Original image by There Stands the Glass.
Uninformed trash talk in the comment section of a radio station’s social media post about a local music venue irritated me last week. While I’m not free of bias, my longtime patronage of performances ranging from rap to opera makes me uniquely qualified to assess Kansas City’s live music landscape. Additional commendable spaces would obviously be included on an expanded list. The primary genres associated with each establishment are in parentheses.
1. Knuckleheads
Improbably transforming from a motorcycle repair shop into a sprawling music complex with four stages, Knuckleheads is the authentic roadhouse the House of Blues franchise pretends to be. (Blues, country, oldies.)
Kansas City’s most popular presenter of jazz features more than 70 hours of live music every week. The adjacent Black Dolphin and Orion Room supplement the primary stage. (Jazz.)
3. The Ship
The bohemian West Bottom establishment renowned for good vibes just added a larger stage to an upscale annex. (Soul, country, jazz.)
Kansas City doesn’t possess the natural splendor of cities like Denver and San Francisco, but the expansive al fresco amphitheater in Swope Park is very pretty. (Musicals and popular touring acts.)
5. recordBar
Every big city has a go-to rock club. An excellent sound system and loyal staff help make the downtown venue Kansas City’s top intimate room for touring bands and local rock-and-rollers. (Rock, hip-hop, pop.)
The absence of a Kansas City landmark on this list isn’t an oversight. Cowtown’s arts scene has its own version of the fable about the unclothed emperor. The Folly Theater has substantially better acoustics than the two halls of the more prestigious performing arts center. (Classical, jazz, oldies.)
The theater below the coffee shop is Kansas City’s finest listening room. There’s no need to go hungry or thirsty as music is played. Burgers and drinks are available in the adjacent tavern. (Jazz, poetry comedy.)
On its best nights, the venue operated by the American Jazz Museum offers the sounds and ambience that travelers from Europe and Asia hope to experience while visiting Kansas City. (Jazz, soul, blues.)
The authentic Kansas City- not the splashy metropolis depicted by tourism bureaus- is exemplified by the earthy roadhouse serving up savory barbecue and beer-soaked blues. (Blues.)
10. The Black Box
The flexible indoor/outdoor space in the West Bottoms is a relative newcomer to Kansas City’s live music scene. (Rock, hip-hop, jazz.)