Tag Archives: live music

FAR-West 2018: Saturday Night Showcase

KC Cafe Radio’s live coverage from the 2018 Folk Alliance Region-West music conference concluded with music from the Saturday night Main Stage Showcase performances.  Featured were the talents of: Claudia Nygaard, Freebo, Flagship Romance, Martin Kerr, Tumbledown House, and James Lee Stanley.

Our broadcast coverage is brought to you by the generous sponsorship support of Mike and Carleen McCornack of Garden Variety Music, Jeanette Lundgren of Mother Hen Promotions, and the 2018 International Songwriting Competition.

Claudia Nygaard (TN)

Claudia Nygaard straddles the fence between folk and country, delivering songs that are little slices of Americana. They are heartfelt, humorous, scrappy, and sensual. And so are the captivating stories she weaves in between them. She honed her craft as a salaried Music Row staff songwriter in Nashville, and her last CD “Let The Storm Roll in” rose to the coveted #1 position on the Cashbox Roots Country Chart – with every one of the award-winning songwriter’s self-penned compositions receiving airplay. With an acoustic guitar, a hollow body electric, a ukulele, and an amber honey voice that is known for its power and intimacy, Claudia has torn up the highways of all 50 states and nine foreign countries, performing at over 200 fairs and festivals.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Claudia Nygaard

Freebo (CA)

Freebo is a genuine folk, rock and blues icon who, after over 40 years of recording and touring with many of the great artists of our time (Bonnie Raitt 10 years, CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Neil Young, and many more) is regarded as one of the most gifted singer/songwriters of today. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo was also recognized as the Best Folk Artist 2007 by the Los Angeles Music Awards. In addition, he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, The Midnight Special, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Freebo

Flagship Romance (NM)

Fluent, intense acoustic guitar playing; lyrics of life’s peaks and valleys; soaring yearning vocals; and harmonies one could barely separate with a single human hair: this is the Flagship Romance sound. Since 2012, this Florida-raised, New Mexico-based husband-wife duo has gained a rapidly-growing, impassioned grassroots fanbase through solid songwriting, relentless touring, and critically acclaimed releases. They were selected two years in a row as an official showcase artist at the Folk Alliance International conference, performed on the 2018 Cayamo singer/songwriter cruise, and have shared the stage with Iris Dement, Half Moon Run, Gin Blossoms, and The Goo Goo Dolls. Flagship Romance has aligned their musical career with the clean water cause, founding and organizing the Clean Water Music Fest in Florida.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Flagship Romance

Martin Kerr (Edmonton, AB)

Martin Kerr has been building his career from the streets, one passer-by at a time, and now has a following of thousands. Still fully independent, in the past year he sold out two nights at the 1700-seat Winspear Centre, opened for Sarah McLachlan at a 20,000-seat stadium, and saw his latest album reach #2 on iTunes Canada. Often compared to James Taylor, John Denver and – due to his ginger hair and charming accent – Ed Sheeran, Martin’s anthemic modern-folk connects with listeners of all ages. With a growing list of major festival appearances, his brilliant storytelling and soaring voice are captivating audiences around the world. Most will go home singing to each other the touching, hilarious chorus of his latest single, “You’re Amazing.”

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Martin Kerr

Tumbledown House (CA)

San Francisco Bay Area songwriting deviants Tumbledown House have never been easy to describe. Modern speakeasy, saloon jazz, parlor pop, and Tom Waits in a cocktail dress are some of the terms used, but none of these successfully convey the band’s incomparable ability to fuse vintage sounds and themes from yesteryear with the modern instrumentation, refreshingly original compositions, and raw energy that we expect from today’s performers. Tumbledown House has performed over 700 shows throughout 25 states and is in the process of releasing their third full-length studio album, due this winter.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Tumbledown House

James Lee Stanley (CA)

With a history that includes 5 years on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the singing Klingon amongst other roles, 3 years as Steven Wright‘s opening act; tours with Bonnie Raitt, the Dixie Dregs, Robin Trower and Robin Williams, being the composer of the hits “Coming Out of Hiding,” “I Don’t Want To Talk About It,” and “Plenty of Reason,” and 26 solo CDs and duet CDs with Peter Tork, Cliff Eberhardt and John Batdorf, you know you are in for an evening rich in musical chops, great songs and a man who, his remarkable singing and guitar playing notwithstanding, could be a stand-up comedian. As they said in the Village Voice, “With James Lee Stanley you get it all.”

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: James Lee Stanley

 

Thank you to these generous supporters of our live broadcast coverage:

Live @ Gusto: 2017 Christmas Show

KC Cafe Radio returned to Gusto Coffee Saturday, December 16 for our annual Christmas show, broadcast live on KC Cafe Radio.  This year’s show opened with a Kansas City-area musical favorite, Steve Sterner and Sundown,  and featured a new voice for the KC Cafe Radio microphones, Joy Zimmerman.

For several years, Gusto Coffee has been the social hub of the Longview area of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  Events from community meetings to live local music performances are regular occurrences.  Gusto Coffee has also been a corporate underwriter and supporter of KC Cafe Radio, and our mission to present unique, original music.  We are pleased to have returned to bring you this unique holiday music event.

Steve Sterner and Sundown

With smooth vocals, Steve Sterner & Sundown (Mark Nelson & Ron Brammer) deliver a relaxed mix of original folk songs, and popular and lesser known covers. Steve tells stories about life and love in his original compositions, interspersed with songs by favorite folk artists like John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jim Croce.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Live @ Gusto Christmas Show 2017: Steve Sterner & Sundown

Joy Zimmerman

 Joy Zimmerman is known for compelling vocals, inventive songwriting, and engaging performances. Her music is shaped by diverse musical taste, violin lessons starting before kindergarten, and plenty of soulful moments. Joy’s lyrics reflect a deep understanding of human experience. Having met few genres she didn’t embrace, Joy’s music is eclectic and chock-full of vocal and instrumental versatility.

Joy has five albums of original music — two recorded and co-produced with Jimmy Dykes in Kansas City at Weights and Measures Soundlab, and three recorded in Nashville at Azalea Studios. Joy’s songwriting awards include American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and five Walnut Valley Festival New Song Showcase wins.

Read more about Joy and her music here.

 

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Live @ Gusto Christmas Show 2017: Joy Zimmerman

FARMette 2017: Showcase Performances

Folk Alliance Region Midwest’s “FARMette 2017” conference was held June 24, 2017 at The Buffalo Room in Kansas City’s Westport entertainment district.  The day-long event culminated in a juried Showcase Performance, featuring seven Midwest musicians.

KC Cafe Radio broadcast the show live that evening.  Here we offer the archived recordings of each performance from that broadcast.

 

John Keck (Kansas City, Missouri)

John Keck is a Kansas City songwriter who creates lyrics with the intent of capturing emotion, depicting a moment in time. Much like a photograph define can define the light. With one foot in the south and one in the Midwest, John’s music is a modern blend of traditional American and a willingness to be undefined.

“I write songs for people who love Van Gogh’s paintings. I want to have a conversation about the emotions behind the songs with our eyes. I want to provoke thought and connect with people. I’d like to see if I can get you to dance, laugh and cry a little.” – John L Keck

John is currently rehearsing songs in the studio in preparation to record a new album this year. This will be a follow album to his “Jack Moon Sessions.” He is performing nearly every weekend this summer, somewhere in the Midwest.

Listen to John’s performance here:

Download John’s performance here: FARMette 2017: John Keck

Caleb Ryan Martin (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

Caleb Ryan Martin has, according to one reviewer, “a lonesome voice and rhythm that can at times invoke a lonesome ramblin’ man sound, a voice that will haunt you with some type of mysterious mountain holler sound, like a banshee singing in the nether woods.”

Caleb Ryan Martin hails from the hills of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Looking like a man from leaner and meaner times, Caleb has traveled and played music all across the Midwest and Gulf Coast region, singing with expressive vocals, playing guitar, and picking the banjo providing people with melodic medicine. Caleb currently averages between 150 – 200 shows a year.

Listen to Caleb’s performance here:

Download Caleb’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Caleb Ryan Martin

Bill Scorzari (Huntington, New York)

Often likened to Sam Baker, Tom Waits, and Kris Kristofferson, New York singer-songwriter, Bill Scorzari is “a force. His songwriting is stellar, his picking above par and his voice fits his songs perfectly” (No Depression).

Through These Waves (released 3/10/17), was produced by Jonah Tolchin and recorded at the Bomb Shelter (Nashville, Tennessee with musicians Joachim Cooder, Will Kimbrough, Chris Scruggs, Kim Richey, Laur Joamets and more. “Bill Scorzari has a lived-in voice that says, ‘Listen to these songs.’ They spring from the earth and the ocean with an open heart and the wisdom of experience.” (John Platt, WFUV).

Listen to Bill’s performance here:

Download Bill’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Bill Scorzari

Ryan Herrick (Chicago, Illinois)

Inspired by the raw, visceral power in traditional Delta blues and Appalachian folk music, Ryan Herrick allows his music to merge from within. His soulful songs express his passionate belief in human unity and the interconnectedness of all things with a percussive blend of rock, folk-blues, Celtic, and Indian raga.

Listen to Ryan’s performance here:

Download Ryan’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Ryan Herrick

Jeff Krause (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Rooted in the tradition of classic Americana and folk storytelling with a tip of the hat to blues and southern soul, Jeff Krause pairs lyric-forward songs with a guitar style that moves from acoustic coffee house strums to dusty bar blues.

Jeff Krause got his start in the Midwest as a lead guitar player in the vast and ever growing songwriting culture of the Twin Cities. He says “I’m constantly inspired by the seemingly endless talent harbored in Minneapolis and working to create something worthy of that influence.” Jeff Krause writes original songs that are all too relatable about the lost and found of love with a common thread of the persevering spirit born from the highs and lows of life. Inspired by the lyric writing of greats such as Jason Isbell and John Prine and the acoustic grooves of Amos Lee and Ray LaMontagne, Krause crafts songs that are suited for an intimate acoustic show or a full stage.

Listen to Jeff’s performance here:

Download Jeff’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Jeff Krause

Jodee Lewis (Chicago, Illinois)

A native of the Missouri Ozarks, Jodee Lewis was raised on folk songs and honkytonk, and her music reflects the best of both worlds. The Chicago Tribune says she is “a singer-songwriter whose outsized talent is as big as her voice,” and calls her first album, “Whiskey Halo,” an “impressive solo debut.” Her song, “In The End,” took first place in the 16th annual Great American Songwriting Contest. Additionally, the 14th annual Independent Music Awards chose “Whiskey Halo” as country album of the year, and the single, “From A Bottle,” took top honors for a country song. Lewis plans to release a second album, “Buzzards Bluff,” in 2017.

Listen to Jodee’s performance here:

Download Jodee’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Jodee Lewis

Betse & Clarke (Kansas City, Missouri)

Their music is familiar…and totally different; a fiddle and banjo duo with a sense of adventure. Old time music and song celebrated alongside inventive new compositions: a passion for the depth of tradition and a look to new creative paths. “Betse and Clarke go together like peanut butter and jelly.” — Chuck Haddix, host of The Fish Fry, KCUR-FM. “Authentic…from the heart with plenty of soul. Betse and Clarke are as good as it gets.” — Daren Dortin, Ozark Highlands Radio Executive Producer/Music Director, Ozark Folk Center.

Listen to Betse & Clarke’s performance here:

Download Betse & Clarke’s performance here: FARMette 2017: Betse & Clarke

Live @ Gusto: Dan Hamilton, Steve Sterner and Sundown, and The Bob and Al Show

Live @ GustoKC Cafe Radio presents another in our series of live concert events from Gusto Coffee Shop in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, this Saturday evening, June 11.  Musical entertainment will be provided by “The Guitar Muse” Dan Hamilton (with special guest Rick Lally), Steve Sterner and Sundown, and The Bob and Al Show.

Weather permitting, the show will be held (and broadcast on KC Cafe Radio) from the patio outside Gusto’s beginning at 5PM, Central Time.  Join us for what is promising to be a great evening of live Kansas City-area music, while enjoying the setting sun over Longview Lake.  In the event of rain, the entertainment moves inside Gusto Coffee Shop.

If you are unable to join us in-person, then bring the live music with you by tuning in the live broadcast on KC Cafe Radio.  More information on listening to KC Cafe Radio, including access to our mobile apps is available here.

Live @ Gusto! KC Cafe Radio Christmas Show 2015

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KC Cafe Radio’s Second Annual Christmas Show was celebrated on Friday, December 11, at Gusto Coffee Shop in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  Our thanks to our fine and talented lineup of local musicians who provided the musical holiday merriment for all in attendance and listening live online.  Here, are the archived recordings from the live broadcast:

Harris/Hernandez

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Steve Sterner and Sundown

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Granger Lofton

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Allan Cunningham

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Kathy Forste

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Larry Garrett

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Jared Feldman and The GALAXZ

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Regina Amabile

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