Monday, January 03, 2011

Review: Matthew Dunehoo at the Record Bar



















That yelp!

Matt Dunehoo's vocal affectation Saturday at the Record Bar immediately brought another Kansas City-area rocker to mind. Bob Walkenhorst of The Rainmakers often employs exactly the same mannerism. The commonality made me realize that Dunehoo- best known for his work with Doris Henson and Baby Teardrops- is to 2011 what Bob Walkenhorst was to 1986.

Both men are handsome, charismatic Midwesterners, but where Dunehoo might have learned to yelp while listening to David Byrne, Walkenhorst's version is probably inspired by Little Richard.

No one I spoke to Saturday at the Record Bar appreciated my observation. My youthful friends probably think of Walkenhorst as that gray-haired dude who performs weekly folk matinees for people in their 40s and 50s. They might not realize that The Rainmakers were genuine international pop stars for a year or two. Here they are on Top of the Pops. That clip may look and sound dated, but Walkenhorst's band represented a refreshing alternative to the era's "corporate rock" acts like Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx.

Dunehoo was excellent on Saturday. I hope he achieves at least a Rainmakers-level of success. That might help ensure that he'll end up playing popular weekly matinees for old people in a quarter century. I can hardly wait.

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I made an animated short about jazz promotion in Kansas City.

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Credentials Hip Hop lists its Top 20 Kansas City Hip Hop Albums of 2010. I'll confess to being completely oblivious to of a few of the picks.

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M.I.A.'s new "Vicki Leekx" mixtape is extremely entertaining. Just Google it.

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Scary Monsters was the first David Bowie album I bought as a new release. Here's a set of alternative takes from those sessions. (Via Largehearted Boy.)

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Demencha conducts an awkward but informative interview with Ron Ron.

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Lina Romay has died.

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Kansas City Click: Stan Kessler leads Monday's jam session at the Blue Room.

Chad Bryan of The Ants plays Tuesday at the Record Bar.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

9 comments:

bgo said...

Who does that Osterberg kid play for these days at his weekly gigs?
He's in his 60's! The reason I no longer go see younger rock acts (or indie cool, whatever) is I need no reminder to how foolish I looked 25, 30 years ago. Hell make that 40+ years ago. Some surface details constantly change, but the mindset remains the same. Alas.

Happy In Bag said...

C'mon, BGO- I don't appreciate that tone, young man!

Bob draws very well at those weekly gigs. I get the impression that it's a real cash cow for the venue.

bgo said...

I'm happy for Bob and whatever he chooses to do. Nice guy and very talented. My point being is that I DON"T LIKE BEING AROUND snobbish 20 somethings with snotty attitudes and pretensions of hipness. Like I said, been there and I played a fool far too long.

Happy In Bag said...

Ah, now I see clearly.

Those kids will soon start hearing the relentless ticking of the clock.

Steve Tulipana said...

Thanks for the review of the show. I def. can see the resemblance in their mannerisms and I really like the comparisons to Little Richard and David Byrne. By the way, Bob Walkenhorst and company do do a great job every week. We are lucky to have them as part of the recordBar family. Now BGO, if we could get "that Osterberg" kid in here to do a weekly I'd be in heaven. Iggy is one of my true heroes and he out-rocks any 20 year old, any day of the week and still looks hilariously foolish/cool doing it. So quit being so hard on the kids, you only live once and I think part of the fun of getting older is to look back and laugh at/embrace your ridiculousness. Life is too hard to let youth make you sour grapes, right? Not trying to harsh on you, just spouting my two cents which is what the internet if for, right? Again, thanks for the support There Stands the Glass.
Cheers,
Steve Tulipana

Happy In Bag said...

Thanks for checking in, Steve.

I'm not just saying this because Steve is monitoring the conversation, BGO- for what it's worth, I've never sensed an ageist bias from the staff at the Record Bar. (And I'm there a lot.)

bgo said...

I like the Record Bar. The only reason I don't go often is that I am living scared from accumulated debt and every thin dime goes to paying it down or having something to eat. And I was a bit foolish in my earlier posts. It is all about fun and rock & roll is partly theater too, which is licence to get silly. Backtracking.

Happy In Bag said...

You'll always be my favorite reader, BGO.

bgo said...

That's very kind of you to say, Bill. I come here because there's a whole lot of smart thinking going on and I want to be part of it.