Tony: Maybe Christian Heavy Metal Can Resurrect Kansas City’s Crappy Fall Festival Season?

The deepening Global Recession has pretty much screwed outdoor entertainment for this fall. September’s Fiesta Hispana was called off because organizers couldn’t find enough businesses with cash despite the fact that it is was the biggest Latino Festival in the region. And Oktoberfest is kaput for this year as well.

It seems that rocking out with Jesus with an old school hair band is the only place to turn. It was recently reported (Twitter counts, right?) that Christian Heavy Metal Band Stryper will be at Crossroads KC October 9. Undoubtedly, the audience will be filled with many non-believers thrashing to the music ironically and for their part Stryper has toned down their bible head-banging image over the years. This 25th Anniversary tour is a far cry from the Megadeath knockoff with a Christan spin and a gimmick that involved throwing bibles at the crowd from onstage.

But basically, I’m sure the spirit remains the same and it’s that kind of holy rolling that might help get Kansas City’s Fall outdoor events headed back in the right direction. Don’t make fun, people have made far more whimsical requests with prayer in much the same way that Bishop Finn seemingly hopes Jesus will come back to stop Obamacare. Nevertheless, some kind of revival is in order and I think Stryper is just the band to do it. I can attest to listening to their earlier work as a kid and being marginally impressed. I wouldn’t expect the Second Coming from a group I always considered to be a novelty act but the concert should be rewarding enough.

Other than this campy event that should be a good time, I don’t see much hope for Kansas City entertainment as the weather grows colder. The Sprint Center is still without a real anchor tenant, Soccer has forsaken South Kansas City and affordable entertainment options are few and far between. Therefore, I don’t see anything wrong with my retro vigil for a guilty pleasure hair band well past their prime. People in this town have beleived in all kinds of crazy things including a neophyte Mayor and his clingy wife and then Clay Chastain’s grand designs for gondolas and light rail. Obviously this is a town full of people looking for somewhere to put our faith.