kangaroo knife fight
Kansas City Best of 2015 Readers' Poll Results! Missouri Loves Company, Sara Morgan, and Yes You Are
The results for our 2015 Emerging Artist of the Year Readers' Poll are in! We'd like to thank everyone who voted in support of their favorite artists, and a hardy congrats to everyone who made the poll this year!
1. Our 2015 Readers’ Poll winner, Missouri Loves Company (pictured above) brings together six musicians who produce a larger-than-life amalgamation of sound. The band takes a slightly off-kilter approach to its music, accenting dark pop melodies with atypical rock instrumentation (viola, trombone, glockenspiel) and a variety of musical influences. Led by vocals from Margot Gibson—who can dazzle with the style of a twisted lounge singer or an impassioned rock ‘n roll growl—the group showcases jangly jazzy guitar work and blues-inspired grooves that have the potential for broad appeal.
2. In 2015, Sara Morgan won over the hearts of new fans with expressive songwriting inspired by classic country and imbued with a modern accessibility. Since moving back to Kansas City a little under 2 years ago, Morgan has excelled in incorporating a style all her own in her songwriting, and has teamed up with skilled musicians (including guitarist Carl Butler and drummer Duncan Burnett) to back her.
3. Yes You Are has amassed a steady, loyal fan base by creating authoritative, preeminent pop music with a stage show that matches in intensity and vigor. The band is deliberate in its approach, merging infectious dance pop with meaningful spiritual undertones. In 2015, the band had the opportunity to astound audiences across the country by supporting Neon Trees on the first half of their summer tour.
4. Modern Day Fitzgerald describe themselves as “gentlemen who perform music with proper etiquette.” On the trio’s upcoming EP Gorgeous Killing, this sophisticated pop sound breaks through, with a hip-hop flair. Songwriter/frontman Mica-Elgin Vi pours emotion and charm into the band’s personality, with a jazzy rhythmic foundation from Zach Tyler and Steven Callahan. The EP will be released this Friday night at The Buffalo Room.
Honorable mentions also go to Westerners, Kangaroo Knife Fight, Doris, Via Luna, Hyborian, Rachel Mallin & the Wild Type, Spencer Mackenzie Brown, Ivory Black, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, and Temp Tats.
Again, congrats to everyone who was included! Our nominees went out of their way to promote the poll, and they certainly deserve your attention.
If you want to take a look at the results organized by genre, check them out here:
POP – POST ROCK – PUNK/METAL – ROOTS – ROCK
POP – POST ROCK – PUNK/METAL – ROOTS – ROCK
Thanks to everyone who shared and voted. Keep an eye out for the winner of our overall poll, compiled by the winners of this Readers’ Poll and votes from local music experts.
--The Deli KC Staff
Apocalypse Meow 8 is coming up!
Midwest Music Foundation is proud to present the eighth annual Apocalypse Meow! Mark your calendars for November 6-8 and enjoy 3 nights of music at 3 great Kansas City spots for a very important cause.
Friday, November 6 at recordBar
Amy Farrand and the Like
Get your tickets here. 18+ / $7
Saturday, November 7 at Mills Record Company
A free, all ages show presented by The Deli KC!
Sunday, November 8 at Knuckleheads Saloon
Get your tickets here. 21+ / $15
Apocalypse Meow 8 benefits Abby’s Fund for Musicians’ Health Care, which provides emergency health care grants to musicians in need. Raffles will be held throughout the weekend and a silent auction will be held on Sunday at Knuckleheads, with items, gift certificates, and tickets donated by local businesses and organizations. Click here for a full list of items and contact rhonda@midwestmusicfound.org if you’d like to donate.
Huge thanks to all our sponsors, volunteers, and musicians that make this event possible each year! For more information and a full list of sponsors, please visit http://midwestmusicfound.org/apocalypse-meow-2015.
The Deli KC Presents at Grain Valley Fair 2015
This Friday, we’re taking a fantastic lineup of performers out to Grain Valley for their annual Grain Valley Fair. Tickets are only $5! The stage will be located by the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce at 711 Main St., Grain Valley, MO 64029. Preview the bands, bring your lawn chairs and blankets and come say hi to us! Midwest Music Foundation will also have a table near the stage. Facebook event page.
7:00 – Kangaroo Knife Fight
8:15 – Katy Guillen & the Girls
9:45 – The Philistines
11:15 – Not A Planet
Not A Planet
The Philistines
Katy Guillen & the Girls
Kangaroo Knife Fight
Boulevardia hosts touring bands and showcases local talent
In only its second year, Boulevardia has experienced exponential growth as a music, food, and beer festival, curated by Boulevard Brewing Company and located in the historic West Bottoms district. Though its first year boasted a musical lineup of touring acts like The BoDeans and Catfish & the Bottlemen, this year exceeded expectations with J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Mayer Hawthorne, Atlas Genius, and more.
The festival also highlighted a bevy of local musicians on two stages, curated by Ink and 90.9 The Bridge. Among several others, the Greenville Acoustic Stage featured a Delta blues/gospel-inspired set from Kris and Havilah Bruders, one-man folk troubadour Nicholas St. James, and newly formed trio Lovelorn. Meanwhile, the Chipotle Homegrown Stage presented a diverse swath of artists, many of whom—such as The Architects, Hembree, and Making Movies—performed to a large, eager crowd singing along to their music.
Local groups also dotted the Boulevard Main Stage throughout the weekend. Outsides kicked off Boulevardia on Friday with a danceworthy set that warmed up the audience for In the Valley Below, MS MR, and The Mowglis. On Saturday, Captiva, Chris Meck & the Guilty Birds, and The Clementines endured strong sets in the sweltering heat before the evening’s headlining acts, which welcomed Boulevardia’s first sold-out day of 20,000 patrons. On Sunday, Sara Morgan and Hearts of Darkness warmed up a Father’s Day crowd for The Grisly Hand—who brought in a horn section to augment an already fully formed country sound—and Big Head Todd & the Monsters.
--Michelle Bacon
Here are some photos of the festival from Jaime Russell of Anthem Photography. To see more of Jaime’s shots from Boulevardia, visit her Flickr page.
Outsides
Hembree
The Architects
Making Movies
Find out more about Kangaroo Knife Fight, our 2014 Readers' Choice artist!
Check out our interview with Kangaroo Knife Fight, The Deli KC Readers’ Choice for 2014 Emerging Artist! See them this Saturday at the MidCoast Takeover fundraiser at recordBar too! Here’s the link.