Sam's Show Recap 3/12-3/17/17

You know I decide to tell myself, “Hey you're broke as fuck and could stand to take a few shows off,” so I did and then what happens this week I decide to just go to something like 3 shows in one week because yeah fuck it why not and GOD FUCKING DAMN did this week deliver so here's an abridged account of some of the bands I saw over the past few day's with some very terribly taken photos and links to all their Facebook Pages in the titles because that's easier than posting a bunch of audio clips.

So the first two shows I saw were at the lovely Record bar which in all honesty may be one of my favorite concert venues in this damn city with a wonderful atmosphere, a good staff, and some great booking choices this place is just phenomenal.

The first show I saw was on the 12th and it was a bit of a SXSW launch show for some bands and I manged to catch the first 3 before deciding I had to leave because of work obligations and at this show I saw:

Good Morning Bedlam

These guy's were interesting a Blue Grass harmony focused bundle of energy that made some very catchy little tunes and upon re-listening really do have some great harmonies. I couldn't really say too much because it's been a couple of day's and my mind is pretty fried but I do remember talking to some of these guy's and finding them to be some nice people along with some really good voices I'd recommend them to anyone who's a fan of a more country or blue grass sound.

Westerners

I've written about these guy's before and had a great time seeing them even though they had the unfortunate task of being followed by two mind blowingly great sets so I've had a hard time articulating just how god damn good these guy's are and this show they just kind of continued that trend of being a surprisingly bad ass fucking live show.

They provide a real energy and tone that just kind of are like a scene in a movie of the coolest rock band on the planet playing and their chemistry and onstage banter is pretty on point with them providing a very natural vibe to an effortlessly great performance that's been pretty consistent when compared to the first time I saw them so yeah this bands a bit of a hidden gem and still pleasantly great.

The UK's 

It's been a minute since I've seen these guy's and covered them here on Sam's Song of the Day and since the last time I saw them and a couple of line up changes they've some how managed to actually really grow pretty substantially with a new drummer that was a fucking machine just pounding away and while they didn't have a bass player they managed to still deliver on the various quality cuts that Bad Seed as an album presents and in some cases are playing significantly tighter on all fronts than what's actually recorded with this show maybe being the most on point I've seen them play and there's a song they've been testing around called Other Team that was just a brutally exceptional tune and them doing a 3 part harmony with the drummer really was quite bad ass and I can only hope they record it soon because I'd really like people to hear just how good it really is.

 A couple of day's later I continued my yearly tradition of seeing an exceptional show on national PI day by seeing what may be in contention for the single best god damn show I've seen this year when I saw B R O T H E R, The Griswolds and DREAMERS.

BROTHER

What's funny is I saw these guy's almost exactly one year ago from this show because I saw them play on St. Patrick's day and  I can't lie in one year they have just grown exponentially and this show was just a crazy fucking example of that growth because this set was just the tightest and best I've seen this band play ever. 

They completely had the crowd sold on them and managed to really hold their own and I really got a sense that they really are starting to get a sound to them that's more than just a Kansas City 1975 and I can only hope they put out a record soon because they really are proving why I've followed them for a year now.

DREAMERS

This band knows and anyone who has followed this blog that I fucking adore this band and This Album Does Not Exist is an exceptional record and this show was for all intense purposes just pure fucking unadulterated magic in it's purest form and while I didn't get a set list or get to say too much to all of them they delivered in a way that left me speechless and just wanting more. This band is just a captivating and energetic show that worked over the packed crowd quite well and had me jumping like a little school girl at points as I sang along with every song and felt the same surge of pure joy as they ended their set with Wolves which after almost 2 years now still hits me as hard as it ever has.

Can this band just headline a tour already and do that album front to back that'd be so fucking cool.

The Griswolds

So I haven't seen this band since they opened Buzz Beachball in 2015 and my fucking god did they go places since then right from the start this band had the whole venue hooked and at the end every one and their mother was just completely blown away at a band that in only a few years has just managed to become one of the best god damn show's you'll ever see.

They have a Glass Animals vibe in how they know how to craft incredibly groovy tunes that make bodies move and they craft some infectiously catchy and easy to sing along chorus' that at points all they needed to do was hold the microphone at the crowd and have everyone in attendance sing the songs for them and that stage was hardly able to contain them because they were all sorts of either interacting with the front row the whole time taking phones and giving people hella dope snapchat stories or just jumping into the crowd all together which was fucking awesome.

This band was special and this show was just pure magic from beginning to end from all the bands involved and even now day's later typing this up I'm still just baffled by the quality of what was done this night.

3 day's later after getting my mind thoroughly blown at this record bar show to celebrate St Patrick's day I figured I'd go to a free show up here in Power and Light to see Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness, Atlas Genius, and Night Riots. Also I have to make note that this show unusually went completely on schedule and was over and done with before 11 pm which was actually pretty nice if not kind of odd to see a show go so smooth so I'd have to say good job to all the people who worked this night and sadly this year I didn't get a single set list which was a bummer but hey you win some you lose some but onto the set reviews.

Night Riots

These guy's were really a solid set with a lot of energy that got the crowd really pumped and ready for the nights festivities and in about 30 minutes they really made me think a lot better about them then I did going in and hearing a small snipped of some Kendrick Lamar along with them doing all sorts of cool things with some drums and the whole band basically running a train on a drum set this show was amusing and most certainly will have me on the look out the next time they come to town.

(not pictured them running a train on a drum set but close enough)

Atlas Genius

I'd been following this band for a few years now and finally getting to see them I was very happy their set was filled with some super tightly grooved tunes that went on for a while and managed to really impress especially their interesting but bad ass choice to cover Dead or Alive's, “You Spin me round,” which was fucking awesome and their rendition of Tears for Fears, “Everybody wants to Rule the World,” was pretty fucking dope to but for me the real highlight of their set was the ever so REM tinged If So which is still as great now as it was the first time I heard it a couple of years ago. These guy's were fucking dope and they've really just kind of managed to carve out a real niche for themselves.

Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness

SO I thought the Griswolds had a crowd at the palm of their hands so did Mr. McMahon here who put on a show that for lack of a better way to describe it felt like 2005 didn't stop because almost everyone around me was jumping, singing, and completely losing their shit as this guy brought 90 solid minutes of piano based awesome and an energy that was just infectious with plenty of his new songs holding up very nicely live and the only real callbacks to years past being a fucking spectacular rendition of Dark Blue and Woke up in a Car along with an interestingly stripped back cover of Empire of the Sun's Walking in a Dream this guy has been doing this since 98 and it feels like he hasn't missed a beat.

This show was fucking great but in all honesty 3 shows in a week is pretty tiring and while I liked all the sets I saw by this point I think I got all I could really handle so forgive the fact that this article is kind of sloppy and rushed because this was a lot to take in and write up about for you guy's.

OH and because I never do this here's a few pics of me with Night Riots and Atlus Genius

Obviously I'm so good at this whole taking pictures with people thing aren't I?

Sam's Show Recap 2/10/17

So before I get into details HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

Yeah so some context I skipped 96.5 the buzz's yearly Valentines day show because for lack of a better term I couldn't fucking do it there's a variety of reasons behind why we avoid certain situations and in this case I still can't stand certain things and as solid as the line up was none of it was worth dealing with a fair amount of people that for lack of a better word were going to kill my buzz, but with that out of the way HOLY FUCKING SHIT do I not regret that decision one fucking bit because yeah my fucking god this show.

I went to the Record bar yet again for a showcasing of local talent thrown by local label The Record Machine where they had local Kansas City acts Jaenki, Westside Royal, Pink Royal, and Westerners all play and yeah they all killed it so if the descriptions are short it's because the performances I was treated to this night were so good that I often found myself literally at a loss for words but let's try and piece together something for you people.

Westside Royal

Hold on I have to get this out of my system but....WESTSIIIIIIIIIDE! 

OK now that I've gotten the calling card out of my system this band is just damn great in every fucking way they brought the right energy that should be brought when opening a show and they continue to prove just how fucking great a group they really are because Michael Schley is a hell of a front man with a solid fucking voice and a way of carrying himself on stage that keeps your eyes on him, and this band rocked through a set of great tracks all full of bombast and energy that perfectly matches if not exceeds the album cuts on top of doing this excellent mix of David Bowie's, "Let's Dance," into their exceptional single, “Not the Same,” but the song that really stuck with me is a tune they are in the midst of recording known as, “Better,” which you can see in a video below this post from another show at the same venue because I didn't record video because I was too busy being blown away by it's 80's new wave grooves, kind of funk like bass work, and bombastic drum track this song is FUCKING AWESOME!

I very much advise you go out and download their EP So Wrong, So Well and see this band because they got a special something to be a real thing.

Westerners

This band was a surprise for me because I'd never heard them nor did I know what to expect and in all honesty they had a bit of a My Morning Jacket feel in their solid musicianship and jam vibes that I totally found myself really digging and I'd say they did a damn good job tonight they were a very pleasant surprise in every way and they provided an energy that had the crowd a rocking all through out their bad ass set.

Pink Royal

After about a 6 month hiatus to kind of regroup after their lead singer left for China for specific career reasons PINK ROYAL ARE BACK BABY with a fucking bad ass keytar to boot and tonight was a very welcoming return to form.

(Seriously look how fucking bad ass that thing looks)

Their playing was tight, the vocals quite great, the new songs just as great as the old but with a more rock oriented vibe and a bit more girth, and an energy that had the whole building a dancing and singing along this band just brought it and didn't let go and they gave me a show that proved why I gave a damn about this band to begin with I'm pretty pumped for them to put out some new music and do more touring so everyone else can enjoy one hell of a fucking show.

Jaenki

So....it's....I.....ok I'm just going to say it THIS FUCKING BAND HOLY FUCKING SHIT BATMAN I seriously was left flabbergasted after their set because they just straight up felt like they were on a whole other level of existence just an utterly captivating and mind blowing performance from a group that sound so much bigger than the sum of it's parts and seeing Miracle Maze live was just fucking phenomenal.

Being that every member of this act is just dripping with talent and all 3 vocalist know how to carry themselves and perform with a level of excellence that's almost unmatched you had a band that were so full, textured, and rich sounding that they gave me a show that sounded and felt like it belonged in a fucking stadium they just are too good for their own good and after seeing them perform and even now a day later for real I'm so flabbergasted trying to come up with the right words all I can really say is they're something special and they put on a show that was so good that words can't begin to describe why you should pay attention if you can see them don't question just do it and make sure to bring a bag to pick up the chunks of your mind that'll be BLOWN THE FUCK AWAY.

SO yeah this show was fucking great.

Sam's Show Recap 1/28/17

The Midwest Music Foundation decided to throw a show in order to help raise money to help out a group of local Kansas City acts in their attempts to go to South by Southwest and being that this show not only featured two of my favorite bands in this fine city of ours but it happen to be at the new Record Bar which by all accounts is pretty much the cream of the crop in terms of awesome fucking venues to see a show in this city it's pretty fucking obvious that sickness be damned I may have missed one bad ass showcase but I sure as hell was gonna chug that medicine and make this show and god damn it's a good thing I did because the heat was fucking brought tonight mother fuckers.

The bands showcased in this show were Vigils and Thieves, Momma's Boy, Jessica Paige, and the Phantastics which is quite a varied bill in all honesty but with that in mind let's get to the bad pictures and thoughts on these sets.

Vigils and Thieves

These guy's are so fucking great and this show after having a member change recently was a retreading of the waters of sorts and their first show at the new Record Bar and they did quite good if I say so. The first few songs admittedly were a bit rushed with Vicious Ears being a great way to pump up the crowd if not a bit faster than normal and after a few heavier more energetic tunes the songs eventually started getting smoother and things were sounding right and these guy's delivered yet another great set especially Haunting which was pretty fucking spot on vocally Sarah Storm just fucking knocked it out of the park here and gave an incredibly angry and awesome performance of People are Parasites following it somehow being one of the few vocalist I've ever heard actually get better as the set goes on.

If you haven't given their EP Neverland a listen go do so because this band is awesome and their shows even after some line up changes are still solidly fucking good and will most certainly hook you.

Momma's Boy

This time with all members included and well if I were to be blunt people........HOLY FUCKING JESUS CHRIST ALLMIGHTY THEY BROUGHT THE FUCKING FIIIIIIIIIIIIIAR TONIGHT!

For fucking real this set was just one great big ball of fucking awesome from their odd but awesome choice to start with the epic Make Believe to track after track of straight up bad ass fucking surf rock tinged power pop indie rock goodness this band was focused, tight, and firing on all fucking cylinders and delivered a set that just was pure proof that they are the best god damn band in the land and tracks like Sweet Girl, R&R, and Be A Good Boy can't come out soon enough because legit the year plus of working on these songs has become a set of pure non stop great and with an upcoming EP that will most likely be better than anything anyone else is going to put out I get the feeling that 2017 will be the year of the Momma's Boy just you wait.

Fuck it's going to be hard to see a show this god damn good now thanks.

Jessica Paige

So yeah after picking my jaw up and re-adjusting to reality I managed to catch this set kind of in stride and from what I heard she's a very talented vocalist with a lot of charisma on stage that knew how to get the crowd into her blend of kind of Country tinged kind of doo-whop pop tunes and her set was a solid set of tracks with my favorite being a very bad ass Zutons cover.

Upon getting to talk to her for a bit after her set and getting a complimentary copy of her album which you can go download at her bandcamp which is provided in the link above that I was listening to on my drive home I can say that if you got the time and want to listen to something on the lighter side this set of 8 songs is quite a good listen and I'll be keeping her on my radar.

Phantastics

I can't lie I didn't stay for their whole set because I just kind of couldn't do a whole show tonight but I will say these guy's brought the fucking funk like for real their just a non stop whirling ball of energy that had the whole house a moving and really if you were to properly appreciate this very tight group of  musicians I'd advise you get a DD or Uber knock back all the fine beverages and get on that god damn dance floor because they make music to dance to and they know how to make a crowd want to dance.

Tight funky grooves, a stage show just overflowing with charisma, and some very well rounded songs this band did a damn fine job this night and really proved why I keep tabs on when they're next shows are because this night was quite good to them and anyone willing to go out and give them a view that's for damn sure.

So yeah this was yet another excellent time at the wonderful Record Bar with plenty of acts that I hope impress all the important people up there at SXSW and this night was pretty simply one great big pile of fuck yeah.

Look what I found....it's a mother fucking starboy!

Sam's Show Recap 1/20/17

Another weekend another show people and this one last night was FUCKING GREAT and here's yet another round-up for you guy's to go check out.

So I went to local venue The Tank Room which in all honesty is one of my favorites the staff there are super cool, the atmosphere is great, and they get some bad ass bands to play there so if you get the chance I very much advise you go see a show there because they continued their track record of doing a quality job with this show which was for a Lousiana based indie-pop act Royal Teeth with opening acts Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type and Nashville artist Tristen so on to the terribly taken photos and descriptions on the sets I watched.

Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type

Funny story here obviously I didn't get to see these guys last week and it seemed that they wanted to more than make up for that because they did a fucking stellar job at this show from the blisteringly awesome opening track I Pick Winners a fucking stand out track from their as yet to be recorded follow up to Degenerate Matters they hit the ground running with a furious blend of awesome surf rock tones and infectiously catchy hooks that I can only imagine being a truly big track from a band that ever since I first saw them at this very venue last April have really seemed to grown and improve tenfold really their playing this night was tight as hell, they were super comfortable and very witty in their on stage banter, and they overall held themselves in such a way that's quite an improvement since the first time I saw them and that's quite great to see because they really are such a wonderful and talented group of people who are crafting all sorts of excellent songs and on this particular night they played a couple of new songs that admittedly are in the rough stages but in time will most definitely be something great especially the song they closed with who's name I forgot to write down but god damn it was a somber little number who's opening chords sent shivers down my spine and was really really good.

I've seen this band a boat load of times and this night in particular really showcased why because they give a fucking great show that has only continued to grow better and better as they get more comfortable with each passing performance and if you get the chance go see them.

Tristen

So I'd never heard any of Tristen's music and had no clue what to honestly expect and from the opening chords of their track Save Raina I was pleasantly surprised with a series of incredibly blue grassy kind of dust bowl sounding tunes that were sang by someone who's voice reminded me of a Neko Case to some capacity in her slight country ting with her alternative rock melodies that perfectly went along with a series of songs that as her set went along picked up in energy and quality.

This chick was dope and if she's in your neck of the woods I'd say give her a listen if you're into a more  folk influenced kind of country tinged brand of alternative rock I'd say you can really get to digging her and the fact that she's also a poet could result in a pretty solid experience for people who want some well written tunes.

Royal Teeth

I can't lie to you people these guys are some youthful looking folks and their music really reflects that with an energy and stage presence that can only really come when you're young, hungry, and ready to take over the world this band I hadn't really heard to much of before this show and wasn't entirely sure what to expect and what happened was quite a pleasant surprise.

These guys got some fucking energy and this show was a nearly non-stop series of infectiously catchy indie pop tracks similar to groups like Echo Smith or the Mowgli's that left the crowd dancing like crazy from pretty much the get go with all sorts of howling tracks and chorus' that were easy to sing along to even if you didn't know them to well to begin with you got this feeling like you did by the end of their set because the songs themselves were incredibly easy to sing along to with their excessive oh's and ah's and plenty of simple clap along beats they made you want to move, jump, and sing along that's for damn sure.

I really REALLY dug these guy's and their more pop sound that made tracks like, “Is it Just me,” and, “Wild,” a real pleasure to see live and their cover of, “Heartbeats,” which was the second song in their set and the one I remember being really fond of when I was giving them a listen a couple of day's before the show was FUCKING PHENOMENAL like I've been a huge fan of that song for years now but their arrangement which is actually pretty close to the original version is fucking great they managed to maintain a very poppy tone that makes you want to move but somehow also manage to pull a Jose Gonzalez and give a vocal performance that really has this expertly written track just hit you square in the fucking feels and give you this really kind of spine tingling sense of joy that reminds you why songs are so great sometimes.

This bands ability to feed off the crowd and make them go even harder is quite impressive and by the end of their set I was most certainly invested and will definitely be seeing them again the next opportunity I can make and if you can I very much advise you do the same because these guy's are really quite a show.

(my first set list of the year)

So yeah this night was fucking great and minus a certain sense of tension from some shenanigans I could care less to really get into there's nothing to really complain about here all the bands were killer and the fine folks at the Tank Room did an excellent job in mixing them and really making it all worth my money all thumbs up here.

Sam's Show Recap 1/13/17

So I went to a show Friday night at a bar here in Kansas City called Minibar for a birthday show that was for a guy who works at local record label called The Record Machine.

Just before I get into my coverage of this show I should note I couldn't stay for the whole show because of some terrible road conditions that were only continuing to get worse so for the sake of being safe I decided to leave before the headlining act which if I were to go into a bit of a tangent I'd have to say that January is an awful time of the year to try and see a show because winter, snow, and ice all suck and will do nothing more than act as a means of possibly canceling said show or making you not go because you're me and you live too damn far to be driving in these conditions for the sake of seeing some bad ass live music, but with that said I still managed to be safe and had no issues but for future reference FUCK WINTER!

OK now that the PBR I was asked to start chugging before writing this has set in let's talk about some bad ass fucking bands and show some rather piss poor photos to go along with these descriptions The Show in question was a birthday show that featured local acts: Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type, The Shameless Pursuit, Shadow Rabbits, and Momma's Boy which have all in some capacity have been featured on this little blog of mine with 3 of them making my year end best of list so with a line up like that FUCK YEAH I was going to this show although I had to leave before Rachel's set so I unfortunately can't tell you how bad ass they most likely did so sorry for the first showcasing of a show to be incomplete but hey mother nature does that so let's talk about the first act of the night....

Momma's Boy

So there's something oddly satisfying that the first live set I saw this year happen to be maybe my favorite band this city has to offer and the guy's who are responsible for my favorite song of 2016 which they kindly dedicated to me this show because they're nice like that.

They were added onto the bill at the last minute due to some circumstances I don't entirely remember and had to perform as a 3 piece this show because their bassist is out on vacation but even with that minor setback these guy's fucking rocked the god damn house right from the get go and with a very steadily paced and hard hitting set they showcased a series of quality cuts from their infectiously catchy Be a Good Boy, a very slowpaced garage rock number in Make Believe, a new track that was all sorts of awesomely energetic, and of course Cool Heat being all sorts of headbangingly awesome these guy's put on a furry of a show that will leave you with a shit load of songs stuck in your head that'll put you in a state of when a full length release is to come it'll be a fucking masterpiece but until then they plan on releasing an EP in February to tide us all by until then.

IF you get the chance SEE THIS FUCKING BAND ALREADY!

Shadow Rabbits

So after that swirling wave of awesome that was Momma's Boy Shadow Rabbits hit the stage and right from the opening chords of their wonderful newish cut The One that Got Away a steadily paced rocker with a very 60's rock and roll vibe lulled the fairly packed place in and got bodies a moving and with a string of very kind of post-punk toned set of tunes and those bodies weren't stopping especially for their wonderful kind of tongue and cheek lyrically amusing and bad ass Devils Point of View which was right in the middle of their set, which was interesting because all previous times I recall seeing them they use that track as a closer, but even with that in mind that song fucking pounded its' a kind of haunting little number that moves along wonderfully and showcases some great musicianship from all members of this band and will most certainly be something you'll remember.

This set unlike their recordings which have a very kind of clean and almost retro kind of do-whop tone to them that, on a side note are actually very well recorded that give these songs a feeling that you're listening to some long lost bad ass kind of blend between some old school rock and roll and soul record, in a live environment seem to completely change shape and instead morph into these kind of Post Punk rockers that are more Joy Division than they are Patsy Cline to some capacity and this is ever so present in the track they closed their energetic set with Truest Blue which sounded like an entirely different song all together what's normally this super groovy soul tinged spooky cut instead becomes a kind of goth tinged rocker and that's fucking awesome if you ask me.

The Shameless Pursuit

So I like the Minibar it's a super cool place that's very well kept, with good booze prices, and a friendly atmosphere and alright system of being able to have a show in one place and a bar in another but I can't bullshit you people the sound guy this night was having a host of mixing problems here and there and these guy's seemed to of unfortunately gotten the shaft because I couldn't hardly hear the guitar track and the feedback was pretty bad, but that said FUCK this band is good.

They started with my favorite song of theirs Doubt which admittedly was a bit pitchy at points and not being able to hear the guitar right was annoying as fuck but even so there was a raw aesthetic to the vocals that still fucking worked so god damn well and after a few songs when they went going damn this band was fucking into what they were doing and their singing is just so god damn good this group knows how to work off of one another and they're a bundle of energy that could cut through all the technical difficulties they dealt with and make you REALLY have some faith in this band because damn they're fucking good this set was all their more heavy numbers because they didn't have any acoustic guitars from what you can see in the image above with the exception of Fight and Flight being the one softer cut they played which even that one managed to rock the fucking house this night.

These guy's did a great job working through the bullshit and just seemed to have a hell of a time.

Overall this was a fucking damn great booked show that just had all killer performances that even equipment failure couldn't take away from and even though I didn't get to see the whole show I'm just going to imagine that Rachel and Company gave a 10 out of 10 show that was so good that it could make Chuck Norris shed a lone cancer curing tear of joy and if these bands are within driving distance from you GO FUCKING SEE THEM! Seriously all killer no filler and a fucking wonderful way to start my year of shows here's to hopefully less shitty weather to come.

Also if you didn't already tell there's links to all the bands bandcamp and facebook pages all throughout this article.

Sam Reviews a Show: The Homegrown Buzz Showcase

So I was at a show the other night and it was a bit of a showcasing of some of Kansa City’s finest local music acts thrown by local alternative station 96.5 the Buzz and it was a pretty good time people and I figured I can take the 30 seconds to inform you guy’s of some acts that you should be on the lookout for if they’re having a show near you.

The Greeting Committee

So here we have a group of some young kids or at the very least I think they looked young as hell that are making music that’s not honestly the most original thing you’ve ever heard but even if it’s not completely breaking the mold it’s done DAMN well and their set was very tight, energetic, and hella fun to see because they just put all their efforts into making all the people there want to listen and the songs were solidly good especially their closer a lovely little love song by the name of Hands Down which in and of itself may be the best Modern Love song to of been made and I can only hope that it breaks them or at the very least ends up being put into some cheesy but lovely little date flick but really this group kicks ass and hopefully the rest of the country picks up on them soon.

  

Hembree

I had the pleasure of talking to some of the members of this band before and after the show and realized that I’ve actually seen them before at one of the other free shows that get thrown on by the Buzz and while the first time I remember they had to deal with Opening band Syndrome they do a really REALLY fun cover of Dare by the Gorillaz which I pointed out and they added to their set because yeah it was bad ass, but covers aside this time around they really seemed to of tightened up their sound since the last time I saw them and I found myself really digging their groovy sound and how there’s a natural feeling to their performance and of course they also looked like they were having a hell of a time.

This band really is composed of some cool dudes and if you get to see them you really should they’re quite fun.

 

Outsides

So these guys were the headliner of the nights festivities and they were yet another unfortunate case of the opening band syndrome when I saw them at The Night the Buzz Stole Christmas but I actually do have their album downloaded onto my computer because when I saw them they gave out free download codes to get the record and in all honesty it’s a pretty solidly 80’s new wavey sounding record with some solid stuff but there’s also a pretty big jump in quality once you see them performing the songs live because kind of like Hembree these guy’s got extra tighter since the last time I saw them and they looked like they were both having the best time ever and really wanted to put on a show that left people wanting more it was a tight collection of New Wave sounding numbers that were energetic and quite fun with a couple of newer songs thrown in to showcase some solid work and of course they did a cover of Toto’s Africa which was FUCKING AWESOME!!!!

These guy’s really have done something good and their song Just Curious is actually quite a bad ass little tune that is kind of a dreamy Depeche Mode meets INXS sounding number that really capped off their set before a solid encore.

 

Kansas City has some fine music coming out of it people and these are just a few acts that decided to go out and really show us what they’re made of and I think every one of them could do something and if you can you totally need to see them.

Sam Reviews a Show: The Smashing Pumpkins Live in Kansas City 6/22/15

So last night I got to see The Smashing Pumpkins at the Midland here in Kansas City for their Plain Songs acoustic-electric shows they've been doing as a warm up before the End of Times tour with Marilyn Manson and I'm not going to lie it was a pretty fucking spectacular time people and sadly enough I don't have any pictures of the show because of a combination of having a pretty ghetto phone and the fact that Senor Corgan and company didn't want people to be taking a bunch of pictures which didn't stop some people from trying it just stopped me so I could enjoy the amazement.

Although I will make note that there was an opening act on this show in the form of a singer song writter known as Katie Cole that actually did a pretty damn good job opening even though there wasn't hardly anyone at the venue up until the pumpkins set but still props for her and when she joined them onstage later in the night to sing along and even do the majority of vocal duties for a very VERY AMAZING rendition of Stand Inside Your Love there was a bit of a heart glow around her.

So all that aside Plainsong for those who aren't aware is a series of Acoustic shows that Billy Corgan seems to be throwing as both a means of warming up for his upcomming tour and of course kind of testing out some newish material and updated versions of Live only tracks he's been playing since around 2009, like 99 Floors which has shaped up into a very noteworthy tune in it's own right, also these shows are very heavy in Adore era cuts and various other album cuts like The Crying Tree of Mercury from their MACHINA effort.

Overall there was an increadibly relaxed tone to the whole show that really didn't have a full band at any point but rather Billy and Jeff Schroder with a Drum machine which in all honesty kind of harks back to the bands beginnings back in 1988 and also this was probably the most loose I've ever seen Billy Perform because when I saw them the last two times he was very tight in his playing and kind of straight faced and rapid fire through each song and this time around he was walking around, interacting with the crowd( with a really funny gesture during Run2Me), and overall just kind of taking this show as him wanting to and having a great time and it showed because even when Ava Adore's track fucked up and accidentally playing over again he just kind of said fuck it and restarted the song and let the crowd have a better chance to sing along.

The Setlist for this show was as I said earlier REALLY heavy in Adore cuts which I'm not going to complain about one bit because they played all my favorite songs from that album and honestly almost made me cry when they got to For Martha which was heartwreanchingly amazing and the acoustic renditions of the staple hits and pumpkins tracks where also spectacular as well with a serious highlight to Tonight, Tonight which was probably the best opening to any show I've ever seen in my entire life period.

So yeah this was a night for Pumpkins fans, filled with Pumpkins fans, and sure to be enjoyed by all pumpkins fans and I was more then glad I got to be there because it was worth every penny and I'd love for Billy Corgan and company to do more of these types of intimate evening type shows because their amazing also I'd like to see that Katie Cole chick go on to bigger things because she's a pretty charming act or at the very least maybe become a permanent member....just saying she fit in pretty well...but all things aside one huge recommendation from me and if this video from one of the earlier shows doesn't convince you then well..thanks for hopefully letting me get a closer ticket for the next show..

Sam Went to a show last night....oh and Happy Valentines Day

So before I get into anything people I'd like to take the 30 seconds to say that Kansas City's 96.5 The Buzz is the best station ever....just saying they're more then responsible for making KC an amazing showcase for young and emerging artist and deserve as much love as possible and last night they had their annual Afentra's VD show and it was pretty bad ass and I'm going to tell you guy's just how awesome.

 Like I said last night was their annual Valentines Day concert and rather then taking the route of just having one obviously big act headline the whole thing they instead decided to have a series of bands and artist looking to make something of themselves and last night was a pretty solid showcase so here's the acts that played and my thoughts of them.

X Ambassadors

So these guy's opened the show with a pretty solid set of tunes that were a good bit of energy and plenty of interesting instrumentation and solid songs but I think they unfairly got the issue of opening band syndrome which kind of meant they didn't get the crowd in the heat of the moment but they were still solid none-the-less and I figure they may get to be better in time.

In the Valley Below

Not going to lie this band was pretty solidly good and kind of made me think of a more electronic Sonic Youth at times which isn't a bad thing at all and while some of their songs kind of sounded the exact same they were still pretty damn good and their song Peaches was pretty spectacular definitely a group to keep an eye out for.

 Melanie Martinez

I'm just going to get the one fault I had with this chick out of the way right now and say that I honestly after seeing her play live and getting to hear a little more of her songs I'm going to have to say that this chick REALLY sounds like she's taking quite a bit of her sound from one Kimbra who is an artist I've covered plenty of times on this blog and am very much a big fan of but even with that kind of souring her set a tiny bit there's still a load of positives I really have to give her.

While I was and am still not really a fan of her current EP that's out this chick is an incredibly solid performer  and she really can sing these kind of weird circusy sounding tunes very excellently and even with some technical difficulties she managed to hold up and give a very solidly good performance that sold me more whenever she started to do some of her more confident and quality tunes that she's saving for her upcoming album which I'm very much looking forward to give a listen to.

If this chick comes to your town hella go give her a view she wont dissapoint.

LIGHTS

It was rather disappointing that a good chunk of people left the show before this little Canadian pop artist got to perform because she's a pretty solid live act that gave a very high energy and entertaining set of songs that were a lot of big chorus' and danceable numbers that engaged a good bit of the crowd where I was standing quite a bit while also seemingly just throwing herself completely into her set and really did her best to show why she was the headliner and she did a very solidly good job at it.

Overall this show was pretty fucking great and the only real complaint if any is that the set's were very short and at times and some of the crowd was kind of less then spectacular but overall that's all minor because I'll be hella sure to come to the flying condom showcase again next year hopefully.

Thumbs up all over KC and here's a playlist of the bands that performed for all those interested in giving them a listen and of course make sure to go like and share The Official Facebook Page because you're awesome....

Sam Reviews a Show: Buzz Beachball 2014

So I went to a show a few day's ago and rather than immedietly coming up with a review the very next day I figured I'd take a few day's to kind of digest things and write about more what stuck out a few day's later and of course you know get over that convert haze we all have.

So this years Buzz Beachball was heald at Sporting KC over in Kansas and annoyingly enough it was raining the beginning of the day which combined with the hangover I happen to be nursing sucked balls people, but all those complaints aside there was some good thing's at the beginning of the day namely the Griswolds High energy performance to open the whole show which was like a good mix of INXS and most modern day indie acts which was good because they were fun as hell and got the show off to a good start.

After their set though that's when it started raining and because of that it was fairly easy to skip over Broods set which was a bit better compared to their prom set but they've still yet to sell me and from what i can remember the next act I actually watched was J. Roddy Walston and the Business who were a kind of Bluesy rock and roll act that actually do a very solid set but honestly felt a bit out of place because their music doesn't really feel alternative in a sense of what's to be expected from the vast majority of bands on the bill but they still held their own and did a great job.

So by the time the Mowglis hit the stage my hangover was starting to let up and from the small bits of their set I was able to catch they got a bad ass and Highly energetic performance of San Fransisco that was the perfect way to introduce the good weather and string of amazing performances to come.

Before I get to into things I will say that I didn't much care for how they organized the performances of this show by having the second stage perform during the main stage's set ups because I missed Meg Myers set due to the fact that she got the 30 minutes after Weezer and before the Arctic Monkeys which I didn't care to lose for getting an piss poor spot to see her again but form what I heard from her set she killed it.

OK now let's quit fucking around and get to the meat of the matter people the big 3 and first up was the 1975 who were fucking BAD ASS PEOPLE! They had a very solid tightly played set that was filled with all the strongest cuts from their album and tunes like Heart Out and M.O.N.E.Y. are strong when placed amongst hits like Sex and Girls which all sounded like the best New Wave record to not come out of the 80's. I'd definitely make an effort to see them again.

After them was the all mighty Weezer people and while I will admit some fault to the fact that their entire set list was nothing but hits and they noticeably didn't perform anything from Pinkerton which was minor in the grander scale of things because their set BLEW ME THE FUCK AWAY PEOPLE! Seriously Rivers Cumo and company where one of the tightest most well rounded group of performers I've had the pleasure of seeing live since The Smashing Pumpkins. They admittedly were a bit more straightforward but that didn't take away from the fact that the string of hits that they powered through didn't kick ass.

From the Woah-oh's of Perfect situation to the crowd chanting rumblings of Beverly Hills to the epic conclusion of Buddy Holly their entire set was a big string of awesomeness that was sure to satisfy everyone and reminded me just why in the hell I ever got into them because their songs are that fucking good, and that could have perfectly ended the whole damn show but they didn't and oh buddy did the act that followed just show why they did.

So I have to tell you guy's that with the opening chords of Do I wanna Know I was immediately slapped in the face with the overwhelming scent of wet pussy and marijuana and the fact that that was just the opening song kind of perfectly summed up what I was in for from the tour de force that was the all mighty Arctic Monkeys. In-between a large collective of women who were very vocal about their desire to start stripping and running to go attack one handsome fucking front man and the pairs of undergarments getting thrown at the stage this show was a trip people.

I can't lie I'm not really a convert and going in I wasn't and still am not the most familiar with this bands impressive catalog of material but they more then justified the fact that they closed this bitch out with a set that was just a mastered blend of progressive thinking numbers that expressed a large amount of tight musicianship and effort that was seemingly as if they just oozed showmanship. They without a doubt where a group of individuals that just left no doubt as to their expertise in what they do and completely and utterly impressed me in every way with just how well they not only made very progressive sounding numbers and could occasionally fucking pound you with rockers like I bet You look Good on the dancefloor which was just the bee's knees for me people because I loved their faster paced moments of musicianship and would of liked to see more but that's minor because they hit every hit I wanted and it was impressive and more then showed they deserved to close that bitch out.

Overall beachball was amazing people and all minor complaints I have towards the scheduling of performances can be considered minor because the quality of performances I got to see was worth it all and I can't wait to see if they can maintain this next year.

Below is a playlist of some of the acts listen and enjoy....