Local Music

a teenager playing a guitar underwater

Sympathetic Vibrations | Poolin’ It Local

August is just around the corner. If your response to that statement was an audible and disgruntled “ugh,” you likely know what the dreaded month has in store around these parts. August in Kansas City is a mixed bag of feelings. Chiefs pre-season will begin and if the Royals continue their hot streak (please God),…

Read More >
A band named The Philistine plays

Sympathetic Vibrations | Make It A Musical Staycation

  The seventh annual Middle of the Map Fest kicks off this evening, with shows at venues across Midtown and the Crossroads. The festival, which has become a darling for regional music enthusiasts, boasts a wide range of genres from more than 100 bands who will travel from all over the U.S. to perform. The…

Read More >
musicians playing on stage

Sympathetic Vibrations | Rebuke Box

“The times they are a-changin.’” That chorus from Bob Dylan’s 53-year-old protest hymn is undoubtedly a classic. Aided greatly by Dylan’s poignant and timeless songwriting, the track has enjoyed the decades-long effect of inspiring listeners, uniting otherwise dissonant parties, and challenging established ideas – feats typically necessary to effectuate any sort of change. Many local…

Read More >
A rapper in front of graffiti

Sympathetic Vibrations | Style from Strife

Ed. note: The rapper’s materials linked here contain explicit language. Kansas City’s Abnorm, a talented, gritty MC whose young career has seen a lifetime of experiences, will headline this Saturday at the recordBar. While deserved, this top billing is a far cry from where Abnorm started – sneaking into that same venue as a teenager…

Read More >
A man climbing a ladder

Tech N9ne Comes to Town

You know those doors that say “Authorized Personnel Only”? Well, we’re opening them. Join Flatland as we peel back the curtain, lift the manhole cover, go in the back door, and get unfiltered access to what’s behind the scenes in Kansas City. “Authorized Personnel Only,” a monthly series, takes us to the places we don’t…

Read More >
a beautiful trumpet

Sympathetic Vibrations | Brass Knacks

A chunk of jazz history is being preserved right off 12th St. and Vine. And that should seem confusing, considering the city razed much of the historic entertainment district in the ’60s and the official museum is a full six blocks south. Nevertheless, on most days, on the second floor of a nearby warehouse, you’ll…

Read More >
6 men in a band

Sympathetic Vibrations | The Spoils of Authenticity

What catchall phrase would you use to describe a band that draws much of its influence from rock ’n’ roll, garage rock, mod, blues, and psych from the ’50s and ’60s? If you’re Rory Cameron, the lead singer of The Conquerors, it’s not the obvious one. “I don’t really like the throwback moniker very much….

Read More >
Man standing against wall with ukulele

Sympathetic Vibrations | A Generous Mob

Music is art. There is no denying that. But well before your favorite artist’s music tickles your eardrums, there are hundreds of business-related decisions made about that art. And nearly all of those decisions have to do with money. In the past, if artists wanted to be heard by a national audience, they had to…

Read More >
A group of young musicians

Sympathetic Vibrations | Your Guide to the Bottom of the Bill

Yesterday kicked off the music leg of Kansas City’s sixth-annual Middle of the Map Fest, a music, film and forum festival that bears a not-so-coincidental resemblance to Austin’s South by Southwest. The two-week fest is something of a crown jewel for Kansas City’s arts scene, showcasing more than 25 films and 100 bands throughout 11…

Read More >
A dog with yoda ears

30 Stories in 30 Days | From ‘Star Wars’ to Mandolins

Videographer Alden Miller has created a challenge for himself: In the month of April, tell one story about Kansas City each day. Yup, that’s each and every day. Here at Flatland, we’ve teamed up with the dangerously-living Mr. Miller to showcase that work throughout the month. We check in with him at Alchemy New Media weekly to see how…

Read More >

Local Storytelling. Fact-Based Reporting. Trustworthy Sources.

Help support the nonprofit media landscape in Kansas City and provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the region.