Mike Warren
Music ReviewerMike Warren began as editorial assistant at The Pitch in Kansas City more than 20 years ago, and he's been writing about local music ever since. In addition to teaching writing at Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods, he still writes for The Pitch and a variety of national publications, including No Depression.
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“Outside a Small Circle of Friends,” by Phil Ochs, is not a typical protest song.The song tells the biting, sardonic tale of all-too-normal people walking…
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It takes a special kind of mid-life Midwestern songwriter to transform the tale of Ann Boleyn, Henry VIII’s famous second wife, and Thomas Cromwell, the…
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Twenty-two years is a long time for any band, even a bluegrass band, to stay together.Split Lip Rayfield has made it that far.To put their career in…
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It’s easy to imagine a teenage Samantha Fish standing in the mulch at Crossroads KC, dreaming about playing up on the stage.“I’ve been going to that venue…
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For a few years, it was an autumn tradition: Wrap up the turkey and pumpkin pie, wash up the dishes, then head down to the Record Bar for a Ha Ha Tonka…
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An 11 a.m. Sunday slot at any festival, especially the Kansas City Folk Festival, is a dicey gig, and Lawrence singer-songwriter Sky Smeed admits his…
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At first blush, Olathe doesn’t immediately come to mind as one of the primary refuges for folk music in the region.But starting about two years ago, the…
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John GoolsbyThe MidwestFor the past few years, John Goolsby’s performances at places like Knuckleheads' Gospel Lounge have generally been solo — a…
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The Grisly Hand Hearts & Stars Since 2009, The Grisly Hand has been a band that’s comfortable in its own skin, equally content and holding its own whether…
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A La Mode C’est Si BonGypsy jazz — or, probably more appropriately, Django jazz — is a booming style in Kansas City.This sub-genre, built around the silky…