Sympathetic Vibrations | Brass Knacks

a beautiful trumpet

A chunk of jazz history is being preserved right off 12th St. and Vine. And that should seem confusing, considering the city razed much of the historic entertainment district in the ’60s and the official museum is a full six blocks south. Nevertheless, on most days, on the second floor of a nearby warehouse, you’ll…

Read More

Sympathetic Vibrations | The Spoils of Authenticity

6 men in a band

What catchall phrase would you use to describe a band that draws much of its influence from rock ’n’ roll, garage rock, mod, blues, and psych from the ’50s and ’60s? If you’re Rory Cameron, the lead singer of The Conquerors, it’s not the obvious one. “I don’t really like the throwback moniker very much.…

Read More

Sympathetic Vibrations | A Generous Mob

Man standing against wall with ukulele

Music is art. There is no denying that. But well before your favorite artist’s music tickles your eardrums, there are hundreds of business-related decisions made about that art. And nearly all of those decisions have to do with money. In the past, if artists wanted to be heard by a national audience, they had to…

Read More

Sympathetic Vibrations | Your Guide to the Bottom of the Bill

A group of young musicians

Yesterday kicked off the music leg of Kansas City’s sixth-annual Middle of the Map Fest, a music, film and forum festival that bears a not-so-coincidental resemblance to Austin’s South by Southwest. The two-week fest is something of a crown jewel for Kansas City’s arts scene, showcasing more than 25 films and 100 bands throughout 11…

Read More

30 Stories in 30 Days | From ‘Star Wars’ to Mandolins

A dog with yoda ears

Videographer Alden Miller has created a challenge for himself: In the month of April, tell one story about Kansas City each day. Yup, that’s each and every day. Here at Flatland, we’ve teamed up with the dangerously-living Mr. Miller to showcase that work throughout the month. We check in with him at Alchemy New Media weekly to see how…

Read More