Filet the fans and breadcrumb them

Roll me in panko again and fry me up, I need another hour-long Geese set like the one they dished out last Friday, Oct. 30 at The Midland Theatre. 

The Midland is one of my all-time favorite venues, juxtaposing decadent yet inoffensive opulence with highly creative stage lighting displays. It yields a more intimate venue for the fast-growing flock of fans that Geese pulls when they have the power to pack a 13,000 seater like Forest Hills Stadium in New York. 

Since their inception in 2016, Geese has been quietly rising through the masses. Fans who’ve seen them before their breakout 2025 album,”Getting Killed,”have cited their shows as some of the best they’ve ever seen. But with heightened recognition comes great controversy. The internet tried to set fire to the band, citing their rise in popularity due to marketing. The fans who’ve been there long before truncate that argument. 

This year I’ve experienced full-fledged bouts of post-concert depression with Turnstile and even Empire of the Sun. But after seeing Geese live, I was bestowed a new post-concert feeling entirely, for a band I was so excited to see since hearing back in May they’d be touring Kansas City: longing. As if I’d never seen them perform in the first place. 

I didn’t feel I was fed enough to hit the post-concert depression high of sadness. I had hardly reached the pinnacle of my emotional capacity when the final chord was struck and the lights went up with no encore. None. 

Just over one hour of set time were the only bread crumbs fed to us, shy of 80 minutes. I wanted more, I needed more. And so I felt a strange mottled gratitude sludged with something near dislike towards the beloved band – the same emotion that frontman Cameron Winter seemed at times to feel about us.

Winter, who played a sold-out solo Carnegie Hall show last December, entered the stage with Bob Dylan airs (it is difficult not to compare his staunch yet mischievous attitude to the music legend) and gave no recognition to the city he played at – no greetings, no platitudes towards the fans. He took to the far left side of the stage to plink on the keys before his raw vocals warbled the theater and instruments of the rest of the band swelled up around him. Background lights knocked in quick sequence to a steady wooden background din. Hazy lights tactfully limited visibility.

Yes, the band was Geese, but when the frontman has risen to immaculate stature, it casts a shadow over the rest. Grunge Christ-like Antichrist, tonight was a slivered version of a Carnegie Cameron Winter show. 

This was not a bad thing. We loved to be doused with his presence that seemed to wink and chide, yet still bridged a connection to us. 

Emily Green on guitar and Dominic DiGesu on bass held their own with superb musicianship. They remained shrouded in the stage’s haze much of the performance. Sam Revaz joined the original group on keys. 

Accentuated vowels made for beautiful drawling vocals from Winter and hollerable lyrics for the whole audience. The theatre doubly echoed with the crowd careening into chantable lines to many of Geese’s songs from “Getting Killed.” 

There was not a silent moment during “Cobra,” with thousands of resonant voices sung forevers aimed back towards the stage. During “Husbands,” the crowd’s sing-chanting broke like a wave on the line “falling apart.”

A ripe sophistication transcended the songs. The set list yielded more said than what was being sung. Each song stacked on the other wonderfully to build energy, bubbling up to encapsulate the theatre. We were here in abject togetherness; those not present tonight would never understand. 

In ecstatic energy, a seemingly endless supply of drumsticks kept getting thrown stage right by drummer Max Bassin, though not ever into the audience, which would have surely incited uncontainable pandemonium.

By the end of the set, people were hoisted into the air to crowd float: they did not surf so much as hover airborne by many hands underneath. Extended pauses in the 10-minute-long version of “Trinidad” provoked more bodies to test their weight against gravity, to both the amusement and disdain of Winter at the head of the stage, who looked upon everyone as if an older brother who’d been told to go watch over his younger siblings. 

His only break in character came when a costumed Luigi was hauled into the air with Mario nearby. An ever-observant Winter crooned down into the microphone, “Glad to see the brothers are here with us tonight.” 

We had just over an hour with Geese. Just as the energy was reaching a natural build, just as everyone was shouting along to “Trinidad” to the throttled lyric “there’s a bomb in my car!”, the set ended. Curtains; that’s all. Lights came up. No encore brought them back out again. 

And so, following dejected near-anger at their lithe runtime, I found within me a new composure. One that a post-concert depression would never impart. An implicit foie gras, in a way, for a fan that was breadcrumbed and left presently unsatiated with a hearty appetite for their next dish: Geese in the flesh are a sonic delicacy in and of themselves.

SET LIST

Long Island City Here I Come
Cobra
Husbands
Getting Killed
Half Real
2122
100 Horses
Crusades
Cowboy Nudes
Domoto
Bow Down
Au Pays du Cocaine
Taxes
Trinidad

Thursday, Feb. 4 - Wade Bowen at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, Nov. 4 10 a.m. to Friday, Nov. 6 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Sunday, April 18 - The Chats at The Madrid Theatre

with Chain Whip & Gymshorts · Presale: Thursday, Nov. 5 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

I saw Black Country, New Road for the first time when they performed at the Granada three years ago. The band had recently lost their lead vocalist, Issac Wood, who left the group due to mental health issues, and was in the process of finding their new sound. The show was great, but seeing them back at The Granada on Oct. 17 demonstrated that their sound has matured beautifully. 

Black Country, New Road’s music has a quality that can only be described as mystical. All of the band members sang at different points throughout the show, often adding backing vocals that made their voices haunting and almost choral at times. May Kershaw, who sings and plays keyboard and accordion, has an operatic feel to her voice, creating a unique sound when mixed with experimental rock instrumentals. 

Throughout the show, the band members switched instruments often, like a game of musical Round Robin. Lewis Evans, who primarily plays saxophone, also played the flute, keyboard and sang. At one point, every member of the band played clarinets while Kershaw conducted from the keyboard. The technical skill on stage was very impressive, with the nuances of each member’s playing style coming through.

BCNR’s instrumentals are layered and complex. Some songs were loud, with energetic drumming from Charlie Wayne and incredibly fast saxophone playing from Evans, while others were much quieter, showcasing the members’ wide skill set. The song “Besties” from their most recent album, “Forever Howlong” – and one of my favorite tracks – features a baroque-style intro. The term “genre-bending” can be somewhat overused, but it’s more than applicable to Black Country, New Road. 

The band played a new song, and asked the crowd if they had any ideas for song names, prompting ideas shouted at the stage. The group also shared that the song was inspired by an episode of “The Simpsons” parodying “Jaws.” It seems fitting that their eclectic songs come from unique places. 

Sometimes concertgoers lose focus at shows with bands that have ambient elements in their music. However, BCNR commanded the room even during their quieter songs, creating a feeling of mutual appreciation and respect between the artists and the audience. 

Multiple band members commented on their love of Lawrence during the show. They described the town as a “grounding place” for British people, where they celebrated “the beginning of a long friendship.” The group also spoke about political issues, encouraged the crowd to not stay silent in the face of injustice, and hung a Palestinian flag over the keyboard for the whole show. The band seems perfectly suited for our quirky, politically active town. 

In my two experiences seeing Black Country, New Road live, I’ve learned to expect a unique show each time. Watching a band evolve throughout the years is always exciting, especially one overflowing with musical talent. I’m looking forward to seeing what the band does next, and I hope they return to Lawrence again soon.

Set List

Two Horses
Salem Sisters
The Big Spin
Strangers
Socks
Goodbye (Don't Tell Me)
For the Cold Country
New Song 2
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
Besties
Longer
Forever Howlong
Happy Birthday

A sold-out Yeehaw! delivered community and entertainment to the Uptown Theater last Friday, Oct. 23. Part comedy act and part concert, the campy show brought laughter to lips and tears to eyes with a whole lot of kinship. 

DJ Dom Chronicles warmed the house as people packed in. A disco ball hung overhead; I wondered if it would get used tonight. 

The power of KC Tenants’ creates a magnetic effect. Since they formed in 2019, they’ve accomplished multitudes for tenants in the form of rent strikes and mobilization under the leadership of founder Tara Raghuveer. When I was traveling recently, I met someone from Nashville who learned I was from KC. But instead of commenting on the Chiefs or arguing about brisket over burnt ends, they invoked the prevailing nature of our city’s tenant union. Their local tenant union looked to KC Tenants as a blueprint for their own. 

Dom Chronicles introduced comedian and host of the evening, Caleb Hearon, to the stage with a snippet of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Hearon graciously accepted the applause from the packed theater. He spoke to the same far-reaching reverberation of KC Tenants: “The sickest, baddest, most powerful tenant union in the whole fucking country. And when I tell you that I go other places, and talk about being from Kansas City, one of the first things that they say to me is ‘your guys’ tenant union is fucking badass’.”

This is the fifth year of Yeehaw! It’s grown exponentially in size from where it started in 2022 at The Ship. 

The evening saw comedians Holmes and David Gborie riddle us with laughter. Holmes and Hearon made out in a very real yet tongue-in-cheek fashion to the hollers of the audience when she arrived on stage. She then launched into theorizing a world without phones. She questioned us about what object people use most in a day. Phones were the answer. She noted the terror of that and threw her phone, hard, across the stage to some gasps from the crowd. She then threw herself on the ground to no gasps from the audience and knocked us for caring about her physical well-being less than her phone. Holmes imagined a scenario about what it would be like to use paper maps instead of phone maps, pulling in topical themes resonating outside phones and making a point while flooring the audience with laughter. 

Gborie mused on Trader Joe’s, reminisced about weed dealing in a non-commercial setting, and also dogged on St. Louis. He told us that backstage Hearon told him that ripping into St. Louis would go over well, and when he saw just how well, he leaned into it, “for real this time.”  

The KC Tenants’ group took to the stage, demographics spanning young to old with varying ethnicities. Raghuveer riled the audience with statistics and citing poor housing conditions and rising rent costs, raising a rally cry from the tenants’ group: “That ain’t right!”. The rest of the crowd caught on and echoed the chant with them. She introduced people like Cricket, noting his experience as someone previously without a home who fought with their building’s supermajority tenant union to secure fundamental housing rights. He was moved to tears by his journey being recognized on stage. 

Raghuveer passed the torch to Jenay Manley this year as the new director of KC Tenants. Manley steps into this role, bringing tenant union information on tour across the country. 

Next on the performance end, drag queen Trixie Mattel performed acoustic guitar with languishing vocals full of witticisms. She never once spoke her name, winking to have the audience shout it at her instead. Special guest and podcaster/interview Drew Afualo thrilled the audience with her presence. She played a game of True/False with Hearon and donated money based on the answers she got right. 

The Freedom Affair got the crowd swinging for the musical part of the evening. Vocalists Paula Saunders, Shon Ruffin and Seyko Groves emerged decked in silver sparkles and dazzled the stage as if a living interpretation of the disco ball that hung overhead. They swayed and shimmered on stage to their rousing songs, like “Rise Up” and “Give a Little Love.” 

Hearon poked in between sets with well-executed jokes of his own. He’s currently on hiatus from weed, he said, because of an edible he took called “Goodbye.” We journeyed with him as he recounted the experience in all of its post-high hilarity. 

Returning to the Uptown stage that he headlined earlier this year, Kevin Morby performed songs from his newest album, “Little Wide Open.” “Javelin” is light, yet rich like a sunny evening rainfall. I looked up to the balcony to view his partner Katie Crutchfield’s reaction to a certain line from it: “Remember when they asked us, baby, just how it felt / To be alone in the middle of Middle America?” She air drummed in time with the heavy thumps accompanying the line. 

Afterwards, Crutchfield – also known as Waxahatchee – took to the stage afterwards with Snocaps. The band, consisting of two parts Crutchfield sisters Katie and Allison, plus Brad Cook and MJ Lenderman, performed songs from their self-titled debut album, released last year. Deep, heavy reverberations filled the air. 

Everyone came out to the stage again to sing a closing song, as if taps before nightfall – Dolly Parton’s “Clear Blue Morning.” Camp and campy, communal and witty, the evening was a rousing success: $137,000 was raised for KC Tenants to keep doing their thing and expanding their reach.

The legendary Blind Boys of Alabama bring their transcendent harmonies and spiritual power to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's iconic album "Songs in the Key of Life," featuring classics like "Sir Duke," "I Wish," and more. This special presentation pairs many of Stevie Wonder's classic songs with beloved selections from the Blind Boys' own celebrated repertoire, blending gospel, soul, and Americana in a joyful performance that honors both musical legacies.

Thursday, Feb. 18 - Wynonna at Uptown Theater

The Hard Truth Tour · Presale: Thursday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Saturday, April 10 - brakence at Liberty Hall

The marroW Tour · Presale: Thursday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Saturday, April 24 - Hum at The Midland Theatre

with The Life & Times · Presale: Thursday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Sunday, May 2 - Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox at Uptown Theater

The Future is Vintage Tour · Presale: Thursday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

With this year's theme of Sounds Like Home, The Bridge will commemorate the day by doing what we do best – highlighting the artists who make up Kansas City's vibrant music scene. Throughout the year, we support local musicians by giving them a platform for their art, amplifying their voices and connecting them with a community of music lovers. It's a hallmark of Public Radio Music stations across the country, reflecting the sounds of our own cities and carrying their sounds far and wide.

We'll spotlight local (and regional) programming, ranging from the soul-stirring messages of The Freedom Affair to the Midwestern ruminations of Kevin Morby and everything in between. At 5 p.m., we present the world premiere of Making Movies' new album, “Una Vida,” with track-by-track commentary from frontman Enrique Chi. Tune in and join the celebration! 

Public Radio Music Day is a nationwide celebration that unites public radio music stations with fans and musical artists. 

I’ve loved Medium Build since I first heard “Be Your Boy” in 2019, and according to the insatiable crowd at a packed Madrid Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 20, I’m hardly the only one. Nick Carpenter, performing under Medium Build since around 2015, seems to pour his heart into every song – vulnerable and straightforward at the same time. His latest album, “King of Having Fun,” released just last month, follows his path toward sobriety and the conflict he sometimes feels about turning his most intimate thoughts into public discourse.

Bella White opened the evening with her blend of Americana and bluegrass, supported by Gina Leslie on bass and Sam Gelband on drums. Her music was pretty, her voice strong and clear and slightly too loud. After her set, a couple fans from the Medium Build VIP soundcheck came onstage to introduce themselves, having driven down from Nebraska for the show.

Medium Build strode out at 9:10 to a recording of “Every Noise is You,” the first track on his new album, band members grabbing instruments and launching into “Do Something Productive.” The first six songs of the set actually followed the track list of “King of Having Fun” exactly, with a few quick breaks where Carpenter assured us he didn’t have much to say (he did) and referenced his last KC show at recordBar, which he credited as “one of the loudest crowds” he’s ever heard. He paused for a moment after “It’s Not Easy (Falling in Love)” to get a drink, and the crowd cheered relentlessly for his hydration.

Carpenter shouted out 90.9 The Bridge, where he did a 909 Session earlier that day, saying “I love those NPR tote bag people, they’re sweet. Left on the dial, right on the music. Y’all got a good little slice of something here.” 

After “Cone Off,” we pivoted to “Stick Around” from his 2024 album “Country,” his voice straining from the intense sincerity he brought to every song.

A few songs later, Medium Build sent his band offstage, telling them to take a break as he performed a few stripped down songs, starting with “R3verse.” Then he brought out Bella White and Gina Leslie for an acoustic cover of Joni Mitchell’s iconic “Both Sides Now,” which he explained that they had only learned earlier in the day. It was an extremely messy performance, all three singers laughing at times as they missed notes and read the words off wrinkled sheets of printer paper. The audience couldn’t have cared less, though, screaming their unbridled encouragement after each chorus.

Then our beloved artist spoke about his current mental state, saying he’d been in “thought jail” for 24 hours since seeing the Nathan Fielder documentary “You Can See Everything.” He also broke some bad news to the crowd, grinning and earning laughs as he told us, “A lot of you guys are depressed alcoholics, by the way. I mean, if you’re at the show.” Carpenter finished the interlude with a solo rendition of the endearing “Feed the Boys,” while his band settled back in at their instruments.

After the title track from the new album, Carpenter requested we all look around and make a new friend during the course of the night. Near the end of “Chill,” Medium Build and his band absolutely shredded, giving the impression that their energy was only building as the show continued. Then came “Armor,” probably the fastest song on the album, which had Carpenter dancing and jumping around the stage,causing the crowd to temporarily lose their minds.

“How good is my motherf***ing band?!”, he hyped to us before introducing his four supporting musicians. And then my heart almost stopped as I recognized the intro to “Be Your Boy,” a song I had no expectation of hearing on this particular tour. The live performance was moving, with Medium Build once again giving us everything he had, and cementing his status as a bisexual icon.

The 95-minute set wrapped up quickly with a few of Carpenter’s earlier songs, including his relevant-as-ever “White Male Privilege.” Medium Build said goodbye before his final song, a beautiful rendition of “Gimme Back My Soul,” telling the crowd to get home safe, buy Bella White’s merch, and connect with one new person at the show. As he left the stage, the crowd’s cheers didn’t subside for several minutes. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen this year, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

SET LIST

Do Something Productive
Perceived
Bird Woman
Home Depot
It’s Not Easy (Falling in Love)
Cone Off
Stick Around
Triple Marathon
Beach Chair
Crying Over U
R3verse (solo)
Both Sides Now with Bella White and Gina Leslie (Joni Mitchell cover)
Feed the Boys (solo)
In My Gut
Downpour
King of Having Fun
Chill
Armor
Be Your Boy
In My Room
Never Learned to Dance
White Male Privilege
Gimme Back My Soul

“Combine the timbre of tape alongside the lyrics of the proletariat just trying to live their best life, and you get ‘Piggie Initiate’ by Big Fat Cow.”

Our favorite cowpoke fuzz quartet is back with new music — raw and authentic, just the way we like it. 

“Piggie Initiate” is Big Fat Cow’s new four-song EP, the follow up to last year’s “Garbage In, Garbage Out” extended play. This time, they get back to their DIY roots, recording the whole thing on a four-track TASCAM recorder. The purpose? To push back against the eerily immaculate, counterfeit qualities of AI. 

“We asked ourselves how we can still make art in this world that has been slowly turning its back on creatives, and that is how we landed on the idea of recording this project on a tape recorder,” bassist Alex May said. They leaned heavily into human imperfections, and the technological limitations of recording to tape. “The static and fuzz - the same imperfections that AI is trying to wash out- define the tone that we were after when we started this project.”

You can hear the gratifying impurities in each tone, from Gary Bovine’s snarling vocals and the psychedelic torrent of sound conjured by guitarist Kole Waters, who also recorded and produced the EP in their basement. May and drummer Matt Chipman bring about Big Fat Cow’s muscular cadence, balanced out by four-part harmonies that construct an even grander musical landscape.

“Piggie Initiate” will officially drop on Friday, Oct. 23 and will be available on Big Fat Cow's Bandcamp page.

This Saturday, Oct. 24, Big Fat Cow celebrates the release of “Piggie Initate” at Blip Roasters Alley Way Stage (1301 Woodswether Rd) in the West Bottoms, with support from Fritz & Sons and 2w33dy. Show starts at 7 p.m.

From original jigs, adding lush three-part harmonies into traditional folk ballads, to tales of the of the road, you will be captivated by Philadelphia-based celtic band House of Hamill.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Seats are first come, first serve.

Waldo Folk is the coziest concert viewing experience that Kansas City has to offer. Enjoy tasty pizza while you see an intimate show in a room built for shows just like this.

Wednesday, Dec. 9 - Robert Earl Keen at Uptown Theater

I Will Survive… Christmas Tour · Presale: Wednesday, Oct. 21 12 p.m. to Thursday, Oct. 22 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Friday, Jan. 29 - Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Presale: Thursday, Oct. 22 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, July 7 - Eric Andre at Uptown Theater

The Subtle Tour · Presale: Thursday, Oct. 22 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar international cast of World Champion and World Record-holding athletes and artists, this show is a spectacular display of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture.

We are currently on backup power as we begin the process of installing a brand new transmitter. For the next three weeks you may encounter static or other disruptions in our signal. For the clearest listening experience, please download The Bridge App for iPhone or Android. With our app, you can listen to our live broadcast anywhere in the world. Plus, it's optimized for Android Auto and CarPlay! You can also access our stream through bridge909.org or by asking your smart speaker to "Play 90-Point-9 The Bridge."

Julien Baker is doing three-night residencies in six cities across the country, signaling her return to music with her long-time bandmates Matt Gilliam and Calvin Lauber. 

Thundergong! is an annual event full of unforgettable musical performances and loads of laughs, all for the cause of helping uninsured and underinsured amputees get the prosthetic limbs they need – restoring mobility and possibilities. Steps of Faith Foundation reconnects amputees to their communities, families and workforces by relieving the financial burden of prosthetic care.

Special guests to be announced!

Cheap Trick are an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe since 1974 for their instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock 'n' roll. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been pioneers of classic rock and power-pop tunes for more than five decades.

Released in God’s year of 2026, the 250th anniversary of the founding of America in Kurt Vile’s fine city of Philadelphia, “Philadelphia’s been good to me” finds one of our nation’s greatest songwriters staking a claim on his hometown. “This is my ‘bringing it all back home to Philly’
record,” Vile says. “I’m treating it like my last one. I put everything into it. It’s my best vocal record. It’s my best electric guitar record. It’s my most organic record, made in the comfort of my own zone.”

Largely self-produced, the record embodies Vile’s understanding of music as a conversation between people across time and space. Make no mistake: “Philadelphia’s been good to me” is the sound of Philly’s constant hitmaker coming back to kick ass, son the haters, and put on for the City of Brotherly Love — and in true Kurt Vile fashion, doing so while sounding more relaxed than ever. Between the 250th anniversary of America and its hosting of select World Cup games, 2026 is shaping up to be a big deal for Philadelphia. “And then there’s one other thing,” Vile says. “I gotta be that third thing. Because I am Philadelphia. I gotta own it. I gotta rise to the occasion.”

Bahamas is the moniker for singer/songwriter/guitar virtuoso Afie Jurvanen. The Canadian artist has been making music under the name Bahamas since 2009 – writing songs about sunsets, love affairs, and making out with crooked smiles. Through simple arrangements, he charts an escape route from the snow belt to the coral reefs.

He returns to Kansas City with his new album, “My Second Last Album.”

The Neighbourhood is a California-based alternative rock band comprised of Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels, Brandon Fried, Jeremy Freeman and Mikey Margott. Known for their genre-blending sound and moody aesthetic, the band formed in 2011 and broke through with their double-Platinum debut album “I Love You” (2013). The album features the multi-Platinum hit “Sweater Weather,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative chart. Following the success of “Wiped Out!” (2015) and a string of EPs, the group continued evolving their sound with “The Neighbourhood” (2018) and “Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones” (2020). The band has earned five multi-Platinum, six Platinum and eight Gold-certified singles, along with two additional Platinum albums. With “(((((ultraSOUND)))))” and its deluxe edition “(((((ultraSOUND)))))+”, The Neighbourhood enters a compelling new chapter.