Category Archives: KC Cafe Radio House Concerts

KC Cafe Radio Concert Series: Billy Jack Purnell

Billy Jack Purnell a.k.a. Plain and Simple is a down to earth kind of guy from Central Missouri. Billy discovered his musical talent when he was recovering from an automobile accident at the age of 16. His downtime was spent in his recliner teaching himself to play and write songs. His most recent album, Bipolar 101 is a collection of songs written about country life sung with passion and accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Songs about fishing, camping, and even one about drunk chicks!

His songs have received some local airplay on Clear 99 and 94.3 KAT Country and in 2013 he was signed by Factory Music Publishing, an international publishing company. Check out Plain and Simple’s website at plainnsimple.net and you can purchase his new CD Bipolar 101 on CD Baby or Amazon.com.

Listen to his performance here:

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Music by Billy Jack Purnell on KC Cafe Radio (Click Here)

House Concerts: Sarah Peacock, Michael Reno Harrell, Chad Abernathy and Bill Abernathy

Here is a collection of KC Cafe Radio House Concerts we held around the Kansas City area over the past several months. From Sarah Peacock visiting Belton, Missouri, to Michael Reno Harrell in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Chad and Bill Abernathy in Parkville, Missouri, we have certainly enjoyed quite a variety of music right in our own back yard!

If you would like to get in on the House Concert “action” with us, we have more House Concerts, occurring virtually monthly around the region. Check out our House Concert page here for all the details, and to indicate your interest in attending!

Listen to the House Concerts here:

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Pictures from our recent House Concerts:

KC Cafe Radio House Concert: Bill and Chad Abernathy

Bill Abernathy

Music has always been a part of life for father and son musicians Bill and Chad Abernathy. Bill began writing music in his early teens. He wrote and sang through most of his school years, before taking a break to get married, raise a family and build his business career.

Despite the fact that his dad had put his guitar aside for awhile, Son Chad Abernathy took up in his father’s musical footsteps. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing music,” Chad says on his website. “A pen, pad, and guitar have been my living journal.” Both of the Abernathy children were athletes, so at least for the time being, the family priority was on school and athletics.

Chad Abernathy

With both children grown and through school, Bill finally had the opportunity to return to the guitar. Chad would eventually retire from professional baseball, and he too took up the guitar and returned to the one thing he truly loved in life, writing and playing music. Both have performed live and have each recorded an album. They recently appeared on KC Cafe Radio’s showcase stage at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Missouri (coverage here).

Bill and Chad Abernathy will also be the featured performers in the next KC Cafe Radio House Concert, on Saturday, April 26 from 6 to 8PM, at Cyd’s Fair Trade Arts & Antiques in Parkville, Missouri. A donation of $15 per person is suggested, and reservations are required. For More information, and to make reservations, please complete and submit the form below. We will contact you via email with the details. The performances will also be broadcast live that evening over KC Cafe Radio.

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Music by Bill and Chad Abernathy on KC Cafe Radio:

KC Cafe Radio House Concert: Michael Reno Harrell

Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South… the Southern Appalachian Mountains to hone it a bit finer.

One could compare Michael’s performances to his granddaddy’s pocket knife: well warn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp and with a point. His brand of entertainment appeals to a very diverse audience. A typical day for Michael might include a program for 4th graders in the afternoon and a concert for a mixed audience that evening.

Michael’s recordings top the Americana Music Association charts year after year. His original songs and stories have been described as “Appalachian grit and wit” but, as his writing shows, Michael’s awareness is much broader than the bounds of his boyhood home or even the Southern Experience. Having toured throughout the British Isles and much of Europe, as well as most of the US, the songs he writes and the stories he creates reflect an insight into people’s experiences that catch the ear like an old friend’s voice.

Michael’s natural knack for storytelling, in print, song and spoken word has earned him praise from not only the music community but from the literary and storytelling worlds as well, having had the honor of being a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival and to be Teller In Residence at the International Storytelling Center, as well as performing at major music events like MerleFest and the Walnut Valley Festival. Along with his performances, Michael often conducts workshops in songwriting and storytelling as well.

Michael’s recordings have for years received and continue to garner awards in Country, Americana and Folk circles. His humor and wit, as well as the emotional depth of his work, keep his fan base growing and staying tuned in for whatever comes next.

Don’t miss the chance to experience what those faithful fans keep returning again and again to enjoy. Join us for an evening with Micheal Reno Harrell in this KC Cafe Radio House Concert, Saturday, April 5, 2014 at 6:30PM in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. A donation of $15 per person is suggested, and reservations are required. For More information, and to make reservations, please complete and submit the form below. We will contact you via email with the details.