As an extension of my last journal entry, for my final journal entry I am writing about the prevalence of opportunities for enjoying blues music in Kansas. It seems that Kansas is often looked down upon as rural and slightly backward, so it is often more of a surprise than it should be when cultural opportunities are available in the state. However, as a blues fan I have been very happy with the opportunities I've had in the state of Kansas.
Perhaps my favorite manifestation of the blues experience in Kansas has been the many blues festivals in the state. These festivals were founded for a variety of reasons and each offers a unique musical and social experience. Blues Masters at the Crossroads, which I wrote about in an earlier journal entry, was founded to celebrate the old, underrecognized masters of the blues, and it provides an intimate setting with a reverent audience. The Paxico Blues Festival is unique because it is located in such a small town. However, its location makes sense because Paxico has a history as a place where a group of African Americans settled upon leaving the South. It offers an intimate and very relaxed setting featuring regional bands who normally don't get to be the center of attention at festivals and therefore put on their best performances. Other blues festivals exist in Topeka, Junction City, Paola, and Sedan. It is both surprising and encouraging that festival organizers can draw large enough audiences and enough donations from supporters to keep these festivals going year after year.
Another thing Kansas has going for it is two very active blues societies, one in Topeka and one in Wichita. Kansas City, although in Missouri, certainly has some overlap with Kansas as well, and it is home to one of the largest blues societies in the world. Kansas seems out of the way musically, but it must be remembered that Kansas City was home to a very active blues-influenced jazz scene, especially during the big band era. This musical heritage has made Kansas City a major blues hub, and Topeka, the city with whose blues society I am most familiar, is able to draw off this association to some degree. However, a small group of active blues fans in Topeka and surrounding towns have worked to create a blues scene in Topeka itself, creating a blues bar at Uncle Bo's that frequently draws big names, sponsoring blues concerts, promoting local bands, and sponsoring bands at the annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Good local bands have also popped up in mid-sized towns accross the state as well, including the Red State Blues Band in Manhattan and BlueCat in Salina.
Both the development of festivals and blues societies across the state of Kansas shows how a few dedicated individuals working together can successfully create a culture that supports the performing arts and brings fans together in a community. I have been impressed with the level of involvement that blues fans in Kansas have given in order to take what is regarded as an out of the way state into a state with a very active blues scene.
For more on blues concerts and venues in the area, check out the concerts page and the Manhattan links page.
*After-deadline edit--adding hyperlinks to post
No comments:
Post a Comment