Some big news for Kansas City’s favorite dance/music/acrobatic/visual arts group, Quixotic…
It was recently announced that Quixotic will be a featured "speaker" at the TED Full Spectrum Conference held in Long Beach, California on February 27th – March 2nd. For those unfamiliar with TED, here’s a blurb from their website:
"From dazzling technology and leading-edge science to the richest veins of human creativity and interconnection, we are assembling our most diverse group of speakers ever for TED2012, with just this in common: they have something remarkable to share, and they are able to share it in a remarkable way. We’re inviting them to develop "full spectrum" presentations: blizzards of images, new uses of music, extravagant use of under-used senses, intricate choreography between speaker and screen, new ways of involving the audience, breakthroughs in animation, and intense, campfire-style storytelling."
Sounds kinda weird and new-agey right?
But check out some of the other speakers participating — KCK’s own genre-bending singer Janelle Monae, billionaire T. Boone Pickens, weirdo comedian Reggie Watts, and oh yeah, Bill Nye the Science Guy, among others.
Check here for a full listing, as well as info on how to attend if you so desire: http://conferences.ted.com/TED2012/program/speakers.php
On to my picks for this week…
Friday, January 20th
Jack’s Mannequin at the Beaumont Club in KC
These guys hail from Orange County, California and play essentially adult alternative rock. You may remember them best from their single, Dark Blue, which was all over the radio a few years ago. Since then the band has released two more albums, including 2011’s People and Things. Front man Andrew McMahon talked about the latest release with AbsolutePunk.net, saying:
“I consider ‘People and Things’ a relationship record. My goal with many of the songs was to strip away the flowery language and sentiment attached to newer love and replace it with starker, less blinded language about more binding love. In the time following the last Jack’s album the people in my world were moving in together, getting married, trying to find quote unquote ‘real jobs’ and reconciling new lives that looked a lot less like youth than some of us cared for. Marriage is a bit of a beast to tackle in a pop record but when I wrote ‘My Racing Thoughts,’ it became clear how powerful and loaded a subject this kind of love is and somewhere in that moment I began to lock into the broad concept for the writing sessions to come.”
This show will likely sell out, so if you’re set on going act now.
Saturday, January 21st
The Danny Pound Review featuring Matt Suggs, Suzannah Johannes, and Arthur Dodge at the Lawrence Art Center
The Lawrence Art Center has been putting on shows every now and again in their intimate little theater. This night should be a good one, featuring all singer-songwriters with Lawrence roots.
Arthur Dodge made his name touring with his band, the Horsefeathers, over the last decade. He lays down gritty country rock, with a voice grizzled by whiskey and the road.
Suzannah Johannes has a pure, sweet voice, perfect for lonely ballads. Over the years, Suzannah has collaborated a bit with Mr. Dodge, so I would wager there will be a bit of that at this show.
Matt Suggs has done a little bit of everything. From his early days fronting the band Butterglory, to his solo stuff, to his current band, White Whale, which also features Rob Pope of the Get Up Kids, Suggs is always entertaining and rootsy.
And of course, there’s Danny Pound, who’s been haunting Lawrence bars for quite some time now with his folk-pop, mellowed out tunes.
The show is early, starting at 7:30, and advance tickets can be purchased at Love Garden for $10. Also, there is a cash bar that features Free State beer, I believe.
Sunday, January 22nd
AWOLNATION at the Beaumont Club in KC
First off, KCC photog Katie Grogan will be at this show. So if you’ve been following along with her likes in music you should be able to kind of get a feel for what kind of show this will be.
AWOLNATION is an electronic pop rock band from California that has been getting heavy airplay on radio stations like 96.5 the Buzz. Indeed, this show is being promoted by the Buzz, which almost always does a good job selling tickets and hyping acts on their way through town.
The band is known for its energetic live shows and frat-ready party anthems. Leading the way is front man and songwriter Aaron Bruno, who works the crowd with the best of them. But I hear the real standout is drummer Hayden Scott, who pounds the crap out of his set. And yes, he is backed by a bit of programming, but that’s just kind of this band’s deal.
Expect this show to be a sweaty party. If you don’t like rubbing up against random strangers it might not be the one for you.
