Concert Review: Culture Club, Howard Jones and Berlin at Starlight Theatre

Original image of Culture Club by There Stands the Glass.

I can’t resist a bargain. Two hours before showtime, I bought a $20 ticket ($27.15 after junk fees) to hear a trio of one-time MTV staples at Starlight Theatre on Tuesday, August 8. Approximately 6,000 people attended the nostalgic concert.

Berlin won the night. The group has largely abandoned the dated synth-pop production of its hits for a sturdier rock orientation. A cover of the Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and a giddy reading of “Sex (I’m a)”- a song I hadn’t heard in 40 years- were especially pleasing. 

The music of Howard Jones invariably reminds me of the slogan of a Christian radio network: “positive, encouraging.” He’s perfected an enlightened form of disposable pop. The presence of sideman Nick Beggs necessitated a fun interpretation of the 1983 Kajagoogoo hit “Too Shy.”

Having always been indifferent to the group, I hadn’t previously caught Culture Club live. A lilting take on Ken Boothe’s version of “Everything I Own” allowed me to finally make sense of the band’s winning formula. 

Culture Club is simply a lite-reggae outfit with a charismatic vocalist. Having ascertained the veracity of the minor revelation, I left the iconic venue 50 minutes into the headliner’s performance feeling I’d received more than my money’s worth.

Take Me Home: Loco in JoCo

Original image of the Phil Collins Experience by There Stands the Glass.

I’ve lived in Johnson County, Kansas, for more than 30 years. The public schools are excellent. The live music scene is atrocious. Only three of my 50 favorite performances of 2022 took place in my home county. Against the odds, I attended shows on five consecutive nights in Johnson County last week. A log of my unlikely- and lamentably uncommon- accomplishment follows.

An unassuming nightclub shares a stripmall with a Hobby Lobby, a Christian bookstore, a country-themed bar and a coffee shop specializing in kolaches at the northeast corner of a bustling intersection in the heart of Johnson County, Kansas.

I head to Vivo a couple times a year to catch rap and metal performances. On a whim, I hit a free rock show on Tuesday, August 1. The banter of graying rockers smoking on the patio was more engaging than the music of the local based trio I caught. I didn’t realize it at the moment, but I’d embarked on a spree.

The next night was already set. I’d previously purchased a $10 ticket to hear Parker Quartet at Polsky Theatre on the campus of Johnson County Community College. I neglected to mention in my review of the concert that the famed string quartet filled the 424-seat venue.

My life partner accompanied me to hear Ron Gutierrez at Bamboo Penny's on Thursday, August 3. Familiar with the establishment, she didn’t share my shock in finding the upscale restaurant packed with well-heeled diners. The recession I hear so much about was nowhere in evidence.

Backed by a keyboardist and drummer, the man known as the Latin Luther applied his silky instrument to interpretations of songs associated with Daniel Caesar, Freddie Jackson, Kem, and, of course, Luther Vandross. The loud space above the primary dining area was a less than ideal setting for the superlative vocalist.

The realization that I’d spent three nights in a row enjoying live music in Johnson County occurred to me as I drove home. Keeping the streak alive was easy. On Friday, August 4, I took a 15-minute walk to hear Cynthia van Roden at The Market at Meadowbrook. The self-described “vintage jazz vocalist” was backed by a top-notch three-piece band. The matinee show was incredibly charming.

Pushing myself to hit the fifth consecutive Johnson County show was an aesthetic challenge. Attending a concert by The Phil Collins Experience in the courtyard of a tony shopping center on Saturday, August 5, was entirely out of character. Yet I learned long ago that surmounting my biases often leads to positive outcomes.

Sure enough, the tribute band floored me. Tight and fun-loving, the 13 members of the ensemble were fully committed to the bit. Even though I don’t particularly care for the music of Collins or late-era Genesis, I loved the jubilant performance. Maybe I belong in Johnson County after all.

Concert Review: Parker Quartet at Polsky Theatre

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

The members of Parker Quartet were positioned 15 feet from my third-row seat at Polsky Theatre on Wednesday, August 3. Yet I was initially befuddled by the unamplified sound of the elite string quartet.

My primary reference point for Parker Quartet is its sublime 2021 album György Kurtág and Antonin Dvořák. Released by ECM Records, the recording is imbued with the storied label’s characteristic sonic sauce.

What I heard last night was shockingly dry. It took me more than five minutes to reorient myself to Parker Quartet’s true sound characterized by antiphonal violins.

The expressive face of cellist Kee-Hyun Kim helped me get my bearings. He grieved during mournful passages, exhibited elation while playing celebratory segments and chuckled at the humor in three contemporary pieces and a pair of Beethoven's masterworks.

The $10 ticket for the concert by the Boston based group may be the year’s biggest bargain. The maxim about getting what you pay for is usually true, but in this instance I felt like an accomplice in a brazen theft- even if the unprocessed sound threw me for a loop.

An August Gathering

Original image of honky tonk troubadour Marty Bush performing at Mike Kelly’s Westsider on July 1 by There Stands the Glass.

I attended a rock show in a nightclub last night. My experience was entirely forgettable, if not downright desultory. Taking my own advice, I bought a front-and-center ticket for the classical concert tonight that opens the ten chronological August concert recommendations I created for KCUR. Each of my selections promises a memorable experience.

Album Review: Travis Scott- Utopia

I refuse to renounce my abiding admiration for the music of Kanye West. He’s been canceled ten times over, but his personal missteps don’t invalidate the artistic quality of his discography.

West is undeniably the most important musician of the first two decades of the millennium. I relished the era in which each of his triumphant releases altered the direction of popular music.

Travis Scott’s reprehensible new album Utopia makes me miss West’s dominance all the more. Almost every passage on the 73-minute release references West’s art. 

Drawing inspiration from West is as commendable as it is inescapable for a mainstream rapper, but Utopia registers as shameless theft rather than loving homage.

July 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Bayerische Staatsorchester’s production of George Frideric Handel’s Semele by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of July (as of July 25)

1. Anohni and the Johnsons- My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross

Sacral.

2. Zoh Amba, Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt- The Flower School

Superlative skronk.

3. Hilary Hahn- Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Solo Violin

Sublime scraping.

4. African Head Charge- A Trip to Bolgatanga

Positive vibration.

5. Immy Owusu- LO-LIFE!

Goofball Afrobeat.

6. Mahalia- IRL

Back to life, back to reality.

7. Shapednoise- Absurd Matter

Dank discord.

8. Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band- Kings Highway

Scenic.

9. Black Milk- Everybody Good?

It remains to be seen.

10. Charif Megarbane- Marzipan

Lebanese lounge.

Top Ten Songs of July (as of July 25)

1. Joshua Redman with Gabrielle Cavassa- “Chicago Blues”

All things go.

2. Jamila Woods- "Tiny Garden"

Watered and weeded.

3. Robert Glasper featuring SiR and Alex Isley- "Back to Love"

Slow jam.

4. claire rousay- "Sigh In My Ear"

I hear a symphony.

5. Ryan Castro and Peso Pluma- "Quema"

Fiery.

6. Aluna featuring Tchami and Kareen Lomax- "Running Blind"

Rhythm is gonna get you.

7. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- "Guess What B*tch, We Back H*e!"

Knock knock.

8. PJ Harvey- "Seem an I"

Might a you.

9. Colter Wall- "Honky Tonk Nighthawk"

Swinging doors.

10. That Mexican OT featuring Lefty sm- "Barrio"

Still tippin’.

Top Performances of July (as of July 25)

1. The Smile and Robert Stillman at the Midland Theater

My review.

2. The Salvation Choir at Theis Park

My Instagram clip.

3. Henrique Eisenmann and Eugene Friesen at the 1900 Building

My review.

4. Rob Magill with Marshall Trammell, Alber with Alex Mallett, and Krista Kopper, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verplough at Farewell

My review.

5. Final Gasp, Persona and New Obsessions at Howdy

My Instagram clips are here, here and here.

6. Eli Wallace with Ben Baker, Seth Andrew Davis, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at Stray Cat Film Center

My Instagram clip.

7. The American Legion Band of Greater Kansas City at American Legion Post 370

My Instagram snapshot.

8. Mike Horan and Scott Tichenor at the Market at Meadowbrook

My Instagram snapshot.

9. Natalie Prauser and Marty Bush at Mike Kelly’s Westsider

My Instagram clip.

10. Lee Walter Redding at Volker Park

My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly survey is here.

Concert Review: The Smile at the Midland Theater

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A solo performance by Peter Hammill of Van der Graaf Generator in a church basement changed my life in 1978. Until that evening, I didn’t fully comprehend that difficult art-rock might be a deliberate artistic choice. 

Closer in spirit to the nascent punk revolution than the era’s dominant rock rendered by the likes of Genesis, Kansas and Yes, Hammill’s appearance stood as the best prog-rock concert I’d attended. Until this week.

The $69.75 I paid for a general admission ticket allowed me to claim a spot about 20 feet from the center of the stage of the Midland Theater on Wednesday, July 19. I held my ground even though half the people around me chatted throughout Robert Stillman’s opening set of spiritual jazz.

My fury dissipated when The Smile began its 100-minute outing. In the spirit of Hammill 45 years ago, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner made no concessions to the near-capacity audience of more than 2,500.

With the possible exception of the Sonic Youth-esque "You Will Never Work in Television Again", the Smile’s grooves were obstinately enigmatic. A perfect sound field- easily the best I’ve experienced at the Midland- made processing the challenging music easier.

The absence of instrumental soloing was the most startling aspect of the performance. Is it even prog-rock if there’s not a five-minute drum solo? Yes. In fact, the Smile’s punk approach to prog-rock is the fulfillment of a dream I’ve carried for 45 years.

Book Review: Cedar: The Life and Music of Cedar Walton, by Ben Markley

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I was initially perplexed upon receiving an unsolicited copy of Cedar: The Life and Music of Cedar Walton in the mail. I wondered if Ben Markley’s book about the pianist was necessary. My skepticism quickly evaporated. 

Skimming the discography at the back of the book reminded me that Walton was a member of the most acclaimed version of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. And I’d forgotten that Walton was John Coltrane’s first choice as pianist for the Giant Steps sessions.

Cedar contains commentary from dozens of musicians, promoters, venue operators and family members. The accumulation of adulatory anecdotes is a deserved hagiography. My impression of Walton as an exquisitely elegant but decidedly staid musician changed when I began listening to recordings I’d previously neglected. 

Hearing Walton on the title track of Kenny Burrell’s Sunup to Sundown was the turning point. What I previously heard as humdrum swing is actually subtly graceful art. And discovering impeccable Walton recordings including the first Eastern Rebellion album has rekindled my interest in straight-ahead jazz.

Aside from several jarring typos, Markley’s work is a persuasive argument for Walton’s art. The study includes many references to Walton’s low visibility and lack of critical recognition. Prior to reading Cedar, I was among the oblivious jazz fans who discounted Walton. Thanks to Markley, I’ve been redeemed.

Album Review: Krista Kopper- Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Krista Kopper has acted as the responsible adult in the room during the more than dozen times I’ve seen her perform with her peers in the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society. Whenever her Kansas City colleagues flirt with excess, Kopper can be counted on to apply gentle persuasion to redirect their dissipation. The profundity of her new solo double bass album Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, consequently, isn’t surprising. Composed, performed and titled for women who were “assaulted and then killed while running,” the eight selections represent Kopper’s intention “to fight death with music.” Her tragically essential battle is a magnificently dignified triumph.

Sleazy Season

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I resumed my work at KCUR several months ago with the primary intention of showcasing worthy artists deserving of wider recognition among the audience of the NPR affiliate. My new audio feature about the rap star SleazyWorld Go is precisely what I had in mind.

I’m proud of the piece, but I get the impression it’s been shunned by many of my associates in Kansas City’s music community. SleazyWorld Go’s success doesn’t fit the narrative embraced by many locally based scenemakers. The reasons are threefold.

First, his music is violent and subversive in a town that prefers comfort and comformity. Secondly, SleazyWorld Go bypassed the local circuit of clubs and promoters on his way to stardom. Ironically, the lack of fealty diminishes his appeal to the established powerbrokers.

And perhaps most significantly, his success proves that undeniable talent applied to a popular genre wins out. SleazyWorld Go’s example directly conflicts with the general consensus that only Kansas City’s geographic isolation prevents the world from discovering a scene that’s a musical Shangri-La.

As I’ve said countless times, just because something originates in Kansas City doesn’t mean it’s good. Of course, plenty of exceptional sounds are made by locally based musicians. Look no further than my recent KCUR features about Willi Carlisle and Mike Dillon. And I continue to document the town’s most important music at Plastic Sax. But until further notice, it’s Sleazy season.