For what I’m certain won’t be the last time, I headed to Kansas City for the Folk Alliance International conference (and musical extravaganza).  With nearly half of the 2500 attendees being musicians, you could barely round a corner in any public area and not find impromptu jams. As you might expect, there were a number of fine public shows to be heard.  But the heart of the event is the private showcases in the evenings.  Imagine a choice of 50+ acts, most performing multiple times in an evening, in a house concert that only holds 25-30 people.  Then multiply that by 4 nights.  Naturally I came nowhere near seeing all the music, but here were some of my favorites.
New Finds: It’s impossible to not hear groups that have never crossed your path. Â And some of them are so good you can’t imagine how you haven’t heard of them before.
The Show Ponies: Los Angeles-based The Show Ponies blew me away with their uptempo Americana tunes.  Referred to somewhere as sassgrass, they project an attitude of infectious fun with lead singer Andi Carder as ringleader.
Stash Wyslouch: If Frank Zappa had birthed a folkie, it would have been Stash Wyslouch. Â With his band of acoustic, Mothers Of Invention merrymen, their set was an eye opener. Â At times careening crazily between “interesting” and traditional, no other group I saw came anywhere near showing the pure love of performing as Stash and his crew.
New Favorites:Â Some artists don’t grab my attention out of the gate, but over time really grow on me. Â And then suddenly I’m finding myself seeking out more of their work. Â Two groups crossed that line for me in KC.
Miss Tess & the Talkbacks: Seeming sometimes like a direct descendant of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, Miss Tess and her Talkbacks put some serious swing into country. Â They’re also not afraid to rock out, showcasing Thomas Bryan Eaton on lead guitar. Â Miss Tess herself plays a pretty mean guitar, too.
Aoife O’Donovan: Boston singer-songstress Aoife O’Donovan was always on of those NPR sweethearts in my book. Â Destined to be featured as soundtrack on some TV drama, but never breaking out of a niche. Â I stand corrected. Â Whether lighting up a room of several hundred people, or a hotel room with no mics, her charisma as a performer was unequaled. Â Catch her if you can.
Old Favorites: It’s always delightful to see groups you’ve known over time come back and do a small room. Â In this case, it was literally a small room, and reminded me of why I became a fan.
Front Country: After a year of nearly continuous touring, Bay Area band Front Country has become incredibly tight and can focus their attention on playing to the room. From the soulful, room-bursting voice of lead singer Melody Walker to the instrumental prowess of guitarist Jacob Groopman, Grammy nominated Adam Roszkiewicz on mandolin, or anyone else in the band, they exceeded my high expectations.
Session Americana:Â Twangville favorites Session Americana did everything to support our love of this act. Â I call it an act, because virtually every performance involves other musicians, the audience, and everything in between. Â The Friday night version of Vitamin T had about 20 lead singers.
Better Live:Â Some artists are just better in person, and a few of them reminded me of that in KC.
Steve Poltz: He bills himself as a folk singer, but that’s just scratching the surface. Â He’s a story-teller, a comedian, a cheerleader, as well as being a consummate folk singer. Not much more to be said besides that.
Parsonsfield: Just listening to a record doesn’t prepare you for the Parsonsfield show. Switching instruments and genres at will, they were pretty awesome up on the stage at a larger venue, but nothing short of amazing in a hotel room perched on a couple of queen beds.
The Legend (at least in some parts): As a resident of Kansas City in the late 80’s, The Rainmakers were our local rock stars. Â Now, 30 years later, I got a chance to see their driving force, Bob Walkenhorst, in a showcase in a club in the grain-elevator-and-railroad-yard section of town. He was great then, and better now.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.