© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

25 years in, Kansas City's Rural Grit Happy Hour is 'never the same twice'

The Rural Grit Happy Hour, a weekly showcase of American Roots music, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend.
Halle Jackson
/
KCUR 89.3
The Rural Grit Happy Hour, a weekly showcase of American roots music, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend.

Every Monday for 25 years, a group of Kansas City musicians has gathered for the Rural Grit Happy Hour, a showcase of American roots music. Four days of shows are scheduled this weekend for the quarter-century anniversary.

Mondays don't start out busy at The Brick, a low key bar in the Crossroads. But around 6 p.m., the place starts filling up, and not just with people: guitars, banjos, fiddles, and even a standing bass come through the door too.

They've all arrived for the Rural Grit Happy Hour, a curated showcase of American roots music that takes place every week. And on Feb. 5, 2024, the show is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

It's hard to nail down just what Rural Grit is: It's kind of a concert, kind of an open mic, kind of a community jam session. The fact that it's participant-driven means that each week is different, and special.

"We've had a lot of touring musicians that we've met over the years and get referred to us for a Monday night gig," said Kim Stanton, Rural Grit Happy Hour's organizer. "And they are always like, 'There's nothing like this out there.'"

Four nights of shows are scheduled to celebrate Rural Grit's 25th anniversary. More information can be found on the show's Facebook page.

  • Kim Stanton, organizer, Rural Grit Happy Hour
  • Betse Ellis, renowned fiddler and longtime participant at the Rural Grit Happy Hour
  • Paul Wenske, longtime participant at the Rural Grit Happy Hour
Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
In an era defined by the unprecedented, one thing remains certain: Kansas Citians’ passion for their hometown. As an Up To Date producer, I construct daily conversations to keep our city connected. My work analyzes big challenges and celebrates achievements to help you see your town in a new way. Email me at hallejackson@kcur.org.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.