Kansas City Playlist: World Cup Hope Hinges On All-Nite Boozing

At this late hour Kansas City realizes a truism . . . 

Boozing until all hours of the morning is both the cause of AND THE SOLUTION TO all of our problems.  

Forgive the rough paraphrase from a Simpson's episode but they have a weird string of predictions that seem to be more accurate than most newscasts so the reference is more informative than anything else. 

 Meanwhile in Kansas City . . . The World Cup countdown seems dire . . .

WITHOUT BOOZING INTO THE MORNING, KANSAS CITY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE MUCH HOPE OF MAKING ANY REAL PROFIT!!!

 At least that's the story that dominates recent headlines . . . Here are a couple of more examples: 

Should KCMO bars stay open for 23 hours during the World Cup? Residents and businesses weigh in

The Kansas City area will be host to the World Cup in less than 34 days and the question remains - will bars be able to stay open for 23 hours?

KC bar owner says World Cup hours could put 'tens of thousands of dollars' at stake

The plan to allow bars to stay open until 5 a.m. during the FIFA World Cup may not happen in the city. Mayor Quinton Lucas is introducing a plan to opt out of that allowance.

Meanwhile, let's be honest . . .

EVERYBODY KNOWS DANGER LIKELY CONFRONTS KANSAS CITY WORLD CUP GUESTS IF THEY'RE OUT UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING DRINKING IT UP!!!

We're sorry that's a fact of life but to deny it willingly risks the safety of innocent Euro-trash drunks. 

Sadly . . . This reality means that bar owners are going to lose cash and we respect their arguments to the contrary even if we're forced to disagree. 

In the end, Mayor & Council will attempt to figure this one out and disappoint neighbors and/or bar biz owners and workers. 

In the meantime, we use this opportunity to share even more late night drinking songs for tonight's www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist . . .   

A country classic dedicated to boozy timing . . . Interesting, "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" was Jimmy Buffett's first-ever No. 1 hit on the Billboard country singles chart in 2003, despite his decades-long career. The hit was originally intended for a new artist and was initially passed on by Kenny Chesney before Alan Jackson picked it up to record with Buffett.

Apropos for our conversation and because it speaks to our 90s nostalgia . . . Chumbawamba rejected $1.5 million from Nike for the rights to "Tubthumping" . . . The band turned down the massive offer to use the song in a World Cup advertisement, stating it took them only 30 seconds to decide against it. 

Because, strangely, we can't resist a good Irish drinking song and literary reference . . . "Streams of Whiskey" by The Pogues is a tribute to the late Irish poet and novelist Brendan Behan. The opening lines describe a dream-like meeting where the narrator shakes Behan’s hand, who tells him to look for "streams of whiskey".

For the bridge . . . Even late into the night it's hard to steer clear of culture war . . . The controversy over hip-hop country (often called "country rap" or "hick-hop") conflates issues of authenticity, race, and industry gatekeeping . . . HOWEVER, good music trumps all of these concerns and A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey is a legit banger no matter the genre. 

A quick summary of the 2024 monster hit's success: The track made history as the longest-running No. 1 song of all time on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the spot for a record-tying 19 weeks in 2024. It samples the 2004 track "Tipsy" by J-Kwon, transforming the rap party anthem into a country-influenced smash.

Finally, allow us a fave . . . Frank Sinatra - One For My Baby is an iconic tune for drunks and this old school clip of Sinatra Live At Royal Festival Hall in 1962 features the EPIC crooner at the height of his powers.

A bit more background: The pianist, Bill Miller, was a long-time collaborator of Sinatra. In a famous 1966 live recording at the Sands, Sinatra explicitly credits Miller's sparse, melancholic piano playing for setting the perfect, lonely mood.

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