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Kevin Morby is headlining a show at the Uptown Theater as part of his “Little Wide Open” album tour across North America and Europe.
Morby’s eighth solo album features 13 tracks with soulful lyrics describing the isolating feelings of the Midwest, but it's also a love for the slowdown the region provides.
The artist likens his relationship with the region to a complicated relationship with family.
“It's one of those things where it's like you can talk bad about your family, but if anyone else talks bad about them, you'll get really protective, and so that's how I feel about the Midwest,” he said.
Born in Texas, Morby grew up in Kansas and then left the state to develop his career while living in New York and Los Angeles. The artist owns a home in Overland Park with his longtime partner, musician Katie Crutchfield, who goes by Waxahatchee.
In the title track of the album, Morby’s lyrics delve into the challenges of maintaining a personal relationship in the spotlight.
In the track “Little Wide Open,” Morby sings, “'Cause I wanna drift off somewhere in it where nobody knows us.”
“When you're in a sort of public-facing relationship, it becomes this sort of delicate thing where people are going to know what you're singing about,” Morby said. “I made this decision to be a solo artist in my early 20s, and something that I just like flung myself into. As you get older, you start to feel like like, oh, wow, this is all under the banner of my name, and there's just something sort of inherently vulnerable about that.”
In August, Morby and his partner are expecting their first child together.
Morby said he’ll rely on close connections with friends and family to help with his growing family as he continues the tour that was scheduled prior to the pregnancy.
Tom Petty was a musical inspiration for the album. Morby said the success and glowing reviews are wonderful and overwhelming, but the crowd’s reaction is what really means the most.
“I've been on the road playing shows, and that's what feels the best, is when you go and you know people are singing the words and stuff, and that's the biggest payoff and validation,” Morby said.
During the North American leg of the “Little Wide Open” tour, Morby will play at the Uptown Theater, a spot that holds fond memories of the shows he saw while growing up.
“It's just one of those venues that I've always loved, and I've done other stuff there, but I'm excited to headline there at long last,” Morby said.
Kevin Morby, 8 p.m. Friday, May 29, at the Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111.
- Kevin Morby, musician, “Little Wide Open”
