Forgive the familiar theme but the fate of downtown has confounded Kansas City since the days of late 1960's white flight to the suburbs.
And so, tonight, we ask again . . .
DID DEFEAT OF THE DOWNTOWN STADIUM TAX FINALLY DESTROY THE SO-CALLED "RENAISSANCE" FOR DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY?!?
As of this writing . . .
The main talking point for downtown boosters is the "South Loop" scheme that's really nothing more than a noise reduction plan for the hotel and nearby luxury apartments & condos.
After all . . . Downtown already has plenty of "green space" that's mostly occupied by the "unhoused" and several unsavory characters.
Meanwhile . . .
- We've noticed an uptick in deadly violence in and around the Crossroads.
- The Star's former printing press facility remains empty with no buyers in sight.
- And the homeless crisis continues to worsen along with a spike in violence that became obvious when a dude bashed a former police officer in the head with a chair at the downtown market.
And so . . .
It seems that "momentum" for Downtown continues to move in the wrong direction which might spark renewed demands for funding in order to sustain the "renaissance" which has already garnered hundreds of millions worth of taxpayer investment.
Of course there will be continued opposition but eventually, as always, local big biz and developers typically find a way around the electorate.
And all of this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist for tonight on the topic of downtown, renewal, development and starting all over again . . .
To begin on a chill note . . . This song was the kick-off to a pandemic-era reboot for a singer's career. Critical reception was surprisingly enthusiastic: Rolling Stone's Joseph Hudak highlighted the single, stating it "is for a new day and, like its title implies, a fresh start", while noting that Stapleton "admits, the road is long and hard, but with loved ones by our side [...] we'll get where we're going".
Considering that everything good about Kansas City now starts with Taylor Swift. Here's a somewhat old school classic . . . A quick description of the collab that with Ed Sheeran: "Everything Has Changed" is a guitar-led folk-pop ballad. Its lyrics are about wanting to know a new lover better. The song received mixed reviews from critics, who either complimented or criticized the production.
Another folksy-guitar selection . . . Moreover, we really like the backstory on this song that starts with an ambitious Scottish singer working to get off welfare and admiring the style of a more successful artist. Here's how she describes it: "So I was sat in my poky, overpriced basement flat in Gospel Oak at 2am, looking at CDs, when I picked up Horses by Patti Smith. On the album cover, she’s wearing this white shirt, black braces, jacket over her shoulder. She looks so cool because she’s not trying. You can see she’s lived life: there’s no makeup, no glam, no plastic surgery. And that fed into the first line of Suddenly I See: 'Her face is a map of the world.' I knew she’d traveled and I desperately wanted to be a touring musician too, my guitar slung on my back."
Because we give into nostalgia on Saturday night, we're sharing one of our faves and a fun fact about the recording: Toward the end of the song Bill Withers holds a note for 18 seconds, the longest of any Top 40 hit in the United States.
Finally, a campy yet sentimental tribute to new beginnings that's much more interesting than anything the developers will pitch to tax-weary voters in the coming months . . . This song is actually more interesting than the description and the silly interpretive dance video: Fortifying Nina Simone’s legacy, “Feeling Good” depicts generations of Black joy and boundless self-expression.
ACTUALLY, Nina Simone's life was very much like Downtown Kansas City inasmuch as she was forced to overcome mental illness, abuse and economic exploitation in order to eventually find her way with the help of a few friends who cared far more about her value and well-being as person rather than capitalizing on her talent for financial gain.
As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.
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