Sounds Good: Sporting vs LA @ LIVESTRONG, Leo Kottke @ Uptown, Muder by Death @ Beaumont & Split Lip @ Bottleneck

A bunch of news that may be of interest to you awesome people who love soccer and music…
 
First, the soccer news. 

Tickets for the HUGE Sporting-LA Galaxy game this Saturday at LIVESTRONG are sold out. 

However, there are still a few standing room tickets you can buy in a package that includes a ticket to the Montreal game on May 5th.  And trust me, some of the standing room spots in LIVESTRONG are my favorite places to watch from, so the view will still be great.  Plus, as an added bonus – you’ll be closer to the beer concession.  

Think about it.

And Wakarusa pass prices are increasing this Saturday at 11:59 pm. 

Yep, tickets for Brett Mosiman’s annual Arkansas throw-down are going fast, so they’re cutting off the early bird discounts this weekend.  With the money you save buying now you can get that new hula hoop or patchwork corduroys you’ve been eyeing.     
 
Finally, the Middle of the Map Festival is invading KC this Thursday thru Saturday, with over 80 bands at 8 venues.  There are a bunch of different ticketing options, but from what I can tell a whole festival pass is going for $35 and one day passes are $20.  This hipster’s delight includes national acts like Mission of Burma, Neon Indian, Fun, White Denim, and, like I said, about 75 others.
 
On to the picks!…  

Friday, April 6th

Leo Kottke at Uptown Theater in KC

I first got to know Kottke in my post-Phish days when he started collaborating with weirdo Mike Gordon.  Together, they’ve released a couple albums that are pretty decent.  From there, I worked backwards into Kottke’s catalogue finding a wide range of jazz, folk, and even classical sounding pieces, mostly instrumental, and all highlighted by Kottke’s virtuosic guitar playing.  Like the Native Americans’ relation to the buffalo, Kottke uses every part of the 6 and 12 string guitar to his benefit, creating multiple layers of sounds that you wouldn’t think just one guy with an acoustic guitar could produce.  Every now and again he’ll even throw in a vocal, but his bread is buttered by his instrumental soundscapes.  This all sit-down affair should be a mellow way to kick off your weekend.  And it may make you go home and throw away your guitar.  

Murder by Death, Mates of State, Cowboy Indian Bear at the Beaumont Club in KC

This should be one of the cooler shows of the Middle of the Map Festival.  Headliners Murder by Death are an alt-country act from Indiana that many in these parts are familiar with due to their relentless touring schedule.  Count local music honk Jacki Becker among the group’s KC fan base.  She’s booked and seen these guys more than any other band in her many years in the biz, so take that for what it’s worth.  MBD’s most recent album, Good Morning Magpie, was written in Justin Vernon-like isolation.  But instead of a cabin in Wisconsin, singer and guitarist Adam Turla walked into the woods of Tennessee with his guitar and emerged some time later with bug bites and an album.

“There were days where I’d sit down and write for seven hours, make dinner, and then sit down and write late into the night with my little camp light going: just intense, nonstop sessions of pure writing,” said Turla.  “I didn’t speak to a single person the whole time.”

Also on the bill- and sure to draw out a bunch of their loyal local fans- is Cowboy Indian Bear, the ambient, indie dance-pop act led by the notorious Marty Hillard, also of Ebony Tusks fame.  CIB also features Katlyn Conroy, whose electronic side project, La Guerre, is performing at the fest as well.
 

This is just one of the venues and one of the nights of the Middle of the Map Festival.  Some of the others that I would keep an eye on include Neon Indian, Capybara, Thee Water Mocassins, and Stik Figa.  But I don’t have the time or the space to blurb about all my favs, so check out their website at www.middleofthemapfest.com for a full schedule.  

Saturday, April 7th

Split Lip Rayfield, Bright Light Social Hour, Red Eye Gravy at the Bottleneck in Lawrence
If you live in KC, like live music, and have never seen Split Lip, then you don’t really like live music.  You’re living a lie.

These guys are an important part of the Midwest music scene, having peddled their whiskey-soaked wares for a long, long time.  They still bring it live harder than ever.  Of course, the death of guitarist Kirk Rundstrom several years ago was a huge blow, but Split Lip re-emerged from that catastrophe and have forged ahead just like Kirk likely would’ve wanted them to.

“Well the whiskey is gone/ But the pain’s still there…”

With Lawrence’s recent bluegrass revival in full swing, this show will likely sell out so get your tickets early.