The Klammies Go Uptown

The final live performance was by Black Crack Revue, known shorthand by BCR. Fitting for a group that has the word crack in its name, it made an entrance from the rear portal of the Uptown and marched up the aisle to play its set. Though nominated for Best Reggae/World Beat Band, an award that went to Common Ground, BCR should still be singled out for yet another Best Dressed nomination, if only for the matching crushed purple jackets two of its members wore. "I got this at Hullabaloo in St. Louis actually about 10 years ago," confided guitarist Joey Skidmore, though founder the Rev. Dwight Frizzell lucked into his. "My mom got it for me," he said.

The last two awards were passed out by 98.9's Johnny Dare and Q104's Shotgun Jackson, standing in for Dare's usual cohort, Murphy Wells. "Murphy couldn't be here tonight. I'm not going to tell you the truth, because you'll be like, 'He's a pig,'" Dare said, hesitating only for a second before divulging what was up. "The truth is two words: cranky hanky." And by saying so, Dare proved himself right.

Still, there was business to be attended to, and the award for Musician of the Year went to Tech N9ne, allowing him to make good on his earlier promise. "I told you we were going to be back up here." Adding two more Klammies to his already impressive count, backstage Tech N9ne revealed what he does with them all. "My wife likes to put them where we put all our wineglasses and stuff. She said you better bring me one so I can add to my collection," he confided, pointing out that the physical Klammy award has gotten much more sophisticated since the first time he took one to her. "The first one was a little bit simpler and this one is beautiful, man. It has all the designs on it and everything. It gets better every year."

Frogpond also has a wagonload of them and got yet another when it won the final award, Band of the Year. "It really means a lot to us. The Kansas City-Lawrence music scene is great and it really makes a difference, I think, to everybody," singer-guitarist Heidi Phillips succinctly said. "We appreciate it all." Her bandmates didn't have anything to add. "They really can speak. Don't let them fool you."

No fooling, the consensus at the afterparty, held at The Velvet Dog, was that the Klammies had another great year, even with the Solé incident. In fact, that no-show might have turned out to be a blessing in disguise because, Jesus knows, no one wanted the Klammies to run as long as the Oscars. A recap of all the music, awards, glamour, and humor that encompassed the fourth annual Klammies (Kansas City/Lawrence Area Music Awards).