Album Review: Zach Bryan- The Great American Bar Scene

The uninhibited behavior of a superfan captivated me at a Flatland Cavalry concert last month. Having previously worked out elaborate routines to the band’s repertoire, he acted out the lyrics to songs including "Sleeping Alone" with hand and body motions.

Like that earnest Flatland Cavalry fan, Zach Bryan has no use for irony. The star is as painfully sincere and unabashedly corny as he’s always been on the new album The Great American Bar Scene. Apparently, I’ve changed.

I’ve previously been disinterested in Bryan’s straightforward heartland rock. Yet The Great America Bar Scene’s recasting of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and John Mellencamp’s The Lonesome Jubilee won me over. Now please excuse me while I work on my routine for "American Nights". I pity everyone seated near me at Bryan’s two concerts at my local arena next month.

June 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Opéra national de Paris’ production of Gaspare Spontini’s La Vestale by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of June
1. Bilal- Live at Glasshaus
With Common, Robert Glasper, Burniss Travis and Questlove.

2. Linda Thompson- Proxy Music
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Nduduzo Makhathini- uNomkhubulwane
South African spiritual jazz.

4. Kaitlin Butts- Roadrunner!
Oklahoma!

5. Marsha Ambrosius- Casablanco
A chaotic pileup of jazz, hip-hop and R&B.

6. William Parker- Heart Trio
With Cooper-Moore and Hamid Drake.

7. Tarbaby- You Think This America
Orrin Evans, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits.

8. Rod Fleeman- Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3
Plastic Sax review.

9. Charli XCX- Brat: and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not
Impudent pop.

10. Peso Pluma- Éxodo
Extravagant excess.

The Top Ten Songs of June
1. Staples Jr. Singers- "I've Got a Feeling"
A good old feeling.

2. Menahan Street Band- "Tropical Man (TV Mix)"
My song of the summer.

3. Spice- "2085 Tea"
“Look back pon tings.”

4. Heems featuring Vijay Iyer and Sid Vashi- "Manto"
Partition blues.

5. Kaytranda featuring Channel Tres- "Drip Sweat"
Steam bath.

6. Nikka Costa- “Dance ‘N Forget”
She would die 4 U.

7. Leigh-Anne- "Nature"
U.K. pop reggae.

8. Val Fleury- "Technically"
Facts.

9. 42 Dugg featuring Sexyy Red- "N.P.O."
Ha ha!

10. Silverada- "Doing It Right"
She’s actin’ single, he’s drinkin’ doubles.

The Top Ten Performances of June
1. Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall
Plastic Sax review.

2. Nick Shoulders at Third Place Lounge
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Flatland Cavalry at Grinders KC
Instagram clip.

4. Adam Larson at the Blue Room
Plastic Sax review.

5. Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center
There Stands the Glass review.

6. Yo-Yo Ma at Parade Park
Instagram clip..

7. Deanna Ray Eberhart at Ward Parkway Presbyterian Church
Instagram clip.

8. Galaxxu and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.

9. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.

10. Yo-Yo Ma, Joel Thompson and Ralph Yarl at Helzberg Hall
Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

October 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Garsington Opera’s production of Gioachino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of October

1. Bad Bunny- Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana

Carpe diem.

2. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera

Spectral.

3. Gucci Mane- Breath of Fresh Air

Rap redemption.

4. John Scofield- Uncle John’s Band

How does the song go?

5. Fuerza Regida- Pa las Baby’s y Belikeada

Party central.

6. Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra- 

Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 2, 3, 12 & 13

The ponderous soul of Russia.

7. Ava Mendoza- Echolocation

My review.

8. Allison Miller- Rivers in Our Veins

Freewheeling jazz.

9. Nathan Davis- Neutral Buoyant

Psaltery.

10. Daniel Villarreal- Lados B

Raw grooves with Jeff Parker and Anna Butterss.

Top Ten Songs of October

1. Kali Uchis- "Te Mata"

Wayback machine #1.

2. Esperanza Spalding- "Não Ao Marco Temporal"

Wayback machine #2.

3. Holly Macve and Lana Del Rey- “Suburban House”

Cul-de-sac.

4. The Streets- “Gonna Hurt When This Is Over”

Such sublime sadness.

5. Danny Brown- "Tantor"

Chaos agent.

6. Ken Carson- "Jennifer's Body"

Tomorrow’s sounds today.

7. Tainy with J Balvin, Young Miko and Jowell & Randy- "Colmillo"

Everything at once.

8. Yebba- "Waterfall (I Adore You)"

Chasing.

9. Flatland Cavalry- "Spinnin'"

Heartsick honky tonk.

10. Drake- “IDGAF”

An extended ECM Records sample!

Top Ten Performances of October

1. Hilary Hahn at the Folly Theater

My review.

2. Thomas Rosenkranz at White Recital Hall

My review.

3. Samara Joy at the Folly Theater

My review.

4. Brent Cobb and Meg McRee and Knuckleheads

My review.

5. Alien Nosejob, Citric Dummies and CKrit at Howdy

My review.

6. Chamber Music Masterclass with Michael Stern at Helzberg Hall

My Instagram photo.

7. Stan Kessler, Brant Jester, Bob Bowman and Zach Morrow at the Blue Room

My Instagram clip.

8. Vintage Crop, Jackoffs and Konrad Hell and the Highwaters at Farewell

My review.

9. Carl Butler, Dennis LaFoon and Terry Hancock- Gospel Lounge at the Gospel Lounge

My Instagram clip.

10. Musica Sacra- Arrupe Hall at Rockhurst

My Instagram photo.

The previous monthly survey is here.

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.

Concert Review: Flatland Cavalry at The Truman

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Walking through the doors of The Truman on Friday, August 5, was like entering an alternate universe.  In this musical realm, terrestrial radio doesn’t exist, the Turnpike Troubadours are bigger than the Beatles and Tyler Childers is a more important poet than Bob Dylan.

The Kenny Chesney t-shirt worn by a woman enthusiastically buying Flatland Cavalry gear was the only glitch in the matrix.  Yet the six men in Flatland Cavalry and the youthful audience of almost 1,000 who purchased tickets at a median price of $27 aren’t judgemental elitists.

Even though it qualifies as a real-deal country band replete with a fiddler, the gimmick-free Flatland Cavalry can’t be bothered with stylistic divisions.  The band from Lubbock combines the sweet sentimentality of pop-country stars such as Luke Bryan with the rugged approach of Texas troubadours like Robert Earl Keen.

The twinkle in his eyes, his torn denim shirt and sketchy trash ’stache give front man Cleto Cordero a passing resemblance to the young John Prine.  His bandmates are equally charismatic.  Their 90-minute show was filled with stellar musicianship and engaging theatrics. 

Renditions of cult favorites including “Gettin’ By” were immensely satisfying.  Nevertheless, the band still lacks a definitive signature song.  That’s why the ecstatic response to an earnest cover of “Callin’ Baton Rouge” alarmed me.  Rather than compromising, I hope Flatland Cavalry simply waits for the real world to catch up with its excellence.