Kansas City Playlist: Confronting Dark Days

A quick glance at the state of the world right now doesn't lend much confidence to the fortunes of Kansas City

Despite fanfare and political chatter, the U.S. economy confronts a slowdown and serious trouble ahead. 

War across the world has sparked political discord, budget showdowns and now an outpouring of protest throughout American universities. 

Meanwhile in this cowtown . . .

The local economy continues to lose jobs. Downtown looks abandoned on most afternoons despite news hype about increased office space occupancy. And, worst of all, leftist activist protesters have seemingly chased away BOTH of Kansas City's professional sports teams in order to demand voters free bus rides & housing. 

And so a constant questions comes from our blog community . . .

HOW SHOULD KANSAS CITY CONFRONT SEEMINGLY DARKER DAYS AHEAD?!?!

We're curious about opinions on this topic and given that cantankerous readers are often torn betwixt reactionary urges to contradict any narrative and/or dire predictions. 

Either way . . . 

Here at www.TonysKansasCity.com we merely serve to spark discourse, ask questions, share info and sometimes enjoy a few old school tunes. Accordingly, tonight's playlist is dedicated to some of our favorite "mood music" along with songs related to bad weather on this dark & stormy night.

Let's get started . . .

Sure, most AC/DC songs sound alike but that's not always a bad thing. AND we always try to start these lists with a banger . . . And so, here's one of our favorite rock songs from down under on the topic of rumbling nights . . .

A reader request that sparked a tiny bit of research, "Elastica were an English rock band formed in London in 1992 by ex-Suede members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch. The band was stylistically influenced by punk rock, post-punk and new wave music." Apropos for this playlist, we had fun listening to this track . . .

Forgive us for appreciating this 90s-era classic that garnered mainstream success for a group that crafted memorable music from their misery.

40 years ago, in 1984, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble released "Couldn't Stand the Weather" and looking back the video for the single reveals that ancient conflicts have ALWAYS dominated the American discourse and also served to inspire one of the greatest guitar players in modern history.

We conclude with "Riders On The Storm" from The Doors — A song that critics derided as "lounge music" at the time of its debut in 1971. Nevertheless, the jazz-infused musicianship overpowers Jim Morrison's journey into the abyss by way of drugs & alcohol. For many music fans, the tune holds up as styles continually evolve and hopefully inspires a sense of calm amid otherwise turbulent times.

As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe & fun Saturday night.