KANSAS CITY ELLE CAM

Everything was UP to DATE in Kansas City

So once again I am playin catch up on our travel bus, but here goes...

We landed in Nashville and were eager to get out. So BPM + I headed towards The Gulch to a place I read about on Tripadvisor.com----which I will say has not guided me wrong yet on this tour. We hit up a local joint called THE STATION INN. Not only does a great band called THE TIME JUMPERS play every Monday night, but international country star VINCE GILL joined them. He apparently subs in when their regular guy is unavailable. Not only was the place like an old Juke Joint, with no windows and only selling beer, but u also had to get their at least an hour early to get a seat. The standing room was the aisles. Due to a massive storm moving through, bringing tornado warnings and blackouts we were not privvy to, it started a lil late with even an audience member going to their car to help aid with an amp. I asked for a Hootnanny and that's what I got. They jammed for 2 hours, jammin on C+W Swing. They would feature each other, whether it being a specific persons song they had written or just solo driven. With a 10 piece band, the variations rocked. Vince sang 3 times, amazing, and the two female singers were offensively effortless.

Opening night was a blast and a blur. Not only did the day start with BUY 1 Pair of Boots Get 2 Free, but a few of us also decided to get $5 cowboy hats. What better way to welcome LBB back to the company? Well, that wasn't the only addition to the night. At the end of the show, the curtain was held and D.B. Verbally welcomed LBB back as a now local Nashvillian. But, then Betty Witherspoon came out and welcomed all of us. She gave birth to the woman who gave birth to Elle Woods: Reese Witherspoon. That night we were shuttled in a stretch limo-bus to a swanky party, where we stayed only shortly before venturing out for some music. We ended up at Roberts, which would then remain our stompin grounds for most of the week.  

Also, Cortney was on vaca all week. So, Tiff was on as Serena. And as always, she kicked the role in its butt.

Wednesday brought us the death of an icon--Michael Jackson.

One LB Fan said he " thought he was just a child molester." But, long before court trials and weird babies dangling out of German windows he was a beacon of hope and Americana----back before the Bush Dynasty and the creation of The Simpsons. Yes, that long. My first Vinyl Album and non christian music as a kid was the Thriller Album, which I still have in the plastic sleeve.  And before that, he was apart of the Jackson 5. Son that night became shout out to MJ Day. We changed a few dance moves, improv'ed in some blank spaces, and sold it for the King of Pop. So what that he named his child after the inanimate object that they would prize for the first 5 years of their life. I dare anyone to name another current artist that will be remembered in 100years.

On friday, we all went to LBB's pool to catch some rays and avoid the heat. Cause it was stiflin!!!!!  It was great and also got to run into Miley Cyrus' X boyfriend...it made us feel very special. Sat started the ELLE switcheroo with Lauren and LBB again, but that night LBB hurt herself, which ended up being her last show in NVille.  BOOOO!!

Then to KC. Its the home of more BBQ, Swing, Bebop, and was the 2nd largest FBI center in the country at one time. Yep, high national security in Missouri. Go figure!

Our first night, after a lengthy bus ride, we hit the road for BBQ. After stopping at Gates, which I kid u not has a "4 Boner Special", we ran back to the car wanting table service so ended up at Fiorello's Jack Stack. It has Flintstones Beef Rib and hands down the best Carrot Cake I have ever had. We all went home in a food coma and prepared for the opening night skit.
Only 6 shows in KC....because its outside. And no, that's not a typo.

Kansas City Starlight is a 7918 seat amphitheatre in the middle of a city owned park, smackdab against the zoo(which was nice when the wind changed course and blew fragrant bouquet of Elephant Droppings our way). Not only does AC barely tease the heat away while we r dawning layered clothes, but patrons mill in while we soundcheck, it isn't completely dark til the Dewey scene, and there was an army of bat around to eat the bugs hanging around by the lights.  Oh yeah....and the Star Bangled Banner is sung before every show en masse. Who said Patriotism was dead?

Cue the bat drama!! So it started with one sleeping under a speaker during soundcheck. Then, one flew out at the end of "Serious" and landed on Jeff as it buttoned. He swatted it to the floor where it squirmed during the "Candle Flying V." It was even noted in the review!!!! Hilarious. Then, as we r changing into beer bash one crawls out from the back scrim into our quick change booth, which was then slightly kicked by Efe. They swooped backstage, even hittin our ASM Greg in the face, which resulted in the head of Wardrobe walking around with a laundry basket for a helmet.  They kept swooping, the funniest being during Scene of the Crime, and ended with one just swooping back+forth upstage during the graduation.  Well apparently the theatre was so embarrassed that they brought in peeps from the Zoo to do something. What they did we have no clue, but the next nights brought only one bat. What it also brought was the emergence of Mike Isaacson to tell us that as of Dayton our tour recouped all of its initial investment. That's right, we are now a money making machine!!! 


Thursday, we got free tickets to the Royals. Why u ask? We sang the 7th inning stretch on top of the dugouts. Not only is it one of the most beautiful stadiums, with massive water fountains in the outfield, but they have frozen margaritas en masse. Heaven!!! We even got free T Shirts.

The other highlight of the week, other than fireworks going off the whole show on July 4th, was a torrential rainstorm that happened on Friday. People had ponchos, and we kept going. But I think it was a first for us all....watching the scuttling and sheets of rain as the curtain rose for Act 2 was amazing.

We had a sad departure of our MD Jan though, and hope she gets back soon....so Kyle will be conducting for a while. AND, Louis the Bulldog made his debut!!!! The fireworks freaked out Nellie too much....she has delicate tendencies. We have also now a new swing to replace Jay Garcia. His name is Alex Puette and came the last day in Nashville.  Will he go on this week, a week early? It could be so...only time will tell. With both NJJ and Ven on vaca anything is possible!!! 

Bring on Arkansas!