TECH N9NE’s Tech The Halls
Tech N9ne featuring Krizz Kaliko, Rittz, CES, and JL
Live at the Midland Theatre – Kansas City, MO
KCMO and the surrounding areas were in full effect Saturday night to see the Kansas City icon, Tech N9ne. Tech N9ne, whose style is a combination of the hip hop and rap genres, has never been afraid to cross over into the metal and rock scene, as proven by his recent performances at 98.9 the Rock’s Rockfest and Slipknot’s Knotfest. What is more impressive is the acceptance of Tech N9ne by both genres and his love for all his fans, no matter the music blasting out their speakers.
Let me set the scene for you. The doors did not open till 7:00pm. We rolled up at 5:30, and there was a line already around the building from both sides. Thankfully, it was a nice 65 degree December night in Kansas City. As we took our normal perch at the Indie bar to have a few pops before the show, we had a great view of the line, and it never seemed to end. In all the shows we have been to at The Midland, we had never seen a crowd like this, even with other sold out shows. It was around 8:30, 30 minutes after the show had started, that the line finally seemed to end.
Supporting Tech N9ne were fellow Strange Music artists JL, CES CRU, RITTZ, and KRIZZ KALIKO. Everyone brought their own style to the show, and the crowd enjoyed every musical present that was unwrapped for them from under the giant LED tree. We all know Tech N9NE was the main man everyone was there to see, but there was much love shown to every artist that stepped on that stage and was equally reciprocated back to the crowd.
The time had come, and it was time for the father of Strange Music to take the stage and blow the roof off that bitch. And, that is just what he did. Tech along with his band – for those that do not know, Tech N9ne is accompanied by very talented musicians on guitar, bass and drums – took the stage for their set full of gifts for the fans. Krizz Kaliko also took to the stage with them; all of them were adorned with their signature red and white jumpsuits with the Strange Music logo on the back. Tech N9ne, of course, was wearing his customary face paint. As the first bars of “EBAH” hit the crowd, the place went insane, and chants of, “Evil Brain, Angel Heart” boomed throughout the theater. After that, the tone was set for the night. I do not think there was a person in that place that was not moving at least some part of their bodies the entire set. Tech treated the KC faithful to the first ever live performance of “Riot Maker” and was greeted with a riot of his own. Another crowd favorite was the “KCMO Anthem.” Again, Tech had the crowd chanting along with “KCMO”. For this rock guy, thoughts of Metallica’s “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” were brought to mind. All in all, it was the festival to officially kick off the Christmas season for Kansas City, and hell, I think if we were in Arrowhead Stadium, most of Kansas City would have been there.
Show review by Ace Sims, RockRevolt Contributor
Photos by John Thornbrugh, RockRevolt PhotoJournalist
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Photos by John Thornbrugh, RockRevolt PhotoJournalist
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About John Thornbrugh
Whether there is rock, metal, or any variation of music in between, you can certainly see John Thornbrugh behind the camera at most concerts. John takes his passion for photography to a level rarely seen by most others. The sights he purveys through his lens makes you imagine the sounds he hears as they are happening. Killer shots are what matters to John the most, but making sure the viewer sees what he hears is just as important and it shows through Johns work.
You can catch John shooting most of the rock shows in Kansas City and surrounding areas. Most of the time he has his camera up to his eye, waiting for that next awe-inspiring shot. But don’t be fooled, John is one of the most approachable photographers out there. Ready to share his wealth of knowledge, John certainly makes sure you understand bands and fans alike will ever remember his passion and getting those shots that stand out and satisfy our inner desires for great photos
