Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

WMM presents: Margaret Cho + FlareThaRebel + Brodie Rush & Cody Calhoun of An Evening of Pink Floyd

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
   [WMM’s theme]

2. Radkey – “Ready To Burn”
   from: “Ready To Burn” – Single / Little Man Records / May 22, 2026
   [To single from upcoming New Album Bedroom Sand to be released on July 14, 2026Radkey released the EP Victory on July 30, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025. // single “Falling Out of Grace” on October 24, 2025. Radkey released the single “Victory” on March 28, 2025. On September 23, 2022 Radkey released the single “Better Than This.” The band released “Games (Tonight)”: on January 28, 2022 on Little Man Records. Isaiah, Dee, and Solomon Radke of the critically acclaimed rock trio Radkey joined us live in our 90.1 FM studios on September 5, 2018. Radkey was formed in 2010 in St. Joseph, where the brothers were raised. The family moved to Kansas City. The band has released multiple full-length recordings. In 2021 Radkey was featured in Dave Grohl’s van-touring documentary film, WHAT DRIVES US. Radkey released GREEN ROOM on Little Man Records on November 27, 2020. On Green Room the band serve as their own producers. Radkey released DARK BLACK MAKE UP in 2015 and DELICIOUS ROCK NOISE in 2016 — plus multiple EPs and singles, and were part of a MasterCard advertising campaign on digital billboards in NYC along with a national television commercial that aired during the 2018 Grammy Awards that brought the band to the attention of Jack White who asked the band to tour with him. In 2018 the band went back on the road with The Damned throughout the United States. In December they went back into the studio to record with producer Bill Stevenson of the California punk rock group Descendents. In early 2019 they played shows in Amsterdam and Stockholm. In 2018 the band released “Basement,” “St. Elwood,” “Rock & Roll Homeschool,” as well as several other singles. On February 22, 2019, Radkey released “No Strange Cats…P.A.W.” a 7-song EP is essentially a collection of the band’s most recent singles. It comes after the January 11, 2019 release of No Strange cats…Spiders – EP a 6 song EP of several new songs mixed with several singles from late 2018.]

[Radkey plays Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., Lawrence, KS. On Friday, June 12, with Godzillionaire.]

3. Sweeping Promises – “Shooting Shadows”
   from: You Say I Romanticize / Feel It Records – Sub Pop / August 14, 2026
   [From bandcamp page: Sweeping Promises’ introduction to the global punk underground was their debut album, Hunger for a Way Out, one of the breakout successes in music during 2020’s pandemic lockdown. In 2023, they followed up with the acclaimed Good Living Is Coming for You, which made Album of the Year lists for Pitchfork, NPR, Paste, and BBC, just to name a few. The album found guitarist/producer Caufield Schnug and bassist/vocalist Lira Mondal testing the limits of their home-recording resourcefulness as freshly minted Kansans – new place, new space. Now, the band is back with a frenetic new offering: You Say I Romanticize. // Recorded over an 18-month period, largely prepared and periodically interrupted by Schnug’s non-SP production work, You Say I Romanticize is a tribute to the chaos of creation and collaboration under shifting circumstances. For years now, Schnug and Mondal have embedded themselves in their combination tour house and recording studio in Kansas, annually working on dozens of albums from other bands, hosting tour stops, planning shows, and the like. After an immersive process of tracking and whittling down YSIR demos and carving out an idiosyncratic chamber recording method for the album’s intentional wall-of-sound, the duo brought in touring drummer Spenser Gralla to play the songs like the band would on stage. // The album’s frenzied execution, akin to the group’s renowned live show, prevails most of all in Mondal’s vocals. Whereas previously, you might have heard a growl here and there on certain Sweeping Promises tracks, the band’s formidable singer shouts, roars, hits all sorts of tricky notes, and shreds her throat all over the record, notably on the pummeling opener “Shooting Shadows” and the smoldering “Cocoon.” // A shadow side exists along with Sweeping Promises’ love of their artistic community—borne of weirdos channeling their misfit status into vibrant art and punk rock music, often passing through the revolving door that is their home studio. You Say I Romanticize takes the art-by-any-means-necessary ethos Mondal and Schnug have developed over the years and turns the prompt upside-down, landing on a personality epidemic manifesting across all ten tracks. // A big theme of You Say I Romanticize is hinted at in its title. Taken from a lyric sung on driving album closer “Write Lightly”—a narrative about the importance of self-expression in writing being scrubbed away by “professional” concerns—many of the characters Mondal fleshed out here are outcasts, marginalized by society and morphed into longing fanatics. The personalities depicted on You Say I Romanticize are often writerly types; as writing is, by and large, an art of obsession. To wit, “Last Man,” by equal turns musically nervous and cathartic, loosely takes after Mary Shelley’s literary work of the same name, The Last Man—a dystopian 19th Century novel written in wake of a cholera outbreak. Similarly, “My Anchoress” resonantes in its portrayal of 15th Century author Julian of Norwich—centered around her enduring Revelations of Divine Love (one of the earliest English-written works by a woman), which details her eccentric, sensuous religious visions. // Sweeping Promises have long been progenitors of concept-forward art-punk music that is remarkably immediate and irresistible. For being largely about personalities boxed in by isolation, You Say I Romanticize is carried by an outright soaring energy. —Martin Douglas ]

[On September 9 through November 18 Sweeping Promises go on a 32 City U.S. Tour that include: St. Paul, Denver, and even Omaha, but not KC. Local promoters passed, because it’s not a tribute show.]

4. Til Willis & Erratic Cowboy – “Come Up High”
   from: Art, Luck and Architecture – EP / Til Willis / May 8, 2026
   [Til Willis on vocals & guitar; Bradley McKellip on guitar; Eric Binkley on bass; and Austin Sinkler on drums. With Randy Wills on Organ on December’s Clover and East Bijou. Recorded and Mixed by Randy Wills at Exceptions Studios (Topeka, KS). All songs written by Til Willis. (c) 2026 Lemon Zephyr Music BMI. // Til Willis & Erratic Cowboy released Glass Cactus on March 27, 2025 with Til Willis on vocals, guitar, percussion, mixing, & production; Bradley McKellip om guitars & lap steel; Eric Binkley on bass, and Austin Sinkler on grums with Nate Holt on keyboards for: Ten Miles of Days, Horizon, Smells Like Honey, Recovering Sunday; Chance Dibben on Sonic Manipulations on Homecoming, Recovering Sunday, Natural Law; and Steve Faceman on backup vocals on Lost. Recorded in The Barn in Tecumseh, Kansas. Mixed in The Cabin in Ouray, Colorado, and at 1509 Recording Service in Lawrence, Kansas. // Til Willis, born in the heat of 1980, has been making music for a long time. Currently, when not performing solo, he makes noise with Erratic Cowboy. The style of music is lyric driven rock, that draws influence from many sources. Some have described it as Tin-Roof-Rain-Water-Bop. Til has had the pleasure to have performed with Pete Seeger.]

5. youbet – “Ground Kiss”
   from: youbet / Hardly Art / May 1, 2026
   [From Bandcamp page: The best teachers never stop learning. They listen closely, stay curious, and let what they discover shape how they guide others. On their new self-titled album as youbet (due May 1st 2026, via Hardly Art), longtime music educators Nick Llobet (he/they) and Micah Prussack (she/her) proudly act as both explorer and guide, sharing three-dimensional musical sculptures so confidently and esoterically their own that they couldn’t have been released under any other name but youbet. Created in motion and shaped between long stretches of touring, the album reflects a moment of ecstatic possibility and grit. Both sharpened and expansive, youbet grows from the confines of home recording and “bedroom pop” into something sturdier, louder, and unmistakably their own. // “I myself am a constant student of life, of creating,” Llobet says. “I see people’s creative anxieties because I have lived them. It’s very therapeutic because I can tell that I’m giving people strong advice based on all my failures.” Llobet relocated to New York from Denver in 2013 and forged initial connections in the local scene, while creating youbet and writing two albums, but it wasn’t until meeting Prussack in 2022 that they discovered a different level of musical connection. When the duo started playing together, they quickly realized their uniquely shared musical language and eagerness to learn from everything, connecting over a vast array of musical influence and their own practice of teaching. “Early in our friendship, Nick and I were playing guitar in the park and we decided that the Beatles were so good because they learned how to play hundreds of songs together,” Prussack says. “So we began our quest to learn 1,000 songs. Nick started compiling a massive playlist called ‘Learn Me’ filled with music that we habitually study and generate new ideas from.”  // The duo began experimenting musically, and their subsequent year of touring led to a new, more refined sound. “We had a huge opportunity for reinvention,” Prussack says. “Nick will never play the chord that you expect, and is always pushing me outside of my creative box. Their compositions are so exciting to explore, and on tour we began to reconsider and transform the kernel of each song to match our new environment.” // That depth of surprise and expansive warmth radiates from album opener “Ground Kiss”, a late-night existential query written when Llobet found themselves adjusting to living alone after the end of an 11-year relationship. “The song represents an endless search for that something and the rebuilding that goes along with trial and failure,” they say. The song unites the spectrum between clouds of plucked Big Thief-esque glow and bursts of distorted frustration. To that end, youbet demonstrates Llobet and Prussack’s ability to weave beguiling musical and lyrical expression, pushing and pulling at the resulting mesh. // Developing their finely tuned fusion between complex musicality and deeply felt emotion required more than hoping inspiration would strike. Instead, the process of creating youbet involved countless hours of precise engineering, meticulous craft, and gritty dedication. The duo were consistently listening, learning, and writing. But that hard work boils down into every facet of their work, including bringing a set of dumbbells on tour so they could keep active and stay disciplined. For their part, Llobet sees the resulting album as a statement of that hard work and the opening of a new chapter. “It’s the beginning of a new era for youbet,” they say. “The band started as a sort of bedroom project for myself, but it has transformed into something expansive since working with Micah. It’s like we’re running a family business.” // The broiling “Undefined” draws from that personal soul-searching, a musical mosaic of life before and after a complicated breakup. Llobet first worked out the verses while waiting for a guitar student, a fitting backdrop for the song’s balance of wizardly art pop experimentalism and diligent power pop hookiness. Co-producers Katie Von Schleicher and Julian Fader help round out the mix, the former adding synth glisten and the latter a drum backbone hammered into place by Prussack’s bass. // The concussive “See Thru” rushes headlong through heavy alt rock chop, moments of gentler curve, and even bubbly electronics—a track Llobet notes began when they were toying with a Debussy piano part on guitar and then stamped in the harmonics and energy of Japanese hard rock band Boris. Elsewhere, “Receive” finds Llobet carving away at generational conflict, tethering propulsive bursts of guitar reverie with raw emotional vigor in the vein of Pile. “On the verse, the bass is playing variations on the vocal melody,” Prussack says. “Throughout the album, there’s unique interplay and variation that you can only get from a lot of hard work together.”// Echoing their strengths as educators, the ability to voraciously learn from a breadth of influences informs youbet—from the dizzying score to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo to dazzling flamenco—but their ability to recognize meaning beyond signposts and find connections to emotional experience pushes everything into a topographical realism. “Having respect for the canon doesn’t mean we’re ever limited by revivalism. There’s a whole universe of musical vocabulary that we can borrow from and translate into our language,” Prussack says. // That willingness to learn from the past while building the future is something tied deeply to the band’s New York City roots, with so many visionary artists having previously built new worlds within the city’s confines. “For years, I was too intimidated to step into the scene. It’s been such a breath of fresh air to build this new craft, this new philosophy of songwriting in a scene I respect and feel in community with,” says Llobet. / Compelling art requires an unimaginable burst of new life, a shift from two-dimensional ideas to viscous, sinewy reality. As much as the hard work bolsters the music, it’s truly the resounding spirit of Llobet and Prussack’s relationship at the core of youbet. “Micah has brought a lot of order to my chaotic neurodivergence,” Llobet reflects. “I consider her my musical confidant. She can be cleverly critical and extremely encouraging. She’s probably the most opinionated person I know. Together we build this musical balance.” What emerges is an album that doesn’t just break free of its former constraints, but reconfigures them into something sturdier: a collaborative language capable of holding contradiction, growth, and connection all at once.]

6. Yaya Bey – “Blue”
   from: Fidelty / drink sum wtr / April 17, 2026
   [When Queens-born Yaya Bey released her 3rd album, do it afraid, in 2025, she yearned to move past the topic of grief after feeling her work was increasingly viewed through the narrow lens of loss. That said, there was plenty to mourn, from the death of her father, the acclaimed Juice Crew MC, Grand Daddy I.U. as well as a creeping sense that a particular Black American experience, the one she grew up in, was disappearing. The week the album dropped, despite the critical acclaim, she found herself on the road in a Miami hotel room, crying uncontrollably. She wasn’t just tired, but also coming to the realization “there was no place for that grief to exist that would not become a spectacle. I had been holding it in. Maybe, to protect myself. Maybe to prove the onlookers wrong. Whatever the case, it was spilling over now.” // What Bey was pondering was “what part of that ache is specifically Black?” and clarity followed. Yaya quickly returned to the studio after last summer and crafted a new body of work, an album that works as an accomp-anying piece to do it afraid, called Fidelity, the result of that breaking point. It is a record born from a summer of reflection on what it means to be a Black artist when your grief becomes a commodity, another sob story for onlookers to feast upon. Fidelity is a bold step forward, and in this new act, Bey moves past the surface-level labels to examine what she calls the “Three Deaths”: the personal, the communal, and the loss of innocence. // The album confronts Personal Death through the passing of her father in 2022. Bey questions why the life expectancy of Black musicians is so short as we continue to lose consequential artists, only to receive their flowers too late, too far after the fact. “Why are we more interesting as ghosts?” she asks, looking at the mid-career mark where so many artists are left to die by a system that prioritizes the “shiny & new.” // On Fidelity, the social and the personal are inseparable. Bey explores the Death of Home & community, charting the displacement of native New Yorkers and the fracture of the Black diaspora. She critiques the rise of Black capitalism, or the “individualism and tribalism” that have replaced community solidarity. From the gentrifi-cation of her native Queens or Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy to the “diaspora wars” online, Bey navigates the ways we’ve been pulled apart, weaponizing our differences instead of addressing the collective ache of being “made new” in a world that demands our constant adaptation. // Finally, the record addresses the Death of Innocence—the crash back to reality for a generation raised on the empty promises of the 90s and Y2K eras. Bey reflects on the transition from the “Golden Era” of Black media to a landscape of global pandemics, state violence, and an industry that exploits and disposes of Black artists that were once held in high esteem. // The songs show-case Bey’s range as a performer from lead-off single “Blue” which opens like a breath of fresh air to the project. Yaya says: “Blue” is the first song I wrote for the album. I wrote it when I was rock bottom coming off the heels of do it afraid. When I realized I had to make a big shift mentally and emotionally or I was gonna drown. The production is really reminiscent of early 2000’s Pop/R&B like something red-haired Kelly Rowland would sing over on one of her solo projects. The nostalgia drew me to it. Almost like I’m coaching my young-er self through something. Which I guess ultimately I am.” // Equally bright & effusive, “Forty Days” glim-mers with clarity, a song with a heavy theme about a phase transfer that is unexpectedly buoyed with a Disco-Funk confidence. “There’s a belief that after a loved one dies you give them 40 days to pass over into the ancestral realm and that got me thinking about what is the time frame for the grieving to transition into a new life that is absent of the lost one’s physical presence. How do both accli-mate to new conditions of the relation-ship?” // Fellow Queens native NESTA drops in for “Egyptian Musk”, a surprise chance moment turning into a key moment in the album. “I ran into NESTA at an event the night before and invited him to a session. We had this really dreamy reggae track that sounds like something old with a fresh spin. I named it Egyptian Musk ‘cause it reminds me of the scent. Rich, sweet and comforting.” // The core of the album is indeed found in its title. For Bey, Fidelity is the ultimate Black skill. It is the ability to fall down and get back up, to be “religious-ly joyful” even while the world is on fire. It is a grand pivot away from a yearning for mainstream accessibi-lity, and toward a radical faithfulness to self and community. Fidelity is not just a foil to do it afraid; it’s a re-clamation. She puts it, the veil is lifting, the work is being done, she’s still here. Cheers to hers, & our fidelity.]

7. Lee Walter Redding – “It Should Be Ours” (CD #7) (4:02)
   from: “It Should Be Ours” – Single / Lee Walter Redding / February 4, 2025
   [Lee Walter Redding released the EP Student Loan Forgiveness Program – EP on July 18, 2025. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025. // Lee Walter Redding released the single “All My Text Messages Are Verification Codes” on July 11, 2025. Lee Walter Redding released the single “It Should Be Ours” on February 24, 2025. // On July 15, 2022 Lee Walter Redding released the EP live From The Argyle Wallpaper. Lee Walter Redding on vocals, guitar; Justin Rogers on bass; Andy Kirk on guitar/synth and Justin Skinner on drums. // Lee Walter Redding released “Elephant Man (feat. Stephonne)” on April 9, 2021. Lee told us that he learned about Stephonne Singleton from listening to Wednesday MidDay Medley and hearing Stephonne for the first time. WMM bringing musical collaborations together since 2004. // Kansas City based Lee Walter Redding was raised on 60s rock, steeped in 90s Britpop ennui, and guided by contemporary neo-soul, Lee Walter Redding weaves dry humor into vibrant sonic textures that sway from wistful to chaotic. Think 2010s Nick Lowe fronting The Velvet Underground. On warped vinyl. More info at: http://www.leewalterredding.bandcamp.com] [Lee Walter Redding was our guest on WMM on July 13, 2022]

10:24 – Underwriting

8. Black Light Animals – “sleeptalking”
   from: LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS / The Record Machine / March 28, 2025
   [Black Light Animals are: Cole Bales on lead vocals, background vocals, guitar, keyboards; Cody Calhoun on lead guitar & percussion; Branden Moser on bass, guitar, keyboards, drums & percussion; and Alex Hartmann on drums & percussion. All songs written and produced by Black Light Animals. Lyrics by Cole Bales, Cody Calhoun, Branden Moser. Mixed and engineered by Cole Bales. Mastered by Adam Boose. Featuring Nate Hubert on keyboards & background vocals; spoken word intro and outro by Jass. Seyko Groves & Paula Saunders on additional background vocals and vocal arrangements. Brett Jackson on saxophone. Recorded at Groove King Studios in KCMO. // Formed from the ashes of their last band, Instant Karma the new record contains lush pop vocals crooned over spaghetti western riffs, psychedelic synth, and hip hop drums. Playboys of the Western World is a sprawling, decadent examination of what it means to be a human being through the lens of horror movie organs, spaghetti western guitars, hip hop grooves, psychedelic sojourns, and ballads crooned to lovers in the night. More info at: http://www.blacklightanimalsband.bandcamp.com]

9. Be/Non – “Over The Moon”
   rom: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
   [Originally released May 12, 2009, A Mountain of Yeses was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album.]

10. Pink Floyd – “The Great Gig In The Sky”
    from: The Dark Side of the Moon / Capitol / March 1, 1973
    [Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), with David Gilmour (guitar, vocals). The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released March 1, 1973 by Capitol Records in the US, and March 16, 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK. Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of former band member Syd Barrett, who had departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. // The group employed multitrack recording, tape loops, and analogue synthesisers, including experimentation. The engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for many aspects of the recording, and for the recruitment of the session singer Clare Torry, who appears on “The Great Gig in the Sky”. // The Dark Side of the Moon explores themes such as conflict, greed, time, death, and mental illness. Snippets from interviews with the band’s road crew and others are featured alongside philosophical quotations. The sleeve, which depicts a prismatic spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson in response to the keyboardist Richard Wright’s request for a “simple and bold” design which would represent the band’s lighting and the album’s themes. // The Dark Side of the Moon has received widespread critical acclaim and is often featured in publication listings of the greatest albums of all time. It brought international fame and wealth to all four band members. As a blockbuster release of the album era, it also propelled record sales throughout the music industry during the 1970s. The Dark Side of the Moon is certified 14× platinum in the United Kingdom, and topped the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, where it has charted for 996 weeks. By 2013, The Dark Side of the Moon had sold over 45 million copies worldwide, making it the band’s best-selling release, the best-selling album of the 1970s, and the fourth-best-selling album in history. In 2012, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. // Waters conceived an album that dealt with things that “make people mad”, focusing on the pressures associated with the band’s arduous lifestyle, and dealing with the mental health problems suffered by the former band member Syd Barrett. // The band approved of Waters’ concept for an album unified by a single theme. Waters created demo tracks in a small studio in a garden shed at his home in Islington. Parts of the album were taken from previously unused material; the opening line of “Breathe” came from an earlier work by Waters and Ron Geesin, written for the soundtrack of The Body, and the basic structure of “Us and Them” was borrowed from an original composition, “The Violent Sequence”, by the keyboardist, Richard Wright, for Zabriskie Point. The band rehearsed at a warehouse in London owned by the Rolling Stones and at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London. They also purchased extra equipment, which included new speakers, a PA system, a 28-track mixing desk with a four channel quadraphonic output, and a custom-built lighting rig. Nine tonnes of kit was transported in three lorries. This would be the first time the band had taken an entire album on tour. // The album had been given the provisional title of Dark Side of the Moon (an allusion to lunacy, rather than astronomy). // Pink Floyd’s lengthy tour through Europe and North America gave them the opportunity to make improvements to the scale and quality of their performances. After more concerts in Europe and North America, the band returned to London on January 9, 1973 to complete the album. // Each side of the vinyl album is a continuous piece of music. The five tracks on each side reflect various stages of human life, beginning and ending with a heartbeat, exploring the nature of the human experience and, according to Waters, “empathy”. “Speak to Me” and “Breathe” together highlight the mundane and futile elements of life that accompany the ever-present threat of madness, and the importance of living one’s own life – “Don’t be afraid to care”. By shifting the scene to an airport, the synthesiser-driven instrumental “On the Run” evokes the stress and anxiety of modern travel, in particular Wright’s fear of flying. “Time” examines the manner in which its passage can control one’s life and offers a stark warning to those who remain focused on mundane pursuits; it is concluded with a retreat into solitude and withdrawal in the reprise of “Breathe”. The first side of the album ends with Wright and Clare Torry’s soulful metaphor for death, “The Great Gig in the Sky”. // “Money”, the first track on side two, opens with the sound of cash registers and rhythmically jingling coins. The song mocks greed and consumerism with sarcastic lyrics and cash-related sound effects. “Money” became the band’s most commercially successful track and was covered by other artists. “Us and Them” addresses the senseless nature of war, the ignorance of modern-day humans who have been taken over by materialism, and the isolation of the depressed with the use of simple dichotomies to describe personal relationships. “Any Colour You Like” tackles the illusion of choice one has in society. “Brain Damage” looks at mental illness resulting from the elevation of fame and success above the needs of the self; in particular, the line “and if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes” reflects the mental breakdown of Syd Barrett. The album ends with “Eclipse”, which espouses the concepts of otherness and unity while encouraging the listener to recognise the common traits shared by humanity. // The Dark Side of the Moon was recorded at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in approximately 60 days between May 31, 1972 and February 9, 1973. Pink Floyd were assigned staff engineer Alan Parsons, who had worked as the assistant tape operator on their fifth album, Atom Heart Mother (1970), and had gained experience as a recording engineer on the Beatles albums Abbey Road and Let It Be. // The Dark Side of the Moon sessions made use of advanced studio techniques, especially the Studer A80 16-track recorders, an appreciable advantage over the eight- or four-track recordings they’d previously made, although the band often used so many tracks that second-generation copies were still needed to make more space available on the tape. The mix supervisor Chris Thomas recalled later, “There were only two or three tracks of drums when we came to mixing it. Depending on the song, there would be one or two tracks of guitar, and these would include the solo and the rhythm guitar parts. One track for keyboard, one track for bass, and one or two sound effects tracks. They had been very, very efficient in the way they’d worked.” // “The Great Gig in the Sky” features Richard Wright’s piano composition accompanied by improvised vocals from Clare Torry, a session singer and songwriter and a regular at Abbey Road. Parsons liked her voice, and when the band decided to use a female vocalist he suggested that she could sing on the track. The band explained the album concept to her, but they were unable to tell her exactly what she should do, and Gilmour, who was in charge of the session, asked her to try to express emotions rather than sing words. In a few takes on a Sunday night, Torry improvised a wordless melody to accompany Wright’s emotive piano solo. She was initially embarrassed by her exuberance in the recording booth and wanted to apologize to the band, who were impressed with her performance but did not tell her so. Her takes were edited to produce the version used on the track. She left the studio under the impression that her vocals would not make the final cut, and she only became aware that she had been included in the final mix when she picked up the album at a local record store and saw her name in the credits. For her contribution she was paid her standard session fee of £30, equivalent to about £360 in 2025. // In 2004, Torry sued EMI and Pink Floyd for 50% of the songwriting royalties, arguing that her contribution to “The Great Gig in the Sky” was substantial enough to be considered co-authorship. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, with all post-2005 pressings crediting Wright and Torry jointly. // The Dark Side of the Moon became one of the best-selling albums of all time and is in the top 25 of a list of best-selling albums in the United States. Although it held the number one spot in the US for only a week, on the week of May 5, 2006 The Dark Side of the Moon achieved a combined total of 1,716 weeks on the Billboard 200 and Pop Catalog charts. // In 2007, one in every 14 people in the US under the age of 50 was estimated to have owned a copy.]

10:36 – Interview with Brodie Rush, Cody Calhoun, Liam Sumnich, Nate Hubert, and Tim Jenkins

Brodie Rush is a musician, songwriter, band leader, graphic artist, actor, father and survivor. He has served as the Director of Animation & Motion Graphics at Crush Media. He is the creative genius behind Be/Non, a Kansas City band that has been making music for over 25 years. In October 2019, Brodie Rush survived having an Aortic Dissection, and after being in a coma, and after months of therapy, recovery, and healing through two dangerous years of Covid-19, Brodie returned to the studio to create new music and bring Be/Non back to life on stage, after a six year hiatus. Brodie Rush is considered a musical genius from his musical peers, including Haymaker Records Founder – Brenton Cook and many area music radio DJs. Be/Non has continued to move the boundaries of music and performance with special live shows at the Scottish Rite Temple, creating film and video to be presented wit h lie concerts, opening for Thomas Dolby. In the summer of 2008 Brodie was part of a Kansas City Theatre production of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, produced at at the former La Esquina Gallery, where Brodie played the “psychologically disintegrating” character of Pink, the role Bob Geldof played in the 1982 Alan Parker film version

We came to know Cody Calhoun as lead guitarist for the Kansas City based band Instant Karma. Cody immediately charmed our radio listeners with his clever sense of humor, and impecable musical taste. When Instant Karma went through their identity shift and became Black Light Animals we all followed awith Cole Bales, Branden Moser. And now Nate Hubert and Liam Sumnicht . The band members have recorded and performed lives with fantastic collaborations with Jass, Seyko Groves, Paula Saunders and others. Through their own Groove King Studios in KCMO. // Black Light Animals debut album, Playboys of the Western World was their own sprawling, decadent examination of what it means to be a human being through the lens of horror movie, organs, spaghetti western guitars, hip hop grooves, psychedelic sojourns, and ballads crooned to lovers in the night. Last year Black Light Animals released LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS on The Record Machine on March 28, 2025. It was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2025.

Also with us are: Liam Sumnicht (Black Light Animals, Not A Planet), Nate Hubert (Black Light Animals), and Tim Jenkins (Ramona Clay).

These guys join us to share details about An Evening of Pink Floyd, Friday, May 29, doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm, at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO. The night will feature, The Dark Side of the Moon, performed in its entirety along with many more of Pink Floyd’s biggest hits and deep cuts. The band features some of Kansas City’s finest Rock, Soul, and Psychedelic musicians: Brodie Rush (Be/Non), Cody Calhoun (Black Light Animals), Liam Sumnicht (Black Light Animals, Not A Planet), Nate Hubert (Black Light Animals), SEYKO (The Freedom Affair and SUNU), and Tim Jenkins (Ramona Clay). With special guest performances by Aryana Nemanti and Michael Tipton (Found A Job, Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels) among others! For more information you can visit: https://warehouseonbroadway.com/

Brodie Rush, Cody Calhoun, Liam Sumnich, Nate Hubert, and Tim Jenkins thank you for being with us on WMM. An Evening of Pink Floyd, Friday, May 29, doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm, at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO.

The night will feature, The Dark Side of the Moon, performed in its entirety along with many more of Pink Floyd’s biggest hits and deep cuts.

Pink Floyd:
Nick Mason (drums)
Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals)
Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals),
David Gilmour (guitar, vocals).

The band features some of Kansas City’s finest Rock, Soul, and Psychedelic musicians:
Brodie Rush (Be/Non) – bass & Vocals
Cody Calhoun (Black Light Animals) – Guitar
Liam Sumnicht (Black Light Animals, Not A Planet) – Drums & vocals
Nate Hubert (Black Light Animals) – Keyboards & Vocals
SEYKO (The Freedom Affair and SUNU) – Vocals
Tim Jenkins (Ramona Clay) – Guitar

With special guest performances by Aryana Nemanti and Michael Tipton (Found A Job, Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels) among others!

For more information you can visit: https://warehouseonbroadway.com/

The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released March 1, 1973 by Capitol Records in the US, and March 16, 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK.

Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of former band member Syd Barrett, who had departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The group employed multitrack recording, tape loops, and analogue synthesizers, including experimentation.

The engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for many aspects of the recording, and for the recruitment of the session singer Clare Torry, who appears on “The Great Gig in the Sky”.

The Dark Side of the Moon explores themes such as conflict, greed, time, death, and mental illness. Snippets from interviews with the band’s road crew and others are featured alongside philosophical quotations.

10:46

11. Pink Floyd – “Breathe (In the Air)”
    from: The Dark Side of the Moon / Capitol / March 1, 1973
    [Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), with David Gilmour (guitar, vocals). The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released March 1, 1973 by Capitol Records in the US, and March 16, 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK. Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of former band member Syd Barrett, who had departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road) in London.]

10:49 – More Interview with Brodie Rush, Cody Calhoun, Liam Sumnich, Nate Hubert, Tim Jenkins

Brodie Rush & Cody Calhoun & Company join us to share details about An Evening of Pink Floyd, Friday, May 29, doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm, at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO. The night will feature, The Dark Side of the Moon, performed in its entirety along with many more of Pink Floyd’s biggest hits and deep cuts. The band features some of Kansas City’s finest Rock, Soul, and Psychedelic musicians: Brodie Rush (Be/Non), Cody Calhoun (Black Light Animals), Liam Sumnicht (Black Light Animals, Not A Planet), Nate Hubert (Black Light Animals), SEYKO (The Freedom Affair and SUNU), and Tim Jenkins (Ramona Clay). With special guest performances by Aryana Nemanti and Michael Tipton (Found A Job, Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels) among others! For more information you can visit: https://warehouseonbroadway.com/

Brodie Rush & Cody Calhoun, thank you for being with us on WMM

The sleeve, which depicts a prismatic spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson in response to the keyboardist Richard Wright’s request for a “simple and bold” design which would represent the band’s lighting and the album’s themes.

The Dark Side of the Moon has received widespread critical acclaim and is often featured in publication listings of the greatest albums of all time. It brought international fame and wealth to all four band members. As a blockbuster release of the album era, it also propelled record sales throughout the music industry during the 1970s.

The Dark Side of the Moon is certified 14× platinum in the United Kingdom, and topped the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, where it has charted for 996 weeks.

By 2013, The Dark Side of the Moon had sold over 45 million copies worldwide, making it the band’s best-selling release, the best-selling album of the 1970s, and the fourth-best-selling album in history.

In 2012, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

An Evening of Pink Floyd, Friday, May 29, doors at 8:00pm, at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO. The night will feature, The Dark Side of the Moon, performed in its entirety along with many more of Pink Floyd’s biggest hits and deep cuts. The band features some of Kansas City’s finest Rock, Soul, and Psychedelic musicians: Brodie Rush (Be/Non), Cody Calhoun (Black Light Animals), Liam Sumnicht (Black Light Animals, Not A Planet), Nate Hubert (Black Light Animals), SEYKO (The Freedom Affair and SUNU), and Tim Jenkins (Ramona Clay). With special guest performances by Aryana Nemanti and Michael Tipton (Found A Job, Michael Tipton & The Scoundrels) among others! For more information you can visit: https://warehouseonbroadway.com/

Brodie Rush, Cody Calhoun, Liam Sumnich, Nate Hubert, Tim Jenkins thank you for being with us on WMM – An Evening of Pink Floyd, Friday, May 29, doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm, at Warehouse On Broadway, 3951 Broadway, KCMO. For info you can visit: https://warehouseonbroadway.com/

10:58

12. Pink Floyd – “Eclipse”
    rom: The Dark Side of the Moon / Capitol / March 1, 1973
    [Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals), with David Gilmour (guitar, vocals). The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released March 1, 1973 by Capitol Records in the US, and March 16, 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK. Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of former band member Syd Barrett, who had departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road) in London.

13. Be/Non – “Journey”
    from: A Valley of No: The Alternative A Mountain of Yeses / Haymaker Records / Apr. 8, 2020
    [Originally released May 12, 2009, A Mountain of Yeses was made by: Brodie Rush on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards; Ben Ruth on bass guitar; Ryan Shank on drums & percussion, and Jeremiah James on guitar, Moog & Vocals. Brodie writes: “This album is a journey into the sculpting process of creating “A Mountain of Yeses”. In contrast to the original release, this compilation contains alternate mixes, isolated tracks and demo versions. Be/Non presents a bizarro-like version of the AMOY album, showing an alternate universe what could have been if the creation of the album went on a divergent path. Behold the paradoxical serendipity of Be/Non’s unique take on constructing a space-themed story/album.]

11:00 – Station ID

14. FlareThaRebel – “Dear City”
    from: Dear City / Shafer Publishing / May 1, 2026
    [Amplifying the tension between having love for one’s city while not dismissing its inequities, Dear City is a lyrical reflection of truth-telling and hometown pride. The album highlights commonalities experienced by many urbanites regardless of where they call home.  // In the weeks leading up to the album release concert, Flare has been releasing music video reels on social media featuring snippets of the new songs from Dear City. Filmed by Flaming Heart Productions, each reel features only the first verse or at most the first verse and chorus of each song, giving fans a taste of what’s to come and building hype for the album’s release. // Elevating the concoction further, Flare collaborated with bar owner, Bryan Ari, to film the music video reel of “Mixology” at Fern Bar. Flare turned the filming into a “fishbowl experience” inviting guests to watch him create the reel live while sipping cocktails of their own. Flare landed the scene, which involved rapping while mixing a cocktail and flaming an orange rind a precise moment within the song’s verse. The outcome? Confidently smooth – after about six takes and some hands-on coaching from Bryan Ari.// Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. ]

[FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO with\Kadesh Flow and True Lions.]

11:02:30 – Interview with FlareThaRebel

FlareThaRebel returns to Wednesday MidDay Medley to share details about his new, epic full length album, DEAR CITY that was released May 1, 2026. Dear City is an incredible testimony of life as an artist in Kansas City making Hip Hop music. Dear City features 12 tracks with guest appearances from Jazlyn, Kemet Coleman, Ryan Marquez, Edie Moore, Kadesh Flow, The Epitome, The Royal Chief, Shay Lyriq, Joey Cool, and Paula Sunders, Shon Ruffin and SEYKO of The Freedom Affair. FlareThaRebel has just returned from special performance in Ireland with Kemet Coleman and Kadesh Flow. FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8, on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd, KCMO, with Kadesh Flow and True Lions. FlareThaRebel is also known as Jeff Shafer who serves as Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC. More info at: http://www.cityyear.org

FlareThaRebel, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

FlareThaRebel has just returned from special performance in Ireland with Kemet Coleman and Kadesh Flow.

FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8, on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd, KCMO, with Kadesh Flow and True Lions.

DEAR CITY that was released May 1, 2026. Dear City is an incredible testimony of life as an artist in Kansas City making Hip Hop music. Dear City features 12 tracks with guest appearances from Jazlyn, Kemet Coleman, Ryan Marquez, Edie Moore, Kadesh Flow, The Epitome, The Royal Chief, Shay Lyriq, Joey Cool, and Paula Sunders, Shon Ruffin and SEYKO of The Freedom Affai

Career and love brought hip-hop MC FlareThaRebel back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, FlareThaRebel made quite an impact on the KC hip-hop scene.

After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”.

FlareThaRebel last joined us on WMM on February 11, 20926 to talk about Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month.

Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This job brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director.

11:11

15. FlareThaRebel – “A City Called Killah (Remix)”
    from: Dear City / Shafer Publishing / May 1, 2026
    [Amplifying the tension between having love for one’s city while not dismissing its inequities, Dear City is a lyrical reflection of truth-telling and hometown pride. The album highlights commonalities experienced by many urbanites regardless of where they call home.  // In the weeks leading up to the album release concert, Flare has been releasing music video reels on social media featuring snippets of the new songs from Dear City. Filmed by Flaming Heart Productions, each reel features only the first verse or at most the first verse and chorus of each song, giving fans a taste of what’s to come and building hype for the album’s release. // Elevating the concoction further, Flare collaborated with bar owner, Bryan Ari, to film the music video reel of “Mixology” at Fern Bar. Flare turned the filming into a “fishbowl experience” inviting guests to watch him create the reel live while sipping cocktails of their own. Flare landed the scene, which involved rapping while mixing a cocktail and flaming an orange rind a precise moment within the song’s verse. The outcome? Confidently smooth – after about six takes and some hands-on coaching from Bryan Ari.// Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. ]

[FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO with\Kadesh Flow and True Lions.]

11:14 – More Interview with FlareThaRebel

FlareThaRebel returns to Wednesday MidDay Medley to share details about his new, epic full length album, DEAR CITY that was released May 1, 2026. Dear City is an incredible testimony of life as an artist in Kansas City making Hip Hop music. Dear City features 12 tracks with guest appearances from Jazlyn, Kemet Coleman, Ryan Marquez, Edie Moore, Kadesh Flow, The Epitome, The Royal Chief, Shay Lyriq, Joey Cool, and Paula Sunders, Shon Ruffin and SEYKO of The Freedom Affair. FlareThaRebel has just returned from special performance in Ireland with Kemet Coleman and Kadesh Flow. FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8, on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd, KCMO, with Kadesh Flow and True Lions. FlareThaRebel is also known as Jeff Shafer who serves as Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC. More info at: http://www.cityyear.org

FlareThaRebel, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. FlareThaRebel is also known as Jeff Shafer who serves as Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC. More info at: http://www.cityyear.org

The DEAR CITY album was connected to DEAR CITY Reels – filmed by Lava Dreams, Directed by FlareThaRebel. Each Reel showcases verses and chorus of songs from DEAR CITY album.

Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate.

FlareTheRebel wants to encourage Kansas City to form a music office of MUSIC OFFICE AND MEETING IN OCTOBER WITH DALLAS MUSIC OFFICE

Flare’s brother Sike is known for his pristine community murals’s located all over Kansas City. Sike’s time at Recycled Sounds was memorable for Jeff as a young kid and as he developed into a DJ and graphic designer and got heavily into the scene with The Guild, CES Cru, Sounds Good, Brother of Moses, etc. This influenced Jeff and Anti-Crew to start releasing music and performing as well.

Many of Flare’s songs are connected to his Art to Empower initiative, raising awareness and funds for a variety of social justice causes and nonprofits, such as his Royalty EP poster designed by muralists JT Daniels, which raises funds for the Equal Justice Initiative. Flare’s Art to Empower initiative, and about merchandise that was designed by your brother muralist Sike Style to raise funds and awareness for BLOC (Brothers Liberating our Communities).

As Flare explains, in our country Black men are being mistreated, demonized, killed, and not given the same structures that they need to be successful.

Flare writes: “We have to pull together ourselves as a community,… that’s something that I’m very passionate about. I can’t just talk about it. I got to walk the walk and, if I can use art to promote and raise funds for nonprofits and social justice causes that are making difference on the front lines, then that’s what I want to do.”

“You can’t do this without being empathetic, in my opinion,” Flare concurs. “I might be bringing up topics that are hard for people to swallow, but I hope I do so in a way that’s still motivating. Music is supposed to make you feel an emotion and hopefully, the emotion that people feel from this music is motivation to make a change, to make a stand, or–at the very least–to educate themselves about the realities of our country.”

“I’m motivated by my ancestors,” states Flare emphatically. “I’m motivated by the revolutionaries and civil rights activists that have come before me and I’m motivated by the ones that exist today. I’m learning from them and when I’m creating art, I’m interweaving what I’ve learned from them into what I’m addressing. It was a way to create a lyrical pro-Black narrative that I felt was very relevant.”

Flare Tha Rebel & Bob Pulliam joined us live in our 90.1 FM studios on August 11, 2021. the year his EP, THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE HASHTAGGED, was released (on July 9, 2021). This was the 50th anniversary of Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”

FlareThaRebel thanks for being with us on WMM

FlareThaRebel hosts Music Maker Mondays presented by Manor Records Foundation, & Brewery Emperial on the First Monday of every month, 5:00pm-7:00pm (through August) at Brewery Emperial, 1829 Oak St. KCMO, to provide local music makers of all types – any genre, a laid-back, non-gig environment to connect, organize, and build community through a new monthly happy hour occurring on the first Monday of each month

11:22

16. FlareThaRebel – “Powder Blue”
    from: Dear City / Shafer Publishing / May 1, 2026
    [Amplifying the tension between having love for one’s city while not dismissing its inequities, Dear City is a lyrical reflection of truth-telling and hometown pride. The album highlights commonalities experienced by many urbanites regardless of where they call home.  // In the weeks leading up to the album release concert, Flare has been releasing music video reels on social media featuring snippets of the new songs from Dear City. Filmed by Flaming Heart Productions, each reel features only the first verse or at most the first verse and chorus of each song, giving fans a taste of what’s to come and building hype for the album’s release. // Elevating the concoction further, Flare collaborated with bar owner, Bryan Ari, to film the music video reel of “Mixology” at Fern Bar. Flare turned the filming into a “fishbowl experience” inviting guests to watch him create the reel live while sipping cocktails of their own. Flare landed the scene, which involved rapping while mixing a cocktail and flaming an orange rind a precise moment within the song’s verse. The outcome? Confidently smooth – after about six takes and some hands-on coaching from Bryan Ari.// Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. ]

[FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO with\Kadesh Flow and True Lions.]

11:28 – Underwriting

17. Margaret Cho – “Lucky Gift”
    from: Lucky Gift / Clownery Records / February 14, 2025
    [Margaret Cho’s 3rd music album. She released In Transistion in 2013, and American Myth in 2016. // Produced and co-written with Garrison Starr and Roger Rocha. Acoustic Guitar Garrison Starr and Margaret Cho. Backround Vocals Kate Willett. // Stef Rubino, Feb 18, 2025, http://www.autostraddle.com – In her over 30-year queer career, Margaret Cho has managed to leave her mark on just about every mainstream creative endeavor we have available to us as artists. Since beginning her career as a stand-up comedian in the early 1990s, Cho has grown to be one of our most prolific multi-hyphenate artists, constantly working across genres and willing to share her creative pursuits with her fans and the general public. Over the last 30 years, she’s gone on several comedy tours and recorded many comedy specials and albums; she’s been in films and on TV; she’s co-produced podcasts, written books, and recorded and written her own music. She has also collaborated with other musicians like Fiona Apple, Grant Lee Phillips, Ben Lee, Andrew Bird, Ani DiFranco, Tegan and Sara, and Patty Griffin. // Her first two albums of original songs, Cho Dependent and American Myth, were released to critical acclaim in 2010 and 2016 with the former earning her a Grammy nomination in 2011 for Best Comedy Album. Both of those albums featured Cho’s signature style of finding ways to laugh at the more traumatizing aspects of her life while also finding new phenomena to poke fun at and lambast a little, hence being labelled as musical comedy albums. After a nearly nine year hiatus from music production, she released her newest album Lucky Gift last week on Valentine’s Day. // Cho, a self-proclaimed music lover, collaborated with musicians Roger Rocha and Garrison Starr to both write most of the tracks and produce and compose the album, which is less comedia than the previous two albums and more of an interesting examination of the last few years of Cho’s life, her personal losses, the political atmosphere in the U.S., and the kinds of music that move her the most. // The album’s opening title track, “Lucky Gift,” is undoubtedly the biggest song on the record in terms of composition and the places Cho has to take her voice in order to match the power-pop energy of the fast-paced drums, stomping electric acoustic guitar and double-neck mandolin, and celebratory background harmonies. Although the song is brand new, its structure, rises and falls, and ever-present tambourine feel especially reminiscent of late-1990s and early-2000s pop hits. In it, Cho sings to her lover, “Thought I’d lose you but I haven’t  / The worst thing I been through never happened / I could look at you and live / You are such a lucky gift.” // Then, in what feels like one of the hallmark qualities of Cho’s sense of humor, just a few songs later, we get this one’s companion in “90s Sisyphus,” a song about breaking up with the lover in “Lucky Gift.” The composition of “90s Sisyphus” feels equally nostalgic, only its led by the fuzzy power chords of an electric guitar and punchy drums with a jangly, gleaming synthesizer just above it, all rounding out the late-1990s rom-com feel of the song. Whereas “Lucky Gift” was an ode to new love, “90s Sisyphus” gives us her feelings after the fall: “You got me so unbound / And I hate you now / Love’s most bitter refrain / Spit it up and taste it again.” / Two tracks on the album, “Funny Man” and “Baked Bread,” serve as informal eulogies for two of Cho’s friends who passed away since the recording and release of her last album. The first, “Funny Man,” is a crisp, percussive piano- and horn-section-driven track about the late, great Robin Williams and the difficulty of being the kind of comedian who uses humor as a coping mechanism for the trauma they’ve experienced, Cho singing at the chorus, “Weren’t we lonely / Weren’t we sad / Weren’t we beautiful / Weren’t we bad.” “Baked Bread” was written to honor Cho’s friend Gerri Lawlor, and its composition plays with the conventions of both pop-rock and country through its thumping bassline and twangy guitar hooks. This song is not quite as straightforward as “Funny Man” is. Instead, it is imbued in metaphor and what seems like very personal recollections of Cho’s life with Lawlor. That doesn’t make it difficult to listen to by any means, but it does feel a little less accessible than many of the other tracks on the album. // Another pair of tracks, “Wheels of Gold” and “Melinda,” address Cho’s 10-year struggle to finally get sober from opiate addiction, though the positionalities of the speaker on both of the tracks are completely different, with “Wheels of Gold” focusing on the feelings of being “in love” with drugs while “Melinda” sets its sights on the experience of recovery. The compositions of each track also help set the tone for their speakers: “Wheels of Gold” rivals that of “Lucky Gift” with the soaring orchestral swell of the electric organ leading the track whereas “Melinda” is much more lowkey, instead featuring slow, glassy acoustic guitars and some subtlely emotive violin. // Being that the long-out Cho has always fearlessly and publicly stood up for queer and trans people, it’s no surprise there’s a track on the album written specifically for queer and trans youth and dedicated to Nex Benedict. Through brightly composed acoustic guitars and glittering keyboards, Cho delivers an uncomplicated anthem for queer and trans youth reminding them that they’re free to be who they are even if the world tells them they’re wrong. Cho sings, “All I know is I’ve had enough / So I’m sending this message up / And you can be you / You can be you / You can be you / And that’s what’s true.” In a recent interview about the album, Cho said “You Can Be You” is one of her favorite tracks on the album explaining that “it’s an opportunity to establish a ‘queer elder’ understanding and a relationship to the younger community.” // While her first two music albums take the opportunity to incorporate more of Cho’s humor, Lucky Gift is an album of serious writing and musical composition that occasionally has some glimmers of Cho’s humor poking through. Although it is starkly different from a lot of the work she’s done, the album serves as yet another example of Cho’s talent. Where many artists this far into their careers might feel comfortable resting on the signatures and routines they’ve built, Cho proves once again that she’s consistently and successfully evolving, not just to keep up with the times but to show how vital it is to keep uncovering new parts of yourself as time goes on. In that way, Lucky Gift is just helping us get to know Cho in a completely different way than we’re used to and is a fun, welcome addition to Cho’s incredible repertoire.

[Margaret Cho brings her new show, “Choligarchy” to The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th, KCMO, on Saturday, June 16, at 7:30pm. ]

11:33 – Interview with Margaret Cho

Comedian. Actor. Musician. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Artist. Margaret Cho is smart, she’s funny, she’s courageous, she’s outrageous, she’s charming, she’s provocative, she’s fearless, she’s raw, she’s honest, she roots for the underdog. She is the underdog. Margaret Cho the five-time Grammy and Emmy nominated comedian-actress was recently included in VOGUE Magazine’s “9 best female comedians of all-time’ alongside Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner and Wanda Sykes. Margaret Cho is the author of two memoirs, has done 12 national comedy tours including “True Colors” with Cyndi Lauper. Margaret has been in 48 films, including Fire Island, a portrayal of the LGBTQ Asian American experience on Fire Island. She has been in 72 television shows, including 19 episodes of All American Girl, 72 episodes of Drop Dead Diva, 21 episodes of Fashion Police with Joan Rivers, and 3 episodes of 30 Rock, where her portrayal of Kim Jong II was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Margaret Cho has also created 8 television comedy specials, recorded 9 comedy albums, 3 full length musical albums, 11 musical singles and 23 music videos. Margaret Cho was the recipient of the Victory Fund’s Leadership Award, the first-ever Best Comedy Performance Award at the Asian Excellence Awards, the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California, and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women (NOW). She has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force(NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), PFLAG, She Rocks Awards and LA Pride.

Margaret Cho brings her new “blistering and brutally honest” show, “Choligarchy” to The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th, KCMO, on Saturday, June 16, at 7:30pm. For more information you can visit: http://www.follytheater.org

Margaret Cho Thanks for being with us on WMM

First off – We LOVE Margaret Cho! Her stand up shows have made me laugh so hard we’ve cried. Mark writes, “as a queer person living I the United States her performance work has made her a hero to me and the queer people everywhere.”

We just played “Lucky Gift,” the title track for Margaret’s last music full length release. She worked with Garrison Starr in writing and producing. This is Margaret’s power pop anthem and the first song she wrote on her mandotar (a double neck mandolin-guitar).She writes, “It is giving gay pop in the best way and it’s my favorite song I’ve ever written.”

Margaret will be participating in the Jillith Fair Tribute concerts for Jill Sobule.

David Bowie is a big influence to Margaret.

Margaret was born and raised in San Francisco, an experience that helped to shape her worldview. She knew she was funny enough to try stand-up at age 14. Soon after, Margaret won a contest to open for Jerry Seinfeld, prompting a move to Los Angeles and work on the college comedy circuit. She performed over 300 concerts within two years. Arsenio Hall introduced her to late night audiences, Bob Hope put her on a prime time special and justlikethat, Margaret Cho became a household name

Cho was born on December 5, 1968, to a family of Korean descent. Her paternal grandfather Myung-sook Cho, a Christian minister, worked for the Japanese as a station master during their occupation of Korea. When Japan withdrew from Korea at the end of World War II, he was denounced as a chinilpa, a traitor, by North Korea and forced to move with his family, including his son, Margaret’s father Seung-hoon Cho, to South Korea. During the Korean War, Myung-sook ran an orphanage in Seoul.

According to Margaret, she was raised in “a very Christian family.” Cho grew up in a racially diverse neighborhood near the Ocean Beach section of San Francisco, which she described as “old hippies, ex-druggies, burn-outs from the 1960s, drag queens, Chinese people and Koreans. To say it was a melting pot – that’s the least of it. It was a really confusing, enlightening, wonderful time.” Cho’s parents, Young-Hie and Seung-Hoon Cho, ran Paperback Traffic, a bookstore on Polk Street at California Street in San Francisco. Her father writes joke books and a newspaper column published in Seoul, South Korea.

At school, Cho was bullied, saying that “I was hurt because I was different and so sharing my experience of being beaten and hated and called fat and queer and foreign and perverse and gluttonous and lazy and filthy and dishonest and yet all the while remaining invisible heals me, and heals others when they hear it – those who are suffering right now.”

Choligarchy continues Margaret’s mission of speaking truth to power. We are living in such crazy times, when reality is seemling so absurd already, is it harder to find the jokes?

“My new show Choligarchy is bringing me back to my roots as a political comedian. I’m so frustrated with the state of the union and I know the only weapon I have is humor. We are being taken over by the richest people in the world but the one thing they cannot afford is jokes at their expense. I want to fight fascism with everything I have. This will be my most blistering and brutally honest show yet! Let’s tear down racism, homophobia and sexism with all that we have. We have to fight for what we have now, because if we wait any longer, it might be too late to save ourselves” says Margaret.

Cho goes on to share –“Not only do we need more than impeachment. We need a full cabinet removal. Gavin Newsom has to go in with California Closets and redo the whole thing.”

“I will fight Kristi Noem at the med spa of her choosing. We would both have to dissolve our filler beforehand to ensure a fair fight.”

Margaret Cho writes a joke everyday.

Margaret started doing television when she was 24

Margaret is in Gregg Araki’s next film, “I Want Your Sex” w/ Olivia Wilde & Charli XCX

Margaret is featured alongside Sandra Bernhard & Kristen Schaal in Disney’s season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”

Like other comedians of the time, she was soon offered a network show. Her groundbreaking ABC sitcom, All-American Girl premiered in 1994, and while producers said they wanted to work with her because she was a non-conformist Korean American woman with liberal views, they also wanted her to tone it down for television. “For fear of being too “ethnic,” the show got so watered down that by the end, it was completely lacking in the essence of what I wanted to accomplish.”

In 1999, her groundbreaking Off-Broadway one-woman show, I’m The One That I Want, toured to national acclaim and was turned into both a best-selling book and feature film of the same name. After her experience with All-American Girl, Margaret made sure she would only have to answer to herself, staying in charge of the distribution and sales of her film, an unusual move at the time. In 2001, Margaret launched Notorious C.H.O., a smash-hit 37-city national tour that culminated in a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. 

In 2003, Margaret began her 3rd sold-out national tour, Revolution, heralded as “Her strongest show yet” by Chicago Sun Times and earning her a Grammy nomination for Comedy Album of the Year. In 2005, she released the live comedy film Assassin, which premiered in select theatres and on the LGBT premium channel, Here! TV.

Margaret returned to television in 2008 with the VH1 series, The Cho Show. Describing it as a ‘reality sitcom,’ Margaret said at the time, “It’s the closest I’ve been able to come to what I do as a comic on TV.” The aptly titled Beautiful tour followed, exploring the good, bad and ugly in the world of beauty and the marketers who try to shape our world-view. 

In 2009, Margaret nabbed a co-starring role in the dramedy series Drop Dead Diva, which aired for six seasons on Lifetime. Margaret memorably participated in 2010’s Season 11 of Dancing with the Stars, performing a dance number in a gay-pride-supporting rainbow dress during a time when there was a rise in suicides among gay youth due to bullying. 

2010 culminated in another high, a second Comedy Album of the Year Grammy Award nomination for Cho Dependent, her incredibly funny music album. Featuring collaborations with Fiona Apple, Andrew Bird, Grant Lee Phillips, Tegan & Sara, Ben Lee and more, the album received critical acclaim, not only for the topics tackled, but also for Margaret’s musicianship. In 2011, Margaret released the live concert film of Cho Dependent, shot at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA.

Margaret spent whatever free time she had crafting a new stand-up show, MOTHER, which she took across America and Europe in 2012. According to Margaret, “MOTHER offered an untraditional look at motherhood and how we view maternal figures and strong women in queer culture.”

Margaret’s creative side moved full speed ahead with an Outstanding Guest Actress Emmy nomination for playing Kim Jong II on 30 Rock. 2015 also brought Margaret back to the stand-up stage, where she filmed PSYCHO at the historic Gramercy Theatre in NYC

Margaret put out her second studio album, American Myth, in 2016 on her Clownery label, earning her a third Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics, calling her “the sort of funny, sex-positive feminist and LGBT activist younger comics continue to look up to.” 

Her 2018 Fresh off the Bloat tour was shuttered by Covid, but as soon as she was able to get back out on stage, she did. Margaret kicked off 2019 as the Poodle on the first season of The Masked Singer on FOX, appeared in an episode Law & Order: SVU and was in an episode of HBO’s critically acclaimed series High Maintenance. In 2020, Margaret appeared in three films –Faith Based, also starring Seinfeldalum Jason Alexander, Friendsgiving, with Kat Dennings and Malin Akerman, and in Netflix’s first major animated film, the acclaimed Over the Moon.

In June of 2021, Netflix released the hit rom-com Good on Paper, starring Iliza Shlesinger with Margaret co-starring as her best friend. Her 2022 appearances included guest starring roles on Season 2 of The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), Season 2 of Hacks (HBO Max) and two Netflix is a Joke comedy specials: Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration and Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin: Ladies Night Live. Probably the biggest splash of that year was her role as “Erin” in HULU’s smash Fire Island with Bowen Yang & Joel Kim Booster.

2023/24 has found Margaret, well, everywhere. She guested on Amy Schumer’s Life with Beth as well as the Ryan Murphy hit Doctor Odyssey and was part of the ensemble cast of the Netflix doc Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution. A who’s who of incredible comedians, the documentary shares the history of LGBTQ+ stand-up and its importance as an instrument for social change over the past five decades.

Margaret’s latest film, All That We Love, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, with Margaret earning rave reviews. The Hollywood Reporter called the film “poignant and lovely.”  Margaret was also named the Vanguard Artist-in-Residence for Manhattan’s famed Joe’s Pub. This prestigious recognition singles out “an iconic artist who has significantly influenced the artistic community of Joeʼs Pub & American culture at large.”

Remarkably, she also managed to film a series and another movie. Margaret stars as “Wasp,” one of the “Gray Sisters” (alongside Sandra Bernhard and Kristen Schaal) in Season 2 of Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians as well as in Gregg Araki’s thriller I Want Your Sex, also starring Olivia Wilde and Charli XCX.

Margaret has also developed a new solo show, Mommy, A One Woman Cho, which is noted for being her first work of fiction. “My new show, Mommy, is a completely fictional autobiography of my mother I have written for the stage. You can lie in plays but not standup comedy, so I’m super excited for my Mommy fan fiction era.” The play debuted in July 2024 to a sold-out audience at Marist College.

If that wasn’t enough, the end of 2024 brings new music from Margaret. The first single, Lucky Gift – also the album’s title – gives a taste of things to come before the February 14, 2025, release on her Clownery Records label.

Margaret continues to staunchly support the causes that are important to her: anti-racism, anti-bullying and gay rights. She was the recipient of the Victory Fund’s Leadership Award, the first-ever Best Comedy Performance Award at the Asian Excellence Awards, the First Amendment Award from the ACLU of Southern California, and the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Margaret has been honored by GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force(NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), PFLAG, She Rocks Awards and LA Pride.

“Margaret Cho is my soul sister, we see the world through the same lens trying our damndest to make things just a little groovier, mellower & a lot more fun. I admire her deeply. You’ve got to experience her live to get the whole picture so get up & make it happen! She is one of a kind” – Sandra Bernhard

Margaret was also part of Netflix’s “Stand Out Comedy Special” and “Over The Moon” film with Ken Jeong & Sandra Oh which was nominated for an Academy Award & Golden Globe Award.

Margaret has been working on a 10 year project – a new one-woman show about her mother and two sisters, where Margaret plays all of the characters – hoping to eventually take the show to Broadway.

A pioneer amongst women in comedy, Margaret doesn’t take anything for granted as she continues to tackle difficult subjects with sensitivity and her razor sharp insight with her takes on addiction, abuse, activism and Asianness. It’s all about the politics of disgust and what is disgusting about politics. Margaret has received many rave reviews for her live shows with the Chicago Tribune saying “Be it on-screen (“30 Rock,” “Drop Dead Diva”) or on stage, Margaret Cho has been one of the most exciting, unpredictable stand-up comics working for some time, and that hasn’t changed. If anything, the Asian-American female comedian’s voice has become more valuable than ever, given today’s social climate, and Cho’s material remains just as compelling, thanks in part to—and sometimes in spite of—her unapologetic delivery.”

“Margaret Cho inspired me since I was a kid. She was someone who was queer, Asian and doing something that you did not immediately associate with an Asian person. There’s a dearth of representation when it comes to queer people or Asian people, but I have to give credit to the people who have been out here doing it, and that’s definitely Margaret.” – Bowen Yang

“The Notoroius C.H.O.! Margaret is a jack of all trades and master of many. Whether conjuring the spirits of George Carlin, Joan Rivers or Lenny Bruce, she is committed to navigating the world of comedy and uniquely making it her own. Completely unapologetic about the life experiences that have shaped her path and journey to where she is today. These are just some of the reasons I love Margaret.” – Wanda Sykes

“Margaret Cho is a pioneering, trailblazing, genre-busting badass. She also happens to be extremely amusing.” – Shirley Manson of Garbage

“Margaret doesn’t just kick the door down. She lights it on fire.” – Atsuko Okatsuka

“I’ve said it before but it bares repeating: I would not be doing what I do without Margaret Cho. Her comedy was daring and bawdy and incisive when I first discovered her early work and seeing her now it’s remarkable how she’s been able to evolve, stay relevant and remain one of the funniest comics working today.” – Joel Kim Booster

Margaret Cho Thanks for being with us on WMM

Margaret Cho brings her new “blistering and brutally honest” show, “Choligarchy” to The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th, KCMO, on Saturday, June 16, at 7:30pm. For more information you can visit: http://www.follytheater.org

11:50

18. Margaret Cho – “Wheels of Gold”
    from: Lucky Gift / Clownery Records / February 14, 2025
    [Margaret Cho’s 3rd music album. She released In Transistion in 2013, and American Myth in 2016. // Produced and co-written with Garrison Starr and Roger Rocha. Acoustic Guitar Garrison Starr and Margaret Cho. Backround Vocals Kate Willett. ]

[Margaret Cho brings her new show, “Choligarchy” to The Folly Theater, 300 West 12th, KCMO, on Saturday, June 16, at 7:30pm. ]

19. Mitski – “I’ll Change For You”
    from: Nothings About to Happen to Me / Dead Oceans / February 27, 2026
    [Nothing’s About to Happen to Me is the eighth studio album by Mitski. Continuing the musical through line established with The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, the album features live instrumentation by The Land touring band and ensemble arrangements. The album finds Mitski immersing herself in a rich narrative whose main character is a reclusive woman in an unkempt house. Outside of her home, she is a deviant; inside of her home, she is free.]

20. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next week, on Wednesday, June 3 we talk with David Brighton of David Brighton’s SPACE ODDITY, The Quintessential David Bowie Tribute Experience, presented by The Folly Theater, Friday, June 5, at 7:30. We also welcome back to the show Stephonne, AND Jocelyn Olivia Nixon of The Creepy Jingles joins us to talk about her band’s new album WASHED UP.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wednesday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals donated $3924.00 going way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1149

Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Shaun Crowley & Music of Manor Fest 8

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Ernest Melton – “Waves”
   from: “Waves” – Single / Music By Melton / April 21, 2025
   [Ernest Melton is a saxophonist, composer, and band leader currently residing in Kansas City, MO by way of Goldsboro, North Carolina. He relocated to his mother’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri at the age of ten where he picked up his first saxophone at Longfellow Academy of the Arts. Bored with the classical curriculum of the music department, Ernest studied more contemporary genres of music and the guitar until the age of fourteen when he joined his first jazz program through the American Jazz Museum of KC. Playing mostly tenor sax by the age of fourteen, Ernest joined Lincoln High School jazz band and many other musical programs. Melton left school at the age of sixteen to study music on his own. With kind neighbors and a supportive mother, Ernest was free to practice the saxophone, study albums, and write compositions at any hour of the day. It was during this time he found his first major influences in jazz like Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, and Pharoah Sanders. Pharoah’s polyphony were like echoes of Melton’s father, a Primitive Baptist preacher, and became a large influence of his playing. An avid composer as well, Ernest studied with tutors in classical orchestration, big band arranging, and Afro-Cuban drumming. He cites Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky, and Wayne Shorter as his favorite all around composers and still tries to implement their techniques in his music today. After being accepted into Berklee College of Music he decided not to attend and began his career playing music in bands of every genre around the Greater Kansas City area. In 2018 Ernest release his first full length album entitled, “The Time Of The Slave Is Over”, which received raved reviews at home and abroad by media such as Plastic Sax, Quest TV, and JAZIZZ to name a few. Ernest Melton has played all over the country and plans to continue to travel abroad. // Melton released the singles “Waves” on April 21, 2025, “Sonnet for Sanity”on December 18, 2020 and, “Chronicles of Conception” on April 21, 2020, and “Narrative for Natives” on March 9, 2020. Ernest Melton released the album “The Standard Imperfections” on September 1, 2019. Ernest Melton is also featured on the BodaciousThang singles, “Drank!” on August 7, 2019 and “Say Hi” released Sept. 2, 2020 on Juicy Burrito Records.]

[Ernest Melton plays Night One of Manor Fest 8 Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00pm at Greenwood Social Hall 1750 Belleview Ave, KCMO, with Kapten and Lauren Lovell & The Midnight Spliffs.]

3. Dalima Kapten – “Feel the Beat, Bud”
   from: “Feel the Beat, Bud’ – Single / Dalima Kapten / September 27, 2024
   [Dalima Kapten released the single “Scrappy Rose” Sept. 27, 2024. // She is currently working on her debut album. She is a second-generation Kenyan-American pursuing a Master of Arts in Music Technology at the University of Central Missouri. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, Theater Minor, and a specialization in Architectural Acoustics from the University of Kansas. // As a theater performer & artist, Dalima is deeply moved by a passion for storytelling and worked at Music Theater Heritage as the Manager of Artistic Operations. Additionally, she presented her self-published chapbook “Native Anomaly” for Columbia University’s HOME: Symposium.]

[Dalima Kapten plays Night One of Manor Fest 8 Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00pm at Greenwood Social Hall 1750 Belleview Ave, KCMO, with Ernest Melton and Lauren Lovell & The Midnight Spliffs.]

10:06 – Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Today we spin music from 22 artists & bands playing Manor Fest 8 including: The Greeting Committee, Calvin Arsenia, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, The Babe Gabe, The Matchsellers, Field Daze, Spy World, Alber, Malek Azrael, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Tidal.wav, Dalia Kapten, Maddie Lai, and Jack Summer.

We welcome Shaun Crowley the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a non-profit organization that functions as a record label to support KC musicians. Shaun shares details about Manor Fest 8, featuring 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a KC Street Car. May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28 29, & 30. This festival directly supports local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians.

We also welcome Valorie Mersman who does Press and Public Relations for Manor Records

Manor Fest 8 includes: The Greeting Committee, Bobby Watson, Calvin Arsenia, Fritz & Sons, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Sass-A-Brass, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, Eddie Moore, True Lions, The Royal Chief, Brian Gerald Bulger, Kissin, The Babe Gabe, Scabb, The Matchsellers, Kadesh Flow, Miki P, Aigerue + Mikey, Teri Quinn, Field Daze, Spy World, FK Menace, Apricot Glow, Alber & I Maledetti, Malek Azrael & The Vibes, Dom Chronicles, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, Rebel Song Academy Ft. Base Academy of Music, Pure XTC, Nina Cherry, Henry Scamurra, Charmaine, Mosaic, Toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Jolson & The Fear of Snakes, Silvee, Freia, Natalie Prauser, Jazlyn Epps, Gracie Caggiano, Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust, Tidal.wav, Kapten, Sammy Sheets, Maddie Lai, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Jack Summers, Lauren Lovelle & The Midnight Spliffs, Isaiah Petrie, Ronnie Ze’Bo, Jacob E Chord Grüp, and The Soul Agenda. For more info: http://www.manorrecords.com

Shaun Crowley is a classically trained guitarist, and studied at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Shaun is the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a music label that grew out of Manor Fest, the first festival sized “house show” Shaun and friends produced in their basement featuring 12 bands. We first met Shaun as part of the band Rev Gusto, originally formed in high school with friends at Saint James Academy.

Shaun Crowley thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Crowley started playing in the KC when he was 17 in band Rev Gusto and Momma’s Boy. Shaun Crowley started Manor Records in 2017. The organization was born from the special concerts produced in the basement of the Rev. Gusto / Momma’s Boy band house, where Shaun and his band mates were living at the time. Named “The Manor” this house was located in the suburbs of Shawnee, Kansas. An almost anonymous venue, where the band invited other up and coming area bands to play a musical festival held in a basement. Even national artists joined in the show. From Glass Animals to Shy Boys, the underground venue hosted numerous local acts, and some national touring acts. Founder Shaun Crowley created the first Manor Fest with 10 bands in one night, then grew to a two night event featuring 20 local bands.

Eventually band members moved out of The Manor, and went into different directions, some starting solo projects, through Manor Records, some getting married, some moving away from Kansas City. Shaun carried on, collaborating with actual public venues in Strawberry Hill to create a record store, creating monthly and weekly music events, and creating a non-for profit, called Manor Records.

Shaun was working full time, while also teaching himself how to run a non-for profit. When spaces in Strawberry Hill became unavailable Manor Records moved to the West Bottoms, and then later moved again to a Troost storefront retail space, continuing the Record Store-Record Label-Music Venue idea, and also providing music classes. Moving over state lines meant reapplying as a non-profit now under Missouri guidance.

Retail space, and rental cost challenges pushed Manor Records out of their Troost physical space, but gave Manor Records a geographical history of relationships with multiple neighborhoods, neighborhood small businesses, and the people and artists who inhabit these neighborhoods. This geographical history and identity is the spirit behind Manor Fest – a Music Fest unlike any other. A progressive Fest, featuring 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a Kansas City Street Car, held May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28 29, & 30.

Manor Fest is a multi-day music festival in Kansas City that goes back to the group’s early days in that Shawnee basement. The foundation’s mission is to provide resources and support to local musicians, and Manor Fest is now a cornerstone of their fundraising efforts. More information at: http://www.manorrecords.com

Manor Records Board
Khrystal Johnson – President
Danielle Krakenberg – Secretary
Tyler Fowler – Board Treasurer
Talon Ice – Board Member
Droo Long – Board Member

Record Label Operations Team
Our record label team is a mix of our core operations staff and dedicated volunteers who work hands-on with the artists on our roster each year. Beyond supporting our musicians, we’re committed to developing the next generation of music industry professionals—giving them real experience in booking, press, and other key roles. Our long-term goal is to grow Kansas City’s music industry by turning these positions into paid, part-time roles and creating sustainable career pathways right here at home.
Also with us today is Valorie Mersman – who does Press a& Public Relations for Manor

Shaun Crowley – Founder & Executive Director
Skylar Rochelle – Record Label Lead
Kayla Jarrett – Physical & Digital Distribution
Betsie Yeomans – Booking
Abigail Elwart – Social Media
Kate Whitefield – Press / PR
Valorie Mersman – Press / PR
Enrique Guiterrez – Graphic Design
Randee Wisdom – Blog Editor

Manor Records Event Volunteers & Manor Fest 8 Team
Dorian Allen – Manor Fest Sound Lead
Sarai Vega – Manor Fest Photo Lead
James Miller -Events Volunteer
Evan Herd – Manor Fest Lead Volunteer

From Manor Records Website:

Mission – Manor Records Foundation’s mission is to strengthen Kansas City’s music community by providing equitable funding and artist development to uplift and advance emerging independent artists.

Manor Records Story – Manor Records Foundation’s mission is to provide equitable funding and artist development to uplift and advance emerging independent artists in Kansas City. Manor Records Foundation is a Kansas City based nonprofit record label dedicated to sustaining and developing our local music community through direct artist funding, development programs, and community events. Our roots trace back to The Shawnee Manor, a basement venue that became a launching pad for local and touring talent, featuring early shows from bands like Glass Animals and Hinds. From these grassroots beginnings and much learning along the way – we have grown into a fully operational nonprofit label supporting local artists.

Today, Manor Records Foundation has supported more than 60 digital releases and over 30 physical albums from emerging Kansas City musicians — helping artists fund projects, build sustainable careers, and reach wider audiences. Through initiatives like our annual Manor Fest, showcasing over 60 local acts, and year-round programs like Songbird Sessions, we provide platforms that celebrate and reinvest in the creative heartbeat of our city. By combining the spirit of community with structured artist development, Manor Records Foundation ensures that KC’s vibrant music scene continues to thrive and grow.

Manor Records Record Label Program – Each year, Manor Records raises $2,000 in direct project funding for 10 local artists, helping them bring their work to life through physical releases, music videos, touring support, and whatever resources they need as they grow.

Manor Records 2026 Roster of Artists:
ALBER
CHLOE JACOBSON
FRANKIE SHOREZ & MERCY FIRE
FRITZ HUTCHISON
JAMOGI
JASS
KIRSTIE LYNN
MC RUE
PARIS WILLIAMS
TRUE LIONS

Artists Manor Records have worked with in the past:
BLANKY
CATTY CLINE
CHARLOTTE BUMGARNER
DANIEL GUM
DYLAN PYLES
FLOODING
FOREST PORRIDGE
JAIRY
KAT KING
KHRYSTAL.
MINT FATIGUES
MOMMA’S BOY
PALE TONGUE
R.I.PETER
SCABB
SUPERMOTO
THE WILD TYPE

Manor Fest 8, 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a KC Street Car

WEEKEND ONE – May 20, 21, 22, & 23

Night One : Wednesday, May 20 – Westside

Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Ave, KCMO, (7-10 PM)

1. Ernest Melton
2. Kapten
3. Lauren Lovell & The Midnight Spliffs

Night Two: Thursday May 21 – Strawberry Hill

Venue One: Flagship Books, 600 Ohio Ave., KCK (5:00pm -7 PM) all ages

1. Nina Cherry
2. Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust & Co.
3. The Matchsellers

Venue Two: Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th, KCK (7:00pm -10 PM) *21+

1. Silvee
2. Scabb
3. Tidal.wav

10:11

4. The Matchsellers – “What Am I Gonna Do Now? [ft. Kelly Hunt]”
   from: Psychobiography / Streichholz Records / August 2, 2025
   [Julie Bates is a classically trained violinist from Kansas City. Andrew Morris is a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana. They met in Leipzig, Germany, during their year of living in the former East Germany, the pair began reanalyzing the songs of their homeland, and developed a tight yet gritty bluegrass style. In the summer of 2013 they left their jobs to hit the road and haven’t looked back. // In the band’s most recent iteration, mandolinist Brian McCarty brings an invaluable lifetime of experience in the Bluegrass tradition, while Brandon Day thrills audiences with his intricate bass solos. // On Feb 14, 2025, the band released “I Can’t Believe We’re Still In Love.” // On May 3, 2024 The Matchsellers released LIVE AT THE WAREHOUSE. // On Oct. 28, 2022 The Matchsellers released the album, SONGS WE MADE UP, one of WMM’s 116 Best Recordings of 2016.. In late 2014 they released their debut full length recording, “Kosciusko County,” one of WMM’s 115 Best Recordings of 2015. The Matchsellers have toured 3 European countries and 25 US States, performing 180 shows a year, including last year for the KC Fringe Festival, Bluegrass Bazaar in Flint, Michigan, Norman Music Festival in Norman, OK, and a 1st place win at the Eddie Owen Presents songwriting competition in Atlanta, GA.]

[The Matchsellers plays Night Two of Manor Fest 8 on Thursday, May 21 at 5:00pm at Flagship Books, 600 Ohio Ave., KCK with Nina Cherry, and Dandelion Lakewood’s Bowl of Dust & Co. All ages.]

5. Tidal.wav – “Whiplash”
   from: Whiplash – EP / Landlocked Recordings / October 11, 2024
   [Alex Smith on vocals & rhythm guitar; Alex Lewis on guitar & producer/beatmaker; Josh Gomez on bass & guitar & producer/engineer; Aj Ruiz Dechavez on drums & producer/beat maker/engineer. In summer of 2022 Alex Smith moved to Kansas City from Georgia. Alex met Aj and Josh working at a local music store. After several months Aj brought in lead guitarist Alex Lewis to make the band an official 4 piece. // Tidal.wav started playing shows through the support of local independent record label, Manor Records as well as networking with other artists and bands. / The band says they specialize in a more unique brand of indie rock, being more rhythm & harmony focused stemming from influences like jazz, rock, hip hop.]

[Tidal.wav play Night Two of Manor Fest 8 on Thurs, May 21 at 7:00pm at Hillsiders, 403 N. 5th, KCK with Silvee and Scaab.]

10:17 – More Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Today we spin music from 22 artists & bands playing Manor Fest 8 including: The Greeting Committee, Calvin Arsenia, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, The Babe Gabe, The Matchsellers, Field Daze, Spy World, Alber, Malek Azrael, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Tidal.wav, Dalia Kapten, Maddie Lai, and Jack Summer

We welcome Shaun Crowley the Founder & Executive Director of Manor Records, a non-profit organization that functions as a record label to support KC musicians. Shaun shares details about Manor Fest 8, featuring 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a KC Street Car. May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28 29, & 30. This festival directly supports local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians.

WEEKEND ONE – May 20, 21, 22, & 23

Night Three : Friday May 22 – West Bottoms

Venue One: Blip Roasters 1301 Woodswether Rd.. KCMO (5:00pm -7 PM) all ages

1. Danielle Ate The Sandwich
2. Toaster Bath
3. Mosaic

Venue Two: Black Box, 1060 Union Ave, KCMO (7:00pm -10 PM)

1. The Soul Agenda
2. The Babe Gabe
3. Hailes

Venue Three: The Ship, 1221 Union Ave. KCMO (10:00pm – 12 AM) *21+

1. MC Rue + Mikey
2. Freia
3. Dom Chronicles

10:22

6. toasterbath – “East 46th Street (edit)”
   from: Past, Present, Future Readings / toasterbath / July 21, 2025
   [Debut release from Kansas City 5-piece band. Recording, Mixing, Mastering by Eric Hargis.
   Graphic Design by Grace Westbrook. Featuring vocals by Bella Parker.]

[toasterbath plays Night Three of Manor Fest 8 on Fri, May 22 at 5:00pm at Blip Roasters 1301 Woodswether Rd.. KCMO with Danielle Ate The Sandwich, and Mosaic]

7. TheBabeGabe X The Human – “FUTURISTIC LOVERS”
   from: HONEYPOP / Seven Rings Media / March 5, 2025
   [One of two full length albums released in 2025 by TheBabeGabe, the other being HONEYPOP Reloaded on Seven Rings Media released August 8, 2025. March 5, 2025, both with production by The Human // After years of being the girl in the band, TheBabeGabe is stepping out, and standing ten toes down. As she dives into her solo career, Gabe brings the same sugary raps and addicting energy that she did as 1/3 of the alt-rap trio BLACKSTARKIDS. This time though, she’s telling her story, and forging a fresh start. The debut mixtape HONEY POP introduces the world to a young black girl from Kansas City that’s hungry for better things for herself and everyone who looks like her. Her energy is infectious, and you won’t want to be the one standing in her way, which becomes clear from the rowdy hook of the project’s lead single PSA. “It’s in my DNA, killing shit like every day, take this as a PSA, don’t give a fuck ‘bout what you say.” // With BLACKSTARKIDS, Gabe gained experience crushing a stage, opening on tour with The 1975, beabadoobee, Glass Animals, & more. That confidence shines through on braggadocios tracks like Only See Me, Pulse, and Pep Rally where she raps, “hoe shut the fuck up when I’m talking, got a pretty face but this mouth repulsive.” Pulling inspiration from future peers like Doja Cat & Tyler, The Creator, Gabe is quick to prove she isn’t restricted to one sound. There’s no shortage of variety with sticky hooks, soulful ballads, Janelle Monáe -esque pop hits, somber reflective cuts, and boomy west-coast kickbacks. // No song boasts this genre-bending ability better than the double track RIOT GRRL//DRAMA QUEEN. Starting with an inspirational pop-punk banger that could make any Olivia Rodrigo fan nod in approval, it soon turns to the emotional DRAMA QUEEN, seeing Gabe grapple with difficult changes and struggle to find the best way forward. Listening to Gabe can often feel like hanging with your bestie in that you’re getting both the yap sessions about the everyday as well as the venting about life’s drama and all its uncertainties. // These confessions, boasts, hooks, croons, screams, beats, and sounds all come together to create an extraordinary portrait of a young artist figuring it out. It’s an unfiltered showcase that sees Gabe pull back the curtain and step forward so you can meet her where she’s at. So when you listen, you’re seeing her for who she really is. And for many, that’s someone you can see yourself in. That’s TheBabeGabe. // TheBabeGabe was one-third of the Kansas City based BLACKSTARKIDZ Gen-Z upstarts BLACKSTARKIDS have released their sixth studio album Saturn Dayz on Sept. 20, 2024 through Dirty Hit Records and immediately followed with an 8-track 7th studio album HEAVEN ON URF, on Oct. 25, 2024 on Dirty Hit Records. Music writer Bill Brownlee talked with us about how the band created a double album, but the record company decided to release as two separate albums. The music from both albums relate to each other. Before the release of Saturn Dayz the band released their single and video “SOULMATEZ!” on August 30, 2024. “SOULMATEZ!,” is a magnetic, blissed-out bop that brings together pop, indie, and alt-rap, reminiscent of Dev Hynes-era Solange mixed with De La Soul. // The follow up to BLACKSTARKIDS’ acclaimed 2022 album CYBERKISS* which featured standout singles “CYBERKISS 2 U* ft. beabadoobee” and “SEX APPEAL,” SATURN DAYZ is an otherworldly, genre-crossing testament to their unrelenting artistry and is their most impressive work to date. PRESS HERE to pre-save SATURN DAYZ. // Putting out music at a prolific rate and making waves for their formidable songwriting and producing talents, as well as their endless energy and truly limitless sound, BLACKSTARKIDS have received critical acclaim from New York Times, MTV, UPROXX, Billboard, Alternative Press, SPIN, Ones To Watch, Rolling Stone France, The Line Of Best Fit, DIY, Coup De Main, and more. Blending garage rock with synth-punk and hip-hop to usher in a new surge of indie, such as on their beloved album Puppies Forever which features anthemic singles “ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS,” “JUNO,” and “FIGHT CLUB,” BLACKSTARKIDS are well on their way to indie stardom and have previously toured with the likes of The 1975, COIN, Glass Animals, beabadoobee, Christian Leave, GroupLove. // Incorporating each member’s wide-ranging influences into their blissful DIY sound, such as Toro Y Moi, NERD*, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Outkast, Odd Future, and A Tribe Called Quest, BLACKSTARKIDS first captivated the internet with their “black coming of age trilogy” of projects Let’s Play Sports, Surf, and Whatever, Man that feature critically acclaimed singles including “BRITNEY BITCH” and “FRANKIE MUNIZ.” // Blackstarkids are phenomenon who came out of KC in 2020 became the soundtrack for the summer. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The members have known each other since high school in Raytown, Missouri. Members met at Raytown South High School and formed the band in 2019. The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, on August 1, 2019. Blackstarkids then released their second album SURF through their own label Bedroom Records on February 28, 2020. Blackstarkids caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and were then signed to The 1975’s management company and UK-based label Dirty Hit Records. They were featured in Clash Magazine. Blackstarkids then released, Surf Basement Demos on Dirty Hit Records on March 5, 2020. On Oct. 29, 2020, Blackstarkids released Whatever, Man on Dirty Hit Records, their third album release of 2020. Gabe, of Blackstarkids recently described the KC Music community to an interviewer, “The music scene here is really nice. There are a lot of bands who are super talented and do all types of genres. The jazz music here is really great as well. KC is honestly a hidden gem when it comes to music. I feel like you can meet an artist anywhere and anyplace in this city.”]

[The Babe Gabe plays Night Three of Manor Fest 8 on Fri, May 22 at 7:00pm at Black Box, 1060 Union Ave, KCMO with The Soul Agenda, and Hailes.]

8. HAILES – “Time” (CD #8) (2:12)
   from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
   [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Night Three of Manor Fest 8 on Fri, May 22 at 7:00pm at Black Box, 1060 Union Ave, KCMO with The Soul Agenda, and The Babe Gabe.]

10:30 – Underwriting

10:32 – More Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Manor Fest 8, features 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a KC Street Car. The official dates are May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

West Side / Strawberry Hill / West Bottoms / Crossroads / East Stadium Drive / Historic Northeast / East KC / 18th & Vine Jazz District / Midtown / Downtown / River Park

Manor Fest is a fundraiser curated and ran by Manor Records. This festival is not just about the music — it’s about building community and directly supporting local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians at no cost to them. More information at; http://www.manorrecords.com

WEEKEND ONE – May 20, 21, 22, & 23.

Night Four: Saturday May 23 – Crossroads

Venue One: Pitchside Coffee, 1819 Grand Blvd., KCMO (3-5 PM)

1. Pure XTC
2. Gracie Caggiano
3. Field Daze

Venue Two: Brewery Emperial 1829 Oak St. KCMO (5-7 PM) *21+

1. Jack Summers
2. Natalie Prauser
3. Teri Quinn

Venue Three: recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd. KCMO (7:00pm -10 PM)

1. Miki P
2. The Royal Chief
3. Nightosphere

Venue Four: Lifted Spirits. 1734 Cherry St., KCMO (10:00pm – 12 AM) *21+

1. Sammy Sheets
2. Charmaine
3. FK Menace

10:37

9. Field Daze – “Shade of Blue”
   from: “Shade Blue – Single / Field Daze / April 3, 2026
   [Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ian Dobyns at Element Recording Studios. Earlier this year Field Daze released the singles: “Hula Girl” on March 3, 2026, “Hate Me” on March 9, 2026, “Melona 99” on March 8, 2026. // Field Daze, is an Indie Rock/Dreampop band, originated in KCMO when Rodd Fenton & Dan Camino responded to a Facebook call to start a Dreampop band. Their collaboration led to the creation of early demos. Shortly after, they were joined by Tracer Cauy, Kyer Lasswell, & Beau Harris, solidifying the band’s lineup. // Their magnetic sound quickly found a home in the KC music community, playing The Rino, The Ship, and The Bottleneck. Field Daze’s live performances became synonymous with an immersive musical experience, drawing in crowds with their captivating melodies. // Currently, the band channels their creativity by recording homegrown tracks within Rodd Fenton’s personal studio, honing their craft and evolving their unique sound. More Info at: http://www.fielddazekc.com

[Field Daze play Night Four of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 23 at 3:00pm Pitchside Coffee, 1819 Grand Blvd., KCMO with Pure XTC and Gracie Caggiano.]

[Field Daze play The Ship at 1221 Union Ave., KCMO in Historic West Bottoms, Friday, June 5, 2025]

10. Jack Summers – “Lost Dog”
    from: Konza Prairie Hymnal / Psychic Sousa Records / April 10, 2026
    [Jack Summers is an award-winning songwriter from Weston, Missouri. He found his musical roots in trips to the Walnut Valley Music Festival and Bob Dylan lyrics repurposed as bedtime stories. Jack embraces these influences and is motivated by the challenge of making them resonate with a modern audience. // In 2021, Jack released his debut album, ‘No Longer and Not Yet’ // In 2023, Jack won the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Contest. Since then, he’s played everywhere from a honkey tonk in Austin, to the backwoods of Awendaw, SC, to Iowa’s oldest barn. In 2026, Jack released his second album, Konza Prairie Hymnal. // 2022: Walnut Valley Songs for a Better World Contest Winner // 2023: Kerrville Folk Festival Grassy Hill New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters Winner // 2024: Walnut Valley ‘Sweet Memories’ Contest Winner 2025. Walnut Valley ‘Love Songs’ Contest Winner // 2025: Ozark Folk Festival Songwriting Contest Finalist ]

[Jack Summers plays Night Four of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 23 at 5:00pm at Brewery Emperial 1829 Oak St. KCMO with Natalie Prauser and Teri Quinn.]

11. Nightosphere– “Poverty Policy”
    from: “Poverty Policy” – single / Nightosphere / February 21, 2025]
    [Brittany Sawtelle on guitar; Claire Hannah on bass & vocals, Dekota Trogdon on drums. Recorded at BRC Audio Productions by Zack Hames. Mixed + mastered by Mario Quintero. Nick Spacek in The Pitch writes, “their new single sees the band leaning into pure Goth territory, courtesy of a bassline that feels like the most ominous thing ever, plodding along in the best possible way before the song explodes in its final minute as though they can’t possibly hold it in any longer, and then returning to the slow march of what was a eulogy, now becoming the funeral.”//Nightosphere released their own 6-minute version of Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” on Jan. 31, 2025 // After early single releases and an excellent 3-way split with Abandoncy and Flooding, Nightosphere developed their heavy slowcore sound into a fully realized, extremely imposing full length. On April 14, 2023 Nightosphere released their 7-track album Katabasis. Katabasis was recorded & mixed by Morgan Reed Greenwood & mastered by Greg Obis at Chicago Mastering Service.]

[Nightosphere play Night Four of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 23 at 7:00pm at recordBar, 1527 Grand Blvd. KCMO with Miki P., and The Royal Chief.]

10:47 Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Today we spin music from 22 artists & bands playing Manor Fest 8 including: The Greeting Committee, Calvin Arsenia, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, The Babe Gabe, The Matchsellers, Field Daze, Spy World, Alber, Malek Azrael, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Tidal.wav, Dalia Kapten, Maddie Lai, and Jack Summer

Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman of Manor Records joins us to talk about Manor Fest 8,

Manor Fest 8, features 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues, and a KC Street Car. The official dates are May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

West Side / Strawberry Hill / West Bottoms / Crossroads / East Stadium Drive / Historic Northeast / East KC / 18th & Vine Jazz District / Midtown / Downtown / River Park

WEEKEND TWO – May 27, 28, 29, & 30

Night One (five) : Wednesday May 27 – Stadium Drive

Venue One: Farewell, 6523 Stadium Drive, KCMO with (7-10 PM)

1. Spyworld
2. Kissin
3. Apricot Glow

Night Two : Thursday May 29 – Historic Northeast

Venue One: PH Coffee, 2200 Lexington Ave,, KCMO (5:00pm -7 PM) all ages

1. Maddie Lai
2. Henry Scamurra
3. Jacob E. Chord Grüp

Venue Two : J. Rieger & Co. 2700 Guinotte Ave, KCMO (7:00pm -10 PM)

1. Brian Gerald Bulger
2. Eddie Moore
3. Paris Williams

10:53

12. Spy World – “Follow Me (Ft. KONEY)”
    rom: World Music Vol. 1 / Enigmatic Brunch / February 1, 2026
    [11-track debut album from Spy World, the new music project of Kyle Little who played keyboards and vocals as a member of Shy Boys. Konner Ervin (also of Shy Boys and ACBs and KONEY) joins in on three tracks with lyrics and vocals. Ross Brown (also of Shy Boys and Fullbloods) offers production assistance.]

[Spy World plays Night Five of Manor Fest 8 on Wednesday, May 27 at 7:00pm at Farewell, 6523 Stadium Drive, KCMO with Kissin’ and Apricot Glow]

Shy Boys / The ACBs / Ghosty / The I’ms / Fullbloods / Koney – Discography

The ACB’s / The ACB’s / July 10, 2007
[Debut from KC based 4-piece with Konnor Ervin on lead vocals, Bryan McGuire on bass, Matt Saladino on guitar, Corey Egan on drums & vocals. Written by, and arranged by Konnor Ervin. Produced by Tim Suttle. Recorded & mixed at Underdog Studio in Desoto, KS. Mastered at Euphonic Masters in Memphis, TN.]

The Abracadabras – Be Still, Be Cool / The Abracadabras / January 1, 2008
[5-piece KC band formed in the spring of 2007, with Jocelyn Olivia (John) Nixon on keyboards & vocals, Travis Mckenzie on lead guitar, Bobby (Wayne Hutcherson) Topaz on guitar & vocals, Collin Rausch on bass & vocals, and Kyle Rausch on drums & vocals.]

The ACBs – Stona Rosa / The ACBs / January 1, 2011
[After half of the band left to move to LA, Konnor Ervin and Bryan McGuire got help from: Andrew Connor of Ghosty, and Beau Bruns of Cowboy Indian Bear. All songs written by, and arranged, lead vocals & guitar by Konnor Ervin. Mike Nolte on bass, Bryan McGuire on bass & vocals, Andrew Connor on guitar & vocals, Beau Brus on drums. Kyle Rausch on vocals. Produced by Mike Nolte. Mastered by Roger Seibel Recorded at More Famouser Studios. Mixed at More Famouser Studios. Mastered at SAE Mastering.]

The I’ms – Second MIXES / Independent / 2011
[Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch. Kyle Rausch also plays with The ACB’s. In 2011 on WMM we started playing songs from The I’ms, a duo made of up Collin and Kyle, who posted 6 of their self recorded songs on their facebook page. We included this informal release in our Top Ten of The 111 Best Recordings of 2011. 3 of the songs from The I’ms ended up being rerecorded for Shy Boys.]

Ghosty – GHOSTY / More Famouser Records – High Dive Records / April 17, 2012
[3rd full length release from Lawrence and KC area band. Ghosty is Andrew Connor, Mike Nolte an Bill Belzer who recorded their new album themselves over the last couple of years with help from David Wetzel, Josh Adams, Jake Blanton, Konnor Ervin, Ryan Connor, Kirsten Paludan, and Dan Talmadge. The new release was pressed on vinyl and available on LP and digital download. More info at ghostysounds.com.]

The ACBs – Little Leaves / High Dive Records / March 5, 2013.
[Konnor Ervin on lead vocals, & guitar; Bryan McGuire on bass, Andrew Connor on guitar; Kyle Rausch on drums. Their songs have been featured on MTV’s The Inbetweeners, and Daytrotter. The title “Little Leaves” is a nod to Konnor Ervin’s landscaping day job. The lead single, “Ocean” was released as a free download in late 2012, prompting Popmatters to declare the ACBs as one of its “Best Hopes to Break Out in 2013.”]

Shy Boys – Shy Boys / High Dive Records / January 17, 2014
[Debut release. Brothers Collin Rausch, Kyle Rausch, and friend and roommate Konnor Ervin, are members of this KC based trio. Collin and Kyle’s father was a High School band director and music teacher. Konnor Ervin is the lead singer and songwriter of The ACBs, where Kyle also plays drums. The 10 song release had two singles premiered by Stereogum. “Keeps Me On My Toes” was a song Collin wrote in 15 minutes while his girlfriend was in the shower. The album was recorded at West End Studio, over two-weekends.]

Shy Boys – “Life is Peachy” – Single Release / High Dive Records / July 15, 2014
[Stereogum has premiered the band’s new song, “Life Is Peachy”, the A-side to their new 45 rpm, 7″ single coming from High Dive Records. Brothers Collin Rausch, Kyle Rausch, and roommate Konnor Ervin, are members of the Kansas City based band, Shy Boys. ]

Fullbloods – Mild West / High Dive Records / February 26, 2016
[Second full length release from Fullbloods: Ross Brown; Jared Tomasino; David Seume; and Bill Pollock. Recorded at Westend Studios in Kansas City, Kansas by Mike Nolte. Mixed by Fullbloods. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. (Starfucker, Of Montreal).]

Shy Boys – Bell House / Polyvinyl Record Co. / August 3, 2018
[Shy Boys line-up consists of brothers Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch, Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and Ross Brown. The group formed shortly after the trio became roommates in 2012. Kyle Rausch and Konnor Ervin were already band mates in the indie-pop band The ACBs and Collin had been playing for years in the Kansas City area in various bands. The three shared a love for 1960s era pop rock and soon started writing their own music. In 2014 they released the self-titled Shy Boys on High Dive Records. The album received generally positive reviews and the single “Bully Fight” was featured on Spin.com

Shy Boys – Dim The Light / Brick By Brick – Singles / Polyvinyl Record Co. / Feb. 15, 2019
[Single release follow up to band’s 2nd album and Polyvinyl debut, Bell House. Shy Boys line-up consists of brothers Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch, Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and Ross Brown. Kyle Rausch and Konnor Ervin were already band mates in the indie-pop band The ACBs and Collin had been playing for years in the Kansas City area in various bands. The three shared a love for 1960s era pop rock and soon started writing their own music. In 2014 they released the self-titled Shy Boys on High Dive Records. The album received generally positive reviews and the single “Bully Fight” was featured on Spin.com. In June 2014 the band recorded and released two more singles and one of them, “Life Is Peachy,” was featured on Stereogum. On April 4th, 2018, it was announced that the band had signed to Polyvinyl Record Co.]

Fullbloods – Soft and Virtual Touch / High Dive Records / April 3, 2020
[3rd full-length. All songs written, performed, recorded, mixed by Ross Brown in KCMO. Mastered by Mike Nolte at Eureka Mastering. Artwork by Nika Winn. Kyle Rausch played drums on 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, & 9, sang on 9. Bill Pollock Played drums on 3 & 5. David Seume played bass on 5. Jerad Tomasino played synth on 9 & 10, sang on 9. Jenni Kornfeld played cello on 4. Leslie Butsch played sax on 10. More info at: http://www.fullbloods.com.]

Shy Boys – Talk Loud / Polyvinyl Record Co. / September 25, 2020
[3rd album from the KC band Shy Boys. New music follow up to the Dim The Light / Brick By Brick, singles released February 15, 2019. Shy Boys released their 2nd album and Polyvinyl debut, Bell House on August 3, 2018. Shy Boys line-up consists of brothers Collin Rausch and Kyle Rausch, Konnor Ervin, Kyle Little and Ross Brown. Kyle Rausch and Konnor Ervin were already band mates in the indie-pop band The ACBs and Collin had been playing for years in the Kansas City area in various bands including The Abracadabras, and The I’ms with brother Kyle. The three shared a love for 1960s era pop rock and soon started writing their own music. In 2014 they released the self-titled Shy Boys on High Dive Records.]

Koney – Koney / High Dive Records / October 9, 2020

[from Lucas Wetzel’s Pitch Feature: “To bring the songs to life, Konnor enlisted brothers Collin and Kyle Rausch, his roommates in their ramshackle West Plaza house/practice space and his bandmates in chamber pop group Shy Boys. Ross Brown (of Fullbloods) played synthesizer and helped run sound, and multi-instrumentalist Kyle Little contributed on guitar. Fritz Hutchison and Andrew Connor also contributed on several tracks. Recording engineer Mike Nolte flew in from Portland to run the controls at Westend Recordings, and the group set up camp in the studio over a long snowy weekend in 2015.” ]

Shy Boys – Upperclassmen – Single / Polyvinyl Record Co. / September 16, 2025
[New single surprise!]

Fullbloods – Magic Machine – Single / Fullbloods / January 9, 2026
[New single surprise!]

13. Maddie Lai – “Target”
    from: “Target” – Demo Single / Maddie Lai / May 13, 2026
    [Maddie Lai – Vocals & Guitar, Written and Recorded by Maddie Lai for thjs radio show!]

[Maddie Lai plays Night Six of Manor Fest 8 on Thursday, May 28 at 5:00 at PH Coffee, 2200 Lexington Ave,, KCMO with Henry Scamurra & Jacob E. Chord Grüp]

11:00 – Station ID

14. Paris Williams & Bloom Allen – “Truthfully” (radio edit)
    from: Give Em Hell, Truthfully – Single / BitterSweet Sound / August 12, 2025
    [Paris Williams is a 26-year old artist from Muskegon, Michigan in the midst of redefining the bedroom pop label. Employing his own sound that he’s dubbed, “bittersweet,” Williams never shuts away from his DIY aesthetic – producing his own work to maintain full creative flexibility. Premiering in December of 2019 with his debut album, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS, Paris is a believer in hitting the ground running and then just never letting off the gas. This mentality was shaped by the inspiration he’s pulled from other famously out-of-the-box artists: such as Kanye West, Pharrell, and Toro y Moi. // Fueled by the multi-faceted artists, Williams believes heavily in pulling from all creative mediums as a way to add layers and texture to his music. This approach has led to Williams seeing support from larger than life musical pillars, like Iggy Pop himself – who showed love to Williams’ song of the same name by spinning it on his BBC radio show in 2018. Williams reshapes the musical landscape around him as his burgeoning career continues to solidify its own form more and more each day by bringing in a breath of fresh air with him everywhere since he wrote his first bars in elementary school. Paris Williams previously released the EP COCOA on December 10, 2020 . // He released the single , “Austin”on February 18, 2021. // Paris Williams released the single, “Sweeter” on July 9, 2021. // He released the single, “Sunsets & Solariums (feat. Bloom Allen)” on October 21, 2021 through Bittersweet Sounds. // He released the single ,“Chunky”on April 20, 2022. // He released the single, “Hopscotch” on June 21, 2022. // Paris Williams released the EP REBEL HEART on January 31, 2023. This release was part of WMM ‘s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. // Paris Williams released the single, “Pack Light” on July 25, 2023. // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “C’est La Vie” on September 14, 2024, // Paris Williams with Globetrotters & Kaleab Samuel released the single, “Ayo (Feat TyFaison)” on September 18, 2024. // Paris Williams & The Human released the 10-track album, A Paris Williams Joint through Bitter Sweet Sound on November 19, 2024. This release was part of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2024. // Paris Williams & TheBabeGabe released the single “Me Again” on April 28, 2025, // More info at: allmylinks.com/popstarparis]

[Paris Williams play Night Six of Manor Fest 8 on Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 at J. Rieger & Co. 2700 Guinotte Ave, KCMO with Brian Gerald Bulger, and Eddie Moore.]

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11:03 – More Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Today we spin music from 22 artists & bands playing Manor Fest 8 including: The Greeting Committee, Calvin Arsenia, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, The Babe Gabe, The Matchsellers, Field Daze, Spy World, Alber, Malek Azrael, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Tidal.wav, Dalia Kapten, Maddie Lai, and Jack Summer

Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman of Manor Records joins us to talk about Manor Fest 8,

Manor Fest 8, features 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues & KC Street Car. The official dates are May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

West Side / Strawberry Hill / West Bottoms / Crossroads / East Stadium Drive / Historic Northeast / East KC / 18th & Vine Jazz District / Midtown / Downtown / River Park

WEEKEND TWO – May 37 28, 29, & 30

Night Seven: Friday May 29 – East KC / 18th & Vine

Venue One: Ruby Jean’s Juicery 3000 Troost KCMO. (5:00pm -7 PM) all ages

1. Ronnie Ze’bo
2. Jolson & The Fear of Snakes
3. Kemet Coleman

Venue Two: Zhou B. Arts Center, 18901 E. 18th St. KCMO (7:00pm-10 PM) all ages

1. BAM & Rebel Song Academy Students
2. Malek Azrael & The Vibe
3. Bobby Watson

Venue Three: Vine Street Brewing, 2010 Vine, KCMO (10-12 AM) *21+

1. Jazlyn Epps
2. Isaiah Petrie
3. Alber & I Maledetti

11:11

15. Kemet Coleman – “What You Want From Me”
    from: Two Ships in the Night – EP / Kemet Creative (Vine Street Brewing) / March 6, 2026
    [Kemet Coleman is a KC based musicians and is a member of the Hip-Hop duo COA (Center of Attention) and is the lead singer of the Funk/Rap/Soul band The Phantastics. Kemet is also a core element of The Marcus Lewis Big Band for Brass & Boujee. Kemet is a two time Pitch Music Award nominee for “Best Hip-Hop Act.” Kemet is known for his unprecedented collaborations with UMKC, KC Streetcar and The Kansas City Royals. He is also highly regarded for his impresario role within the Sly James for Mayor Campaign in the 2010-2011 where he created the first ever KC mayoral candidate rap song. A UMKC alumnus, Kemet, created “Gold and Blue” for UMKC’s sports teams, which has garnered thousands of plays on YouTube and has been featured on prime-time television commercials for the university. In 2020 Coleman contributed his song, “The Virus” to the compilation, Kansas City Syzygy, music created by over 25 KC-based musicians in the middle of the map of a pandemic. All proceeds donated to KC Tenants, a local nonprofit organized to ensure that everyone has a safe, accessible, affordable home. Kemet Coleman released, BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL on Aug. 1, 2020. Kenet Coleman released the single “Eyes On The Street” on May 21, 2021.] [The Phantastics released their single “All That Fine”on May 6, 2022. The Phantastics are an 8 member band from KC formed in December of 2010. Kemet the Phantom on lead vocals; Kimology on lead vocals; JJ Cantrell on lead guitar & vocals; Danny Florez on electric bass; Ashley Thompson on drums, DJ Mitchell on saxophone; Ryan Jamaal Davis on Trombone and rap vocals; Austin Quick on keyboards. The Phantastics specialize in genre-blending dance floor activators. In 2015, the music group was crowned “Kansas City’s best party band” by the KC Star. Musicianship and diversity are at the core of their success. Rock, Rap, Dance, Funk, Jazz & Soul are all incorporated into their music. “The band that can do it all”, according to I Heart Local Music, has shared the stage with some of music’s most legendary acts including George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. ]

[Kemet Coleman plays Night Seven of Manor Fest 8 on Friday, May 29 at 5:00pm at Ruby Jean’s Juicery 3000 Troost Ave, KCMO, with Ronnie Ze’bo and Jolson & The Fear of Snakes.(All ages)]

16. Malek Azrael – “You”
    from: “You” – Single / Malek Azrael / February 27, 2026
    [Malek recently wrote to me about this new single, saying,”This record means a lot to me. “YOU” lives in that pop/indie pop space with smooth R&B vocals and textures, blending traditional pop sensibility with the singer songwriter honesty I always try to bring. It’s about that unexpected moment of falling in love and choosing to be fully open — even when it feels a little scary. Very warm, very intentional.” // On March 1, 2025 Malek Azrael released the EP, FEELS LIKE. It was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2025. On February 28, 2025, Malek Azrael released the single “Room 4U”. // On March 1, 2024 Malek Azrael released his single, “in ur mind.” On October 15, 2021 Malek Azrael released his 10-track album “Waves” which first featured members of his live band “The Vibez”. Since then, they have grown their fanbase in KC and surrounding areas through live concerts land appearances at Boulevardia Festival, Ameri’Kana, and the 18th and Vine Gumbo Fest, and shows at RecordBar, The Truman, Grinders, and Knuckleheads and collaborated with larger acts such as Making Movies, The Greeting Committee, and D Smoke debut. Male Azrael lives in KCMO. He has worked for Boys Grow, and Art As Mentorship (Making Movies non-profit organization). He sometimes plays with Making Movies and played the Ameri-Kana Fest. Malek Azrael played KKFI’s 18th Annual Crossroads Music Fest, on Aug. 27, at The Black Box, in West Bottoms. Malek & The Vibez played Boulevardia Festival at Crown Center, on June 16, 2024.]

[Malek Azrael play Night Seven of Manor Fest 8 on Friday, May 29 at 7:00 Zhou B. Arts Center, 18901 E. 18th St. KCMO with BAM & Rebel Song Academy Students, & Bobby Watson.]

17. ALBER – “Caldo”
    from: Lento / Locale Records / April 12, 2024
    [Alberto Racanati is a genre-bending musician originally from Bari, Italy, now established in Kansas City. His musical journey started at age 11 when he learned to play his first notes on the trumpet. At age 14 Alberto enrolled in the Bari Conservatory to pursue his performance degree in the academy, while living a parallel musical existence in the rich musical underground in Southern Italy, playing drums and trumpet in a plethora of bands across all genres. His musical studies then took him to the National Music Academy in Gdansk, Poland, where he lived from 2011 to 2014, discovering the multicultural nature of the arts. In 2014 Alberto moved to the United States to work as a Graduate Assistant at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. In 2016 Alberto continued on to Kansas City to pursue a Doctoral Degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he became enamored with the local music scene. 2018 saw the start of Alberto’s journey with electronic music, writing material for trumpet and electronics. This is where the project Alber starts, especially using social media as an interactive, open sketchbook for his sonic excursions. Alberto’s first self-titled album was released in 2020, followed by significant live performing presence in 2021 in Kansas and Missouri. His second album Journey, was then released in 2021. At the same time, Alberto ramped up his touring of the Midwest region and collaboration with a variety of other artists. Most recently in 2023 Alberto was awarded the ArtsKC Inspiration Grant for his multimedia installation “Born at Sea”, a project centered on the idyllic sea scenery of his hometown, debuting in 2024. Additionally he became one of the Charlotte Street Foundation Studio Residents, a program that features some of the most brilliant up and coming artists in the Kansas City region. Still in 2023, Alberto toured the East Coast of the US and his native Italy, in a much welcome reconnection with his musical roots. Currently, Alberto is about to release his third full length album Lento and finalizing his upcoming 2024 tours to the East Coast and Southern Italy.]

[ALBER plays Night Seven: of Manor Fest 8, Friday May 29, at Vne Street Brewing, 2010 Vine, KCMO with Jazlyn Epps, Isaiah Petrie, and Alber & I Maledetti.]

11:21 – Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Today we spin music from 22 artists & bands playing Manor Fest 8 including: The Greeting Committee, Calvin Arsenia, Jass, Nightosphere, Paris Williams, Hailes, Jamogi & The Jammers, The Babe Gabe, The Matchsellers, Field Daze, Spy World, Alber, Malek Azrael, Kirstie Lynn, Flare The Rebel, Kemet Coleman, toasterbath, Ernest Melton, Tidal.wav, Dalia Kapten, Maddie Lai, and Jack Summer.

West Side / Strawberry Hill / West Bottoms / Crossroads / East Stadium Drive / Historic Northeast / East KC / 18th & Vine Jazz District / Midtown / Downtown / River Park

Manor Fest is a fundraiser curated and ran by Manor Records. This festival is not just about the music — it’s about building community and directly supporting local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians at no cost to them. More information at; http://www.manorrecords.com

Manor Fest 8, features 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues & KC Street Car.

WEEKEND TWO – May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

Night Eight: Saturday May 30 – Street Car

Venue One: Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO (1:00pm) all ages

1. Kadesh Flow
2. True Lions
3. Flare Tha Rebel

3:00pm – KC Street Car
Sass-a-Brass Band

Venue Two: Kansas City Publc Library 14 W, 10th St., KCMO – 3:30pm

1. Kirstie Lynn
2. Fritz & Sons
3. Calvin Arsenia

6:00pm – KC Street Car
Sass-a-Brass Band

Venue Three: KC Current Landing, 1460 E. Front St.,KCMO – 6:30pm

1. Jamogi & The Jammers
2. Jass
3. The Greeting Committee

11:28 – Underwriting

18. FlareThaRebel – “Mixology”
    from: “Mixology” – Single / Shafer / May 1, 2026
    [“Mixology” from his upcoming full length album DEAR CITY. // Flare Tha Rebel’s lead single “Mixology” is a confidently smooth record that uses the art of the cocktail as a metaphor for ambition, drive, and balance. The song is produced by longtime collaborator, Bob Pulliam (“Happy Clouds (Bob Ross Flow)”, “Rose’ All Day”, “Royalty Pt.1/2”). The single precedes the release of Flare’s upcoming album, Dear City, which drops Friday, May 1st. // Amplifying the tension between having love for one’s city while not dismissing its inequities, Dear City is a lyrical reflection of truth-telling and hometown pride. The album highlights commonalities experienced by many urbanites regardless of where they call home.  // In the weeks leading up to the album release concert, Flare has been releasing music video reels on social media featuring snippets of the new songs from Dear City. Filmed by Flaming Heart Productions, each reel features only the first verse or at most the first verse and chorus of each song, giving fans a taste of what’s to come and building hype for the album’s release. // Elevating the concoction further, Flare collaborated with bar owner, Bryan Ari, to film the music video reel of “Mixology” at Fern Bar. Flare turned the filming into a “fishbowl experience” inviting guests to watch him create the reel live while sipping cocktails of their own. Flare landed the scene, which involved rapping while mixing a cocktail and flaming an orange rind a precise moment within the song’s verse. The outcome? Confidently smooth – after about six takes and some hands-on coaching from Bryan Ari.// Career and love brought hip-hop MC Flare Tha Rebel™ back to his hometown of Kansas City, MO, which sparked a creative renaissance. As The Pitch noted, “As a member of hip-hop collective Anti-Crew, Flare Tha Rebel made quite an impact on the Kansas City hip-hop scene. After making the leap from KC to Chicago in the late ’00s, he’s now back…” His homecoming has proved fruitful – his track “Playground” was voted the Number 1 Song of 2022 by listeners of 90.9 FM The Bridge. Throughout his career, Flare has shared stages with heavyweights including Chance The Rapper, RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Lethal, Nappy Roots, and CES Cru. His most recent release is the locally acclaimed EP, “Summer You, Summer Me”, followed by his feature on the Kemet Coleman song “Android”. // Flare Tha Rebel aka Jeff Shafer is Executive Director for City Year Kansas City, an educational-equity nonprofit that places mentors/tutors in schools to keep kids on track to graduate. This was the job that brought Jeff back to KC, where he became Executive Director. ]

[FlareThaRebel plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 1:00pm at The Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO with\Kadesh Flow and True Lions.]

19. Kirstie Lynn & Galen Clark – “Soft Landing”
    from: Kirstie Lynn & Galen Clark / Lost River Sound / August 9, 2024
    [Kirstie Lynn & Galen Clark released Cindergarden (A Sides) on May 22, 2022. They released Cindergarden (B Sidesd) on June 21, 2023. Kirstie Lynn is a classically trained soprano with a passion for songwriting, always looking to marry poetry and melody. Though Kirstie’s voice has been compared to that of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, her sound is uniquely her own. Kirstie Lynn is a folk singer-songwriter originally from the fingerlakes region of upstate, NY. She began her professional music studies at the age of 15, and has since received both a Bachelor’s degree from Shenandoah University and a Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in voice and opera performance. Her vocal training lends her the freedom to paint her nature inspired lyrics with a wide range and a beautiful and effortless sound. Kirstie Lynn is one half of the duo Kirstie Lynn and Galen Clark. // Galen Clark introduces an alternative perspective and approach to music that contains multitudes. Migratory melodies, multi-instrumental fluency, and mysterious texture all outline the stylings of the newly transplanted Cuyahoga Valley songwriter, producer, and musician. // Born into an Air Force family, Clark grew up in many places with family anchors in Vermont and Colorado. At the age of 9 following many failed piano lessons, Clark’s grandparents gifted him a Harmony parlor guitar from a Shelburne flea market, starting a journey that would span almost 2 decades of stylistic development, a plethora of ephemeral bands, a degree in music production and recording technology, and a refined take on songwriting. .. Sharing songs spanning the stoic mountains of Idaho’s lost river range to the ancient hum of the Shenandoah Valley, Galen draws upon energy strewn between varied time and place, a broader quest for belonging, and rejuvenation beyond the front door. Clark’s previous records, Providence (2018) and The Well (2020) offer a contemplative portrait of moods in natural ambiguity, collective consciousness, and introspection. His most recent collaboration with Kansas City – based artist, Kirstie Lynn is a reckoning that is to be heard live and will transport you elsewhere if not in mind than in spirit.][Kirstie Lynn & Galen Clark joined us live on WMM on June 21. // Kirstie Lynn played IN THE ROUND with Calvin Arsenia, Julia Othmer, and Christena Graves at The Bauer, 115 West 18th St., in KCMO’s West Crossroads, Oct. 17, 2025.]

[Kirstie Lynn plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 3:30pm at Kansas City Publc Library 14 W, 10th St., KCMO with Fritz & Sons and Calvin Arsenia]

20. Calvin Arsenia – “Rose Petals”
    from: Paradise / Calvin Arsenia / June 23, 2023
    [Paradise is Calvin Arsenia’s 14 track album. Available through http://www.calvinarsenia.com // A new turning point as a songwriter. His most biographical album yet, with songs about Black Lives Matter, Racism, The Police, being on probation, gay love. The album contains collaborations with Cheery, Kadesh Flow and Jametatone. Calvin Arsenia one of our most frequent guests, who first appeared on WMM on July 25, 2012. KC Magazine has hailed Calvin as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-7-inch harpist with a 3 and ½ octave range, natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey began when he moved to Olathe, Kansas, teaching himself the guitar, piano, banjo. He learned his signature instrument, the harp, at the age of 20. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer where at 24 he released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his critically acclaimed full length debut, Catastrophe, with a live show at recordBar in November 2016 that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers. After signing to Center Cut Records, Calvin released the albums: Cantaloupe in 2018, with a sold out gigantic spectical at The Gem Theatre on Saturday, September 15, 2018. He then released, L.A. Sessions in 2019, and the EP HONEY DEW, and the EP Goddess with Quixotic, the Holiday album, ALL IS CALM. In 2020 Calvin collaborated with Mike Dillon on the Soundtrack to “Summer in Hindsight,” a feature-length film created by The West 18th Street Fashion Show that starred Calvin as an actor. Calvin is also the co-creator of the podcast “We Were Christian Kids” created with childhood friend Justin Randall who is a stand up comedian working in New York City and now Los Angeles. Calvin is also the published author of VERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE, a collection of Poetry & Prose published on October 5, 2021, by Andrews McMeel Universal. Calvin was voted KC’s Best Musician in The Pitch 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has been featured in Billboard, NPR.org. Charlotte Street Foundation announced that the recipients of the 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards are The Black Creatures and Calvin Arsenia Scott.] [Calvin Arsenia played a PARADISE Album Release Party, Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, at 7:00 PM at The Emerald, 1715 West 9th Street, KCMO, WEST BOTTOMS. More info at http://www.calvinarsenia.com][Calvin Arsenia was our guest on WMM on Jan. 18, 2023, June 21, 2023, and our 1000th Show on June 28, 2923.]

[Calvin Arsenia plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 3:30pm at Kansas City Public Library 14 W, 10th St., KCMO with Fritz & Sons and Kirstie Lynn]

11:40 – More Interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Manor Fest 8, features 60 Bands, 8 Nights, 11 Neighborhoods, 20 venues & KC Street Car. The official dates are May 20, 21, 22, & 23 and May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

West Side / Strawberry Hill / West Bottoms / Crossroads / East Stadium Drive / Historic Northeast / East KC / 18th & Vine Jazz District / Midtown / Downtown / River Park

Manor Fest is a fundraiser curated and ran by Manor Records. This festival is not just about the music — it’s about building community and directly supporting local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians at no cost to them. More information at; http://www.manorrecords.com

Today, Manor Records Foundation has supported more than 60 digital releases and over 30 physical albums from emerging Kansas City musicians — helping artists fund projects, build sustainable careers, and reach wider audiences. Through initiatives like our annual Manor Fest, showcasing over 60 local acts, and year-round programs like Songbird Sessions, we provide platforms that celebrate and reinvest in the creative heartbeat of our city. By combining the spirit of community with structured artist development, Manor Records Foundation ensures that KC’s vibrant music scene continues to thrive and grow.

Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

WEEKEND TWO – May 27, 28, 29, & 30.

Night Eight: Saturday May 30 – Street Car

Venue One: Kemper Museum 4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO (1:00pm) all ages

1. Kadesh Flow
2. True Lions
3. Flare Tha Rebel

3:00pm – KC Street Car
Sass-a-Brass Band

Venue Two: Kansas City Publc Library 14 W, 10th St., KCMO – 3:30pm

1. Kirstie Lynn
2. Fritz & Sons
3. Calvin Arsenia

6:00pm – KC Street Car
Sass-a-Brass Band

Venue Three: KC Current Landing, 1460 E. Front St.,KCMO – 6:30pm

1. Jamogi & The Jammers
2. Jass
3. The Greeting Committee

11:45

21. Jamogi – “HOLLABACK (feat. Les Izmore)”
    from: “HOLLABACK (feat. Les Izmore)” / Jam Tunes / May 15, 2026
    [Jamogi is also know as Byron Hyde a Kanas City based singer, songwriter, MC, producer, originally from Los Angeles, California.// Jamogi released the single “Georgia Peach (feat. Burgandy)” on September 5, 2025. Jamogi released Jamogi & The Jammers: Live at Flew The Coop Sessions (Flew The Coop Live) through Jam Tunes on April 11, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Do It To Me” on March 28, 2025. // Jamogi released the single “Go Big or Go Home” on August 30, 2024, Jamogi released the single “Hot Block” on May 30, 2024. Jamogi released the EP, Star-Crossed Lover on March 3, 2023. Jamogi then released a “Star-Crossed Lover GALACTIC REMIX (feat. Watchman)” single on June 9, 2023.Jamogi previously released the AGE OF AQUARIUS EP on March 3, 2023, and the single “Celebration” on Dec. 9, 2022, and the single “Anymore” on May 6, 2022. // Jamogi played the ROCK IS BLACK—a celebration of Black artists in rock music, happening February 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Zhou B Art Center, 1801 E 18th Street, KCMO. Rock is Black features: Malek Azrael & The Vibez, Jamogi and The Jammers, Stephonne, and Frankie Shorez & Mercy Fire. Kamogi and the Jammers played Boulevardia 2025]

[Jamogi plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 6:30pm at KC Current Landing, 1460 E. Front St., KCMO with Jass and The Greeting Committee]

22. Jass – “Where You Are”
    from: APRIL SHOWERS – EP / Jass / April 27, 2025.
    [Jass is Jasmine “Jass” Couch. Jass is currently working with her band Jass and the ConrtraBand.. Jass recently released the single, Autumn in The City” on September 22, 2025 This release captures Jass’s dynamic sound in a live band recording, tracked and recorded by bandmate Clarence Copridge. The smooth vocals from Jass and instrumentals of vibes and upright bass in this track are the perfect end of summer/welcome to fall track. // Jass writes, “My new single ‘Autumn in the City” s close to my heart—paying homage to my hometown and the fall season that inspires so much love and reflection. Huge thanks to everyone who came out and supported us.” // Jass released the EP APRIL SHOWERS on April 27, 2025. // Jass released the single “Hope.wav” on February 29, 2024. // Jass and The Boys released the single, “Daydream Girl” on August 25, 2023. // Jass and The Boys released the single “Gvn2u” on July 14, 2023. // Jass released the single, “Time&Space” on July 14, 2023. n// Jass released the single, “Eye Contact.” // Jass released the single, “Lifetime” on January 6, 2023 // Jass and The Boys released the single “Love U Like I Love U” on December 2, 2022. Jass released the single “grow” on November 26, 2022. Jass released the EP, OFF KEY: TOO HIGH on September 23, 2022. Jass released the single “Higher Ground” on August 16, 2022. It was #1 on WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2022. Jass released her single, “Him” on February 23, 2022. Jass released At the Close of a Decade on November 26, 2022. It was part of WMM’s 121 Best Recordings of 2021. She wrote, “After years of writing and recording in voice memos .. I decided to grab my iPad and began recording something that I am very proud of. I named it, At the Close of A Decade, and released it in November 2019. With my iPhone/iPad, some apple headphones, I created this project. The amazing people around me told me it was worth it, even when I didn’t believe it myself. I convinced myself I would be the only one that liked my songs. If you decide to listen you’ll hear sound clips of shows and movies that made a difference in the way I saw the world, the way I saw myself, and the way I overcame my experiences. I remember asking my grandma and my son if I should release what I’ve been writing and they both said very simply to do it, so I’ve done it. I want to thank all of my wonderful friends who have been my soundboards during this process, all of the people that have asked me when it’s coming, the people that have kept me accountable, and believed that this time it was for real. My story is so very triumphant and beautiful because I have overcome experiences and shunned the fear I had to do what I love. It’s crazy how you can talk your way out of some amazing things and also how you can talk yourself into making some amazing things happen. If you partake, I hope you enjoy.” // Jass has opened for Thundercat sat GRINDERS, headlined a show at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, and she opened up for The New Respects at The Uptown, and sang the Negro National Anthem at BLAQUE to School Night at the KC Monarchs game. Info: http://www.jassrcouch.com]

[Jass plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 6:30pm at KC Current Landing, 1460 E. Front St., KCMO with Jamogi & The Jammers and The Greeting Committee]

11:51 – More interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Manor Fest is a fundraiser curated and ran by Manor Records. This festival is not just about the music — it’s about building community and directly supporting local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians at no cost to them. More information at; http://www.manorrecords.com

Thank you Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:53

11:51 – More interview with Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

Manor Fest is a fundraiser curated and ran by Manor Records. This festival is not just about the music — it’s about building community and directly supporting local artists. Money raised from the festival supports the non profit mission of releasing music from local artists on physical platforms and other resources for musicians at no cost to them. More information at; http://www.manorrecords.com

Thank you Shaun Crowley & Valorie Mersman

For WMM, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:53

23. The Greeting Committee – “What I Wouldn’t Give?”
    from: “What I Wouldn’t Give?” / Harvest Records / October 10, 2025
    [Formed in KC in 2015 with Addie Sartino, Brandon Yangmi, Austin Fraser, & Pierce Turcotte. This EP waOn September 24, 2021 The Greeting Committee released their album Dandelion, ,which was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordins of 2021. hat release was a follow up to their Oct. 17, 2019 EP, I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry, and their October 26, 2018, full length vinyl release “This Is It.” The band has previously released the EP “Meeting People is Easy” in 2017, and “It’s Not All That Bad” in 2015.The Greeting Committee released their single “Ada” on August 27, 2021, through Harvest Records / UMG Recordings. Addie wrote about her song “Ada” explaining it was a queer narrative inspired by lived experience of a dear friend. i knew this wasn’t my story to tell, but instead the story of someone i fiercely admire. to our garden, you are loved. you are loved.]

[The Greeting Committee plays Day Eight of Manor Fest 8 on Saturday, May 30 at 6:30pm at KC Current Landing, 1460 E. Front St.,KCMO with Jamogi & The Jammers and Jass]

24. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next week, on Wednesday, May 20 – Rachel Christia & Vi Tran share info about the Kansas City Folk Fest, Saturday, May 30, 11:00am to 7:00pm at Washington Square Park with The Freedom Affair, Kaia Kater, Flutienastieness & The Soul Patrol, Julia Haile, Reach, Trevor Turla, Sisterbot, Bad Alaskan, and more! // Also Next Week Artist Madeline Marek joins us to talk about a special show at Kansas City Artists Coalition. AND KKFI radio host and producer Darin Challacombe talks about his late night radio show, All That Class and Jazz, heard late Friday Nights – Saturday Mornings 2:00am to 5:00am om 90.1 FM KKFI.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!
Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1147