Music in Wichita KS

Subject: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 11:52 PM

I'll be in Wichita KS for a week long music seminar and then a concert at the Orpheum Theater on Sun March 16. Here're the concert deatils:

Mar 16, 2008 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Price: $10
Orpheum Theatre
200 N Broadway
Wichita KS 67202
Phone: [phone]

My work with the seminar kids ends with a concert on Thu night Mar 13. I'll have Fri/14th and Sat/15th open. I Believe I have Tues and Wed nights open too, of that same week. Are there sessions around that I could find? Anyone know? Maybe an open mic?

I hope to see a Mudcatter or few while I'm in town, if you can make it out for any nights or have any session suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 12:30 AM

wow...I have been to the Orpheum many times, but only to see movies in the days when it was one of the last of the old "movie palaces" with marble and carpeted stairs and velvet plush curtains. (before 1965 or so) Good to see it's been saved.
   I was in the 1st 'folk' club in Wichita, but I don't know if there's any organized group any more.
I suppose JohninKansas will know....

Have fun, Jed! Wish I was closer.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 02:51 PM

Orpheum?

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 07:51 PM

Orpheum Theater, Wichita KS It had a really fine pipe organ too, but that got ripped out several decades ago and has been relocated a couple of times. I'm not really sure where it is now.

At present, I don't know of any active jam groups in Wichita. We've been pretty much out of it for some time. Our own little bunch pretty much disintegrated due to business transfers, deaths, and marriages and other trivial stuff.

Would any of the kids in the seminar group know of anything?

John

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Mar 08 - 08:13 PM

I'm in Kansas City for another week, playing at the City Market this coming Sat & Sun.....Are there any song circles or musical get togethers Thurs or Friday of this week? Frank of Toledo (Oregon)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 09:22 AM

Frank, you might try a PM to Gary T. I think he lives in the K.C. area and might know of something going on there.

Jed, we're planning on making your concert at the Orpheum. As John said above, we're not too conversant these days on sessions or jams (except for an occasional visit to the Artichoke, which you already know about!), but here's a good website for possible contacts: Try this

Dulcie, of the Acoustic Arts Association, is a really nice lady (don't know if you've met her or not), and would likely know of anything going on around here.

Looking forward to hearing you again on the 16th.

Lin

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: wlisk
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 10:18 AM

Hello Jed, Here is what I found at www.folkjam.org (a terrific place to find music throughout the US) The site will give directions too. Upcoming events
Java Villa Jam
Thu 6 Mar, 2008Wichita, KS
Weekly on Thursday
Acoustic Jam at Grandma's Farm
Sat 8 Mar, 2008Wichita, KS
Monthly on 2nd Saturday
Old Chicgo Jam
Mon 10 Mar, 2008Wichita, KS
Weekly on Monday
Kansas Bluegrass Association Jam
Sat 5 Apr, 2008Wichita, KS
Monthly on 1st Saturday
Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield 2008)
Wed 17 Sep, 2008Winfield, KS
This festival starts on Wed 17 Sep, 2008
Fun Barn Old-Time Music Festival
Thu 9 Oct, 2008Winfield, KS
This festival starts on Thu 9 Oct, 2008

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Francy
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 11:50 AM

Thanks Lin...I pm'd Gary T and hope something comes up.....Would like to meet some mudcatters before I leave for home in Toledo, Oregon....Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 03:53 PM

It says here there is a Kansas Folklore Society , but they don't seem to have recent meeting noted....might be an address there that would help.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 08 - 05:19 PM

How near is Wichita to Kansas City?

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Mar 08 - 05:22 PM

150 miles or so...maybe a mite more. Several hours by the Kansas Turnpike.

(mind you,it's been 25 years since I drove it)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 08 Mar 08 - 04:38 AM

Wichita to KC KS:

My DeLorme shows trip distance of 196 miles - town center to center, with driving time of 3:36 for the "quickest" route. I don't usually drive quite that fast, but that's at legal speeds - 70 mph on the Interstate. For that route, about half the distance, or a little more, is on the Turnpike which is a toll road, but for a passenger car it's not too excessive a toll. (It's a bit of a nip if you're pulling a trailer and have to pay for four axles.)

John

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 08 Mar 08 - 06:18 PM

Blisk, thanks for that URL; I've got it in my favorites now, so I can keep track of what's going on (HA!). Here are a couple of added thoughts on the listings you gave:

Java Villa Jam
Thu 6 Mar, 2008
Wichita, KS
Weekly on Thursday
Venue is small coffee shop; usually a pretty small group (3-8 musicians); all Irish music. A musician as good as Jed would be most welcome!

Acoustic Jam at Grandma's Farm
Sat 8 Mar, 2008
Wichita, KS
Monthly on 2nd Saturday
Haven't heard of this one. May have to go see what it's about next time.

Old Chicago Jam
Mon 10 Mar, 2008
Wichita, KS
Weekly on Monday
Back room at the Old Chicago Pizza Parlor; usually around 15-20 musicians, mostly Irish music; was a good jam the last time I went to listen.

Kansas Bluegrass Association Jam
Sat 5 Apr, 2008
Wichita, KS
Monthly on 1st Saturday
The KBA has some good musicians in it, but our experience was that they're not too friendly--and if it ain't bluegrass, don't play it. That may have changed since we were there last; it's been a couple of years.

Another one that comes to mind is the Emma Chase Cafe in Cottonwood Falls (it's about 75 miles from Wichita, heading toward K.C.). You can find listings at this URL. It's usually a pretty good jam; you can get some outstanding catfish to eat there, too.

I think these are too far away to do you any good on this trip, but maybe next time...
Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield 2008)
Wed 17 Sep, 2008
Winfield, KS
This festival starts on Wed 17 Sep, 2008 and ends the 21st, but as you no doubt know by now, camping begins about a month before, and jams are common from mid-August thru mid-September. Come join in!

Fun Barn Old-Time Music Festival
Thu 9 Oct, 2008
Winfield, KS
This festival starts on Thu 9 Oct, 2008
Have heard good things about this one, but haven't been yet.

Hope to get a chance to talk with you at the concert.

Lin

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 09:22 AM

will you have any guests from the Northfield school?

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 12:58 PM

Hi there, Jed,
While you're in Wichita, be sure to check out the amazing, bizarre details of the news story about a woman who sat on her boyfriend's toilet for TWO YEARS. Her butt skin bonded with the toilet seat and finally, the guy called 911. They unscrewed the seat and took her with the seat to a hospital where the seat was surgically removed! This was in our local paper here in Peru, IL yesterday, Wednesday, March 13th.

JED, THERE IS A SONG OR TWO HERE!!! A challenge.)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 04:10 PM

No, Art...I don't think so. I really don't. I really, really don't.
;>)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 04:50 PM

I recall attending a Stefan Grossman workshop in Edinburgh back in the seventies, and while chatting to him afterwards among a group of other afficiados, a visiting American asked him brightly if he had any plans to do concerts in Kansas.

I still remember the look of horror on his face as he said "Hell no, East Coast and West Coast, that's it, I don't do the badlands"

I thought it was kind of a snotty response at the time, but I think I am empathising with him now ...

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 06:45 PM

Well, Art, I'm guessing "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" isn't going to work here.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 06:58 PM

O.K.
I'm serious for once. I'll start a new thread about this, and I will type out the whole damn story!

If this was April 1st I'd understand your skepticism. But this is March 14th...

Art

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Mar 08 - 10:50 PM

Art -

No need to type out the whole story.

Here it is

If you click on the "Print This" at the bottom, click "Cancel" if a printer box pops up, highlight what you want, and you'll get a pretty clean text that you can copy and paste like all the "ex-spurts" do here.

I usually paste into Word first, and use the "Edit - Paste Special - Formatted Text" which gets rid of some of the trash you get with a straight "Paste." Once the trash is gone, you can copy from Word and Paste directly to a 'cat input box.

John

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 11:20 AM

Seriously,

No one can hurt me here, and there's the food that Kory brings,
This little room is now my only home,
Bad people are outside, so in here I'll hide
And no one can hurt me if I stay in here.

No one can hurt me here, now my days are all the same,
In this little room I'll always stay,
They hurt me and I cried, now I cannot go outside,
But no one can hurt me if I stay in here.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 11:54 AM

"East Coast and West Coast, that's it"

the rest is fly over country

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 08:01 PM

But when Wally Hickle of Alaska was Sec. of the Interior, he heard that someone was complaining about population growth, and harrrumphed...(paraphrased) "There's PLENTY of room. I just flew over the country on my was back to Washington, and I looked down and SAW all the space!"

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 08:47 PM

Fly over country, like hell! Try DRIVING some of it and get an idea of what your ancestors went through when they settled this country. A whole bunch of them decided that the Midwest was darned pretty country, and stayed here. Mine did, and some of us are still here. It's beautiful country, and like Bill D said, there's PLENTY of room to stretch and grow--minds too. IMHO, the weirdos in the Midwest make much better sense than those on EITHER coast. And yes, I've lived on the West Coast--30 years worth. I LIKE being home.

Uncle Phil, I think you got the point. i like your song! No, the woman isn't quite right, but it sounds like she had reason not to be.

Lin

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 15 Mar 08 - 11:01 PM

Yup, no one does anything that effing odd without an effing powerful reason...

Have fun at the concert tomorrow night!
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 11:22 AM

OK sorry - the fly over comment was meant to be a bit o sarcasm. I hate the expression too - and find it annoying that some people really belive it!

I love the Midwest, especially this area.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 12:07 PM

Thanks, GUEST--and sorry I lost my cool! There oughta be a way to "read" meaning into just words on the screen, so we wouldn't put our own interpretations where perhaps they don't belong...

Lin

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 04:02 PM

It was a modest showing at the Orpheum but a good day, none-the-less. It was nice to meet you Lin (and was it John?) - and I enjoyed seeing the lovely old theater. Quite a place, and a big job to renovate!

I spent the week prior working with the school kids and we did a concert on Thursday night, just down the road from the Orpheum in a similar old theater. I really enjoyed working the kids.

I saw the toilet story Art - truly bizzare!

I am looking forward to getting back to Wichita, one of these days.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 05:58 PM

so...that must have been the Miller theater? (If my memory works)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 08:16 PM

Bill D -

The Miller is long gone, with no known traces. The one in question is the Orpheum at 1st and Broadway.

John

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 09:33 PM

Oh..I was wondering where Jed said he performed "just down the road".

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 09:42 PM

I forget the name of the place. It is only a few blocks from the Orpheum and holds about 300 or so. It is a similar vintage to the Orpheum. I want to say Mrogan but that's not it ... I'll see if I can find out.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 20 Mar 08 - 10:01 PM

... and Morgan isn't it either!

;-)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 12:59 AM

There's a "historic"(?) Masonic Temple near the Orpheum that rumor said was to be converted to a "performance venue" a few years ago; but I haven't heard much of anything about it since the first few proposals were published. (? ? ? ?) The last time I was there was ca. 1955 or so.

The "Old Town restoration" district a little east of the Orpheum also has several bars (too high-priced for me to know the names, or layouts), and there are a couple of "coffee shops" on the fringes of Old Town. My impression of the coffee shops is that none would hold quite that large a crowd (I could be wrong), but at least some of the bars are of the "bigger is better" class (plenty of room for line-dancing plastic cowboys), so any of them might be possibilities.

In other words - I ain't got a clue.

John

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 05:32 AM

Jed, we enjoyed the evening and meeting you, also. Thank you for the terrific music! As I mentioned, your song "Bloody Dawn" made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I've emailed your You Tube video to several friends...

Hope to see you next time in Wichita, and at Winfield one of these days too!

Lin (and John--sometimes he lets me speak for him!)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 21 Mar 08 - 03:34 PM

Thanks Lin and John. I hope to see you at Winfield too, sometime.

The other theater is the Murdock.

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Mar 08 - 11:27 AM

Oh...that place is now the Murdock! Yes, I know that house....in fact, I saw the New Lost City Ramblers in one of the smaller rooms there in about 1963, when it was the 20th Century Club.

A few years later, I saw something else in a different room...(why can I remember the room, and not the act?)

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 09:12 PM

Nice little theater!

Subject: RE: Music in Wichita KS
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Mar 08 - 09:13 PM

... small enough and with good acoustics; we did it sans sound reinforcement.