50 States in 50 Weeks… Week 23: Kansas
posted in: Music News
Home Of: Melissa Etheridge, Kansas, Martina McBride, Pat Metheny, Chet Nichols, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Kenton.
Fun Facts: State Flower: Sunflower, State Tree: Cottonwood, State Song: Home on The Range.
The Venues:
Ex-Idol Kellie Pickler at Stampede '07
Kansas’ Country Stampede festival is arguably one of the nation’s biggest musical gatherings dedicated solely to country music. Located just north of Manhattan, KS (appropriately nicknamed the little apple), Country Stampede is one of the few country music festivals to offer camping spots to their customers, and because the festival is located in the gorgeous Tuttle Creek State Park, many take advantage of the opportunity to spend their nights under the stars. This year the 4-day festival witnessed over 160,000 visitors, including the 50,000 attendees waiting for Tim McGraw‘s headlining performance. Next year the festival will run June 24-27 and feature headliners Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, two mega stars who fit in perfectly with a roster of past performers that boasts country icons the likes of Brooks and Dunn, Big & Rich, Toby Keith, and Kenny Chesney.
Home to the University of Kansas, Lawrence just might be the hippest city in the state. One Lawrence hot spot booking both local open mic nights and national touring acts is The Bottleneck. This former roller rink and industrial paper factory now conceals echoes of performers past, from Cake to Bo Diddley, and even hosts a weekly neon dance party!
The Music:
Do I see Davy Crockett and Billy the Kid?
A quick glance at Pistol River’s profile picture will reveal a who’s who of 19th century American characters, from the classic Western cowboy to the coonskin cap-wearing trapper. And though their music does not hail from the same era as their image, it doesn’t stray too far. Originally formed as a group of musicians for two Nashville songwriters, OurStage ensemble Pistol River composes standard country songs replete with fiddle and slide guitar; their song Cross Your Heart will ease your soul and set you into a nostalgic mood for hours.
This is how Kansans show attitude.
Traveling from town to town with a sound they describe as having a whiskey backbone, and a biography boasting groove-inducing, soul-filled blues, the Terry Quiett Band is anything but quiet. The band promises to make you scream, laugh and cry all in the same performance. This is no lie. In a musical landscape where many bands tour out of necessity, these Kansas rockers tour for the love of the music they create, an endearing motive restoring faith to the fans in attendance to matter how meager the crowd may be. Did I mention they have seventeen Top 10 finishes on the site?
Explicit soul = Soulicit
Some bands succeed because they emphasize their originality. Other bands are so good at perfecting well established genres that there’s no need to highlight any diversion from the mainstream, as is the case with Witchita’s Soulicit. They describe themselves as straight up hard rock music sprinkled with catchy riffs and powerful vocals, a description that needs little elaboration. Four member Soulicit exudes a polished sound that’s just begging for radio promotion. Check out their song The Right Time to see what I mean!
Check out these acts and other great Kansan artists in the playlist below! Who are your favorite OurStage Kansans? Where do you like to see music in Kansas? Let us know in the comments!