An interesting tidbit and something nobody is saying because they'd like to squeeze yet another local establishment for a measly $350 weekly corner inch advert.
Tonight there is yet another Kansas City Jazz Club opening . . .
TheBroadwayJazzClub.com
Which leads us to this conclusion . . .
THE KANSAS CITY JAZZ CLUB GLUT IS NOW OFFICIAL!!! THERE ARE SIMPLY TOO MANY VENUES AND NOT ENOUGH PERFORMERS WORTH SEEING IN THIS COWTOWN!!!
Like it or not . . . There are only about 4 musicians in this town that could be described as MUST SEE artists . . . Most of these club entrepreneurs are simply opportunists without much insight or experience in the music game. All of these venues hope to attract the middle-class crowd who know even lest about Kansas City's signature but mostly dead art form.
This operation should maybe last 2-5 years of pure misery for local jazz enthusiasts . . . Meanwhile, decent hip-hop venues with a much larger and younger audiences are hard to find thanks to overwhelming security concerns. Still . . . Since so much free promotional press is being offered to this jazz effort . . . It's important to offer a bit of reality check to yet another far too optimistic Kansas City scheme that promises nothing more than the same old tune about a "renaissance" in the making.
A bit more entertaining: The Curse
Hopefully one of these venues can land Sexy Saxman. I'd pay to see that.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe I'd tolerate an hour of jazz if that Kat chick was shaking her ass in my face.
Thank You for the truth Tony. Kansas City has some of the most generic and shitty musicians of any metro this size. It is particularly frustrating when there is ample pro level work and it has to be turned down or farmed out to other areas for lack of musicians who can even read a note of music or play anything other than the same 40 song set list that has been circling this town since the 1970's.
ReplyDeleteWorst website I've ever seen! What's the fucking address of this joint!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd there will ALWAYS be only four "must-see" live music acts of any genre without new places for new acts to break in.
ReplyDeleteYou know what's sad? Try and name one good band to have ever come from KC? I guess you could go back to Charlie Parker, but has there been a good rock band from KC?
ReplyDeleteIs there just something inherently lame about this town?
Four musicians worth seeing is pretty damn good! They can run three bands and do a set in each band every night they gig.
ReplyDelete4:27 Shooting Star is about as good as it gets. Kansas was mostly from Topeka.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Ethridge is from Leavenworth. Pat Metheny is from Lee's Summit.
ReplyDeleteThe great Fiddler Williams? Jay McShann? Count Basie? Big Joe Turner> All from KC.
And just about all of them cut their teeth with the great Benny Moten.
Trampled Under Foot is beginning to make its mark nationally and internationally, as is Samantha Fish.
And of course Bobby Watson is legendary.
On the opera scene, Joyce DiDonato is internationally famous.
Oleta Adams still sells records.
Those are just the ones who had made it big. And if that's your criteria, well you don't know what you are missing.
This town is LOADED with musical talent in all kinds of genres. But unfortunately, too many people would rather pay $100 to sit in the upper deck of Sprint to listen to an aging baby boomer band play their hits from 40 years ago, than to pay a $10 cover at a small club to listen to new talent.
And all I can say is if you don't think this town has music, then you don't know music. So kindly stfu.
You not going to make a living playing club gigs in Kansas City.
ReplyDelete$10 cover? Fuck that let's go somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteThis town is LOADED with musical talent in all kinds of genres.
ReplyDeleteTo bad only about 1% of them actually have something worth hearing, seeing, and experiencing.
You might be surprised if you got out of your mother's basement, was able to give something new a try, and wasn't such a pseudo-intellectual snob, 6:03. Heck, you might even meet a GIRL at one of those clubs, though I'd doubt you'd know what to do.
ReplyDelete5:57, no you aren't going to make a living playing club gigs, but you can make some nice spending money while you are honing your art.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think every budding musician is very well aware that you better have a day job. They are not under the impression that the world owes them a living right out of the chute.
There is a long, hard apprenticeship to serve, and the music scene would be well served with more places for them to serve that apprenticeship, and more people to support those places.
You including the River Quay in your "40 years ago" reminiscing, Chet? Well that worked out well.
ReplyDeleteClubs come and go. That's been true since the invention of music and alcohol.
But another thing that has changed over the last 40 years or so is technology.
Used to be that a group of high school kids could practice in their dad's garage, and may be get a gig or two at their high school dances.
Nowadays, high schools hire DJs who can set up in 10 minutes and pull CDs out of a suitcase.
Weddings, bar mitzvahs and other celebrations also are notorious for doing that these days, at the expense of live bands that might be starting out and can use the gigs.
But as far as being fewer places, well, Tony's gripe is that there are TOO MANY places.
OK, you disagree with that. But there are tons of live music clubs from Zona Rosa to Olathe, and from Bonner Springs to Blue Springs.
Maybe you just haven't heard of them. That of course doesn't mean they don't exist.
What's a CD?
DeleteHey 6:39 they didn't say less they said less PLAYING GOOD MUSIC you blind asshole and the person is dead on with the comment
ReplyDeleteThe "jazz club glut" (which includes Main St. Jump) is all for what Mr. Davis referred to as "lame ass white motherf**kers."
ReplyDeleteWhat KC needs now is a couple of live jazz establishments which are at least as real and scroungy as Grand Emporium/Miltons were. Too scary for tourists and folks with Kansas plates - but not so bad that you might die there.
Hey, 6:51, so you and your ignorant asshole of a buddy think you're smart enough to know what "good music" is, let alone set yourself up as the soul judge?
ReplyDeleteJust another Johnson County white boy hiding under mommy's bed and bitching on the internet about how much smarter he is than the rest of the world.
But hey, you know so much. Try picking up an instrument and learning it. Then after a few years, try getting some gigs.
Then you can listen to some punk ass cracker without the balls to put himself on the line and who wouldn't know Beethoven from beatin' off tell you your music is no good.
Sorry 7:15 you lose I do play and have played for many more years than you are probably old with different groups. I don't want the limelight of being a star or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteBut you are ignorant and as was said can't read for shit.
Plus 7:15 I would hate to think of seeing assholes like you in an audience every night who fucking think they have a clue about music.
ReplyDeleteYeah! KC is loaded with musical talent like Nelson Mandela was a Baptist Preacher. I have bought and sold way to damn many players over the last 40 years to buy into the idea that KC is a music hub. Even the few that made it sure didn't waste any time getting the hell out of Dodge.
ReplyDeleteWho are the 4 must see musicians?
ReplyDeleteJerry Hahn
ReplyDeleteI have some jazz Savvy Dave can suck on.
ReplyDeleteI think Cletis P Wallace Sings the Mormon Choir is a good tape.
ReplyDeleteYeah, there's lots O dykes out there, like Etherage but they're all creepy fucks and not so talented. Just different.. Fucking queers.
ReplyDelete"Sorry 7:15 you lose I do play and have played for many more years than you are probably old with different groups."
ReplyDeleteOh, so you were one of the shitty musicians you are now whining about.
And if we were talking baseball, you'd be a former second baseman with the Mets.
I guess we can pretend to be anything we want to be on an anonymous combox.
The owner of the Club used to own an ad agency. And that's the best he can do for a website?
ReplyDelete10:29 that's why he use to own Ad Agency.
ReplyDelete