There is a positive energy that comes with attending local concerts.
It can be felt in the footsteps of women, dancing barefoot on wooden floors at the Crossroad’s well-known recordBar. It’s felt through the kindness of musicians helping each other set up or borrow equipment when it inevitably breaks.
One demographic struggles to make themselves known and it is the same one that fills our campus. College students have been increasingly absent from shows.
While this was acceptable, the music scene now shows signs of struggling. The KC music scene desperately needs support.
Keller Welton is the vocalist and guitarist for the psychedelic cowpunk band Captain Howdy and the Sunset Serenaders. Despite the band’s recent success, he is familiar with the struggles that come with the industry.
“The gigs will always pay for the next gig,” said Welton. “I usually end up paying more than it pays for me.”
Getting involved and attending local shows brings an entire community to a listener’s fingertips. If a fan shows up to a concert when the doors open, they may end up shaking hands with a member of the headlining band.
Concert attendees get a chance to see both the personalities of the performers and the other fans. Personalities can be seen in friends falling over after a tight hug, or a shy person breaking out of their shell once the music starts.
“Growing up I was shy and struggled to make friends,” said Grebenyuk. “The one thing that made me feel confident was my guitar playing and love of music. I made a lot of friends by sharing my passion.”
UMKC senior jazz studies major Peter Grebenyuk is the vocalist, guitarist and founder of the progressive rock band Lorraine-Dietrich, with over 8,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. He started guitar at 9 years old and claimed that music was a primary factor to his social life.
Although from Lawrence, Kansas, Welton said that KC used to be full of genuine people who embrace the music scene. He attributed his favorite experience to fans and musicians during a performance at The Greenhouse DIY in 2021, who deeply cared about their music.
“People were grilling tacos outside and supporting the music,” said Welton. “It was amazing and something we lack these days.”
Students need to directly support the scene to keep it alive.
The Garden, a self-described “DIY concept” and powerhouse in the community, found some success during its two-year reign. DIY venues work on their own with no label so businesses who use this method can often face additional challenges.
Despite this, it recently announced their ‘death’ and halted all future shows.
“Booking shows is always a challenge as venues come and go, particularly in the DIY scene,” said Grebenyuk. “It can be frustrating when you play with bands who don’t promote the show or leave after their set.”
The Garden hosted weekly open mics at the Combine, a venue located only three minutes from the Hospital Hill campus. An opportunity for students to be directly involved in the scene had been at our front doors for months, only to fade away.
“It’s always great to see fellow UMKC students come out to support local bands,” said Grebenyuk. “It’s inspiring to see students supporting live original music.”
Check out the monthly calendars of nearby venues Westport Bowery and miniBar.
