Ad Astra Arkestra was missing something.
Blinking under the bright lights of the Uptown, the band accepted its award for Best Experimental Act at the Pitch Music Awards Ceremony last night; but they couldn't find somebody they wanted to thank. Where was she?
"She's drunk!" a crowd member volunteered.
"That's the right answer!" roared Mike Tuley into the mic. "We're all drunk!"
If there's an annual theme to the Pitch Music Awards Ceremony -- besides celebrating Kansas City's local music, that is -- there is only one other contending option: alcohol.
For twenty bucks, Kansas City scored the following: a free Pitch lighter (yes!), lots of drunken band kids, and an open bar. It's like a wedding, without a bride to offend: you can smoke, cuss, show your tattoos and repeatedly scream the names of Lawrence punk bands without consequences. (Weird Wounds, anyone?)
We're honoring Kansas City talent on Sunday night at the Uptown Theater in our annual Pitch Music Awards Ceremony. (Buy tickets here, for six bucks.) We've got Bleach Bloodz, the Dead Girls, the Grisly Hand and Mark Lowrey with Diverse and Reach performing covers of classic Kansas City acts. (Think the Get Up Kids, Howard Iceberg and the Titanics, Charlie Parker and Creature Comforts, to name a few.)
Plus, you'll be able to finally find out who won those Pitch Music Awards we've been gabbing about for the last month.
Check the schedule for the event after the jump.
Our annual sonic feast of local music goes down in Westport tonight, also known as the epic Pitch Music Showcase. Peep the lineup here, with a few changes: Capybara, Queens Club, Stik Figa and Mammoth Life will no longer be playing the showcase. While we are gigantic sad face to announce this, here are some rad musicians who stepped in at the last minute:
Myra Taylor -- there are none higher.
It was only by last-minute luck that the 92-year-old Kansas City blues and jazz matriarch ended up at the Pitch Music Awards at all. If, several days before Sunday night's awards, we hadn't stumbled across a recent Jazz Ambassador Magazine with her manager's phone number listed in the back, we might never have gotten in touch with the mighty Taylor. (With 126 nominees on this year's ballot, representing more than 500 musicians, it was hard enough getting the people we see practically every weekend to RSVP.)
And if that had been our sorry luck, then Taylor probably would not have rolled her wheelchair up to the edge of the stage at the Uptown, grabbed a microphone and delivered the most memorable impromptu performance at any recent PMA ceremony.
It happened as Taylor accepted the award for Best Jazz Ensemble on behalf of her group, the Wild Women of Kansas City. Once installed on the floor in front of the stage, with the spotlight on her and with the evening's host, David Wayne Reed, seated beside her, Taylor said, "This is a song I wrote -- it's just a little bit, not a lot."
She put her arm around Reed's shoulder and summoned up her sultry alto, a cappella: Hey, there, I like what I see/I keep sittin' here a' mopin'/Wishin and a' hopin'/For you to like me.
The crowd of 800 or so clapped to the beat as she sang the equally adorable second verse: Hey, hey, I says hey there, I like your smile/I like your purty white teeth, your green, green eyes/I like your style.
And then came the bridge: I may not be good-lookin'/I may not be built for speed/But I'm a lover, a sinner, a downtown money spender/I said, boy, what more do you need?/Hey, hey, hey.
Her ditty, combined with a pretty hilarious joke afterward (see the whole video here), made for a moment so classy, beautiful and authentic, my heart turned into melted frosting. Best of all, perhaps, were Taylor's parting words of advice for when you get old: "All you have to remember is, be breathing and have an income."
London Transit, the Pedaljets, Stik Figa and Making Movies performed two or three songs each last night at the Pitch Music Awards ceremony. The top video is a playlist combining all four. Separate clips after the jump.
It was a moment of pure bliss. Accepting the award for Best Jazz: Ensemble on behalf of her group, the Wild Women of Kansas City, 92-year-old jazz and blues queen Myra Taylor sang a song to ceremony emcee David Wayne Reed and told a joke. The audience collectively swooned.
Last night, US Air Guitar Championships finalist Eric "Mean" Melin performed his signature routine on stage at the Uptown. Later, by popular vote, his band, the Dead Girls, won best band in the Pop category.
We're still editing photos, videos and verbiage from last night's Pitch Music Awards Ceremony -- and wrestling with the inevitable hangover. In the meantime, join us in congratulating this year's winners. About 4,600 people voted this year, which is really cool. David Wayne Reed -- he of the hot pants-- was the evening's charming host. Inhale (and scroll down) slowly and see.
Blues: Trampled Under Foot
Country/Bluegrass: the Last Call Girls
DJ: Dance: Nomathmatics
DJ:Hip-Hop: DJ Sku
Electronic/Dance: the Ssion
Folk/Americana: the Gaslights
Hip-Hop/Rap: Stik Figa
Indie Pop: the Republic Tigers
Indie Rock: the Appleseed Cast
Jazz: Ensemble: the Wild Women of Kansas City
Jazz: Solo: Megan Birdsall
Latin: Son Venezuela
Metal: Hammerlord
Pop: the Dead Girls
Punk: Fag Cop
Reggae: 77 Jefferson
Rock: the Architects
Singer-Songwriter: Sara Swenson
Frontman/Frontwoman: Abigail Henderson
Live Act: the Sex Police
New Act: Audiovox
Wayne Coyne, of the Liberty Hall-bound Flaming Lips, just wants your full attention
Dancefestopia, a hip-hop and pop-oriented festival, arrives this weekend
Summer 2012 music concerts
Music Forecast May 31-June 6: DJ Ozgood, Blitzen Trapper, New Edition, Disney classics and more
The Rumblejetts' Jud Kite on drums, art and the band's latest, Motor Honey
Q&A: Eric Earley of Blitzen Trapper
Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart on art, human angst and naps
Joe Pug on touring, giving music away, and becoming an adult