Anyone who looks at the Ssion and sees just a bunch of Kansas City Art Institute kids punking out in animal costumes hasn't been paying attention. The collective surrounding mad, gay boy-genius Cody Critcheloe has evolved into a local arts juggernaut, showcasing the videography of Critcheloe and co-conspirator Drew Bolton, plus the pop-jam expertise of J. Ashley Miller and, often, the fashion designs of 18th Street queens Peggy Noland and Ari Fish. Even though the group puts on an eye-melting stage show, its work is best seen on YouTube, where the hilarity throbs, gushes and explodes in videos for songs like "Heaven," "Ah Ma" and "Day Job," to name a few. Other folks have caught on: Both Tilly and the Wall and Liars have tapped Critcheloe's signature videomaking talent, and tastemaking music blog Stereogum posts just about anything the Ssion puts out. It's well past time for KC to embrace its freakish, flashy spawn.
