive perspective on love and personal freedom, influenced profoundly by his relationship with his partner and their joyful embrace of non-monogamy. He describes this dynamic playfully: “I view non-monogamy as setting out milk every night on your porch for the cats; they can come if they want,” – a reminder that connection thrives when it’s truly chosen and not confined and restricted by normativity. This same playfulness runs through “Rust & Wire” which captures the exhilaration of falling in love again and again (“ripen in the heat like wine”). // Elsewhere, You’re Free to Go explores heavier, darker truths; ‘Exquisite Skeleton’ hauntingly portrays the ache of familial estrangement and ‘Ready or Not’ the exhaustion of facing transphobia. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be free… When I was a little boy, I wanted to be real.”, he disarmingly reflects on “Waits For Me,” a powerful reckoning on childhood identity. But even in its most searching moments, the record radiates light. // Each song holds space for healing – for turning pain into something tender, communal, and free. // Spirituality remains the heartbeat of Anjmile’s work. “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question,” he says. Across You’re Free to Go, sacredness feels alive and imperfect — a practice of breathing, wondering, forgiving. The album hums with that same sacred energy: messy and full of grace. // Throughout You’re Free to Go, Anjimile skilfully integrates a variety of musical inspirations to heighten the album’s emotional impact. Tracks such as “Turning Away” and “The Store” channel the raw and unadorned authenticity reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. The collaboration with Sam Beam on “Destroying You” adds a gentle warmth that beautifully complements Anjimile’s refined vocal expression. Melodically, the album evokes a subtle nostalgia for late-’90s alternative pop, seamlessly blending folk sensibilities into inviting, memorable hooks. Anjimile has notably evolved, adopting a more relaxed and expressive approach to his singing, partly due to his ongoing hormonal therapy – a transformative journey he embraces gladly. This newfound vocal depth amplifies the album’s emotional resonance, allowing him to express himself with greater authenticity. // As Anjimile prepares to share You’re Free to Go live, he envisions intimate performances that reinterpret rather than replicate the album’s recordings. He aims for the authenticity and vulnerability embedded in these songs to resonate deeply, emphasising, “This record feels very authentic to my life experiences. It’s about as close to getting to know me as you could ever get with a record.” // You’re Free to Go is a portrait of transformation — not as a wound, but as an opening. Richly textured, this collection of songs is an honest reflection of life’s fluctuations. It holds space for contradiction and finds liberation in tenderness. As Anjimile beautifully articulates, the album embodies “breathing into the question,” acknowledging that life’s most profound moments often come without clear answers, but rather exist in the gentle tension of uncertainty and discovery. In every note, Anjimile provides space for each listener to reflect and uncover their own truths, while gently reminding us that freedom isn’t the absence of pain, but the courage to love, to ask, to keep beginning again.]

11:30 – Underwriting

  1. Lava Dreams – “Chemistry”
    from: “Chemistry – Single / Lava Dreams / February 19, 2026
    [Written by Lava Dreams and produced by Spencer Hoad. Lava Dreams (she/they) is a queer, multidisciplinary artist, performer, and songwriter based in Kansas City, Missouri – who’s been writing music for as long as they can remember. / Flourishing dreamy vocals, vulnerable lyrics, and visceral rhythms- hooking listeners through catchy melodies and electric performances – Lava Dreams is quickly becoming a striking figure in the Alternative Pop scene. / Lava Dreams released the single “Thirsty” on September 12, 2025, “Your Warrior” on August 9, 2024, “Driver” on May 24, 2024, “R.I.P. The Old Me” non July 28, 2023, “Thrill Ride” on July 1, 2022, “Galaxies” on July 9, 2021, and “The Amazing Wave” on January 8, 2021. Her 2020 project “GOOD ENERGY + FOCUS,” was praised by 909 The Bridge as one of the best EPs of that year. / Lava Dreams is dedicated to writing songs that lift the spirit and connect to the soul. Lava Dreams released the single. You can listen to Lava Dreams everywhere you stream music. Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018. Lava Dreams (Julia Hamilton) is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila University. More info at: LavaDreamsMusic.com] [Lava Dreams played Apocalypse Meow 18, Saturday, November 1, at recordBar, with: Steddy P, Betse & Clarke (Electric), and Nathan Corsi & My Atomic Daydream.]

[Lava Dreams plays Concert 333: with Shay Lyriq & Jass on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm at Vine Street Brewing, 2019 Vine Street, KCMO.]

11:34 – Interview with Lava Dreams

Lava Dreams is a queer, multidisciplinary artist, performer, and songwriter based in KC. Known for flourishing dreamy vocals, vulnerable lyrics, and visceral rhythms- hooking listeners through catchy melodies and electric performances. Lava Dreams released the singles: “Chemistry” on February 18, 2026, “Thirsty” on September 12, 2025, “Your Warrior” on August 9, 2024, “Driver” on May 24, 2024, “R.I.P. The Old Me” on July 28, 2023, “Thrill Ride” on July 1, 2022, “Galaxies” on July 9, 2021, and “The Amazing Wave” on January 8, 2021. Her 2020 project “GOOD ENERGY + FOCUS,” was praised by 90.9 The Bridge as one of the best EPs of that year and was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020. Lava is also a filmmaker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila University. Info: LavaDreamsMusic.com

Lava Dreams plays Concert 333: with Shay Lyriq & Jass on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm at Vine Street Brewing, 2019 Vine Street, KCMO.

Lava Dreams thanks for being with us on WMM.

Lava Dreams released the singles
“Chemistry” on February 18, 2026,
“Thirsty” on September 12, 2025,
“Your Warrior” on August 9, 2024,
“Driver” on May 24, 2024,
“R.I.P. The Old Me” on July 28, 2023,
“Thrill Ride” on July 1, 2022,
“Galaxies” on July 9, 2021, and
“The Amazing Wave” on January 8, 2021.

Lava Dreams plays Concert 333: with Shay Lyriq & Jass on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm at Vine Street Brewing, 2019 Vine Street, KCMO.

Lava Dreams (Julia Hamilton) is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila University.

Collaboration with FlareThaRebel

Lava Dreams played Apocalypse Meow 18, Saturday, November 1, at recordBar, with: Steddy P, Betse & Clarke (Electric), and Nathan Corsi & My Atomic Daydream.

Her 2020 project “GOOD ENERGY + FOCUS,” was praised by 909 The Bridge as one of the best EPs of that year. Since then, Lava has written and released a series of evolving singles – the latest of which is an alternative pop-rock anthem called YOUR WARRIOR. She directed and starred in the music video that accompanied its release.​

Lava Dreams is dedicated to writing songs that lift the spirit and connect to the soul. You can listen to Lava Dreams everywhere you stream music.

Solo artist Lava Dreams is the electronic music project of Julia Hamilton who writes songs influenced by pop, soul, RnB, jazz, trap, house, funk, reggae, rock, and world music. Hailing from Kansas City, MO, her guitar-based music is both dreamy & electric.

Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018.

Lava Dreams thanks for being with us on WMM.

Lava Dreams plays Concert 333: with Shay Lyriq & Jass on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm at Vine Street Brewing, 2019 Vine Street, KCMO.

Info: LavaDreamsMusic.com

11:54:30

  1. Lava Dreams – “Thirsty”
    from: “Thirsty” – Single / Lava Dreams / September 12, 2025
    [Written by Lava Dreams and produced by Spencer Hoad. Lava Dreams (she/they) is a queer, multidisciplinary artist, performer, and songwriter based in Kansas City, Missouri – who’s been writing music for as long as they can remember. / Flourishing dreamy vocals, vulnerable lyrics, and visceral rhythms- hooking listeners through catchy melodies and electric performances – Lava Dreams is quickly becoming a striking figure in the Alternative Pop scene. / Lava Dreams released the single “Thirsty” on September 12, 2025, “Your Warrior” on August 9, 2024, “Driver” on May 24, 2024, “R.I.P. The Old Me” non July 28, 2023, “Thrill Ride” on July 1, 2022, “Galaxies” on July 9, 2021, and “The Amazing Wave” on January 8, 2021. Her 2020 project “GOOD ENERGY + FOCUS,” was praised by 909 The Bridge as one of the best EPs of that year. / Lava Dreams is dedicated to writing songs that lift the spirit and connect to the soul. Lava Dreams released the single. You can listen to Lava Dreams everywhere you stream music. Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018. Lava Dreams (Julia Hamilton) is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila University. More info at: LavaDreamsMusic.com] [Lava Dreams played Apocalypse Meow 18, Saturday, November 1, at recordBar, with: Steddy P, Betse & Clarke (Electric), and Nathan Corsi & My Atomic Daydream.]

[Lava Dreams plays Concert 333: with Shay Lyriq & Jass on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm at Vine Street Brewing, 2019 Vine Street, KCMO.]

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

NEXT WEEK on May 6, we talk with Diane R. Scott – Director of Artist Services at the Mid-America Arts Alliance, and founding director and principal designer of the Artist INC professional development program. Now in its 17th year. We also talk with Krysztof Nemeth, Dedric Moore, and Dawn Don of REVISER. AND we welcome direct from shjows at Yhe Emerald, The Black Box, KC Fringe Fest, and Edinburgh Festival Ned Stacie of Ned’s Nighthole LIVE! Joins us to share all of the details of their new show: NED’s Friend-Hole Cabaret LIVE Saturday, May 16, at 8:00, at The Warwick Theater, 3827 Main Street, KCMO. And ambient experimental musician Jesse Bartmess who records as Sinple shares new music.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!
Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1145

WMM Playlist from April 22, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Scott Moreau plays Johnny Cash + BCR celebrates 50 Years! + Rosie O’Brien leads Sass-a-Brass

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]

10:00 – Three Musical Artists inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2026

We start the show with three legendary musical entities: Fela Kuti and Arika 70, Joy Division, and Celia Cruz. These artists were recently announced to be inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The 2026 inductees include: Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan. In addition to the performer inductees, Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons will be honored with the Early Influence Award. Linda Creed, Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin will receive the Musical Excellence Award. The annual Ahmet Ertegun Award will remember Ed Sullivan.

  1. Fela Kuti, Afrika 70 & Ginger Baker – “Let’s Start (Edit with Intro)”
    from: “Let’s Start (Edit with Intro)” – Single from LIVE! / EMI London / August 30, 1971
    [In 2026, Kuti was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early/musical influence after two previous nominations. // “Let’s Start” is a single edited version of opening track from Live! – a live in-studio album by Fela Kuti’s band Africa ’70, with the addition of former Cream drummer Ginger Baker on two songs. It was released on August 30, 1971 by EMI in Africa and Europe and by Capitol/EMI in the United States and Canada. It was reissued on CD by Celluloid in 1987 and was reissued on CD in remastered form by Barclay with a bonus track from 1978. LIVE! was one of five albums Fele released in 1971 including FELA’S LONDON SCENE, WHY BLACK MEN DEY SUFFER, NA POI, and OPEN & CLOSE. // The album was recorded on July 25, 1971, at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The British-American rock band Wings was recording their album Wild Life at the same time in the adjacent studio. // Baker travelled with Kuti into Africa in a Land Rover to learn about the continent’s rhythms, as documented in Tony Palmer’s film Ginger Baker in Africa (1971). The bonus track on the Barclay CD reissue features a 16-minute drum duet between Baker and Africa ’70’s drummer Tony Allen recorded at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival. The album is on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 greatest live albums of all time. The album is also included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. // Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on October 15, 1938 – died 2 August 2, 1997. He was a Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa’s most “challenging and charismatic music performers”. AllMusic described him as “a musical and sociopolitical voice” of international significance. // Kuti was the son of Nigerian women’s rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. After early experiences abroad, he and his band Africa ’70 (featuring drummer and musical director Tony Allen) shot to stardom in Nigeria during the 1970s, during which Kuti was an outspoken critic and target of Nigeria’s military juntas. In 1970, he founded the Kalakuta Republic commune, which declared itself independent from military rule. The commune was destroyed in a 1977 army raid that injured Kuti and his mother, the latter fatally. He was jailed by the government of Muhammadu Buhari in 1984, but released after 20 months. Kuti continued to record and perform through the 1980s and 1990s. Since his death in 1997, reissues and compilations of his music have been overseen by his son, Femi Kuti. // Kuti was born into the Ransome-Kuti family, an upper-middle-class family, on October 15, 1938, in Abeokuta, Colonial Nigeria. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was an anti-colonial feminist, and his father, Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti was an Anglican minister, school principal, and the first president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers. Kuti’s parents both played active roles in the anti-colonial movement in Nigeria, most notably the Abeokuta Women’s Riots which were led by his mother in 1946. His brothers Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, both medical doctors, were well known nationally. Kuti is a cousin to the writer and fellow activist Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Prize for Literature winner. They are both descendants of Josiah Ransome-Kuti, an Anglican clergyman and musical pioneer, who is Kuti’s paternal grandfather and Soyinka’s maternal great-grandfather. // Kuti attended Abeokuta Grammar School. In 1958, he was invited to London by his younger brother Beko (a medical student at the time), to study music at the Trinity College of Music, with the trumpet being his preferred instrument. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos and played a fusion of jazz and highlife. The ensemble would include as members Bayo Martins on drums and Wole Bucknor on piano. In 1960, Kuti married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor with whom he had three children (Yeni, Femi, and Sola). In 1963, Kuti moved back to the newly independent Federation of Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos, and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. He played for some time with Victor Olaiya and his All-Stars. // He called his style Afrobeat, a combination of Apala, funk, jazz, highlife, salsa, calypso and traditional Yoruba music. In 1969, Kuti took the band to the United States and spent ten months in Los Angeles. While there, he discovered the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now known as Sandra Izsadore or Sandra Akanke Isidore), a partisan of the Black Panther Party. This experience heavily influenced his music and political views. He renamed the band Nigeria 70. Soon after, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Kuti and his band were in the US without work permits. The band performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles that would later be released as The ’69 Los Angeles Sessions.]

[Afrobeats To The World – Friday, April 24, at 9:00pm at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway Blvd KCMO, An immersive experience, with dancers and DJs, where pulsating African rhythms and music collide, creating a transformative celebration and vibrant showcase of African culture.]

  1. Joy Division – “Transmission”
    from: “Transmission” – 7” single / Factory / October 7, 1979
    [In 2026, both Joy Division and New Order were inducted as one act into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. // “Transmission” is a song by English post-punk band Joy Division. Originally recorded in 1978 for the band’s aborted self-titled album, it was later re-recorded the following year at a faster tempo and released by record label Factory as the band’s debut single. // “Transmission” was released on 7″ vinyl on October 7, 1979 by record label Factory. It was re-released as a 12″ single with a different sleeve on February 20, 1981. The single charted twice in New Zealand, debuting at number 2 in September 1981 and re-appearing again at number 24 in July 1984. // The song was performed once by the band on television, for the BBC Something Else programme. Twenty seconds of the song is shown in the movie Control (2007), directed by Anton Corbijn, a film based on the biography of Ian’s wife, Deborah Curtis’s Touching from a Distance. // Greil Marcus has a chapter on this song in his book The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs. According to Marcus, “‘Transmission’ is not an argument. It’s a dramatization of the realization that the act of listening to the radio is a suicidal gesture. It will kill your mind. It will rob your soul.” Marcus also quotes the band’s bassist Peter Hook about the importance of this song: “We were doing a soundcheck at the Mayflower, in May, and we played ‘Transmission’: people had been moving around, and they all stopped to listen. I realized that was our first great song.” // In May 2007, NME magazine placed “Transmission” at number 20 in its list of the 50 “Greatest Indie Anthems Ever”, one place below “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. In 2016, Pitchfork placed “Transmission” at number 10 in its list of “The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s”. // Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. // Sumner and Hook formed the band after attending a June 1976 Sex Pistols concert. While Joy Division’s first recordings were heavily influenced by early punk rock, they soon developed a sparse sound and style that made them one of the pioneering groups of the post-punk genre. Their self-released 1978 debut EP An Ideal for Living drew the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson, who signed them to his independent label Factory Records. Their debut album Unknown Pleasures, recorded with producer Martin Hannett, was released in 1979. // Curtis struggled with personal problems, including a failing marriage, depression, and epilepsy. As the band’s popularity grew, Curtis’s health condition made it increasingly difficult for him to perform; he occasionally experienced seizures on stage. He died by suicide on the eve of what would have been the band’s first North American tour in May 1980, aged 23. Joy Division’s second and final album, Closer, was released two months later; it and the single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” became their highest-charting releases. // Between July and October 1980, the remaining members, with the addition of keyboardist and guitarist Gillian Gilbert, regrouped under the name New Order. They were successful throughout the next decade, blending post-punk with electronic and dance music influences. Joy Division would remain a prominent influence on subsequent generations of alternative acts, particularly within the gothic rock genre. In 2026, both Joy Division and New Order were inducted as one act into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.]
  1. Celia Cruz – “Yemayá”
    from: Homenaje a los Santos / Seeco Records / 1964
    [Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso, born, October 21, 1925 – died, July 16, 2003. Known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of guarachas, earning the nickname La Guarachera de Cuba. In the following decades, she became known internationally as the “Queen of Salsa” due to her contributions to Latin music. She had sold over 30 million records, making her one of the best-selling Latin music artists. // The artist began her career in her home country Cuba, earning recognition as a vocalist of the popular musical group Sonora Matancera, a musical association that lasted 15 years (1950–1965). Cruz mastered a wide variety of Afro-Cuban music styles including guaracha, rumba, afro, son and bolero, recording numerous singles in these styles for Seeco Records. // In 1960, after the Cuban Revolution caused the nationalization of the music industry, Cruz left her native country, becoming one of the symbols and spokespersons of the Cuban community in exile. Cruz continued her career, first in Mexico, and then in the United States, the country that she took as her definitive residence. In the 1960s, she collaborated with Tito Puente, recording her signature tune “Bemba colorá”. In the 1970s, she signed for Fania Records and became strongly associated with the salsa genre, releasing hits such as “Quimbara”. She often appeared live with Fania All-Stars and collaborated with Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colón. During the last years of her career, Cruz continued to release successful songs such as “La vida es un carnaval” and “La negra tiene tumbao”. // Her musical legacy is made up of a total of 37 studio albums, as well as numerous live albums and collaborations. Throughout her career, she was awarded numerous prizes and distinctions, including two Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. In addition to her prolific career in music, Cruz also made several appearances as an actress in movies and telenovelas. Her catchphrase “¡Azúcar!” (“Sugar!”) has become one of the most recognizable symbols of salsa music. // In 2026, Cruz was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early/musical influence. She is the first artist who performed in Spanish to be inducted. // Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso was born on 21 October 1925, at 47 Serrano Street in the Santos Suárez neighborhood of Havana, Cuba. Her father, Simón Cruz, was a railway stoker, and her mother, Catalina Alfonso Ramos, a housewife who took care of an extended family. Celia was one of the eldest among fourteen children living in the house, including cousins and her three siblings, Dolores, Gladys, and Bárbaro, and she used to sing cradle songs to put them to sleep. According to her mother, she began singing as a child at 9 or 10 months of age, often in the middle of the night. She also sang in school during the Fridays’ actos cívicos and in her neighborhood ensemble, Botón de oro. // While growing up in Cuba’s diverse 1930s musical climate, Cruz listened to many musicians who influenced her adult career, including Fernando Collazo, Abelardo Barroso, Pablo Quevedo, Antonio Arcaño and Arsenio Rodríguez. Despite her father’s opposition and the fact that she was Catholic, as a child Cruz learned Santería songs from her neighbor who practiced Santería. Cruz also studied the words to Yoruba songs with colleague Merceditas Valdés (an akpwon, a Santería singer) from Cuba and later made various recordings of this religious genre, even singing backup for other akpwons like Candita Batista. // As a teenager, her aunt took her and her cousin to cabarets to sing, but her father encouraged her to attend school in the hope she would become a teacher. After high school, she attended the Normal School for Teachers in Havana with the intent of becoming a literature teacher. At the time being a singer was not viewed as an entirely respectable career. However, one of her teachers told her that, as an entertainer, she could earn in one day what most Cuban teachers earned in a month. From 1947, Cruz studied music theory, voice, and piano at Havana’s National Conservatory of Music. // One day, her cousin took her to Havana’s radio station Radio García-Serra, where she became a contestant in the Hora del té (“Tea Time”) amateur radio program. It was her first time using a microphone and she sang the tango “Nostalgia” (as a tribute to Paulina Álvarez), winning a cake as the first prize for her performance. On other occasions she won silver chains, as well as opportunities to participate in more contests. She also sang in other amateur radio programs such as La suprema corte del arte, broadcast by CMQ, always winning first prize. The only exception was when she competed against Vilma Valle, having to split their earnings: 25 dollars each. // In 2004, the Miami Herald revealed from partially declassified US State Department papers that Cruz had been linked to Cuba’s pre-Revolution communist party, the Popular Socialist Party (PSP), as early as the 1940s] The article was written by Herald journalist Carol Rosenberg from Freedom of Information Act requests. It made several revelations, among them that the US Embassy in Havana denied Cruz a US visa in 1952 and 1955 because of suspected communist affiliations. The article also states that Cruz had joined the youth wing of the PSP at age 20 and had used a concert to arrange a secret meeting with communists in South America on behalf of its then general secretary, Blas Roca Calderío, who had also founded the party in 1925. Cruz had also signed a public letter in support of one of the Party’s front groups, the Pro-Peace Congress. The article states that Cruz’s surviving husband, Pedro Knight, was asked about this, and is quoted he knew nothing about it. “She never told me about that. She never talked about politics,” the article quotes Knight.]
  1. St. George & The Dragons – “Waiting For The World To End”
    from: “Waiting For The World To End” – Single / Grand Central Bell Records / April 21, 2026
    [The new single features vocals by Skeet Hanks, written by David George and Skeet Hanks. Giving 80’s Elvis Costello vibes, the song makes a statement about how we all seem to be waiting for something to happen in our current political environment. If you haven’t seen the band recently, Scott Mize from the band She Said, and formerly of the Pedal Jets is playing guitar. Also joining the band on keys is the legend Chris Hazelton of The Freedom Affair. // On August 30, 2024, St. George and The Dragons released their debut album, KING OF KANSAS CITY with David George on vocals/guitar, Mike Greene on guitar, Skeet Hanks on vocals & guitar, Matt Kesler on vocals & bass, and Pat Tomek on drums. With Guest Players: Lin Buck on piano & organ, and Ken Lovern on organ. // Produced by David George. Recorded and Engineered by Pat Tomek at Largely Studios – KCMO. Mastered by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlabs – KCMO. Artwork by Jud Kite – Killer Kite Productions // King Of Kansas City is a ten-song album of pure rock and roll influenced by late 70s rock like the Stones and Tom Petty. // The album’s theme comes from a time when Rock ‘n’ Roll ruled the airwaves. It’s about letting go and raising your hand high into the air with your middle finger out to the world as you move on to the next big thing in your life. // Lead singer David George (Moaning Lisa, John Fogerty band) has been working with drummer/engineer Pat Tomek (The Rainmakers) since 2018 when they recorded three solo EPs for George. They found it easy to work together and had similar tastes which led them to produced and engineer an album for Kansas City artist David Luther. In the studio with Luther, they enlisted the help of Matt Kesler (The Pedaljets, She Said, The Doo Dads) on bass with Tomek on drums and George on guitars and keys. // George, Tomek, and Kesler hit it off and started working on material of their own, eventually bringing in guitarist Mike Greene (The Front/Bakers Pink) and vocalist/guitarist Skeet Hanks (Beatin’ Path) to round out the sound. Greene was the lead guitarist in the Front, a band known for their searing guitar and power rock sound. Hanks, from New Orleans fronted the band Beatin’ Path, tearing up the Bayou country with their progressive rock sound and soaring melodies. // Influenced by the works of The Stones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, and many other classic rock bands from the 70s and the 80s, St. George & The Dragons came together during the Global Pandemic, giving them time to develop their sound. George, Greene, Hanks, Kesler, and Tomek have all had their share of greatness, from the collective albums they’ve released on major and indie labels to sharing the stage with legends like Paul McCartney, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Doobie Brothers, The Black Crowes, Derek Trucks Band, Lumineers, Aerosmith, Smithereens, Mother Love Bone, and a list that could fill up a book! // More information at: http://www.stgeorgeandthedragonsband.com

[St. George & The Dragons play recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., KCMO on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 8:00pm with Kamera9.]

The Soul Agenda
  1. The Soul Agenda – “Hot Honey”
    from: “Hot Honey” – Single / The Soul Agenda / February 15, 2026
    [The Soul Agenda are Olivet on vocals, Zahara Ness on back-up vocals Charles on trumpet, Noah on guitar. The Soul Agenda were the winners of the 32nd annual 2026 KJHK Farmers Ball, a two week competition held at Liberty Hall in Lawrence Kansas]

[The Soul Agenda play Manor Fest 8 on Friday, May 22.]

[The Soul Agenda play MOD Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO, on Friday June 5, 2026.]

  1. Field Daze – “Shade of Blue”
    from: “Shade Blue – Single / Field Daze / April 3, 2026
    [Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ian Dobyns at Element Recording Studios. Earlier this year Field Daze released the singles: “Hula Girl” on March 3, 2026, “Hate Me” on March 9, 2026, “Melona 99” on March 8, 2026. // Field Daze, is an Indie Rock/Dreampop band, originated in KCMO when Rodd Fenton & Dan Camino responded to a Facebook call to start a Dreampop band. Their collaboration led to the creation of early demos. Shortly after, they were joined by Tracer Cauy, Kyer Lasswell, & Beau Harris, solidifying the band’s lineup. // Their magnetic sound quickly found a home in the KC music community, playing The Rino, The Ship, and The Bottleneck. Field Daze’s live performances became synonymous with an immersive musical experience, drawing in crowds with their captivating melodies. // Currently, the band channels their creativity by recording homegrown tracks within Rodd Fenton’s personal studio, honing their craft and evolving their unique sound. More Info at: http://www.fielddazekc.com

[Field Daze play Manor Fest 8]

[Field Daze play The Ship at 1221 Union Ave., KCMO in Historic West Bottoms, Friday, June 5, 2025[

  1. TV Star – “Reality Cheque (Album version)”
    from: Music For Heads / Father/ Daughter Records / April24, 2026
    [On Thursday, March 19, 2026, TV Star released their single, “Reality Cheque” along with the official music video starring bassist and Supercrush vocalist/guitarist, Mark Palm. // Music For Heads, is the debut album from the Seattle/Tacoma, WA band, out April 24, 2026. Ash Nagelon on lead vocals, Che Hise-Gattone on guitar. “This is also the song that everyone was crying in the studio when Ash was recording vocals. // “Reality Cheque” distills TV Star at their sharpest – punchy, clear-eyed, and effortlessly catchy. The song captures the moment you realize love has tipped into imbalance: all projection and performance. Rather than over-explaining, the band lets the hook do the work, locking into a crisp pop pocket where jangling guitars and buoyant rhythm carry the emotional weight. It’s a deceptively bright track with a hard truth at its center, proof of TV Star’s knack for turning quiet realizations into something that lingers. Music For Heads, is the debut album from the Seattle/Tacoma, WA band, out April 24, 2026. Ash Nagelon on lead vocals, Che Hise-Gattone on guitar. “This is also the song that everyone was crying in the studio when Ash was recording vocals. “Reality Cheque” follows “Out Of My Bag,” the bands’ homage to 80’s Madchester, and “Texas Relation” which saw support from Stereogum, Post-Trash and Under The Radar.

10:28 – Underwriting

  1. Scott Moreau – “I Walk The Line”
    from: Home of the Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash at Sun Studio – EP / July 2, 2013
    [Scott Moreau has been performing as Johnny Cash worldwide for nearly two decades. He was on the 1st National Broadway Tour of Million Dollar Quartet, playing 310 American cities as well as Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. He has reprised his role in countless regional theatres throughout the country over 1,200 times. In 2012 he created his first tribute to Johnny, Walkin’ The Line, which he has performed throughout the Americas from Celine Dion’s Les Mirage in Montreal, Les Imperial Belle in Quebec City and the M Casino in Las Vegas. His tribute to Johnny and June Carter, Darlin’ Companion has played to crowds all over the Phoenix Valley, his home state of Maine and enjoyed a 2 month sold-out run in Kansas City. His true solo show, Late And Alone made its World Premiere New York City’s famed Feinstein’s/54 Below and has sold out at The Blue Strawberry in St. Louis and countless venues in New England and the Midwest. His tribute album Home Of The Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash at Sun Studio was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, in the very place Johnny once stood. It is available for purchase on CD and to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. Scott is a native of Maine and currently lives in New York City. http://www.ultimatejohnnycash.com @ultimatejohnnycash]

[Scott Moreau brings Walkin The Line A Tribute to Johnny Cash to Quality Hill Playhouse at 303 West 10th St. KCMO, for four performances only: Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26. Foe Ticket info: 816-421-1700 and http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.]

10:32 – Interview with Scott Moreau

Scott Moreau has been performing as Johnny Cash worldwide for nearly two decades. He was on the 1st National Broadway Tour of Million Dollar Quartet, playing 310 American cities as well as Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. He has reprised his role in countless regional theatres throughout the country over 1,200 times. In 2012 he created his first tribute to Johnny, Walkin’ The Line, which he has performed throughout the Americas from Celine Dion’s Les Mirage in Montreal, Les Imperial Belle in Quebec City and the M Casino in Las Vegas. His tribute to Johnny and June Carter, Darlin’ Companion has played to crowds all over the Phoenix Valley, his home state of Maine and enjoyed a 2 month sold-out run in Kansas City. His true solo show, Late And Alone made its World Premiere New York City’s famed Feinstein’s/54 Below and has sold out at The Blue Strawberry in St. Louis and countless venues in New England and the Midwest. His tribute album Home Of The Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash at Sun Studio was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, in the very place Johnny once stood. It is available for purchase on CD and to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. Scott is a native of Maine and currently lives in New York City. http://www.ultimatejohnnycash.com @ultimatejohnnycash

Scott Moreau brings Walkin The Line A Tribute to Johnny Cash to Quality Hill Playhouse at 303 West 10th St. KCMO, for four performances only: Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26. Ticket info: 816-421-1700 and http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.

Scott Moreau thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

We just heard, I Walk The Line, Scott Moreau’s Johnny Cash tribute album Home Of The Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash at Sun Studio was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, in the very place Johnny once stood.

Scott was born in Bath, ME and raised in the small town of Litchfield, ME. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2001, he began honing his craft in theatre around the country in various regional theatres. He is most known for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Johnny Cash on the 1st National Tour of the Tony Award winning musical Million Dollar Quartet, and for his work on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire (Eldorado, series finale). Scott currently resides in New York City.

From the Portland Press Herald (August 1, 2021)

Singing the songs of Johnny Cash the way Johnny Cash sang them requires practice and repetition. For Scott Moreau, whose natural voice is a lyrical baritone with a sweet, bright quality, finding the rugged bottom end that’s required to effectively sing the songs of Johnny Cash does not come naturally or without effort.

“I am sure people assume I open my mouth and it just comes out, but a lot of trial and error – and a lot of time – goes into it,” said Moreau, 41, who grew up in Litchfield and whose uncanny ability to sing like Johnny Cash has taken him from Maine to stages across the country and around the world.

“It is still a work in progress, and something I have to work at all the time. To do a lot of the lower stuff, it’s not necessarily in my voice’s nature. I think about it exactly the way I look at working out – you have work up to it. If I haven’t sung Johnny Cash music in six weeks and I try to sing an entire show, my voice does not understand what I am trying to do.”

Moreau grew up listening to Cash. He talks about how when he was little, his parents would play their favorite records and dance in the living room. He would do his best to sing along with such artists as Cash, the Everly Brothers and the Beach Boys.

WALKIN’ THE LINE – A Tribute to Johnny Cash
Starring Scott Moreau April 23 – 26

Filled with anecdotes, stories, and history pulled from Johnny’s many biographies, concerts, and live interviews, you will truly feel as though you are the watching The Man In Black in his heyday. Featuring songs from Johnny’s nearly 50 years in the music business including “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and many more!

10:43

  1. Scott Moreau – “Rock Island line” (LIVE)
    [Scott Moreau brings Walkin The Line A Tribute to Johnny Cash to Quality Hill Playhouse at 303 West 10th St. KCMO, for four performances only: Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26. Ticket info: 816-421-1700 and http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.]

10:46 – More Interview with Scott Moreau

Scott Moreau has been performing as Johnny Cash worldwide for nearly two decades. He was on the 1st National Broadway Tour of Million Dollar Quartet, playing 310 American cities as well as Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. He has reprised his role in countless regional theatres throughout the country over 1,200 times. In 2012 he created his first tribute to Johnny, Walkin’ The Line, which he has performed throughout the Americas from Celine Dion’s Les Mirage in Montreal, Les Imperial Belle in Quebec City and the M Casino in Las Vegas. His tribute to Johnny and June Carter, Darlin’ Companion has played to crowds all over the Phoenix Valley, his home state of Maine and enjoyed a 2 month sold-out run in Kansas City. His true solo show, Late And Alone made its World Premiere New York City’s famed Feinstein’s/54 Below and has sold out at The Blue Strawberry in St. Louis and countless venues in New England and the Midwest. His tribute album Home Of The Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash at Sun Studio was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, in the very place Johnny once stood. It is available for purchase on CD and to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. Scott is a native of Maine and currently lives in New York City. http://www.ultimatejohnnycash.com @ultimatejohnnycash

Scott Moreau brings Walkin The Line A Tribute to Johnny Cash to Quality Hill Playhouse at 303 West 10th St. KCMO, for four performances only: Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26. Ticket info: 816-421-1700 and http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.


Scott was born in Bath, ME and raised in the small town of Litchfield, ME. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2001, he began honing his craft in theatre around the country in various regional theatres.

From Phoenix.org By Bridgette M. Redman | January 22, 2021

In his early 20s, he was introduced to the music Cash was making toward the end of his life, and it transformed his career.

“That’s when I started to get obsessed, buying everything and reading everything, and wouldn’t let him go,” Moreau says. “It has just kind of continued. Luckily it wasn’t just fandom; it was a large part of my career. Johnny’s music and his message and life have had an immeasurable impact on my life.

Moreau says performing as Cash has taken him all over the country and to Japan. He’s met members of the Cash family, been able to wear his clothes and play Cash’s guitars.

Moreau spent years on tour playing Cash in “The Million Dollar Quartet,” a musical about the December 4, 1956, afternoon Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins got together for an impromptu jam session. Moreau says he has met some of the best people from his life while doing that musical. “I can’t be more thankful for his life and legacy,”

Exploring Cash’s life – In “Walkin’ the Line,” Moreau speaks as Cash the entire time. While he sings many of Cash’s greatest hits, he also tries to give insight into Cash’s life, his friendships, and why and how he wrote certain songs.

“One thing I try to capture a good amount that the average fan doesn’t know about or understand — he had an extremely good sense of humor,” Moreau says. “He was large and imposing and sometimes a dark person. He had an extremely outgoing personality and was a cutup. I really try to bring that into a lot of my stage banter.”

In prep for creating the musical, Moreau spends a lot of time watching and analyzing his concerts so he can replicate who Cash was as a performer. He says he tries to be as close to Cash as humanly possible, leaving any semblance of his own personality behind.

“The performances of his songs and his songwriting is a major part of his performances, but so is his sense of humor and his authenticity,” Moreau says. “The people who come to these shows want to remember what it was like to see him on television or live.”

Scott Moreau thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Scott Moreau brings Walkin The Line A Tribute to Johnny Cash to Quality Hill Playhouse at 303 West 10th St. KCMO, for four performances only: Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26. Ticket info: 816-421-1700 and http://www.qualityhillplayhouse.com.

10:56

10:56

  1. Just Angel – “Selfish”
    from: Just Angel: Pt. 2 / Distro Kid Records / December 25, 2021
    [Just Angel is a Kansas City based, singer, musician, songwriter, dancer. and creative artist. She released the single “Dumb” through T.A.P. OUT MUSIC on August 9, 2024. Just Angle contributed vocals to the Sisterbot debut record. // Just Angel: Pt. 2 is a followup to Just Angel Pt.1 – EP released on December 24, 2020 Just Angel is a musician, songwriter, dancer, and creative artist. Just Angel, has been seen on stages of The Barn Players Community Theatre, at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center in BEAUTIFUL, The Carole King Musical,, The Music Theater Heritage: Ruby Room performance of “Piece of My Heart” in 2023, The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City “After Midnight” in 2022, and playing Osceola Mays in “Texas in Paris” in 2021. Her band, The Wades, can be found playing eclectic takes on pop music, and Just Angel‘s originals, from Part 1 & 2. Her single “Dumb”, was released August 9, 2024. More at https://linktr.ee/JustAngel%5D

[Just Angel & The Wades play The Phoenix, 302 West 8th St., KCMO, Wed, April 29, 7pm to 11:00pm.]

10:59 – Station ID

  1. BCR – “Teenie Boppers in Atlantis”
    from: Which Earth Are We On? / Fifth Street Records / 1987
    [Thomas Aber on Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet [Contra-alto]; Rev. Dwight Frizzell on Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Performer [Duck Call]; Vocals; Bill Dyeon Guitar, Steel Guitar, Bouzouki; Bird Ellington Fleming on Congas, Shekere, Drums [Talking Drum], Berimbau, Tambourine, Agogô, Percussion; Dean Allaudin Ottinger on Drums, Berimbau, Bells [Tibetan Bell], Vocals, Percussion; Jeff Rendlen on Bass, Chapman Stick, Vocals; Randy Weinstein on Harmonica [Chromatic And Diatonic], Keyboards, Vocals; Ed Herrmann on Synthesizer [Serge]; Stan Kessler on Trumpet. // BCR – Producer; Dave Brock – Co-producer, Engineer; Denis McFarling – Art Direction, Layout; Archer Prewitt – Artwork [Front Cover Woodcut]; Sandra Summers – Artwork [Back Cover Illustrations]; Jay Mandeville – Liner Notes; Mary Bodine – Typography]

[BCR presents Teenie Boppers in Atlantis, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm, (doors at 6:00pm) at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms.]

Which Earth Are We On?
Track List:
Mokele Mbembe Special
Robot Lips
Teenie Boppers In Atlantis
Which Earth Are We On?
Horror Story
Breakfast Atiphonal
Olmec Heads
Krankenhaus Juju
The World Is A Monkey
The Uncertainty Principle
Saints In The Trees
The Final Frontier

11:02 – Interview with Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler

Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler join us to talk about the 50th anniversary of The Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s first album Black Crack And The Sole Survivors – BEYOND THE BLACK CRACK, released in 1976. The limited edition 200 LP release inspired the formation of BCR in 1982. Since then the Afro-Nuclear Wavabilly Funk Swing Reggae Turska band has shared the stage with media-Medusoids like Sun Ra, played live concerts with the Kronos Quartet, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Wavy Gravy, and Ziggy Marley’s band. BCR has held satellite uplinks with Don Cherry and Alvin Curran, and delighted the ears of Dementians tuning in to the Dr. Demento Radio Show. BCR has remained true to their roots in swirling black holes, time-travel of the Outer World, and the endless dance of cosmo-love. The Columbia Daily Tribune called them, “Duke Ellington meets Sun Ra.” Current BCR players include: Thomas Aber, Dwight Frizzell, Patrick Alonzo Conway, Kat Nechlebová, Allaudin Ottinger, Mark Thies, Julia Thro, and Allan Winkler. Special Guests include: Ken Beck, Samantha Weber, and Greg Mackender, when BCR presents Teenie Boppers in Atlantis, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm, (doors at 6:00pm) at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms. More info at http://www.myth-scienc.com and http://www.theship.com

Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler, Thanks for being with us on WMM.

We just heard BCR’s studio version of “Teenie Boppers in Atlantis” from 1986- Ken Beck co-composed it in 1983 will be a special guest from Chicago with BCR on April 25–and there’s a wild story about it’s origin.

The beginnings of BCR – Beyond The Black Crack

Beyond The Black Crack (LP, Limited Ed.) Cavern Custom Recordings US 1976

Beyond the Black Crack is one of the most unique listening experiences in modern experimental music. It was recorded 1974-1976 in locations as diverse as factories, the pyramid opposite Harry Truman’s grave site as well as more conventional concert settings. It is a dark, dizzying and exhilarating journey through free jazz, electronics and environmental sound, all shattered by Frizzell’s radical tape editing. It was originally released in an edition of 200 LPs by Cavern Custom to commemorate the First Annual End of the World Celebration, November 18 1976.

—Clive Graham

The Performance
The original Beyond the Black Crack Sole Survivors recordings were made at the Kansas City Art Institute in the Foundation studio in 1975 and the Epperson Auditorium in 1976. I was in Foundation studying with Tommy Gomersal, Carl Kurtz and Shirley Schnell. Black Crack was entirely extra-curricular, and the administration provided the auditorium space and other support to make the 24-hour ritual possible.

A metronome set the event in motion, along with several analog reel-to-reel tape recorders with double-feedback loops, and longer tape loops between multiple machines—spread out across the stage, with audience and performers mixing in the auditorium. Nearly everyone who came interacted with the enfolding rhythms and tones.

Thirty-nine years later, we have readied our time-shifting devices for activation in the very same auditorium—the metronome, multiple delay units, electric dischargers, and group of young (and young-at-heart) artists dedicated to the same goal–to diffuse time-space boundaries and initiate eroto-cosmic passage to out alter-destiny where, as Sun Ra put it, “There’s no limit to the things you can be. There’s no limit to the things you can do. Your thoughts are free, and life is worthwhile.”

–Dwight Frizzell

From the Black Crack and the Sole Survivors First 5 Hour Recording Session – 1975

How to Avoid Simultaneity was on Black Crack & the Sole Survivors- Beyond the Black Crack LP (1976), This was a 1997 remix–sonifying the time-shifting effects of black holes.

11:16

  1. Black Crack & the Sole Survivors – “How to Avoid Simultaneity”
    from: Beyond The Black Crack (LP, Limited Ed.) / Cavern Custom Recordings / 1976
    [Electronic, Jazz, Experimental, Free Improvisation // Rush Rankin on Clarinet, Other [Imagistic Inspiration]; Mike Roach on Clarinet, Vocals [With Laughs], Tenor Saxophone, Other [Dancing]; Kurt Eckhardt on Flute [Mouth], Percussion, Performer [Pins, Soy, Alteration]; Radio Rich Dalton on Guitar; Sylvia Thomas on Harmonica; Rev. Jim Rogers on Kazoo; Rich on Other [Lights], Percussion; Bill Scanlan on Percussion, Tape [Tape Machine]; Rev. Tommy Gomersall on Performer [Tin Cans], Piano, Vocals; Bill Jones on Sousaphone; Rev. Dwight Frizzell on Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Electronics [Audio Oscillator], Performer [Chair, Trash Can, Pins, Soybeans]. // Beyond The Black Crack was originally released in mono in an edition of 200 copies by Cavern Custom in 1976 (cat.no. 6104-12). // Tracks 1-9 were originally released to commemorate the First Annual End of the World Celebration, November 18th, 1976. // Track 1 recorded live in concert at the Kansas City Art Institute Foundation Studio, November 18th, 1975, and in the KCAI Epperson Auditorium, December 4th through December 5th, 1975. ]

[BCR presents Teenie Boppers in Atlantis, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm, (doors at 6:00pm) at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms.]

Beyond The Black Crack

Beyond The Black Crack (LP, Limited Ed.) Cavern Custom Recordings US 1976
Beyond The Black Crack (LP, #ed, Sp. Ed, Comm. Ed.) Cavern Custom Records US 1990
Beyond The Black Crack (CD, LP, Album, Ltd. Ed., #ed, Reissue) Paradigm UK 1998

Electronic, Jazz, Experimental, Free Improvisation

  1. Black Crack And The Sole Survivors (12:36)
    Rush Rankin on Clarinet, Other [Imagistic Inspiration];
    Mike Roach on Clarinet, Vocals [With Laughs], Tenor Saxophone, Other [Dancing];
    Kurt Eckhardt on Flute [Mouth], Percussion, Performer [Pins, Soy, Alteration];
    Radio Rich Dalton on Guitar;
    Sylvia Thomas on Harmonica; Rev. Jim Rogers on Kazoo;
    Rich on Other [Lights], Percussion; Bill Scanlan on Percussion, Tape [Tape Machine];
    Rev. Tommy Gomersall on Performer [Tin Cans], Piano, Vocals; Bill Jones on Sousaphone;
    Rev. Dwight Frizzell on Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Electronics [Audio Oscillator], Performer [Chair, Trash Can, Pins, Soybeans]

Fredrik’s Cosmic Spaced Out Blues Band And Orchestra

  1. Hot Fudge (1:11)
  2. Get It Out Of Your System (6:18)
  3. Chili Supper Polka (2:20)

Turtle Music

  1. Journey Of Turtles (6:31)
    Percussion – Bill Scanlan; Percussion, Clarinet [Reduced Speed] – Rev. Dwight Frizzell
  2. Pre-Transformation Of Turtle To Bird (5:27)
    Rev. Dwight Frizzell on Percussion, Flute
  3. Nocturnal (2:04)
  4. Fly By Night (7:50)
    Rev. Dwight Frizzell on Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Electronics;
    John Scanlan on Electric Guitar; Bill Scanlan – Engineer
  5. O What Joy It Is To Know You Have A Turtle Heart (4:11)
    Bill Scanlan – Engineer; Rev. Dwight Frizzell on enor Saxophone

Scenes From The Wandering Madness Of Basilea, The Great Mother

  1. Embryonic Music (3:34)
  2. Copulation Of Basilea And Hyperion (4:50)
  3. Family, Birth Of Helio And Selene (6:47)
    Performer [Musicians]: Arnie Young*, Jack Blackett, Jim Miller, John Crain, John Thies, Mike Temple, Rob Beckner, Tommy Gomersall
  4. Destruction – Slaying Of Hyperion, Drowning Of Helio, Suicide Of Selene And The Wandering Madness Of Basilea (2:24)

Black Crack And The Sole Survivors (1997 Remix)

  1. “How To Avoid Simultaneity” (2:54)
    Rev. Dwight Frizzell – Producer, Remix.

Pressed By PMDC, UK – Mike Davies – Co-producer
Larry Schuermann, Sharon – Design [Assisted With Original Cover Design]
Kurt Eckhardt – Design [Poster & Cover Design],
Rev. Dwight Frizzell – Photography By [Cover Photos];
Engineer [Digital Transfer] – Scott Middleton
Engineer [Remix] – Bill Scanlan, Rev. Dwight Frizzell
Photography By [Black Crack Courtesy] – Robyn Nichols
Photography By [Original Poster Photos] – Beth Van Cleave, Rev. Dwight Frizzell
Recorded By, Mixed By, Remix – Rev. Dwight Frizzell (tracks: 10 to 13)
Tape [Source Tapes] – Rev. Dwight Frizzell
Technician [Reassembly Of The Lp], Producer, Artwork By Clive Graham
Comes with 12 page booklet.

Beyond The Black Crack was originally released in mono in an edition of 200 copies by Cavern Custom in 1976 (cat.no. 6104-12).

Tracks 1-9 were originally released to commemorate the First Annual End of the World Celebration, November 18, 1976.

Track 1 recorded live in concert at the Kansas City Art Institute Foundation Studio, November 18, 1975, and in the KCAI Epperson Auditorium, December 4 through December 5, 1975.
Tracks 2 to 4 recorded live at the 2nd RLDS Church chili supper March 24, 1974 in Independence, Missouri.

11:14 – More Interview with Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler

Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler join us to talk about the 50th anniversary of The Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s first album from BEYOND THE BLACK CRACK, released in 1976. The LP release inspired the formation of BCR in 1982.

Rev Dwight Frizzell is a Professor & Sound Head, at Kansas City Art Institute, – Photography & Filmmaking Dept. with a Terminal Degree in Sound Design. Dwight is an internationally recognized artist whose work combines video, performance, installation, music, audio art, and writing. Frizzell’s work about his boyhood neighbor, Harry S. Truman, was featured in the Peabody-awarded “Lost and Found Sound” series broadcast on National Public Radio. Frizzell has produced an opera based on the life of Charles Darwin. In addition to his B.F.A. degree from KCAI, he holds a terminal fine arts degree in Sound Design from the UMKC. Dwight Frizzell, is a founder of the “groovy polyphonic jazz/dance” band, Black Crack Revue, now in their 43rd year. Dwight Frizzell is also an Arif, with Moorish Orthodox Church, and served at First Editor, The Pitch, he is a founding member of the newEar contemporary chamber ensemble, and is host & producer of “From Arc To Microchip” heard on the fifth Thursday of each month on KKFI’s Thursday Night Special at 7:00pm on 90.1 FM.

Allan Winkler is a nationally acclaimed artist from the Kansas City area. Boasting a multi-disciplinary career creating various ceramic sculptures, paintings, paper cutouts, metal cutouts, and fabrics. Allan Winkler creates intricate paper cuts and metal cuts. Winkler also renovated three old houses in Kansas City’s West Side neighborhood and lives in one of them. A Chicago native, while in high school a teacher noticed his talent and found him his first studio. That led to a scholarship at the Kansas City Art Institute, where he studied ceramics with Ken Ferguson and then spent a year at The Archie Bray Foundation in Montana. Winkler earned a B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute, in 1980. In 1976, Allan was a visual artist for BCR creating their T shirts and their performance visual stuff About 15 yeas ago he joined the band as a percussionist

Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler, Thanks for being with us on WMM

The Afro-Nuclear Wavabilly Funk Swing Reggae Turska band has shared the stage with media-Medusoids like Sun Ra, played live concerts with the Kronos Quartet, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Wavy Gravy, and Ziggy Marley’s band. BCR has held satellite uplinks with Don Cherry and Alvin Curran, and delighted the ears of Dementians tuning in to the Dr. Demento Radio Show. BCR has remained true to their roots in swirling black holes, time-travel of the Outer World, and the endless dance of cosmo-love. The Columbia Daily Tribune called them, “Duke Ellington meets Sun Ra.” Current BCR players include: Thomas Aber, Dwight Frizzell, Patrick Alonzo Conway, Kat Nechlebová, Allaudin Ottinger, Mark Thies, Julia Thro, and Allan Winkler. Special Guests include: Ken Beck, Samantha Weber, and Greg Mackender, when BCR presents Teenie Boppers in Atlantis, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm, (doors at 6:00pm) at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms. More info at http://www.myth-scienc.com and http://www.theship.com

Dwight’s boyhood neighbor in Independence, Missouri was Harry S. Truman, who appears in Dwight’s work as a pianist, Atlantean King and time-traveler. Dwight released the “Beyond the Black Crack” LP in 1976, studied video art with Douglas Davis (1977), clarinet with Raymond Luedeke (1979) and metaphysics with Sun Ra (1980-1990). His work was exhibited at Biennale de Paris, World-Wide Video Festival (Amsterdam), and broadcast on NPR.

Dwight’s collaborative third-mind creations with writer Jay Mandeville includes plays, essays, and Ark scripts. Their work was published in “Semiotext(e) Radiotext(e)” and “Experimental Sound and Radio” (MIT Press). They edited The Pitch in the early ‘80s.

Dwight’s music is available on Paradigm discs (England). He plays Buffet clarinets and Yamaha saxophones and wind controllers. His collaborations with Michael Henry include “Sonic Force,” where AFR A10 Warthog Attack Planes were used as musical instruments. Frizzell is a founding member of the Black Crack Revue, the newEar contemporary chamber ensemble, and the National Audio Theatre Festivals. He performed recently with David Ossman and Phil Proctor of the Firesign Theatre.

Current BCR players include: Thomas Aber, Dwight Frizzell, Patrick Alonzo Conway, Kat Nechlebová, Allaudin Ottinger, Mark Thies, Julia Thro, and Allan Winkler. Special Guests include: Ken Beck, Samantha Weber, and Greg Mackender, when BCR presents Teenie Boppers in Atlantis, on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00pm, (doors at 6:00pm) at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms. More info at http://www.myth-scienc.com and http://www.theship.com

The last time Rev. Dwight Frizzell was on our show was January 28, 2026 to talk about: SOUND IN RADIO ART to be broadcast on KKFI 90.1 FM on Thursday January 29, at 7:00pm. SOUND IN RADIO ART features new sound pieces created by young audio-visual artists working in radio space for the first time.

Dwight was on our show was June 12, 2019 to share details about details about Heliophonie (Sun Sound) a midday Solstice concert, Friday, June 21, 2019 11:00 AM to Noon at KC Art Institute’s Vanderslice Reception Patio (behind historically restored Vanderslice Hall) performed in-sync to the sun’s harmonic tones. The solar sphere oscillates like a bell ringing every 4 minutes 48 seconds (as heard on a large gong). Overtones pulse in quadra-pole rotation (realized by the instruments & electronics). Solar storms moving vigorously through the resonating convection-zone are performed by instrumental duets.

Dwight Frizzell is an internationally recognized artist whose interdisciplinary work combines video, performance, installation, music, audio art and writing. He has been producing the “From Ark to Microchip” series with Jay Mandeville since 1984. “Ark 2 Microchip” radio can be heard currently on KKFI (www.kkfi.org) 90.1FM, and on KOPN, KCUR, KGNU, RESONANCE FM (London), RADIO NOVA (Paris), and WKCR (NYC).

The Turtle Music themes in from BEYOND THE BLACK CRACK are continued in a new piece Dwight recorded with Folk Music Icon, Marideth Scisco and the Wellspring Song– it’s part of Dwight’s April 30, 2026 From Ark to Microchip broadcast called Journey of Turtles, and will be performed at Pringle Fest for the National Audio Theater this summer.

Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler, Thanks for being with us on WMM

11:21

  1. Marideth Sisco & Dwight Frizzell – “Wellspring Song”
    from: From Ark to Microchip / April 30, 2026 Episode / To Be Broadcast on KKFI April 30, 2026
    [Marideth Ann Sisco (born June 15, 1943) is an American storyteller, folklorist, singer-songwriter, author and retired journalist. Her work largely focuses on folklore related to her native Ozark Mountains. Sisco and her music were featured in the Oscar-nominated film Winter’s Bone. In 2023 she was a featured artist at the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where she performed both in song and as a storyteller. // Sisco was born in Missouri to Marguerite Elenor (Gentry) Sisco (1920–1966) and Paul Holtz Sisco (1923–1966). Her interest in music started when she was three and a great uncle taught and encouraged her to sing. Her family moved frequently when she was young, including time spent in Kansas, Washington state, Montana and California. As she grew older she became tired of moving around and returned to live with her grandmother in Butterfield, graduating from high school in Cassville, Missouri in 1961. //After high school, Sisco attended Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State College) in Springfield, MO, where she studied performance & orchestration. But she left before finishing a degree after being told that as a woman she would not be successful in the field and was instead encouraged to switch to music education. // In 1965, Sisco left the Ozarks and moved to California, where she hoped to break into the music business as a singer, but lack of success and a hand injury that left her unable to play guitar derailed that goal. In 1976 she left California, helping her aunt and ailing uncle return to Missouri, but with the intention of moving back west, which she never did. // After returning to Missouri, Sisco received a BFA from Missouri State University and later an MA from Antioch University. She also began a 20-year career as a journalist at the West Plains Quill in West Plains, Missouri, where she worked as an investigative and environmental writer. She also authored the “Crosspatch” gardening column. // Upon her retirement from journalism in 2005, she returned to song-writing. // Currently, Sisco hosts “These Ozark Hills,” a local culture and folklore radio program on Ozarks Public Radio at KSMU-FM, which is based out of Missouri State University. As a singer, she performs both solo and with The Blackberry Winter Band. // Through a chance encounter at a singing party, Sisco was involved in the Oscar-nominated 2010 film Winter’s Bone, based on the book by Daniel Woodrell. In the film’s production she served as a musical consultant and singer, as well as appearing in the film as a singer. Her scene in the film was written specifically to feature her singing. // She also contributed to the movie by singing “The Missouri Waltz” for its opening scenes, though she reworked it to remove racist language from the song.Following the release of the film she toured with the Blackberry Winter Band to promote the soundtrack, referring to it as Amazing Geriatric Hillbilly tour. They played in 27 cities in the U.S.A. and Canada. // In 2018, Sisco received the Quill Award for lifetime achievement from the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame and Missouri Folk Arts Program has also designated her a Missouri Master Storyteller. //Sisco is lesbian & active in LGBTQ+ causes.]

11:28 – Underwriting

11:30 – Interview with Rosie O’Brien of Sass-a-Brass

Rosie O’Brien is a musician and organizer originally from Lawrence, KS. She studied Political Science, Studio Art, and Mandarin Chinese at Grinnell College in Iowa and pursued a career in political and environmental activism before transitioning into music full-time. Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional drumming with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to Kansas City in 2021 to expand the project, which has received grants from both the Charlotte Street Foundation and ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians. Sass-a-Brass Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of street activism, street band energy, and New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Since its inception Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

Rosie O’Brien thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Taylor Babb plays drums and percussion with Sass-a-Brass band, but today he’s going to play guitar for a couple of live songs Rosie has in planned for us today.

Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer & nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community.

During her undergraduate studies, Rosie sang and toured annually with the Grinnell Singers, where she debuted and recorded the original compositions of her mentor and director, Dr. John Rommereim, in both Iowa and Taiwan.

Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional djembe & dunun with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to KC in 2021 to expand the project, eceiving grants from Charlotte Street Foundation & ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians.

Rosie joined the KC Ballet School as an accompanist in 2023 and plays traditional djembe for modern dance classes and the ROAD program. In 2025, Rosie will enter her second season as a soprano with professional choral ensemble Te Deum; she is in her third season as a Choral Associate with Country Club Christian Church, and enjoys performing locally as a vocalist and percussionist with her 8-piece free-improvisation band Apricot Glow.

Sass-a-Brass is KC’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of HONK-style activist street band energy and borrowing from the New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Our mission is to bring queer musical joy to the public, and provide a welcoming space where underrepresented groups experience a sense of belonging and sustained growth as musicians. As a community-minded band, we intentionally recruit amateur, multi-generational and non-traditional players to join. Since its inception in 2018, Sass-a-Brass has involved a variety of instrumentalists, of many genders and sexualities.

11:37 – Rosie O’Brien & Taylor Babb Sing Acoustic Antifascist Tunes for Earth Day!

  1. Rosie O’Brien with Taylor Babb – “The Hammer Song” (LIVE)
    “If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)” is a protest song written by Pete Seeger & Lee Hays, in 1949 in support of the Progressive movement, and first recorded by the Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, Ronnie Gilbert, & Fred Hellerman. It was a No. 10 hit for Peter, Paul & Mary in 1962 and then went No. 3 in 1963 when recorded by Trini Lopez. A May 1963 interview on Folk Music World-wide, Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary characterized the song as “a young national anthem for the United States”.
    The Weavers released the song under the title “The Hammer Song” as a 78 rpm single in March 1950 on Hootenanny Records, 101-A, backed with “Banks of Marble”.]

11:40 – More Interview with Rosie O’Brien & Taylor Babb

Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer and nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community.

Over the years, Sass-A-Brass has benefited from the participation of many incredible musicians from the Lawrence and KC area; has involved wide-ranging instrumentation including keytar, amplified flute, and washboard; and has led musical celebrations for a diverse range of events (most notably an underground cave party and a Solstice parade ending in a public fountain).

11:48 – Rosie O’Brien & Taylor Babb Sing Acoustic Antifascist Tunes for Earth Day!

  1. Rosie O’Brien with Taylor Babb – “All Those Fascists Are Bound To Lose” (LIVE)
    [Words by Woody Guthrie (1943). Music by Billy Bragg (1997) for Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, a 2000 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by British singer Billy Bragg and American band Wilco. It continues the project originally conceived by Guthrie’s daughter, Nora Guthrie which resulted in the release of Mermaid Avenue in 1998. Both volumes were collected in a 2012 box set along with volume three as Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions.]

11:52– More Interview with Rosie O’Brien & Taylor Babb

Rosie O’Brien of the Sass-a-Brass Queer Marching Band – Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of street activism, street band energy, and New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Rosie returns to play a fews songs live, discuss queer street activism, and share details on Sass-a-Brass shows: Saturday, May 9, 11:00am to 3:00pm for the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art – Block Party; Friday, May 15, at 5:00pm for Open Studios at the Livestock Exchange, 1600 Genessee St., KCMO in the historic West Bottoms; Saturday, May 30 for ManorFest 8; Saturday & Sunday June 27 & 28 for PEOPLE’s PRIDE.

Sass-a-Brass Shows:

Saturday, May 9, at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4200 Warwick Blvd., KCMO

Friday, May 15, at Stockyards Brewing Company, 1600 Genessee, St. Ste 100, KCMO, Historic West Bottoms, as part of the Open Studios Show.

Saturday, May 30, – ManorFest 8 (final night) – Leading two parades

Saturday, June 6 – Lawrence Pride

Sunday, June 28, The People’s Pride – organized by Sass-a-Brass (Summer Solstice)

Rosie O’Brien & Taylor Babb, thanks for being with us on WMM

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

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:54

  1. Jamogi – “Georgia Peach (feat. Burgandy)”
    from: “Georgia Peach (feat. Burgandy)” / Jam Tunes / September 5, 2025.
    [ Jamogi is also know as Byron Hyde a Kanas City based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally from Los Angeles, California.// Jamogi & The Jammers: Live at Flew The Coop Sessions (Flew The Coop Live) through Jam Tunes on April 11, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Do It To Me” on March 28, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Go Big or Go Home” on August 30, 2024, Jamogi released the single “Hot Block” on May 30, 2024. Jamogi released the EP, Star-Crossed Lover on March 3, 2023. Jamogi then released a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023.Jamogi previously released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on Dec. 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022. // Jamogi played the ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire. Kamogi and the Jammers played Boulevardia 2025]

[Jamogi plays KKFI’s Band Auction Sat, April 25, at 12:20pm You can bid on Jamogi for your party]

[Jamogi plays Manor Fest 8]

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

NEXT WEEK on April 29 we’ll talk with Julie Bennet Hume about the Women of Rebellion Showcase presented by Heartland Song Network, KKFI, Folk Alliance & Missouri Arts Council, Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 6:30pm at recordBar 1520 Grand Ave., KCMO featuring Seyko & Carolina Mendoza, with Julie Bennett Hume, Gracie Caggiano, and Emma Jo. A benefit for Heartland Song Network.; ALSO Amelia Rose Korte share details about a UMKC Civil Rights History Project she is working on, AND, Janice Wasserman and Alan Wasserman join us to talk about moving to Kansas City form M]NYC, Alan serving on the KKFI Board of Directors, and disco dancing., AND Lava Dreams shares new music.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1144

WMM Playlist from April 15, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Kasey Rausch + Marcus Rattler + Hailes

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]

. Kelela – “idea 1″
from: “idea 1” – Single / Warp Records / April 7, 2026
[“‘idea 1’ is about what it feels like to exist in this climate — the weight of being expected to witness, absorb, and speak truth at a time when the world feels like it’s unraveling. That’s a particular kind of burden Black women know intimately. This song doesn’t offer answers, it just refuses to look away. Co-writing it with my best friend Janiva Ellis, hearing Oscar’s production give it shape, and then watching 91 Rules bring that tension to life visually feels like the beginning of a much larger conversation I’m ready to have.” – Kelela // Kelela Mizanekristos (pronounced kələla mizanəkrɨstos0, born June 4, 1983. She is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023. // A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983. Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school’s choir. In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School. After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University, Mizanekristos began singing jazz standards at cafés. In 2008, she joined an indie band called Dizzy Spells and sang progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dated. In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles, where she currently lives, in addition to London.]

Suki Waterhouse
  1. Suki Waterhouse – “Back In Love”
    from: “Back In Love”- Single / Confidence River – Island / March 27, 2026
    [From: udiscovermusic.co, written by Lane Harper (published March 27, 2026) Suki Waterhouse Reveals New Song, ‘Back in Love’ It’s her first release on her new label Island Records, and the first taste of her forthcoming third-album. // Suki Waterhouse is back with a new song. “Back In Love,” which she co-wrote with longtime collaborators Natalie Findlay and Jules Apollinaire, is her first release on her new label, Island Records. She signed with the imprint roughly six months ago, after releasing her first two albums on Sub Pop. // “The phrase ‘Back in Love’ reflects many ideas,” Waterhouse shared in a press statement. “For me, it’s about coming back to your sense of self after having an identity shift.” // The track, which furthers Waterhouse’s characteristic blend of psych rock and ’70s drama, explores falling in love with yourself. It’s paired with an appropriately center-stage-minded video directed by Kaz Firpo, which follows Waterhouse as she finds her spotlight at a nightclub (and wins the adoration of the crowd in the process). // “Back In Love” is also Waterhouse’s first preview of a forthcoming record. Although she has yet to officially announce the unnamed project, which will be her third LP, she plans to debut songs from it live at this summer’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. She’s also book to play the festival Hinterland this August in Iowa. The shows will mark Waterhouse’s return to the stage after a break, which itself followed a period of heavy touring for the English singer-songwriter. This included her own headlining Sparklemuffin Tour, which ran from September through December 2024, and high-profile opening slots for the likes of Taylor Swift and Laufey. // Waterhouse released her most recent LP, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, in September 2024 on Sub Pop. The album debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and No. 39 in the UK. It followed her 2022 debut I Can’t Let Go, which featured her breakout single “Good Looking” — originally released in 2017, it went viral on TikTok five years later, and today sits RIAA-certified platinum with nearly a billion streams across platforms. Earlier this year, Waterhouse released the standalone single “Dream Woman,” her first output since Sparklemuffin.]
  1. Brooke Tuley and the Moon Travelers – “Build a Ship”
    from: Chase Me / Brooke Tuley Music / May 7, 2024
    [We’ve been a fan of the musical work of Brook Tuley from the incredible recordings shw had created with husband Mke Tuley and with Anna St. Louis for The Bloodbirds. We also loved the solo released of Anna St; Louis and other collaborators with the Tuley family. // Mike Tuley was o our show way back when the Grisly hand released their debut vinyl EP, SAFE HOUSE back in 2010. Many of the musicians on that album play on this new Brooke Tuley release. // Brooke wrote to me saying, “Chase Me had a quiet release in 2024 and, at the time, it felt a bit too personal to share more broadly. Since then, I’ve had some distance from it and feel ready to open it up and talk about it further. The project is very much a reflection of my process. It’s not a traditional album or release, but it’s honest, and that feels worth sharing. Alongside it, I’ve been working on a show at The Temple, and the release also includes an art and poetry book with a listening card. That format came together as a way to present the work in a more tangible, exploratory way.” // Recorded and produced by Mike Tuley in the Tuley home studio, in Kansas City. Brooke Tuley on vocals, guitar, songwriting; Mike Tuley on guitar, keys, percussion, engineering; Jimmy Fitzner on guitar; John Nichols on bass, Jon Kraft on drums; Mike Stover on pedal steel; Betse Ellis on fiddle; Rich Wheeler on saxophone. Cameos by Anna St. Louis, Kevin Morby, and Suzannah Johannes. Mixed and mastered by John Golden. Cover design by Anna St Louis and photography by Christopher Good. // Chase Me is a record about momentum—about holding on as life rolls by. Recorded in Brooke Tuley’s basement studio with longtime collaborators and friends, the album blends indie warmth and Americana textures with a quiet sense of clarity and resolve. // Built around guitar, voice, and restraint, the songs trace love and loss, motherhood and memory, and the pull between staying and letting go. Chase Me turns grief into melody and melody into light—work shaped by experience rather than urgency. // Alongside the album, Brooke created Chase Me: A Visual Collection of Art, Poetry, & Movement, a companion book developed with Kansas City artists that expands each song’s emotional landscape. // From basement demos to First Midnight and Chase Me, Brooke Tuley & The Moon Travelers craft folk-rooted songs shaped by Kansas City’s DIY spirit, tracing love, loss, and renewal. Info at: brooketuleymusic.com]

[Brooke Tuley will join us LIVE on WMM on June 10, 2026]

  1. Kadesh Flow – “Anyway”
    from: “Anyway” – Single / Kadesh Flow / March 27, 2026
    [Written & Recorded: Kadesh Flow; Produced: Kadesh Flow, Vincent Orsolini, Zach Arias, Joe Donley; Mixed & Mastered: Kenny Batson; Graphic and Lyric Video: Rixhi // Kadesh Flow released the single, “Thesis Statement” on January 31, 2025. // Kadesh writes: “I started writing this during my flight to Belfast on November 5, 2024. Just reflecting on how 2024 was my redo of 2019, and how pivotal 2019 was for me. I hit rock bottom and rose to great success from it. Lost everything in 2020, mostly due to COVID shut downs, and spent 3 years rebuilding from 2021-2024. Aside from the personal reflection, this song is a recognition that there could be hard times coming, but there’s hope as long as we’re alive, so we have to keep fighting to win. Community is immensely important, especially now.” // Kadesh Flow is Ryan Davis is a rapper with an MBA. He is an emcee, producer, & trombonist. At age 11, he began rapping and playing trombone within two weeks of one another. His music has been featured on network television in multiple countries and territories across Southeast Asia. Kadesh performs as a solo hip hop artist. He also plays with The Phantastics, Marcus Lewis Big Band, Deshica Rage (w/ Jessica Paige). Info at: http://www.kadeshflow.com]
  1. Ivory Blue – “History”
    from: “History” – Single / IVORY BLUE / April 3, 2026
    [IVORY BLUE released the singles: “afterglow” on February 20, 2026; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // 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 singles “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025; “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025; “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // “Exiled” on November 29, 2024; “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, Middle of the Map Fest, Westport Roots Festival, 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. Info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]
  1. REVISER – “The Flames”
    from: DOLOROSO / REVISER / March 1, 2026
    [Reviser rescently released “THE FLAMES” is the first single from REVISER’s new album “DOLOROSO” released digitally on all streaming platforms own March 1, 2026. Released on Vinyl via Bandcamp on May 1, 2026. “THE FLAMES” is a post-punk / goth-rock anthem., presented as a clarion call in these dark times. The song is energetic, driving, and intense, with insistent bass and drum machines, guitars that weave around each other, buzzing keyboards, and lyrics sung intensely that question whether the listener will be joining this call to justice with them. The song calls to mind “In Shreds” by The Chameleons or “Dark Entries” by Bauhaus, and lets plenty of REVISER’s own smoldering snarl and fiery energy carry this torch forward. REVISER is: Dawn Don on backing vocals, Dedric Moore on standard guitar, and Krysztof Nemeth on lead vocals & baritone guitar. As part of the Kosmic City collective of regional post-punk, goth, darkwave acts, REVISER spent 2025 successfully cementing itself as a black beacon of dark musical energy. // 2026 sees REVISER release their new album “DOLOROSO”; 8 songs as a digital and vinyl release, showcasing what the band has become over it’s journey to now. Sometimes dark and brooding, sometimes romantic and longing, REVISER’s sound on collects the classic vibes of 80’s post-punk, goth-rock, and darkwave into something both familiar and foreign, a sound that is dark, deep, and danceable. Calling to mind legendary acts such as Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, The Chameleons, and Echo & the Bunnymen, REVISER sounds complimentary to such contemporaries as Actors, House of Harm, Drab Majesty, and Traitrs. Considering this moment in time, REVISER emphasizes standing strong with our communities to support inclusivity and equality and is absolutely against Fascism, Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia. // REVISER released their singles “DEAD EYES” on October 16, 2025, “CELESTINE” on February 28, 2025, “DARKSIDERS” on October 18, 2024, and “ASSASINS” and “BURN IT OUT” on March 15, 2024. These previously five singles, individually released, have all been remixed and remastered for their new album DOLOROSO, and include Dawn’s vocals on them, now. REVISER is a continuation of the musical collaboration from Static Phantoms, Religion of Heartbreak (with Mikal Shapiro) and Monta At Odds.] [REVISER opened for Lene Lovich at recordBar, on Nov. 5, 2025. Info: http://www.reviser.bandcamp.com / http://www.instagram.com / http://www.kosmiccity.com]

[Reviser plays a Kosmic City Goth Night at miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, Monday, April 20 at 7:00pm with Feyleux, and Stranger Gallery.]

10:29 – Underwriting

  1. The Country Duo – “Goodwill”
    from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
    [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

10:34 – Interview with Kasey Rausch

Kasey Rausch is a 5th generation songwriter & musician who began performing at age 15. Two days after graduating from high school, she moved from Texas back to her hometown of Kansas City to live alongside her extended family while pursuing music. With pedal steel & guitar master Marco Pascolini, Kasey performs as The Country Duo. Kasey played locally with classic country honky tonk band The Naughty Pines for many years. She has shared the stage with Joe Ely, Dale Watson, Peter Rowan, Roland White, Kris Delmhorst, Jack Williams and many more.

Kasey Rausch shares music from, Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in KC. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl & digital tracks.

The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday, April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.

Kasey Rausch thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

This is the fifth time the duo has worked with Weber on various projects, including their 2017 EP Live at Sun Studio.

Little Lagoon Sessions is the first full-length album from The Country Duo. After releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini connected again with the former head engineer of Sun, Curry Weber, this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where they lived and worked for a week in a house right on the banks of the Little Lagoon. Watching stingrays and jellyfish swim by on their breaks, and giant herons land out on the pier, 12 songs were recorded during the sessions. Ten of those songs, Rausch’s originals, make up this album filled with acoustic guitar, pedal steel, baritone electric guitar, and a touch of Dobro, with meandering harmonies throughout. Two singles, covers of a couple of their favorite songs to play, will be released as digital singles.

The album was produced by Kasey Rausch, Marco Pascolini and Curry Weber. Finishing touches were recorded in Kansas City by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab, where one special guest, Sweet Matt Brahl, offered some light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.

CDs and vinyl at this special release show will come with digital download codes of four bonus songs not on the album that will later be released as singles. Two were recorded during the Little Lagoon Sessions and two were recorded in 2017 in Franklin, Louisiana. All were engineered by Curry Weber.

LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW!
APRIL 17, 2026 at MOD GALLERY, KCMO
Please join The Country Duo (Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini) for the release of vinyl records and CDs of Little Lagoon Sessions, The Country Duo’s first full-length album!

6pm – Doors
7pm – Listening party and interviews hosted by River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton
8pm – The Country Duo plays the full album live, front to back, with a couple bonus songs and special guests, Richard Burgess and Sweet Matt Brahl

Mod Gallery – 1809 McGee St. in Kansas City, MO’s Crossroads Arts District
All ages with guardians for those under 21.

10:43

  1. The Country Duo – “Simple Reflections”
    from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
    [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

10:46 – More Interview with Kasey Rausch

Kasey Rausch is a 5th generation songwriter & musician who began performing at age 15. Two days after graduating from high school, she moved from Texas back to her hometown of Kansas City to live alongside her extended family while pursuing music. With pedal steel & guitar master Marco Pascolini, Kasey performs as The Country Duo. Kasey played locally with classic country honky tonk band The Naughty Pines for many years. She has shared the stage with Joe Ely, Dale Watson, Peter Rowan, Roland White, Kris Delmhorst, Jack Williams and many more.

Kasey Rausch shares music from, Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in KC. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl & digital tracks.

As Kasey Rausch turns 52 this year, she’s reflecting on her career and her upcoming album as half of The Country Duo with Marco Pascolini. The Little Lagoon Sessions album was recorded with former Sun Studio head engineer Curry Weber in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Kasey Rausch was one of the very first LIVE musical guests we had on WMM. If you look at our very first playlist from May 14, 2004 you’ll see a diverse mix, and equality between women and men, however there as hardly any “local” music. As I was learning how to do this radio show, it was the Kansas City and Lawrence are musicians who came on the show and taught me about the music community. Robert Moore’s Oxblood Records compilation First Blood became a road map. Midwest Music Foundation and Abigail Henderson shined the light. The Death of Anne Winter reminded us how close we actually are and how much we need each other. Social media and Facebook became the inter-office memo of the are music community. The birth of festivals: Crossroads Music Fest, Middle of the Map Fest, and Folk Alliance International Conference, the development of more studios and record labels, and the re-birth of record stores.

Kasey Rausch is co-creator River Trade Radio on 90.1FM on Sundays 9:00 to 11:00.

Rausch’s third album, Guitar in Hand was released on MudStomp Records in 2014, and debuted at #3 on the Roots Music Reporting charts and was voted one of the top three albums of the year by readers of The Pitch. She was named 2016 Best of the Northland Artist, 2013’s Female Performer of the Year by The Farmer’s Turnpike on KMXN 92.9 FM and is a four-time Pitch Music Award Nominee.

The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.

Kasey Rausch thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

10:56

  1. The Country Duo – “A Color and A Hue”
    from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
    [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Legerdemain – “Highlander”
    from: Monsters ‘n’ Me / Legerdemain / April 16, 2026
    [Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, come Spring. // Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest. ]

[Legerdemain plays a Monsters ‘n’ Me album release show at Warwick Theatre, 3927 Main St., KCMO with Kansas City Percussion Collective at 7:00pm, Legerdemain at 8:00pm, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at 9:00pm.]

[Sonderluss Soul play a Benefit for Hope House at Knuckleheads, 1715 Rochester, KCMO, on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm.]

[Legerdemain play the Harp Barbeque Open Jam every Saturday at Sound Bite at Warehouse on Broadway, food from 11:00 to 4:00pm, Legerdemain play from 12:00 to 3:00pm]

11:06 – Interview with Marcus Rattler

Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, tomorrow, April 16, 2026.

Marcus Rattler, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances.

Steel Pan: The steelpan (also known as a pan or steel drum) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. // In 1992, the steelpan was declared Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument by Prime Minister Patrick Manning. This helped turn the steelpan into a source of national pride and cultural identity, recognized both locally and internationally. // In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day. The following year, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago officially recognized the steelpan as the country’s national instrument. //

The History of Steel Pan: The Steelpan is a musical instrument indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago whose early evolution dates back to the 1930s and 40s – one of the only acoustic instruments invented in the 20th century! // The steel pan (also known as steel drums, or ‘pan’) was created in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s. It was established in contexts of Carnival resistance, its history being traced back to the enslaved Africans who were brought to the Caribbean in the 1700s. // The steelpan was born out of rebellion and resilience. – After slaves in Trinidad and Tobago were emancipated in the 1830s, a revolt prompted authorities to ban the playing of percussion, string and woodwind instruments during carnival celebrations. But former slaves would not be silenced, and that led to them discovering the hidden musical instrument in discarded oil drums. “Really, a spirit of a people…went into this and came out, from African roots to now global acceptance,” Amrit Samaroo said.

How are Steel Pans made: In the 1930s, it was realized that the convex dent at the bottom of metal drums could be tuned to distinct musical pitches and could therefore produce recognizable melodies, marking the creation of the first steel pans. // Steelpan manufacturers no longer have to wait for discarded drums to make the pan, which only officially became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2024. // Technology is changing how the instrument is made, which is contributing to its revival. / At Panland, a company that’s been making the steelpan for over 30 years, workers say a steelpan can now be made in a 9-to-5 shift with the help of power tools, a powerful flame-thrower and mobile apps. // Previously, it could take more than a month to make a single steelpan. // The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 200-litre industrial drums. // Drum refers to the steel drum containers from which the pans are made; the steel drum is more correctly called a steel pan or pan as it falls into the idiophone family of instruments, and so is not a drum (which is a membranophone). Some steelpans are made to play in the Pythagorean musical cycle of fourths and fifths. // A pan is played using a pair of straight sticks tipped with rubber; the size and type of rubber tip varies according to the class of pan being played. Some musicians use four pansticks, holding two in each hand. This grew out of Trinidad and Tobago’s early 20th-century Carnival percussion groups known as tamboo bamboo.

The pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago and appears on the country’s current coat of arms. // Steelpans developed in the early to mid 1900s, but with roots going back much earlier, including the talking drums of West African cultures which were used for ceremonies and communicating messages at a distance. // As a result of the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves were brought to the Americas, including Trinidad. In the 1780s, French colonists arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and brought street festival traditions. In 1785, plantation owners held the first Carnival in Trinidad. Many white plantation owners masqueraded as slaves and marched down the streets mocking African slave dress, singing, and dance customs, including banging on talking drums. Though they were mimicked, enslaved Africans were not allowed to join the festivities. In response, the Africans organized underground Carnivals of their own, taking place in cabins and backyards. Inspired by ancient traditions, Africans incorporated masks, feathers, beads, and drumming. // In 1789, Spanish governor of Trinidad José María Chacón issued a directive that all Africans (the majority of the population) would observe Roman Catholic religion and all Christian holy days. The purpose was to further erase West African culture and religious beliefs. However, the enslaved Africans were able to preserve their traditions by camouflaging them within Christian holidays.] For example, on Sundays, enslaved people would “put on their best clothes and go to drum dances held in different yards or on the land away from the plantation where they were allowed to grow their own crops…[They] would dance to the music and rhythms of the skin drums and gourd rattles.” // In 1834, slaves were emancipated in Trinidad and Tobago following the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, but segregation and indentured servitude continued. After emancipation, Africans annually celebrated Canboulay, a harvest festival involving calypso drumming. In 1881, the Canboulay riots occurred, which were a series of revolts during the festival. After this, stick-fighting and African percussion music were banned throughout the 1880s. They were replaced by bamboo sticks beaten together, which were themselves banned in turn. // The first instruments developed in the evolution of steelpan were tamboo bamboos, tunable sticks made of bamboo wood. These were hit onto the ground and with other sticks in order to produce sound. Tamboo bamboo bands included percussion of a (gin) bottle and spoon. By the mid-1930s, bits of metal percussion were being used in the tamboo bamboo bands, the first probably being either the automobile brake hub “iron” or the biscuit drum “boom”. The former replaced the gin bottle-and-spoon, and the latter the “bass” bamboo that was pounded on the ground.

In addition to performing, Marcus Rattler is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds.

He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest.

Legerdemain bio: Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also
approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way.

In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their
fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’
Me, come Spring.

Marcus Rattler, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

11:21

  1. Legerdemain – “Blind Sense of Mind”
    from: Monsters ‘n’ Me / Legerdemain / April 16, 2026
    [Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with theirfusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, come Spring. // Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest.]

[Legerdemain plays a Monsters ‘n’ Me album release show at Warwick Theatre, 3927 Main St., KCMO with Kansas City Percussion Collective at 7:00pm, Legerdemain at 8:00pm, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at 9:00pm.]

[Sonderluss Soul play a Benefit for Hope House at Knuckleheads, 1715 Rochester, KCMO, on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm.]

[Legerdemain play the Harp Barbeque Open Jam every Saturday at Sound Bite at Warehouse on Broadway, food from 11:00 to 4:00pm, Legerdemain play from 12:00 to 3:00pm]

11:28 – Underwriting

  1. HAILES – “Angels”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

11:33 – Interview with Hailes

Lindsey Hailes joins us to talk about her career in theatre, touring in the Tony Award Wining Broadway musical, Hadestown and her critically acclaimed EP, Five that was released on September 29, 2025. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and she turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/

Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Hailes talked with us about moving from Overland Park to Brooklyn, NYC

KKFI’s Executive Director Bess Wallerstein-Huff directed Hailes as Dorothy in “The Wiz” at Shawnee Mission Theatre in The Park in the Summer of 2015. Hailes was a senior in High School

Hailes performs her own original music. R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes lived in New York City for seven years. Hailes came back home to Kansas City in 2026 and performed a SOLD OUT homecoming show at The Blue Room on August 5, 2026. Hailes performed with a band made up of Kansas City based musicians. She told KJHK writer Cameron Castaldi, “I was feeling really emotional, which has never happened to me before a show,” “Since it was going to be so many people I knew, from so many different points of my life, I just wanted it to go well.” “Actually being on stage, I felt so good and instantly comfortable. It truly was just the energy of the room, it felt very open and accepting.”

After graduating from Blue Valley West High School Hailes briefly attending college, before spending two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz and then moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career.

COVID-19 brought live theatre and musical concerts to a standstill. Venues went dark. Hailes told us that she started focusing on my music because there was no more theatre.
“I was surrounded by some incredible musicians and we were just writing music every day, so that’s where the actual songwriting and music making began for me.” Following lockdown, she returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on the road for Hadestown, Hailes told us “ I always had my recording equipment. I would set up in my hotel rooms. That is where I created the songs.”

Hailes attended a writing camp in Austin, TX, where he EP FIVE came to be. Hailes shared the feeling of vulnerability in the process of writing her songs. Hailes EP FIVE was released in Sept, 2026. The EP will contained five songs that she wrote throughout this camp.

Hailes curated residency called Living Room at The Lowest Ferns, 1105 Hickory St., KCMO, West Bottoms, blending live music, special guest artists, and intimate, high-energy performance. At Session One. Thursday March 19, 2026, Hailes, welcoming a featured special guest Yana. Hailes: Artist, Songwriter, Broadway performer, and Kansas City native Hailes brings an unforgettable one-night-only performance to In The Lowest Ferns. Blending soul, R&B, jazz and cinematic storytelling, Hailes commands the stage with a full live band for an intimate, high energy experiencek.

Hailes is getting read to go to New York City this weekend to work on a new piece based on a Lanston Hughes piece. After a rehearsal process the show will have performances in Philadelphia.

11:42

  1. HAILES – “Time”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

11:44 – More Interview with Hailes

Lindsey Hailes joins us to talk about her career in theatre, touring in the Tony Award Wining Broadway musical, Hadestown and her critically acclaimed EP, Five that was released on September 29, 2025. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and she turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/.

Lindsey Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

“I’ve traveled to almost all every state in the United States, performed on massive stages in NYC, but at this point in my life & career, singing for my community, pouring back into a place that gave me a lot growing up, that’s the goal,” Hailes told KCUR’s Up to Date.

Her solo music career started during the pandemic. Theaters went dark, but Hailes still wanted to share her creative energy with the world. Her debut album, “Good Things Take Time,” came out in 2023. Performing under her last name only, Hailes crafts a cinematic sound that blends R&B, soul and jazz. “I want to be the soundtrack to people’s moments, that’s what music is for me,” she said.

Hailes is a singer, songwriter, curator, and visual artist born and raised in Kansas City and now based in NYC. Her sound blends soulful melodies, and raw emotional storytelling. Known for her rich vocals and honest lyricism, Hailes brings a captivating presence to every performance, with music that lives at the intersection of softness and strength.

Before stepping fully into her career as a solo artist, Hailes performed in musical productions that toured across the country and made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award–winning musical Hadestown. That theatrical foundation now fuels her live performances, where music, storytelling, and visual atmosphere come together to create immersive and emotionally resonant experiences.

In spring 2026, Hailes launches Living Room by Hailes, a monthly Kansas City residency that reimagines the concert experience through intimate, curated performances featuring guest artists from across the country. Alongside her growing music career, she continues expanding her work in theatre.

Lindsey Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/

  1. HAILES – “Mulholland Drive”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

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

NEXT WEEK on April 22 we talk with actor Scott Moreau the star of WALKIN’ THE LINE – a Tribute to Johnny Cash on stage at Quality Hill Playhouse, Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26, at 303 West 10th St. KCMO. At 11:00am Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler and other join us to talk about the 50th anniversary of BCR – Black Crack ReviewSaturday, April 25 at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, West Bottoms. AND, at 11:30am, Rosie O’Brien of the Sass-a-Brass Queer Marching Band returns to share details on their shows: May 9, at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; May 15, at Stockyards Brewing Company; May 30 for ManorFest 8, June 6 – Lawrence Pride, and June 28, The People’s Pride. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!
Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1143

WMM Playlist from April 8, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Jennifer Owen, Brad Cox & Krystle Warren + Michael B. Tipton + Shaun Crowley

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Ziggy Marley – “Racism Is A Killa (Radio edit)”
    from: Brightside / Tuff Gong Records / April 18, 2026 Vinyl & CD – RSD / May 1, 2026 Digital
    [Nine-time GRAMMY Award-winning icon Ziggy Marley has released his newest song “Racism Is A Killa,” off his recently announced upcoming album Brightside. A timely call to action, “Racism Is A Killa” likens the injustice of inequality to a deadly disease in need of eradication. Responding with hope and resiliency, Marley offers the antidote of love in his lyrical messaging. “Racism we gon beat ya/Racism we’ll defeat ya,” he affirms. // Marley also recently announced his upcoming summer tour across North America. Kicking off on June 19th at Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson, AZ, the 20-date tour will make stops in major markets all around the country before concluding on July 22nd in Nantucket, MA. J Boog is set to appear as Special Guest on select dates throughout the tour. // The upcoming shows include a night at the iconic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA on June 21st, as well as a performance at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre as part of Stephen Marley’s Kaya Fest. The special festival will include a joint set between the brothers, performing both their own songs and collaborating on selections from their father, Bob Marley’s, discography. Kaya Fest will feature support from Buju Banton, Karl Denson’s Tribute to Jimmy Cliff, J Boo and Mike Love. // Earlier this year, Marley also released a brand-new track, “Many Mourn For Bob,” a powerful tribute to the legacy of his father, the legendary Bob Marley. The new song came alongside the announcement of Ziggy’s Brightside studio album. Brightside will be released exclusively on vinyl on April 18th at independent record stores as part of the celebration of Record Store Day, and digitally wide on May 1st. // Marley crafted Brightside, his 9th solo studio album, via a creative process entirely different than anything he’s done to date, from both a songwriting and technical standpoint. The album’s eight songs were co-produced by Ziggy and his brother Stephen and recorded at his newly built Rebel Lion Studio in Los Angeles alongside a myriad of longtime collaborators, including vocalist Nikka Costa, Trombone Shorty, Sheila E. and Jake Shimaburkuro. Most uniquely, the project was recorded using 432Hz, a soothing sonic frequency regularly employed for meditation and other mindful practices. With songs that delve into wellness and mental health, Marley shares “You see what’s happening in the world, what’s happening to people, and it really brings me down sometimes. I realized the album was going to have an introspective side to it. [The music] became my therapy.” Brightside not only embodies messages of resilience and strength but was also intentionally crafted to include healing elements that drive a therapeutic listening experience.]
  1. Anjimile – “Afarin”
    from: You’re Free To Go / 4AD / March 13, 2026
    [Anjimile also released the singles “Waits For Me on March 13, 2026 and “Like You Really Mean It” earlier this year. Today North Carolina based singer-songwriter Anjimile announces plans to release the full-length album You’re Free to Go, due out March 13, 2026 on 4AD. The announcement comes with the luminous lead single “Like You Really Mean It” which overflows with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Caity Arthur. // Anjimile shares: “I wrote this to make my girlfriend want to give me a kiss. We live about an hour apart, and I was just by myself thinking about her. Thinking about wanting a kiss. What could I do to get a kiss from my sweetheart? Write a song about it! Anyway, it worked.” // “Like You Really Mean It” comes after the November single “Auld Lang Syne II,” a tender note-to-self on resilience and hard-fought freedom, characterized by delicate finger-plucked strings, charming horn passages, and intimate vocal delivery, which Stereogum called “stunning” upon its release; a song Anjimile says was: “originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back.” // Contrasting the intricacy and complexity of The King, You’re Free to Go unfolds organically under the intuitive direction of producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples). The album’s songs bloom naturally, grounded in warm acoustic guitars, subtle synth textures, lush string arrangements, and delicate rhythmic layers. Collaborative efforts with musicians Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), and guest vocalist Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) – a personal hero of Anjimile whose music deeply influenced the album even before his involvement – cultivate an exploratory yet intimate atmosphere, perfectly aligned with Anjimile’s nuanced storytelling. // Anjimile (ann-JIM-uh-lee) Chithambo has forged a distinctive musical path characterised by unflinching introspection and deep honesty. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant indie scene while studying at Northeastern University, Anjimile captivated audiences with earnest songwriting, delicate sonic textures, and performances that felt like prayer and celebration. // Critical acclaim quickly followed; 2020’s Giver Taker, hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the year’s best albums, positioned him as a compelling voice exploring enduring themes of spirituality, identity, and liberation. With The King(2023), Anjimile intensified his examination of Black and trans existence amid personal and societal turbulence, reaffirming his courageous commitment to navigating discomfort as a means of liberation. // You’re Free to Go picks up where The King left off, but with its hands open wide – a central question being: what happens when you let go and let love in? // Crafted over years marked by transformation, the album traces vividly the profound complexities of change – from breakups to new love; deep grief and loss to renewal and rediscovery. “The past two years have been a deeply transitional point in my life,” Anjimile explains. On You’re Free to Go, he learns to trust life again. The album’s title symbolises Anjimile’s expansive perspective on love and personal freedom, influenced profoundly by his relationship with his partner and their joyful embrace of non-monogamy. He describes this dynamic playfully: “I view non-monogamy as setting out milk every night on your porch for the cats; they can come if they want,” – a reminder that connection thrives when it’s truly chosen and not confined and restricted by normatively. This same playfulness runs through “Rust & Wire” which captures the exhilaration of falling in love again and again (“ripen in the heat like wine”). // Elsewhere, You’re Free to Go explores heavier, darker truths; ‘Exquisite Skeleton’ hauntingly portrays the ache of familial estrangement and ‘Ready or Not’ the exhaustion of facing transphobia. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be free… When I was a little boy, I wanted to be real.”, he disarmingly reflects on “Waits For Me,” a powerful reckoning on childhood identity. But even in its most searching moments, the record radiates light. // Each song holds space for healing – for turning pain into something tender, communal, and free. // Spirituality remains the heartbeat of Anjmile’s work. “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question,” he says. Across You’re Free to Go, sacredness feels alive and imperfect — a practice of breathing, wondering, forgiving. The album hums with that same sacred energy: messy and full of grace. // Throughout You’re Free to Go, Anjimile skillfully integrates a variety of musical inspirations to heighten the album’s emotional impact. Tracks such as “Turning Away” and “The Store” channel the raw and unadorned authenticity reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. The collaboration with Sam Beam on “Destroying You” adds a gentle warmth that beautifully complements Anjimile’s refined vocal expression. Melodically, the album evokes a subtle nostalgia for late-’90s alternative pop, seamlessly blending folk sensibilities into inviting, memorable hooks. Anjimile has notably evolved, adopting a more relaxed and expressive approach to his singing, partly due to his ongoing hormonal therapy – a transformative journey he embraces gladly. This newfound vocal depth amplifies the album’s emotional resonance, allowing him to express himself with greater authenticity. // As Anjimile prepares to share You’re Free to Go live, he envisions intimate performances that reinterpret rather than replicate the album’s recordings. He aims for the authenticity and vulnerability embedded in these songs to resonate deeply, emphasizing, “This record feels very authentic to my life experiences. It’s about as close to getting to know me as you could ever get with a record.” // You’re Free to Go is a portrait of transformation — not as a wound, but as an opening. Richly textured, this collection of songs is an honest reflection of life’s fluctuations. It holds space for contradiction and finds liberation in tenderness. As Anjimile beautifully articulates, the album embodies “breathing into the question,” acknowledging that life’s most profound moments often come without clear answers, but rather exist in the gentle tension of uncertainty and discovery. In every note, Anjimile provides space for each listener to reflect and uncover their own truths, while gently reminding us that freedom isn’t the absence of pain, but the courage to love, to ask, to keep beginning again.]
  1. Sara Swenson – “Your Town” [Video released April 7, 2026]
    from: TALLER / Sara Swenson / February, 28, 2026
    [Sara Swenson and more than 20 beloved KC singer-songwriters, instrumentalists, radio DJs and promoters sing “Your Town”. Includes live footage from Swenson’s performances at KC music venues – the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads, recordBar and Crossroads Music Fest at Stockyards Brewing Co. Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut ended up at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In November of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band at the time, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two KC Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English & Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and left KC, and she flew off to the United Kingdom, where she got married. In the spring of 2014, Sara returned and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. On July 18, 2014 she released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville. On March 26, 2021 Sara Swenson released, “I Wont Let You Feel Alone”a song from husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic” that premiered on KCPBS that also features Mark Lowrey’s piano. Info: saraswenson.com.]
  1. Warren Burns – “High As Lightning”
    from: Burn Again / Warren Burns / April 10, 2026
    [Warren Burns on vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica; Brad Highnam on bass, backing vocals, piano; Marco Pascolini on pedal steel; Jon Kraft on drums, w/ Mark Cohick on pipes, Marvin Gruenbaum & Tony DeMarco & Kent Brauninger on violin; Steve Molloy & Danny Fischer on trumpet; Kari Agosti & Suzanne Hogan & on backing vocals. Recorded by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab. Mastered by Carl Saff]

[Warren Burns plays a Vinyl release show will be at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave. KCMO in Historic West Bottoms on Sunday April 12, at 6:00pm, with Lodestones.]

Warren Burns Tour
04.23.2026-fayetteville ar-@ artemis w/ noah richmond
04.24.2026-Little rock ar-@ white water tavern w/ numb chunks, william blackart
04.25.2026-memphis-@ dkdc w/ Aquarian blood
04.26.2026-new orleans-@ The Okay bar w/ cry baby’s, dirty rotten snake in the grass
04.28.202-austin tx-@ crow bar w/ Cooper moon
04.29.2025-oklahoma city-@ flora bodega
05.19.2026-st louis mo-@ The hi dive w ace of spit
05.20.2026-berea ky-@rebel rebel
05.21.2026-detroit mi-@the painted lady w/ old fashioned aces
05.22.2026-kalamozoo mi-@glow hall
05.23.2026-green bay wi-@ the razz
05.24.2026-minniapolis mn-@eagles club
05.25.2026-iowa city-@tbd

10:21- New TV Theme Songs

  1. Michael Stipe & Andrew Watt – “I Played the Fool (Main Title Theme from “Rooster”)”
    from: I Played the Fool (Main Title Theme from “Rooster”) – Single / Watertower Music – Warner Bros. Entertainment / March 8, 2026
    [“I Played The Fool (Main Title Theme)”, the official main title theme from the brand-new HBO Original series Rooster created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses. The song is performed by Michael Stipe & Andrew Watt and is available now on all major digital streaming platforms. “I Played The Fool (Main Title Theme)” brings together two Grammy Award-winning artists for the first time, pairing one of the most sought-after producers and collaborators in modern music, Andrew Watt, with Michael Stipe, the legendary former frontman of the iconic band R.E.M. // “I Played The Fool” marks Stipe’s first new song in three years, making the track a highly anticipated return for the acclaimed artist. The track showcases Stipe’s unmistakable voice paired with Watt’s bold contemporary production, creating a striking and memorable introduction to the series. // Produced and co-performed by Watt, the song also features Travis Barker (Blink-182) on drums and Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and piano. Anchored by Barker’s driving percussion and Klinghoffer’s atmospheric instrumentation, the track delivers a striking and cinematic opening to Rooster, establishing the tone for the HBO series with a blend of raw emotion, modern rock energy and timeless songwriting. // Michael Stipe shares: “I’m thrilled to lend my voice to Rooster – as a giant fan of everyone involved, it’s a real honor to be included with ‘I Played The Fool’. // Andrew Watt adds: “Michael Stipe is a hero of mine. A chance to write a song with him was that of a dream…He is one of the true great songwriters of this lifetime and he did what only he could do on this song. He sets “Rooster” off to the moon by making you laugh and cry at the same time with the best clapping tv theme song since Friends.” // Bill Lawrence Shares: Recently I’ve watched Andrew join some of the most accomplished artists from my era (The Stones, Pearl Jam, etc, etc) and make music that somehow feels nostalgic and simultaneously of the moment. The fact that he was able to partner with one of my favorite songwriter/singers of all time, Michael Stipe, turned this into a career highlight for me. And it’s flat out a great song.” // On having the song created, Matt Tarses added: “Our plan had always been to use music from our own time in college in the 80s. No band was more important to me then than REM. When Andrew Watt told us he thought he could get Michael Stipe to write and record a new song for us, we said, “Cool, good luck with that.” We knew this would never happen. But a few months later, Andrew sent an early demo of “I Played the Fool.” And when I listened to it on my phone, I cried. I really did. Saying we are excited to have this great song and this iconic voice on our main title is a huge understatement. // ABOUT ROOSTER – A comedy set on a college campus centering on an author’s (Steve Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter (Charly Clive). From co-show runners Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, is executive produced by Bill Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer for Doozer, Matt Tarses, Jonathan Krisel, Barbie Adler, Annie Mebane, David Stassen, Anthony King, David Hyman, and Steve Carell. The series stars Steve Carell, Charly Clive, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, John C. McGinley, and Lauren Tsai. // The HBO Original comedy series ROOSTER debuted Sunday, March 8 on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes of the 10-episode season, from Warner Bros. Television, will debut weekly through Sunday, May 10. // ABOUT MICHAEL STIPE – Michael Stipe is an artist, producer and singer/songwriter. He fronted the band R.E.M. for 31 years, selling over 100 million records and touring the world. For the past decade, his personal focus has been cross-medium visual art, incorporating video, soundscape, sculpture, and photographic and digital imagery. He has released four recent photography books through Damiani out of Bologna, Italy. His first institution show was at ICA Milan in December 2023. He is currently completing his first solo album. Michael lives in New York City and Berlin. // ABOUT ANDREW WATT – Multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Andrew Watt has become synonymous with one undeniable truth: he is the music industry’s not-so-secret weapon. Known for his genre-spanning versatility, Watt has collaborated with some of the most groundbreaking artists of the past decade, crafting chart-topping hits and award-winning albums across pop and rock. In 2021, he earned his first GRAMMY for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, recognized for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Dua Lipa, Post Malone, and Miley Cyrus. He followed with a Best Rock Album win for producing Osbourne’s Patient Number 9, and in 2023 earned another Best Rock Album GRAMMY for Hackney Diamonds by The Rolling Stones. Among his recent high-profile projects, Watt co-produced the global smash “Die With a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. The single became a worldwide phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, amassing over a billion global streams, topping charts internationally, and emerging as one of the fastest-rising pop collaborations of the decade. He also co-produced Gaga’s No. 1, critically acclaimed album Mayhem, including its hit “Abracadabra.” His work on the album earned a GRAMMY for Best Dance Pop Recording, while Mayhem also won Best Pop Vocal Album. He additionally received nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year for his contributions to the project. Recent credits include work with Brandi Carlile and Elton John on their collaborative album Who Believes in Angels?, KATSEYE’s “Gabriela,” nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Carlile’s Returning to Myself, which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. Watt also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in 2025 for “Never Too Late,” written for the 2024 documentary Elton John: Never Too Late directed by RJ Cutler.]
  1. Benjamin Gibbard & Tom Howe – “Frightening Fishes (Main Title Theme from “Shrinking”)”
    from: Shrinking: Season 1 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) / Watertower Music – Warner Bros Entertainment / March 24, 2023
    [The track is written by Death Cab for Cutie lead singer Benjamin Gibbard & the show’s composer Tom Howe (Ted Lasso, Early Man, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. Shrinking is created by Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother), Bill Lawrence & Brett Goldstein (both Ted Lasso) and stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford about a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tells his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives…including his own. Emmy® winners Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein and Segel co-write and serve as executive producers. The show also stars: Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, Luke Tennie and Lukita Maxwell. The comedy is on Apple TV+ // Benjamin Gibbard and Tom Howe are Winners of Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Main Title Theme – TV Show/Limited Series in 2023 for Apple TV+ show Shrinking. Benjamin Gibbard (born August 11, 1976) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums, and as a member of the indie pop supergroup The Postal Service. Gibbard released his debut solo album, Former Lives (2012), and a collaborative studio album, One Fast Move or I’m Gone (2009), with Jay Farrar.]
  1. The Creepy Jingles – “Vow Down”
    from: “Vow Down” – Single / Supe Brill Records / April 3, 2026
    [Earlier this year Jocelyn Olivia Nixon shared with us the unreleased single “fight for your say” for our March 4, 2026 radio show. // Last year Jocelyn Olivia Nixon released the single, “YOU AIN’T RIGHT! YOU MUST BE WRONG!” on May 2, 2025. Jocelyn Olivia Nixon is lead singer of the band The Creepy Jungles. The Creepy Jingles are getting ready to release a new alum called WASHED UP coming this spring. Jocelyn told Nick Spacek of The Pitch, “that the songs she presents to her bandmates in The Jingles’ songs are poppier stuff, typically, while solo songs are more folky, mellow, weird, and lyrical. Solo work also gives her the opportunity to work with others outside the group. As Nixon explains, “It’s basically a tongue-in-cheek song making fun of hard right conservatives and social cliques who think only their way is ‘right.’” She said, “I felt like I needed something where I can be a bit more vulnerable and naked, I suppose,” the musician says. “I think because Jingles do rock n roll pop songs well, I think I’m kinda boxed in as an artist and singer. This is my way of saying I have many sides to myself as an individual and as an artist, and I can forge my own path and defy expectations.” Jocelyn Nixon’s next single, “Real Deal,” is due later this summer . // The Creepy Jingles released a series of 4 new singles in 2024 including “When Things Go Wrong” on February 23, 2024. // The Creepy Jingles are a Kansas City based, rock and roll band that both honors and defies convention. Led by singer / song-writer Jocelyn Olivia Nixon, a transgender wordsmith who charms with razor wit and dazzles with her lyrical acrobatics. The Creepy Jingles released their album, TAKE ME AT MY WORDPLAY on March 25, 2022 through High Dive Records. Paired up with lyrics centering on themes of identity, strained relationships, social media madness, meme magic, pandemic paranoia, paid off political pundits, backyard bullies and barking up the wrong tree. Everything and the kitchen sink or swim. No stoner left unturned. The Creepy Jingles released their Debut EP on High Dive Records on May 3, 2019. The release was in the top ten of WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. ]

[The Creepy Jingles open for Hello Biplane for their KC Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters.]

10:30 – Underwriting

  1. Michael B. Tipton – “Hot Headed Lover”
    from: “Hot Headed Lover” – Single / Micheal B. Tipton / April , 2025
    [One of 5+ new singles Michael B. Tipton released in 2025. This single was recorded at Weights & Measures Soundlab here in KC. Performers on the track are Nate Holt- organ, Aaron Lewis- bass, Jace Hughes- electric guitar, Sam Shoemaker-pedal steel guitar, Justin Danner-drums, Ashleigh Guthrie-backing vocals, and myself on acoustic and vocals. Written by Michael B. Tipton. // Along with the country singles Michael recently teamed up with vocalist Seyko of The Freedom Affair member Seyko to release a Christmas collab they co-wrote called “Better To Believe” in early December. This song features performances by The Freedom Affair, members of Found A Job and Michael’s country band The Scoundrels, and Seyko’s daughter Reiko. // Michael B. Tipton has been working with Nashville songwriters and studios this past year and recently recorded an original song “Favorite Place in Town” (written about Strawberry Hill’s Hillsiders), at County Q Studios in Nashville. This song will be released TBA in 2026 and distributed to FM and AM Country stations across the country. Michael B. Tipton was signed to Stone Bridge Entertainment in July 2025. His debut solo album, Out of the Woods, was released on October 13, 2023. With his band The Scoundrels, Michael has shared stages with Bronwyn Keith Hynes and Jason Isbell. // Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests we ever interviewed on WMM when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything they recorded when Michael was part of the band, Molly Picture Club. Michael’s band Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for over 10 years playing Talking Heads tracks. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Byrne and David Bowie. // More info at: http://www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com/shows.%5D

10:35 – Interview with Michael B. Tipton

Michael B. Tipton joins us live in our 90.1 FM Studios to share his new single, “Hot Headed Lover.” Michael released multiple five new singles in 2025 and in addition he teamed up with Seyko of The Freedom Affair to release a Christmas collaboration that they co-wrote together called “Better To Believe.” Michael was last on our show was on August 9, 2023 to talk about his single “Scoundrel” from his debut solo album, Out of the Woods, released on October 13, 2023. Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests ever interviewed on Wednesday MidDay Medley when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything Michael’s bands Molly Picture Club and Kodascope ever recorded. Michael’s band, Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for nearly 15 years playing Talking Heads tracks to full houses of audiences dancing and singling along. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth KC proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Bowie as well as David Byrne. Info at: http://www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com

Michael B.Tipton thanks for being with us on WMM

We just heard your new single: “Hot Headed Lover”

Michael B. Tipton who was one of our very first guests on Wednesday MidDay Medley back in 2004 the year this show first went on the air, and when Michale was 20 years old, he joined us to talk about his band Tabla Rasa. Michael has been a part of some of our most played Kansas City area bands including Molly Picture Club and Kodascope.

Michael B Tipton is a seasoned singer-songwriter who has performed for audiences nationwide for over 26 years. With a remarkable versatility across genres like folk, country, electronic, indie rock, and hard rock, his compositions are written to be adapted to various musical styles. Michael made his mark as a member of acclaimed bands: Tabla Rasa (1999-2005), 5 Defy (2006-2008), Molly Picture Club with Aniko Adany, and Kodascope (2013-2016).

He is also the driving force behind Found A Job, a popular 8-piece tribute to Talking Heads since 2012, where he embodies David Byrne’s essence.

In addition to his live performances, Michael’s songwriting prowess has earned him placements on notable TV shows like “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and various Discovery Channel segments. With an extraordinary ability to connect through heartfelt lyrics, captivating melodies, and a solid beat, Michael B Tipton continues to enchant audiences with his music. Stay tuned as this artist ventures into new musical horizons.

After enduring a prolonged songwriting drought, Tipton found solace in the music of his upbringing—Asleep At The Wheel, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, Ernest Tubb, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and George Jones. This rediscovery sparked a creative surge, resulting in a collection of heartfelt songs. Released in the fall of 2023, “Out of The Woods” captures Tipton’s revival and showcases his storytelling. As Tipton explains, it’s the most personal and coherent set of songs he’s written to date.

“The title ‘Out of the Woods,’ has a double meaning for me. It’s both a recurring theme for the lyrics and it speaks to an acoustic-heavy instrumentation, which is the literal meaning because the music is coming out of the woods.” Tipton pulled in long-time collaborators and newfound friends from the KC music scene to help him bring his album to life. This was Tipton’s first album under his name, even though he had released 7 albums and 6 EPs over the years.

Recorded & Produced by Duane Trower at Weights & Measures Soundlab, KC, MO

Musicians: Michael B Tipton- vocals, guitars, percussion |
Aaron”Big Al”Lewis-Bass | Justin Danner – Drums | Matt Smithmier – Mandolin | JaceHughes – Electric Guitar | Brad King – Slide Guitar | Mallory Edson- Fiddle
Devon Teran – Pedal Steel Guitar | Nate Holt – Organ, Piano
Kate Valliere – Backing Vocals.

Michael B.Tipton Shows:

APR. 15, 2026 – Kansas City, MO
Found A Job @ Boulevard Beer Hall

APR. 24, 2026 – Excelsior Springs, MO
Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels At Warbird Whiskey

APR. 25, 2026 – Kansas City, MO
Knuckleheads Presents Found A Job

APR. 29, 2026 – Lawrence, KS
Western Wednesday At Northside Social Presents Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels

MAY 29, 2026 – Kansas City, MO
An Evening Of Pink Floyd at The Warehouse on Broadway

10:44

  1. Michael B. Tipton – “Walking The Wire”
    from: “Walking The Wire” – Single / Micheal B. Tipton / August 19, 2025
    [One of 5 singles Michael B. Tipton released in 2025. This single was recorded at Weights & Measures Soundlab here in KC. Performers on the track are Nate Holt- organ, Aaron Lewis- bass, Jace Hughes- electric guitar, Sam Shoemaker-pedal steel guitar, Justin Danner-drums, Ashleigh Guthrie-backing vocals, and myself on acoustic and vocals. Written by Michael B. Tipton. // Along with the country singles Michael recently teamed up with vocalist Seyko of The Freedom Affair member Seyko to release a Christmas collab they co-wrote called “Better To Believe” in early December. This song features performances by The Freedom Affair, members of Found A Job and Michael’s country band The Scoundrels, and Seyko’s daughter Reiko. // Michael B. Tipton has been working with Nashville songwriters and studios this past year and recently recorded an original song “Favorite Place in Town” (written about Strawberry Hill’s Hillsiders), at County Q Studios in Nashville. This song will be released TBA in 2026 and distributed to FM and AM Country stations across the country. Michael B. Tipton was signed to Stone Bridge Entertainment in July 2025. His debut solo album, Out of the Woods, was released on October 13, 2023. With his band The Scoundrels, Michael has shared stages with Bronwyn Keith Hynes and Jason Isbell. // Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests we ever interviewed on WMM when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything they recorded when Michael was part of the band, Molly Picture Club. Michael’s band Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for over 10 years playing Talking Heads tracks. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Byrne and David Bowie. // More info at: http://www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com/shows.%5D

10:47 – More Interview with Michael B. Tipton

Michael B. Tipton joins us live in our 90.1 FM Studios to share his new single, “Hot Headed Lover.” Michael released multiple five new singles in 2025 and in addition he teamed up with Seyko of The Freedom Affair to release a Christmas collaboration that they co-wrote together called “Better To Believe.” Michael was last on our show was on August 9, 2023 to talk about his single “Scoundrel” from his debut solo album, Out of the Woods, released on October 13, 2023. Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests ever interviewed on Wednesday MidDay Medley when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything Michael’s bands Molly Picture Club and Kodascope ever recorded. Michael’s band, Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for nearly 15 years playing Talking Heads tracks to full houses of audiences dancing and singing along. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth KC proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Bowie as well as David Byrne. Info at: http://www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com

Michael B. Tipton thanks for being with us on WMM

Michael’s band, Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for nearly 15 years playing Talking Heads tracks to full houses of audiences dancing and singing along.

Found A Job play Boulevard Beer Hall on Wednesday April 15, 2026 – Kansas City, MO

Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth KC proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Bowie as well as David Byrne.

On May 29, with Be Non, Back Light Animals, and Seyko you are putting on a Pink Floyd tribute at The Warehouse on Broadway. Seyko from The Freedom Affair and Sunu will be performing background vocals & lead vocal duties on various songs throughout the set.

Michael B Tipton is a seasoned singer-songwriter who has performed for audiences nationwide for over 26 years. With a remarkable versatility across genres like folk, country, electronic, indie rock, and hard rock, his compositions are written to be adapted to various musical styles.

Michael made his mark as a member of acclaimed bands:
Tabla Rasa (1999-2005),
5 Defy (2006-2008),
Molly Picture Club (2009-2013),
Kodascope (2013-2016).

Michael B Tipton is a dad. He has four kids.

Michael Tipton just launched his own branding consultancy called True Yarn Branding and would love your help in anyway to help him make some connections to small businesses in the Kansas City region. His focus is on helping growing companies develop their brand story for better market positioning and relationship building with their customers. https://www.tybranding.com/

Michael B.Tipton Shows:

APR. 15, 2026 – Kansas City, MO – Found A Job @ Boulevard Beer Hall

APR. 24, 2026-Excelsior Springs, MO-Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels Warbird Whiskey

APR. 25, 2026 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads Presents Found A Job

APR. 29, 2026 – Lawrence, KS – Western Wednesday At Northside Social Presents Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels

MAY 29, 2026 – Kansas City, MO – An Evening Of Pink Floyd – Warehouse on Broadway

Michael B.Tipton thanks for being with us on WMM

10:56

  1. Michael B. Tipton – “Back to the Farm”
    from: “Back to The Farm” – Single / Micheal B. Tipton / October 21, 2025
    [One of 5+ new singles Michael B. Tipton released in 2025. This single was recorded at Weights & Measures Soundlab here in KC. Performers on the track are Nate Holt- organ, Aaron Lewis- bass, Jace Hughes- electric guitar, Sam Shoemaker-pedal steel guitar, Justin Danner-drums, Ashleigh Guthrie-backing vocals, and myself on acoustic and vocals. Written by Michael B. Tipton. // Along with the country singles Michael recently teamed up with vocalist Seyko of The Freedom Affair member Seyko to release a Christmas collab they co-wrote called “Better To Believe” in early December. This song features performances by The Freedom Affair, members of Found A Job and Michael’s country band The Scoundrels, and Seyko’s daughter Reiko. // Michael B. Tipton has been working with Nashville songwriters and studios this past year and recently recorded an original song “Favorite Place in Town” (written about Strawberry Hill’s Hillsiders), at County Q Studios in Nashville. This song will be released TBA in 2026 and distributed to FM and AM Country stations across the country. Michael B. Tipton was signed to Stone Bridge Entertainment in July 2025. His debut solo album, Out of the Woods, was released on October 13, 2023. With his band The Scoundrels, Michael has shared stages with Bronwyn Keith Hynes and Jason Isbell. // Michael Tipton was one of the first musical guests we ever interviewed on WMM when he was in the band Tabla Rasa. We also played almost everything they recorded when Michael was part of the band, Molly Picture Club. Michael’s band Found a Job has been rocking venues in Kansas City for over 10 years playing Talking Heads tracks. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to The Band That Fell to Earth proving he can serve and deliver with the lyrics of David Byrne and David Bowie. // More info at: http://www.michaelbtiptonmusic.com/shows.%5D

11:00 – Station ID

  1. The Greeting Committee – “What I Wouldn’t Give?” (CD #12) (3:41)
    from: “What I Wouldn’t Give?” / Harvest Records / October 10, 2025
    [Formed in KC in 2015 with Addie Sartino, Brandon Yangmi, Austin Fraser, & Pierce Turcotte. This EP waOn September 24, 2021 The Greeting Committee released their album Dandelion, ,which was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordins of 2021. hat release was a follow up to their Oct. 17, 2019 EP, I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry, and their October 26, 2018, full length vinyl release “This Is It.” The band has previously released the EP “Meeting People is Easy” in 2017, and “It’s Not All That Bad” in 2015.The Greeting Committee released their single “Ada” on August 27, 2021, through Harvest Records / UMG Recordings. Addie wrote about her song “Ada” explaining it was a queer narrative inspired by lived experience of a dear friend. i knew this wasn’t my story to tell, but instead the story of someone i fiercely admire. to our garden, you are loved. you are loved.]

[The Greeting Committee play Manor Fest 8]

11:05 – Interview with Shaun Crowley

Shaun Crowley is a classically trained guitarist, and has studied at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Crowley started playing in the Kansas City music community when he was 17 in band Rev Gusto who released their debut album on High Dive Records. Rev. Gusto then transformed into the band Momma’s Boy.

Shaun Crowley is the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a non-profit organization that functions as a record store and record label to support Kansas City musicians. Crowley started the nonprofit in 2017. Manor Records has expanded the idea of what a music label can be, by creating multiple record store locations, hosting Songbird Sessions every Sunday at ARTSKC, Music Maker Mondays on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO

One of Manor Records biggest events is: Manor Fest an eight day, music festival held progressively in eight different neighborhoods in Kansas City in May. From a basement in Shawnee, Kansas, to neighborhoods like the Crossroads to the Northeast, and now a KC Streetcar Day – Manor Fest has become a citywide celebration of the music community that makes this place special. Shaun Crowley joins us to discuss MANOR FEST 8, happening on two weekends: May 20-23 and May 27-30.

Shaun Crowley Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

MANOR FEST 8, happening on two weekends: Wednesday May 20 through Saturday May 23 and Wednesday May 27 through Saturday May 30.

The Greeting Committee, Bobby Watson, Calvin Arsenia, Fritz & Sons, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Sass-A-Brass, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, Eddie Moore, True Lions, The Royal Chief, Brian Gerald Bulger, Kissin, The Babe Gabe, Scabb, The Matchsellers, Kadesh Flow, Miki P, Aigerue + Mikey, Teri Quinn, Field Daze, Spy World, FK Menace, Apricot Glow, 2w33dy, Alber & I Maledetti, Malek Azrael & The Vibes, Dom Chronicles, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, LyMerrick, Kemet Coleman, Rebel Song Academy Ft. Base Academy of Music, Pure XTC, Nina Cherry, Henry Scamurra, Charmaine, Mosaic, Toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Jolson & The Fear of Snakes, Silvee, Freia, Natalie Prauser, Jazlyn Epps, Gracie Caggiano, Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust, Tidal.wav, Kapten, Sammy Sheets, Maddie Lai, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Jack Summers, Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs, Isaiah Petrie, The Soul Agenda Info: http://www.manorrecords.com

11:14

  1. The Yadda Yadda – “30 Minutes (feat.TyFaison, Paris Williams, and Monogram)” (Radio Edit)”
    from: UNTIL THE WAR IS WON / Seven Rings Media / September 26, 2025
    [TyFaison released his solo album Until The War Is Won through Seven Rings Media on September 25, 2025. Every song produced by Medici & TyFaizon as The Human. // Every song mixed & mastered by Medici. // Executive produced by Alex Guapo & Medici. // Album art by Trey Hyde & Daniel Ruiz. // TyFaizon aka Mango Marai is a rapper previously in the groups Drop Dead XX & Blackstarkids. He is now 1/2 of production duo The Human. TyFaizon is a multi faceted musical artist, writer, producer, composer, TyFaison is also known as Mango Marai. TyFaison is a rapper previously in the groups Drop Dead XX & Blackstarkids. TyFaison rose to international acclaim with BLACKSTARKIDS. // Mark: When we first heard BLACKSTARKIDS – “Sounds Like Fun!” from their album: SURF on Bedroom Records, released Feb. 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 a phenomenon who came out of Raytown Missouri and SURF became the soundtrack for the summer of 2020. // Blackstarkids were a pop/R&B/hip-hop trio that include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The members have known each other since high school meeting at Raytown South High School and formed the band in 2019. The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, on Aug. 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 3rd album on October 22, 2020, followed by Puppies Forever on Oct. 15, 2021, and Cyberkiss on Sept. 23, 2022. Blackstarkids released their last two albums Saturn Dayz on Sept. 20, 2024, and Heaven on Urf on Oct. 25, 2024. // With BLACKSTARKIDS, Ty gained experience, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, and Glass Animals. // In Sept. 20, 2024. After the break-up of BlackStarKids last year, TyFaison with Medici formed the production company “The Human” and then produced Paris Williams 2024 album A PARIS WILLIAMS JOINT (released Nov. 19, 2024) and then the full length album MANGO MARAI & SATURN STAR, (released in Dec. 2024). Ty then lent his talent to collaborating with BlackStarKids bandmate and close friend TheBabeGabe in launching her solo career. Her debut mixtape HONEY POP, was released on March 5, 2025 and five months later, HONEYPOP: RELOADED was released on Aug. 8, 2025. Both albums were produced by The Human.] [Paris Williams rleased A Paris Williams Joint through Bitter Sweet Sound on November 19, 2024 // 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. // Paris Williams & Bloom Allen released the single “Truthfully” (radio edit) through BitterSweet Sound on August 12, 2025. // allmylinks.com/popstarparis]

[Paris Williams and TyFaison both play Manor Fest 8]

11:17 – More Interview with Shaun Crowley

Shaun Crowley is the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a non-profit organization created to support Kansas City musicians. Crowley started the nonprofit in 2017.

Manor Records has expanded the idea of what a music label can be, by creating multiple record store locations, hosting Songbird Sessions every Sunday at ARTSKC, Music Maker Mondays on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO

One of Manor Records biggest events is: Manor Fest an eight day, music festival held progressively in eight different neighborhoods in Kansas City in May. From a basement in Shawnee, Kansas, to neighborhoods like the Crossroads to the Northeast, and now a KC Streetcar Day – Manor Fest has become a citywide celebration of the music community that makes this place special.

Shaun Crowley joins us to discuss MANOR FEST 8, happening on two weekends: May 20-23 and May 27-30.

Shaun Crowley Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

MANOR FEST 8, happening on two weekends: Wednesday May 20 through Saturday May 23 and Wednesday May 27 through Saturday May 30.

The Greeting Committee, Bobby Watson, Calvin Arsenia, Fritz & Sons, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Sass-A-Brass, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, Eddie Moore, True Lions, The Royal Chief, Brian Gerald Bulger, Kissin, The Babe Gabe, Scabb, The Matchsellers, Kadesh Flow, Miki P, Aigerue + Mikey, Teri Quinn, Field Daze, Spy World, FK Menace, Apricot Glow, 2w33dy, Alber & I Maledetti, Malek Azrael & The Vibes, Dom Chronicles, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, LyMerrick, Kemet Coleman, Rebel Song Academy Ft. Base Academy of Music, Pure XTC, Nina Cherry, Henry Scamurra, Charmaine, Mosaic, Toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Jolson & The Fear of Snakes, Silvee, Freia, Natalie Prauser, Jazlyn Epps, Gracie Caggiano, Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust, Tidal.wav, Kapten, Sammy Sheets, Maddie Lai, Danielle Ate Ghe Sandwich, Jack Summers, Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs, Isaiah Petrie, The Soul Agenda Info: http://www.manorrecords.com

Music Maker Mondays at Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.

Songbird Sessions every Sunday at ARTSKC

Shaun Crowley Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

MANOR FEST 8, happening on two weekends: Wednesday May 20 through Saturday May 23 and Wednesday May 27 through Saturday May 30. Info: http://www.manorrecords.com

11:25

  1. HAILES – “Not Perfect”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

11:27 – Underwriting

  1. Krystle Warren & The Faculty – “I’ve Seen Days”
    from: Diary [Remastered] – EP / Parlour Door Music 2025 / March 10, 2005
    [Krystle Warren & The Faculty’s first official release, ‘Diary’, has been remastered by chief-inspector, Ben Kane, who not only recorded those clandestine sessions at Electric Lady Studios; he also co-produced and mixed their conclusion with his then mentor, the legendary Russell Elevado. With KW and The Faculty at the time ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-three, ‘Diary’ is a snapshot of youth and discovery; a “baby-band” finding their sound, and pushing their creativity into uncharted territory. // On November 1, 2024 Krystle Warren & The Faculty released EXTENDED PLAY which was #1 on WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. Krystle Warren & The Faculty are: Krystle Warren, Solomon Dorsey, Zach Djanikian, Mike Riddleberger, and Jonathan Anderson. Following their double album LOVE SONGS (2012) Krystle Warren & The Faculty were involved in many musical projects. Krystle Warren & The Faculty, released the single “Macca” on May 22, 2023. They released and their single “Rising” released May 31, 2019, and written especially for Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed television mini series WHEN THEY SEE US. When Covid delayed the upcoming release of Extended Play, Krystle and members of The Faculty along with some of their frequent collaborators formed The Crew to release the 4-song CREW EP on September 15, 2020. Through isolation came unity. The Crew was made up of: Lakecia Benjamin, Matthew Silberman, Jacob Snider, Joe Blaxx, Solomon Dorsey, Zach Djanikian, Cassorla, Krystle Warren, and Ben Kane. They recorded unique versions of classic songs with the hope of encouraging the rallying cries of The Moment: the movement of the people. // In the lockdown of their homes, they sewed together their interpretations of “Bein’ Green” (based upon Ray Charles’ rendition); “Gimme Some Truth” (a mighty John Lennon composition); “Dear Landlord” (a scathing indictment from the blistering pen of Bob Dylan); and “Rhythm of Life”, (a timeless statement originally performed by Oleta Adams). // A portion of the proceeds from The Crew. EP were donated to the various causes and organizations //// The Faculty was formed with Krystle Warren, Solomon Dorsey, Zach Djanikian, Mike Riddleberger, and Dave Moore. While the four boys had classes and gigs, Krystle floated around New York and made a lot of friends. She busked and wrote songs, and, with the help of her band members and Ben Kane, who had an internship at Electric Lady Studios and was sneaking them in at odd hours, Krystle turned those songs into an e.p. called Diary. // Diary led to Circles, which Ben Kane co-produced with Voodoo engineer Russell “The Dragon” Elevado. Circles was bought by Because Music in France, but Krystle still recorded Love Songs in New York, a double album that invokes a Blakean duality with its two subtitles, ‘A Time to Refrain from Embracing’ and ‘A Time You May Embrace’. // Love Songs​ was produced with most of the Faculty (Zach was on tour with Amos Lee) and a slew of guest musicians in Brian Bender’s Brooklyn studio, The Motherbrain. Bender’s assistant, Jonathan Anderson, would later go on to replace Dave Moore on keys. // The Faculty has always been a tenuous project for everyone involved because of the distance and the schedules. While everyone remains close friends, the band members are spread across the globe. Krystle in France. Riddleberger in New York and Zach in Woodstock. Jonathan in Los Angeles. And then they are all working musicians, touring, recording, and collaborating with an impressive list of artists. Musicians like, in no particular order: D’Angelo, Hercules and Love Affair, Donald Fagen and the Nightfliers, Joan As Police Woman, Jonathan Wilson, Emily King, Janet Jackson, Ron Sexsmith, Amy Helm, Taylor Swift, Rufus Wainwright, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, The Knights, Bleachers, Emmylou Harris, Amos Lee, Mayra Andrade, Lana Del Rey, Broken Social Scene, Teddy Thompson, Lakecia Benjamin, and honestly that’s less than the half of it. // So they have been busy, and they have gained a lot of experience since the days of sneaking into ElectricLady late night or playing for meager pay and free wine at an East Village Italian resto. And while Diary, Circles, and Love Songs​ were recorded with everyone in the same room (​Three the Hard Way, Krystle’s solo album, was pared down to her and Kane collectively), Extended Play​ was recorded disparately and assembled together by the steady hands and ears of Kane and Krystle. There is distance between the musicians in the recording process, but there is still a close emotional connection that can be heard in these songs. // The songs that make up ​Extended Play​ are songs of experience—the lyrics reflect on a crush from high school, a departed musical hero, and others who live in memory. There is nostalgia in Extended Play, and a forlornness. // Krystle describes “When I Look Back,” the last song of the album, as “an apology to my teenage self.” Twenty years ago she was writing songs about what happened day-of because being young is about immediacy and living in the present tense. Now the songs are about years past because life slows down, and we are allowed the time to “look back.”// But as Krystle sings in “Rising,” “Future lingers while past is present.” She’s writing about the past because we are all our collected histories—or as she puts it in “When I Look Back”: “there’s still something of her that stays.” The future, of course, still lingers, always there waiting for us, for the next move. The album ends with a recording of Audre Lorde’s gravelly voice. She says, // I’m going on to something else, the shape of which, I have no idea. ‘Only thing I know is, it’s going to be quite different. What I leave behind has a life of its own – I’ve said this about poetry … Well in a sense, I’m saying it about the very artifact of who I have been. // Krystle Warren & The Faculty still have more to come. They have built twenty years of memories, experiences, recordings, and shows, and with the release of Extended Play,​ they continue to show a commitment to growing as musicians together, even if apart. The Extended Play bio written by Phil Anderson]

[Owen/Cox Dance Group join internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Krystle Warren for AND WONDER their exciting new collaboration with performances: Fri & Sat, April 10 & 11 at 8:00pm and Sun, April 12, at 2:00pm, at the City Stage Theatre at Union Station. 30 West Pershing Road, KCMO.]

11:33 – Interview with Krystle Warren, Jennifer Owen, & Brad Cox

Jennifer Owen and Brad Cox of Owen/Cox Dance Group join internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Krystle Warren to share details of AND WONDER their exciting new collaboration with performances: Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 12, at 2:00pm, at the City Stage Theatre at Union Station. 30 West Pershing Road, KCMO. This world premiere will feature songs selected from Warren’s expansive catalog, including previously unreleased material, in an evening of intimate and powerful music and dance. Krystle Warren will be joined by a stellar ensemble of musicians and dancers for this unforgettable performance. Info at: http://www.owencoxdance.or

Krystle Warren, Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox thanks for being with us on WMM

And we are so excited to welcome back to the show, KC born and internationally known singer songwriter Krystle Warren who is back in KC from her home in France. Krystle is one of our most played artists of all time on the radio show. Krystle is also one of our most frequent guests. Krystle Warren began performing in her native KC at the age of 16. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy and in 2001 began her musical career collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After moving to New York City, she started busking on the streets and later formed her regular band, The Faculty.

Krystle Warren & The Faculty’s first official release, ‘Diary’, has been remastered by chief-inspector, Ben Kane, who not only recorded those clandestine sessions at Electric Lady Studios; he also co-produced and mixed their conclusion with his then mentor, the legendary Russell Elevado. With KW and The Faculty at the time ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-three, ‘Diary’ is a snapshot of youth and discovery; a “baby-band” finding their sound, and pushing their creativity into uncharted territory.

After DIARY was released Krystle was signed to Paris based music label Because Music who sent her a one-way ticket. Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the album CIRCLES in 2009. Their epic sophomore release, LOVE SONGS… followed in 2011, and contained twenty-four songs about love and was recorded in New York City over the span of two weeks, with close to thirty musicians. Around this time, Krystle joined forces with one of her musical idols, Rufus Wainwright, on his world tour as opener and bandmate. Krystle Warren then released her solo album THREE THE HARD WAY, in 2017 where Krystle played every instrument. On May 31, 2019 Krystle Warren & The Faculty released heir single “Rising” written especially for Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed television mini series WHEN THEY SEE US. When her band’s full length album was put on hold, Krystle released the 4-song EP THE CREW on September 15, 2020. Krustle released the single “Macca” on May 22, 2023, and the single “La Dolce Vita” on March 1, 2024. // On November 1, 2024 Krystle Warren & The Faculty release EXTENDED PLAY which was #1 on WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2024. // Krystle Warren played the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Sat, September 6, at 9:30pm at Lemonade Park, West Bottoms

Composer and arranger Brad Cox is co-founder of Owen/Cox Dance Group and founder and director of The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, a musicians’ collective dedicated to the performance of new large ensemble jazz music. Cox’s musical influences range from liturgical chant and traditional folkloric music to popular music and free jazz, with a particular interest in the communal aspects of music making. A composer in the uniquely American Ellington tradition, he has dedicated his work to forming creative collaborative relationships with musicians and to writing music for those musicians. Cox studied composition at UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance under James Mobberley and Gerald Kemner and is a recipient of the 2010 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Award and the 2009 Tanne Foundation Award.

Jennifer Owen is Artistic Director of Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she co-founded with composer Brad Cox in 2007. She has choreographed over fifty new works for Owen/Cox Dance Group, including two commissions by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and works commissioned by Island Moving Co. of Newport, RI, Kansas City Dance Festival, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She has also created nine new works for Kansas City Ballet’s In the Wings choreographic workshop, and a winning entry for the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project. Owen is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Honorarium. Prior to founding Owen/Cox Dance Group, Owen enjoyed a 13-year international ballet career. After training with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan. She has performed principal roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Donizetti Variations, and the central pas de deux in Todd Bolender’s Arena.

Owen/Cox Dance Group is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit corporation with a mission is to create new music and dance collaborations, to present high-quality contemporary dance performances with live music, and to engage as wide an audience as possible through affordable live performance, education and outreach programs

And Wonder is a powerful new collaboration with internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Krystle Warren. // Blending Warren’s deeply expressive songwriting with dynamic choreography, And Wonder explores the essential relationship between music and movement. The performance features selections from Warren’s expansive catalog—including previously unreleased material—performed live alongside an ensemble of musicians and dancers. // Born and raised in Kansas City and now based in France, Warren returns to her hometown for this special premiere. Known for her genre-defying sound that blends jazz, folk, blues, and country influences, Warren has performed internationally and collaborated with celebrated artists including Rufus Wainwright, Joan As Police Woman, Hercules and Love Affair, and Robyn Hitchcock. // For And Wonder, Warren will be joined by an exceptional group of musicians: Brad Cox, Mike Stover, Jonathan Anderson, David Dawda, and Jaylen Ward. The performance also features dancers Winston Dynamite Brown, Emara Neymour Jackson, Jeremy Hanson, Sam McReynolds, Quentin Sledge, and Laura Wallner with choreography by Jennifer Owen.

And Wonder highlights the company’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and the unique immediacy of live performance. Through music and movement, And Wonder invites audiences into a shared artistic experience where sound and motion unfold together in real time.

Performances are April 10-12, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM, Sunday at 2

We started this segment with a song from The Faculty’s first 2005 official EP release, DIARY, just recently re-released and remastered by Ben Kane, who originally recorded those sessions at Electric Lady Studios, where he also co-produced and mixed the tracks with his then mentor, the legendary Russell Elevado. Krystle Warren is one of our most played artists and most frequent guests. Krystle Warren began performing in her native Kansas City at the age of 16. She graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the full length album CIRCLES in 2009. Their epic sophomore release, LOVE SONGS followed in 2011, and contained 24 songs about love, recorded in New York City over the span of two weeks, with close to thirty musicians. Around this time, Krystle also joined forces with one of her musical idols, Rufus Wainwright, on his world tour as opener and bandmate. Krystle Warren released her solo album THREE THE HARD WAY, co-produced with Ben Kane in 2017. Krystle will also be sharing details of , Krystle Warren & The Faculty’s released EXTENDED PLAY in November of 2024. EXTENDED PLAY was #1 on WMM’s 120 Beast Recordings of 2024. Info at: http://www.krystlewarren.com

Seven Years ago Krystle Warren, Jen Owens (& Brad Cox) join us to talk about the world premiere dance work by the Owen/Cox Dance Group set to a live performance of singer/songwriter Krystle Warren’s acclaimed double album, “Love Songs” Saturday, October 19, at 8:00 PM and Sunday, October 20, at 2:00 PM, at The Polsky Theatre at Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd, OPKS.

The world premiere dance work by the Owen/Cox Dance Group set to a live performance of singer/songwriter Krystle Warren’s acclaimed double album, “Love Songs” on Saturday, October 19, at 8:00 PM and Sunday, October 20, at 2:00 PM, at Polsky Theatre at Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd, OPKS.
For more info you can contact: http://www.owencoxdance.org

Krystle Warren & The Faculty Discography

Krystle Warren & The Faculty has released the EP “Diary” on May 1, 2007 ccccc

Krystle Warren released “The Up Series – EP” on November 10, 2008

Krystle Warren releases the 13-song Album CIRCLES on March 13, 2009

Krystle Warren & The Faculty released “A Time To Keep – Love Songs EP”, Aug. 12, 2011

Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the double album 24-song “Love Songs” released on vinyl in Europe on April 9, 2012 as “Love Songs: A Time to Embrace,” and “Love Songs: A Time to Refrain from Embracing. ” And released on separate digital and CD albums in the United States as: “Love Songs: A Time to Embrace,” on March 13, 2012 and “Love Songs: A Time to Refrain from Embracing” on February 27, 2015

Krystle Warren released the album THREE THE HARDWAY on August 18, 2017

Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the single “Rising” on May 31, 2019

Krystle Warren & The Crew released the 4-song EP, THE CREW on September 15, 2020

Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the single “Macca”on May 22, 2023
Krystle Warren & The Faculty released the single “LA DOLCE VITA” on March 1, 2024

Krystle Warren & The Faculty released EXTENDED PLAY on November 1, 2024

Krystle Warren and 90.1 FM KKFI

Mark first interviewed Krystle Warren for The Tenth Voice, back 2002. Mark first interviewed Krystle Warren for The Tenth Voice, back 2002. Mark waited several hours, during a winter snow storm, at a huge party, where Krystle played with her band including her longtime friend Solomon Dorsey on bass, in a packed, smoke filled apartment near Community Christian Church across the hall from where Solomon lived, to be given a 2 song demo CD, that contained Krystle’s first recorded music, including a song called “Chanel #5.” Krystle has since gone on to be known all over the world, but still maintains contact with her hometown of Kansas City.

Krystle was on WMM on June 29, 2016 as “Guest Producer” to share inspirations for her new record, THREE THE HARDWAY playing early gospel recordings, that crossed over into Jazz from: Pharoah Sanders, Edwin Hawkins, and The Swan Silvertones. Krystle’s critically acclaimed album, Three The Hard Way was #1 on WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. Wednesday MidDay Medley was the first to play tracks from Krystle’s album, before it was released. Krystle came on the show months before the release, to share music that was the inspiration for the recording. Released on Parlour Door Music, on August 18, 2017 and Produced by Krystle Warren and Ben Kane. Recorded, engineered, and mixed by Ben Kane. Written & performed by Krystle Warren. Mixed at The Garden, Brooklyn. Mastered & cut by Alex DeTurk at Masterdisk. In 2015 in Krystle Warren premiered new songs from this album at the Middle of the Map Fest in a packed room at Californos in Westport and later at The Polsky Theatre for the Performing Arts Series of Johnsons County Community College. For this record Krystle decided to play every instrument and vocals & back up vocals, “playing bass, drums, lap steel, piano, guitar, and vocals directly to analog tape. She and Ben Kane recorded in Villetaneuse, France, a small town on the outskirts of Paris in a vintage 70s era studio that offered just the right, rich sound to suggest the musical foundation for the record, and to do justice to the duo’s carefully balanced arrangements.” On the Wednesday MidDay Medley radio show in 2016 Krystle shared inspirations for this record, early gospel recordings, that crossed over into Jazz from: Pharoah Sanders, Edwin Hawkins, and The Swan Silvertones.

Krystle was on the show on Oct. 16, 2019 with Brad Cox when she was in KC to present LoveSongs with Owen/Cox Dance Group at Oct 19 & 20, 2019 at Polsky Theatre at JCCC.

We talked with Krystle on September 23, 2020 about The Crew EP where Krystle and friends recorded unique versions of four classic songs with the hope of encouraging the rallying cries of the moment: the movement of the people. Warren embarked on the project after her newest album, with her band The Faculty, was stalled due to COVID-19

Krystle Warren, Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox thanks for being with us on WMM

Owen/Cox Dance Group join internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Krystle Warren to share details of AND WONDER their exciting new collaboration with performances: Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, at 8:00pm and Sunday, April 12, at 2:00pm, at the City Stage Theatre at Union Station. 30 West Pershing Road, KCMO. This world premiere will feature songs selected from Warren’s expansive catalog, including previously unreleased material, in an evening of intimate and powerful music and dance. Krystle Warren will be joined by a stellar ensemble of musicians and dancers for this unforgettable performance. Info at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

  1. Krystle Warren – “Current Events”
    from: Circles / Because Music / March 13, 2009
    [krystle Warren was on June 13, 1981 in Kansas City. A 2000 graduate Paseo Academy of Fine and Perfoming Arts. Krystle learned to play the guitar by listening to Rubber Soul & Revolver from The Beatles. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career in collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After living in San Francisco and NYC, Krystle was signed to a French label, Because Music, and moved to Paris to release “Circles” in 2009. Krystle played French and British television programs, including Later with Jools Holland, garnering critical acclaim and traveling all over the world with Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Norah Jones, and Joan As Police Woman.]
  1. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

NEXT WEEK on April 15Kasey Rausch joins us to share new music from The Country Duo her musical project with Marco Pascolini. Also… percussionist and musician Marcus Rattler joins us to talk about his music and band Legerdemain, AND acclaimed vocalist and Broadway actress Hailes joins us to talk about her new original music and touring in big Broadways shows like Hadestown.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1142

WMM Playlist from April 1, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

April Fool’s Day Sing Along + The Elders + A.M. Merker

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]

Guest DJ – Ed Wallerstein – The X-Word Rabbit with an April Fool’s Day Sing Along.

Edward Wallerstein
  1. Mitch Miller – “Sing Along”
    from: Greatest Hits / Columbia Records / December 5, 1990
    [Originally released 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1969, 1961, 1962. // Mitchell William Miller was born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York, on July 4, 1911. His mother was Hinda (Rosenblum) Miller, a former seamstress, and his father, Abram Calmen Miller, a Russian-Jewish immigrant wrought-iron worker. He was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor and artists and repertoire (A&R) man. Miller was one of the most influential people in American popular music during the 1950s and early 1960s, both as the head of A&R at Columbia Records and as a best-selling recording artist with an NBC television series, Sing Along with Mitch. // Miller took up the oboe at first as a teenager, because it was the only instrument available when he went to audition for his junior high school orchestra. After graduating from East High School, he attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, where he met and became a lifelong friend of Goddard Lieberson, who became president of CBS Music Group in 1956. //After graduating from Eastman, Miller played with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and then moved to New York City, where he was a member of the Alec Wilder Octet (1938–41 and occasionally later), as well as performing with David Mannes, Andre Kostelanetz, Percy Faith, George Gershwin, and Charlie Parker. He worked with Frank Sinatra on the 1946 recording Frank Sinatra Conducts the Music of Alec Wilder. // Miller played the English horn part in the Largo movement of Dvořák’s New World Symphony in a 1947 recording conducted by Leopold Stokowski. In 1948, he performed Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C major with the CBS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alfredo Antonini in a broadcast for Voice of America. // Miller gave the American premiere of Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto in a 1948 radio broadcast. Strauss had originally assigned rights to the premiere to John de Lancie, who gave him the idea for the concerto while stationed near Strauss’s villa in Garmisch. However, since meeting the composer, de Lancie had won a section oboist position with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and as a junior player to the orchestra’s principal oboist, Marcel Tabuteau, was unable to fulfill Strauss’s wishes. De Lancie then gave the rights for the premiere to Miller. // As part of the CBS Symphony, Miller participated in the musical accompaniment on the 1938 radio broadcast of Orson Welles’s The Mercury Theater on the Air production of The War of the Worlds. He also performed in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. // Miller joined Mercury Records as a classical music producer and served as the head of artists and repertoire (A&R) at the label in the late 1940s, then joining Columbia Records in the same capacity in 1950. He defined the Columbia style through the early 1960s, signing and producing many important pop standards artists for Columbia, including Johnnie Ray, Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, Jimmy Boyd, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, and Guy Mitchell. // Miller enticed Frankie Laine to join the label after his early successes at Mercury. Miller helped direct the careers of artists who were already signed to the label, such as Doris Day, Dinah Shore, and Jo Stafford. Miller also discovered Aretha Franklin and signed her to the first major recording contract of her career. She left Columbia after five years, when Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records promised her artistic freedom to create records outside the pop mainstream in a more rhythm-and-blues-driven direction. // Mitch Miller disapproved of rock ‘n’ roll —one of his contemporaries described his denunciation of it as “The Gettysburg Address of Music”—and passed not only on Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, who became stars on RCA and Coral, respectively, but on The Beatles as well, creating a fortune in revenue for rival Capitol. Previously, Miller had offered Presley a contract but balked at the amount Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking. However, in 1958 he signed Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, two of Presley’s contemporaries at Sun Records.// According to former Newsweek music critic Karen Schoemer, Miller’s refusal to record in the genre was also due to his fear that the label, and its corporate parent CBS, would be implicated in the scandal surrounding payola if he did so, remarking: “I knew what was going on—everybody in the business knew what was going on. You had to pay to play.” // In defense of his anti-rock stance, he once told NME in January 1958: “Rock ‘n’ roll is musical baby food: it is the worship of mediocrity, brought about by a passion for conformity.” // Miller exemplified the worst in American pop. He first aroused the ire of intelligent listeners by trying to turn—and darn near succeeding in turning—great artists like Sinatra, Clooney, and Tony Bennett into hacks. Miller chose the worst songs and put together the worst backings imaginable—not with the hit-or-miss attitude that bad musicians traditionally used, but with insight, forethought, careful planning, and perverted brilliance. // In 1987, Miller conducted the London Symphony Orchestra with pianist David Golub in a well-received recording of Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Concerto in F, and Rhapsody in Blue. What made this recording special was that it was produced using the original sheet music that was handed out by Gershwin to his band for an early U.S. tour, along with Gershwin’s performance directions as noted by then band member Miller.]
  1. Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass– “Up Cherry Street”
    from: South of the Border / Herb Albert Presents / October 1, 1964
    [South of the Border is the third album by American band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, originally released in 1964. The name of the group, for this album, is “Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass”. South of the Border was Alpert’s third studio album, and fifth gold record. It continued the progression of the Tijuana Brass from its mostly-Mexican sound to a more easy-listening style, with a collection of cover versions of popular songs. Included were “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”, originally featured in the Broadway musical My Fair Lady, and The Beatles’ 1963 hit “All My Loving”. It also featured an instrumental cover of its title song, “South of the Border”, which was most famously done as a vocal by Frank Sinatra. // One number, a Sol Lake tune called “The Mexican Shuffle”, was reworked for a TV ad for a brand of chewing gum, and styled “The Teaberry Shuffle”. Bert Kaempfert, author of several songs covered by the Brass, returned the favor by issuing a cover of “The Mexican Shuffle”. The track titled “El Presidente”, was a reorchestration of Sol Lake’s “Winds of Barcelona”, which had appeared on Volume 2. // The cover features model Sandra Moss (Mrs. Jerry Moss at the time) at the Patio del Moro apartment complex in West Hollywood. // South of the Border enjoyed sustained popularity. It appeared on the Billboard Top LPs chart for a total of 163 weeks. For the week ending May 21, 1966, South of the Border peaked at No. 17, and was one of five Tijuana Brass albums listed in the top 20 of Billboard Magazine’s chart of Top LP’s. The others were What Now My Love , Going Places, Whipped Cream & Other Delights , and The Lonely Bull. // In a retrospective review for Allmusic, music critic Lindsay Planer praised the album’s variety and described the ballads as “never seeming maudlin or unnecessarily over the top.]
  1. The Champs – “Tequila”
    from: Greatest Hits / Curb Records / 1994 [Orig. released Jan. 15, 1958 – Go, Champs, Go!]
    [The Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged 1958 instrumental single “Tequila”. The group took their name from that of Gene Autry’s horse, Champion, and was formed by studio executives at Autry’s Challenge Records to record a B-side for the Dave Burgess single “Train to Nowhere”. The intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-side, as “Tequila” went to number one in just three weeks, and the band became the first group to go to the top spot with an instrumental that was their first release. The song was recorded at Gold Star Studios in fall 1957, and in 1959 won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America. // “Tequila” was written by saxophonist Danny Flores, although he was credited as “Chuck Rio” because he was under contract to another record label (RPM Records) at the time. Flores, who was of Mexican heritage and died in September 2006, was known as the “Godfather of Latino rock”. Flores’ “dirty sax” and his low-voiced “Tequila” are the hallmarks of the song. Flores signed away the US rights to the song, but retained worldwide rights until his death. // The many cover versions of the tune include a jazz version by guitarist Wes Montgomery in 1966. It has also been recorded by rappers A.L.T. and XL Singleton. The Champs also had success with instrumentals such as “Limbo Rock” and “El Rancho Rock”. In 1985, “Tequila” featured prominently in the film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. The Champs also recorded a sequel to “Tequila” entitled “Too Much Tequila”.]
  1. Burt Bacharach – “South American Getaway”
    from: Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid Orig. Soundtrack / A&M Records / Sept. 23, 1969
    [The soundtrack for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was composed by Burt Bacharach. The film, released in 1969, includes several notable tracks that contribute to its iconic status including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” sung by BJ Thomas music by Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David. The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song it also won a Grammy. Bacharach also won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (Not a Musical) and also won a Grammy. On “South American Getaway” the vocals are performed by the Ron Hicklin Singers. They were an extraordinary group who performed the themes for many films and TV series from the 1960s to the 1980s, including Happy Days, Wonder Woman and Batman. // Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, graduating from Forest Hills High School in 1946. He was the son of Irma M. (née Freeman) and Mark Bertram “Bert” Bacharach, a well-known syndicated newspaper columnist. His mother was an amateur painter and songwriter and encouraged Bacharach to practice piano, drums and cello during his childhood. His family was Jewish, but he said that they did not practice or give much attention to their religion. “But the kids I knew were Catholic,” he added. “I was Jewish, but I didn’t want anybody to know about it.” / Bacharach showed a keen interest in jazz as a teenager, disliking his classical piano lessons, and often used a fake ID to gain admission into 52nd Street nightclubs. He got to hear bebop musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, whose style influenced his songwriting. // Bacharach studied music (Associate of Music, 1948) at McGill University in Montreal, under Helmut Blume, at the Mannes School of Music in New York City, and at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California. During this period he studied a range of music, including jazz, whose sophisticated harmony is a distinctive feature of many of his compositions. His composition teachers included Darius Milhaud, Henry Cowell, and Bohuslav Martinů. Bacharach cited Milhaud, under whose guidance he wrote a “Sonatina for Violin, Oboe and Piano”, as his greatest influence.// Burt Freeman Bacharach (May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist, widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. He composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. His music features atypical chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output. // Beginning in the 1950s, Bacharach and David worked with Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Gene McDaniels, and Jerry Butler. From 1961 to 1972, most of the duo’s hits were tailored for Dionne Warwick. Following the initial success of these collaborations, Bacharach wrote hits for singers such as Gene Pitney, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and B. J. Thomas. In total, he wrote fifty-two US Top 40 hits, including chart-toppers “This Guy’s in Love with You” (Herb Alpert, 1968), “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (Thomas, 1969), “(They Long to Be) Close to You” (the Carpenters, 1970), “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (Christopher Cross, 1981), “That’s What Friends Are For” (Warwick, 1986), and “On My Own” (Carole Bayer Sager, 1986). // Over 1,000 artists have recorded Bacharach’s songs. A significant figure in orchestral pop and easy listening, he influenced genres such as sunshine pop/soft rock, chamber pop, and Shibuya-kei.[a] The writer William Farina said that Bacharach was connected in some way to almost every prominent musical artist of his era. Bacharach’s songs would eventually be repurposed for the soundtracks of major feature films.He received six Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and one Emmy Award. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David at number 32 for their list of the “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time”. In 2012, the duo received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first time the honor has been given to a songwriting team.]

10:19 – Repeated Words

  1. Bill Withers – “Ain’t No Sunshine ” [“I Know” – 26]
    from: Just As I Am / Sussex / July 1971
    [“Ain’t No Sunshine” is a song by the American singer and songwriter Bill Withers, from his 1971 debut album Just As I Am. The song was produced by Booker T. Jones, and it also featured the musicians Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. The song’s strings were arranged by Jones. The song was recorded in Los Angeles, with overdubs in Memphis by the track’s engineer Terry Manning. // The song was released as a single in 1971, and it became the breakthrough hit for Withers and one of Withers’ best known tracks, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Billboard ranked it as the 23rd biggest hit single of 1971. / The song reached the Top 40 again in 2009 in the United Kingdom due to a version of it being performed by Kris Allen on the eighth season of American Idol. // In 2024, the single was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress due to it being “culturally, historically, and/or aesthetically significant”. // Withers was inspired to write the song after watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, “They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It’s like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren’t particularly good for you. It’s just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I’m not aware of.” // For the song’s bridge, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase “I know” 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way. Withers stated: “I was this factory worker puttering around. So when they said to leave it like that, I left it.” // Withers, then 31, was working at a factory making lavatories for Boeing 747s at the time he wrote the song. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career. “Ain’t No Sunshine” was the first of Withers’ three gold records in the U.S. // Originally released as the B-side to another song called “Harlem”, “Ain’t No Sunshine” was preferred by disc jockeys, and it became a huge hit, Withers’ first. “Harlem” was subsequently covered by The 5th Dimension, who featured it on their Soul and Inspiration album and released it as a single.// Withers performed “Ain’t No Sunshine” on The Old Grey Whistle Test. It won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972 and is ranked 285th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.]
  1. The Trashmen – “Surfin’ Bird” [“Bird” – 27]
    from: Tube City! The Best of The Trashmen / Garrett / July 21, 1992 [orig. Nov. 13, 1963]
    [The Trashmen were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis in 1962 and are best known for their biggest hit, 1963’s “Surfin’ Bird”, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The original line-up of the group featured guitarists Tony Andreason and Dal Winslow, bassist Bob Reed, and drummer Steve Wahrer. // Along with Colorado-based contemporaries the Astronauts, the Trashmen have been described as “the premier landlocked Midwestern surf group of the ’60s.” The band took their name from “Trashman’s Blues”, a song written and recorded in 1961 by Minneapolis musician Kai Ray (Richard Caire, 1935–2017), who later wrote songs for the band. // The Trashmen’s biggest hit was 1963’s “Surfin’ Bird” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latter part of that year. The song was a combination of two R&B hits by the Rivingtons, “The Bird’s the Word” and “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow”. The song was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis. Early pressings of the single credit the Trashmen’s drummer and vocalist Steve Wahrer as the composer, but following a threat from The Rivingtons’ legal counsel, the writing credit was removed from Wahrer and transferred to the members of The Rivingtons. // The song was later covered by the Ramones, the Cramps, Silverchair, The Psychotic Petunias, Pee-wee Herman, Equipe 84, and the thrash metal band Sodom. It has also been featured in several films, including Full Metal Jacket, Fred Claus, Pink Flamingos, Back to the Beach, and The Big Year. // “Surfin’ Bird” was the subject of the episode “I Dream of Jesus” of the television series Family Guy, sending the song to No. 8 on the iTunes Top 10 Rock songs chart and No. 50 on the UK Singles Chart in 2009. It has since become a running gag on the show. // In 2010, a Facebook campaign was launched to send the song to No. 1 in the UK over the Christmas season; this was largely intended (as with Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name”, in 2009) as a protest against the takeover of the Christmas No. 1 spot by The X Factor winner’s song. The track debuted in the UK Top Ten for the first time on December 19, at No. 3. // It was also featured in the video game Battlefield Vietnam.]
  1. The Human Beinz – “Nobody But Me” [“Nobody” – 31]
    from: Nobody But Me / Capitol Records / 1969
    [Youngstown, Ohio band. The band initially featured John Richard “Dick” Belley (vocals, guitar), Joe “Ting” Markulin (vocals, guitar), Mel Pachuta (vocals, bass), and Gary Coates (drums), later replaced by Mike Tatman. // Their only hit record in the US, “Nobody But Me”, peaked in 1968 at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. // The Beinz started in 1964 as The Premiers, launching their professional career to build a local fan base. In 1966, they changed their name to The Human Beingz because they felt their old name did not fit with the feel of the late 1960s. They recorded covers of songs by Them, The Yardbirds, The Who and Bob Dylan. The group was also the first to record a cover of “Gloria” by Them, which became a hit for The Shadows of Knight, and covered “The Pied Piper”, which later became a hit for Crispian St. Peters. // The group signed to Capitol Records in 1967 and at that time Capitol misspelled their name, leaving out the “g”. Capitol’s purported idea was to affiliate the band’s name with the Human Be-In movement of 1967. // The Beinz were told it would be changed on the next release if the debut single did not have any success. On August 24, 1967 “Nobody But Me” was released and became their only Billboard Top 40 hit, which meant that Capitol would not correct the spelling. “Nobody But Me” (written and first recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1962) peaked at No. 8 in February 1968. The recording’s two 31-fold repetitions of the word “no” fulfill Casey Kasem’s “Book of Records” category of most repetitive word or phrase in a Hot 100 top 10 hit, besting the 26-fold repetition of “I know” in Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. An album, Nobody But Me, followed. // The Beinz’ next single, “Turn On Your Love Light”, peaked No. 80 but became a huge hit in Japan, where it peaked at No. 1.”Turn On Your Love Light”, originally a hit for Bobby Bland in 1962, was later covered by Jerry Lee Lewis and the Grateful Dead. In 1968, Capitol released a second album, Evolutions. They also released the single, “Hold on Baby”, exclusively in Japan, where it also hit the top of the charts. The band went on a contractually obligated tour of Japan as a result of their success there and broke up immediately thereafter in March 1969.]

10:28 – Scat

  1. Cab Calloway – “Minnie The Moocher”
    from: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack / Atlantic / June 20, 1980
    [The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (later rereleased as The Blues Brothers: Music from the Soundtrack) is the Blues Brothers Band’s second album. Released on June 20, 1980, it was a followup to their debut live album, Briefcase Full of Blues. The band toured the same year to promote the film, later releasing a second live album, Made in America, which featured the Top 40 track “Who’s Making Love”. // The soundtrack was recorded in Chicago at Universal Recording Corporation at the same time the movie was being filmed, with the exception of “Gimme Some Lovin'”, which was recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, and “The Old Landmark”, which was recorded live on a Universal Studios sound stage on the West Coast, with overdubs later recorded at a studio in New York City. // The songs on the soundtrack album are a noticeably different audio mix than in the film, with a prominent baritone saxophone in the horn line (also heard in the film during “Shake a Tail Feather”, though no baritone sax is present), and female backing vocals on “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”, though the band had no other backup singers, besides Jake and/or Elwood, in the film. A number of regular band members, including saxophonist Tom Scott and drummer Steve Jordan, perform on the album but are not in the film. // According to Landis in The Stories Behind the Making of ‘The Blues Brothers’, filmed musical performances by Aretha Franklin and James Brown took more effort, as neither artist was accustomed to lip-synching their performances. Franklin required several takes, and Brown simply rerecorded his performance live on a Universal Studios sound stage during filming of the holy roller church scene, with overdubs later recorded at a studio in New York City. Calloway had wanted to perform a disco variation on his signature tune, “Minnie the Moocher”, having done the song in several styles in the past, but Landis insisted that the song be done in an original big-band arrangement. Calloway was initially angry with Landis over this decision but was later pleased with the positive reception his performance received from audiences and fans of the film. // “Gimme Some Lovin'” was a Top 20 Billboard hit for the Blues Brothers, peaking at number 18. The album sold more than a million copies.][ Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the swing era. His niche of mixing jazz and vaudeville won him acclaim during a career that spanned over 65 years. // Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the most popular dance bands in the United States from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. His band included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus “Doc” Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon “Chu” Berry, guitarist Danny Barker, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Cozy Cole. // Calloway had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, becoming the first African-American musician to sell one million copies of a record. He became known as the “Hi-de-ho” man of jazz for his most famous song, “Minnie the Moocher”, originally recorded in 1931. He reached the Billboard charts in five consecutive decades (1930s–1970s). Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances. He had roles in Stormy Weather (1943), Porgy and Bess (1953), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), and Hello Dolly! (1967). In the 1980s, Calloway enjoyed a marked career resurgence following his appearance in the musical comedy film The Blues Brothers (1980). // Calloway was the first African-American to have a nationally syndicated radio program. In 1993, Calloway received the National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress. He posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. His song “Minnie the Moocher” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2019. In 2022, the National Film Registry selected his home films for preservation as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films”. He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and the International Jazz Hall of Fame.]
  1. John Scatman – “Scatmambo”
    from: Take Your Time / Iceberg Records / June 1, 1999
    [Take Your Time is the 4th and final studio album released by John Paul Larkin (March 13, 1942 – December 3, 1999), known professionally under the alias Scatman John, was an American musician. A prolific jazz pianist and vocalist for several decades, he rose to prominence in 1994 through his fusion of scat singing and dance music. He recorded five albums, which were released between 1986 and 2001. // In the United States and Europe, Larkin is recognized for his singles “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” and “Scatman’s World”. He achieved his greatest success in Japan, where his album Scatman’s World (1995) sold more than a million copies. Outside of his musical activities, he had deepened exchanges with stuttering organizations and established the Scatland Foundation in 1996 with the purpose of furthering research of and educating the public on stuttering. Larkin was a recipient of the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association’s Annie Glenn Award for outstanding service to the stuttering community and a posthumous inductee to the National Stuttering Association Hall of Fame. // John Paul Larkin was born at the Stanley Hospital in El Monte, California. He had a prominent stutter by the time he learned to speak. This stutter contributed to his emotionally traumatic childhood. At age twelve, he began to learn the piano and was introduced to the art of scat singing two years later through records by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, among others. The piano provided him with a means of artistic expression to compensate for his speech difference, and he “hid behind [the] piano because [he] was scared to speak.” // Larkin began making jazz music in the 1970s. His first known performance on a studio album was in 1981 on the album Animal Sounds by Sam Phipps. In 1986, he released the self-titled album John Larkin on the Transition label. This album was produced by John himself, along with Marcia Larkin. It featured Joe Farrell on saxophone. // To advance his career in 1990, Larkin moved to Berlin, Germany. Once there, he discovered an appreciative jazz culture and started playing jazz gigs. This was when he first decided to take a monumental step away from his insecurities and add singing to his act for the first time, inspired by a standing ovation he received for a performance at the Cafe Moscow in Berlin. Soon after, his agent Manfred Zähringer from Iceberg Records (Denmark) thought of combining scat singing with modern dance music and hip-hop effects. Larkin was hesitant at first, terrified of being laughed at and criticized once again, but BMG Hamburg was open. // Larkin was worried that listeners would realize he stuttered, and his wife, Judy, suggested that he talk about it directly in his music. Working with dance producers composer Tony Catania, and Ingo Kays co producer, he recorded the first single, “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)”. After his first big hit, he adopted the new name and persona of “Scatman” John. // In 1995, at age 53, Larkin became a worldwide star. Sales of his debut single were slow at first, but they gradually reached number one in many countries and sold more than six million records worldwide. “Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)” charted highly across Europe and Japan and remains his biggest-selling and most well-known song. He later followed up with the song “Scatman’s World” entering the UK Singles Chart at number 10, which met lesser but still notable success, selling a million copies and charting highly throughout Europe. In 2019, “Scatman’s World” had some resurgence after becoming an internet meme.]

10:36 – Underwriting

10:38 – Comedy

  1. “Weird Al” Yankovic – “Bob”
    from: Poodle Hat / Volcano – Way Moby / May 20, 2023
    [“Bob” is a song by “Weird Al” Yankovic from the 2003 album Poodle Hat. The song is a parody sung in the style of Bob Dylan, and each line of the lyrics is a palindrome, as is the title. For example, the song’s first line is “I, man, am regal—a German am I”. // The song did not chart at the time of its release, but later became the subject of critical and scholarly examination. Music critic Nathan Rabin argues that the song’s lyrics “sound cryptic enough to be genuine Dylanesque, but are in fact palindromes delivered in an uncanny re-creation of Dylan’s nasal whine.” Randall Auxier and Douglas R. Anderson described Yankovic as having “bested” Dylan with the song, in a hypothetical competition. // “Bob” was written and recorded by Yankovic in 2002 and was “in part inspired by the year 2002, itself a palindrome”. In an interview with musicologist Lily E. Hirsch, Yankovic used the song as an illustration of his writing process, noting that he put together the lyrics before deciding to do the song in the style of Dylan: Yankovic thought, “Well, I wonder if I could write a song completely out of palindromes? … So I started putting the rhymes together and putting the verses together and basically making a poem out of these palindromes.” He continued, “And I looked at them and I thought, ‘Well, this … this is really just a random jumble, but it looks like it should mean something.'” The pseudo-poetic nonsense struck him as similar to the lyrical invention of Bob Dylan. // Using Dylan as the template for the song style also allowed Yankovic to use Dylan’s first name, itself a palindrome, as the title. The song is described as “a style parody that responds to Dylan’s sound (particularly his mid-1960s sound) and to the befuddling nature of some of his lyrics”. Although the music video alludes to “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, “the musical style of ‘Bob’ is closer to Dylan’s ‘Tombstone Blues'”. Yankovic “plays on the famous inscrutability of Dylan’s 1960s lyrics by composing his parody entirely from palindromes”, while his performance “replicates a musical style associated with Bob Dylan—harmonica, a pronounced nasal voice, and vocal attacks marked by scooping”, the latter being a musical technique of singing the note slightly below the desired pitch, and then sliding up to it. Another examination found that “Yankovic’s vocal timbre, attack, phrasing and rhythm make the song convincingly Dylanesque, while the rhyming palindromes provide a structuring logic to the song and provide it with its own sense even as it makes no sense semantically”. The A.V. Club found the song to be “very much in the Bowser & Blue tradition, imitating the sound of Dylan’s classic recordings and poking fun at his penchant for nonsensical lyrics”. // In 2013, Yankovic served as a guest judge in a palindrome contest. Noting that “Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo”, a line in the song, was a personal favorite of his, he said, “The writing of a brilliant palindrome is a small miracle”, which “deserves to be honored more than a lot of the stupid and inconsequential things we often celebrate in our culture”. // The music video alludes to the clip of Dylan’s song “Subterranean Homesick Blues” in the 1967 D. A. Pennebaker documentary Don’t Look Back. The video for “Bob” is similarly shot in black-and-white, and in the same back-alley setting, with Yankovic dressing as Dylan and dropping cue cards that have the song’s lyrics on them, as Dylan did in the film. The video features cameo appearances by Yankovic’s drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz and frequent Yankovic video director Jay Levey, standing in the same positions as Allen Ginsberg and Bob Neuwirth in the Dylan video. // “Bob” was the only song on the album for which a video was made; plans had been made to film a video for the Eminem parody “Couch Potato”, but while the work was in pre-production, Eminem refused permission for Yankovic to make the video. So that the album would not be without a video, a quick one for “Bob” was shot and used on the tour and for the 2003 edition of Al TV. The video for “Bob” was released on “Weird Al” Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection DVD (2003).]
  1. Stan Freberg – “Sh-Boom”
    from: The Very Best Of Stan Freberg / Capitol / 1998 [orig. 1954]
    [“Sh-Boom” (“Life Could Be a Dream”) is a doo-wop song by the R&B vocal group the Chords. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and William Edwards, members of the Chords, and was released in 1954. It is sometimes considered the first doo-wop or rock and roll record to reach the top ten on the pop charts (as opposed to the R&B charts), as it was a top-10 hit that year for both the Chords (who first recorded the song) and the Crew-Cuts. In 2004, it was ranked No. 215 on Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Best Songs of All Time”. // Stan Freberg recorded a combined spoof of “Sh-Boom” and Marlon Brando because he felt that they both mumbled, in 1954. It reached No. 14 in the US and 15 in the UK. The Billy Williams Quartet released a version in 1954 on Coral Records that reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, with orchestra directed by Jack Pleis. Bloodstone recorded an a cappella cover of the song for their 1975 movie Train Ride to Hollywood. The Harvard Din & Tonics have recordings of the song (arranged by Patrick Whelan) on most of their albums, and sing it near universally at their performances, inviting alumni from the audience to sing with them on stage. // Stan Freberg (born Stanley Friberg; August 7, 1926 – April 7, 2015) was an American voice actor, satirist, singer, radio personality, and advertising creative director. // His best-known works include “St. George and the Dragonet”, Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, his role on the television series Time for Beany, multiple characters in the Looney Tunes such as Pete Puma and Bertie, and a number of classic television commercials. // He appeared on “Weird Al” Yankovic’s The Weird Al Show, playing both the J.B. Toppersmith character and the voice of the puppet Papa Boolie. Yankovic has acknowledged Freberg as one of his greatest influences.]

10:46 – Deliberately Strange

  1. Aldriano Celentano – “Prisencolinensinainciusol”
    from: Celentano Hit Parade (Le Volte Che Adriano È Stato Primo) / Clan Celentano / 1983
    [“Prisencolinensinainciusol” (pronounced [ˌprizeŋˌkɔliˌnɛnsinainˈtʃuːzol]; stylized on the single cover as “PRİSENCÓLİNENSİNÁİNCIÚSOL”) is a song composed by the Italian singer Adriano Celentano, and performed by Celentano and his wife Claudia Mori. It was released as a single in 1972. Both the name of the song and its lyrics are gibberish, but are intended to represent what American English sounds like to people who do not understand English. The song charted in several European countries. // By the 1960s, Celentano was already one of the most popular rock musicians in Italy, in large part due to his appearance at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1960 and the subsequent success of his song “24.000 baci”. Martina Tanga writes that his artistic persona was characterised by “loud lyrics and inelegant body movements”, which differentiated him from other singers of the time. Paolo Prato describes his style as “a bit of Elvis, a bit of Jerry Lewis, a bit of folk singer”. “Prisencolinensinainciusol” was released in 1972 and remained popular throughout the 1970s. // It has been described as varying music genres including rock and roll, Europop, house music, disco, hip hop and funk. Celentano, however, did not have these styles in mind when writing the song. He composed “Prisencolinensinainciusol” by creating a loop of four drumbeats and improvising lyrics over the top of the loop in his recording studio. The song is characterised by an E flat groove in the drum and bass guitar and riff in the horn section. Between the drum loop, the looped horns, and the conversational improvisational “freestyle” flow of the lyrics and the chanting chorus, the song has many elements later found in hip hop in the mid-1980s and 1990s. // Celentano has claimed that with this song he invented rapping. // The song is intended to sound as if it is sung in English spoken with an American accent; however, the lyrics are deliberately unintelligible gibberish. Andrew Khan, writing in The Guardian, later described the sound as reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s output from the 1980s. // Celentano’s intention was not to create a humorous novelty song but to explore communication barriers. The intent was to demonstrate how English sounds to people who do not understand the language: “Ever since I started singing, I was very influenced by American music and everything Americans did. So at a certain point, because I like American slang—which, for a singer, is much easier to sing than Italian—I thought that I would write a song which would only have as its theme the inability to communicate. And to do this, I had to write a song where the lyrics didn’t mean anything.” // Celentano also took inspiration from the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel.]
  1. Piero Umiliani – “Mah No Mah Na”
    from: Svezia, inferno e paradiso / Piero Umiliani / September 4, 1968
    [“Mah Nà Mah Nà” is a popular song by the Italian composer Piero Umiliani. It originally appeared in the Italian film Sweden: Heaven and Hell (Svezia, inferno e paradiso). On its own it was a minor radio hit in the United States and in Britain, but became better known internationally after it was used by the Muppets and on The Benny Hill Show. // Sesame Street producer Joan Ganz Cooney heard the track on the radio and decided it would be a perfect addition to the show. The song’s first Sesame Street performance by the Muppets was performed by puppeteers Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Loretta Long (Susan) on the fourteenth episode of the show, broadcast on November 27, 1969. The following Sunday, Henson and his Muppets performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show. Seven years later, the song was part of the premiere episode of The Muppet Show.// Starting in 1971, The Benny Hill Show—in its second incarnation at Thames Television where it launched in 1969 in colour—included “Mah Nà Mah Nà” as part of a background music medley during their frequent slapstick sketches. The medley became a Benny Hill Show tradition for the rest of its run. // Although Umiliani used a very similar theme in 1966 for the soundtrack of the Italian film Ring Around the World,[1] “Mah Nà Mah Nà” debuted as part of Umiliani’s soundtrack for the Italian mondo film Sweden: Heaven and Hell (1968), an exploitation documentary film about wild sexual activity and other behaviour in Sweden. The song accompanied a scene in the film set in a sauna which gave its original title “Viva la Sauna Svedese” (“Hooray for the Swedish Sauna”). It was performed by a band called Marc 4 (four session musicians from the RAI orchestra), and the lead part was sung by Italian singer/composer Alessandro Alessandroni and his wife Giulia. The song also appeared on the 1968 U.S. soundtrack album released for the film. //Mah Nà Mah Nà” was a hit in many countries in 1968–1969. In the United States, it peaked at No. 55 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 44 on the Cash Box magazine chart in October 1969. It also reached No. 12 on the United States Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, the song reached No. 22 in the RPM magazine top singles charts, October 11, The original UK single release, on the Pye International label (7N 25499), left the artists name uncredited on the label, and a cover version by Giorgio Moroder, pseudonymously credited to “The Great Unknowns” and released the same year on the Major Minor label featured Moroder’s “Doo-be-doo-be-do” on the B side (also sometimes featured in The Benny Hill Show). Umiliani’s original version, now credited to Umiliani on the label, was reissued by EMI Records in the UK in 1977 and reached No. 8 in the charts. During its 1–15 September 1969 run on the WLS 890 Hit Parade, the surveys erroneously credited the record to someone named Pete Howard. WPTR did much the same, except that the credit was given to the station’s disc jockey, J.W. Wagner.]
  1. The Beatles – “I Am The Walrus”
    from: Magical Mystery Tour / Capitol / November 27, 1967
    [“I Am the Walrus” is a song by the Beatles from their 1967 television film Magical Mystery Tour, and officially released on its soundtrack EP and album. Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released as the B-side to the single “Hello, Goodbye” and on the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album. In the film, the song underscores a segment in which the band mime to the recording at a deserted airfield. // Lennon wrote the song to confound listeners who had been affording serious scholarly interpretations of the Beatles’ lyrics. He was partly inspired by two LSD trips and Lewis Carroll’s 1871 poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter”. Producer George Martin arranged and added orchestral accompaniment that included violins, cellos, horns, and clarinet. The Mike Sammes Singers, a 16-voice choir of professional studio vocalists, also joined the recording, variously singing nonsense lines and shrill whooping noises. // Since the “Hello, Goodbye” single and the Magical Mystery Tour EP both reached the top two slots on the British singles chart in December, “I Am the Walrus” holds the distinction of reaching numbers one and two simultaneously. Shortly after release, the song was banned by the BBC for the line “Boy, you’ve been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down”.]

10:59 – THANK YOU Edward Wallerstein

  1. Mitch Miller – “Be Kind to Your Web Footed Friends”
    from: Greatest Hits / Columbia Records / December 5, 1990
    [Originally released 1950, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1969, 1961, 1962. // a parody of the lyrics to “The Stars and Stripes Forever” that begins “Be kind to your web-footed friends”. Its exact origin is unclear, but versions of it were being quoted as early as the 1930s on college campuses, and during the 1940s, where it was sung for entertainment by soldiers at the USO. Some newspapers of that time referred to it as the “Duck Song.” In 1954, Charles Grean and Joan Javits composed “Crazy Mixed Up Song”, using these lyrics along with the march’s theme. It was made somewhat popular by Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy in that year. In the early 1960s, it reached a wider audience as a part of Mitch Miller’s nationally syndicated sing-along show, Sing Along with Mitch. This version has perhaps the best known lyrics, which were used to end every show:]

Be kind to your web-footed friends,
For a duck may be somebody’s mother.
Be kind to your friends in the swamp,
Where the weather is very, very damp,
Now, you may think that this is the end,
Well, it is!

11:00 – Station ID

  1. The Elders – “We Are Same”
    from: Well Alright Then / The Elders / March 17, 2022
    [The Elders for this recording are six individuals with a passion for music rooted in Americana and Celtic folk rock. Ian Byrne, a native of Ireland’s County Wicklow, guitarist Steve Phillips (formerly of The Rainmakers), bassist Norm Dahlor, violinist and keyboardist Brent Hoad (formerly of The Secrets), drummer Kian Byrne, and fiddler Colin Farrell (Creel and Gráda). Steve Phillips, passed away due to complications from COVID-19 on Sept. 29, 2020. In addition to being an integral member of The Elders, he was also a co-founder of Steve, Bob and Rich, which later became The Rainmakers. Both of these groups have cemented international acclaim, due in part to Steve’s musicianship. The band was already working on their 10th studio album, WELL ALRIGHT THEN released on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2022. The Band writes on their website, http://www.eldersmusic.com, “Steve granted us the most amazing gift by writing recording many of his parts before his passing. He began working diligently as soon as he was given his prognosis in early 2020. We cannot begin to express how special and heartwarming this is, and we know it will be for you too. Steve is as present on this album as he’s ever been. With that in mind, we knew we owed it to him and the songs to make sure they were shared with the world, which meant some touring! We’ll be playing select shows and festivals throughout the year, and will be sure to keep you updated. Our brother Brent has decided to refrain from touring for now, and we support him in his decision. We have welcomed two excellent musicians to join our ranks to help bring our songs to life, and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board. Bill Latas and Dan Loftus are incredibly talented and long-time friends of the band.” The current line up of The Elders are: Ian Byrne on vocals, drums, percussion, whistle Norm Dahlor on vocals, bass, guitar, banjo; Kian Byrne on vocals, drums, bass, mandolin, guitar; Diana Ladio on fiddle, Bill Latas on guitar; and Dan Loftus-vocals, piano, guitar. The Elders played The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts on Thurday, April 28, 2022, in Helzberg Hall, 1601 Broadway , KCMO. The Elders played Knuckleheads on Friday, April 29, 2022, at 2715 Rochester Ave, KCMO]

11:05 – Interview with Ian Byrne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dahlor

Ian Byrne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dahlor of The Elders join us to share their new single, “The Man.” The Elders are fronted by Ian Byrne on vocals & percussion, Norm Dahlor on bass (band co-founder), Kian Byrne on multi-instrumentalist, Bill “Liam” Latas on guitar, Dan “Danko” Loftus on keyboard, Shannon O’Shea on violin. More info at: http://www.eldersmusic.com

Ian Bryne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dahlor thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Norm Dahlor is cofounder of The Elders, formed in 1998. The Elders remain one of the top Celtic-rock bands in the United States after more than two decades because of their timeless sound. Since forming in 1998, The Elders have released ten studio albums, four live albums, one compilation album and four DVDs. Keeping a name together for 28 years is almost impossible. Throughout the years four of the previous players in the band have passed.

THE ELDERS (Currently):
Ian Byrne – vocals, drums, percussion, whistle
Bill “Liam” Latas – guitar
Shannon O’Shea – fiddle
Dan “Danko” Loftus – vocals, keyboards, fiddle, guitar
Norm Dahlor – vocals, bass, guitar, banjo
Kian Byrne – vocals, drums, bass, mandolin

Ian Byrne emigrated from Acoca, County in Wicklow, Ireland in 1987 with his wife Kathy Quinn and 6 month old son Kian Byrne. He had $130.00 and started Byrne Custom Woodworking a company that has grown to have 15 employees and specialized in creating liturgical furniture. He joined He Elders in 2002.

Norm Dahlor remembers when Ian joined the band in 2002. Ian showed up for an audition to play drums, but Nom points out that it became clear to the band that they had found their lead singer, the man who would from the band.

Kian Byrne joined the band in 2017. He is a Kansas City based multi-instrumentalist. He is a multi-instrumentalist with The Elders, and has play drums for Hi-Lüx, and bass for The New Riddim, and for YUM. Kian has released multiple singles: “You + Me” released June 16, “It’s Yours Til The End,” released May 7, and “Your Love,” released April 9, 2021. Kian Byrne released the 12-track solo album MORNING GLOW on December 4, 2020. Kian’s earlier solo EP, “Up & Down” was part of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. Info at: http://www.kianbyrnemusic.com

The Elders formed in 1998 with a passion for music rooted in Americana & Celtic folk rock. From the beginning The Elders seemed to be channeling something ancient and enduring, unaffected by fads, trends and the giant maw of mind-numbing commercialism. The Elders remain one of the top Celtic-rock bands in the U.S. after more than two decades because of their timeless sound. Their fans feel connected to the band because of their passion, great melodies, unique harmonies, unparalleled musicianship and strong song-writing. And that songwriting began in 1998 when two musicians moved back from Los Angeles to KC to play Irish music. Norm Dahlor & Brent Hoad, played in numerous bands but their American and Celtic-folk rock roots were calling and The Elders were born.

Their ability to bring together the art of story telling with elements both musically progressive and rooted in tradition, has won them a broad international fan base, as well as critical acclaim from: PASTE Magazine, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, Music Row Magazine, Goldmine Magazine, TRAD Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Kansas City Star and more. Their 8th studio album, TRUE, builds upon The Elders’ song-writing reputation. The songs feature story lines with vibrant narratives that explore history, legends, tall tales & true-life experience. http://www.eldersmusic.com

The Elders Discography
2000 CD – “The Elders”
2002 CD – “Pass it on Down”
2004 CD – “American Wake”
2005 DVD/CD – “Live at the Gem Theater” (Live)
2006 CD – “Racing the Tide”
2007 DVD/CD – “Alive & Live in Ireland” (Live)
2009 CD – “Gael Day”
2010 CD – “The Best of The Elders”
2011 CD – “Wandering Life & Times”
2012 DVD/CD – “The Elders Hoolie” (Live)
2014 DVD – “Live at The Uptown Theater”
2014 CD “Story Road”
2017 CD “True”
2022 CD “Well Alright Then”

Filmography
“Live at the Gem” (2005)
“Alive and Live In Ireland” (2007)
“American Music: OFF THE RECORD” (2008)
“The Elders: Hoolie” (2012)
“Live at The Uptown Theater” (2014)
“Evergy & The Elders Light up the Plaza” (2020) Emmy Winner

The Elders were founded in 1998 by six individuals with a passion for Celtic folk rock. Ian Byrne, a native of Ireland’s County Wicklow, guitarist Steve Phillips (formerly of The Rainmakers), bassist Norm Dahlor, violinist and keyboardist Brent Hoad (formerly of The Secrets), drummer Kian Byrne, and fiddler Colin Farrell (Creel and Gráda).

Steve Phillips, passed away due to complications from COVID-19 on Sept. 29, 2020. In addition to being an integral member of The Elders, he was also a co-founder of Steve, Bob and Rich, which later became The Rainmakers. Both of these groups have cemented international acclaim, due in part to Steve’s musicianship. The band was already working on their studio album, WELL ALRIGHT THEN released on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2022 //”Steve granted us the most amazing gift by writing recording many of his parts before his passing. He began working diligently as soon as he was given his prognosis in early 2020. We cannot begin to express how special and heartwarming this is, and we know it will be for you too. Steve is as present on this album as he’s ever been. With that in mind, we knew we owed it to him and the songs to make sure they were shared with the world.

The Elders are also Telly-Award Winners and inductees into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. They have toured in the United States, Ireland, and Europe. They also appeared in the 2008 Music Documentary entitled “American Music: OFF THE RECORD; alongside Jackson Browne, Johnny Winter and Les Paul; Dir. Benjamin Meade.

Style – The band is known for their Americana and Celtic rock roots that intertwine varying styles, textures and broad harmonies. The band blends socially conscious and vibrant narratives which explore history and life in the United States, Ireland and beyond.

Career – Since forming in 1998, The Elders have released 9 studio albums, 4 live albums, 1 compilation album and 4 DVDs. Fronted by Ian Byrne, a native of Ireland..

They have played festivals, pubs and theaters across the United States, Ireland and other parts of Europe. The band has performed at festivals in Philadelphia, New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver, and Dublin, Ohio and others.

The Elders’ songs have been played on more than 120 U.S. radio stations and have been featured live on WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour. Their “Live at the Gem” concert show was broadcast on more than 100 PBS stations.

The Man” (Ian Byrne 2025)

In the heart of the Isle, where he rose with the dawn
Hands rough as leather, from the fields worked upon
Oh, the tales they’d tell of him, in the village and town
A fighter in spirit but love was his crown

So here’s to the man, he’s the legend, my friend
May his story live on, in the songs that we send
Loved his wife, loved his land, fought with all of his might
In our hearts, he’ll forever burn so bright

He sang thee old tunes by the firelight’s glow
With a voice full of gravel, and a heart full of woe
Through laughter and tears, he would hold them all close
In his steadfast embrace, they would never feel lost

So here’s to the man, he’s the legend, my friend
May his story live on, in the songs that we send
Loved his wife, loved his land, fought with all of his might
In our hearts, he’ll forever burn so bright

Through the rain and through shine, in the fields, he’d stand tall
In his weathered old jacket, he’d answer the call
Hard-worn hands holding all, all the weight of the years
With his heart on his sleeve, without doubts and no tears

So here’s to the man, he’s the legend, my friend
May his story live on, in the songs that we send
Loved his wife, loved his land, fought with all of his might
In our hearts, he’ll forever burn so bright

11:14 – The New Single!

  1. The Elders – “The Man”
    from: “The Man” – Single / The Elders / March 27, 2026
    [Ian Byrne on vocals & percussion, Norm Dahlor on bass, Kian Byrne on multi-instrumentalist, Bill “Liam” Latas on guitar, Dan “Danko” Loftus on keyboard, Shannon O’Shea on violin. // From the soul of our memories comes a powerful anthem of heritage & heart. The Elders deliver a tribute to the pillars of our lives, hard-working legends whose hands were rough as leather but whose spirits were defined by love. Ian Byrne lyrics paint a vivid portrait of a life built on steadfast devotion and unwavering strength, tcapturing the essence of a true fighter who found his crown in the love of his family and land. It’s a song for the storytellers, the firelight singers, and those who stood tall through the rain & shine. A gritty salute to the heroes in our own histories. A timeless reminder that though legends may pass, their stories burn forever bright in the songs we send. Authentic Elders Irish soul meets the enduring spirit of folk-rock. Info at: http://www.eldersmusic.com

11:05 – More Interview with Ian Byrne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dahlor

Ian Byrne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dahlor of The Elders join us to share their new single, “The Man.” The Elders are fronted by Ian Byrne on vocals & percussion, Norm Dahlor on bass (band co-founder), Kian Byrne on multi-instrumentalist, Bill “Liam” Latas on guitar, Dan “Danko” Loftus on keyboard, Shannon O’Shea on violin. More info at: http://www.eldersmusic.com

Ian Bryne and Kian Byrne and Norm Dajhlor thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Norm Dahlor is cofounder of The Elders, formed in 1998. The Elders remain one of the top Celtic-rock bands in the United States after more than two decades because of their timeless sound. Since forming in 1998, The Elders have released ten studio albums, four live albums, one compilation album and four DVDs.

The Elders Concert Calendar

Saturday, May 2 – Our Lady of Guadalupe Centers – KCMO
Sunday, June 7 – The Oriental Theatre, Denver
Saturday, June 13 – The Kansas City Irish Center
Saturday, July 4 – Happy Rock Park – GLADSTONE, MISSOURI
Thursday, July 9 – arkston Amphitheatre, Parkston, South Dakota
Friday, July 10 – Sioux Falls Amphitheater, South Dakota
Sunday, July 12 – Earlham Amphitheater Iowa
Saturday, July 18 – Cleveland Cultural Festival
Sunday, July 19 – Cleveland Cultural Festival
Friday, July 24 – Dayton Celtic Festival
Saturday, July 25 – Dayton Celtic Festival
Sunday, July 26 – Dayton Celtic Festival
Sunday, September 6 @ 9:00PM – KC Irish Fest – Crown Center
Friday, October 16 The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Dublin to Arklow
Saturday, October 17 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Arklow Bay Hotel
Sunday, October 18 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Arklow to Cork
Monday, October 19 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Cork
Tuesday, October 20 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Cork to Ennis
Wednesday, October 21 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Ennis
Thursday, October 22 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Ennis to Westport
Friday, October 23 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Westport
Saturday, October 24 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Westport to Dublin
Sunday, October 25 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Dublin
Monday, October 26 – The Banshee Cry Ireland 2026 Tour – Dublin Airport
Saturday, November 14 – Cure of Ars Soiree- Leawood, KS
Saturday, Dec 12 @ 7:00PM – Oak Creek Performing Arts & Education Center – Oak Creek, Ws
Sunday, January 17, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – Fort Lauderdale Florida
Monday, January 18, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – Celebration Key, Bahamas
Tuesday, January 19, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – At Sea
Wednesday, January 20, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – Amber Cove
Thursday, January 21, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – Grand Turk, Turks Caicos
Friday, January 22, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – At Sea
Saturday, January 23, 2027 – String Break Cruise 2027 – Fort Lauderdale Florida
Saturday, April 24, 2027 @ 7:00PM – Connect 2 Culture Center – Joplin, Missouri
Saturday, September 18, 2027 – Greeley Irish Festival

The Elders Former members:
Michael Bliss – vocals, bass
Tommy Dwyer – drums
Randy Riga – accordion
Brett Gibson – accordion
Tommy Sutherland – Drums, Percussion
Joe Miquelon – keyboards
Shawn Poores – Drums
Colin Farrell – fiddle, whistles
Steve Phillips – guitar, mandolin, vocals
Brent Hoad – Fiddle, vocals (died 2026)

Diana Ladio – Fiddle

Kian single releases “You + Me” released June 16, 2021, “It’s Yours Til The End,” released May 7, and “Your Love,” released April 9, 2021. Kian Byrne released the 12-track solo album MORNING GLOW on December 4, 2020. Kian’s earlier solo EP, “Up & Down” was part of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. Info at: http://www.kianbyrnemusic.com

Kian’s work with other bands.

The New Riddim – a Kansas City based ska, Rocksteady, Roots, Reggae, 2-Tone band.
Kian Byrne – Bass
Dan Loftus – Lead Vocals, Organ
Marshall Tinnermeier – Sax
Nick Howell – Trumpet
Mike Walker – Trombone
Conor Loftus – Guitar
Rico Pierce – Drums

The New Riddim Discography
Second Site – Album – Febraury 6, 2021
“Queen Majesty” – Single – October 18, 2011
Kidnapped – Album – January 1, 2011

Norn Dahlor, Ian Byrne and Kian Byrne, THANK YOU so much for being with us on WMM.

11:28 – Underwriting

11:30

A.M. Merker & The Last Call
  1. A.M. Merker & The Last Call – “We Ain’t Dead Yet”
    from: “We Ain’t Dead Yet” – Single / A.M. Merker / November 14, 2025
    [Written by: A.M. Merker // A.M. Merker – Acoustic Guitar & Vocals; Sarah Wittman – Vocals; Jacob Horpinjuk – Drums, Jack McClain – Bass; John Garofalo – Electric Guitar; Colm Chomicky – Pedal Steel; Grant Buell – Organ. Recorded & Engineered by Paul Malinowski @ Massive Sound Studios, Shawnee, KS.]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call play The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Saturday, April 11, at 6:00pm to 9:00pm.]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call play Mike Kelly’s Westsider, 1515 Westport Rd. KCMO, on Saturday, May 9, with Lorna Kay. ]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call are back at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Saturday, June 13 at 6:00pm to 9:00pm with Natalie Prauser.]

11:34 – Interview with A.M. Merker and Colm Chomicky

A.M. Merker and Colm Chomicky join us live in our 90.1 FM Studios to play new tracks from the new EP, WE AIN’T DEAD YET from A.M. Merker & The Last Call. A.M. Merker a;sp [erfprms with the band My Oh My. A.M. Merker dips his toe into folk/country/alt-country and leans on his talented friends to bring his songs to record & the stage.

A.M. Merker, and Colm Chomicky thanks for being with us on WMM.

A.M. Merker – Acoustic Guitar & Vocals;
Sarah Wittman – Vocals;
Jacob Horpinjuk – Drums,
Jack McClain – Bass;
John Garofalo – Electric Guitar;
Colm Chomicky – Pedal Steel;
Recorded & Engineered by Paul Malinowski @ Massive Sound Studios, Shawnee, KS
(Grant Buell – Organ).

We Ain’t Dead Yet
Written by: A.M. Merker

She said with a smile
Let’s go out for a drink
We’ve been home for a while

And we ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said
We ain’t dead yet

Take me out dancing
We’ve been sitting too long
I could use some romancing
Like those old love songs

And we ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said
We ain’t dead yet

Yes, it’s a long way to fall
We ain’t reached the bottom at all
We can shout at the walls
That we ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said
We ain’t dead yet

If there’s a light in the dark
We’ll find our way
All it takes is one spark
To light an old powder keg

And we ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said
We ain’t dead yet

Yes, it’s a long way to fall
We ain’t reached the bottom at all
We can shout at the walls
That we ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said
We ain’t dead yet

Yes, one day our time will come
And we’re too old to die young
So shout it out like it ain’t been said
Cuz I think it’s a safe bet

That we ain’t dead yet
We ain’t dead yet
We ain’t dead yet
That’s what she said

11:42

  1. A.M. Merker & The Last Call – “This Old Barroom”
    from: We Ain’t Dead Yet – EP / A.M. Merker / April 11, 2026
    [Written by: A.M. Merker // A.M. Merker – Acoustic Guitar & Vocals; Sarah Wittman – Vocals; Jacob Horpinjuk – Drums, Jack McClain – Bass; John Garofalo – Electric Guitar; Colm Chomicky – Pedal Steel; Grant Buell – Organ. Recorded & Engineered by Paul Malinowski @ Massive Sound Studios, Shawnee, KS.]

11:46 – More Interview with A.M. Merker and Colm Chomicky

A.M. Merker and Colm Chomicky joins us live in our 90.1 FM Studios to play new tracks from the new EP, WE AIN’T DEAD YET from A.M. Merker & The Last Call. A.M. Merker a;sp [erfprms with the band My Oh My. A.M. Merker dips his toe into folk/country/alt-country and leans on his talented friends to bring his songs to record & the stage.

Sarah Wittman on vocals and Colm Chomicky on pedal steel are two of his friends.

A.M. Merker & The Last Call play The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Saturday, April 11, at 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

A.M. Merker & The Last Call play Mike Kelly’s Westsider, 1515 Westport Rd. KCMO, on Saturday, May 9, with Lorna Kay.

A.M. Merker & The Last Call playThe Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Sat., June 13 at 6:00pm to 9:00pm with Natalie Prauser.

A.M. Merker‘s other band My Oh My released, Live At The Library on April 11, 2025.

A.M. Merker on vocals & guitar
Grant Buell on keyboards
Jacob Horpinjuk on drums
Justin Rogers on bass
Melissa Geffert on vocals
Sarah Wittman on vocals
Stephen Berry on guitar.

Recorded live at Union Library, Kansas City, MO, September 9, 2023 // Recorded, mixed, and edited by Paul Malinowski @ Massive Sound, Shawnee, KS. Mastered by Mike Nolte ® Eureka Mastering, Kansas City, KS. Photography by Betsy Gretzinger Vida. Videography by Jack McClain @ Circle M Films. All songs A.M. Merker / My Oh My, except “Superstar” (Leon Russell, Bonnie Bramlett, Skyhill Publishing/Delbon Publishing, BMI) © 2025 All rights reserved // myohmykc.com

My Oh My released the singles: “Working on Assumptions” / “I Just Don’t Understand” on November 11, 2022. // My Oh My released the 10-song album THE WAR OUTSIDE on May 19, 2018 // My Oh My released the single “Christmastime, 2016” on December 16, 2016 // My Oh My released the 6-track EP, WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY on December 12, 2015. // My Oh My released the 9-track debut album, YOUR HEART NOT MINE on March 14, 2014.]

A.M. Merker and Colm Chomicky thanks for being with us on WMM

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:54

  1. A.M. Merker & The Last Call – “Living Life This Way”
    from: We Ain’t Dead Yet – EP / A.M. Merker / April 11, 2026
    [Written by: A.M. Merker // A.M. Merker – Acoustic Guitar & Vocals; Sarah Wittman – Vocals; Jacob Horpinjuk – Drums, Jack McClain – Bass; John Garofalo – Electric Guitar; Colm Chomicky – Pedal Steel; Grant Buell – Organ. Recorded & Engineered by Paul Malinowski @ Massive Sound Studios, Shawnee, KS.]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call play The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Saturday, April 11, at 6:00pm to 9:00pm.]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call play Mike Kelly’s Westsider, 1515 Westport Rd. KCMO, on Sat, May 9, with Lorna Kay. ]

[A.M. Merker & The Last Call are back at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO in the historic West Bottoms for a Matinee Show on Saturday, June 13 at 6:00pm to 9:00pm with Natalie Prauser.]

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

NEXT WEEK on April 8 we welcome Krystle Warren with Jen Owen & Brad Cox of Owen Cox Dance Group sharing details about AND WONDER playing April 10, 11, and 12, at City Stage at Union Station, Plus. Shaun Crowley shares details about Manor Fest., AND Michael Tipton shares his newest single release with our listeners.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’s Winter Fund Drive during Wednesday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doanted $3924.00 going way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1141

WMM Playlist from March 25, 2026

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, March 25, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + Chris Hudson & Sam Wright + Hello Biplane + Brent Kinder

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Tank and the Bangas – “Move (feat. Lucky Daye)”
    from: The Last Balloon / Verve Forecast / May 15, 2026
    [Tank and the Bangas are Tarriona “Tank” Ball on lead vocal, Norman Spencer II on multi-
    instrumentals, with new accompanying members: CJ Knowles Jr on drums, Matthew MSkillz on bass, Rob Kellner on keyboards, and Etienne Stoufflet on saxophone. // GRAMMY-Award winning band Tank and the Bangas confirm their new album, The Last Balloon, is set for release May 15 on Verve Forecast. The Last Balloon follows acclaimed albums Green Balloon (2019) and Red Balloon (2022), and marks both the closing chapter of the trilogy, and the beginning of a bold new era for Tank and the Bangas. // “I called the album The Last Balloon because I didn’t want anyone asking us, ‘When’s Purple Balloon coming?’” says Tarriona “Tank” Ball. “It’s the end of the balloons; we’re moving into a new space now.” // Executive-produced by frequent collaborator Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles, the album features collaborations including the multi-faceted musician Iman Omari, pianist/producer Tane Runo and soul singers Ledisi and Jelly Joseph. The Last Balloon finds the band expanding their sound and exploring themes of frustration, resilience and self-realization. Balancing moments of raw vulnerability with bursts of joyful energy, the album moves between emotional catharsis and communal uplift, designed with the group’s dynamic live performances in mind. // “We’re working with new people and cultivating new sounds, and it feels like we’re more open than we’ve ever been,” Ball details on stepping into this new chapter. “What we’ve learned over the years is that even though people can’t always categorize our sound, they’re always able to describe how the music makes them feel. So, we’re gonna keep on changing and evolving, but we’re always gonna give you that same feeling of joy.” // Additionally, the band is expanding their summer and fall tour dates, including stops in New York, Asheville, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and more. See below for a complete list of dates. // In 2024, Tank and the Bangas released their three-part spoken word project, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, which won the band a GRAMMY Award for “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.” Each chapter of the album found Tank working with a different producer: The Soul with Robert Glasper as well as Austin Brown and Brian London, The Heart with James Poyser and The Mind with Iman Omari. // New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas rose to prominence in 2017 following their unanimous NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest victory. Bringing their blend of poetry, R&B, gospel, and pop to a worldwide stage, Tank and the Bangas have been praised as one of the “best live bands in America” by NPR Music. In 2019, the band released their major label debut, Green Balloon, on Verve Forecast to widespread critical praise earning the band a Best New Artist nomination at that years, GRAMMY Awards. Their latest third studio album Red Balloon received a nomination for “Best Progressive R&B Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards. Throughout their career the group has performed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Austin City Limits,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Today Show.” They have consistently sold-out venues both stateside and abroad, with festival appearances at Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and the Newport Jazz Festival.]
  1. Roman Numerals – “Can We Trust Your Architect?”
    from: Roman Numerals / Anodyne Records / September 5, 2006
    [#1 on our list of The 60 Best Recordings of 2006. William Smith on vocals, guitar, stylophone; Steven Tulipana on vocals, bass, guitars, synth; Shawn Sherrill on synth, bass; Pete LaPorte on drums, electronics. Music by Roman Numerals. Lyrics by William Smith and Steve Tulipana. Produced by Paul Malinowski and Roman Numerals. Recorded and Mixed by Paul Malinowski. Recorded at Great Western Record Recorders. Mixed at Rax Trax Studios, Chicago, IL and Westend Studios. Mastered by Doug Henderson. “Deep Loft:” vocals by Matthew Dunehoo. Backing vocals on “Known” by Kenneth Earl Jankowski Jr.] // [Bill Brownlee wrote about Roman Numerals on October 18, 2017 for KCUR Radio. // One of the region’s most notable indie-rock bands a decade ago, Roman Numerals were Shawn Sherrill on keyboards and bass, Billy Smith on guitars and vocals, and Steve Tulipana on bass, guitars and vocals, (Pete LaPorte on drums replaced by Ryan Shank, and now Jason Gerken.) // Tulipana and Sherrill went on to open the highly successful RecordBar in Westport. Their band’s last recent performance was the penultimate show at the venue’s original site on January 1, 2016. RecordBar has since re-opened at 1520 Grand Boulevard, which is where Roman Numerals reunited on Saturday, September 27, 2026 Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of recordBar. // Roman Numerals peaked at a time when like-minded bands including Interpol were also mining the new wave and post-punk sounds of the 1980s. The revivalist aesthetic was an appealing exercise in wistfulness when its self-titled album was released in 2006, a conceit that makes Saturday’s reunion a double-dip of nostalgia. // The band describes its approach as a “high-powered hybrid” that “forms a sturdy bridge between indie-rock’s angular approach and the underground club scene’s throbbing tempos.” A good example is “Rule of Five,” a gloom-laden blend of synth-pop and post-punk from that 2006 record: // “‘Rule of Five’ was recorded in Chicago the week we signed our lease on the original RecordBar via fax-machine,” Tulipana says. “We somehow managed to get the club open and do several U.S. tours that same year of 2005. We like to get together every year or so these days to revisit these old songs to help inspire us on the other newer projects we stay involved with.” // Roman Numerals, played the grand opening at RecordBar, 1520 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City on Saturday, October 21, 2017 with Olympic Size, opening. // Bill Brownlee blogs about Kansas City’s jazz scene at Plastic Sax.]

[Roman Numerals celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their debut album and the one year Anniversary of The Warehouse on Broadway, 3951 Broadway Blvd., KCMO, in a special show on Saturday, March 28, at 7:30 (doors at 6:30) with Emmaline Twist, The Sluts, and Pimp Magic Guts.]

  1. Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – “Chicken Leg”
    from: “Chicken Leg” – Single / Colemine / May 29, 2026
    [Colemine is proud to present the first new music from the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio in over four years. These tunes were taken from the I Told You So sessions and from a forthcoming full length LP. The super funky “Chicken Leg” on the A-side and the slow burn “If I Could” on the flip. The personnel on this features Lamarr on Organ, the incomparable Jimmy James (Parlor Greens, True Loves) on guitar, and the deep pocket of Grant Schroff (Polyrhythmics, Champagne Bubblebath) on drums. I Told You So was one of DLO3’s best selling and performing albums, so the forthcoming LP is surely one not to be missed! // Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio released Cold As Weiss on Colemine Records on February 11, 2022. // Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio have established themselves as the world’s premier funky organ trio. The organ trio, along with founder and manager Amy Novo, continues to devise the perfect blend of raw, passionate music and engaging industry practices. Through a firm partnership with label Colemine Records, the trio has garnered Billboard charting albums, sold out shows, tens of thousands of albums sold, and millions of streams. Lofty accomplishments for an instrumental organ trio. // Now, with permanent drummer Dan Weiss behind the kit, DLO3 is proud to present Cold As Weiss, their third studio album to date that finds them tighter than ever, and continuing to push funky instrumental music to a new generation of fans.. // The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan’s smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio’s explosive chemistry. // Founded by Lamarr’s wife and manager Amy Novo, the trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released two Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold out venues.]
  1. José González – “A Perfect Storm”
    from: Against the Dying Of The Light / Imperial Recordings – Mute / March 27, 2026
    [Against The Dying Of The Light is the fifth studio album from José González and his first new collection of original songs in more than four years. As a concerned world citizen, he wrote these songs as a reflection of our times. Times of amazing progress, but also worrying backslides to dogmatic tribal ideologies and an extremely uncertain future. These are songs about how we can navigate humanity towards flourishing on an individual and a collective level. // José Gabriel González was born on July 31, 1978 in the Haga district of Gothenburg, Sweden, to Argentine parents. His politically active parents were students at the National University of San Luis before fleeing Argentina after the 1976 Argentine coup d’état. Escaping to Brazil with González’s older sister, they were granted asylum by the Swedish consulate in Rio de Janeiro and relocated to Gothenburg in 1977. // González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez as a favorite artist. He said that the first concert he went to was the Wailers. In an interview with Time Out magazine he stated, “I got their autographs and everything. I was about 12 or so. At the time, my favorite music was Bob Marley and Michael Jackson”. // González earned a master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Gothenburg and was in a PhD program for biochemistry before dropping out and focusing on music. // The first band González played in was Back Against the Wall, a Gothenburg hardcore punk group influenced by Black Flag, Misfits, and Dead Kennedys. He later played bass guitar in another hardcore band, Renascence, between 1993 and 1998. Between 1997 and 1998, he played guitar with the rock band Only If You Call Me Jonathan. // In June 2003, González issued his debut solo release, a two-track 7 in (180 mm) single. It was discovered by Joakim Gävert, co-founder of the then-fledgling label Imperial Records, who signed González as their first official artist. In October, González released his debut album, Veneer, in Europe. The record was subsequently released in the UK on 25 April 2005 and in the United States on 6 September 2005. González had begun working on the material while still a PhD student. // González’ trademark sound is solo classical guitar with soft vocal melody. His work, although mostly original, also includes acoustic covers of such hits as “Heartbeats” by his fellow Swedes the Knife, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, “Born in the U.S.A.” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen, “Hand on Your Heart” by Kylie Minogue, “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat, “Teardrop” by Massive Attack, and “Last Snowstorm of the Year” by Low. // His second album, In Our Nature, was released internationally on September 22, 2007. Its lyrical content was in part influenced by books like The God Delusion by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Practical Ethics by ethicist Peter Singer. In 2007, González won a European Border Breakers Award. // In 2010, a documentary about him, called The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez, was released. // His third album, Vestiges & Claws, was released in February 2015. It was critically acclaimed and received the IMPALA Album of the Year Award. // On 17 February 2021, González released a single with Spanish lyrics, “El Invento”. In April, he issued “Visions”, the second single from his next album, Local Valley, which came out on 17 September. // In 2023, González appeared in the feature film A Tiger in Paradise, which is a fictionalized depiction of his own life.]
  1. Dagmar Zuniga – “A Car With No Lights On”
    from: in filth your mystery is kingdom / far smile peasant in yellow music/AD 93/April 10, 2026
    [Dagmar Zuniga makes music that feels both intimate and expansive: songs drift like disrupted signals, carried by harmony, tape hiss, and a strong sense of touch. Her debut solo album in filth your mystery is kingdom / far smile peasant in yellow music — written and recorded in New York, Norway, and Athens, Georgia over a period of five years on her longtime companion, the Tascam 424 — was uploaded to Bandcamp and YouTube in January 2025 through Dagmar’s friends People’s Coalition of Tandy. The project quickly garnering over two hundred thousand views and the attention of artists such as Mount Eerie, who invited her to tour with them that summer. This year, what was once a jewel of tapped-in algorithms and message boards will meet the world at large, with in filth arriving digitally on March 4, and physically on April 10, via AD 93. All songs written, performed, and recorded by Dagmar Zuniga. Tracks 5, 6, 11 written by Dagmar Zuniga & Hayes Hoe]
  1. Flora Hibberd – “Lucky You (Radio Edit)”
    from: Swirl (Deluxe) / 22Twenty / February 6, 2026
    [Critically acclaimed 2025 debut Swirl returns to radio with “Lucky You (Radio Edit)”, a focused, radio-friendly track leading into a deluxe edition and a new full-length album later this year. Flora Hibberd returns with “Lucky You (Radio Edit)”, a new focus track taken from the deluxe edition of her acclaimed 2025 debut album Swirl, with a new full-length album arriving later this year. riginally released in 2025, Swirl quickly established Hibberd as one of the most quietly celebrated voices in modern indie-pop, earning widespread year-end recognition. “Lucky You (Radio Edit)” offers a clean, radio-friendly entry point into the Swirl world while setting the stage for Flora Hibberd’s next chapter later this year. // from Bandcamp: Flora Hibberd’s debut album Swirl is a rich tapestry of sound and meaning, influenced by her background as a translator. The Paris-based British songwriter uses her experience to explore the nuances of language, decoding the slippages where English and French intertwine. These linguistic intersections become moments of strange poetry, revealing hidden threads of life and deepening our understanding. Hibberd’s songwriting process involves searching for jarring words and natural language breaks, mirroring the framework she uses as a translator to understand how symbols and meanings shift. Swirl’s 11 tracks are infused with secret codes, non-verbal signifiers, and intricate musical layers. Produced by Shane Leonard in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the album features contributions from a versatile group of musicians, including JT Bates, Ben Lester, Pat Keen, and JE Sunde. Leonard’s production subtly integrates morse-code-like synths and pedal steel riffs, enhancing the album’s thematic depth. Musically, Swirl is a blend of influences ranging from Jason Molina’s straightforward indie rock to Josephine Foster’s mystical folk and the surrealist lyrics of Bertrand Belin. The album’s first single, “Auto Icon,” echoes the art-rock stylings of Cate Le Bon, while “Code” marries lyrics inspired by textile artist Anni Albers with delicate guitar lines. “Baby” offers a Lou Reed moment, with Hibberd reflecting on vulnerability, while “Canopy” appeals to Big Thief fans with its country-tinged sound. The album closes with “Ticket,” a mesmerizing mix of fingerstyle guitars, galloping snares, and shimmering synths. Hibberd sees Swirl as a meditation on communication, particularly the transmission of songs as ephemeral, time-specific art. It’s an exploration of how music democratizes voices, capturing fleeting moments that might never occur again.]
  1. Arima Ederra – “Hope is a Muscle”
    from: A Rush To Nowhere / RCA – Arima’s Lab / March 6, 2026
    [Arima Ederra’s Rush to Nowhere is the follow-up to her 2022 debut, An Orange Colored Day. The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter continues that earlier record’s soulful meditations, cycling through psychedelic funk à la Tame Impala, hazy guitar pop, and R&B with the larger-than-life orchestral swells of Childish Gambino’s later work. Ederra’s gauzy vocals are transfixing, flitting from grief to hope. Whatever life swings at her, this is an artist that knows how to find the softness in it all.]

10:27 – Underwriting

  1. The Ratboys – “Penny In The Lake”
    from: Singin’ to an Empty Chair / New West Records /February 6, 2026
    [Singin’ to an Empty Chair is their sixth and best album… These songs have the clarified rush of an emotional pressure change, like the sensation of removing foam earplugs.” – Pitchfork // Chicago’s beloved Ratboys release their fourth studio album, The Window, via Topshelf Records on august 25, 2023. It was #30 in WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2023. After more than ten years and four studio albums, The Window finally captures Ratboys as they were always meant to be heard—expansive while still intimate, audacious while still tender—the sound of four friends operating as a single, cohesive unit. The album is sonically diverse, shifting wildly from track to track and flexing everything from fuzzy power pop choruses to warm country twang to mournful folk.// Lyrically, The Window sees Julia Steiner at her most personal, reflecting on love and grief with occasional humor and levity. She frequently leans on windows as a theme—the idea of an interrupted connection, the feeling of being near someone without being fully present—like on the pounding lead single, “It’s Alive!” Opening with Steiner’s honeyed vocals, “Outside my window the birds dance alone // I sit back and take it in // Like some sort of medicine,” it’s a bright and vivacious track that, in Steiner’s words, captures “the overarching feeling of the world spinning on beneath you while you’re stuck in one place.” In the video, directed by John TerEick, Ratboys play in an empty house, as its owners slowly start to move in. // The Window marks a number of firsts for the band. Throughout the last few years, Sean Neumann (bass) and Marcus Nuccio (drums) became full-time members alongside Julia Steiner (vocals, guitar) and Dave Sagan (guitars), making The Window the first album Ratboys have written collaboratively from start to finish. It was also the first time they’d ever traveled outside their home base of Chicago to record an album, journeying to Seattle to work with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, Tegan and Sara, Foxing) for three weeks. The group worked on the arrangements together over the course of a year and half, so by the time the band showed up to the Hall of Justice Recording Studio in February 2022, The Window’s songs were well rehearsed and airtight. “We spent 2020 demoing the songs, and spent 2021 practicing them,” says Steiner. “We practiced twice a week for six months, exploring the songs and developing them. We’d send early versions to Chris and he’d give us notes. It went like that for weeks. It was such a dedicated and intentional process.”]

[Ratboys play recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave., KCMO TONIGHT, Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 7:00pm with villagerrr.]

  1. Gullywasher – “These Aches”
    from: Rustbelt Revelations II / Chris Hudson / March 27, 2026
    [Gullywasher is a trio, with Chris Hudson on guitar & vocals, Sam Wright on banjo & vocals, and Matt Cathlina on bass. // Chris Hudson a Kansas City Native, Classical Guitarist, Guitarist, Musician, Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist, SingerSongwriter, Teacher and Visual Artist. He is in the bands: Gullywasher, Hudson Electric, the Cruelest Months and The Bard Owls. More info at: http://www.gullywasherkc.com]

[Gullywasher plays a Rustbelt Revelations II Release Show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Fri, March 27, at 7:00pm with Cee Dee Vee, Primrose Junction, Beth & Brandon, and Natalie Prauser.]

10:37 – Interview with Chris Hudson and Sam Wright

Chris Hudson a classically trained guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher and visual artist. Chris is part of the bands: Gullywasher, Hudson Electric, the Cruelest Months and The Bard Owls. Chris received his Bachelor of Music in 1996 from the UMKC Conservatory of Music. In 2007, Chris received the Lighton Prize for Excellence as a Music Teaching Artist for his work with children, inspiring their love of guitar and musical collaboration when forming Garage Bands at KCYA. Chris has released multiple full length recordings and continues to collaborate and experiment with new forms, instruments, electronic synth and music genres, including experimental video soundscapes.

Sam Wright is a KC-based actor turned playwright who studied Theatre at Emporia State University. His professional acting credits incude Hamlet, to Judas in Godspell, a lizard in Seascape. His writing includes The SlaughterHouse Opera, a one-hour rock opera set in a zombie apocalypse featuring 13 original songs. It has appeared at bars and clubs in the KC area under the guise of a rock band. His play, Crazy Horse: A Dream of Thunder, took the form of a one-man show about the iconic Lakota chief and has appeared at festivals in the U.S., England, and Scotland. Sam is also the brainchild of the musical Prejudice & Pride a modern, gender-flipped take on the Jane Austen novel. Prejudice & Pride played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Aug. 5-27, 2022 and played off broadway in New York City. Sam’s creative focus is on distilling obscure or under-represented historical narratives into economic, character-driven pieces of portable theatre.

Chris & Sam share music from his new Gullywasher album, Rustbelt Revelations II.

Gullywasher play a Rustbelt Revelations II Release at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, Fri, Mar. 27, 7pm w/ Cee Dee Vee, Primrose Junction, Beth & Brandon, and Natalie Prauser.

Chris Hudson and Sam Wright thanks for being with us on WMM

Gullywasher is a trio, with Chris Hudson on guitar & vocals, Sam Wright on banjo & vocals, and Matt Cathlina on bass.

Chris Hudson has been playing and creating songs for decades in the KC – Lawrence area.

We last talked with Chris Hudson on January 28, 2026 about the new music Chris has been making as Hudson Electric – and the single “Maelstrom” – released January 20, 2026 and Recorded at Northern Sky Recording in November 2025 by Danny McGaw featuring Alexis Barclay on bass, Matt Davis drums and Danny McGaw on keys/backing vocals.

Gullywasher played The RINO, 314 Armour Rd, North Kansas City, MO on Jan. 29, 2026, at 7:00pm with Mitzi McKee & The Precious Cargo, Mikal Shapiro & The Musical.

Chris recently played 38th annual Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans.

Chris joined us on October 19, 2022 to talk about Gullywasher’s album COME TOMORROW YOU’LL FALL.

Chris joined us on September 22, 2021 upon the released of Chris Hudson and The Bard Owls album THE ERASING released on September 29, 2021.

Chris joined us on March 31, 2021 to share news about HOLDING THE DAWNING released on March 15, 2021. HOLDING THE DAWNING was recorded between September and November 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, at Weights & Measures Soundlab in KCMO with Duane Trower. Gullywasher brought in guest performers for several tracks: Chad Brothers of the band Old Sound on guitar, Devan Teran of The Timbers on pedal steel, and Mark Hamblin on Trumpet. Info at: http://www.gullywasherkc.com

Gullywashwer was formed in 2018 the band started recording demos, rehearsing and performing these songs at multiple venues, including a trip to SXSW in Austin in early March 2020 just before the COVID-19 Pandemic shut down and quarantine. In the early months of the pandemic they continued to rehearse and write more songs and do live streaming shows. Chris Hudson wrote the majority of the songs. Sam Wright wrote the song “Eastward Facing Road.” The band writes that their songs are” a mix of Americana, Folk, ProgRock, Emo and Jazz.”

We talked with Chris Hudson on Nov. 4, 2020, with Julie Bennett to share details about SONGS FOR LATTER DAYS. Their musical project The Multiverse. Songs Of Latter Days, was released Nov. 1, 2020. They played on all songs with help from the KC acclaimed alternative string duo The Wires with Laurel Morgan Parks on violin & Sascha Groschang on cello. Also contributing to the recording was Jason Beers. http://www.themultiverse.com

10:45

  1. Chris Hudson & Sam Wright – “Maelstrom” (LIVE)
    This song will appear on Rustbelt Revelations III

10:49 – More Interview with Chris Hudson & Sam Wright

Chris Hudson a classically trained guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, teacher and visual artist. Chris is part of the bands: Gullywasher, Hudson Electric, the Cruelest Months and The Bard Owls. Chris received his Bachelor of Music in 1996 from the UMKC Conservatory of Music.

Sam Wright is a KC-based actor turned playwright who studied Theatre at Emporia State University. His professional acting credits incude Hamlet, to Judas in Godspell, a lizard in Seascape. His writing includes The SlaughterHouse Opera, Crazy Horse: A Dream of Thunder, and the musical Prejudice & Pride.

Chris & Sam share music from the new Gullywasher album, Rustbelt Revelations II.

Gullywasher plays a Rustbelt Revelations II Release Show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, March 27, at 7:00pm with Cee Dee Vee, Primrose Junction, Beth & Brandon, and Natalie Prauser.

Chris Hudson and Sam Wright thanks for being with us on WMM

Gullywasher is a trio, with Chris Hudson on guitar & vocals, Sam Wright on banjo & vocals, and Matt Cathlina on bass.

Gullywasher plays a Rustbelt Revelations II Release Show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, March 27, at 7:00pm with Cee Dee Vee, Primrose Junction, Beth & Brandon, and Natalie Prauser.

More information at http://www.chrishudson.bandcamp.com http://www.gullywasherkc.com

10:56

  1. Gullywasher – “Damnation”
    from: Rustbelt Revelations II / Chris Hudson / March 27, 2026
    [Gullywasher is a trio, with Chris Hudson on guitar & vocals, Sam Wright on banjo & vocals, and Matt Cathlina on bass. // Chris Hudson a Kansas City Native, Classical Guitarist, Guitarist, Musician, Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist, SingerSongwriter, Teacher and Visual Artist. He is in the bands: Gullywasher, Hudson Electric, the Cruelest Months and The Bard Owls. More info at: http://www.gullywasherkc.com]

[Gullywasher plays a Rustbelt Revelations II Release Show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Fri, March 27, at 7:00pm with Cee Dee Vee, Primrose Junction, Beth & Brandon, and Natalie Prauser.]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Hello Biplane – “Don’t Let Go”
    from: how to hold a bug / Hello Biplane / March 27, 2026
    [Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, March 28 with The Roseline and Thimastr. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters and The Creepy Jingles.]

11:05 – Interview with Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young

We are so happy to welcome to our KKFI Studios Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of the band Hello Biplane who are getting ready to release their new album, “how to hold a bug” coming out on March 27, 2026. Hello Biplane is a Lawrence, Kansas based futuracana [alt/indie/folk-pop] band centered around the songwriting of Spencer & Braden who are partners both in music and in life. The couple’s thoughtful compositions set the mood for honest lyrics that touch on themes of raising family, relationships, and finding meaning in the ordinary day-to-day life. Hello Biplane’s wide sonic range is driven by dynamic, vocal harmonies, finger-style guitar leads, and an experienced band that features drums, bass, cello, synthesizers, and accordion. Like their name suggests, Hello Biplane’s songs nod to life’s fleeting moments – passing quickly but leaving something lasting in their wake. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, March 28 with The Roseline and Thimastr. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters and The Creepy Jingles. More info at: http://www.hellobiplane.com

Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young thanks for being with us on WMM

Hello Biplane
Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango
Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar
Jeff Jackson – bass
Austin Sinkler – drums
Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth
Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ.

Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young.

Hello Biplane is a Lawrence, Kansas based futuracana [alt/indie/folk-pop] band centered around the songwriting of Spencer & Braden who are partners both in music and in life.

The couple’s thoughtful compositions set the mood for honest lyrics that touch on themes of raising family, relationships, and finding meaning in the ordinary day-to-day life. Hello Biplane’s wide sonic range is driven by dynamic, vocal harmonies, finger-style guitar leads, and an experienced band that features drums, bass, cello, synthesizers, and accordion. Like their name suggests, Hello Biplane’s songs nod to life’s fleeting moments – passing quickly but leaving something lasting in their wake.

Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021.

Hello Biplane -Discography

how to hold a bug / album / May 27, 2026
“Balloon” / Single / March 13, 2026
“Fetch” / Single / February 13, 2026
“Spotlight” / Single / January 13, 2026

LINE / 7-song EP / March 26, 2014
HELLO BIPLANE / 6-song EP / Fdecember 17, 2010

Alien Hellbop – Discography

AFTER THE QUAKE / 5-song EP / October 25, 2021

11:14

  1. Hello Biplane – “Fetch”
    from: how to hold a bug / Hello Biplane / March 27, 2026
    [Treleased as a Single on February 13, 2026. Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, March 28 with The Roseline and Thimastr. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters and The Creepy Jingles.]

  1. Hello Biplane – “Fetch”
    from: how to hold a bug / Hello Biplane / March 27, 2026
    [Treleased as a Single on February 13, 2026. Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, March 28 with The Roseline and Thimastr. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters and The Creepy Jingles.]

peatyr@gmail.com
  1. Hello Biplane – “Balloon”
    from: how to hold a bug / Hello Biplane / March 27, 2026
    [Treleased as a Single on February 13, 2026. Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS on Saturday, March 28 with The Roseline and Thimastr. Hello Biplane play an Album Release show at The Brick, 1727 McGee St., KCMO, on Friday, April 10 with The Kansas City Bear Fighters and The Creepy Jingles.]

11:30 – Underwriting

  1. Angie Fights Crime – “Between the Mountain and the Sea”
    from: To Be Beautiful / Angie Fights Crime / February 14, 2026
    [Written and recorded in Kansas City Missouri. Ash Reynolds on vocals on all songs except; Tess Savigear & Bethan Mathis on “To Be Beautiful”; Nikki Goodson on “Tiny Lies”; Keith Howell on Drums. Production & Mastering by Robert Rebeck. Album Art by KD Grant, Album Design Jeff Irvine. Angie Fights Crime is the brainchild of Brent Kinder, a musician, poet, songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Angie Fights Crime often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. Angie Fights Crime released the album SAVIOR OF THE WORLD on March 1, 2025. Savior of The World features Daniel Jordan on vocals, and Keith Howell on drums; with artwork by Tyson Schroeder, and J. Irvine. Mixing and mastering by Robert Rebeck. // Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass. With 46 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). More information at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.%5D

[Angie Fights Crime play the KJHK 90.7 annual Farmer’s Ball on Friday, March 27 and Friday April 3 at 8:00pm at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., with Corners of The Sky, Foxlin, Gold on Television, The Fun Guy, The Soul Agenda, The Sounds of Many, and The State of Everything]

11:36 – Interview with Brent Kinder

Brent Kinder a musician, poet, and songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Brent is the brainchild of Angie Fights Crime a musical project that often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. With 46 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. The Angie Fights Crime discography is divided into two parts: Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) and Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). Angie Fights Crime released their newest album, To Be Beautiful on February 14, 2026. Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass.

Angie Fights Crime play the KJHK 90.7 annual Farmer’s Ball on Friday, March 27 and Friday April 3 at 8:00pm at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., with Corners of The Sky, Foxlin, Gold on Television, The Fun Guy, The Soul Agenda, The Sounds of Many, and The State of Everything. More info at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.

Brent Kinder thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Brent is the brainchild of Angie Fights Crime a musical project that often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. With 49 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. The Angie Fights Crime discography is divided into two parts: Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) and Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). Angie Fights Crime released their newest album, To Be Beautiful on February 14, 2026

11:44

  1. Angie Fights Crime – “All My Breath”
    from: To Be Beautiful / Angie Fights Crime / February 14, 2026
    [Written and recorded in Kansas City Missouri. Ash Reynolds on vocals on all songs except; Tess Savigear & Bethan Mathis on “To Be Beautiful”; Nikki Goodson on “Tiny Lies”; Keith Howell on Drums. Production & Mastering by Robert Rebeck. Album Art by KD Grant, Album Design Jeff Irvine. Angie Fights Crime is the brainchild of Brent Kinder, a musician, poet, songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Angie Fights Crime often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. Angie Fights Crime released the album SAVIOR OF THE WORLD on March 1, 2025. Savior of The World features Daniel Jordan on vocals, and Keith Howell on drums; with artwork by Tyson Schroeder, and J. Irvine. Mixing and mastering by Robert Rebeck. // Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass. With 46 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). More information at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.%5D

[Angie Fights Crime play the KJHK 90.7 annual Farmer’s Ball on Friday, March 27 and Friday April 3 at 8:00pm at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., with Corners of The Sky, Foxlin, Gold on Television, The Fun Guy, The Soul Agenda,]

11:47 – More Interview with Brent Kinder

Brent Kinder a musician, poet, and songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Brent is the brainchild of Angie Fights Crime a musical project that often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. With 46 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. The Angie Fights Crime discography is divided into two parts: Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) and Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). Angie Fights Crime released their newest album, To Be Beautiful on February 14, 2026. Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass.

Angie Fights Crime play the KJHK 90.7 annual Farmer’s Ball on Friday, March 27 and Friday April 3 at 8:00pm at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., with Corners of The Sky, Foxlin, Gold on Television, The Fun Guy, The Soul Agenda, The Sounds of Many, and The State of Everything. More info at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.

Brent Kinder thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Brent is the brainchild of Angie Fights Crime a musical project that often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. With 49 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. The Angie Fights Crime discography is divided into two parts: Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) and Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). Angie Fights Crime released their newest album, To Be Beautiful on February 14, 2026

Brent Kinder, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:53:00

  1. Angie Fights Crime – “To Be Beautiful”
    from: To Be Beautiful / Angie Fights Crime / February 14, 2026
    [Written and recorded in Kansas City Missouri. Ash Reynolds on vocals on all songs except; Tess Savigear & Bethan Mathis on “To Be Beautiful”; Nikki Goodson on “Tiny Lies”; Keith Howell on Drums. Production & Mastering by Robert Rebeck. Album Art by KD Grant, Album Design Jeff Irvine. Angie Fights Crime is the brainchild of Brent Kinder, a musician, poet, songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Angie Fights Crime often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. Angie Fights Crime released the album SAVIOR OF THE WORLD on March 1, 2025. Savior of The World features Daniel Jordan on vocals, and Keith Howell on drums; with artwork by Tyson Schroeder, and J. Irvine. Mixing and mastering by Robert Rebeck. // Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass. With 46 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). More information at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.%5D

[Angie Fights Crime play the KJHK 90.7 annual Farmer’s Ball on Friday, March 27 and Friday April 3 at 8:00pm at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., with Corners of The Sky, Foxlin, Gold on Television, The Fun Guy, The Soul Agenda, The Sounds of Many, and The State of Everything]

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

NEXT WEEK on April Fool’s Day we welcome The Elders who premiere new music, plus A.M. Merker joins us, AND in our first hour we welcome Guest DJ who will present an April Fool’s Day Sing-a-long with the X-Word Rabbit.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wednesday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals donated $3924.00 going way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

Stay tuned at 12:00 Noon for Learning To Wiggle with Steve Stemmerman, at 2:00pm it’s Jazz Afternoon with Jeff Harshbarger. At 4:00pm we bring you, Dub’s Groove with Warren, at 6:00pm it’s: ON AIR with Nikki Brooks. At 7:00pm it’s Alternative Radio

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1140

WMM Playlist from March 18, 2026

Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Mannin
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Wednesday, March 18, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + Christena Graves + IVORY BLUE + Dandelion Lakewood + Rosie O’Brien of Sass-a-Brass Band

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979 [
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Mary Gauthier – “Soldier of Fortune”
    from: “Soldier of Fortune” – Single / Mary Gauthier / March 13, 2026
    [Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, known for songs that blend emotional resonance, depth of character, and lyrical insight. Her storytelling—raw, honest, and unwavering—has established her as one of America’s most compelling voices, offering beauty in sorrow, healing in loss, and perspectives only an artist of profound empathy can provide. Gauthier’s songs have been recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, Bettye LaVette, and many more. She has received honors from the Americana Music Association, International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, the GLAMA Awards, and the UK Americana Association. Her work has appeared extensively in film and television, including Yellowstone and ABC’s Nashville, and her memoir, Saved by a Song, was published by St. Martin’s Press. // Recorded mixed and mastered by Mark Hallman, in Austin, TX. Co-written by Mary Gauthier with Eliza Gilkyson in memory of Alex Jeffrey Pretti and Renee Goode, shot dead on the streets in January 2026 in Minneapolis, by ICE. This song is dedicated to the people fighting state terror everywhere.

Soldier of Fortune Lyrics (Gauthier/Gilkyson)

You were the Roman soldier, you hid behind the helmet and sword
You were only following orders when you nailed his hands to the board
You mocked him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” you gambled for his clothes
You heard his mother crying out and said, “hey, that just how it goes”

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You drove the trucks full of innocents, the Gestapo overseeing the trains
That carried them to concentration camps and they were never heard from again
You terrorized in the dead of night, you wore the white sheet and the hood
Quoting the bible, burning the crosses, and you’d string ‘em up again, if you could

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You’re nothing but a gun for hire, hiding behind a mask
You didn’t care if she was somebody’s mother
When you shot her in the face through the window glass
A VA nurse on a city street, full of the courage you lack
A beacon of mercy, helping stranger and you fired ten bullets into his back

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You are a soldier of fortune you do it for the money and laughs
It happened before now it’s happening again, just like it did in the past

  1. Anjimile – “Destroying You”
    from: You’re Free To Go / 4AD / March 13, 2026
    [Anjimile also released the singles “Waits For Me on March 13, 2026 and “Like You Really Mean It” earlier this year. Today North Carolina based singer-songwriter Anjimile announces plans to release the full-length album You’re Free to Go, due out March 13, 2026 on 4AD. The announcement comes with the luminous lead single “Like You Really Mean It” which overflows with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Caity Arthur. // Anjimile shares: “I wrote this to make my girlfriend want to give me a kiss. We live about an hour apart, and I was just by myself thinking about her. Thinking about wanting a kiss. What could I do to get a kiss from my sweetheart? Write a song about it! Anyway, it worked.” // “Like You Really Mean It” comes after the November single “Auld Lang Syne II,” a tender note-to-self on resilience and hard-fought freedom, characterized by delicate finger-plucked strings, charming horn passages, and intimate vocal delivery, which Stereogum called “stunning” upon its release; a song Anjimile says was: “originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back.” // Contrasting the intricacy and complexity of The King, You’re Free to Go unfolds organically under the intuitive direction of producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples). The album’s songs bloom naturally, grounded in warm acoustic guitars, subtle synth textures, lush string arrangements, and delicate rhythmic layers. Collaborative efforts with musicians Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), and guest vocalist Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) – a personal hero of Anjimile whose music deeply influenced the album even before his involvement – cultivate an exploratory yet intimate atmosphere, perfectly aligned with Anjimile’s nuanced storytelling. // Anjimile (ann-JIM-uh-lee) Chithambo has forged a distinctive musical path characterised by unflinching introspection and deep honesty. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant indie scene while studying at Northeastern University, Anjimile captivated audiences with earnest songwriting, delicate sonic textures, and performances that felt like prayer and celebration. // Critical acclaim quickly followed; 2020’s Giver Taker, hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the year’s best albums, positioned him as a compelling voice exploring enduring themes of spirituality, identity, and liberation. With The King(2023), Anjimile intensified his examination of Black and trans existence amid personal and societal turbulence, reaffirming his courageous commitment to navigating discomfort as a means of liberation. // You’re Free to Go picks up where The King left off, but with its hands open wide – a central question being: what happens when you let go and let love in? // Crafted over years marked by transformation, the album traces vividly the profound complexities of change – from breakups to new love; deep grief and loss to renewal and rediscovery. “The past two years have been a deeply transitional point in my life,” Anjimile explains. On You’re Free to Go, he learns to trust life again. The album’s title symbolises Anjimile’s expansive perspective on love and personal freedom, influenced profoundly by his relationship with his partner and their joyful embrace of non-monogamy. He describes this dynamic playfully: “I view non-monogamy as setting out milk every night on your porch for the cats; they can come if they want,” – a reminder that connection thrives when it’s truly chosen and not confined and restricted by normativity. This same playfulness runs through “Rust & Wire” which captures the exhilaration of falling in love again and again (“ripen in the heat like wine”). // Elsewhere, You’re Free to Go explores heavier, darker truths; ‘Exquisite Skeleton’ hauntingly portrays the ache of familial estrangement and ‘Ready or Not’ the exhaustion of facing transphobia. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be free… When I was a little boy, I wanted to be real.”, he disarmingly reflects on “Waits For Me,” a powerful reckoning on childhood identity. But even in its most searching moments, the record radiates light. // Each song holds space for healing – for turning pain into something tender, communal, and free. // Spirituality remains the heartbeat of Anjmile’s work. “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question,” he says. Across You’re Free to Go, sacredness feels alive and imperfect — a practice of breathing, wondering, forgiving. The album hums with that same sacred energy: messy and full of grace. // Throughout You’re Free to Go, Anjimile skilfully integrates a variety of musical inspirations to heighten the album’s emotional impact. Tracks such as “Turning Away” and “The Store” channel the raw and unadorned authenticity reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. The collaboration with Sam Beam on “Destroying You” adds a gentle warmth that beautifully complements Anjimile’s refined vocal expression. Melodically, the album evokes a subtle nostalgia for late-’90s alternative pop, seamlessly blending folk sensibilities into inviting, memorable hooks. Anjimile has notably evolved, adopting a more relaxed and expressive approach to his singing, partly due to his ongoing hormonal therapy – a transformative journey he embraces gladly. This newfound vocal depth amplifies the album’s emotional resonance, allowing him to express himself with greater authenticity. // As Anjimile prepares to share You’re Free to Go live, he envisions intimate performances that reinterpret rather than replicate the album’s recordings. He aims for the authenticity and vulnerability embedded in these songs to resonate deeply, emphasising, “This record feels very authentic to my life experiences. It’s about as close to getting to know me as you could ever get with a record.” // You’re Free to Go is a portrait of transformation — not as a wound, but as an opening. Richly textured, this collection of songs is an honest reflection of life’s fluctuations. It holds space for contradiction and finds liberation in tenderness. As Anjimile beautifully articulates, the album embodies “breathing into the question,” acknowledging that life’s most profound moments often come without clear answers, but rather exist in the gentle tension of uncertainty and discovery. In every note, Anjimile provides space for each listener to reflect and uncover their own truths, while gently reminding us that freedom isn’t the absence of pain, but the courage to love, to ask, to keep beginning again.]
  1. Irreversible Entanglements – “Juntos Vencemos (ft. Helado Negro)”
    from: Future Present Past / Impulse! Records – Verve / March 27, 2026
    [Irreversible Entanglements open their new album, Future Present Past (Impulse!), with a simple message: together we win, or “Juntos Vencemos,” the latest single from their upcoming sixth studio album. The LP was announced with a double single “Don’t Lose Your Head” / “Vibrate Higher,” both featuring contributions from MOTHERBOARD. // On “Juntos Vencemos,” the free jazz collective joins forces with Helado Negro for the album’s rallying call. IE’s resident horn wielder Aquiles Navarro heralds the track with resonant, lengthy tones, behind which follows brisk percussion. The energy of the drums seems to enliven the cheers and whoops in the background as well as Helado Nego’s own vocals. With its invigorating spirit, “Juntos Vencemos” sets the stage for Future Present Past’s collection of fight songs. // IE shared their thoughts behind the meaning of the track: ”Juntos Vencemos” means “together we overcome” in Spanish. At one point in our recording session at Rudy Van Gelder studio, we gathered spontaneously in the center of the main room, collected our percussion and, without plans or fanfare or being told what to do, commenced collaborating in the moment. A moment of trust, listening, and action. Such acts honor the human divinity of togetherness and unity, in order to create a multidimensional healing force beyond the power of singularity. Outside authority, boxes, quotas. What more needs to be said that won’t land the sayer on a watchlist, in a cage, or worse?” // For their fifth album, the band gladly returned to historic Van Gelder Studio in October of 2024 to record most of the main tracks. Future Present Past sees the quintet at the height of its group improvisational-compositional-rhythmic powers, weaving diasporic liberation music into our shared story of existence – futures full of possibility, the present with all its uncertainties, and strands of the past as wellsprings of ancestral wisdom. To flesh out this more complex sound, additional recording and production took place over the following nine months. Jonathan Schenke worked closely with the band editing and arranging in his Brooklyn studio in the summer of 2025 and Andrew Lappin returned to mix the collection. Guests MOTHERBOARD and Helado Negro seamlessly blend into the collective sound. The result is a call to action by the band, who recognize that no one is coming to save us; we must look after each other. // The band shared this statement about the record: The weight of a certain world can feel cruel and unusual. Another world uplifts. We form as five and transform into billions. Billions of us on this planet sharing this journey through existence—futures full of possibility and potential, the present with all its anxieties and uncertainties, pasts as wellsprings of ancestral wisdom and histories’ warnings. // This album is five standing on the shoulders of legions. The healers, the alchemists, the rebels, the mothers and fathers who have fought and weaved and invented new ways of being, seeing, and balancing the frequencies of this planet towards trans-dimensional liberation and universal understanding. // We assume our role in this music as messengers, continuing in the tradition’s long march along the arc of the universe. Freedom fighters telling us not to lose our heads amidst imposed chaos. It is our duty to vibrate higher, beyond the noise, above the hype, away from the novelty, over the walls, across the borders: to keep going. // The spirit moves us to sing these fight songs, to sing fight songs, we overcome. To hold on, to keep going, together we overcome.]
  1. Christena Graves – “Wait It Out”
    from: FINDING MY FOOTING /Junco Records / February 11, 2021
    [Recently Christena Graves released the singles: “One Good Thing” on February 24, 2024; “Summer’s End” on August 3, 2023; “Swingin’ On The Stars” on June 28, 2023 // Christena Graves released her album, FINDING MY FOOTING on February 11, 2021. It was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021. Christena Graves writes songs in order to make sense of her world. Her lyrics are a mixture of a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain and suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. It was a moment that gave fuel to her love of singing. // After leaving Michigan to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way. // 2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work being laid for her return to the music industry. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her new record. The album is titled, Finding My Footing. A nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward. // The release of Finding My Footing marks her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first project ever as a band leader. The songs are stories of loss, fear, struggle, and joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability and worth as an artist, as a woman, and a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am and I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.” More info at: http://www.christenagravesmusic.com]

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:15 – Interview with Christena Graves

Christena Graves writes songs to make sense of her world, with lyrics that are a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain & suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Graves own deep connection with the natural world helps her frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. Growing up in Michigan, she learned to sing harmonies with older brothers & sisters. She joined the music industry touring and recording with the band Waterdeep in 1990s and 2000s. Christena stepped away to raise her family, but continued songwriting and participating in music programs with her church. In 2019 the Christena Graves Band began, and in 2021, Christena’s solo album, “Finding My Footing,” marked her return to the music industry. “Finding My Footing,” was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021.

Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.

Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm. More info at http://www.christenagravesmusic.com

Christena Graves thanks for being with us again on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Christena Graves who grew up in western Michigan, and after leaving to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to Kansas City from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her album, Finding My Footing, her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first as a band leader.

Christena Graves has released several singles in the last few years:
“Swingin’ On The Stars” (June 28, 2023)
“Summer’s End” (August 3, 2023)
“One Good Thing” (February 24, 2024)

Christena and her husband Brandon have already recorded 12 new songs for their upcoming new album, to be released later this year. The album is currently in the mastering process. Christena shared a new song from the album.

10:19

  1. Christena Graves – “ Hanging On” (LIVE)
    from: Upcoming New Album as yet untitled due to be released later this year

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:22 – More Interview with Christena Graves

Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. // Christena grew up in western Michigan, and after leaving to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player.

Brandon Graves is a performer and educator based in Lawrence, KS. Brandon was a founding member of the band Waterdeep, with whom he spent many years touring the country and recording. He has been performing and teaching for over 30 years. He served as the Director of the Music School, Co-Director of the Recording Studio, and Faculty Percussion Instructor at the Culture House in Olathe, Kansas. In addition to a full teaching schedule, Brandon is an in demand clinician and performer on drum set. He can be seen playing drums locally with his band the Wrong Kata Trio as well as backing up local artists such as Christena Graves and Three Dollar Band. Brandon can be found on his YouTube page Brandon Graves Music or on Instagram and Twitter @beatcaster.

Waterdeep is a band from Kansas City, Missouri that is now based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is made up of husband and wife songwriters Don and Lori Chaffer. Waterdeep spent their early years as a renowned mid-western jam band–selling over 150,000 albums independently–but became nationally known when they signed to Squint Entertainment (Sixpence None the Richer, Chevelle) in 1999. A decade later, they relocated to Nashville, and employed their production and songwriting skills in service of other artists as well. In addition to their own songs, they’ve seen collaborations with Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones, Trent Dabbs, and others receive multiple placements in film and television. Nashville based duo, Don & Lori Chaffer have been making music together for a long time. With over 15 full-length albums under their belt, they continue to write and record music and, as of the last 10 years, also musicals.

After touring for several years, Christena stepped away to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena & Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way.

2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work for her return to the music. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist & producer. Greg offered his help to record songs that have become her new record. Finding My Footing is a nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward.

Finding My Footing marks Christena’s first full length solo album since 1996 & her first project as a band leader. The songs on Finding My Footing are stories of loss, fear, struggle, & joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability & worth as an artist, as a woman, & a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am & I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.”

Christena Graves thank you for being with us today on WMM.

Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.

Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm. More info at http://www.christenagravesmusic.com

10:27

  1. Christena Graves – “Give Me a Minute”
    from: FINDING MY FOOTING /Junco Records / February 11, 2021
    [Recently Christena Graves released the singles: “One Good Thing” on February 24, 2024; “Summer’s End” on August 3, 2023; “Swingin’ On The Stars” on June 28, 2023 // Christena Graves released her album, FINDING MY FOOTING on February 11, 2021. It was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021. Christena Graves writes songs in order to make sense of her world. Her lyrics are a mixture of a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain and suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. It was a moment that gave fuel to her love of singing. // After leaving Michigan to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way. // 2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work being laid for her return to the music industry. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her new record. The album is titled, Finding My Footing. A nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward. // The release of Finding My Footing marks her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first project ever as a band leader. The songs are stories of loss, fear, struggle, and joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability and worth as an artist, as a woman, and a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am and I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.” More info at: http://www.christenagravesmusic.com]

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:30 – Underwriting

  1. Ivory Blue – “Afterglow”
    from: “Afterglow” – Single / IVORY BLUE / February 20, 2026
    [Along with “After Glow” IVORY BLUE has released the singles: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // 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]

10:35 – Interview with IVORY BLUE

IVORY BLUE released her 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023, It was in the top 5 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. A free-spirited musician, IVORY BLUE has become an expressive multi-genre artist whose music is passionate rock, with a dash of pop hooks & a healthy dose of swagger. Since then she has released several new singles including: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; “Afterglow” on February 20, 2026; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. These single will be part of Ivory’s upcoming third full length album ECHO to be released on April 24, 2026.

At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put her up for adoption. IVORY lived with eight different “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express her pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video. The Van Lue family adopted IVORY into their family. As a multi-instrumentalist, IVORY refining her style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies, giving tsolo shows the feel of a full band.

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM.

IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on 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 was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put them up for adoption. 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 “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express their pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video, captured from an open mike performance. Klaartje had moved to the United States from Belgium to marry her husband and then raise her son and daughter. Klaartje, a pianist and working mom, felt a connection, musically and maternally, sent a plane ticket for IVORY to fly to KC. The Van Lue’s adopted IVORY into their family. 10 years ago IVORY came out as “Transgender” helping to educate and to clear the pathway for a growing number of trans, queer, & non-binary musical artists who are part of KC’s diverse and collaborative music community.

IVORY BLUE released their full-length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. IVORY BLUE released the video of their song, “Family Table” directed by Mikal Shapiro, on August 21, 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, California to win the top prize.

IVORY BLUE has played Boulevardia, Kauffman Stadium, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, Apocalypse Meow, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The KC Public Library, The Viper Room (L.A.), ULAH with You Found Music, Arts In The Park, The Englewood Arts Center, MiniBar, recordBar, Lemonade Park, Davy’s Uptown Ramblers Club, Records With Merritt, The Tank Room, and many others. More info at: https://linktr.ee/ivorybluemusic

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM.

10:45

  1. 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” on 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]

10:48 – More interview with IVORY BLUE

We welcome a friend of the show, IVORY BLUE, making her 19th appearance on this program. IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on 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; “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; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Afterglow” on February 20, 2026. “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. These singles will be part of Ivory’s upcoming third full length album ECHO to be released on April 24, 2026.

IVORY BLUE thanks for being with us on WMM

IVORY BLUE released her 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023, It was in the top 5 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. A free-spirited musician, IVORY BLUE has become an expressive multi-genre artist whose music is passionate rock, with a dash of pop hooks & a healthy dose of swagger. At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put her up for adoption. IVORY lived with eight different “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express her pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video. The Van Lue family adopted IVORY into their family. As a multi-instrumentalist, IVORY refining her style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies, giving tsolo shows the feel of a full band.

IVORY BLUE released their full-length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. IVORY BLUE released the video of their song, “Family Table” directed by Mikal Shapiro, on August 21, 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, California to win the top prize.

IVORY BLUE has played Boulevardia, Kauffman Stadium, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, Apocalypse Meow, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The KC Public Library, The Viper Room (L.A.), ULAH with You Found Music, Arts In The Park, The Englewood Arts Center, MiniBar, recordBar, Lemonade Park, Davy’s Uptown Ramblers Club, Records With Merritt, The Tank Room, and many others.

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM

10:57

  1. Ivory Blue – “Forevermore”
    from: “Forevermore” – Single / IVORY BLUE / November 28, 2025;
    [Along with “After Glow” IVORY BLUE has released the singles: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // IVORY BLUE’s single “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. // 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” on 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]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Dandelion Lakewood – “Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun”
    from: “Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun” / Dowager Records / December 19, 2025
    [Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.” Dandelion Lakewood, also released the single “Clover, Hey Clover” o September 27, 2025 with himself on vocals, banjo, guitar, production and writing. // Dandelion Lakewood, the psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music had previously released “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen”on January 29, 2025, is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. // “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums and tambourine. and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mixture of sounds and rhythms. // Dandelion writes: “Years ago, I was backpacking and busking across Ireland with barely a penny to my name. I had some inspirational moments during that time and decided to pen a ballad in homage to my time absorbing the traditions of the Green Isle.” // Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. // Dandelion Lakewood released the singles: “Yerim Seni” on October 26, 2023; “More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” on August 1, 2023; “Mauna a Wakea” on May 3, 2024; “Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” on November 25, 2022; the 5-track EP – BY MYSELF on January 1, 2016; the 9-track album – Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams with Chicago Park District Kids on April 1, 2015; the 9-track album, FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co. on October 20, 2013 ; the 6-song EP – NOBLE CREATURES on September 15, 2012; the 7-track EP – ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co., on June 21, 2012; the 7-track EP – SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. on January 8, 2012; the single “Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” on August 27, 2011; the single “The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” on August 7, 2011; and the single “Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” on May 25, 2011. // Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, The Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms everywhere.]

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:04 – Interview with Dandelion Lakewood

Dandelion Lakewood is bard on a quest to assist global awakening and liberation. Dandelion Lakewood is an otherworldly bard: a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, audio engineer, sound designer, and video maker born in Kansas City. As if emerged from an ancient, abandoned temple woven from thriving, thick green foliage, Dandy conjures musical spells for creatures of distant realms so that they can remember their sovereign power and lift each other up. Lakewood integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of indie, folk, blues, jazz, noise, ambient, americana, balkan, middle eastern and psychedelic sounds. He also hosts a podcast, Voice Seeker, which features perspectives from a global assortment of speakers. His influences span 90’s trailblazers Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Portishead, indie auteurs The Microphones and Animal Collective, the austere electronic worlds of Kraftwerk, Monolake, Aphex Twin, and Plastikman, Turkish artists Erkan Oğur, Erkin Koray, and Gaye Su Akyol, , ambient soundscapes from Harold Budd, Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Faust, the folklore tradition from The Anthology of American Folk Music, The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Jimmie Rodgers, Leadbelly, and traditional folk songs worldwide. He has released 10 singles, 2 albums and 3 EPs 53 individual tracks. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms.

Dandelion Lakewood thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his stationary life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning 30 countries and 4 continents including Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, the Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests.
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Dandelion has shared the stage and collaborated with a diverse host of international artists, including Perija, Høly River, Julie Byrne, True Lions, YACHT, Nadja, ÖZGÜR BABA, Davey Dynamite, Plastic Crimewave, X Dirty Fingers, Billy Mack Collector, Jeremy Waun, Frank Hurricane, Eric Funn, Izpod Korenin, Damla Eker, Cross Record, Margo May, members of Seyyah, and more.
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His influences span 90’s trailblazers Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Portishead, indie auteurs The Microphones and Animal Collective, the austere electronic worlds of Kraftwerk, Monolake, Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Plastikman, Turkish artists Erkan Oğur, Erkin Koray, Gaye Su Akyol, Oratnitza, Selda Bağcan, Aşık Veysel, Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, and Oruç Güvenç ve Tümata, ambient soundscapes from Harold Budd, Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Faust, the folklore tradition from The Anthology of American Folk Music, The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Jimmie Rodgers, Leadbelly, and traditional folk songs worldwide.

11:17

  1. Dandelion Lakewood – “World of Plenty” (LIVE)

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:21 – More Interview with Dandelion Lakewood

Dandelion Lakewood is bard on a quest to assist global a Dandelion Lakewood joins us in our 90.1 FM Studios. Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. He released the single “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” on January 29, 2025. The song is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. A bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums, tambourine, and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mix.

Dandelion Lakewood thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music.

Dandelion is currently thriving in Kansas City, crafting new recordings and developing the most recent incarnation of his indie-psychedelic band Bowl of Dust & Co.

Dandelion Lakewood Discography

“Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun” / Single / December 19, 2025
[Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.”}
“Clover, Hey Clover” / Single / September 27, 2025
“Yerim Seni” / Single / October 26, 2023
“More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” / Single / August 1, 2023
“Mauna a Wakea” / Single / May 3, 2024
“Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” / Single / November 25, 2022
BY MYSELF / 5-track EP / January 1, 2016
Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams w/Chicago Park Dist. Kids / 9-track album / April 1, 2015
FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co./ 9-track album / October 20, 2013
NOBLE CREATURES / 6-song EP / September 15, 2012
ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co. / 7-track EP / June 21, 2012
SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. / 7-track EP / January 8, 2012
“Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” / Single / August 27, 2011
“The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” / Single / August 7, 2011
“Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” Single / May 25, 2011

11:25

  1. Dandelion Lakewood – “Clover, Hey Clover”
    from: “Clover, Hey Clover” / Fire Next Time Records / September 27, 2025
    [Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.” Dandelion Lakewood, also released the single “Clover, Hey Clover” on September 27, 2025 with himself on vocals, banjo, guitar, production and writing. // Dandelion Lakewood, the psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music had previously released “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen”on January 29, 2025, is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. // “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums and tambourine. and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mixture of sounds and rhythms. // Dandelion writes: “Years ago, I was backpacking and busking across Ireland with barely a penny to my name. I had some inspirational moments during that time and decided to pen a ballad in homage to my time absorbing the traditions of the Green Isle.” // Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. // Dandelion Lakewood released the singles: “Yerim Seni” on October 26, 2023; “More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” on August 1, 2023; “Mauna a Wakea” on May 3, 2024; “Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” on November 25, 2022; the 5-track EP – BY MYSELF on January 1, 2016; the 9-track album – Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams with Chicago Park District Kids on April 1, 2015; the 9-track album, FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co. on October 20, 2013 ; the 6-song EP – NOBLE CREATURES on September 15, 2012; the 7-track EP – ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co., on June 21, 2012; the 7-track EP – SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. on January 8, 2012; the single “Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” on August 27, 2011; the single “The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” on August 7, 2011; and the single “Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” on May 25, 2011. // Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, The Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms everywhere.]

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at At ARTS KC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:29 – Underwriting

  1. Paula Boggs Band – “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round (feat. Blind Boys of Alabama & Valerie June) (Album version)”
    from: Sumatra / Boggs Media LLC / March 27, 2026
    [“This collaboration is a perfect balm for these times when great positive change and shifts are needed worldwide. I am thrilled to work with Paula Boggs and the Blind Boys of Alabama on this motivational song of inspiration.” -Valerie June / “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” Traditional, additional lyrics/arr. Paula Boggs. / Artist Statement From Paula Boggs on the Track: “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” releases on February 27, 2026, straddling Black and Women’s History Months at a time when both are under unprecedented attack. Its release comes a month after two American citizens in Minneapolis exercising their respective constitutional rights were gunned down by their government. None of this was known, of course when we recorded the song in 2024. We decided to close album “Sumatra” with “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round shortly after recording it because we understood America was at a crossroads. We are an “American Roots band, after all, storytellers, and wanted our album to end with a potent message of hope and resolve. “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” is a song in the American folk tradition, carried by oral history and reborn in the 1960s as a Civil Rights anthem. Rooted in call-and-response of the Black church—where worship was, and can be in 2026, also resistance—it closes “Sumatra” the album as a bookend of faith and purpose, answering the album’s opening Gregorian prayer that urges listeners to “wake up.” This banjo and fiddle driven arrangement honors voices that will not be silenced, with an original bridge urging listeners to “get on board.” Adding the singular contributions of legendary Blind Boys of Alabama and Americana powerhouse Valerie June magnifies a 21stcentury call to action: “keep on marching to Freedom Land!” / Though the song emanates from the Black Church and 1960s Civil Rights Movement, its lyrics, melody and message are accessible to all who eschew hatred, injustice and inequality. The message of the song strikes us as fresh and compelling while also suggesting, at a time when many of us struggle to know what one person can do, that we march forward, make progress, put one foot in front of the other. When so much of our public discourse is negative, profane or cynical, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” speaks of personal and community agency. – Paula Boggs / Paula Boggs Bio: A singular artist with a singular backstory, Paula Boggs has taken the life lessons she’s learned as a proud queer black woman who’s made her mark in various personal and professional roles that demanded excellence in her every endeavor. A former military liaison, legal officer, educator, writer, public speaker, and philanthropist, she’s found success in each endeavor, all of which have informed her ability to make music that contains both meaning and messaging, / Her sound is aptly identified as “Soulgrass,” a musical amalgam that’s as varied as Boggs’ life experience itself. A rich amalgam of bluegrass, jazz and Americana that draws from traditional trappings, it’s unique and specific in a creative and compelling way. Most importantly, it’s entirely her own. It defines her as a singular artist who shares certain truths with an unblemished honesty and a sound that’s soulful, satisfying and able to engage. / As the The San Diego Reader said so succinctly, “Boggs makes a certain kind of urban, jazzy music that seems permanently nested within the structures of traditional folk, bluegrass, and even standard blues harmony.” That statement summed up Paula’s verve and versatility. / That’s never been more evident than on her eponymous band’s latest LP, her fifth to date and due for release on March 27th. Titled Sumatra, after the coffee grown in Indonesia’s volcanic soils and prized for its bold flavor, smoothness, and balance from low acidity, the name is a fitting metaphor. It suits a collection of songs that are measured and mediative, a conceptual whole entirely inspired by real life revelations. Each track references a definitive encounter that resonates with insight and engagement. / “There are stories circulating around every single one of these songs,” Paula insists. “I’m merely the songwriter, the mother of these songs. It’s a storyteller’s album, and it’s holistic. These tracks, though distinct, are part of a whole. They relate to each other, and they provide different lenses into life’s journey with its ups and downs and curves. Here we are, and even with the craziness of today’s world, we still persevere.” / “As such, Sumatra remains both pleasing and provocative,” Paula maintains. “Sumatra also represents the band itself, which is so diverse in many, many ways – even generationally, with ages spanning 30 to 70. We are racially and ethnically diverse, gender diverse, sexual orientation diverse, and religiously diverse. Our life stories have brought us to this moment in which we were able to realize this album.” / Paula goes on to say that the place where the band is based, the city of Seattle, also has an impact on their efforts. “Some of us were drawn here because we believed we could achieve things in Seattle,” she suggests. “The band has tried to stay true to the brand of Seattle, because Seattle is a place where people believe they can draw outside the lines — regardless of whether it’s in the arts or business or music or photography or sports — especially in ways they could not do living in the places they were before.” // Naturally then, this long-time group of musicians — featuring Paula herself on vocals, guitar and ukulele, David Salonen on bass, fiddle and vocals, Tor Dietrichson on percussion and vocals, Paul Matthew Moore on keys, accordion and vocals, Daniel Walker playing synth, mellotron, accordion and pianos, Darren Loucas on banjo, guitar, harmonica, lap steel, and vocals, and Jacob Evans on drums — were wholly involved in the making of the album. Sumatra also features special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama and Valerie June sharing commanding vocals on the traditional tune “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” members of the Evensong Choir of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle who blend their voices on the opening title track, James Falzone adding penny whistle on “The Snow It Melts The Soonest,” and Josh Neumann who plays cello on “Traces Of You.” / Paula served as co-producer and the album’s executive producer. The majority of the songs were co-produced, engineered and mixed by Tucker Martine (whose credits include Rosanne Cash, Aoife O’Donavan, Sufjan Stevens, and The Decemberists, amongst many others) at Flora Recording and Playback, with assistant engineer Ryan Bridenstine. Matthew Brown co-produced “Route 66” and “Airline Boogie” at Avast Studios in Seattle, Washington, while Nicholas Denke co-produced, engineered and mixed those particular tracks at Electric Muses Studio in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Paul Blakemore served as mastering engineer. / Scheduled for release this March under independent auspices, the album will be preceded by two singles, each significant in its own way: “Airline Boogie” on January 30 and the band’s thoroughly rousing and robust take on the age-old American classic “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” on February 27. / “Flying in 2025 was not for the faint of heart,” Paula says about the origins of the former. “Between DOGE, the firing of air traffic controllers, the helicopter crash, delayed or cancelled flights, TSA drama, folks coughing on you without masks, no free snacks, and whatever, it’s never been more stressful. Meanwhile, an out-of-control plane seemed a perfect metaphor for the anxiety so many of us feel these days. We arranged and recorded the song with a ‘live’ sound to accentuate the ‘clear and present danger’ vibe we wanted to convey.” / She goes on to describe the latter as a spiritual song in the folk tradition, rich with oral history and reborn as a Civil Rights anthem. Rooted in call-and-response of the Black church — where worship was also resistance — it closes the album as a paean to faith and resolve, while urging listeners to wake up to the need to take a firm stand. The banjo and fiddle arrangement honors voices that will not be silenced and adds an original bridge that suggests everyone needs to “get on board.” Adding the singular contributions of the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama and Americana powerhouse Valerie June magnifies it as a 21st century call to action and the need to “keep on marching to Freedom Land!” / The rest of the songs follow suit, maintaining those absolute objectives. Martine, the producer, was given the freedom to bring a sonic breadth to these tracks that allows both the music and messaging to remain in sync and in support of the larger narrative. // “There’s something undeniably smooth and digestible about her music, but do not be deceived,” James Falzone, Professor of Music at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, writes in the album’s liner notes. “There’s also boldness and intensity, found in the lyrics and in a voice that moves us to wakefulness. There is a call to action in the music of Sumatra as there is in the tradition of great spirit-filled music the world over—the experience of listening is simultaneously soothing and prophetic….these are not just songs, they are small homilies, and like all good homilies, they open a world into new ways––better ways––of being.” // That drive and determination have inspired Paula throughout her career, including her 14 years in the public service sector, including serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and legal counsel for the Department of Defense and the White House. She spent eight formative years in the military, earning Airborne wings as a paratrooper and a congressional appointment to the US Naval Academy, one of the first women to ascend to that post. She took the role of Chief Legal Officer, Executive Vice President and Board Secretary for Starbucks, Board Secretary for public radio station KEXP and a board member of the video and audio company Avid Technology. She also serves on the Board of Governors for the Recording Academy’s Seattle chapter. // That’s in addition to a prestigious appointment to President Obama’s Committee on The Arts and Humanities. She’s served four U.S. presidents throughout her career, spending much of her life committed to music education, veterans affairs and civic responsibilities. // Nevertheless, it’s Paula’s passion for singing, songwriting and leading a band of storied musicians that elevated her to a new level of craft and creativity. She initially took to writing her own songs at the age of ten, influenced by Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Simon and Garfunkel in particular, // “As those folks were emerging, their music began being incorporated into the Catholic mass for the first time,” she continues. “Even in the music I write today, you can hear that sort of 1960s and 1970s folk era sound that I was imprinted with. It became part of my musical DNA. From age 10 until my late 20s and early 30s, I was writing music with an idea of infusing it into a Catholic syntax. When I left the Catholic church, I thought that the era of musical creation and performance was in my past, and part of my past history.” // The factor that inevitably made her rethink her objective came about after she was made aware of a one-year songwriters course offered by the University of Washington within its continuing education program. “My wife urged me to audition for it in 2005,” she explains. “I got accepted and became one of 15 songwriters in this class of aspiring songwriters. It was the first time I’d been part of that particular community. I went through peer review and the vulnerability that it entailed, exposing my songs to a critique for the first time. I performed one of my original songs, and afterwards my teacher came up to me and said, ‘You know, Paula, I really think you have something with your songwriting, and what a shame it would be if you didn’t keep going.’ That was in 2006, but I still didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t have a clue what it meant to keep going for someone like me. I was Starbucks’ top lawyer and I had a full time job that was very demanding. But I also had this irrepressible musical muse that was getting bigger and bigger inside me.” // Shortly thereafter, she decided to pursue the dream that had laid latent for some 15 years. // “I decided I needed to do one open mic a month in 2007, and that’s exactly what I did,” Paula recalls. “As I took that journey, I met a couple musicians who really appreciated what I was doing. One of them, Tor Dietrichson, our percussionist, still plays with the band. We had our very first gig, in January of 2008.” // Now, after a 20-year music career that began belatedly but eventually spawned four previous albums — A Buddha State of Mind (2010), Carnival of Miracles (2015), Elixir – The Soulgrass Sessions (2018), Janus (2022), her latest, Sumatra, and one concert recording, Live At Sweetwater Music Hall (2024) — she’s emerged as a defining artist whose music resonates with affirmation and exhilaration in equal measure. // Along the way, she’s earned the praise of audiences and pundits alike. Influential radio deejay Bruce Swan, host of the popular show “Music My Mother Would Not Like” and Programming Director/WSFM 103.3 Asheville, NC raves, “The music of Paula Boggs puts its toe in many genres, and then makes them her own. Each song tells stories that are as personal as they are universal. Expect to be wonderfully surprised and captivated by each track. To hear her is to know her.” // Folk Radio UK concurred, a long history of activism from both Paula and her band as a whole, their music intends to inspire listeners to see the world through a slightly different and more unifying lens.” // “She is a woman with many stories, ones of whimsy, loss, and hope,” Paula’s longtime guitarist Darren Loucas proudly says. “On Sumatra, she invites all these stories to sit for coffee and the result is bracing and bold.” // Always pushing parameters and breaking boundaries, Paula is, in her own words, “a beneficiary of that broadening lens of acceptance and celebration, one that embraces the diverse voices within the very roots of American and Americana tradition. It includes not just how people look or who they love,” she continues, “but also how they sound. Over the past 20 years that we’ve been at this, the Americana scene has become more diverse while making space for a wider range of voices. Happily for us, we have been the beneficiary of that very notion.”

11:33 – Interview with Rosie O’Brien of Sass-a-Brass

Rosie O’Brien is a musician and organizer originally from Lawrence, KS. She studied Political Science, Studio Art, and Mandarin Chinese at Grinnell College in Iowa and pursued a career in political and environmental activism before transitioning into music full-time. Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional drumming with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to Kansas City in 2021 to expand the project, which has received grants from both the Charlotte Street Foundation and ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians. Sass-a-Brass Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of street activism, street band energy, and New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Since its inception Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

Rosie O’Brien thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Yesterday, March 17, 2026 Sass-a-Brass marched with 90.1 FM KKFI in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer and nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community.

During her undergraduate studies, Rosie sang and toured annually with the Grinnell Singers, where she debuted and recorded the original compositions of her mentor and director, Dr. John Rommereim, in both Iowa and Taiwan.

Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional djembe and dunun with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to Kansas City in 2021 to expand the project, which has received grants from both the Charlotte Street Foundation and ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians.

Rosie joined the KC Ballet School as an accompanist in 2023 and plays traditional djembe for modern dance classes and the ROAD program. In 2025, Rosie will enter her second season as a soprano with professional choral ensemble Te Deum; she is in her third season as a Choral Associate with Country Club Christian Church, and enjoys performing locally as a vocalist and percussionist with her 8-piece free-improvisation band Apricot Glow.

Sass-a-Brass is Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of HONK-style activist street band energy and borrowing from the New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Our mission is to bring queer musical joy to the public, and also provide a welcoming space where underrepresented groups experience a sense of belonging and sustained growth as musicians. As a community-minded band, we intentionally recruit amateur, multi-generational and non-traditional players to join. Since its inception in 2018, Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities.

Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer and nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community.

Over the years, Sass-A-Brass has benefited from the participation of many incredible musicians from the Lawrence and KC area; has involved wide-ranging instrumentation including keytar, amplified flute, and washboard; and has led musical celebrations for a diverse range of events (most notably an underground cave party and a Solstice parade ending in a public fountain).

Now split between Lawrence and Kansas City, the band continues to bring a bright and colorful vibe to Pride events, public parties and private gatherings alike. Through the sheer joy of community-based street parade culture, Sass-A-Brass spreads the good news: music is the key to liberation for all.

More on Rosie from: http://www.sustianus.org (As Rosie said, “…of her past, over 5 years ago)

Rosie is a thinker, artist and soil protector based in the Kaw Valley region of the Great Plains. She grew up climbing trees and eating homegrown veggies in occupied Kansa and Osage territory, in so-called Lawrence, Kansas. In 2016, Rosie graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa with degrees in Political Science and Studio Art, and has since lived in Slovenia, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Wichita, and Washington DC. Most recently, she has participated in an ongoing tree sit at Camp White Pine in rural Pennsylvania in resistance to Energy Transfer Partner’s Mariner East 2 pipeline.

Over the past five years, Rosie has become fluent in Mandarin Chinese, exhibited art in Berlin and Lawrence, organized for two Congressional campaigns, trained scores of anti-corruption activists in Momentum theory, led workshops and student groups on divestment campaigns against industrial food systems and animal confinement operations, worked on an organic bee farm in Germany, assisted with legal support for the 2017 Inaugural Felony Riot defendants through Defend J20, and continued to expand her tree climbing and direct action skill sets in the wake of ongoing ecocide and destruction of nature across the globe. She is currently working on a narrative nonfiction book about the political economy of love, and strives to build a world where wildness can be renewed.

Rosie O’Brien thanks for being with us on WMM.

Sass-a-Brass Shows:

Sunday, April 9 at 4:00pm at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St., KCMO Proceeds Benefit Advocates for Immigrants Rights & Responsibilities Emergency Fund & Indivisible KC with Outside Voices KC, Bob & Diana Suckiel, Pheasant Pluckers, The Recipe.

Saturday, May 9, at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4200 Warwick Blvd., KCMO

Friday, May 15, at Stockyards Brewing Company, 1600 Genessee, St. Ste 100, KCMO, Historic West Bottoms, as part of the Open Studios Show.

Saturday, May 30, – ManorFest 8 (final night) – Leading two parades

Saturday, June 6 – Lawrence Pride

Sunday, June 28, The People’s Pride – organized by Sass-a-Brass (Summer Solstice)

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

11:54

  1. Loose Cannon Brass Band – “Funkin’ at YJs”
    from: I Heard It On 18th Street II: No Foolin’ We Schoolin’ / Independent (David Ford) / 2009

Next week, on Wednesday, March 25 the Lawrence based band, Hello Biplane joins us live in our 90.1 FM Studios, plus Chris Hudson returns to play live, and we talk with musician Brent Kinder of the band Angie Fights Crime.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals donanted $3924.00 going way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1139

WMM PLAYLIST from March 11, 2026

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, March 11, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + Outer Reaches Fest + Calvin Arsenia & Cera Impala + Diane Scott & Jade Osborne

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Jill Scott – “Norfside (feat. Tiarra Whack)”
    from: To Whom This May Concern / Blues Bade Records / February 12, 2026
    [To Whom This May Concern is the sixth studio album by the American singer Jill Scott. It was released on February 13, 2026, by Blues Babe, Human Re Sources, and The Orchard. The album is Jill Scott’s first full-length project in ten years. The album features collaborations from Ab-Soul, JID, Tierra Whack, and Too Short, along with production from from longtime collaborator Andre Harris, Adam Blackstone, Camper, DJ Premier, and Trombone Shorty. // Throughout the 2020s, Jill Scott made appearances on various artists’ tracks, notably Alicia Keys, Camper, Kehlani, Sir, Teyana Taylor, Ty Dolla Sign and Tyla. She also embarked on multiple tours throughout the early 2020s to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her debut studio album Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (2000). On June 1, 2024, Scott headlined the Roots Picnic music festival and performed an unreleased song with rapper Tierra Whack, which she also previewed prior to announcing her album in 2025. // Jill Heather Scott (born April 4, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter, model, poet, and actress. Her 2000 debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1, went platinum and the follow-ups Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (2004) and The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 (2007) both achieved gold status. // Scott made her film debut in 2007 in Hounddog and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?. In 2008, she starred in the BBC/HBO series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. After a four-year hiatus from music, Scott released her fourth album, The Light of the Sun, in 2011. In 2014, she starred in the film Get on Up as Deidre “Dee Dee” Jenkins, the second wife of James Brown. In 2015, she released her fifth album, Woman. Beginning in 2018, Scott appeared in The CW DC Comics superhero series Black Lightning as Lady Eve. She released her sixth album, To Whom This May Concern, in February 2026. // Scott was born on April 4, 1972, in Philadelphia. She grew up an only child in a North Philadelphia neighborhood, raised by her mother, Joyce Scott, and her grandmother. She recalls her happy childhood, saying she was “very much a loved child”. Jill Scott’s maternal ancestry has been traced to the Jola people of Guinea-Bissau. She was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. // After graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Scott attended Temple University. While working two jobs she studied secondary education. She planned to become a high school English teacher. However, after three years of study and then working as a teacher’s aide, Scott became disillusioned with a teaching career and she dropped out of college. // Scott began her performing career as a spoken word artist, appearing at live poetry readings to perform her work. She was eventually discovered by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the Roots. Questlove invited her to join the band in the studio. The collaboration resulted in a co-writing credit for Scott on the song, “You Got Me”. In 2000, Erykah Badu and the Roots won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “You Got Me”, and Scott debuted as an artist during a Roots live show, singing as original artist/singer of the song. Afterwards Scott collaborated with Eric Benet, Will Smith, and Common; she broadened her performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. // Scott was the first artist signed to Steve McKeever’s Hidden Beach Recordings label. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 was released in 2000. She experienced some notice and chart success with the single “A Long Walk”, eventually earning a Grammy nomination in early 2003 for Best Female Vocal Performance. Scott lost that award, but won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for “Cross My Mind”. The live album, Experience: Jill Scott 826+, was released November 2001. Scott’s second full-length album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, followed in 2004. // Scott continues to write poetry; a compilation volume of her poems, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, was published and released by St. Martin’s Press in April 2005. // In early 2007, Scott was featured on the George Benson and Al Jarreau collaboration single “God Bless The Child” (written by Billie Holiday), which earned Scott her second Grammy (for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance) at the 2007 Grammy Awards ceremony. Scott shared the win with Benson and Jarreau. In 2006, Scott was prominently featured on hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco’s single “Daydreaming”, which won a 2008 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and also appeared on a new Scott collection called Collaborations on January 30, 2007. // The Collaborations collection served as “an appetizer” for her next studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 released September 25, 2007. A clip of the title track was released on a bonus disc from Hidden Beach Records and included with Collaborations. The lead single “Hate on Me” gained airplay in May 2007, with a video released in mid-July. In advance of the album’s release, Hidden Beach released a 17-minute album sampler through their forums. Interspersed between the dozen songs previewed on the sampler was a personal explanation from Jill for the inspiration behind some of her songs. //In 2008, Scott released her second live album, Live in Paris+, which consists of 8 songs recorded during her set list of the “Big Beautiful Tour” in Europe. The bonus DVD contains the same concert, plus some live cuts from The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3. In the same year, “Whenever You’re Around”, a single from The Real Thing, which features George Duke was a moderate hit on urban radio.]
  1. The Swallowtails – “Perspective”
    from: Perspective – Single / The Swallowtails / March 3, 2026
    [Baroque Pop band The Swallowtails shares First Single from New Album. The rock/folk duo defines new sound with “Perspective.” The Swallowtails announce the release of their single titled “Perspective” out exclusively on YouTube and Bandcamp March 4th, 2026. This is the first of 5 singles that will be released over the next four months leading up to the release of The Swallowtails junior album “Perspective” May 2026. The title track Perspective is a song that tells the story of The Swallowtails. One of friendship, trust, belonging, and stability in the foundation this band has so diligently curated. // About The Swallowtails: At the heart of The Swallowtails are two musicians drawn together by curiosity, connection, and a shared desire to be understood. Kansas City–based duo Miki P and Rachel Lovelace craft genre-bending songs that blend harmonious folk with impassioned pop, pairing steady rhythmic guitar and bassoon with heartfelt, melodic storytelling. Formed in 2018, The Swallowtails have released two full-length albums—Right Where We Are (2020) and The World Still Spins (2023)—and a self-produced EP, Lucky Penny (2024), which marked a bold evolution into a fully collaborative songwriting partnership. NPR’s 90.9 The Bridge praised the EP as “a lovely confluence of pastoral folk and baroque pop.” Voted Best Band of Kansas City by The Pitch Awards in 2024, the duo is preparing to release their third album, Perspective, in May 2026. This record represents their most expansive and intentional work to date; songs shaped both onstage and in community with their listeners. // Live video recording of the single “Perspective” has been released on The Swallowtails YouTube channel as their official submission to the 2026 NPR Tiny Desk Contest. // Lawrence, KS based singer/songwriter Heidi Gluck produced their new album. // The singles and upcoming album release will be available on YouTube, Bandcamp, and physical copy. The Swallowtails are choosing not to release music on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc., because of their exploitative nature, lack of transparency, and unwillingness to create a fair market for artists to be compensated. // Miki P, songwriter, singer and musician in The Swallowtails says about the upcoming single release, “I wrote Perspective during an unpredictable time in my life. I was experiencing regular panic attacks on stage that made me question if I could continue performing full time to support myself at the capacity I had been for nearly a decade. At the end of this illogical tunnel, was the Swallowtails. More particularly writing and playing music with my longtime bandmate and confidant, Rachel. It’s about our friendship.” // 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. // The Swallowtails played the 20th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Aug. 24, 2024 on the Stockyards Brewing Stage with: Howard Mahan & Friends, The Canterberries, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Beth Watts Nelson, Rural Grit All Stars, and Les Ismore & The Goats. // More info at: http://www.mikipmusic.com]

[The Swallowtails play The Boulevard Brewing Co., 2501 Southwest Blvd., KCMO on Thursday March 24, 2026, at 7:00pm]

  1. They’re Theirs – “Weird Christians (Radio Edit)”
    from: “Weird Christians” – Single / Chase The Horseman / March 11, 2026
    [As a live band They’re Theirs consists of Chase Horseman on vocals and guitars, Sky Cowdry on bass and Ian Dobyns on drums. // They’re Theirs released their single “Midland Empire” on February 18, 2025. “Midland Empire” was produced by They’re Theirs, engineered by Ian Dobyns, mixed by Ian Dobyns, Chase Horseman, and Sky Cowdry. Mastered by Justin Perkins/Mystery Room Mastering. Recorded at Element Recording. // Chase The Horseman released the single “Silver Liner” on October 25, 2024. Drums and additional engineering by Ian Dobyns, Additional vocals by Heidi Gluck. Mastered by Anthony Puglisi. Written, produced, performed and mixed by Chase Horseman at Element Recording. // Chase Horseman has composed music for over 40 films and as musician and producer collaborated with Clairaudients, Teri Quinn, Heidi Lynne Gluck, KD Kuro, The Roseline, Nan Turner and more. Chase Horseman is a film composer, band leader, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, & producer. // On April 2, 2024 Chase released the 22 track Original Sound Track for Headcount, a feature film from the Burghart Brothers, produced by Continuance Pictures, Method Media, and Shout Factory. Chase created the music for two feature-length episodes of the Blum House Films and Hulu original series, “Into the Dark.” // In February 2020 Chase released “Poor Song,” a cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs track by Karen O. Chase played Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, Dave Smith MiniMopho, Korg Minilogue Xd, Moog Grandmother, Roland Alpha Juno 2, Mellotron, Guitar, Drums, Vocals all performed by Chase Horseman. Recorded at Element Recording Studios and Winky World. Mixed by Chase Horseman. Mastered by Joel Nanos. // On May 1, 2020 Chase released, a quarantine cover of “Midnight, The Stars and You” written by Harry M. Woods, Jimmy Campbell & Reg Connelly Stanley. The most famous version was recorded in 1934 by Ray Noble & his Orchestra with an uncredited Al Bowley on vocals. This was used in the ballroom scene and closing of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror film The Shining based on the novel by Stephen King. All of the profits of the Chase Horseman single were donated directly to service industry workers in Kansas City and Midwest Music Foundation on a 50/50 basis. // Chase The Horseman released the Disinformation Blues EP on July 12, 2019. One of WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Chase released the single “U Martyr U” June 19, 2018, and the single “Modern Ruins” on Oct 4, 2018. // More info at: http://www.chasethehorseman.bandcamp.com.] [They’re Theirs played the Play Loud Fest Thurs, Sept. 25 for the Pre-Party on the recordBar Main Stage with Post Sex Nachos, and Malek Azrael & The Vibes at 1520 Grand Boulevard, KCMO.]

[Chase Horseman celebrates their birthday when their band, They’re Theirs playing Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th Street, KCK on Thursday, March 12, 2026 with special guests Heidi Gluck, Teri Quinn, Nan Turner, & Aud Whitson. – Chase will also be part of GoodBye Horses Karaoke on Thursday, March 19 at Hillsiders. Chase is having a Moving Sale at Hillsiders on Sumday March 22 at 2:00pm]

  1. Keo & Them – “Who is There?”
    from: “Who is There?” – Single / Midtopia / March 14, 2025
    [The new single marks a sonic departure from previous Keo & Them releases, something bandleader Keo notes is by design and a welcome change from previous material from the group. // Keo & Them released their single “Fire”on March 15, 2024. // Keo & Them released their 7-track album, THIS TIME AROUND on October 28, 2023. // When Neo-soul meets funk, meets R&B, meets pop, meets hip hop & even rock sometimes. Keo & Them released the single “Fool Me Once” on October 6, 2023 on Midtopia. Leo & Them released the three song single “Don’t Say” with “Be Still” and “Money Grooves (feat. Greg Spero)” on June 2, 2023 on Midtopia. And earlier “Money Grooves (feat. Greg Spero)” was release by itself on March 2, 2023. For Wichita-based, Texas-raised singer/songwriter Keo, making music is as much about the one creates and the songs one writes as it is about making deeper connections with the other people partaking in an artistic journey. From the unique flavors, perspectives, and performances they each contribute, Keo finds the “Them” that brings her project Keo & Them full circle. // First formed and conceptualized by Keo in 2018, the collective consists of Keo and a revolving door of musicians and collaborators, each of whose contributions would leave an indelible mark on the project’s ever-adapting sound that merges the worlds of 70’s pop and R&B with the moody glow of contemporary neo-soul and beyond. For Keo, the project’s sole constant member, the fluid line-up allowed her to become immersed and acquainted with a Wichita music scene she was completely new to and overwhelmed by. Through meeting, jamming, and performing with the Kansas town’s tight-knit and eclectic music scene in which Keo found something akin to a family. More info at: https://linktr.ee/keoandthem [Keo & Them played Outer Reaches Fest, on Sat, Oct. 14 at recordBar.]

10:15 – Interview with Diane Scott & Jade Osborne

Diane R. Scott (she/her) is an arts administrator, educator, and writer specializing in the development of resources and programming to support artists in the management of enduring artistic practices. The Director of Artist Services at the Regional Arts Organization Mid-America Arts Alliance, Scott is the founding director and principal designer of the Artist INC professional development program. Now in its 17th year, Artist INC programs have been completed by more than 3,500 artists. Diane is also a noted professor winning numerous teaching awards. Combining her experiences in both non-profit artist services and higher education, Diane operates as a liaison between collegiate arts entrepreneurship education and artist professional development in the field. She specializes in creative entrepreneurship and has worked with thousands of artists of all disciplines in traditional classrooms and professional development settings to improve their strategic planning, marketing, project planning, financial, fundraising, leadership, and communication skills. Scott’s book Artist Entrepreneurship for Life: Making Art Work for You was released by Routledge in 2025. AND TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!

Diane Scott Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Jade Osborne (she/her/we/us) is an arts administrator and an innovative creative person who is passionate about the arts and community. Jade is an multidisciplinary artist and experiential curator. She explores the space in between the self, the other, and the living art that is created when we are together. Jade has performed and presented on stages in fourteen countries interlacing social practice/community outreach with each of her appearances. She is an award winner and grantee of ArtsKC, KC & Chicago Fringe Festivals, Afest, Missouri Arts Council, COMBAT among others. She served as Artist Advisor for the New Airport in Kansas City and is currently serving as Performing Arts Director for Art in the Loop Public Arts Project, the Program Director for the Summer in the City Public Arts Project and as Program Officer for the Artist Services Division at Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Jade Osborne Thanks for being with us on WMM

Diane Scott and Jade Osborne join us to talk about ARTISTS THRIVE 2026 Summit in Kansas City, on March 24, 25, and 26. The 2026 summit venue has been provided with generous support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, with lead local partner Mid-America Arts Alliance. Artists, arts leaders, educators, and funders can expand their creative circle. This unique event offers a powerful networking hub, connecting art communities with passionate colleagues from across the country. For more information on the 2026 Artists Thrive Summit you can visit: http://www.artiststhrive.org

2026 Artists Thrive Summit is coming to 6 locations across the country!

A six-city, national summit designed to unite and ignite artists and arts leaders

Artists Thrive is a national initiative dedicated to improving the conditions for artists to thrive, is excited to announce the expansion of the annual Artists Thrive Summit for 2026. The Summit will take place concurrently across six vibrant host cities on March 24-26, 2026, and offers a unique format that blends shared national sessions with deep, locally-focused programming.

The 2026 Summit is a rare gathering open to artists, arts administrators, educators, and funders across all disciplines and levels of expertise. All sites are open for registration to participants from across the country.

Unlike a traditional single-location conference, the Artists Thrive Summit will be held in six distinct communities, each hosting a unique local theme while uniting for key shared sessions:

  • Lowell, MA: Spatial Justice
  • Nashville, TN: Community Partnerships & Collaborations
  • Kansas City, MO: Artists-Led Organizations
  • San Antonio, TX: Arts and Mental Health & Wellbeing
  • Billings, MT: Rooted in Place: Arts and Community in Conversation
  • Las Vegas, NV: 3rd Spaces: Community & Connection

This innovative multi-site structure ensures a rich, diverse program that keeps the in-person experience intimate yet encourages networking across the country through the Summit app.

A national committee includes representatives from Creative West, Montana Arts Council, Mid-America Arts Alliance, South Arts, Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston, Western Avenue Studios and Lofts, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

In addition, each location has a host committee that is entrusted with developing the local theme content and curating the overall attendee experience. This collaboration provides a vital bridge between national perspectives and local community insights.

Registration for the 2026 Artists Thrive Summit is now open. Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to visit the official Artists Thrive website for more details on registration, local host site schedules, and accommodation information.

The national Summit is funded by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation in partnership with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Sponsorships from City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture and others help make the Summit accessible to all.

“The Artists Thrive Summit was a goldmine for networking. I made invaluable connections that have propelled my career forward.” – Past Artist Thrive Attendee

Artists Thrive Summit, Kansas City 2026 (March 24-26, 2026)
Location: Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110

Described by artists she’s worked with as a “goal fairy,” Diane Scott uses the power of artists’ stories, artists community and “exponentialization” to take the magic out of the business of art for the next generation of artists. Passionate about the need to give undergraduate arts students the ability to create balanced and thriving lives that include enduring arts practices, Diane creates processes, systems, networks, and carefully curated experiences to help arts faculty employ these skills in their own practices and mentor them with their students. As the founder and designer of the nationally recognized Artist INC artist professional development program, Diane brings her experience as a professor of arts management and a practitioner working directly with thousands of artists in the field into the undergraduate arts arena through her writing, research, speaking engagements, workshops, and curricular consulting.

Diane Studied Communication/Speech/Theatre at Wichita State University where she graduated in 1991. She Studied Management at Wichita State University and graduated in 1996. She served as Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Fine & Performing Arts at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts from July 2014 – May 2022. She served as Director of Professional Development and Adjunct Assistant Professor at UMKC Conservatory from 2013 – July 2014. From 2008 through 2014 she served as Director of Artist INC Professional Development Programming at Artist INC, a program she created. AND TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY!

Jade Osborne is a Program Officer (Catalyze & Interchange) for MidAmerica Arts Alliance. She is an International performance artist, arts activist, facilitator, mentor and speaker. She began working in Non-Profit Education, served in AmeriCorps and have been a Poet in Residence, Artist in Residence, and Performer (Capoeira & Aerialist) in Residence. She was the first female Capoeira performer in the U.S. and in Hong Kong. She has have studied philosophies, ethics and spiritual integration techniques with Masters in Brazil and in the U.S. Jade has Produced/Directed and performed in a number of theatrical shows. She is a dancer, a writer, a poet, an aerialist, an actress, an artist, an activist, an activator, an alchemist, and an art administrator. She has worked for KC Friends of Alvin Ailey, Aquarius, Youthfriends, The Boys and Girls Club, KCK Public Schools, Storytellers Inc. Charlotte Street Foundation, She is a founder of Voler Thieves of Flight, a graduate of Artist Inc., a performer/producer with multiple KC Fringe shows under her dance belt, as well as collaborative work with Quixotic Fusion, Dance in The Park, JAZZOO, ArtsKC, Latenight Callers, Monta, Lawrence Busker Festival, ACLU, KC Renassance Festival, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and Big Bang Buffet just to name a few. Jade has served as Director for Art In The Loop.

Artists Thrive is a growing initiative offering activities, practices, language, visions and values of what it means to succeed and thrive as an artist – and what it means to have a thriving arts sector and, eventually, thriving communities. It is a set of free interconnected and holistic resources that can guide us in improving our performance and, ultimately, the conditions in which artists can thrive. Artists Thrive is funded by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. Learn more at http://www.artiststhrive.org.

Diane Scott & Jade Osborne, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The ARTISTS THRIVE 2026 Summit in Kansas City, is on March 24, 25, and 26, at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation For more information on the 2026 Artists Thrive Summit you can visit: http://www.artiststhrive.org

10:35 – Underwriting

10:37 – Music from OUTER REACHES

  1. Nite – “Sleepless Through The Nite”
    from: Sleepless / wearethenite / August 26, 2021
    [NITE is an alternative band inspired by the sounds of Darkwave, Synthpop, and Post-Punk. Based in Texas, twin brothers Myles and Kyle Mendes, along with drummer Phil Helms, craft music that bridges the gap between dark nostalgia and modern electronic pop. // Big, dark, dance music. Guitars, synthesizers, and dueling twin vocalist combine to make the songs you’ll dance to for the next thirty years. // Their recent singles — “All Your Pain,” “Have Mercy,” “Price For Heaven,” and “Our Light Will Never Die” — showcase their ability to blend haunting melodies with driving beats. “All Your Pain” gained viral attention through Facebook and Instagram nostalgia posts, earning a spot on Spotify’s Dark and Gothic playlist and solidifying NITE’s reputation as a band to watch. // Fresh off tours with Dead on a Sunday, The Funeral Portrait, Small Black, Empathy Test, and The New Division, NITE has captivated audiences across the country with their magnetic live performances. Whether crafting songs about love, loss, or resilience, NITE continues to illuminate the darker corners of the human experience.]

[Nite plays Outer Reaches Fest on Saturday, March 14, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, with Panic Priest, Reviser, Redder Moon, and Juliette Frost. Info: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

  1. REVISER – “Dead Eyes”
    from: DOLOROSO / REVISER / March 1, 2026
    [Reviser recently released “THE FLAMES” is the first single from REVISER’s new album “DOLOROSO” released digitally on all streaming platforms own March 1, 2026. Released on Vinyl via Bandcamp on May 1, 2026. “THE FLAMES” is a post-punk / goth-rock anthem., presented as a clarion call in these dark times. The song is energetic, driving, and intense, with insistent bass and drum machines, guitars that weave around each other, buzzing keyboards, and lyrics sung intensely that question whether the listener will be joining this call to justice with them. The song calls to mind “In Shreds” by The Chameleons or “Dark Entries” by Bauhaus, and lets plenty of REVISER’s own smoldering snarl and fiery energy carry this torch forward. REVISER is: Dawn Don on backing vocals, Dedric Moore on standard guitar, and Krysztof Nemeth on lead vocals & baritone guitar. As part of the Kosmic City collective of regional post-punk, goth, darkwave acts, REVISER spent 2025 successfully cementing itself as a black beacon of dark musical energy. // 2026 sees REVISER release their new album “DOLOROSO”; 8 songs as a digital and vinyl release, showcasing what the band has become over it’s journey to now. Sometimes dark and brooding, sometimes romantic and longing, REVISER’s sound on collects the classic vibes of 80’s post-punk, goth-rock, and darkwave into something both familiar and foreign, a sound that is dark, deep, and danceable. Calling to mind legendary acts such as Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, The Chameleons, and Echo & the Bunnymen, REVISER sounds complimentary to such contemporaries as Actors, House of Harm, Drab Majesty, and Traitrs. Considering this moment in time, REVISER emphasizes standing strong with our communities to support inclusivity and equality and is absolutely against Fascism, Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia. // REVISER released their singles “DEAD EYES” on October 16, 2025, “CELESTINE” on February 28, 2025, “DARKSIDERS” on October 18, 2024, and “ASSASINS” and “BURN IT OUT” on March 15, 2024. These previously five singles, individually released, have all been remixed and remastered for their new album DOLOROSO, and include Dawn’s vocals on them, now. REVISER is a continuation of the musical collaboration from Static Phantoms, Religion of Heartbreak (with Mikal Shapiro) and Monta At Odds.] [REVISER opened for Lene Lovich at recordBar, on Nov. 5, 2025. Info: http://www.reviser.bandcamp.com / http://www.instagram.com / http://www.kosmiccity.com]

[Reviser plays Outer Reaches Fest on Saturday, March 14, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, with Panic Priest, Nite, Redder Moon, Juliette Frost. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

[Reviser plays a Kosmic City Goth Night at miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, Monday, April 20 at 7:00pm with Feyleux, and Stranger Gallery.[

10:45 – Interview with Steve Tulipana, Dedric Moore, and Nathan Reusch

Dedric Moore is a Kansas City, Kansas, based musician, producer, songwriter, vocalist, videographer, Audio Specialist. For over 20 years Dedric has been manager of Monta at Odds renamed Monta and currently Religion of Heartbreak. Dedric is also the co-founder of the bands: Reviser, Static Phantoms, Gemini Revolution, Mysterious Clouds and founder of Kosmic City Records. Dedric started the KC Psych Fest in 2012. Over the years KC Psych Fest has evolved to become Outer Reaches Fest. For nearly 13 years Dedric worked as Audio support contractor for Sporting Kansas City. More information at http://www.kosmiccity.com

Steve Tulipana is best known as the lead singer of the band Season to Risk, which formed in 1989 and is recognized for its noise rock and indie rock style. Tulipana has a captivating stage presence, drawing comparisons to iconic performers like Iggy Pop and Nick Cave. In addition to his music career, he is involved in the local music scene as a venue owner, contributing significantly to the cultural landscape of Kansas City, Steve is also a member of the bands: Roman Numerals, Violenteers, Thee Water Mocassins, Men of Men, The Band That Fell To Earth, and Dan Jones and The Squids. Steve is also co-owner and Manager of recordBar, miniBar, and Lemonade Park along with business partner Shawn Sherrill.

Nathan Reusch is co-founder of The Record Machine an area music label that next month is celebrating 23 years! Nathan Reusch first started making electronic music under the name Bobcat Attack influenced by emo/punk in the early 2000s. In 2003, he started his indie label, The Record Machine, and in 2011, he founded KC’s Middle of the Map Fest. Under Nathan’s leadership The Record Machine has been the label for Static Phantoms, Monta, Various Blonde, Cowboy Indian Bear, LaGuerre, The Philistines, and Black Light Animals and many more. Nathan is also a DJ. Bobcat Attack released The Year of The Bobcat on Les Bon Bons Electriques – The Record Machine on August 1, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2025

Nathan Reusch thanks for being with us on WMM.

Dedric Moore, Steve Tulipana, and Nathan Reusch join us to discuss Kansas City’s Outer Reaches Fest taking over recordBar & miniBar on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 — two nights of psych, shoegaze, electronic, darkwave, and beautifully out there, left-of-center, and under-the-radar artists. The March 13th show at recordBar features Doubledrag, Violenteer, Modeling, Bobcat Attack, and RxGhost. The March 13th show at miniBar features: Hashtronaut, Momovudu, and Buzzard Fight. And the March 14th show at recordBar features: Nite, Panic Priest, Reviser, Redder Moon, and Juliette Frost. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com

Outer Reaches is a music festival based in Kansas City that showcases ‘out there’, left-of-center artists pushing boundaries in their respective genre. Regional acts as well as national and international touring acts are a part of the festival’s spirit, celebrating the variety of freethinking music around the globe.

Originally called KC Psych Fest, Outer Reaches started in 2012 to bring together outsider musical acts and celebrate experimental music in Kansas City. While still very psychedelic, the Outer Reaches Fest has grown to emphasize musical acts pushing boundaries.

Dedric Moore launched this festival in 2012. The idea grew out of the music he was creating with his brother Delaney Moore at the HQ Artspace in KCK. Dedric is a member of the bands Monta At Odds, Mysterious Clouds, and Gemini Revolution.

The Record Machine is the collective sum of individuals, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, and talent; our artists represent a significant part of not only our culture but our company’s reputation and achievements. We embrace and encourage our artist’s differences in race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, religion, sexual orientation, and other characteristics that make our community unique.

Kansas City’s Outer Reaches Fest taking over recordBar & miniBar on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 — two nights of psych, shoegaze, electronic, darkwave, and beautifully out there, left-of-center, and under-the-radar artists. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com

10:55 – Music from OUTER REACHES

  1. Modeling – “at Variance”
    from: “at Variance” – Single / Modeling Music / August 12.2025
    [Written and Recorded by Modeling. Produced and Mixed by Modeling. Mastered by Robin Schmidt. Modeling is a three -piece band of Connor, Ryan, and Cuinn whoo are based in Fayeteville, Arkansas.]

[Modeling plays Outer Reaches Fest on Friday, March 13, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, with Doubledrag, Violenteer, Bobcat Attack, and RxGhost. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Redder Moon – “In The Darkest Night”
    from: “In The Darkest Night” – Single / Redder Moon / December 21, 2025
    [Released for Winter Solstice. Performed by Jeremiah James Gonzales and Jason Scott. Jeremiah James Gonzales is originally from in rural Idaho. After a couple years spinning his wheels at community college he discovered an outlet playing top 40 rock tunes with a non-profit organization that led him to spend months touring places like Brazil, India, Poland, as well as in the United States, from 1998 to 2001. Making many friends around the world, Jeremiah kept in touch with a drummer friend from Nigeria who had somehow landed in Kansas City. In March of 2001 Jeremiah James accepted what was supposed to be a 3-month tour of the Midwest playing bass in a hard rock band. One thing led to another and now it’s been 20 years in KC. Redder Moon is a Kansas City based band led by Jeremiah James Gonzales using analog synths, dark dance beats, dreamy guitars, we create Mono No Aware music. The band began as one of Gonzales’ many music projects, although more electronic than his other work with Knife Crime, Be/Non, Rhunes, Elevator Division, Umberto. The band released their EP, LAND OF THE BLIND on June 13, followed by the album, HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE, on November 5, 2021, and If Your Falling Dive on August 28, 2025.]

[Redder Moon plays Outer Reaches Fest on Saturday, March 14, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, with Panic Priest, Nite, Reviser, and Juliette Frost. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

11:04 – More Interview with Steve Tulipana, Dedric Moore, Steven Tulipana, and Nathan Reusch

Steve Tulipana, Dedric Moore, and Nathan Reusch join us to discuss Kansas City’s Outer Reaches Fest taking over recordBar & miniBar on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 — two nights of psych, shoegaze, electronic, darkwave, and beautifully out there, left-of-center, and under-the-radar artists. The March 13th show at recordBar features Doubledrag, Violenteer, Modeling, Bobcat Attack, and RxGhost. The March 13th show at at miniBar features: Hashtronaut, Momovudu, and Buzzard Fight. And the March 14th show at recordBar features: Nite, Panic Priest, Reviser, Redder Moon, and Juliette Frost. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com

The organizers of Outer Reaches, an annual live music festival operating since 2012, have announced the official date for the 2026 events. Fri. March 13 at recordBar (1520 Grand Blvd) and miniBar (3810 Broadway Blvd) and Sat. March 14 at recordBar in KCMO.

Outer Reaches is a music festival based in Kansas City that showcases ‘out there’, left-of-center artists pushing boundaries in their respective genre. Regional acts as well as national and international touring acts are a part of the festival’s spirit, celebrating the variety of freethinking music around the globe.

Outer Reaches is a music festival based in Kansas City that showcases the ‘out there’, left-of-center, under-the-radar artists experimenting within and pushing boundaries in their respective genre. Regional acts as well as national and international touring acts are a part of the festival’s spirit, celebrating the variety of experimental music around the globe. There has always a strong tie to music that would fit into the realm of psychedelic music, but the festival has since opened up to more genres with a goal of promoting all music that is adventurous and mind expanding.

The concept for Outer Reaches was started in 2012 as KC Psych Fest by Dedric Moore, owner of recording space HQ and member of Kansas City experimental groups Monta at Odds, Gemini Revolution, and Mysterious Clouds. Before this festival, there often wasn’t a venue or forum for left-of-center music in Kansas City and these acts would often be stuck on one-off underground shows. He pitched the idea of a festival specifically for psychedelic music to the Kansas City, Kansas arts space FOKL and an all-night planning session was held with the assistance of Justin Wright of Expo ’70.

The first KC Psych Fest took place at FOKL arts space in Kansas City, Kansas over three days in mid-May 2012. Utilizing the upstairs and downstairs of the space and projecting video onto 3D sculptures (courtesy of VJDN8 and Sam F), it created a wild backdrop of visuals to go along with the mind-bending music. Highlights of that first year include sets by Be/Non, Mr. Marco’s V7, Umberto, Gemini Revolution, Monta at Odds, Expo ’70, Metatone, The Conquerors, and Jorge Arana Trio.

Year two of the festival shifted to a multiple venue event in Kansas City, Kansas. Once again the festival was held in May and coordinated by Dedric Moore and FOKL. Early shows happened at the Dedric’s recording studio HQ and late shows in the downstairs space of FOKL. Several of the mainstays from year one performed for year two, with some exciting up-and-coming acts such as Your Friend, Stacian, Aaron Martin, and Bloodbirds peppered in.

After hosting 25+ bands each of the first two years, the FOKL art space shifted focus in 2013. Steve Tulipana, longtime appreciator of experimental music and the owner of Kansas City, Missouri music venue The recordBar, offered up the venue as a future home for the KC Psych Fest. The event was moved to recordBar (and Missouri) for a three day festival and changed to a fall event in early October. Brenton Cook, the owner of Kansas City cerebral indie music record label Haymaker Records, also jumped on board to help in the planning for the event. KC Psych Fest 2014 continued to feature the great local Kansas City experimental / psych acts, but the additional space and established venue environment allowed for some touring national acts to join the festival. Magic Castles, Gringo Star, White Mystery, Bailiff, and Darsombra joined the lineup of the twenty local bands already on board.

KC Psych Fest 2015 saw yet more changes to the configuration. Rather than a having the event as a fixed weekend festival, the event was broken out into multiple events over the course of the year. The first event was held at Kansas City rock club The Riot Room and featured UK / Austin psychedelic rock band Ancient River, joined by local backing bands HMPH!, Mysterious Clouds, and Drugs & Attics. The second event for 2015 was held at MOD Gallery in the Crossroads Art District as part of the 11th annual Crossroads Music Fest. Local acts Dark Satellites, Riala, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, The Philistines, Janet the Planet, and 3 Son Green played a Haymaker Records / KC Psych Fest curated stage at the Kansas City music festival. The main two-day KC Psych Fest 2015 was held October 2nd and 3rd at recordBar once again, being a tie-in with the 10-year anniversary of the recordBar venue. The line-up featured some staples of the Kansas City music scene like Jorge Arana Trio, The Philistines, and Be/Non as well as some new arrivals like Via Luna and Merlin Some great touring acts were lined up for the 2015 festival with Holy Gallows, The Van Allen Belt, Crushed Out, Wet Socks, and DFA Records’ own Slim Twig.

2016 saw a lot of changes for the festival. First off, the official festival was rebranded from KC Psych Fest to Outer Reaches. This included new organization, a new website, a new logo, and new marketing campaign. Two events were held in early 2016, the first was a show in collaboration with the Charlotte Street Foundation and held at La Esquina, showcasing the artwork of Kevin Harris from St. Louis and showcased live sound and visual collaboration performances from Expo ’70 and Eric Hall. The second event was in support of Canadian band Living Hour and featured support from Kansas City bands Rachel Mallin + The Wild Type and New Baboons. The first event under the Outer Reaches name is the official 2-day festival on September 30th and October 1st, 2016. Outer Reaches 2016 was held at the newly located recordBar location at 1520 Grand Blvd. For the first time since the first year of KC Psych Fest, the festival had a multiple stage setup for a near non-stop barrage of adventurous music. Day 1 featured nine acts featuring 7 bands from Kansas City / Lawrence area and national touring acts Open Fields and L.A. Witch. Kansas City’s only Balinese Gamelan group, Gamelan Genta Kasturi, will make a notable first appearance this day. Day 2 features 7 bands from Kansas City / Lawrence and features national touring acts Gramps the Vamp and Magic Sword. Kansas City native Michael Angelo performed as Michael Angelo’s Dreamfeast, marking the first time that any of his songs from his infamous self-titled (and critically acclaimed re-release) album from 1977 have been played outside of his Pop Montreal performance the week before. With the new rebranding of the festival, it allowed for the fest to branch out from being an exclusive “psych” music event to a fest that better embraces all genres of music with an emphasis on the acts that are really pushing the boundaries of their representative genre. Shoegaze, folk, blues, punk rock, and funk groups are notably making appearances on the 2016 Outer Reaches bill.

2017, with a year under the name Outer Reaches brand, the festival went bigger than it had ever gone before. Efforts were focused on only doing a single event with a single stage, but working with bigger national acts than ever before. Work began in February to book the two-day fall Outer Reaches 2017 festival. There was also a considerable effort made to upgrade the stage presence, utilizing video production group XO Blackwater to incorporate live video mapping to printed Outer Reaches logo elements on stage. Once again the event was held at the new recordBar location at 1520 Grand Blvd. Night 1 on Friday, September 29, 2017 featured five acts featuring including national touring acts Deerhoof (San Francisco, CA), Lily and Horn Horse (New York City, NY), and Matches (Chicago, IL) as well as Kansas City acts Various Blonde and Mysterious Clouds. Night 2 on Saturday, September 30th featured national touring acts El Ten Eleven (Los Angeles, CA), Dead Rider (Chicago, IL), and Sego (LA, CA). KC was represented on Saturday with Pageant Boys and a special rare appearance of KC supergroup The Hearers.

2018 will feature two events on the year. The first event is a one-day festival at recordBar on Friday, April 20th called Outer Reaches Explores the World. This is a new format with an emphasis on artists inspired by rhythms and traditional instruments of the world, who have incorporated this sound in creative ways to construct new boundary-pushing music. This isn’t a “world music” event per se and will still feature the familiar format of left-of-center music, it just has more of a worldly feel to it. This special event has been made possible through a grant from the Kansas City Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund and will function as a benefit for Midwest Music Foundation. Artists performing at this event include SUNU, Enrique Javier Chi (of Making Movies), Harptasia feat. Calvin Arsenia, Teri Quinn, and Brandon Draper‘s interactive lecture and world percussion workshop Drum Safari.

As the festival continues to grow and changes, we maintain our gaze forward – embracing those musical acts that push the Outer Reaches.

Dedric Moore, Steve Tulipana, and Nathan Reusch, thank you for being with us on WMM

Kansas City’s Outer Reaches Fest taking over recordBar & miniBar on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 — two nights of psych, shoegaze, electronic, darkwave, and beautifully out there, left-of-center, and under-the-radar artists. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com

11:14 – Music from OUTER REACHES

  1. Juliette Frost – “Drowning in a Glass of Water “
    from: Drowning in a Glass of Water – Single / Juliette Frost / September 5, 2025
    [Juliette Frost released the EP personal logs on March 3, 2024. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. personal logs was a small collection of personal notes and feelings collaged into 3 tracks which have been sliced and diced like curry ingredients. // Juliette Frost released the single “Carbon Copy (radio edit). On March 22, 2024. // Juliette Frost released the single “Wizard Trance” with Not Nymph Yet, on December 20, 2023, // Juliette Frost released the single “UeyuAau,” on December 13, 2023. // Juliette Frost released the single “Night Owl,” on April 13, 2023. // Juliette Frost released the single “Fruits of Our Tree,” on December 11, 2022. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Sylvrface,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Parallel,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the17 track album, “Lepidoptera” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost also released the single “Streetwalker,” on February 8, 2021. // Juliette Frost recorded a 6-song EP HUSH on May 5, 2021, that was created in a 5-day recording session, in December 2020 in Los Angeles, with musician, bassist, & producer Dominique Sanders. The songs, written by Juliette, feature her vocals layered in harmonies, beats and soundscapes. // Juliette Frost also released the single “burd,” on February 8, 2021. // On April 18, 2020 Juliette released Subterranean.Egyptian.Sea.Monkeys, her 19-track, debut, recorded in her bedroom, when she was 16, sampling sounds from her own cats meowing and purring, among others. When Juliette was making the music for, Subterranean.Egyptian.Sea.Monkeys, she really wasn’t thinking of putting out an album. She was just creating music, and before she knew it she had all of these songs. // Juliette has had the opportunity to see the recording process from two very different perspectives: in a recording studio in LA, and in her own private bedroom, working by herself. Juliette says that she prefers the alone time, in her bedroom process, because she can translate her ideas into reality, much faster. Juliette says she realized her musical passion, and that she had the abilities to create music and songs when she was in middle school. // Juliette Frost went to Shawnee Mission North High School. Juliette is not only a songwriter and producer of music but she is also a visual artist who created amazing collage art, and is also a painter and fine artist. // Juliette grew up surrounded by music in her home, Juliette is the daughter of opera and jazz vocalist Emily Frost and nationally known Hip Hop Beatboxer Adrian “A-Train” Frost] [Juliette Frost played minibar, on October 23, 2024, with Belgium-based Ultra Sunn and Religion of Heartbreak.] [Juliette Frost played the Play Loud Fest celebrating 20 years of recordBar, at 1520 Grand Boulevard, KCMO on Saturday, September 27 , 2025.]

[Juliette Frost plays Outer Reaches Fest on Saturday, March 14, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, with Panic Priest, Nite, Redder Moon, and Reviser. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

  1. momovudu – “Azrael Divine”
    from: momovudu II / momovudu / February 23, 2026
    [Three piece, Stoner Rock band proudly representing Kansas City, MO. Working class psychedelic response to the failures of human governance, the war between freedom vs control and self destruction vs universal love. Matt Watkins on guitar & vocals, Nate Keirsey on bass & vocals, and Matt Tidwell on drums & vocals. Psychedelic Groove Band – momovudu supports diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural exchange and free speech. More info at: http://www.momovudi.com and http://www.momovudu.bandcamp.com]

[momovudu plays Outer Reaches Fest on Friday, March 13, at 7:00pm, at miniBar 3810 Broadway Blvd. KCMO, with Hashtronaut, Momovudu, and Buzzard Fight.. More info at: http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

  1. RxGhost – “Undersaid”
    from: “Anytime But Now” / “Undersaid” – Singles / Celery Wolf / March 14, 2025
    [RxGhost also released the single“Sponsored Content”on July 10, 2025. RxGhost is: Josh Thomas on vocals & guitar, Justin Brooks on drums, James Capps on guitar, Chris Smead on bass, and Jeremiah James Gonzales. Scaffolding was produced by RxGhost, recorded and mixed by Paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios and Recording engineer by Josh Thomas. Music by RxGhost and Lyrics by Josh Thomas. RxGhost released their single “Anytime But Now” / “Undersaid” on March 14, 2025. RxGhost released their album Scaffolding on April 11, 2024, part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. More info at: rxghost.bandcamp.com]

[RxGhost plays Outer Reaches Fest on Fri, March 13, at 7:00pm, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO, w/ Doubledrag, Violenteer, Bobcat Attack, Modeling. RxGhost. http://www.outerreachesfest.com]

11:22 – More New & MidCoastal Releases

  1. LyMerrick – “XO Freestyle (Rafio Edit)”
    from: “Medicine” – Single / LyMerrick / October 1, 2024
    [LyMerrick is a solo artist and lead singer of Supermoto. LyMerrick released the singles: “Medicine” on October 1, 2025, “Broadway” with Ikey Suave feat. TOP MEECH; Ephemeral”- EP on October 1, 2024; Singles: “Lost and Sedated” on March 26, 2024; “Runaway” on August 24, 2020; “Look at You (feat. Sleepwalker) on May 13, 2020; “Early Days” on March 7, 2020; “Reminiscing to the Future” on April 5, 2019; “Lay Me Down” on February 8, 2018; “Moves (feat. Latenitee)” on January 31, 2019; “First Thing (feat. Latenitee)”; “Queen” on December 15, 2018; “Baggage” on December 9, 2018; “Pipe Down” on September 5, 2018; “Not Another Love Song” on June 27, 2018; and “Not Good Enough” on May 17, 2018. // LyMerrick is also lead singer of Supermoto who released ther self titled debut album, Supermoto /through Manor Records on September 30, 2024. Hailing from Kansas City, this 5-piece group started meeting in the pre covid winter of 2020. April of 2021 they released their first two songs “Moonlight” & “Polarized” which led to a run of energetic & successful live performances – all the while building up many catchy originals drawing on their inspirations of jazz, funk, r&b, city pop and disco.]
  1. Kemet Coleman – “What You Want From Me”
    from: Two Ships in the Night – EP / Kemet Creative (Vine Street Brewing) / March 6, 2026
    [Kemet Coleman is a Kansas City based musicians and is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet is known for his unprecedented collaborations with UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A UMKC alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. In 2020 Coleman contributed his song, “The Virus” to the compilation, Kansas City Syzygy, music created by over 25 KC-based musicians in the middle of the map of a pandemic. All proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone has a safe, accessible, affordable home. Kemet Coleman released, BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL on Aug. 1, 2020. Kemet Coleman released the single “Eyes On The Street” on May 21, 2021.] [The Phantastics released their single “All That Fine”on May 6, 2022. The Phantastics are an 8 member band from KC formed in December of 2010. Kemet the Phantom on lead vocals; Kimology on lead vocals; JJ Cantrell on lead guitar & vocals; Danny Florez on electric bass; Ashley Thompson on drums, DJ Mitchell on saxophone; Ryan Jamaal Davis on Trombone and rap vocals; Austin Quick on keyboards. The Phantastics specialize in genre-blending dance floor activators. In 2015, the music group was crowned “Kansas City’s best party band” by the KC Star. Musicianship and diversity are at the core of their success. Rock, Rap, Dance, Funk, Jazz & Soul are all incorporated into their music. “The band that can do it all”, according to I Heart Local Music, has shared the stage with some of music’s most legendary acts including George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. On Oct. 18, 2019 The Phantastics released LIVE AT THE PLAZA ART FAIR. On Aug. 24, 2018 The Phantastics released the EP, LIFE OF THE PARTY. On Dec. 14, 2013 The Phantastics released their debut album THE CLOSER. Info at: http://www.thephantastics.com]
  1. Sara Bellum and the Brainwaves –”Outside”
    from: Outside” – Single / Sara Bellum and the Brainwaves / March 11, 2026
    [Sara Bellum and the Brainwaves are a 7-piece dance punk band based in Kansas City, Missouri. Their music combines danceable rhythms, rockin’ guitar riffs, and upbeat melodies paired with the uncommon instrumentation of viola, keytar, and foley art. The band’s inception began in theatre school where lead vocalist Sara Bellum first met guitarist MC Burnie Beta, sound designer Theo Theta, and vocalist/keytarist Zesty Zeta. Although it took many years for the band to fully form, these friendships developed the ground-work of what the group would become. After meeting violist Gemma Gamma, drummer Delma Delta, and bassist Athen Alpha, the band was fully assembled in late 2024, began performing live in January 2025, and started recording in April 2025. With the departure of Athen Alpha to attend college at the end of 2025, the Brainwaves welcomed bassist/keys player Spencer Synapse to join the group. Just as their name emphasizes the brain, much of the Brainwaves’ music and art focuses on mental health and healing. With the belief that mental health is just as important as physical health, they wish to build a loving community with their art.

[Sara Bellum and the Brainwaves play a single release show at The RINO 314 Armour Rd, North Kansas City, Friday, March 13, at 8:00pm with The 58 Overhead, and Katie & Michael.]

11:29 – Underwriting

  1. Cera Impala – “Gypsy Babe”
    from: Wildest Dreams / Cera Impala / November 18, 2022
    [Cera Impala is prolific songwriter and powerhouse multi-instrumentalist. Cera has toured internationally with The New Prohibition. Cera released her 5th album, “Wildest Dreams’, on November 18, 2022. She is currently recording a double album, Demeter’s Daughter (Part I), followed by Persephone (part II). “For lovers of Norah Jones, Billie Holliday, and Lana Del Rey, Impala’s charm, wit, and prowess are undeniable. It takes a songwriter with deep and clear understanding of theory and multiple technical disciples to make music this complex and nuanced sound utterly effortless. Run, don’t walk to bless your ears and soul with this delicious nectar.” – Calvin Arsenia. The banjo is the Swiss army knife of the dark side. http://www.ceraimpala.com

[Cera Impala plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM. More info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com]

11:33 – Interview with Calvin Arsenia & Cera Impala

Calvin Arsenia a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, teacher, writer, actor, model, designer, and artist. Calvin is also the curator at the Greenwood Social Hall. Calvin Arsenia was born in Orlando, Florida. His creative journey began when he moved to Olathe, Kansas, teaching himself guitar, piano, banjo. He learned the harp, at the age of 20. Calvin Arsenia first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. His passion for stretching the boundaries saw him transformed after a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career. An Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer where at 24 he released his EP, MOMENTS, in 2014, his EP, PROSE in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP, CATASTROPHE in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his full length debut, CATASTROPHE, with a live show at recordBar in November 2016, involving 50 people: dancers, body painting, stilt walkers. After signing to Center Cut Records, Calvin released the albums: CANTALOUPE in 2018, with a sold out show at The Gem Theatre on September 15, 2018. He then released, L.A. SESSIONS in 2019, along with the EP, HONEY DEW, the EP, GODDESS with Quixotic, and the holiday album, ALL IS CALM. In 2020 Calvin collaborated with Mike Dillon on the Soundtrack to “SUMMER IN HINDSIGHT,” a feature-length film created by The West 18th Street Fashion Show that starred Calvin as an actor. Calvin Arsenia released his 14 track album PARADISE to fans on June 23, 2023. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, racism, probation, gay love, and collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow & Jametatone. KC Magazine hailed Calvin as “equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator, a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.” Calvin Arsenia was voted KC’s Best Musician in The Pitch in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He has been featured in Billboard, NPR.org. Calvin is the recipient of the Charlotte Street Foundation 2022 Generative Performing Artist Award, along with The Black Creatures. Calvin is also the co-creator of the podcast, “We Were Christian Kids” created with childhood friend Justin Randall who is a stand up comedian working in New York City and Los Angeles. Calvin is also the published author of EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE, a collection of Poetry & Prose published on October 5, 2021, by Andrews McMeel Universal. More info at: http://www.calvinarsenia.com

Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM.

Cera Impala is prolific spell-casting songwriter who creates compositions that feel instantly familiar. A whiskey-honeyed voice and intimately crafted pieces take her audiences to another time and place, one of dreams and magic – sensual as they are savage. `Armed with a sound like an audio-hug’, this powerhouse multi-instrumentalist has been heard all over the world; toured internationally with her handpicked band, The New Prohibition. She is in currently recording a much anticipated double album, Demeter’s Daughter (Part I), followed by Persephone (part II). // Cera released her 5th album of beautifully reviewed original work, “Wildest Dreams”, available on all digital platforms, CD and Vinyl. Impala is an accomplished recording artist and session musician, having performed on recordings for Bella Hardy, Jellyman’s Daughter, and notable others. In 2019, Cera debuted a new duet project, Delightful Squalor (currently on pause), and is a member of the Dance bandits ‘psychedelic comedy ceilidh band’, and has been a previous imbedded touring and recording member of The Blackberry Bushes, Dark Green Tree, and the infamous queens of sass and harmony for years, The Bevvy Sisters.

Cera Impala, thanks for being with us on WMM.

Calvin Writes about Cera Impala: “For lovers of Norah Jones, Billie Holliday, and Lana Del Rey, Impala’s charm, wit, and prowess are undeniable. It takes a songwriter with deep and clear understanding of theory and multiple technical disciples to make music this complex and nuanced sound utterly effortless. Run, don’t walk to bless your ears and soul with this delicious nectar.” -Calvin Arsenia

Cera Impala leads a writing workshop Thursday, March 12, 4;00 to 6:30pm at Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM. More info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com

Cera Impala’s art will be presented in a special show titled: The Living World of Girls Friday, March 13, at the Rejoy Gallery, third floor of The Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, 2012 Baltimore Ave., KCMO.

Cera Impala plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM. More info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com

Cera Impala’s Half Moon Medicine: Impala hosts, curates and performs monthly at the Peoples Leisure Club in (previously held at the Jazz bar) in Edinburgh and curates annually for both Knockengorroch festival and Kelburn Garden party (festival) . Cera is passionate about supporting minority voices and helping the untold story get told and providing ‘The Cure For Wot Ails Ye’ via a regular heroic dose of her brand of ‘Half Moon Medicine’ and teaching her method of writing, collage and music in her bespoke workshop “The Distillary”

Greenwood Social Hall – Long term collaborator, ally, and friend of Calvin Arsenia, Peregrine Honig began hosting performing arts events in the Spring of 2017 at Greenwood Social Hall – the gently renovated historically Black Baptist Church formerly known as Greenwood Baptist Church. Over the years, Calvin Arsenia had filmed multiple projects in the space: Toxic music video, Convert Kit music video, and Live at Greenwood. As her season came to close near the end of 2023, Honig asked Arsenia if he would like to take the helm and make the place his own. He said yes and the rest, as they say, is history.

Monarch String Trio: Pop Queens on Strings play Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, MO Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Doors at 6:30 pm Music at 7:00 pm

Cera Impala plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM. More info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com

Cera Impala and Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM.

11:55

  1. Cera Impala – “Nothing”
    from: Wildest Dreams / Cera Impala / November 18, 2022
    [Cera Impala is prolific songwriter and powerhouse multi-instrumentalist. Cera has toured internationally with The New Prohibition. Cera released her 5th album, “Wildest Dreams’, on November 18, 2022. She is currently recording a double album, Demeter’s Daughter (Part I), followed by Persephone (part II). “For lovers of Norah Jones, Billie Holliday, and Lana Del Rey, Impala’s charm, wit, and prowess are undeniable. It takes a songwriter with deep and clear understanding of theory and multiple technical disciples to make music this complex and nuanced sound utterly effortless. Run, don’t walk to bless your ears and soul with this delicious nectar.” – Calvin Arsenia. The banjo is the Swiss army knife of the dark side. http://www.ceraimpala.com

[Cera Impala plays Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM. More info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com]

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

NEXT WEEK, on Wednesday, March 18 we have a packed show with Singer songwriter Christena Graves. We also welcome our friend Ivory Blue. Also Dandelion Lakewood joins us LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios. AND members of the Sass-a-Brass band also join us on the show!!!!

Some of the hundreds of guests who have appeared on Wednesday MidDay Medley

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! to our special Wednesday MidDay Medley Listeners who donated to 90.1 FM KKFI‘s On-Air Winter Fund Drive! From our listening audience, 49 individuals stepped up to donate a total of $3,924.00!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can find our playlists at:
http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1138

WMM PLAYLIST from February 18, 2026

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, February 18, 2026

WMM presents: Sara Swenson + Nathan Reusch, Charlie Burt, & Mike Bland + Brad Smith

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Hello Biplane – “Fetch”
    from: “Fetch” – Single / Hello Biplane / February 13, 2026
    [Hello Biplane released their single “Spotlight” on January 16, 2026. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen – vocals, guitar, charango; Braden Young – vocals, electric, acoustic, baritone guitar; Jeff Jackson – bass; Austin Sinkler – drums; Hugh Naughtin – cello, synth; Nate Holt – piano, accordion, organ. // Engineered by Jim Piller and Braden Young. Produced by Braden Young, Spencer Goertz-Giffen, and Jim Piller. Mastered by Winston Goertz-Giffen at Pulp Arts Studio. All songs written by Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young. // Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young of Hello Biplane also have the band, Alien Hellbop who released the EP, After The Quake on October 25, 2021. // Alien Hellbop is a maximalist rock duo from Lawrence, KS combining guitar, drums, sample pad bass and vocal harmonies to create a sonic duo larger than the sum of its parts. Attendees of shows past have been hypnotized and dumbfounded by how the sound is pulled off. Originally formed in Chico, CA members Spencer Goertz-Giffen and Braden Young set out to create a full band sound with only two members. After a flurry of positive feedback from shows played in northern California, Alien Hellbop managed to drive cross country with their two small children to Gainesville, FL and record a five song EP at PULP studios with the help of engineer and producer Winston Goertz-Giffen. Alien Hellbop is now based out of Lawrence, KS. Spencer and Braden have been involved in many other bands over the years including: Hospital Ships, The Kinetiks, The Willnots, Accursed Wound, The Magentlemen, Saything, and Old and Gray. The duo also fronts another group called Hello Biplane, a six-piece dream-folk-pop band with focus on songwriting and male/female harmonies.]

[Hello Biplane will join us LIVE in the studio on WMM on March 25, 2026 at 11:00am.]

[Hello Biplane play Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence, KS. on Mar. 28, 2026 w/ The Roseline.]

  1. Kevin Morby – “Javelin”
    from: Little Wide Open / Dead Oceans / May 15, 2026
    [First single from Kevin Morby’s upcoming 8th studio album. // From Kevin’s Bandcamp page: For Kevin Morby, the “little wide open” is the big sky, the small lives, it’s his origins in the Midwest, and every duty and modesty and familiarity and isolation: the land, the people, and the parts of that inside him. “There’s something unintentionally musical about the Midwest; cicadas chirping in the trees, a train passing, a tornado siren going off,” explains Morby. “If you listen, there are these almost ominous sounds taking place beneath the wide-open sky—its ugliness and its beauty and how the two are often working together simultaneously. And while the Midwest isn’t technically the badlands, it’s my badlands.” // Little Wide Open is the title of Kevin Morby’s eighth studio album, produced by Aaron Dessner. In the summer of 2024, Dessner had asked Morby to support The National at their London show in Crystal Palace Park. Shortly after, Dessner—who was on a hot streak, having produced albums for Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Gracie Abrams—reached out to Morby to say he’d love to produce his next album. They began recording at Aaron’s Long Pond Studio in Stuyvesant, NY, early in 2025 and finished in September of that year. // The album, which features a host of contributors such as Dessner—who plays multiple instruments across it—Amelia Meath, Andrew Barr, Justin Vernon, Katie Gavin, Lucinda Williams, Meg Duffy, and more, has been described by Morby as the third in a trilogy of releases, following 2020’s Sundowner and 2022’s This Is a Photograph, which catalogued his time in the Midwest after moving back to Kansas City. This time out, Dessner’s production elevates Morby’s recordings while never losing focus of the songs themselves. There’s a newfound confidence and clarity in both Morby’s writing and Dessner’s production that recalls Tom Petty’s 1994 classic Wildflowers. // Now primarily living in LA, the atmosphere that runs through Little Wide Open has changed somewhat from its predecessors. As Rachel Kushner writes of Morby in the album’s accompanying essay: “It’s about time, about feeling like he has shifted from nostalgia and the losing game, losing but beautiful, of holding onto the past. He has accepted that time is ceaselessly flowing, and you can’t stop it. Instead, he feels like he’s riding it. He’s riding passenger with time.” // Kevin Morby’s single “Beautiful Strangers’ was recently recorded by Mavis Staples for her 2025 album SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD. Mavis Staples won a Grammy at the 68th Annual Grammys for Best American Roots Performance for her interpretation of Kevin’s song. Kevin released this song only as a single in 2016 in tribute to the victims of the Orlando Pulse shooting. 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.” // Kevin Robert Morby was born April 2, 1988. Kevin learned to play guitar when he was 10. In his teens he formed the band Creepy Aliens. 17-year-old Morby dropped out of Blue Valley Northwest High School, got his GED, and moved from his native KC to Brooklyn in the mid-2000s, supporting himself by working bike delivery and café jobs. He later joined the noise-folk group Woods on bass. While living in Brooklyn, he became close friends and roommates with Cassie Ramone of the punk trio Vivian Girls, and the two formed a side project together called The Babies, who released albums in 2011 and 2012. Kevin Morby began a solo career in 2013 releasing his debut album HARLEM RIVER on November 26, 2013. STILL LIFE, his 2nd album, was released in October 14, 2014. SINGING SAW his 3rd album was released April 15, 2016 and was in WMM’s 116 Best Recordings of 2016. His 4th album CITY MUSIC was released June 16, 2017 and was in WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. Kevin Morby released his 5th album OH MY GOD on April 26, 2019. On October 16, 2020 Kevin Morby released SUNDOWNER, his 6th release, #20 on WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020. On October 8, 2021 Kevin Morby released A NIGHT AT the LITTLE LOS ANGELES (Sundowner 4-Track Demos) on Dead Oceans Records. On May 13, 2022 Kevin Morby released THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH his 7th album as a solo artist, on Dead Oceans. It was #7 on WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. From http://www.rollingstone.com: “In January 2020, songwriter Kevin Morby witnessed his father collapse from a medical event while visiting his childhood home in Kansas. In a state of shock, the singer spent the evening looking at old family photos and fixated on an image of his father as a young man, looking, as Morby states, ‘full of confidence.’ The experience forced Morby to confront both the idea of mortality and the passage of time — and, after an extended sojourn in Tennessee, these reflections came together in the form of, This Is a Photograph. Produced by frequent Morby collaborator Sam Cohen, This Is a Photograph was primarily written in Memphis’ historic Peabody Hotel, where the singer-songwriter holed up in search of inspiration and self-realization amongst the city’s dark past.” On January 25, 2023 Kevin Morby released MUSIC FROM MONTANA STORY a 13 track film soundtrack. On May 26, 2023 Kevin Morby release MORE PHOTOGRAPHS (A Continuum) on Dead Oceans Records. Throughout his 10 album releases Kevin has also released 25 singles.]

[Kevin Morby plays The Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, KCMO, May 29, at 7:00 with Liam Kazar.]

  1. Anjimile – “Waits For Me”
    from: You’re Free To Go / 4AD / March 13, 2026
    [Anjimile also released the single “Like You Really Mean It” ear;ier this year. Today North Carolina based singer-songwriter Anjimile announces plans to release the full-length album You’re Free to Go, due out March 13, 2026 on 4AD. The announcement comes with the luminous lead single “Like You Really Mean It” which overflows with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Caity Arthur. // Anjimile shares: “I wrote this to make my girlfriend want to give me a kiss. We live about an hour apart, and I was just by myself thinking about her. Thinking about wanting a kiss. What could I do to get a kiss from my sweetheart? Write a song about it! Anyway, it worked.” // “Like You Really Mean It” comes after the November single “Auld Lang Syne II,” a tender note-to-self on resilience and hard-fought freedom, characterized by delicate finger-plucked strings, charming horn passages, and intimate vocal delivery, which Stereogum called “stunning” upon its release; a song Anjimile says was: “originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back.” // Contrasting the intricacy and complexity of The King, You’re Free to Go unfolds organically under the intuitive direction of producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples). The album’s songs bloom naturally, grounded in warm acoustic guitars, subtle synth textures, lush string arrangements, and delicate rhythmic layers. Collaborative efforts with musicians Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), and guest vocalist Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) – a personal hero of Anjimile whose music deeply influenced the album even before his involvement – cultivate an exploratory yet intimate atmosphere, perfectly aligned with Anjimile’s nuanced storytelling. // Anjimile (ann-JIM-uh-lee) Chithambo has forged a distinctive musical path characterised by unflinching introspection and deep honesty. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant indie scene while studying at Northeastern University, Anjimile captivated audiences with earnest songwriting, delicate sonic textures, and performances that felt like prayer and celebration. // Critical acclaim quickly followed; 2020’s Giver Taker, hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the year’s best albums, positioned him as a compelling voice exploring enduring themes of spirituality, identity, and liberation. With The King(2023), Anjimile intensified his examination of Black and trans existence amid personal and societal turbulence, reaffirming his courageous commitment to navigating discomfort as a means of liberation. // You’re Free to Go picks up where The King left off, but with its hands open wide – a central question being: what happens when you let go and let love in? // Crafted over years marked by transformation, the album traces vividly the profound complexities of change – from breakups to new love; deep grief and loss to renewal and rediscovery. “The past two years have been a deeply transitional point in my life,” Anjimile explains. On You’re Free to Go, he learns to trust life again. The album’s title symbolises Anjimile’s expansive perspective on love and personal freedom, influenced profoundly by his relationship with his partner and their joyful embrace of non-monogamy. He describes this dynamic playfully: “I view non-monogamy as setting out milk every night on your porch for the cats; they can come if they want,” – a reminder that connection thrives when it’s truly chosen and not confined and restricted by normativity. This same playfulness runs through “Rust & Wire” which captures the exhilaration of falling in love again and again (“ripen in the heat like wine”). // Elsewhere, You’re Free to Go explores heavier, darker truths; ‘Exquisite Skeleton’ hauntingly portrays the ache of familial estrangement and ‘Ready or Not’ the exhaustion of facing transphobia. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be free… When I was a little boy, I wanted to be real.”, he disarmingly reflects on “Waits For Me,” a powerful reckoning on childhood identity. But even in its most searching moments, the record radiates light. // Each song holds space for healing – for turning pain into something tender, communal, and free. // Spirituality remains the heartbeat of Anjmile’s work. “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question,” he says. Across You’re Free to Go, sacredness feels alive and imperfect — a practice of breathing, wondering, forgiving. The album hums with that same sacred energy: messy and full of grace. // Throughout You’re Free to Go, Anjimile skilfully integrates a variety of musical inspirations to heighten the album’s emotional impact. Tracks such as “Turning Away” and “The Store” channel the raw and unadorned authenticity reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. The collaboration with Sam Beam on “Destroying You” adds a gentle warmth that beautifully complements Anjimile’s refined vocal expression. Melodically, the album evokes a subtle nostalgia for late-’90s alternative pop, seamlessly blending folk sensibilities into inviting, memorable hooks. Anjimile has notably evolved, adopting a more relaxed and expressive approach to his singing, partly due to his ongoing hormonal therapy – a transformative journey he embraces gladly. This newfound vocal depth amplifies the album’s emotional resonance, allowing him to express himself with greater authenticity. // As Anjimile prepares to share You’re Free to Go live, he envisions intimate performances that reinterpret rather than replicate the album’s recordings. He aims for the authenticity and vulnerability embedded in these songs to resonate deeply, emphasising, “This record feels very authentic to my life experiences. It’s about as close to getting to know me as you could ever get with a record.” // You’re Free to Go is a portrait of transformation — not as a wound, but as an opening. Richly textured, this collection of songs is an honest reflection of life’s fluctuations. It holds space for contradiction and finds liberation in tenderness. As Anjimile beautifully articulates, the album embodies “breathing into the question,” acknowledging that life’s most profound moments often come without clear answers, but rather exist in the gentle tension of uncertainty and discovery. In every note, Anjimile provides space for each listener to reflect and uncover their own truths, while gently reminding us that freedom isn’t the absence of pain, but the courage to love, to ask, to keep beginning again.]
  1. Sara Swenson – “Taller Than You Think (feat. Greg LaFollette)”
    from: “Taller Than You Think (feat. Greg LaFollette)” – Single / Sara Swenson / January 9, 2026
    [One of several new singles Sara Swenson is releasing leading up to the release of her new album, TALLER on Saturday, 28, 2026. // Critically acclaimed singer songwriter Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut ended up at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In November of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band at the time, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and left the Kansas City music scene, and she flew off to the United Kingdom, where she got married. In the spring of 2014, Sara returned to Kansas City and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. On July 18, 2014 she released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions and emotions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville. // On March 26, 2021 Sara Swenson released the single, “I Wont Let You Feel Alone” Sara Swenson wrote to me that her new song is featured in her husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic” that premiered Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 PM on Kansas City PBS. The film is about the mental health crisis in KC – it’s a powerful film that also features Mark Lowrey’s piano playing. Sara’s song is featured in various parts of the film, and then also at the end. To see a trailer for “The Hidden Pandemic” you can visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkd7046rPtU. ] [Sara Swenson played the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Sat, September 6, at 5:00pm, at the Stockyards Brewing Co.]

[Sara Swenson plays a TALLER THAN YOU THINK album release show, Saturday, February 28, 2026 at the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads.]

10:16 – Interview with Sara Swenson

Sara Swenson shares new singles: “Taller Than You Think” and “Homesick” from her new full length album TALLER, to be released Friday, February 27, 2026. // Sara Swenson is one of our most played artists of the last 15 years. In 2009 Sara’s self titled debut Sara Swenson was #1 on WMM’s 100 Best Recordings of 2009. // In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second album, ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL, followed by her 5-song EP, NEVER LEFT MY MIND from November of 2011. // In that time, Sara won two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year Awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” // In 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as an English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and flew to the United Kingdom, where she got married. After returning to KC Sara released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS on July 18, 2014, an album that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, getting married and sorting through transitions and emotions. // Sara Swenson released the single, “I Wont Let You Feel Alone” on March 26, 2021 a song featured in her husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic.”

Sara Swenson plays a TALLER Album Release Show on Saturday, February 28, 2026, in The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Street, KCMO. It’s sold out. More info at: http://www.saraswenson.com

Sara Swenson, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

TALLER Single Releases:

“Phantoms” was released on October 16, 2025 the first single.

“Go On Free” was released on February 27, 2026 as the second single.
[In this frantic, unpredictable, high-stress world, we all need a song that feels like freedom. This Americana folk-rock anthem helps us escape modern life with its constant demands and instead roll the windows down as we ride into a simpler atmosphere. To embrace the slow pleasures of life and shed the feelings of constant work and responsibilities. With the attitudes of Tom Petty, Rilo Kiley and Sheryl Crow combined with slide electric guitar and other acoustic sounds, the main female vocal (with some close harmonies throughout much of the song) sends us driving into the sunset like it’s the end of something, but also the beginning. ]

“Taller Than You Think (feat. Greg LaFollette)” was released January 9, 2026.

“Homesick (feat. Matthew Perryman Jones)” was released February 13, 2026.

On February 13 Sara released Homesick EP containing all 4 of the new singles leading up to the release of her new album, TALLER on Saturday, 28, 2026.

One of the songs from Sara’s new record “Your Town” features a community chorus of voices from the Kansas City music community.

Over the last 15 years we have watched Sara launch a musical life, playing live, releasing albums produced in Nashville, while also teaching English & Journalism at Platte County High School. In 2009 Sara’s self titled debut ended up at #1 on WMM’s 100 Best Recordings of 2009. was a breakthrough record, establishing Sara as a serious musical voice in Kansas City. // In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second album, ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL, followed by her 5-song EP, NEVER LEFT MY MIND from November of 2011. In that time, she won two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year Awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” // We said goodbye to Sara as she moved across the Atlantic.

In 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as an English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and flew to the United Kingdom, where she got married. After returning to KC and Sara released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS on July 18, 2014 that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, getting married and sorting through transitions and emotions.

Sara and her husband Michael Price have two children, a 7 year old boy named Henry and a 11 year old girl named Lucy. Sara was pregnant with Lucy when she performed in her own Artist Showcase at the 26th Annual Folk Alliance International, February 2014.

Sara’s addition singles: “The Moment You Fall Asleep” was originally written in 201. “For Eva Josephine” was originally written in 2017. [Mark: I saw Sara perform this song at recordBar in a show you did with Calvin Arsenia. I think that was the first time I just broke down and started crying when Sara told her story and performed this song. I was blown away by her honesty and ability to share such a sad experience.]

Sara was on WMM on the July 7, 2021, just a few months after the release of her single “I Wont Let You Feel Alone” released as a single on March 26, 2021 with Mark Lowrey on piano, and produced by Greg Lafollette who also produced Sara’s new album TALLER.
“I Wont Let You Feel Alone” and is featured in Sara’s husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic.”

Swenson’s successes include songs featured on the prime time American drama “Private Practice” (ABC), period drama “Reign” (CW) and Canada’s “Hello Goodbye” (CBC). She has performed opening sets for major artists such as Jakob Dylan, Katie Herzig, Gregory Alan Isakov, Peter Bradley Adams, and the Lilith Fair (with McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Ingrid Michaelson and others.) She’s been voted Singer-Songwriter of the Year twice in Kansas City and has toured in several major cities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Sara Swenson works for the Northland Career Center teaching 11th and 12th grades.

Sara Swenson, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Sara Swenson plays a TALLER Album Release Show Sat., Feb. 28, in The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St, KCMO. It’s sold out. Info at: http://www.saraswenson.com

10:38

  1. Sara Swenson – “Homesick (Feat. Mathew Perryman Jones)”
    from: Homesick – EP / Sara Swenson / February 13, 2026
    [Homesick EP contains 4 new sIngles Sara Swenson released leading up to the release of her new album, TALLER on Saturday, 28, 2026. “Go On Free” was second single from Sara Swenson’s new full length album to be released in February 2026;“Taller Than You Think (feat. Greg LaFollette)” was released January 9, 2026; “Phantoms” was released on October 16, 2025 // Critically acclaimed singer songwriter Sara Swenson has released some of our most played and favorite recordings of the last 7 years. Her self titled debut ended up at the top of our list of The 100 Best Recordings of 2009. In 2010 Sara Swenson released her second full length recording, “All Things Big and Small” again working with Don Chaffer in Nashville who added new layers to Sara’s great songs and voice. In November of 2011, Sara released her 5 song EP called “Never Left My Mind,” featuring her band at the time, The Pearl Snaps. In that time frame, she also had picked up two Kansas City Singer-Songwriter of the Year awards, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair, and placed a song on the season finale of ABC’s “Private Practice.” Then after the school year ended in 2012, Sara Swenson left her job as a High School English and Journalism Teacher in Platte County High School, and left the Kansas City music scene, and she flew off to the United Kingdom, where she got married. In the spring of 2014, Sara returned to Kansas City and performed for the Folk Alliance International Conference. On July 18, 2014 she released her 4th album, RUNWAY LIGHTS that captures snapshots of her 18-month experience of living abroad, moving from dating to marriage and sorting through the accompanying transitions and emotions. Produced by Don Chaffer in Nashville. // On March 26, 2021 Sara Swenson released the single, “I Wont Let You Feel Alone” Sara Swenson wrote to me that her new song is featured in her husband Michael Price’s film “The Hidden Pandemic” that premiered Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 PM on Kansas City PBS. The film is about the mental health crisis in KC – it’s a powerful film that also features Mark Lowrey’s piano playing. Sara’s song is featured in various parts of the film, and then also at the end. To see a trailer for “The Hidden Pandemic” you can visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkd7046rPtU.%5D [Sara Swenson played the 21st Annual Crossroads Music Fest, Sat, September 6, at 5:00pm, at the Stockyards Brewing Co.]

[Sara Swenson plays a TALLER Album Release Show on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St, KCMO. It’s sold out. Info at: http://www.saraswenson.com]

10:43 – Underwriting

  1. Ivory Blue – “Afterglow”
    from: “Afterglow” – Single / IVORY BLUE / February 20, 2026
    [IVORY BLUE released the single “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE’s single “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 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] [Ivory will be LIVE in the studio on WMM on March 18, 2026]
  1. Kim Gordon– “Not Today”
    from: Play Me / Kim Gordon – Matador Records / March 13, 2026
    [Kim Gordon’s third album, ‘PLAY ME,’ is distilled and immediate, expanding Gordon’s sonic palette to include more melodic beats and the motorik drive of krautrock. “We wanted the songs to be short,” Gordon says. “We wanted to do it really fast. It’s more focused, and maybe more confident.” // The follow-up to 2024’s Justin Raisen-produced, two-time Grammy-nominated ‘The Collective’ processes, in her inimitable way, the collateral damage of the billionaire class: the demolition of democracy, technocratic end-times fascism, the A.I.-fueled chill-vibes flattening of culture – where dark humor voices the absurdity of modern life. // Despite its frequent outward gaze, ‘PLAY ME’ is an interior record, one in which a heightened emotionality pulses through physical jams, rejecting definitive statements in favor of an inquisitiveness that keeps Gordon searching, ever in process. // “A lifelong radical still at the peak of her powers.” – New Yorker “A poet of modern life, offering abstract, spoken vocals that speak to both the banality and volatility of our world.” – New York Times// Kim Gordon is an artist, musician, producer, fashion designer, writer, and actress. She is a founding member of the experimental post-punk band Sonic Youth. Following the breakup of Sonic Youth, Gordon formed the group Body/Head. A collection of her early critical art writing entitled Is It My Body? was released by Sternberg Press in January 2014. // From kimgordon.bandcamp.com: Legendary musician and multi-disciplinary artist Kim Gordon retleased her second solo album, The Collective, on March 8, 2024, on Matador. Recorded in her native Los Angeles, The Collective follows Gordon’s 2019 full-length debut No Home Record and continues her collaboration with producer Justin Raisen (Lil Yachty, John Cale, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Charli XCX, Yves Tumor), with additional production from Anthony Paul Lopez. The album advances their joint world building, with Raisin’s damaged, blown out dub and trap constructions playing the foil to Gordon’s intuitive word collages and hooky mantras, which conjure communication, commercial sublimation and sensory overload. // “On this record, I wanted to express the absolute craziness I feel around me right now,” says Gordon. “This is a moment when nobody really knows what truth is, when facts don’t necessarily sway people, when everyone has their own side, creating a general sense of paranoia. To soothe, to dream, escape with drugs, TV shows, shopping, the internet, everything is easy, smooth, convenient, branded. It made me want to disrupt, to follow something unknown, maybe even to fail.” // More info at: http://www.bodyheadmusic.com]
  1. Anti-plastic (Stonegood) – “Lunisolar (Moon & Sun)”
    from: Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 / KC Synth Collective / February 20, 2026
    [The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. The Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the KC Synthesizer Collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com]

[Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron play Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Fri., Feb. 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee, Ste 100, KCMO.]

[The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective.]

  1. AgreKulture – “Rain”
    from: Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 / KC Synth Collective / February 20, 2026
    [The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. The Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the KC Synthesizer Collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com]

[Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron play Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Fri., Feb. 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee, Ste 100, KCMO. ]

[The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective.]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Bobcat Attack – “Rhinoplasty”
    from: Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 / KC Synth Collective / February 20, 2026
    [The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. The Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the KC Synthesizer Collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com. // Bobcat Attack released The Year of The Bobcat on Les Bon Bons Electriques – The Record Machine on August 1, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2025. // Bobcat Attack released the single “Bird of Prey” on January 10, 2025 Bobcat Attack is the alter ego of electronic musician Nathan Reusch. Reusch has a passion for blending dub, techno, and ambient electronica into his own improvised vision. His compositions, crafted with synthesizers, drum machines, and modular synths, create a pulsing soundscape that is both intimate and lush, setting him apart in the electronic music scene. // Reusch first started making electronic music influenced by emo/punk in the early 2000s, opening for acts like Taking Back Sunday, Mewihoutyou, Coheed and Cambria, to more fitting artists like Joy Electric, Atom & His Package, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Yacht. In 2003, he started his indie label, The Record Machine, and in 2011, he founded KC’s Middle of the Map Fest; his time and focus on making his music came to a halt. The pandemic inspired Reusch to dust off his Bobcat Attack moniker and renewed his interest in making music. After a few months of waywardly trying to figure out patches and midi cables, he joined KC’s Synth Collective and found a group of similarly-minded electronic musicians. // After a year of playing and organizing shows with the KC Synth Collective, he is regaining his footing; Reusch is ready to release his first new material in nearly two decades. Bobcat Attack bridges the gap between ambient, dub-techno, and house music. The result is a rich textural environment of blooming melodies, entrancing techno beats, and ambient soundscapes that immerses the listener in a vibrant, flooding forest of electronica. His arrangements are patient and complete, and there’s always a discovery bubbling underneath the surface. // Bobcat Attack’s debut single release, “Pallas,” (Sept. 20, 2024) was the inaugural release on Les Bon Bons Electriques – The Record Machine imprint. This collaboration between fellow electronic musician and collaborator Mark Ronning (Mr. Golden Sun/Pool Culure) and Reusch’s label, The Record Machine.][Bobcat Attack played a YEAR OF THE BOBCAT EP release show July 31 at miniBar, with FaceFace, Hautlle and Slow Poke.]

11:04 – Interview with Nathan Reusch, Charlie Burt, and Mike Bland

Nathan Reusch is co-founder of The Record Machine an area music label that is celebrating 22 years! Nathan Reusch first started making electronic music under the name Bobcat Attack influenced by emo/punk in the early 2000s, opening for acts like Taking Back Sunday, Mewihoutyou, Coheed and Cambria, to more fitting artists like Joy Electric, Atom & His Package, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Yacht. In 2003, he started his indie label, The Record Machine, and in 2011, he founded KC’s Middle of the Map Fest; his time and focus on making his music came to a halt. Under Nathan’s leadership The Record Machine has been the label for Static Phantoms, Monta, Various Blonde, Cowboy Indian Bear, LaGuerre, The Philistines, and Black Light Animals and many more. Nathan is also a DJ. The pandemic inspired Reusch to dust off his Bobcat Attack moniker and renewed his interest in making music. After a few months of waywardly trying to figure out patches and midi cables, he joined KC’s Synth Collective and found a group of similarly-minded electronic musicians. His debut track, Pallas, released September 18, 2024 was the inaugural release on Les Bon Bons Electriques imprint on The Record Machine label. Bobcat Attack released The Year of The Bobcat on Les Bon Bons Electriques – The Record Machine on August 1, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2025

Nathan Reusch thanks for being with us on WMM.

Charlie Burt is a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, typographer, and resident cat-handler. He has been based in the Kansas City area for more than a decade in varying creative capacities—from freelancer to full-time Creative Director— Charlie Burt has a passion for branding, identity, packaging, and menu development with a special focus on the food & beverage and spirits industries. His current and past clients and associations include J. Rieger & Co., Hotel Kansas City, Bronson’s Milk Punch, Port Fonda, Altamar Brands, Riddle Wines, Mount Fair Farm, The Monarch Bar, Julep, Westport Cafe, and many more. You can see his work at http://www.cburt.studio

Charlie Burt records electronic music under the moniker of Korgtron and Charlie is also part of the KC Synth Collective.

Charlie Burt thanks for being with us on WMM

Mike Bland is the co-founder of the Kansas City Synthesizer Collective. Kansas City Synthesizer Collective celebrate their fourth anniversary with a special show, Fri, Feb 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee, Ste 100, KCMO.

Mike Bland thanks for being with us on WMM.

Nathan Reusch & Charlie Burt & Mike Bland share details about the KC Synthesizer Collective, a group of electronic musicians working to build platforms for experimental & emerging artists. The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st & 3rd Tues. from 6 to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co.

Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron play The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Friday, February 20, at 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste. 100, KCMO. The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com

Charlie Burt records electronic music under the moniker of Korgtron and Charlie is also part of the KC Synth Collective.

Korgtron plays The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Friday, February 20, at 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO, with Austin Williamson, Gnozis, and wrker.

11:13

Charlie Burt of KorgTron
  1. Korgtron – “Korgtron Theme”
    from: “Korgtron Theme” – Single / KorgTron / unreleased
    [Kortron is part of The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. Nathan is co-founder of indie label, The Record Machine and is also a DJ. The pandemic inspired Reusch to dust off his Bobcat Attack moniker and renew his interest in making music. Joining Nathan is Charlie Burt who records with the band Korgtron and is also part of the KC Synth Collective. The Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the KC Synthesizer Collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com]

[Korgtron plays Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Fri, Feb 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee, Ste 100, KCMO, w/ Austin Williamson, Gnozis, and wrker.]

[The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective.]

11:17 – More Interview with Nathan Reusch, Charlie Burt, and Mike Bland

Nathan Reusch is co-founder of The Record Machine an area music label that is celebrating 22 years! Nathan Reusch first started making electronic music under the name Bobcat Attack influenced by emo/punk in the early 2000s, opening for acts like Taking Back Sunday, Mewihoutyou, Coheed and Cambria, to more fitting artists like Joy Electric, Atom & His Package, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and Yacht. In 2003, he started his indie label, The Record Machine, and in 2011, he founded KC’s Middle of the Map Fest; his time and focus on making his music came to a halt. Under Nathan’s leadership The Record Machine has been the label for Static Phantoms, Monta, Various Blonde, Cowboy Indian Bear, LaGuerre, The Philistines, and Black Light Animals and many more. Nathan is also a DJ. The pandemic inspired Reusch to dust off his Bobcat Attack moniker and renewed his interest in making music. After a few months of waywardly trying to figure out patches and midi cables, he joined KC’s Synth Collective and found a group of similarly-minded electronic musicians. His debut track, Pallas, released September 18, 2024 was the inaugural release on Les Bon Bons Electriques imprint on The Record Machine label. This collaboration between fellow electronic musician and collaborator Mark Ronning (Mr. Golden Sun/Pool Culure) and Reusch’s label, The Record Machine,

Nathan Reusch thanks for being with us on WMM.

Charlie Burt is a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, typographer, and resident cat-handler. He has been based in the Kansas City area for more than a decade in varying creative capacities—from freelancer to full-time Creative Director— Charlie Burt has a passion for branding, identity, packaging, and menu development with a special focus on the food & beverage and spirits industries. His current and past clients and associations include J. Rieger & Co., Hotel Kansas City, Bronson’s Milk Punch, Port Fonda, Altamar Brands, Riddle Wines, Mount Fair Farm, The Monarch Bar, Julep, Westport Cafe, and many more. You can see his work at http://www.cburt.studio

Charlie Burt records electronic music under the moniker of Korgtron and Charlie is also part of the KC Synth Collective.

Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron play The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Friday, February 20, at 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO. The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com

Charlie Burt thanks for being with us on WMM.

The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective, a group of electronic musicians working to build platforms for experimental & emerging artists.

The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene.

The collective meets 1st and 3rd Tues. from 6 to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co.

The Kansas City Synthesizer Collective will celebrate their fourth anniversary with a special show, Friday, February 20, at 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com

Nathan Reusch & Charlie Brut Thanks for being on WMM

Kansas City Synthesizer Collective celebrate their forth anniversary with a special show, Fri, Feb 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO. With Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron playing.

The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com

11:24

  1. The Intolerant Left – “Inseminating Elon in the KKK Hole on Mars”
    from: Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 / KC Synth Collective / February 20, 2026
    [The KC Synthesizer Collective is cultivating a community centered around creativity & self-expression in the electronic music scene. The collective meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 6:00pm to 10:00 pm at Stockyards Brewing Co. The Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the KC Synthesizer Collective. More info at: http://www.kcsynthcollective.com]

[Austin Williamson, Gnozis, wrker, and Korgtron play Kansas City Synthesizer Collective Four Year Anniversary Show, Fri, Feb 20, 7:00pm, at Stockyards Brewing Co, 1600 Genessee St, Ste 100, KCMO. ]

[The KC Synth Collective will also be releasing a new Bi-state Voltage Controllers Vol. 2 Compilation of multiple artists from the collective.]

11:28 – Underwriting

  1. Eggs On Mars –”Good Morning (I Love You)”
    from: Good Morning (I Love You) / Enigmatic Brunch Records / March 3, 2026
    [Eggs on Mars, a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee. Info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

[Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.]

11:31 – Interview with Brad Smith

Brad Smith joins us to talk about the new album from Eggs on Mars called, GOOD MORNING (I Love You) to be released March 3, 2026. Brad also talks about his new music label Enigmatic Brunch that has recently released music from: Joel vs Joel, and Wills Van Dorn. Eggs on Mars is a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith on lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee on bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton on lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter on drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze. More info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

Brad Smith, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Eggs on Mars is a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO.

Brad Smith on lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee on bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton on lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter on drums, percussion, & field recordings.

Good Morning (I Love You)to be released on March 3, 2026 is a 10-track album, with all songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer
Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios
Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton
Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson
Art Direction by Brad Smith
Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee
Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano
Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”
Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards
Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings

Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.

Brad also talks about his new music label Enigmatic Brunch that has recently released music from: Joel vs Joel, and Wills Van Dorn.

More info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

10:40

  1. Eggs On Mars – “Be For You”
    from: Good Morning (I Love You) / Enigmatic Brunch Records / March 3, 2026
    [Eggs on Mars, a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee. Info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

[Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.]

10:43 – More Interview with Brad Smith

Brad Smith joins us to talk about the new album from Eggs on Mars called, GOOD MORNING (I Love You) to be released March 3, 2026. Brad also talks about his new music label Enigmatic Brunch that has recently released music from: Joel vs Joel, and Wills Van Dorn. Eggs on Mars is a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith on lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee on bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton on lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter on drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze. More info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

Brad Smith, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Eggs on Mars is a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO.

Brad Smith on lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee on bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton on lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter on drums, percussion, & field recordings.

Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.

Brad also talks about his new music label Enigmatic Brunch that has recently released music from: Joel vs Joel, and Wills Van Dorn.

Eggs On Mars Discography

Welcome to our Family – August 25, 2014
10-track album
Recorded Summer 2014 at Potter Underground Studios
Guitars/Lead Vocals-Brad Smith
Bass/Other Vocals-Justin Longmeyer
Drums-Mason Potter

Spacey Stacy – September 4, 2015
8-track album
Recording/Mixing/Mastering/Pancakes-Doug Bybee
Recorded August 2015 at Sound + Vision Studios of the Lawrence Public Library
Cover photo taken by Mason Potter
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

On Hold, Hold On – October 7, 2016
5-track EP
Album art by Anna Smith
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

In A Desert Place – March 15, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer // Recorded at 2319
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass/Vocals/Guitar solo – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Mama Pancake – November 9, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/mixed/mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded May through September of 2018 at 2319
Artwork by Julie Smith
Brad Smith – guitars/vocals/keys
Justin Longmeyer – bass
Mason Potter – drums/percussion

It Will Be Like It Was – October 4, 2019
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded summer of 2019 at Bread Basket Music Studios
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Brighter Now – June 25, 2021
7-track EP
Recorded / mixed / mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Solstice Audio
Cover painting by Jesse Bartmess
Brad Smith – Vocals, guitar
Mason Potter – Drums, backing vocals, self-sacrificial tambourine
Bennie Neselroad – Keys, backing vocals,
Doug Bybee – Bass, backing vocals

Warm Breakfast – March 21, 2023
10-track album
Recorded/Engineered/Mixed by Rodd Fenton
Mastered by Josh Johnson.
Recorded 2023 at Solstice Audio.
Cover painting by Shannon Brouk
Brad Smith – guitar/lead vocals/keys
Mason Potter – drums/percussion/backing vocals
Doug Bybee – bass/keys/backing vocals;
Joel Stratton – keys/backing vocals;
with
Austin Smith – additional guitars
Sam Smith – backing vocals
Rodd Fenton – backing vocals/hand claps.

Good Morning (I Love You)– March 3, 2026
10-track album
All songs by Eggs on Mars
Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer
Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios
Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton
Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson
Art Direction by Brad Smith
Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee
Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano
Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”
Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards
Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings

Brad Smith, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

10:54

  1. Eggs On Mars – “Shooting Stars”
    from: Good Morning (I Love You) / Enigmatic Brunch Records / March 3, 2026
    [Eggs on Mars, a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee. Info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

[Eggs On Mars play an Album Release Show on Saturday, March 7, at 7:00pm at The RINO, 315 Armour Rd., North Kansas City with Big Fat Cow, and Field Daze.]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, February 25 we will feature our favorite releases of the past year from black musical artists based here in Kansas City. Plus we welcome back to the show our friend Jesse Bartmess who will share music from his newest release MUSIC FOR MACHINES Vol. 4, to be released February 26, 2026.

Also join me as special co-hosts for the entire show are: Mará Rose Williams The Kansas City Star’s assistant managing editor for race and equity issues. She has served as a member of the Star’s Editorial Board and is an award-winning columnist. She was a writer on The Star’s 2020 “Truth in Black amd White” project, and the recipient of the 2021 Eleanor McClatchy Award for exemplary leadership skills and transformative journalism. Mara Rose Williams was the creator host and producer of Voices of Kansas City and award winning special series creatred by the KC Star with KKFI.

Also joining us is D. Rashaan Gilmore host of “Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore,” on KKFI on Saturday nights at 5:00pm. D. Rashaan Gilmore is a two-time Emmy Award winning host and producer of Flatland In Focus on Kansas City PBS. D Rashaan is Founder and President/CEO at BlaqOut KC, which seeks to organize and mobilize the black, gay community in Kansas City and develop a leadership core. Gilmore has previously managed multiple significant HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention grants for the Kansas City CARE Clinic.

And Sandra Draper, who is a retire federal employee who new serves on KKFI’s Board of Directors and hosts SylkySan Soul Sensations, a dynamic radio show that blends a variety of genres Mondays at 4:00pm to 6:00pm on 90.1 FM KKFI.

Mará Williams, D. Rashaan Gilmore and Sandra Draper will help co-host for our Winter On-Air-Fund Drive. We will need to hear from YOU our listeners to support Community Radio. Please call 888-931-0901 during the show so we can say your name over the airwaves,

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1135

WMM PLAYLIST from February 11, 2026

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, February 11, 2026

WMM presents: D Rashaan Gilmore + Calvin Arsenia + Cera Impala + FlareThaRebel + Shaun Crowley

  1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
    [WMM’s theme]
  1. Eggs On Mars –”Good Morning (I Love You)”
    from: Good Morning (I Love You) / Enigmatic Brunch Records / March 3, 2026
    [Eggs on Mars, a 4-piece soft psych pop band from KCMO. Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano; Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”; Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards; Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings. All songs by Eggs on Mars. Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer. Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios. Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton. Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson. Art Direction by Brad Smith. Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee. Info at: http://www.eggsonmars.bandcamp.com]

[Brad Smith will be with us next week on February 18 to talk about the new Eggs On Mars album]

Eggs On Mars Discography

Welcome to our Family – August 25, 2014
10-track album
Recorded Summer 2014 at Potter Underground Studios
Guitars/Lead Vocals-Brad Smith
Bass/Other Vocals-Justin Longmeyer
Drums-Mason Potter

Spacey Stacy – September 4, 2015
8-track album
Recording/Mixing/Mastering/Pancakes-Doug Bybee
Recorded August 2015 at Sound + Vision Studios of the Lawrence Public Library
Cover photo taken by Mason Potter
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

On Hold, Hold On – October 7, 2016
5-track EP
Album art by Anna Smith
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

In A Desert Place – March 15, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Justin Longmeyer // Recorded at 2319
Guitars/Vocals – Brad Smith
Bass/Vocals/Guitar solo – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Mama Pancake – November 9, 2018
10-track album
Recorded/mixed/mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded May through September of 2018 at 2319
Artwork by Julie Smith
Brad Smith – guitars/vocals/keys
Justin Longmeyer – bass
Mason Potter – drums/percussion

It Will Be Like It Was – October 4, 2019
10-track album
Recorded/Mixed/Mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded summer of 2019 at Bread Basket Music Studios
Guitars/Vocals/Keys – Brad Smith
Bass – Justin Longmeyer
Drums – Mason Potter

Brighter Now – June 25, 2021
7-track EP
Recorded / mixed / mastered by Rodd Fenton
Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Solstice Audio
Cover painting by Jesse Bartmess
Brad Smith – Vocals, guitar
Mason Potter – Drums, backing vocals, self-sacrificial tambourine
Bennie Neselroad – Keys, backing vocals,
Doug Bybee – Bass, backing vocals

Warm Breakfast – March 21, 2023
10-track album
Recorded/Engineered/Mixed by Rodd Fenton
Mastered by Josh Johnson.
Recorded 2023 at Solstice Audio.
Cover painting by Shannon Brouk
Brad Smith – guitar/lead vocals/keys
Mason Potter – drums/percussion/backing vocals
Doug Bybee – bass/keys/backing vocals;
Joel Stratton – keys/backing vocals;
with
Austin Smith – additional guitars
Sam Smith – backing vocals
Rodd Fenton – backing vocals/hand claps.

Good Morning (I Love You) – March 3, 2026
10-track album
All songs by Eggs on Mars
Words for “Takes Time” by Justin Longmeyer
Recorded by Joel Stratton in fall 2024/winter 2025 at Soundstructure Studios
Mixed by Doug Bybee & Joel Stratton
Mastered by Doug Bybee & Josh Johnson
Art Direction by Brad Smith
Graphic design, photography, CD layout, cassette layout by Doug Bybee
Brad Smith – lead vocals, guitars & piano
Doug Bybee – bass, keys, vocals on “Shooting Stars” & “Takes Time”
Joel Stratton – lead guitars & keyboards
Mason Potter – drums, percussion, & field recordings

  1. Angie Fights Crime – “Between the Mountain and the Sea”
    from: To Be Beautiful / Angie Fights Crime / February 14, 2026
    [Written and recorded in Kansas City Missouri. Ash Reynolds on vocals on all songs except; Tess Savigear & Bethan Mathis on “To Be Beautiful”; Nikki Goodson on “Tiny Lies”; Keith Howell on Drums. Production & Mastering by Robert Rebeck. Album Art by KD Grant, Album Design Jeff Irvine. Angie Fights Crime is the brainchild of Brent Kinder, a musician, poet, songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Angie Fights Crime often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. Angie Fights Crime released the album SAVIOR OF THE WORLD on March 1, 2025. Savior of The World features Daniel Jordan on vocals, and Keith Howell on drums; with artwork by Tyson Schroeder, and J. Irvine. Mixing and mastering by Robert Rebeck. // Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass. With 49 albums, and 461 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). More information at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.%5D

[Brent Kinder will join us on WMM on March 25]

  1. Quiet Takes – “Hope”
    from: Veils / Sarah Magill / December 12, 2025
    [Songwriter Sarah Magill makes music for feelers as Quiet Takes. A writer and wanderer, After Magill had a nomadic creative journey she eventually settled and found community in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She makes a living as a freelance writer. She makes joy as a DIY music community organizer and show promoter in Eau Claire. // Sarah Magill wrote to me from Wisconsin last December, telling me she was “really fascinated by the way a song can shift between revelations and hiding places.” Sarah writes that “Veils is seven raw songs for a stark season.” She tracked it live, solo, with a piano and the river out the window. Sarah writes she is “fascinated by how songs, like veils, can both reveal and obscure. There’s power in both.” The record was engineered by Lena Sutter and mixed/mastered by Zach Hanson. // On February 15, 2024 Quiet Takes released the album, Regrets Only, written by Sarah Michelle Magill. Produced, engineered & mixed by Zach Hanson. Mastered by Huntley Miller. Recorded at The Hive in Eau Claire, WI. Environmental sound recorded by Sarah Michelle Magill in various locations, except 2, recorded by Redditor @roffels. // On November 5, 2021 Quiet Takes released the EP, Weekly, Weakly with music written by Sarah Magill, produced by David Bennett, with vocals & keyboards by Sarah Magill. Guitars, bass and percussion by David Bennett. Drums by Jared Bond. Engineered and mixed by David Bennett at Aorist Studios in Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Zach. Weekly, Weakly the third collaboration between Magill and producer/multi-instrumentalist David Bennett. “Ghosty…” was inspired by pandemic-era panic attacks and social unease. This song was one way I tried to process the new, very anxious voice inhabiting my brain, which I nicknamed Ghosty. Sarah writes, “I made the WEEKLY, WEAKLY EP exactly as titled: During weekly Friday sessions at Aorist Studios with my producer, David Bennett, while feeling extremely weak. I was living alone during the pandemic and (like many of us) coping with isolation, depression and anxiety. Making this EP was my lifeboat. Both the process of making music — refining lyrics, experimenting with new textures, collaborating on harmonies — and the commitment to the weekly process kept me relatively grounded and connected. This project tethered me to human-ness when I was afraid I was going to float off into some kind of feral, disconnected netherworld of pandemic loneliness. I’ll forever be grateful to David and his wife, Kayla, for creating a safe space to continue working at Aorist during such a dangerous time.” WEEKLY, WEAKLY followed the release of Sarah Magill’s EP, SAN FIDEL under her moniker, Quiet Takes. Released March 5, 2021. Written by Sarah Magill. Produced by David Bennett and Sarah Magill. Vocals and keys by Sarah Magill on vocals & keyboards, David Bennett on guitars and bass, Ian Thompson on additional keyboards & synthesizers, Kyle Rausch on drums, and Bryan Koehler on percussion. Engineered and mixed by David Bennett at Aorist Studios in Kansas City, MO. Mastered by Zach Hanson. Cover image by Shawn Brackbill. Sarah Magill released her single “Wanted (The Dirty Windshield Version)” on May 1, 2020. . Sarah Magill released AHEM, a 4-song EP, on December 11, 2020. The songs were originally released under her old project name MYRY, in November 2018. Quiet Takes (formerly MYRY) is an on-going collaborative music project by Sarah Magill a writer & musician based in KC. She performs with a rotating cast of friends—although these stay-at-home days, she is playing solo. In KC, she is known for hosting house shows and co-founding Rubix, a performance art collective. MYRY’s first EP, AHEM, was released in 2018. Sarah released four of MYRY’s songs from that 2018 EP release as Quiet Takes singles in 2020. Sarah Magill was a guest. We interviewed Sarah Magill on WMM on May 13, 2020 and on March 10, 2021 and Nov. 2, 2021. // Info at: https://quiettakes.com ]
Photo by Remy Styrk
  1. Stephonne – “Bloody Mary”
    from: “Bloody Mary” – Single / Glory Blue Music / February 13, 2026
    [Rebellious genre-queer singer-songwriter, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Stephonne has debuted their new single, “Bloody Mary”. The slinky alt-electronic/pop track drips with erotic esotericism. It’s influenced by bands like Portishead, Garbage, She Wants Revenge, and Erotica – Bedtime Stories era Madonna. Stephonne writes, “I was playing Angel in RENT and heard about D’Angelo’s passing right before Halloween. The cast finally had a break from back-to-back shows and my sadness drove me to create that night and remember the power of Voodoo. 25 years later and that album’s energy is still just as potent. I turned on the Devil’s Pie documentary and this track fell from the heavens. “Bloody Mary” was also birthed from my love of witches, New Orleans, Anne Rice’s vampires, and 90s alternative music and nostalgia. I’m telling a story in a new way where I don’t have to choose between being gothic, nerdy, or provocative. I get to be all of those things and more on this record. There’s some very inspiring art coming from artists like JMSN, Slayyyter, and Charli xcx that gives me hope we are finally ready to let our freak flags fly at full mast again. Thank God!” // “Bloody Mary” plays like a Tarantino directed erotic thriller that injects dance floor fever and grunge edge. The clever wordplay and melody we’ve come to expect from Stephonne don’t take a backseat to theatricality here. All three drive Stephonne’s purpose-driven production and vocal power to new heights. Slick, cinematic, dangerous and glossy, this track a must-listen. // Stephonne writes, “Electronic music has helped me take up more space as an artist. I’ll always pledge allegiance to rock music, but I’ve loved experimenting more, letting go, and trusting the music as I hear it first. Listeners are getting more of me in every aspect of my releases and that feels good. I’m understanding my assignment more clearly, sonically, and I’m excited to showcase that through new visuals and LIVE!” // Lyrical Odyssey writes: “Stephonne is reimagining what it means to be a Black musician in Kansas City, disrupting outdated narratives with music that celebrates fluidity, theatricality, and freedom. Their art is multidimensional, relentless, and ambitious, drawing inspiration from other pockets of pop music.” // 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 works to 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. // 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 it’s Gonna Be Alright” on April 2025. Stephonne released the single, Forgive Me, Father (Sinead O’Connor) on May 21, 2025. Stephonne released the single, “Worship at The Chappell” 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 was on WMM on Sept 10, 2025 before his run in RENT playing Angel for Music Theatre Heritage. More info at: http://www.stephonne.com]
  1. Katie Ziegler – “Ready To Fly”
    from: “Ready To Fly” – Single / Katie Zielger / January 9, 2026
    [Katie Ziegler is an independent singer-songwriter based in the Kansas City metro area whose voice carries the wide-open spaces of her rural Kansas upbringing and the intimate stories of home. Raised in a musical family, she began writing songs at age 11 and picked up the guitar at 16 — early roots that formed her personal, narrative-driven songwriting. // In August 2022 she released her first single, “He Ain’t Yours,” and then followed it with her debut EP Residue, steadily building a catalog of 14 songs. // Katie has opened for acts like the The  Bellamy  Brothers, Eli Young Band, Billy Dean, Twitty & Lynn, Jerrod Niemann, Logan Mize and Cody Canada & The Departed, sharpening her performance chops on larger stages. // In her own words: “I’m a small-town Kansas girl chasing dreams — and if I can write something and make someone else feel understood, then it’s all worth it.” That sentiment reflects both her origin and her mission. // Off stage, she shares glimpses of her heart with her social media following: “Long video alert but if you’re looking for a little encouragement I hope this can,” she posted recently, showing that her music is about more than notes — it’s about connection. // Beyond her role as an artist, Katie embraces life as a “songwriter, wife … girl mama” from small-town Kansas, “chasing dreams.” // With one foot in her rural roots and the other in the vibrant KC metro music scene, Katie Ziegler writes songs that feel lived-in and real. Whether she’s strumming a guitar in a quiet cabin or stepping into the spotlight as an opener for national artists, her journey is both grounded and ambitious — and each song is a small invitation to walk alongside her. Info at: http://www.katiezieglermusic.com]

[Katie Ziegler plays Buffalo State Pizza, 932 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS. Saturday, February 14 @ 7:00PM — 9:00PM]

  1. Betse & Clarke – “Fill My Way With Love”
    from: River Still Rise / Betse & Clarke / July 1, 2016
    [Full-length debut album, from traditional and future folk duo, Betse & Clarke Betse Ellis on fiddles, violins, viola & vocals and Clarke Wyatt on banjos and cello. Recorded during the Winter-Spring of 2016. Produced by Clarke Wyatt and Betse Ellis. Recorded and mixed by Clarke Wyatt/ Final mix assistance from Chad Meise at Massive Sound. Traditional & future folk inspired by explorers Lewis & Clark showing how Betse & Clarke are trailblazers of sound & vision. “River Still Rise,” is a collection of originals and reworked traditional compositions that are presented “to be enjoyed as a musical adventure, much like the river exploration of the famous duo Lewis & Clark, an inspiration for the band’s name.” Betse Ellis writes in the extended liner notes: “The phrase River Still Rise appears in the journals of Meriwether Lewis, and to me, most notably when the Corps of Discovery readied their boats and supplies for the beginning of their river journey. Documenting all the details of the excursion included aspects of the weather, the general demeanor or specific behavior of the crew, and most certainly the level of the river. The river needed to be high enough to be navigable, and in that way, Clarke and I have been putting together our gear and supplies, building our boat, and watching the weather signs for about a year and a half at this point. The process of recording RSR took several months, beginning in early 2016. We made this recording at home with the best gear we could acquire at this point, and with Clarke’s long-built engineering and producing knowledge.” Betse & Clarke joined us live on WMM on Februry 17.]

[Betse & Clarke play the Stockyards Brewing Company, 1600 Genessee St. Suite 100, KCMO in Historic West Bottoms, on Sunday, February 15, 3:00pm to 6:00pm.]

  1. Mikal Shapiro – “Everybody’s Baby”
    from: The Musical II / Mikal Shapiro / May 26, 2018
    [“Everybody’s Baby” is her pop song she wrote, but all the songs on The Musical 11 are great. The sequel to Shapiro’s 2015 concept album “The Musical.” Mikal Shapiro, on vocals & guitar, Chad Brothers on vocals & guitar, Johnny Hamil on bass, and Matt Richey on drums. Special guests include: Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Tina Bilberry on viola & violin, Damon Parker on keyboards, and Lauren Hughes on vocals. Engineered and co-produced by Joel Nanos at Element Recording & Mastering Studios. Mikal Shapiro is a KC songwriter whose musical influences span popular songs, psych rock, lounge, classic country and old time spirituals. She has toured extensively across the U.S. and has recorded five critically acclaimed albums. KC Star and Tim Finn declared her album “The Musical” to be one of his top five releases of 2015. A third generation storyteller, she draws inspiration from her travels, love life, and the state of the Union.]

[Mikal Shapiro & Chad Brothers as Shapiro Brothers play The Love Hangover the annual post Valentine’s Day celebration of love duets, this year at miniBar 3810 Broadway, KCMO, on Sunday February 15, 2026 at 6:00pm, with Scott Easterday trio; Nathan Corsi & Nathan Showalter; Of Tree; and Dana Woolard & Jeff Harshbarger, + Steve Tulipana. The Love Hangover is an annual multi-city, multi-artist musical event that explores romantic love in all its many guises. Held each year on February 15th, this post-Valentine’s showcase features a line-up of duets singing songs of the lovelorn, love sworn and love torn. 26 years, 10 cities, 89 shows, 900+ performers.]

10:31 – Underwriting

10:33 – Interview with D Rashaan Gilmore

Starting this Saturday, February 14 at 5:00pm on 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio is the return of the very good radio show called, “Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore.” After nearly four years as part of the team on 90.1’s The Tenth Voice, D. Rashaan made the leap to producing and hosting his own weekly radio show “Unbossed and Unbothered” that aired from 2021-2022 on 90.1 FM KKFI, that was until our friends at KCPT Kansas City PBS took D. Rashaan away from us to be host and producer of Flatland In Focus where he won two Emmy Awards. Last year, budgetary reasons caused KC PBS to end this critically acclaimed program, and we are lucky enough to have D. Rashaan’s old time slot suddenly become open again, around the same tome D Rashaan was looking to return to KKFI. A life-long resident of Kansas City. D Rashaan is community connector, organizer, collaborator, and AIDS activist, who serves as Founder and President/CEO at BlaqOut KC, which seeks to organize and mobilize the black, gay community in Kansas City and develop a leadership core. Gilmore has previously managed multiple significant HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention grants for the Kansas City CARE Clinic. D Rashaan has also served as the Senior Field Organizer for PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBT equality and advocacy organization. “Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore” makes its return to 90.1 FM KKFI this Saturday, February 14 at 5:00pm. More info at: http://www.blaqout.org

D. Rashaan Gilmore thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

“Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore” makes its return to 90.1 FM KKFI this Saturday, February 14 at 5:00pm.

After nearly four years as part of the team on 90.1’s The Tenth Voice, D. Rashaan made the leap to producing and hosting his own weekly radio show “Unbossed and Unbothered” that aired from 2021-2022 on 90.1 FM KKFI, that was until our friends at KCPT Kansas City PBS took D. Rashaan away from us to be host and producer of Flatland In Focus where he won two Emmy Awards.

Last year, budgetary reasons caused KC PBS to end this critically acclaimed program, and we are lucky enough to have D. Rashaan’s old time slot suddenly become open again, around the same tome D Rashaan was looking to return to KKFI.

Unbossed and Unbothered – The slogan “unbought and unbossed” appeared on Shirley Chisholm’s campaign posters, one of which resides in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. NMAAHC, Gift of Ellen Brooks

In 1972 Shirley Chisholm announced her historic run for the White House, challenging fellow Democrats George McGovern, Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie, Henry M. Jackson and George Wallace. “I am not the candidate of Black America, although I am Black and proud. I am not the candidate of the woman’s movement of this country, although I am a woman and I am equally proud of that.”


Before Carol Moseley Braun, before Barack Obama, before Hillary Clinton, Shirley Chisholm was both the first woman and the first African American to run for the nomination of a major party for president of the United States. Already the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1968, Chisholm made her ambitious attempt to win the White House decades before her country was ready for her, garnering just 152 delegate votes at the Democratic National Convention.

One of the segments of your show was “Reclaiming My Time” in honor of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) is the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Waters ‘went viral’ in 2017 when she invoked House procedural rules during Steven Mnuchin’s House Financial Services Committee hearing. Rejecting Mnuchin’s attempts to avoid her questions, Waters repeated the phrase “reclaiming my time” to indicate her right to retain minutes on the clock that had been allotted to her. The hashtag #ReclaimingMyTime began trending on social media and has since become a symbol of resistance and refusal.

D Rashaan Gilmore’s sister is Dana Gilmore, who Mark interviewed in the early years of WMM. Dana Gilmore appeared in episode 5 of the 4th season of Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry on HBO. The show ran for 7 seasons from 2002 – 2007. Tell is about your parents and how they raised two children both gifted in words and communication.

D Rashaan is community connector, organizer, collaborator, and AIDS activist, who serves as Founder and President/CEO at BlaqOut KC, which seeks to organize and mobilize the black, gay community in Kansas City and develop a leadership core.

Gilmore has previously managed multiple significant HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention grants for the Kansas City CARE Clinic.

D Rashaan has also served as the Senior Field Organizer for PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBT equality and advocacy organization.

D. Rashaan Gilmore thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

“Unbossed and Unbothered with D. Rashaan Gilmore” makes its return to 90.1 FM KKFI this Saturday, February 14 at 5:00pm. More info at: http://www.blaqout.org

10:55

  1. The Freedom Affair – “Love Is Love”
    from: “Love Is Love” – Single / Sunflower Soul Records / June 26, 2024
    [The Freedom Affair released their second full length album The Freedom Affair on May 9, 2025. This album was #1 on WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025. // The band includes: 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.]

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Calvin Arsenia – “Rose Petals”
    from: Paradise / Calvin Arsenia / June 23, 2023
    [Paradise is Calvin Arsenia’s 14 track album. Available through http://www.calvinarsenia.com // A new turning point as a songwriter. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, Racism, The Police, being on probation, gay love. The album contains collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow and Jametatone. Calvin Arsenia one of our most frequent guests, who first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. KC Magazine has hailed Calvin as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey began when he moved to Olathe, Kansas, teaching himself the guitar, piano, banjo. He learned his signature instrument, the harp, at the age of 20. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer where at 24 he released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his critically acclaimed full length debut, Catastrophe, with a live show at recordBar in November 2016 that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers. After signing to Center Cut Records, Calvin released the albums: Cantaloupe in 2018, with a sold out gigantic spectical at The Gem Theatre on Saturday, September 15, 2018. He then released, L.A. Sessions in 2019, and the EP HONEY DEW, and the EP Goddess with Quixotic, the Holiday album, ALL IS CALM. In 2020 Calvin collaborated with Mike Dillon on the Soundtrack to “Summer in Hindsight,” a feature-length film created by The West 18th Street Fashion Show that starred Calvin as an actor. Calvin is also the co-creator of the podcast “We Were Christian Kids” created with childhood friend Justin Randall who is a stand up comedian working in New York City and now Los Angeles. Calvin is also the published author of VERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE, a collection of Poetry & Prose published on October 5, 2021, by Andrews McMeel Universal. Calvin was voted KC’s Best Musician in The Pitch 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has been featured in Billboard, NPR.org. Charlotte Street Foundation announced that the recipients of the 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards are The Black Creatures and Calvin Arsenia Scott.] [Calvin Arsenia played a PARADISE Album Release Party, Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, at 7:00 PM at The Emerald, 1715 West 9th Street, KCMO, WEST BOTTOMS. More info at http://www.calvinarsenia.com][Calvin Arsenia was our guest on WMM on Jan. 18, 2023, June 21, 2023, and our 1000th Show on June 28, 2923.]

[Calvin Arsenia plays Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester, Saturday, February 14 at 8:00pm, for a special Valentine’s Day Show. More info at: http://www.calvinarsenia.com]

11:03 – Interview with Calvin Arsenia & Cera Impala

Calvin Arsenia a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, teacher, writer, actor, model, designer, and artist. Calvin is also the curator at the Greenwood Social Hall. Calvin Arsenia was born in Orlando, Florida. His creative journey began when he moved to Olathe, Kansas, teaching himself guitar, piano, banjo. He learned the harp, at the age of 20. Calvin Arsenia first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. His passion for stretching the boundaries saw him transformed after a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career. An Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer where at 24 he released his EP, MOMENTS, in 2014, his EP, PROSE in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP, CATASTROPHE in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his full length debut, CATASTROPHE, with a live show at recordBar in November 2016, involving 50 people: dancers, body painting, stilt walkers. After signing to Center Cut Records, Calvin released the albums: CANTALOUPE in 2018, with a sold out show at The Gem Theatre on September 15, 2018. He then released, L.A. SESSIONS in 2019, along with the EP, HONEY DEW, the EP, GODDESS with Quixotic, and the holiday album, ALL IS CALM. In 2020 Calvin collaborated with Mike Dillon on the Soundtrack to “SUMMER IN HINDSIGHT,” a feature-length film created by The West 18th Street Fashion Show that starred Calvin as an actor. Calvin Arsenia released his 14 track album PARADISE to fans on June 23, 2023. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, racism, probation, gay love, and collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow & Jametatone. KC Magazine hailed Calvin as “equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator, a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.” Calvin Arsenia was voted KC’s Best Musician in The Pitch in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He has been featured in Billboard, NPR.org. Calvin is the recipient of the Charlotte Street Foundation 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards, along with The Black Creatures. Calvin is also the co-creator of the podcast, “We Were Christian Kids” created with childhood friend Justin Randall who is a stand up comedian working in New York City and Los Angeles. Calvin is also the published author of EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE, a collection of Poetry & Prose published on October 5, 2021, by Andrews McMeel Universal.

Calvin Arsenia & Friends play Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester, Saturday, February 14 at 8:00pm, for a special Valentine’s Day Show. More info at: http://www.calvinarsenia.com

Calvin Arsenia thanks for being with us on WMM.

Cera Impala is prolific spell-casting songwriter who creates compositions that feel instantly familiar. A whiskey-honeyed voice and intimately crafted pieces take her audiences to another time and place, one of dreams and magic -sensual as they are savage. `Armed with a sound like an audio-hug’, this powerhouse multi-instrumentalist has been heard all over the world; toured internationally with her handpicked band, The New Prohibition. She is in currently recording a much anticipated double album, Demeter’s Daughter (Part I), followed by Persephone (part II). // Cera released her 5th album of beautifully reviewed original work, “Wildest Dreams’, available on all digital platforms, CD and Vinyl. Impala is an accomplished recording artist and session musician, having performed on recordings for Bella Hardy, Jellyman’s Daughter, and notable others. In 2019, Cera debuted a new duet project, Delightful Squalor (currently on pause), and is a member of the Dance bandits ‘psychedelic comedy ceilidh band’, and has been a previous imbedded touring and recording member of The Blackberry Bushes, Dark Green Tree, and the infamous queens of sass and harmony for years, The Bevvy Sisters.

Cera Impala, thanks for being with us on WMM.

Calvin Arsenia and Friends (including Cera Impalla) – Sat, Feb 14 @ 8:00PM Knuckleheads, Kansas City, MO

Calvin Arsenia at eTown – Wed, Feb 18 @ 7:00PM eTown, 1535 Spruce St, Boulder, CO

Cera Impala plays ICONS, at 16 E Kiowa Street, Colorado Springs, CO., on Friday, February 20, 2026 at 7:00pm

Calvin Arsenia has had a very busy 2026 so far. Calvin played theFolk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans as a special Showcase Artist.

Ramy Essam played New Orleans too and Calvin brought him back to KC to play Greenwood Social Hall.

Calvin Writes about Cera Impala: “For lovers of Norah Jones, Billie Holliday, and Lana Del Rey, Impala’s charm, wit, and prowess are undeniable. It takes a songwriter with deep and clear understanding of theory and multiple technical disciples to make music this complex and nuanced sound utterly effortless. Run, don’t walk to bless your ears and soul with this delicious nectar.” -Calvin Arsenia

Cera Impala’s Half Moon Medicine: Impala hosts, curates and performs monthly at the Peoples Leisure Club in (previously held at the Jazz bar) in Edinburgh and curates annually for both Knockengorroch festival and Kelburn Garden party (festival) . Cera is passionate about supporting minority voices and helping the untold story get told and providing ‘The Cure For Wot Ails Ye’ via a regular heroic dose of her brand of ‘Half Moon Medicine’ and teaching her method of writing, collage and music in her bespoke workshop “The Distillary”

Greenwood Social Hall – Long term collaborator, ally, and friend of Calvin Arsenia, Peregrine Honig began hosting performing arts events in the Spring of 2017 at Greenwood Social Hall – the gently renovated historically Black Baptist Church formerly known as Greenwood Baptist Church. Over the years, Calvin Arsenia had filmed multiple projects in the space: Toxic music video, Convert Kit music video, and Live at Greenwood. As her season came to close near the end of 2023, Honig asked Arsenia if he would like to take the helm and make the place his own. He said yes and the rest, as they say, is history.

sissiboi presents: C Yu – Friday, Feb 13 & Saturday, Feb 14, Doors 7:30pm, Show 8:00pm, at The Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, 2nd Floor // C Yu is an original performance by sissiboi—the collaborative partnership of performance artists Ósq Trujillo and Sam McReynolds. Two queer lives, shaped by different histories and timelines, meet through movement, listening, instinct, and the quiet power of negotiation. What unfolds is tender, curious, and deeply human. // This is an evening for those who crave embodied art, emotional exposure, and the electricity of shared presence—experienced up close in one of Kansas City’s most intimate spaces. Moe info at: http://www.greenwoodsocialhall.com/events

Guinevere Goodwin + Fritz & Sons + Honeybee play Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, 2nd Floor, KCMO on Friday, February 27m 2926 at 7:00pm

Monarch String Trio: Pop Queens on Strings play Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, MO Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Doors at 6:30 pm Music at 7:00 pm

Cera Impala plays Greenwood Social Hall on Sunday, March 15 at 7:00PM

Calvin Arsenia & Cera Impala thanks for being with us on WMM.

Calvin Arsenia & Friends play Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester, Saturday, February 14 at 8:00pm, for a special Valentine’s Day Show. More info at: http://www.calvinarsenia.com

11:23

  1. Calvin Arsenia – “Toxic”
    from: Cantaloupe / Bullseye Records / September 15, 2018 (KC Release)
    [The first release on Bullseye Records. Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in the Kansas City music scene and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter/performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. His full length album Catastrophe on February 14, 2017, His EP Caviar in November 2017. Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, was released on September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On September 20, 2019 Calvin released LA Sessions. On December 13, 2019 Calvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Calvin is also a graduate of Artist INC. Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Calvin was first on WMM on July 25, 2012.

[Calvin Arsenia plays Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester, Saturday, February 14 at 8:00pm, for a special Valentine’s Day Show. More info at: http://www.calvinarsenia.com]

11:28 – Underwriting

  1. FlareThaRebel – “Mixology”
    from: “Mixology” – Single / Shafer / October 8, 2025
    [“Mixology” from his upcoming full length album DEAR CITY to be released in 2026. Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. ]

[FlareThaRebel hosts Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.]

10:33 – Interview with Flare Tha Rebel

FlareThaRebel returns to WMM to share details about Music Maker Mondays from Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring the first Monday of each month.

FlareThaRebel released his latest single “Mixology” on October 8, 2025 from his upcoming full length album DEAR CITY to be released in 2026. Career and love brought hip-hop MC FlareThaRebel back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, FlareThaRebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. FlareThaRebel is also known as Jeff Shafer who serves as Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC. More info at: http://www.cityyear.org

Shaun Crowley joins FlareThaRebel. Shaun is a classically trained guitarist, and has studied at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Crowley started playing in the Kansas City music community when he was 17 in band Rev Gusto who released their debut album on High Dive Records. Rev. Gusto then transformed into the band Momma’s Boy. Shaun is the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a non-profit organization that functions as a record store and record label to support Kansas City musicians. Crowley started the nonprofit in 2017 with concerts first in a rented house in Shawnee, then moving to a cafe in Strawberry Hill , then a basement space in the West Bottoms, and then to a storefront retail space on Troost.

FlareThaRebel and Shaun Crowley thanks for being with us on WMM

FlareThaRebel hosts Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.

Manor Records has expanded the idea of what a music label can be, by creating multiple record store locations, hosting Songbird Sessions every Sunday at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Blvd, KCMO; Manor Fest an eight day, two weekend music festival held progressively in eight different neighborhoods in Kansas City in May; and now Music Maker Mondays on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO. More info at http://www.manorrecords.com

Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This job brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director.

Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. FlareThaRebel is also known as Jeff Shafer who serves as Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC. More info at: http://www.cityyear.org

Flare Tha Rebel played a special acoustic performance for Manor Records Songbird Session with SEYKO, featuring Jeff Stocks on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Boulevard, KCMO.

Upcoming projects

FlareThaRebel is planning to release a new full length album, DEAR CITY, in 2026.

The DEAR CITY album will be connected to DEAR CITY Reels – obe show music video reels filmed ny Lava Dreams, Direcred by FlareThaRebel. Each Reel will showcase the first verse or first verse and chorus of songs from DEAR CITY album.

The majority of reels will be released leading up to the DEAR CITY elease concert.

Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate.

FlareThaRebel “SUMMER YOU, SUMMER ME” EP was removed from Spotify.

FlareTheRebels’ encouragement to Kansas City is to form a music ofice0A MUSIC OFFICE AND MEETING IN OCTOBER WITH DALLAS MUSIC OFFICE

Flare’s brother Sike is known for his pristine community murals’s located all over Kansas City. Sike’s time at Recycled Sounds was memorable for Jeff as a young kid and as he developed into a DJ and graphic designer and got heavily into the scene with The Guild, CES Cru, Sounds Good, Brother of Moses, etc. This influenced Jeff and Anti-Crew to start releasing music and performing as well.

Many of Flare’s songs are connected to his Art to Empower initiative, raising awareness and funds for a variety of social justice causes and nonprofits, such as his Royalty EP poster designed by muralists JT Daniels, which raises funds for the Equal Justice Initiative.

As Flare explains, in our country Black men are being mistreated, demonized, killed, and not given the same structures that they need to be successful.

“We have to pull together ourselves as a community, but something like the Bloc is very education-focused and that’s something that I’m very passionate about. I can’t just talk about it. I got to walk the walk and, if I can use art to promote and raise funds for nonprofits and social justice causes that are making difference on the front lines, then that’s what I want to do.”

The end result of all of this is that The Revolution Will Not Be Hashtagged is a very powerful collection of songs, not just because of the strength in the lyrics and in Flare’s delivery, but also with a lot of empathy. The rapper isn’t attempting to shame anyone so much as he’s addressing sense of being overwhelmed by these things and understanding of how that can be for folks.

“You can’t do this without being empathetic, in my opinion,” Flare concurs. “I might be bringing up topics that are hard for people to swallow, but I hope I do so in a way that’s still motivating. Music is supposed to make you feel an emotion and hopefully, the emotion that people feel from this music is motivation to make a change, to make a stand, or–at the very least–to educate themselves about the realities of our country.”

Flare’s Art to Empower initiative, and about merchandise that was designed by your brother muralist Sike Style to raise funds and awareness for BLOC (Brothers Liberating our Communities).

Flare Tha Rebel & Bob Pulliam joined us live in our 90.1 FM studios on August 11, 2021. the year his EP, THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HASHTAGGED, was released (on July 9, 2021). This was the 50th anniversary of Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”

Inspired by Gil Scott-Heron’s 1971 single, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, Lyricist Flare Tha Rebel and beat producer Bob Pulliam took on a slew of social issues on their 4-track EP release: police brutality on “P.O.P. Off”, quotes from revolutionaries and civil right activities on “Different Ships,” and the United States tragic apathy towards gun violence for the track “Child’s Play” featuring Bob’s dad, KC Jazz musician and teacher Joe Miquelon. More Info at: http://www.flaretharebel.com

Flare Tha Rebel told Nick Spacek in a July 13, 2021 article for The Pitch Kansas City:

The Revolution Will Not Be Hashtagged EP carries through on that sense of empowering and motivating the listeners. “Different Ships,” especially, interweaves a series of quotes from people by whom the rapper has been motivated, drawing its title from a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” As Flare puts it, “That’s a call for unity amongst the Black community, but it’s also showcasing the struggles that we’ve had in our shared experience.”

“I’m motivated by my ancestors,” states Flare emphatically. “I’m motivated by the revolutionaries and civil rights activists that have come before me and I’m motivated by the ones that exist today. I’m learning from them and when I’m creating art, I’m interweaving what I’ve learned from them into what I’m addressing. It was a way to create a lyrical pro-Black narrative that I felt was very relevant.”

Manor Fest 8 Dates Announcement – Monday March 9th, 2026
Manor Fest 8 Lineup Announcement & Ticket Launch – Monday, April 6th 2026
Manor Fest 8 Venue Schedule – Monday, April 13th 2026

Manor Festival Dates: Weekend One : May 20th – 23rd // Weekend Two : May 27 -30th

Shaun Crowley will be back on April 8, at 11:00am to announce all of the artists playidmng this year’s Manor Fest.

Shaun Crowley will be back on Wednesday, May 13, 10 to Noon, for the entire show, as our co-host, to do our annual survey of all eight days of the Monor Festival. It is our “radio journey” through the dates and times chronologically, playing bands from every venue (or as many as we can)?

FlareThaRebel and Shaun Crowley thanks for being with us on WMM

FlareThaRebel hosts Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

10:54

  1. Flare Tha Rebel & Bob Pulliam – “P.O.P Off (Radio Edit)”
    from: The Revolution Will Not Be Hashtagged / Shafer / July 9, 2021
    [Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. Info at: http://www.flaretharebel.com]

[FlareThaRebel hosts Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.]

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

Next week, on Wednesday, February 19 at 10:15am we talk with Sara Swenson who returns to share more new music from her new album TALLER. Sara Swenson plays a TALLER Album Release show Saturday, February 28, Doors at 6 pm. Show at 6:30 pm. ay Knuckleheads Gospel Lounge, 2715 Rochester Ave., Kansas City, MO. // At 11:00 Nathan Reusch shares several new tracks from the Kansas City Synthesizer Collective 4th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, February 20, at Stockyards Brewing. // AND at 11:30am Brad Smith joins us to talk about the new album from Brad’s band Egg on Mars called Good Morning (I Love You) to be released March 3, 2026. Brad also talks anout his new music label Enigmatic Brunch.

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1134