’Tis the season for reflection— and when you give a long, hard, angry stare back at 2018, it’s easy to gloss over the parts that made life worth living. I Heart Local Music is here for you, dear reader, with a fond and aggressive analysis of what makes Lawrence the best damn music town on the planet. Here is, according to I Heart Local Music, the Top Ten most badass things we saw from local acts in 2018.
10. Get Up Kids at White Schoolhouse
It was late Summer when the temperatures had already been unbearable for weeks. That didn’t stop a batch of fans from squeezing into the sweltering basement of White Schoolhouse for what ended up being an incredible delight. Everyone loves a good secret— and on this night, it was only the locals who were in on it. The Get Up Kids were recording a music video at the legendary North Lawrence DIY venue, and had invited fans out for a small performance as well. This meant that fans not only were treated to their own private show (from a band that had filled the street with thousands of people just a year earlier at Live on Mass), but they also got to be a part of the video. It ended with mayhem— toilet paper, glitter, and silly string just covered everyone (but especially the band) by the end of the set.
9. Samantha Fish
Believe it or not, Samantha Fish is a local artist. Though she’s received high praise from national outlets like the New York Times, the blues guitarist is actually from Kansas City. Her fast fingers and ease on the frets lands her at #9 on our list. Her show at the Bottleneck back in May brought a sold-out crowd in, all vibrating with excitement over her stunning live show. This woman breathes and exudes rock and roll, it pours out of every bit of her body. It’s nearly impossible to look away from the stage when she’s on, she rocks like no other, and she does it all in kitten heels and a winged-tip eyeliner sharp enough to stab you.
8. Calvin Arsenia’s Ridiculousness
When we asked Calvin Arsenia to play Pride Fest back in June, he hesitantly confided that this was his first appearance as a queer musician. But with the, uh, secret (but not so secret) out, a couple of months later he went full Calvin Arsenia with what has to be the most extravagant album release show we’d ever seen.
In September, Calvin accomplished one of the most impossible tasks on the planet. He got a lot of wealthy white people out to The Paseo. The harpist had multiple costume changes, a captivating orchestra to back him up, and a host of dancers who, at times, made it pretty steamy in there. If the shirtless lumberjacks didn’t get ya, the tango dancers most certainly did.
By the end of the night, he lead everyone in a parade down the street outside, complete with a full marching band, while he coasted down the road in his exaggerated tulle skirt. Calvin, and only Calvin, can get away with a year where he went from being shy about playing a Pride event to marching down the Paseo in a big tulle skirt and feathered headpiece, with an entourage of squealing fans following behind.
7. Fredrick Fucking Foul
Oh Jesus Christ. Where do we even begin with this maniac. Well, for starters, we’re quite fond of this fella’s disposition. As the vocalist for local metal band Horned Wolf, Frederick Foul has everything you could ask for— a killer voice, an absolutely terrifying stage presence, and spikes (soooo many spikes). Horned Wolf’s set with Typewriter Tim at the Bottleneck in late September was a memorable one.
6. Truckstop Honeymoon’s fond farewell
When Truckstop Honeymoon played their farewell show at the Bottleneck earlier this month, no one was sad. Rather, every single person was grinning as hard as they could… because Truckstop Honeymoon is a band that just makes you feel GOOD. The longtime bluegrass legends are responsible for bringing the most joyous event of the year, the Mardi Gras parade, to our fair town. They’re also known for making their shows all-ages affairs, which welcomes music lovers and their children to the shows. In short, this was the most accessible band. Nothing could have kept anyone away. So at their farewell show, the town turned up. Hard.
5. Gnarly Davidson’s Fierce Farewell
Speaking of farewell shows, there’s no way this list is getting away without a Gnarly Davidson appearance. In early June, the hard rockers absolutely blew the roof off with not one, but two farewell shows.
To the band’s credit, it began as a respectable affair, withe the band requesting formal attire and a venue full of fashionable threads. But at some point, a giant inflatable poop emoji appeared, and then it was time for a face full of rock and roll. Gnarly Davidson delivered two sets comprised of songs played in the order in which they were written. Let me tell you, the band went out about as hot as they came in… by setting asses on fire. There were bassist Sam Gunnerson’s signature high kicks, guitarist Mitch Jones’ snarls and growls, and a crowd that lost their absolute shit. There was also the matter of Gunnerson’s spitting, a trademark that had become tradition at their shows. On this night, his spit trajectory was in fine form, and the crowd eagerly basked in it as though they were purifying themselves in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.
4. Brass and Boujee
Back in February, we witnessed what was just the start of something beautiful. Black excellence was in full display as several legendary musicians in Kansas City teamed up for a new project. Black and Boujee brought an 18-piece brass band together under the direction of Marcus Lewis. Rappers Kemet the Phantom and Kadesh Flow provided the vocals and what resulted was a fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and an unbreakable love for the power of music.
If this is what Brass and Boujee can accomplish in just a few months, imagine what they’re going to do in 2019. We are sooooo ready for it.
3. Pride Fest
In all the years we’ve lived in Lawrence, this is the image we’ve been waiting our whole lives for. A bombardment of color and explosion of horns parading down Mass Street, celebrating Pride Culture. At the front of the parade, a young black trans woman stomping down the sidewalk in her heels, leading the celebrating chorus. At the end of their promenade, they crossed under a rainbow arch and into one of the most exciting and gleeful events of the year.
2. Young Mvchetes
Just two months into the year, Young Mvchetes made their LFK debut and, in a heartbeat, changed the hip-hop landscape.
The Topeka duo was the most exciting thing in hip-hop in 2018. Every single thing they do and say onstage (and off the stage) feels so calculated and thought out, and it prompts every listener and spectator at their shows to face a reality head-on. They tackle controversial, violent issues in a confrontational manner. Their performers are a loose cannon, and you can’t help but remain fixated on their set. Our first impression was that it took all the passion of Ebony Tusks and combined it with the anger of Bummer, resulting an absolute fury and emotion.
1. Young Bull and Gnarly Davidson wrestling throwdown
If you build it, they will come. But if you build a metal cage, they will get rowdy AS FUCK.
Back in March, a group of musicians came up with an idea so batshit crazy, it had to work. Young Bull and Gnarly Davidson built a cage inside the Replay. A big one. Inside that cage, they threw down wrestling-style with dueling sets. Many musicians dressed the part, which meant some of them were in itty bitty booty shorts and flexing hard in muscle shirts.
We’ve never seen anything quite like it, and likely never will again. Young Bull don’t always make appearances. But when they do, they make sure it’s a memorable. They’re suckers for theatrics— and theatrics, performance, wrestling, and music all go hand-in-hand. All the world’s a stage, and Young Bull is grabbing it by the fuckin’ nards. Throwing a grand idea together in an unbelievably small space is what landed these bands at the #1 spot on our list for 2018.