Kansas City Playlist: Plaza Lights

Quick overshare . . . 

Tonight we remember traditional Kansas City car rides to the County Club Plaza in order to watch the lights glow. 

Nowadays there are bus tours that provide the service and there are probably a bunch of ride-share drivers forced to take this route as well. 

Hopefully, rising crime in this iconic entertainment district hasn't curtailed the tradition too much. If so, that likely clears the streets for families who brave the weather and their fears.

Talking about this topic recently . . . A story hit home . . .

Sure, idyllic car rides through the Plaza are traditional for so many Kansas City family but the odds are pretty good that not all of those journeys ended with happy memories. Some of those trips are filled with angry dad's barking at youngsters, mom screaming their way through menopause, sister's weeping amid holiday breakups and young dude's far more interested in gadgetry than treasuring grandma's last Christmas. 

Because this blog is a celebration of life . . . Here at TKC we contend that family blood curses and emotional turmoil exchanged in compact cars under the glow of Country Club Plaza lights are just as valuable as sentimental moments made for Hallmark movies and not working-class reality.

As always . . . 

It's our TKC holiday tradition to remind everyone that the guy who wrote "Christmas in Kansas City" 86'd himself. This fact alone should inspire our readers to TAKE IT EASY for the holidays. 

Accordingly . . .

Tonight's www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist merely serves as tribute to pretty lights rather than all of the emotional baggage we might be tempted to attach to this time of year. 

Here we go . . . 

We bet you forgot about David Cook but this Blue Springs dude was the pop king of Kansas City for a couple of years and his greatest hit "Light On" was decent for the post-grunge early 2000s and starts our list tonight . . .

This 1993 song only merits a mention because "alternative" radio burned it into our cerebral cortex with constant plays in order to trick youngster Gen-X into buying a futon . . .

This 70s song was written by Bruce Springsteen but earned a hit for Manfred Mann's Earth Band . . . We included the audio version with subtitles only because a lot of old school denizens have been singing about "a douche running in the night" for the past half century.

The break in our list from The Weeknd is a somewhat recent hit that speaks to the hopelessness of the current era but has a decent beat and seems easy to dance to . . .

Finally, this throaty chart topper from Debby Boone was actually considered poignant and meaningful back in 1977. Again, tonight is serves as a reminder to take it easy on yourself if things get too emotional this Christmas . . . Playing it for review we can hear neighborhood dogs howling in the distance. 

But I digress . . .

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.