‘This DIY uprising of venues:’ Here’s two new-ish spots to see Kansas City artists
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Shaun Crowley has mixed feelings about Kansas City’s shifting music scene.
The venues he grew up playing aren’t here anymore or aren’t the same. And yet Crowley, founder of the new nonprofit local record label Manor Records, said the past couple years have been fertile ground for new opportunities for the next generation of local musicians.
“We need venues like The Truman, for example, to bring shows in, but locally, there’s also this DIY uprising of venues that just want to support art,” Crowley said. “It’s breeding a new community of people who want to put on safe, community-based shows.”
Crowley, along with his friends and bandmates from Kansas City’s Momma’s Boy, knew what they needed for their own band: someone to put out their music, and an affordable space to practice, record and perform. And knowing they weren’t alone, they set out to fill the gaps.
They started an artists cooperative and venue called Deep Space (more on that in a second), and Crowley created Manor Records — born from the former house show venue Shawnee Manor — to manage and produce for 24 local bands.
Manor is opening a physical record store and bar in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, in February, and in the meantime is putting on weekly shows on Wednesday evenings at The Mockingbird Lounge.
The label and new location are just one reason to be excited about local music in Kansas City.
Here are two new-ish venues that have opened up for shows:
Deep Space Co-op
1664 Broadway Blvd.
Peter Beatty and Jared Bajkowski opened Deep Space Co-op in the Crossroads with Crowley during the summer of 2020. They now manage it alongside other local artists who chip in monthly to keep it going and help make decisions for how it’s run.
“In the midst of the pandemic, we thought it’d be an incredible resource that our artist friends could use the space,” Beatty said.
As vaccines became widely available, Deep Space began hosting music shows, in addition to comedy and other events. In the new year, Beatty and Bajkowski said they want to also do pop-up markets with local makers and yoga and meditation classes.
Deep Space has both white walls with a stylish mural and a guaranteed Hamm’s within arms reach, encapsulating Beatty’s goal of “looking and feeling professional with high quality production but still grounded in the roots of DIY or local-run, community-run spaces.”
Beatty said you can feel their passion at every event.
“We’re really doing it because we think it’s a cool and fun thing to do,” he said. “We’re working hand in hand with the bands. We can customize the space. It’s a beautiful energy.”
From February on, Beatty said the books are wide open for events, and he encouraged local artists to reach out about using the space.
“We want to expand the size of the hug that we are giving to the people who are coming to the events now — with our masks on of course,” Bajkowski said.
You can follow Deep Space Co-Op on Instagram, and contact them through the form on their website.
Nighthawk
1228 Baltimore Ave.
As Scott Tipton, director of restaurants, bars and events with Hotel Kansas City put it, it’s “a kick-ass bar.” Open for business since Nov. 26, the new bar hosts every type of musical performer, from DJs to funk bands, rock ‘n’ roll to hip-hop.
The inspiration is simple: Tipton wanted a place where people could hang out, have a couple of beers and listen to some good local performances. He saw an opportunity for a city filled with amazing local artists and wanted to show appreciation to them.
“I’m a Kansas City die-hard, through and through from being raised here,” Tipton said. “Just the chance to add to the artistic community and be able to spotlight the creativity we have in this town is something that I want to continue to champion and be a part of.”
Nighthawk holds 150 guests and is open 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tipton plans to add Thursdays and Sundays in the middle of January. It’s free entry, except for their New Year’s Eve party, which will cost $10.
“Especially after the time when we weren’t able to play shows, there’s a sense of people looking to build a community,” Crowley said. “People are coming out to shows… We’re seeing that we can build the music scene here instead of needing to leave Kansas City.”
Here are other spots to catch local shows in Kansas City:
The Blue Room, 1600 E. 18th St.
Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand Blvd.
KC Live!, 13 Grand Blvd.
Knuckleheads Saloon 2715 Rochester Ave.
Lemonade Park 1628 Wyoming St.
Madrid Theatre 3810 Main St.
RecordBar 1520 Grand Blvd.
The Rino, 314 Armour Road.
The Ship, 1221 Union Ave.
The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road.
Uptown Theater 3700 Broadway Blvd.
