Nostalgia and good vibes carry the day for Sheryl Crow’s concert at KC Fan Fest
Kansas Citians soaked up the sun on Friday night, swing dancing, swaying and bopping along to Sheryl Crow on the FIFA Fan Fest stage.
Once-staple of 1990s radio delivered an expectedly upbeat, warm and nostalgic performance lasting one hour as the sun set over Kansas City on the eve of the World Cup quarterfinal match taking place at Kansas City Stadium. The nine-time Grammy winner and 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is known for her blend of blues, country, folk, rock and pop.
Crow was part of an impressive line-up of performers to take the Fan Fest stage this summer, including the Chainsmokers, Tech N9ne, and All-American Rejects, who will play the day of the KC-hosted quarterfinal. Her distinctive warm, uplifting and light stage presence took the crowd through decades of music, all the way back to “All I Wanna Do” and as recent as an unreleased song set to come out later in the year.
Being a Missouri native and University of Missouri graduate — and she actually has a music hall in the MU School of Music named after her — fans who reminisce on her in the ‘90s feel a special connection to her Midwest roots.
“She was a Midwest girl that made it,” said concert-goer Jessica Taylor. “I mean, I went to Mizzou, she went to Mizzou — solidarity.” Taylor’s friend Fran Knudson agrees, calling her an inspiration for people who are just doing what they love.
The two had never seen Crow in concert before, but say her music was their “coming-of-age.” When Taylor heard that she was a last minute addition to the Fan Fest concert lineup, she, Knudson and the rest of their friend group made sure they could be there. They hired babysitters, planned logistics and arrived in colorful, patterned get-ups reminiscent of Crow’s indie/country vibe. They said they would have seen her sooner, but she hasn’t played in Kansas City since her Grinders KC 2022 show.
“My 16-year-old self (will) come back out,” Knudson said. “You just roll down the windows and let the wind blow through your hair.”
The two said they’d be singing at the top of their lungs.
‘Do y’all know how much I love Kansas City?’
Crow didn’t back away from those Missouri roots. In the instrumental bridge of “Hard to Make A Stand,” she led a call and response for both Mizzou and K-State, and from the sound of the crowd, the make-up was about 50/50. At the end of the bridge, there was a high note for Crow to hit, and she didn’t back away. She extended her arms out, seeming to not have a distress in the world that the note would come out strained or sour.
Attendee Sam Bernard was looking forward to seeing whether her voice would have held up after decades of performing. He says that lots of older bands have come to KC recently, and their voices haven’t sounded the best.
“I think I’ll be easily impressed,” Bernard said. “So if she can get out there and get some presence and still have some power in her voice, I’ll be impressed.”
Crow’s distinctively warm, somewhat youthful and raspy-at-times voice was almost indistinguishable from the voice preserved in her recorded tracks, despite being 64 years old. Even her low notes were so resonant that at times I thought one of the male band members was singing. But it wasn’t just her voice that was reminiscent of an older time.
Kelly Davis wasn’t planning on staying for the Sheryl Crow concert, coming to Fan Fest before leaving for a World Cup gathering elsewhere. But when she and her friends found out that she took the stage at 7:45, they knew they had to stay for at least a few songs.
The trio have been longtime fans of hers, and Davis had seen her once before about 15 years ago. She was excited to see what stylish outfit Crow would be wearing this time around.
“I love how she dresses,” Davis said. “I think her style is amazing.”
Crow took the stage in a black vest and sparkly, navy blue pants that shimmered back the colors of the stage lights. The edgy, bohemian, somewhat western look was matched by much of the crowd. White netted tops, colorful patterned maxi skirts, cowboy hats and boots made up much of the woman-dominant crowd.
Between her outfit and her voice, Crow had all the confidence she needed to take over the stage like it was a runway. She’s known for her feel-good, warm stage presence, but this time around, she looked so comfortable and humble that you’d guess she was playing a 20-person venue.
Countless guitars and a handful of picks later
Almost no one could be caught standing still. Even small toe-taps or a light head bob accompanies the least energetic. But songs like “Everyday is a Winding Road” and “All I Wanna Do” brought on young couples swing-dancing like no one’s watching, parents dancing on their knees with their kid,s and ‘90s kids twirling and serenading each other along with Crow’s voice. A few lucky souls at the stage’s barrier got picks that Crow endlessly handed away.
Mary Foley was excited to come to the free show with Bernard, but didn’t believe she knew any of Crow’s songs. After perusing her discography, she was surprised to find that she actually knew several of her songs, and was particularly excited to hear “If It Makes You Happy.”
“Actually, ‘If It Makes You Happy’ is one of my vocal stims,” Foley said. “We (Bernard and I) like to sing songs and replace words with our cat’s names, and that’s one of the ones (we use).”
On her hit “Real Gone,” Crow whipped out a harmonica and tore up a solo. A band member played a distinctive organ piano over several of the songs. At one point, Crow asked the crowd if they were friends, and if she could play an unreleased new song that she describes as being like the Eagles. She “tested” the new song on the crowd, slower and more country than her normal sound — the verses sounded almost like the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.” When she finished, she asked the crowd, “did you love it?” And, of course, they cheered in a resounding yes.
The stage wasn’t overly decorative or flashy, just a black set highlighting what it needed to — Crow and her five-person band — and lights that would strobe to an upbeat song or hold steady sunset colors to acoustic guitar pieces. But nostalgia was the centerpiece of the show.
For Bernard, “Everyday is a Winding Road” reminds him of a very specific memory.
“I remember I played the American Idol video game on the PlayStation, and that was one of the audition songs,” Bernard said. “That was always the go-to. That was a core memory from a million years ago.”
For others, like Davis and her friends Kristy Ker and Patty McGregor, Crow’s music just feels like being in a certain place.
“At the lake, you hear Sheryl Crow. On road trips, Sheryl Crow,” Davis said. “’Soak Up the Sun,’ that was my lake song.”
That was the penultimate song of the night, and it seemed to be on many people’s minds because person after person, including friends Margo and Ashlyn who have been fans since age 7, shared that it was what they were most looking forward to in the set list. It didn’t need an announcement. From the first few seconds of the iconic guitar opening, the crowd knew what it was and threw their hands up.
The orange and red sunset-colored stage lights lit up the dusky evening, and Crow switched over to a maroon electric guitar. Margo and Ashlyn could be seen on screen with smiles to match Crow’s permanent one, singing along. At the beat-heavy bridge, people jumped up and down. And when the song slowed and the lights started to strobe, Crow invited the crowd to take over her part of the final chorus:
‘”I’m gonna soak up the sun.”
What songs did Sheryl Crow play in KC?
Harping on both old and new music, Sheryl Crow played 11 songs:
- “A Change Would Do You Good”
- “Hard To Make A Stand”
- “Real Gone”
- “My Favorite Mistake”
- “Steve McQueen”
- Her new song, name unmentioned
- “Love Life”
- “If It Makes You Happy”
- “All I Wanna Do”
- “Soak Up the Sun”
- “Everyday Is a Winding Road”
