Kansas City Playlist: Surviving World Cup News Cycle

Actually . . .

For the moment the World Cup seems to be turning out better than most expected. 

For now . . .

There hasn't been a soccer riot, the fans seems safe and a few locals seem to be making a few extra bucks from all of the excitement. 

These are all good things.  

Don't get it twisted . . . This event might turn south at a moment's notice . . . But to deny at least some initial success overlooks a great deal of effort by organizers, small biz and volunteers. 

Accordingly . . .  

Tonight our www.TonysKansasCity.com playlist marks the start of cowtown kickball fun times that seem to be going okay . . . For now . . . Despite the fact that the games haven't even started but seem to be overshadowing just about every other news story in Kansas City right now.

To start . . . A song to remember the time before millennials lost all their joy for life: Before hitting it big, front-man Mark Foster wrote music for major brands like Honey Bunches of Oats and Verizon. Because of his jingle-writing background, he was a master at crafting catchy melodies. He deliberately juxtaposed a cheery, upbeat tune with a chilling story to force listeners to pay attention to the dark realities of youth isolation and gun violence.

A track that still gets airplay for oldsters listening to the radio . . . "Kick Start My Heart" is literally about Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx's near-fatal heroin overdose in 1987. He was declared clinically dead and revived by paramedics who injected two shots of adrenaline directly into his chest. The harrowing incident became the basis for the track's massive, high-speed energy.

The second best song from the 80s power ballad hit machine . . . Simple Minds - "Alive And Kicking" is an uplifting anthem wherein the booming rhythm on the track was achieved by recording the drums in a massive, empty swimming pool.

For the bridge, a bit of insight on the realities of the music industry . . . A Tribe Called Quest made absolutely no money from this song's sales or streams. Because "Can I Kick It?" sampled Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," Reed claimed 100% of the publishing rights and royalties.

Finally . . . A reminder that media shapes our conceptions of history and everything else . . . Dean Martin's iconic swing track "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" was actually never a hit when it was first released. Despite being featured in the classic 1960 Ocean's 11 film, the song failed to chart. It sat in relative obscurity for nearly 30 years until a compilation album revived it in 1989.

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