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Sympathetic Vibrations | Sunday Music Funday Check out our spots to enjoy Sunday music during your waning weekend hours

A woman sits with her guitar. Kelly Hunt performs at the Dubliner’s Here’s to the Roots! - a weekly showcase of local and national musicians taking place every Sunday. (Photo : Contributed | Havilah Bruders)
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3 minute read

Of all the weapons in the weekend warriors’ arsenal, few are more enjoyable, more hallowed or more brag-worthy than a perfectly executed Sunday Funday. And we happen to be right in the middle of its sweetest season, offering the perfect confluence of (arguably) habitable outside temperatures and a cornucopia of live music options.

Fundays can come in a variety of shapes and sizes — as hangover cures, outlets for relaxation, an excuse to get outside or even simply as a means of carpe-diem-ing those precious last conscious hours before your Monday morning alarm slaps you out of bed.

Kansas City is rife with temples to worship during your secular Sabbath, but if you prefer your bloody marys with a musical garnish, you may find sifting through the options overwhelming.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of great KC spots to start your music week off right. We’ve tried to limit these options to those that offer music, vitamin D(aylight) and great food or drinks to tide you over. Use as you see fit, or combine them all into an epic Sunday Funday that could end up spilling into Monday if you don’t watch yourself.

B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ | 1205 E. 85th St, Kansas City, MO 64131 | Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., music at 6 p.m.

No Funday list would be complete without B.B.’s. The ownership has been slangin’ blues and smoked meats for over two decades and the almost nightly music is welcomed by a usually packed-to-the-gills restaurant crowd. Though the stage is indoors, the patio gets plenty of spillover sound and the atmosphere really can’t be beat. Sundays at B.B.’s usually belong to the Confessors, whose late founder just scored a coveted spot on the venue’s indoor mural.

What to get: If you’re going in the morning, try their Bar-B-Qued Mary, which includes hot barbecue sauce, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and is garnished with a spicy green bean, pickle spear, olive and a chunk of smoked sausage. If you’re there for dinner, go for the B.B.’s King Combo — just make sure you have some friends to help.

The Dubliner | 170 E. 14th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105 | Open 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., music at 4 p.m.

Power & Light may be a little heavy-handed on its “bruh” bars, but the Dubliner has brought some much-needed artistry to the district with its two-year-old Here’s the Roots! showcase, featuring all sorts of roots and Irish music. The every-Sunday event is aimed at showing appreciation for local musicians and is organized in collaboration with Folk Alliance International, the Kansas City Irish Center, KKFI and the Midwest Music Foundation. And with all those KC music scene players at the helm, the lineups are typically stellar. Patio space is limited, but the menu is expansive. The Guinness flows like wine, and there are usually more artists in the audience than those that end up on stage.

What to get: The Ginger Sting – Honey-flavored whiskey, ginger beer and lime juice. It’s sweet and citrusy – think of it as an Moscow Mule with Irish whiskey.

Winslow’s BBQ | 20 E. 5th St, Kansas City, MO 64106 | Open 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., music at 3 p.m.

With over 45 years under its belt, Winslow’s is a Kansas City institution. The City Market barbecue spot boasts what it claims is the largest patio in the city – an expansive 300-seat space that overlooks the market itself. On Sunday afternoons, the joint hosts bands that mostly cater to the blues crowd. Wait staff and food can be inconsistent, but what it may lack in traditional service accolades, it more than makes up for in location and cheap drinks. And the market offers some of the better people-watching of any spot in town.

What to get: If the ribs are on, they can compete with some of the best in the city. Otherwise their smoked wings are fantastic.

Adult Swim at the Hotel Sorella | 901 W. 48th Place 7th Floor, Kansas City, MO 64112 | 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

With the Jones Pool gone and Woodside’s fabulous adult pool locked behind a paywall, there aren’t many public options for having an adult beverage with your swim. But, if you act fast, you can catch one of the last few Adult Swim events of the season. The rooftop pool offers an excellent view of the West Plaza, complete with more pretty folks than you can shake a selfie stick at, Vegas-style cabanas and DJ sets by Ashton Martin, Highnoone and any combination of their turntable associates.

What to get: Try their “poptails” – frozen mixed drinks served with a popsicle stick and placed in a wine glass. They’re great frozen or melted.

Have any other good Sunday music spots you like? If so, share with us by commenting below, emailing pdancalderon@gmail.com, or tweeting us @dansascity.


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