Kasey Rausch Concert at my house!

I mentioned in my last post that I have turned 50.  A week before my birthday (and a few days after my wife's equally significant birthday), we hosted a celebration at our house, with friends and family invited to join us.  The highlight of our party was local musician Kasey Rausch, who played a set on our back deck by the pool. We have been blessed with a very mild Summer here in Kansas City, so at showtime it was only around 80 degrees, perhaps only in the upper 70s, so we had a beautiful evening for outdoor music.

Kasey Rausch is a country-folk-roots singer-songwriter.  I found her (like so may others) on Kickstarter as a local musician funding a new album.  I loved what I heard, and so I backed her.  A little later, looking at her online profile and website, I saw that she performed at house concerts.  The wheels started turning, and, to make a long story short, I booked her to come and perform at our birthday party.

When she arrived that evening following an afternoon gig at a nearby winery, I found that she redefined "local".  She lived only a couple miles away, and her kids go to the same high school as mine.  In fact, my son knew her son, as they had been in a class together!  Talk about supporting your local musicians :-)

Kasey performed out on our deck for about an hour, and she was fantastic.  She has an amazing voice - smooth yet with a touch of a rough edge (or maybe rough at the center and smooth all around?), perfectly suited for her roots/country music.  She performed mostly original songs, including one about her grandmother, who had passed away at the fine age of 103.  Simply beautiful.   Kasey also sang a couple songs from great country songwriter Johnny Mullins, who wrote songs for Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and many others.

Kasey is truly a hard working artist.  She performs all over Kansas City, many times more than one gig per day, and almost always several times a week.  She travels around Missouri and Kansas, and earlier this Summer did a mini-tour in South Dakota and Wyoming.  She plays solo or with several incarnations of bands (including a weekly happy hour show with her group The Naughty Pines).

The best news is that Kasey has been signed to a record label!  MudStomp Records will be releasing her new CD, from the Kickstarter campaign, later this year.  Having listened to any of her new songs live on my deck, I can hardly wait for the CD release!

In the meantime, I am hoping to get out to see Kasey perform a few more times as Summer turns to Fall, and then Winter rolls in.  Local friends - go see her.  It doesn't matter if you consider yourself a country music fan or not, get out to a local honky tonk and see Kasey!  You will love her!

Friends across the globe - you can find Kasey Rausch on Spotify, and her albums "Born Near the Waters" and "Live How You Love" are on Amazon.  And, follow Kasey Rausch Music on Facebook to keep track of Kasey and her performance schedule.  Oh yeah - she hosts  radio show every Sunday morning, too - River Trade Radio - listen in online to get your Sunday off to a great start!

It was a pleasure and privilege to have Kasey perform at our house for our birthday celebration.  She is a talented musician and song writer, and is also an amazingly nice person (and neighbor!) We all truly enjoyed getting to know Kasey and hear her music on a beautiful Summer evening.

Now if I can convince her to record some Christmas songs!

Singer/Songwriter Kelley McRae Live!

Many of you may not have heard of Kelley McRae, a beautifully talented singer/songwriter, most recently hailing from Brooklyn, NY.  Kelley and her husband Matt (an excellent guitarist in his own right) quit their jobs, bought a VW van, and set out on a nationwide tour, consisting of small venues and, mostly, living rooms across America.  Kelley works the web in search of hosts for her shows.  As of July 31, she and Matt have played nearly 80 shows since the end of February.

On July 30, my own living room was the venue for Kelley and Matt.  I and about 15 others enjoyed a great show, as Kelley played her original compositions for about an hour.  Yes, the show was about an hour, but Kelley and Matt were guests in our home for over 4 hours.  They are not only superb musicians but terrific people.  It didn't take long to feel like they were a part of our usual circle of friends.

The Music:  Kelley and Matt play acoustic guitars.  Kelley sings, and Matt harmonizes from time to time.  Kelley has a strikingly beautiful voice.  She ranges from soft restraint to inspiring power, often in the same song.   Smooth, natural, beautiful.

The Songs:  There are many great singers out there, but to me the musicians who write and perform their own songs take the artistry to new heights.  Kelley is an immensly gifted songwriter.  During the show, she told us that some come easy and some take years to finish.  Kelley has taken snapshots from her life and turned them in to amazing songs, especially "Johnny Cash" and "Never Be".  "Sparrow", "One Hundred Dollars", and show-closer "Time" were other highlights of the show.

To all my readers, please take some time and listen to Kelley McRae's music.  She has recorded two albums, "Never Be" and "Highrises in Brooklyn".  Check out her website and tour blog, http://www.kelleymcrae.com/.  If you're so inclined, contact Kelley to host a house show.  I've never had an experience quite like the intimacy of an incredible musician performing in such a personal venue. 

Amazing, just amazing.