The first weekend of Manor Fest 8 got off to a rousing start across venues in Kansas City, on both sides of the state line. Proclaimed as “KC’s DIY Music Fest,” the two-week event is put on by local record label Manor Records. Every band showed up with love for their city, and the city showed that love right back. The audience engagement was high; many packed venues and prolonged applause highlighted attention to the craft of Manor Fest’s local artists. 

Wednesday, May 20: Greenwood Social Hall

Ernest Melton

Ernest Melton kicked off Manor Fest weekend one with a warm and transcendent saxophone set. He’s a self-effacing guy, naturally quiet between the flow of songs in a wordless stasis. His attention to balance makes his pieces soar. He had to be prompted to promote himself when an audience member prodded him by asking who writes his music. “Me, I do,” Melton said congenially, almost bashful, before introducing the last song of his set. It was the venue by name, titled, “Greenwood,” dedicated to the eclectic and gentle nature of the repurposed church. He must have considered the sculpture of birds hanging from the ceiling, for he seemed to dip and dive amongst them in saxophonic melodies. 

Kapten

Dalima Kapten helms the band of the same name. As a collective unit, their dress signifies historic seafaring folk: there’s the fashion of a deep v-neck, pants ending at the calf that lead way to heeled boots, and not one but two eye patches. Kapten herself is barefoot. With the plants of Greenwood around them, they seem shipwreck survivors. Whether pirate or mariner, the band’s gone funky in the aftermath. They lean into the funk and groove, joining together an underpinned drumbeat and beautiful keys, bass and brassy trumpet. Kapten’s reverberating vocals punctuate the space. 

Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs

The evening trundled along with the sweet vocals of Lovelle and gentle beat of drums, train-like. Originally from Newton, KS, Lovelle talked about her high school mascot the Railers, with the school she transferred from claiming tractors as mascot. From a Kansas small town to big city Missouri, she and the band brought their genteel roots as she laid the ground bare with her melodic voice. 

Thursday, May 21: Flagship Books

Nina Cherry, Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust, The Matchsellers

Amongst book titles such as “Strangers,” “American Teenager,” “Tiny Gardens Everywhere” and “A People’s History of Soccer,”three bands took to the makeshift floor stage of Flagship Books to create an intimate day show. 

Nina Cherry began night two by dusting off the covers with a smooth and crooning duo act. Cherry’s soothing vocals alongside the lightly plucky keys created an afternoon dreamscape. 

Up next, Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust sprouted both fantastical creatures and science in their peppy indie rock set, bordering on grunge. They contained a fox “with horns and antlers” and a song about bacteria, both having neatly positioned pauses that allowed happy guitar riffs to shine. 

Closing out, The Matchsellers struck more than a flame with their whimsical fun-diddly ditties and tunes. With the band’s down-to-earth nature – especially lead singer Andrew Morris – it’s hard not to crack a smile and laugh alongside the spirited mandolin. A woman at the back of the venue wished to take up a line dance and I confessed I didn’t know how. She didn’t either, but we both felt the bluegrass sway our bodies and wanted to dance it out. 

Thursday, May 21: Hillsiders

Silvee 

Silvee, who just obtained a two-year Charlotte Street Residency, donned the Hillsiders’ stage with guitar and microphone for a synth-backed solo set. She struck that soulful nerve with enchanting vocals that seemed to join an unseen harmony. Her voice created a mystical outreach beyond the confines of Hillsiders’ four walls and settled the second half of Manor Fest Thursday into a cocooning balm. 

Scabb

Scabb brings a riotous energy of words that roll like marbles off the tongue. He’s backed by an emcee he calls Matt Commander. Scabb got real for a moment and talked about fatherhood between raps containing explicit innuendos. Yeah, staying on top of the rhyming game is tough, but the first moment of fatherhood was downright nerve-racking. “I was in f**king turmoil,” he said. “If you have kids, you know what I’m saying.” He performed two of the songs he wrote in the hospital, waiting for his child’s birth. Scabb kept his songs short. “It’s like caviar – it’s a delicacy, it’s real quick.”

Tidal.wav

Under Hillsiders’ solo disco ball, Tidal.wav played their last show together with a spirited bow out to wrap up the evening. They had fun together on stage, bringing the audience into it. Melancholic lead vocals dipped up and down along with bright electric guitar twangs to sound very Smiths-esque. 

Friday, May 22: The Black Box

The Soul Agenda

The Soul Agenda kicked off Manor Fest 8, night three. The sun of the last few overcast days showed up for the early evening set. An industrial corrugated metal background, rusted with time, landscaped the back of the stage in the West Bottoms. The band lived up to their name and hit the audience with heavy grooves and funk. Verve, energy and double vocalists accompanied the bright trumpet, raps, drums, guitar and bass to lend a particularly strong soul. This young band gave a new voice to the genre they embodied. 

TheBabeGabe

TheBabeGabe drew people out to the dance floor with her magnetic energy and call-to-action raps. DJ Sammy Sheets backed her precise dynamics. For her outro song, she had pink flags waving for her in the audience and a large one of her face, held up by Sheets, on stage. She opened the last song rapping similes about the closets and wealth of mid-aughts Disney-show character, London Tipton, ending with, “I don’t see fake friends here, just us.”

Saturday, May 23: recordBar

Miki P

Miki P and her band brought their melodic, warm songs to recordBar and had the audience swaying. After a song of hers with lyrics that say, “I’m trapped in the 21st century,” Miki asks the audience: “Anyone ever feel burnt out in your whole life, ever?”. Many hollers and shouts followed. She spoke to it being part of the creative process, slowing down before coming back to the craft. Whether this or her enveloping and kind demeanor, the set was pleasant and a welcome entry to the fourth night of Manor Fest.

The Royal Chief

The Royal Chief brought high energy to his rap set. He lingered on the end of his rhymes, either emphasizing them with an echo, trilling his voice up for the rhyming word, or letting the word take a rollercoaster ride down in tone. The confidence of his songs are encompassed in a line in one of his song’s lyrics: “If you don’t see me now, you’ll see me later.”

Nightosphere

By mid-set, trio act Nightosphere incited some light moshing in the crowd. They built the energy of their set song after song. It was nicely balanced with tact; some songs heavy on the energy, while others took a backseat to let the evening breathe. Same with the feedback they introduced in some guitar wails – the screams reached a pinnacle where spiraling further would make an unbearable sound. Hovering right at the precipice made for a high-strung tension that never bowled over, infusing the song with a high-wrought energy. Drummer Dekota “Hop” Trogdon slammed his beer between songs. Claire Hannah and Brittany Sawtelle played well off each other at the front of the stage, their vocals celestial and authentically raw.

Weekend two of Manor Fest 8 is underway! Check out the full schedule.

River Market Melodies is bringing FREE live music to the heart of the River Market on First Thursdays beginning at 6 p.m. at City Market Park. Bring a blanket, grab a bite from River Market merchants, and enjoy an evening of music in one of KC's most iconic parks.

One of Spotify’s Top 100 Artists with close to 40 million monthly listeners, Kesha is one of the most popular and respected artists of her generation. Ranked by Billboard as the 26th Top Female Artist of the 21st century, she has earned 10 top 10 singles, billions of streams, two No. 1 albums, four No. 1 songs on Top 40 radio, and more than 40 million followers across social media. The 2x Grammy-nominated superstar has earned the unanimous praise of critics worldwide, along with a diverse, passionate, and socially engaged global audience who believe in the messages behind her music. An innovative entrepreneur whose ventures outside of music include multiple top-rated TV programs, an award-winning film, a book, a cruise, and a cosmetics line, Kesha recently launched her own label, Kesha Records, stating, “Music has the power to connect the world, and I aspire for my work to be a beacon of light and goodness.” 

Reserve your spot at Kansas City's newest home for live music, Morton Amphitheater! Featuring KC's premier yacht rock tribute band, Summer Breeze!

Singer-songwriter Miki P co-wrote the 10-track album with bassoonist bandmate Rachel Lovelace (they share 50/50 songwriting credit) during an unpredictable time in her life. “I was experiencing regular panic attacks on stage that made me question if I could continue performing full time to support myself at the capacity I had been for nearly a decade,” she says. 

But in putting the songs together, she found solace in this project. “At the end of this unstable tunnel was the Swallowtails,” she says. “More particularly writing and playing music with my longtime bandmate and confidant, Rachel. It’s about our friendship.”

There’s a certain kind of honesty in the songs on “Perspective” that fits the throughline of this friendship, heard through Lovelace’s perfectly interwoven bassoon lines and Miki P’s clear vocals. In stark, far-reaching moments of twinkling pianos and dreamlike grooves.

“It takes a lot to find the right person to write music with,” Lovelace notes. “You are putting your trust in them to create a space where you both can be vulnerable and creative.”

Another special touch to this collection of songs comes from the help of Lawrence-based singer-songwriter Heidi Gluck. Gluck’s production style brings out the band’s charming subtleties and their whimsical sense of composition. 

“Miki and Rachel create from a place that’s bright, curious, and refreshingly sincere,” Gluck says. “I was honored to help find the seeds of that spirit in their songs and bring them into bloom.”

"Perspective" will be available to stream or download on May 23 via The Swallowtails' Bandcamp page, plus Tidal, YouTube Music and physical copies. Lyric videos for each single are available on the band’s YouTube page.

Friday, Aug. 7 - Billy Allen + The Pollies at Knuckleheads

Presale: Thursday, May 21 10 a.m. to Friday, May 22 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Thursday, Oct. 22 - Trampled By Turtles at The Truman

Presale: Thursday, May 21 10 a.m. to Friday, May 22 9:59 a.m. · TICKETS

From occasional motels and jails, long-winding highways, and sporadic descents into city landscapes, Jason Isbell traverses Americana storytelling and southern rock terrain backed by The 400 Unit. Last Sunday’s show (May 3) at the Uptown Theater encompassed songs from his first band, Drive-By Truckers, to his most recent solo album release, “Foxes in the Snow.” 

The 400 Unit’s name comes from the old term of a psychiatric ward at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence, Alabama –  where the band’s founding members grew up. The group is composed of Derry deBorja on keys and vocals, Anna Butterss on bass, Chad Gamble on drums and vocals, Sadler Vaden on guitar and vocals, and Will Johnson on guitar, vocals and percussion.

Upon arrival, pennant banners in bold felt letters reading “Lucky to have the work” and “Don’t wash the cast iron skillet” greet concertgoers at the merch table. I feel compelled to buy the latter, thinking of past roommates, my poor cast iron pan having been stripped and rusted too many times. Though the banner seems a witty tongue-in-cheek adage, it comes from a heavy song of Isbell’s, addressing those who fell away from moments in their lives where they could have continued down a more understanding and engaged trajectory. 

Jason Isbell understands a thing or two about living life. His songs don’t sugarcoat hardship to make it pop-palatable. Raw, emotive vocals paired with twanging electric guitar raise spiteful war criticism and remembrance in “Dress Blues,” a song about the funeral of a high school classmate who didn’t return from war. At other moments, a warmer longing is played out as Butterss’ upright bass joins his resonant acoustic strings, as in his newer melody “Open and Close” or the well-loved “Traveling Alone.”

He stirs up a shared humanity that draws people to his music, and his fans are right there with him. They sing along to the lyrics to “Traveling Alone” and belt out the mournful, melodic chorus: “I’ve grown tired of traveling alone, won’t you ride with me?”, as some sway gently with their partners. Lights move in tandem with the melodies, rising in indigo-orange gradient for an electric version of “Crimson and Clay,” from his new album.

Isbell encapsulates that rock-Americana space that borders on country but doesn’t quite tip into it. You can see an outfit or two with leather fringe and some cowboy-toned smatterings in the audience, but also, front-facing ball caps and t-shirts and tennis shoes. A woman has a white sweatshirt tied around her waist proclaiming “Rock and Roll” in the similar bold font as the pennant banners. A man with a newly acquired tee has it draped over his left shoulder. All of this encapsulates Jason Isbell and his music. 

He then shared a story about “Maybe It’s Time,” a song written for “A Star Is Born.” Actor/director Bradley Cooper sent Isbell a video of his rendition, asking for his opinion. He swore Cooper wouldn’t care what he had to say, so he waited until getting off a flight six hours later to respond. Isbell later saw an interview where Cooper was asked about the most stressful part of making this movie, and he said that it was the time it took for Isbell to get back to him. “He had never sang for anybody and was scared to death,” Isbell said. “But I thought he did a good job.”

Personable, he layers stories to build a world that is solitude and solace amongst the hardship. A young man sang along to The 400 Unit’s “It Gets Easier,” hitting electric air guitar strums in tandem with the band as if the song was his own. There’s a lovable element to Isbell that comes from his no-nonsense, honest transparency. 

Isbell creates intuitive and enigmatic guitar solos as gently as though he’s plucking sounds from the air as they float by, and others as if he’s seeking to bore through a stone wall. The delightful push-pull between passion and assurance elicits interior soliloquies of tangential longing in the listener, yet also cradles a cathartic repose. 

He quips about the rustic nature of the Uptown, loving it, saying if the band rips sounds loud enough on stage, “Stuff starts falling on your head. If you’re lucky it’s confetti. If not, it’s a f***ing gargoyle.” His comment gets a rifling of laughs and claps. The band rolls into the lovely run at the beginning of “Open and Close.” 

Jason Isbell is at his craft well, with the 400 Unit and fans steadfast by his side. 

SET LIST

24 Frames
It Gets Easier
Crimson and Clay
Dress Blues
Gravelweed
Maybe It's Time
Traveling Alone
Overseas
Super 8 
Open and Close
Live Oak
Alabama Pines
Danko/Manuel
Outfit
Decoration Day
Bury Me
If We Were Vampires
This Ain't It
Cover Me Up

Encore

Ride To Robert's
Let Me Roll It (Wings cover)
King of Oklahoma

The origins of the song date back to last January, when the four-piece began developing the song structure, vocal melody, and the refrain of “It goes two ways in conversation.”

“A lot of times, if we're able to, we like to play the song live before we get too attached to it and start recording, just to see what a live audience reception would be,” bassist Trecen Peeler says. The song first debuted live in December. “We already had started the recording process for it a little before the show, and we continued forward after knowing that our audience had a positive reception to the song.”

So they took to recording in lead guitarist/producer Carlo Nunez’s basement. “It's been a really fun and challenging experience learning production and recording techniques,” Peeler says. “It's all been worth it when we get to look back as our recordings have continued to get higher and higher production quality on them.”

Starting with a big, sweeping guitar riff and a driving bass line, "In Conversation" touches on themes of separation as a result of a lack of communication. As Will Kuenne’s vocal vibrato comes in, the song builds to a fever pitch with a fast-paced, dancey dark disco feel.

“In Conversation” will officially drop on Friday, May 15 on digital streaming platforms, including Say That Again’s Bandcamp page. It will be a part of the band’s upcoming album, dropping in summer.

You can catch Say That Again live at The Rino on Saturday, June 13.

Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Buffalo Traffic Jam at Liberty Hall

Pictures Of You Tour · Presale: Thursday, May 14 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Thursday, Oct. 29 - Old Crow Medicine Show at Knuckleheads

Union Made Tour · Presale: Thursday, May 14 10 a.m. to Friday, May 15 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Friday, Oct. 30 - Post Sex Nachos at Warehouse on Broadway

Big Bad North American Tour · Presale: Wednesday, May 13 10 a.m. to Thursday, May 14 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - Switchfoot w/Anberlin at Uptown Theater

Forever Now Tour · Presale: Thursday, May 14 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Mixing up groovy dance tunes of yacht rock with a splash of disco, The Yachties invite fans to get on the boat with smooth grooves and party tunes from the late '70s and early '80s.

This is a benefit concert for Don Bosco Centers.

Join us at Boulevard Tours & Rec Center for FREE, all-ages live local music and good times on Wednesday nights! Beer, bevvies and non-alcoholic options available for purchase, plus a full kitchen menu with pizza, sammies and snacks. Doors at 5 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m. Drink with friends, in bed by 10.

Early show schedule:

• May 13: Malek Azrael
• May 20: Jass
• May 27: The Canterberries
• June 3: Sonderluss Soul
• June 10: The Bluebird Ramblers
• June 17: Timbers
• June 24: Cowtown Country Club

Friday, July 17 & Saturday, July 18 - The Mavericks & Friends at Knuckleheads

The Music Lives On Tour · Presale: Thursday, May 7 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, Aug. 23 - Paul Thorn Mini-Marathon at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, May 6 10 a.m. to Friday, May 8 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Kacey Musgraves at T-Mobile Center

Middle of Nowhere Tour w/Charles Wesley Godwin · Presale: Thursday, May 7 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Thursday, Sept. 24 - Foster the People at Starlight Theatre

The Good Mourning Sunshine Tour · Presale: Thursday, May 7 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Thursday, Oct. 9 - Carbon Leaf at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, May 6 10 a.m. to Friday, May 8 10 a.m. · TICKETS

The mission of public media never stops, and neither does our responsibility to ensure its survival. Your investment in The Bridge — in public media that delivers enriching programming and connects our community — is so appreciated and so very important. Today through Sunday, we’re also giving you the chance to spread the love! Donate at least $60 (or $5/month as a sustaining member) to share your membership with another music lover in your life! Submit their name and email address when you make your donation, and just like you, they will be thanked on-air, receive early invitations to certain station events, and experience the reward of helping The Bridge thrive. Thank you for championing music discovery in Kansas City!

Kansas City’s Kat King opened the evening with a short but dreamy set, layering music from their upcoming album with older favorites. Added to the bill within days of the show, the band had some of their permanent members – King covering guitar duties with John McCain on bass and Kara LePage on keys – but missing was lead guitarist Derek Melies, and drummer Nick Frederickson sat in for Daniel Cole. 

After their latest single, the protest anthem “Merry Go Rounds,” Kat told us this was their biggest show to date, eliciting cheers from the crowd. They wrapped up the set with a cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” a signature of their annual Zombie Prom that takes place each fall.

A few minutes past 9 p.m., CMAT’s strong voice rang out from the back of the venue and we turned to look, craning to see her silhouette on the balcony in blazing spotlights. She paused while the crowd screamed in excitement, then continued “Janis Joplining,” disappearing amidst a blue strobe light to reappear on stage. Her energy was immediately contagious and lights bounced off sequined cowboy hats as the audience began to move.

After “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station,” and tossing the first of several picks into the crowd, we get an introduction. “My name is CMAT and the T stands for ‘Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.’” As the crowd discovered on Saturday, it turns out CMAT is a huge Wizard of Oz fan, revealing that a reference to the story has made it into each one of her albums. 

And then we’re onto the next song, each band member showing off their musical skill and dance moves (shout out to the keyboardist for the impressive dancer’s pose and double toe touch). The set was half songs from “EURO-COUNTRY,” released last August, and half older material, including the infectious “Have Fun!” and the all-too-relatable “2 Wrecked 2 Care.” CMAT has a unique blend of rock, pop and country that stood out long before her last album, which happened to coincide with a surge in popularity of country influence in indie music.

The theatrics of the show were nonstop, with the singer starting some songs laying down on the stage and others with choreographed dances with other band members. Apparently the crowd only added to the hectic energy, with CMAT telling us, “this is one of the most unhinged crowds we've had.” The singer slowed down for a few minutes to perform “Such a Miranda” solo, telling us, “This is a song I wrote about being weird and sad while I was living in Denmark.”

The set wound down with “Running/Planning” before CMAT and her band exited the stage, only to be brought back for an encore right away at the crowd’s insistence. The encore included the title track from “EURO-COUNTRY” and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to an audience member. For her final song of the night, CMAT played “Stay for Something,” coming into the heart of the crowd for several minutes.

CMAT is set to continue touring, now in support of Florence & The Machine, and there’s no doubt her audience will continue to grow. Her addictive live performance adds new depth to the music we already knew and loved.

SET LIST

Janis Joplining
The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station
I Don’t Really Care For You
When A Good Man Cries
2 Wrecked 2 Care
Lollipop Guild (snippet)
Aw, Shoot!
Tree Six Foive
Have Fun!
No More Virgos (snippet)
Take A Sexy Picture Of Me
Such A Miranda
Rent
Running/Planning

Encore

EURO-COUNTRY
I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!
Happy Birthday To You
Stay For Something

Bridge listeners can access presale tickets on Friday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by clicking the GET TICKETS button and entering the password BRIDGE.

Brazilian blues band Blues Beatles mixes the melodies of the Fab Four with traditional blues arrangements, captivating audiences around the world.

One of the purveyors of the Western swing tradition, Asleep At The Wheel is a band 50 years in the making – with 10 Grammys, the Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame and 31 albums released with more than 20 charting singles. The ever-changing lineup has included more than 100 members in its run. Their latest album is 2025's “Riding High in Texas.”

Shakey Graves announces his fifth upcoming studio album, "Fondness, Etc.," dropping in May of this year. On the new effort, Graves reflects on the quiet grief and gratitude that come with growing up. Featuring nine lived-in songs with a folk-leaning intimacy, the album wrestles with the tension between holding onto who you’ve been and making room for who you’re becoming, as time and the people in our lives inevitably reshape us. Produced by Graves and captured on a pair of Tascam tape machines in a focused one-month stretch in his home studio, the enchantingly lo-fi LP was shaped with the help of assorted musical artifacts, including a possibly haunted 1932 Gibson guitar that survived a bunker fire in World War.

The Black Angels celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, "Passover," playing the psych-rock album in full for their North American tour. Their final stop of the tour will be in Kansas City with Southern California trio L.A. Witch, who released their latest studio album “DOGGOD” in 2025.

Blues Music Award-winning, Grammy-nominated family band Southern Avenue plays original Memphis blues, modern soul and gospel-infused roots music that is uplifting and timeless. They are known worldwide for their inclusive, message-driven songs fueled by hard-hitting grooves and electrifying guitar. Their new album, "Family," makes it clear that Southern Avenue creates musical storyelling magic.