Your Kansas City virtual fun planner: Chris Cooper movie, live music, trivia nights
Live, in-person music remains difficult to find as the COVID-19 crisis continues, but fans will be able to enjoy the next best thing this weekend through KC Bands Together.
The two-night live-stream benefit will feature some of the biggest names in local performers taking part from around the world. They’ll join forces virtually to raise money for the Midwest Music Foundation, which provides health care assistance, education and other resources to working musicians.
Watch them perform from 8:30 to about 11 p.m. May 15 and 16 at kcbandstogether.com. A one-hour recap will air on KCPT at 8 p.m. May 22, with an audio version on 90.9 The Bridge.
The acts scheduled: Kevin Morby, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, Addie Sartino and Brandon Yangmi of The Greeting Committee, The Elders, Krystle Warren, aerial/circus troupe Quixotic, Radkey, Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids, Danielle Nicole and Brandon Miller of the Danielle Nicole Band, Hembree, Calvin Arsenia, Enrique Chi of Making Movies, Kawehi, Katy Guillen and The Drive, Victor & Penny, Hermon Mehari, Fritz Hutchison, Samantha Fish, Bob and Una Walkenhorst, Beau and Aidan Bledsoe and Yes You Are.
In other musical offerings, “Spirit in Place,” a weekly video series that supports the KC Hospitality Support Initiative, supplies performances at youtube.com. Artists with local ties — so far, Anya Brandmeyer, David Regnier and Mike Stover of Dead Voices and Olivia Fox — perform two songs from their homes.
Meanwhile, as Knuckleheads softly reopens by presenting “10% shows” starting May 15 with Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders, the club will continue providing livestreamed shows, including Linda Gail Lewis, 9 p.m. May 15 ($12), and Jeff Bergen, 8 p.m. May 16 ($10), at knuckleheadskc.com.
Here are 10 more online ways you and your family can spend your coronavirus-induced stay-at-home time:
▪ The National WWI Museum and Memorial will present “War: How Conflict Shaped Us,” focusing on parallels between the world of 100 years ago and today, with historians Margaret MacMillan and Dan Snow, 12:30 p.m. May 14 at my.theworldwar.org/6069.
▪ Screenland theaters will offer online trivia contests with rotating hosts and themes, the first one being horror movies, at 8 p.m. May 14 ($5 per person or team) at screenlandonline.com/trivia. Also, independent films are available to stream (while supporting local theaters) at screenlandonline.com as well as fineartsgroup.com.
▪ Wonderscope Children’s Museum will put on a fundraising Virtual Trivia Night through Zoom, 7 p.m. May 15 ($100 per family) at wonderscope.org/trivianight.
▪ Stream “Thousand Pieces of Gold,” a 1990 movie starring Kansas City native Chris Cooper, through Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins, beginning May 15 at nelson-atkins.org/tivoli. Also opening at the Tivoli that date is “Confidence” from 2003.
▪ Your cat can be a star in the Quarantine Cat Film Fest, which will compile a feature-length presentation from cat videos at rowhouse.online/cats. Submission deadline is May 15; the film will reach theaters (including Liberty Hall in Lawrence) June 19.
▪ Sock & Undie Rundie, a 5K run/walk that supports children in foster care, will proceed with festivities online beginning at 9:10 a.m. May 16 ($30) at runsignup.com/sockundierundie5k.
▪ For Lego lovers, the Brickworld Virtual Con Spring is coming online, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. May 16 ($9) at brickworld.com.
▪ “Livestream Lunch and Learn: The Science of Happiness” from Linda Hall Library and the Kansas City Public Library will feature Sondra Wallace, Mental Health Coalition coordinator for Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, noon May 20 at facebook.com/linda.hall.library.
▪ Studios Inc. invites members of the public to recreate famous artwork using themselves and props from around the house as part of Covid Vivant. Submissions, which should be accompanied by an image of the original work, will be accepted through June 1 at thestudiosinc.submittable.com.
▪ Classes on musical theater for adults and children are available through Musical Theater Heritage at musicaltheaterheritage.com.
