Few local musicians have generated more goodwill than
Megan Birdsall. The Detroit-born singer honed her craft in Kansas City, then decamped to Nashville in late 2009. At the time, she'd just finished
Over the Bones, a haunting Americana album that subtly showed Birdsall's jazz roots. Tonight she brings her band, MBird — co-songwriter Michael Smith and bass player Ben Leifer — to the Uptown Arts Bar (3611 Broadway, 816-960-4611) for her first KC show since her move. "This is also the same club we'll be hosting our Artist Showcase at in September," Birdsall tells
The Pitch. The showcase, she says, is made up of "tons of local bands and performers, in stripped-down acoustic sets, and touring artists on their way through KC, as well as MCs, poets and essayists." She adds: "Nashville is famous for its songwriter nights, and we wanted to bring something like that home with us to showcase all the amazing talent KC has to offer." Tonight's homecoming begins at 9:30 p.m. The $10 cover also buys a disc with MBird songs recorded live in Nashville. Hear more at
mbirdmusic.com.
— Berry Anderson
