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After spending the afternoon watching the Blue Angels perform for the Kansas City Aviation Expo, we headed out to Swope Park to taste the cuisine offered at the 36th annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival.   We had not been since the 25th and were quite anxious to see how much the annual affair had grown, and what new things there were to see. The situation had expanded quite significantly since our last visit, which became very apparent as we approached the gates on 63rd Street.  Traffic was backed up for about a half mile, but we progressed quickly.  It was still at the pavilion near Starlight Theater, and we easily maneuvered our way to a parking spot on the lawn surrounding the festivities. The festival was no longer free, but who could complain about that.  It was somewhat expected after all that time.  Three dollars is not too bad for a day of music and dance performances from just about nearly every ethnic group in the world.  Additionally, fo...

It was downtown to the rooftops again for a look at the performance of the United States Navy Blue Angels, during the Kansas City Aviation Expo. It is always good to have a friend with the right view, when something like this is going on; lacking that, all it takes is a little resourcefulness and an understanding of Google Maps. There are several good spots to view, without burning twenty dollars to get a ground level view of the situation. We arrived later in the afternoon than originally intended, but apparently had not missed a thing; that is, excepting an earlier performance by the Blue Angels.  I was surprised to hear that. Usually there are all sorts of things flying about at these events.  It did make me a bit curious as to what exactly the Expo was all about; still, not curious enough to park 5 miles away, ride a bus with a bunch of other sweaty tourists, compete with those same masses for a good spot, and make an equally competitive return trip. ...

The girls were out for yet another event last Saturday, featuring Lady Antebellum as part of the Wheels Up Tour.  Hunter Hayes and Sam Hunt joined the party, during this fall half of a tour that began on May 1 in Lubbock, TX.   The first half kicked off in Oslo, Norway with a few other stops in the rest of Europe and Australia in this yearlong tour. “The magic of being with fans from all over the country is really why we’re ultimately all here,” said Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “Being able to play off each other on that stage is honestly where we have the most fun, and I have a feeling the crowd will already be on their feet when we get out there after starting the night with Hunter and Sam!" The trio’s “warranted leap to stardom” (Dallas Morning News) and undeniable chemistry has continuously commanded the attention of critics who continue to praise their “effortless harmonies and raw emotion” (The Washington Post) and “top-notch, high energy” performances ...

After a full and fun day in the sun, you would think there would not be much energy left over for a show. However, if you leave immediately after you get home, you have no time to think about the comfort of the sofa.  A little disappointed that we had almost certainly already missed Uncle Cracker and Sugar Ray, that is exactly what we did, and arrived just before Better Than Ezra took the stage.  The Power & Light District was full, but we were still able to take up our usual post behind the soundboard. It had been a hot day, but there was a good breeze moving through the venue, keeping things relatively cool.  The band came on just a few minutes after our arrival, and immediately launched into one of their big hits, and then another, before jumping off on a wild tangent, performing several cover songs. Time catches up with us all eventually, and we forget more than we learned; but surely, not your own tunes.  The crowd did not seem to know how to hand...

A great night of music, straight out of New Orleans, descended on Kansas City at the free KC Live! show at the Kansas City Power & Light District.  The show featured some of the finest brass band music and talent, playing an array of traditional rhythms mixed with current themes. New Breed Brass Band came on just a bit after I arrived, and wound the crowd up.  Folks were already getting the grove on, when Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took over and cranked out some of the hottest tunes this side of Big Easy. I only had my phone along to this one, after the fiasco last week.  It was too hot to be walking back to the car again, and I was more interested in participating in the experience.  I did take a couple of shots, and of course there is a little collage of video clips on the YouTube.

While the girls were out and about at the latest super-pop country music spectacular at Arrowhead, we headed for the Crossroads again.  G Love & Special Sauce were the feature, along with Pink Royal and local artists, Captiva.  It promised to be an even better show than the previous week.  It is too bad the night was one tragedy after another. The adventure started with a walk down to Grinders for food, and then found out I could not bring in my camera.  That remains one of the most ignorant rules for shows anymore.  I could not bring my camera in, but I could bring my phone in, which has a camera.  Indeed, just about every phone in that venue had a built in camera with which other folks were using to take photos and shoot hours of video.  I obliged myself, as well; although my phone camera is not quite the resolution of some of the other phones out that evening.  The whole thing goes right along with "no re-entry," which would come ba...

Another girl’s night out dropped in on Arrowhead Stadium for the Kenny Chesney “The Big Revival Tour” and the Jason Aldeen “Burn it Down Tour” with Special Guests Brantley Gilbert with his #1 hit “Bottom Up”, Old Dominion and Cole Swindell, with his #1 hits “Chillin’ It” and “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight.”
 
 Chesney, a 4-time Country Music Association and 4-time consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, has had 26 #1s, 13 #1 Albums and sold in excess of 30 albums. Heralded as “The People’s Superstar” by The Los Angeles Times, his summer concerts are legend: indeed, many people plan their vacations around his tour schedule.
 
 Jason Aldean, whose Old Boots, New Dirt became his second #1 Billboard Top 200 Album chart debut, is known for high intensity shows, his sense of true grit and songs that capture the way his fans genuinely live. Country's most downloaded male artist and three-time Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year has extended...

The site is changing again, and there will be a brief intermission, while I collect myself.  I am modifying the site towards a tighter integration with the blog side of things.  The event photos will continue to be stored as before, and restoration of the same will continue; however, leveraging the new Google Photos display. To accommodate this change, event photos will be re-posted similar to the manner in which they were originally, oh so long ago.  If you look at some of the recent posts, you will get the idea.  Another example of the concept can be found in that part of the restoration that has already bee moved to this format (2001 and 2013 through 2015).  Hopefully, this and the use of tags will help everyone find what they are looking for. August and September 2002 have been restored, and I will get back to writing about that soon.  I got a little ahead of myself and posted September before I posted August, and had to backtrack.   This fact...