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Sonic Spectrum





KC musicians collaborate for Nick Cave tribute

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds came to The Midland on June 18, but we in Kansas City got ready early. Sonic Spectrum’s Robert Moore curates a slew of tributes on divergent and linked bands and musicians. Sunday, June 16, was one that pulled the souls out of some of my favorite musicians in town and left them on the recordBar stage for 1 hour 36 minutes and 16 seconds. 
 
First, Shaun Hamontree, Terrence Moore, and Kristin Thompson Conkright brought beautiful harmonies, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and subtle electric guitar to the crooning side of Nick’s catalog. Shaun may have been bummed that “The Mercy Seat” didn’t work out the way he had envisioned, but I think I felt a commiserating smile on his face when Nick and the Bad Seeds came into trouble on the same Wednesday night.
 
 
 
 
 
Then Alex Alexander, Jeff Harshbarger, Ryan Shank, Steve Tulipana, Rich Wheeler, and Cody Wyoming dug electrically into a high-powered set of rarities and well-knowns. Each song was heartfelt and dynamic. Watching Steve rotate through instruments was a blast. Rich’s sax brought soothing salve to the wonderfully dissonant guitars while Cody and Steve’s sonically different vocals were right for each song. I think “The Weeping Song” may have been my favorite of their set.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two things I really enjoy about these tribute series are hearing each group’s interpretations of the songs and learning what has played a part in influencing their original music. Most of the time, the groups are made up of members that are not in bands together. That kind of cross-pollination and collaboration affects the course and subtle weave of threads that make up Kansas City music.
 
 
 
--Todd Zimmer
 
If you spot a man in a kilt taking professional photos of your band, it’s probably Todd Zimmer, and your band is about to have some incredible shots. Apparently he can also write, because he wrote this article!
 

Here’s a link to recordBar’s live feed recording of the tribute show. You can check out the rest of Todd’s photos, both from the tribute show and the Bad Seeds show, check out his Flickr page at this link. 

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Show review: Sonic Spectrum Ramones Tribute, 10.28.12

Four bands came together to pay tribute to legendary punk band, the Ramones, as a part of Sonic Spectrum’s tribute series at recordBar. For all intents and purposes, the Ramones saved rock n' roll. When they released their self-titled debut in 1976, the radio was jammed pack with long-winded keyboard solos, disco beats, and mini-operas. The Ramones went back to the original blueprint, designed by the early rock n' rollers and doo-wop groups of the ‘50s. Only the Ramones' songs were faster, louder, tougher, and weirder; punk was born. Their sound continues to influence countless bands to this day, four of which showed up that night.

If there was a secondary theme to the night, it was that covering these three-chord simplistic songs looks much easier than it actually is to pull off. Nearly each band recognized that on stage. The first band, UFT!, kicked off the show right with the shouts of "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" in "Blitzkrieg Bop,” quite possibly the most recognizable tune in the Ramones catalog. Bassist Steve Tulipana shared a funny story about meeting the artist behind the iconic Ramones logo, and his surprise on how getting prepared for the show had been. They played other Ramones classics such as "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "Rock N' Roll High School.”

Next, Rockets to Russia took the stage (members of Bleachbloodz, The Uncouth!, Hobo Zero, Appropriate Grammar, The Bad Ideas). Consisting of the largest group of the night, the five-member band tore through songs about as fast as the Ramones would perform them live. Songs like "Glad to See You Go" and "Cretin Hop" were accompanied by boundless energy that seemed to run back and forth on both sides of the stage. Two songs in, vocalist Mitch Clark convincingly told the crowd he'd have to slow down for a song or two or else he was bound to have a heart attack on stage. Still, the band continued through their set this way.

Gene Kreamerz and the Pussycats (members of The Quivers, The Latenight Callers, Drew Black & Dirty Electric, Deco Auto) played their songs closer to how the Ramones sounded on the albums. It's not at the breakneck speed of their live performances, but still animated enough for a crowd to bounce around to. Highlights included "(Do You Remember) Rock N' Roll Radio?" and a personal favorite, "Danny Says,” the true ballad of the night (surprisingly, the Ramones were great at writing those, too).

True evidence of the Ramones influence in even today's world came when Radkey finished the night off. The band consists of three brothers, all of whom were born well after the Ramones had their heyday. The spirit, energy, and rock n' roll the Ramones championed during their career came through the band. Highlights included the seasonally appropriate "Pet Cemetery" and campy "Somebody Put Something in My Drink.” The band ended their set with the anti-political song "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg", a song most fans would consider to be a favorite. The night was a great tribute to the Ramones, and in turn, a great tribute to rock n' roll.

All photos by Todd Zimmer. Please do not use without permission.

--Travis Stull  

Travis is a technical writer who loves rock n' roll. Give him a hug sometime.

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Show preview: Sonic Spectrum Dealer's Choice at recordBar, 7.29.12

If you haven't been to one of the shows in the Sonic Spectrum Tribute Series at recordBar, this is one to experience. Since debuting the series last January, host Robert Moore has selected local bands and musicians to play songs of eclectic artists like David Bowie, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Neil Diamond, The Clash, and most recently, Minutemen.

This Sunday, Moore will be celebrating his birthday and has handpicked a few Kansas City musicians to play songs of his choosing, from artists as diverse as Bauhaus, XTC, The Beatles, Loretta Lynn, Devo, T.Rex, and many others. Performances will be from some of Moore's (and Kansas City's) favorite musicians:
  
 
Erik Voeks & His Merry Men: Erik Voeks, Cameron Hawk (The Dead Girls, Hidden Pictures), Dave Tanner (The Depth & The Whisper, Liverpool), Patrick Hawley (The What Gives), Cody Wyoming 
 
Tiny Horse (Abigail Henderson and Chris Meck) featuring Zach Phillips (The Architects), Matt Richey (The Grisly Hand) and Cody Wyoming
 
  
And Moore promises a few other surprises, so be there if you can.
  
Doors: 7 pm
Showtime: 8:00 pm
$7 cover; A portion of the proceeds from this show goes to Midwest Music Foundation.

Upcoming Sonic Spectrum tributes include:
August: Fela Kuti, featuring Hearts of Darkness
September: The Doors
October: The Ramones
November: Devo
December: The Rat Pack

--Michelle Bacon
 
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