Kansas City here I come

Gotta find a friendly city
And that's the reason why,
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I'm gonna get me some.
-Wilbert Harrison

Before we left St. Louis, Matt cooked us an amazing breakfast of eggs and toast. We then said goodbye to him and his hyper dog Roscoe and got on our way to Kansas City, MO. SMV drove most of the way there. As ever, the drive was filled with many stretches of gorgeous scenery.


We got into town plenty early, so we went straight over to Tara's white-picket-fenced house:


Tara lives right on the border of Kansas and Missouri on a street called State Line Road. (Right on!) The house is really beautiful -- it's an old house with a lot of character that creaks whenever you walk around. We met her lovely 2-year-old daughter Lydia, who is a sponge for knowledge, and her awesome dog Ninners and cat WC (World's Coolest -- yeah!).


Tara's band Ste. Simone was originally supposed to play on the bill with us that night, but their guitarist quit the band only a couple weeks earlier. We were super bummed that they weren't playing with us, and it was clear that the wounds of the band breaking up were still fresh. Nevertheless, Tara was a gracious host and cooked us an amazing dinner of tofu and vegetables.

It was time to leave for the show, and we pulled up to The Emerald in the "West Bottoms" district of KC. West Bottoms has a very industrial feel to it that actually reminded me of home: the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. A little desolate with a lot of abandoned buildings and tons of railroad tracks criss-crossing the area. It felt very peaceful there -- a lot of open space to breathe and think. Recently a lot of art/DIY spaces have opened up in West Bottoms, which also highlighted the Williamsburg connection.


KC band Mr. History set up the show for us and they were there to greet us with open arms. Matt and Patrick are awesome!

SMV was pretty exhausted, so she chilled in the car before the show. Meanwhile, J and I hung out on the street kickin' it with the local folks. It seemed like a lot of people were on some powerful intoxicants that nite, lending to some very interesting conversation.

Restless Breed, a trio of guitar/keys, keys, and drums, took the stage first.


They played a strong set of experimental/ambient music. However, their down-tempo tunes felt more suited to an after-party: even though it was totally solid, we were a little sleepy by the time we had to go on.

We roused ourselves and took the stage. It was another really solid set of the tour for us. We felt a connection with the audience, who were really diggin' us. It felt raw and raucous.

After the show, Joe (who runs a DIY space called The Pistol down the street) came up to us and said, "That was some of the best feedback I heard in awhile." I felt honored. The soundguy also came up to us after and said that he saw Thurston Moore play the week before, and our set was better! Woah! That went straight to the heart. Better than Thurston?!?!?! Wow. I was floored by the compliments.

Jenny, meanwhile, attracted an entourage of gay guys who were really diggin' us, too. One said the music made him feel like he should just lay down and die.... KC has definitely got some interesting folks!

Mr. History were up to bat last. When we saw them last summer, they had around 7 members in the band. Now, they were stripped down to a trio. I actually prefer them as a 3 piece -- I felt their music was more raw and pure. They played an honest, touching set. Matt is a really great guitar player -- he was throwing in some jazz voicings/chords that I was really getting into.

After Mr. History's set, there was some more hanging out outside the venue. We met Nate, who was one of the founders of The Emerald. I felt a real connection with him. He said he was inspired by the scene in NYC, and he actually tried to start a similar DIY space on the Lower East Side of NYC, but couldn't afford it, so he came back to KC to do it instead. I felt really at home at The Emerald, and it's clear why!

Joe (from The Pistol) was awesome to hang out with, too. I have a lot of respect for these folks who run DIY spaces. They're trying to put on a pure musical experience for everyone, where money isn't the bottom line. It's just about art and the connection with people. Right on!

After the show, we headed back to Tara's place to crash for the night. Her bathroom was upstairs and we had a hard time navigating her baby-gates. I felt so bad because our fumbling about eventually woke Tara up, and she had to give us a tutorial on how to open the baby-gate!

The next morning, Tara recommended we have breakfast at one of the classic diners in KC, Mama's. It was right next door to a gay bar, my kind of diner!!! We treated Tara to the breakfast because it was her birthday. We had a sweet transvestite serving us, and the place even made Mickey Mouse pancakes for Lydia. So sweet.

After breakfast we went back to Tara's and she talked more about being a Doula (someone who helps coach a mother through the birthing process) and the important and awesome work she does for pregnant mothers. I really don't know anything about childbirth, but somehow Tara was able to explain the magical, transforming experience of it in a way that made it seem more tangible to me. Childbirth is so clinical in mainstream culture, and Tara broke it down to a personal level where I could actually connect and relate to it, even though I have never experienced it. She also had a sticker on her car that said "Rock 'n' Roll Doula." Rock on!!!!!

After breakfast, we came back to the house and had some more intense and meaningful conversation. I felt that I was really getting a sense of who Tara is, and just how deep, edgy, and amazing she is.

Sadly, it wasn't long before we had to pack up and hit the road.

Ames, Iowa next!