Black Crack Revue

The Top Fifty Performances of 2022

Original image of Blackstarkids by There Stands the Glass.

I’ve gone out to hear live music 123 times in 2022. I’m not done yet- I plan to hit a couple gigs this evening. Even without attending a single festival, I’ve taken in more than 225 performances this year. And yes, wise guys, I’ve been the oldest person in the room at a third of the shows listed below. You can’t blame a person for trying to make up for lost time. Unless indicated otherwise, the events took place in the Kansas City area.

1. Nduduzo Makhathini at the Blue Room

Review.

2. Joyce DiDonato at the Folly Theater

Review.

3. Little Joe y La Famalia at the Guadalupe Center

Review.

4. Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship

Review.

5. Blackstarkids at recordBar

Review.

6. Angela Winbush, Men at Large and Levelle at Juneteenth KC

Review.

7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Roseland Theater (Portland)

Review.

8. Samantha Ege at the Folly Theater

Review.

9. Sparks at the Crystal Ballroom (Portland)

Review.

10. Flatland Cavalry at the Truman

Review.


11. Daniil Trifonov at the Folly Theater

Review.

12. Lucibela at Old Church Concert Hall (Portland)

Review.

13. Show Me the Body, Soul Glo, Wifi Gawd, Ebony Tusks and Piss Kinks at recordBar

Review.

14. FKJ and Ohma at the Midland theater

Review.

15. Livia Nestrovski and Henrique Eisenmann at the 1900 Building

Review.

16. Salvation Choir at Theis Park

Review.

17. Algara, P.S.Y.W.A.R. and New Obsessions at Farewell

Review.

18. Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason at the Folly Theater

Instagram photo.

19. Animal Collective and Spirit of the Beehive at the Truman

Review.

20. Adam Larson, Clark Sommers and Dana Hall at Westport Coffee House

Review.

21. Porridge Radio and Blondshell at Doug Fir Lounge (Portland)

Instagram clip.

22. Black Crack Revue at Westport Coffee House

Review.

23. High Pulp at recordBar

Review.

24. Escuela Grind at Farewell

Review.

25. Phillip Greenlief, Midwestern and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Bushranger Records

Review.

26. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at recordBar

Review.

27. Terence Blanchard with Turtle Island Quartet at Atkins Auditorium

Review.

28. Arnold Young and the RoughTet at the Ship

Instagram clip.

29. Marin Alsop and Orchestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo at Helzberg Hall

Review.

30. John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett at the Uptown Theater

Review.


31. Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb at Second Presbyterian Church

Review.

32. Mspaint at Nightjar

Instagram clip.

33. Babehoven at Farewell KC

Instagram clip.

34. UMKC’s Conservatory’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” at White Recital Hall

Instagram photo.

35. Live Skull and Still Ill at recordBar

Review.

36. Crystal Gayle at Ameristar Casino

Review.

37. Evan Verploegh and Ben Baker at World Culture

Review.

38. Keefe Jackson, Jakob Heinemann and Adam Shead at Black Dolphin

Instagram photo.

39. Cuong Vu and Ted Poor at Jack London Revue (Portland)

Review.

40. Ozomatli at KC Live

Instagram clip.


41. Gorillaz and EarthGang at the Moda Center (Portland)

Review.

42. Escher String Quartet at Polsky Theatre

Review.

43. Damien Sneed at the Folly Theater

Review.

44. John Waite at Ranch Mart Shopping Center

Instagram clip.

45. William Baker Singers at Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral

Review.

46. Raven Chacon at Agnes Arts

Review.

47. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge

48. Ducks Ltd. at the Green House

Instagram clip.

49. Billy Cobham at Dolores Winningstad Theatre (Portland)

Review.

50. Roger Waters at the T-Mobile Center

Review.

August 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Detroit Opera’s 2022 production of Faust by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of August

1. Megan Thee Stallion- Traumazine

Obscenely fun.

2. Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation- How Good It Is

Rock of ages.

3. Julia Wolfe and Sō Percussion- Forbidden Love

The string quartet turned inside-out.

4. Mach-Hommy- Dollar Menu 4

Buffalo wings.

5. Barlast- Musik för scener

My review.

6. Larry June- Spaceships on the Blade

My review.

7. Danger Mouse and Black Thought- Cheat Codes

Swindled.

8. Second Nature Ensemble- Second Nature

My review.

9. Rod Wave- Beautiful Mind

So what if Post Malone fell off?

10. Al Foster- Reflections

A memento of a massive night I enjoyed in 2019.



Top Ten Songs of August

1. Ice Spice- "Munch (Feelin' U)"

Baddie.

2. Doechii with Rico Nasty- “Swamp B*tches”

Muggy.

3. Kevin Gates- "Major League"

All star.

4. DJ Khaled featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy- “God Did”

All is forgiven.

5. Blackstarkids- "Sex Appeal"

Magnetic.

6. Nicki Minaj- “Super Freaky Girl”

Street song.

7. Four Tet- "Mango Feedback"

Delicious.

8. Kiwi Jr.- "Parasite II"

“Someone down in the laundry room keeps shrinking all my shirts!”

9. Ronald Isley, the Isley Brothers and Beyoncé- “Make Me Say It Again, Girl”

Mr. Biggs and Queen B.

10. Jordan Davis- “Next Thing You Know”

I’m a sap.



Top Ten Concerts of August

1. Escuela Grind- Farewell

My review.

2. Flatland Cavalry- The Truman

My review.

3. Black Crack Revue- Westport Coffee House

My review.

4. Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb- Second Presbyterian Church

My review.

5. Escher String Quartet- Polsky Theatre

My review.

6. Evan Verplough and Ben Baker- World Culture KC

My review.

7. The Summer Singers of Kansas City & Orchestra’s “Elijah”- Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral

My review.

8. Making Movies- Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

My Instagram photo.

8. Jenna Bauer, Daniel Dissmore and Desmond Mason- The Market at Meadowbrook

My Instagram photo.

10. Morgan Faw and The Flame- The Blue Room

My Instagram clip.



Last month’s survey is here.