It was a busy night at Crosstown Station, where five bands competed for Wakarusa glory. The winner would play the 2010 Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival. Other prizes for the winner included $500 compensation and VIP camping at Wakarusa. I was happy with the five dollar cover, especially since there were five bands playing hour sets. My first observation was the sound guy. He knew exactly what he was doing; all of his levels were in wonderful balance and he used just enough volume to fill the room. Crosstown Station is my favorite venue in Kansas City for three reasons. It has an enormous stage that can be seen from standing anywhere, the sound system is incredible, and the light show gives the audience a visual experience on top of the wonderful sound.

The first band to play was Antumbra, a seven piece jam band from Gladstone. I would describe their music as a simple journey through groove based rock. Jam bands play too many covers but Antumbra played all originals. They kept the audience dancing with a trifecta of drums. Their forms followed simple rock progressions of I-IV-V. I was not impressed by the drum solo. The drum set player was not tight, seemed to drag, and had almost no chops with his rolls. When the auxiliary percussion came in, the drum jam picked up and ended on a much better note. Antumbra has a secret weapon that made their performance very enjoyable indeed. His name is Ben Eisminger, and his instrument is the keyboard. Eisminger’s improvised solos were incredible and the way he blended with the band made him the feature of Antumbra’s performance.

The next band was Valency, possibly the tightest act of the night. My first observation was the bassist and drummer was really tight. The drummer was incredibly consistent and the bassist used heavy lines of slap happy funk. A great tone from the voice complimented quirky extended techniques on guitar. Having an undefined genre gave Valency an edge in competitive performance. Caleb combined odd meter with steady sixteenth note patterns on the high hat. I thought the bassist was a better soloist than the guitarist, but I did like the guitar in combination with the ensemble. Two bands that came to mind of me were Primus and The Doors. I loved how they combined funk, rock, blues, metal, and added a twist of pop to make the music marketable. These guys are definitely a band to watch in Kansas City.

Brother Bagman was on home turf that evening. The trio has been playing in Kansas City since 2002 and has been gigging all over the place. Their music belongs to the jam band genre. A twist of southern rock can be heard in the vocals as the guitar work is among the best rock in town. Landon’s solo capacity has improved on a monstrous scale since I first heard him. This is effective when combined with his harsh, twangy vocals. Cliff the bassist laid down solid lines that remain fresh, as I heard his careful touch on every note. Cole the drummer provides some solid tempo ideas that are not overcomplicated, functioning as the engine of the band. I enjoyed Brother Bagman’s style and crowd pleasing capabilities. Ziggy joined them on stage for a hula hoop dance, which gave the performance even more momentum.

The Early Brothers Band was up next. This jam band mixed a hint of Rock and Funk into their set. I thought that the musicians knew their basics but should think about expanding their repertoire. The instrumental balance was off, and the tempi were inconsistent. Because of this there was a lack of energy in the performance. I felt that this band was the weakest of the five. They had great support from their fan base, a testament to their dedication to music.

This was my first experience with the Hellhound Junkies. Their music sounds like a combination of rock and old prohibition silent film scores. It was weird. They put somebody in a demon costume. I exploded in laughter. It could have been that The Hellhound Junkies played late, but I felt like the group had trouble staying together. I may have been thrown off by their brand of swinging rock. I can attest that The Hellhound Junkies have a style all their own and I would like to hear them again. Something about the Hellhound Junkies has black magic written all over them. I like the element of mystery they provide. I am uncertain the music quenches my thirst for talent but I am open to hearing them again.

The Wakka Winter Classic was essentially a popularity contest. The band who could draw the most fans will win regardless of the performance. Every fan was given a wrist band and a small ticket when they arrived. The small ticket was used to vote. I was given the option to vote for my band before anybody even played. It amazed me that the Wakarusa crew thought I would give in to this popularity contest. I have met many of these musicians; however, I was determined to vote for the best performance. I was torn between Valency and Brother Bagman. In the end, I voted for Brother Bagman because their music fits the Wakarusa genre. It was a really tough call to make.

Here are my Wakka Winter Classic MVP’s:

Drums – Caleb Robertson (Valency)
Bass – Cliff Moore (Brother Bagman)
Guitar - Landon Leist (Brother Bagman)
Keys - Ben Eisminger (Antumbra)
Chris Heinrich - Vocals (Valency)

As it turns out, Brother Bagman was the winner. I had a great time at the Wakka Winter Classic this year and look forward to future events at Crosstown Station.

Published Wednesday, 20th January 2010 - Written by Alex Tate