Kansas City’s Local Heroes

Growing up in Midwestern America has taught me a few things. If you want to look like an idiot drive your Mom’s Prius, the only thing scarier than drunken rednecks are angry drunken rednecks, and despite seeing cows on a daily basis, there is a lot of cool stuff going on.

Since the beginning of 2010, I have discovered some really interesting things such as the Kansas City Fake Moustache Club (kansascityfakemustacheclub.com). Yes folks, the club do exactly what you think they do, walk around in fake moustaches. As I’m writing this I have on my KCFMC official t-shirt. Then I discovered that in Lawrence, Kansas, a large group of drop outs from Kansas University have formed a band of wandering homeless punks. They roam the streets of Kansas and go from city to city just fucking shit up. My friend who has hung out with them before says they are a really hard crew. The wild dogs that follow them even know to stay a safe distance away.

Most importantly, I’ve learned that great music is everywhere, even in the shithole that is Kansas City.

Josephine Collective formed in suburban Kansas in 2004 and, although they recently had their last-ever concert, are known as one the most influential local bands. The six members (originally seven) took the pop-punk sound made famous by popular groups like Taking Back Sunday and Blink 182 and put a different spin on it, giving it a more refined and mature sound. Their only major label CD ‘We Are The Air’, which is currently available on iTunes, didn’t sell very well but caused a spark in the local music scene. At their final show on January 23rd, 2010, Josephine Collective filled one of the midsized local venues with fans that were touched by their music. Other local bands Queens Club and Black Oxygen (both are fantastic groups) opened for the JoCo to show their support. For me the concert was especially wonderful. Not only was it my 18th birthday, but when I left the Beaumont Club I left with a deeper appreciation of Kansas City. I realized that even the smallest of cities hold the greatest of things.

Go support local music. Fuck Wembley and fuck the O2. Sometimes a band is in a rubbish venue because they are a rubbish band, but every once in a while that band is going to do something big. To be able to say that you saw the next big band’s first gig is a pretty cool thing, and even if they don’t get big they can still be special to you. Explore your city and go find your own Moustache club.