(pictured above: The Blackbird Revue)
Tonight kicks off another busy, hot summer weekend in Kansas City. We recommend you begin it in the back room at Nica’s 320 with The Blackbird Revue, Kentucky Knife Fight (St. Louis) and The Latenight Callers.
Though all three bands have a far different approach to the music, the passion of each musician to his/her craft will be seen in these performances. The Blackbird Revue, made up of husband/wife team Jacob and Danielle Prestidge, kicks off the show at 8 pm with some of the best male/female vocal harmonies in Kansas City. Pieces of country and folk can be picked out of their style of indie rock. They’ll be sure to bring a personal touch to the evening.
The show will heat up with the stylings of Kentucky Knife Fight at 9 pm. This 5-piece St. Louis band has a raw, animalistic approach to its music with an old punk and a sexy blues combination. Songs are soaked in alcohol and sex and then ripped apart by razor-sharp guitar licks. It’s sure to rev up the crowd for the sultry noir sounds of The Latenight Callers, who will close out the show.
A performance by The Latenight Callers (see our review of their latest EP here) transports the observer into a 1920s speakeasy, where the smoke billows and the bourbon pours nonstop. Where dapper gentlemen tip their fedoras and open doors. Where short-skirted women daintily hang cigarettes from delicate fingers and redefine gender roles with their newly-found fashion sensibilities. Where a sexual revolution begins to take shape, propelled by a hypnotizing baritone, a subtle backbeat, and seductive vocals. Where the musical performance leaves the listener craving more than just a coy glance with a stranger.
–Michelle Bacon