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Not A Planet




The Deli KC Presents at Grain Valley Fair 2015
This Friday, we’re taking a fantastic lineup of performers out to Grain Valley for their annual Grain Valley Fair. Tickets are only $5! The stage will be located by the Grain Valley Chamber of Commerce at 711 Main St., Grain Valley, MO 64029. Preview the bands, bring your lawn chairs and blankets and come say hi to us! Midwest Music Foundation will also have a table near the stage. Facebook event page.
 
11:15 – Not A Planet
 
 
Not A Planet
 
 
 
The Philistines
 
 
 
Katy Guillen & the Girls
 
 

  
Kangaroo Knife Fight
 
 

Published: September 07, 2015 |
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The Few, The Proud, The Strange: An interview with Not A Planet
 
Not A Planet is a band that has been heightening the KC music scene since 2010. The band’s devoted fans and passion for creating powerful music has allowed them to tour the United States and produce its first full-length album, The Few, The Proud, The Strange, in 2013. Not A Planet’s tour manager, Jodie Platz, coordinated and joined this interview, which took place in their practice room at her home. 
 
The Deli:  What conflicts in your life have inspired your lyrics?
 
Nathan Corsi: My experiences as a kid made me feel like I had a lot to prove. I have really supportive parents. I went to a conservatory for a year before I dropped out. A lot of great writers had troubled childhoods, and I think I had a more troubled adulthood that causes me to write the way I do. I got mugged when I lived out in New York City, a month and a half after I moved there. I’d gone out there with a bag and a guitar playing in subways and small venues. I ended up in KC because my family was here,and it was a chance for me to recoup until I found my home, and then I found my band here.
 
The Deli:  What could make the KC music scene better?
 
Nathan: Where are the people coming out to the shows? There are amazing bands here. It’s a tragedy that so few people are at the clubs Monday through Thursday. There are shows that don’t go too late for people who have to work and most places aren’t charging covers.
 
Bill Sturges: There are so many beautiful, amazing, crazy things going down every single night in Kansas City,and it just takes what one step out the door to find it.
 
Liam Sumnicht: I agree people need to come out more. I also think typically people don’t care about what’s happening in their own backyard unless other people care. It’s caddy of me to say, but people will pay attention when they know people in LA like [KC music]. It’s natural.
 
The Deli: Why should people see Not A Planet live?
 
Bill: We lay it down. We try to remove all barriers so [the audience] can enter into a different world. Because the reality you experience during the week doesn’t play into the show. There’s an energy that we try to put in, and we accomplish it. We put everything we have on the table. Come watch us crumble and rise again.
 
The Deli: How often are you are tour?
 
Liam: We do around 100 shows a year. We have been out for weeks at a time to Florida and the East Coast. And regionally we’re out almost every weekend.
 
Bill: Anywhere from St. Louis, to Manhattan, to Joplin, to Wichita, to Oklahoma.
 
Nathan: [Not a Planet] only plays in Kansas City about once a month, not including cover shows.
 
The Deli: Wait. What cover shows?
 
Nathan: We have a separate cover band with the same members. It’s called Ragged Heirs. We try to keep it upbeat and timely. We play…
 
Everyone: Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Foster the People, Kings of Leon, Bo Diddley, Robert Johnson, Tom Waits, all the stuff that grooves a little bit.
 
The Deli: Does touring hinder producing new material?
 
Nathan: It makes it hard.
 
Liam: But it also keeps you in good shape musically. It’s a double-edged sword. It keeps you on your toes, but takes away time from being able to write music.
 
Bill: In our lives we find things that we have to do, and the things that we love. In this room, we all understand that sometimes for the things we love, we have to carve out time. Two weeks [on tour] is beautiful because you get your feet wet. Three weeks is a marathon. We’ve talked to people like us who have been out for two months or longer. It gets treacherous at that point; it’s almost survival mode.
 
The Deli: What’s your favorite kind of audience?
 
Liam: The audience that gets it. When you can connect with people, that’s the most amazing and beautiful part of playing live.
 
Bill: I started playing music because I got the goose bumps sometimes in [high school] band and stuff. That’s the music reaching out and touching your soul. That’s why we continue to do it.
 
Nathan: Mostly I’m in it for the money and the women. [laughs]
 
The Deli: Speaking of money…
 
Bill: We make so much money.
 
Liam: Rollin! Sometimes at night we just pour our hundreds into a bathtub and all crawl in and take a bath.
 
Jodie: We go to McDonald’s and don’t order off the dollar menu.
 
Nathan: We get on a diving board to jump into our pool of money and swim around in it.
 
Bill: But in all seriousness, none of us have ever made money off of Not A Planet, but Not A Planet makes money; I’ve never had to pay [out of pocket] for gas, or vans; I’ve traveled across the US for free.
 
Nathan: Not A Planet is self-sustaining. It has paid for us to make records and go on tour, which costs thousands of dollars.
 
The Deli: Jodie, what’s your role in Not A Planet?
 
Jodie: Tour manager, director of media, photographer. I field the shows and make sure the band is on time. I do so much sometimes I can’t remember it all. It’s a full-time job. I came on about 2 years ago. I saw them open for another band I was working for at the time, and I was hooked. I was supposed to move to California, but I moved back to KC and wondered what I was going to do. I remembered [Not A Planet], and two weeks later I was with in the band and going to Florida.
 
Are you working on a second album?
 
Nathan: We’re working on music. A second album is a twinkle in our eyes right now.
 
Not A Planet is:
Nathan Corsi: guitarist, singer, wordsmith
Liam Sumnicht: drums, vocals
Bill Sturges: bass, vocals
Jodie Platz: tour manager
 
--Hannah Copeland
 
Hannah Copeland is a UMKC business student and self proclaimed "Fun Engineer". She books concerts for local bands every month, is working on an e-commerce music merchandise start-up, and is a lyricist and singer for her electronic band, Hunter Gatherer. She cannot wait to graduate next spring and work in radio broadcasting, music promotions, or bartending in South America. You can contact her at HeyHannahCopeland@gmail.com.
 
 
Not A Planet takes the stage again this Saturday at VooDoo Lounge, alongside St. Joseph’s Eyelit and Joplin’s Me Like Bees. Show starts at 9 p.m. Facebook event page.
 
 
Published: May 29, 2014 |
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Middle of the Map Fest recap
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
Now that Middle of the Map Fest is all wrapped up, here’s a look back at the music fest a couple weeks back. We also had a blast at the forum and film portions of the fest. Here are some highlights from a few of our contributors.
 
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)


Kicking off the fest for me (and for most, as they were one of the first groups scheduled), the adorable couple took to the stage in their usual slightly off-kilter alternative garage rock fashion. I strolled in during the part of the set where guitarist Matt Roth recites beat poetry sans music while drummer Nan Turner dances of various persuasions. Though one could argue it is an odd move in the middle of a set of rock music, it ends up serving as just one more “we do what we want” layer of joy to the overall warm and fuzzy soul hug you get at a Schwervon! show. A special nod to the Riot Room sound here, as this was easily the biggest sounding Schwervon! show I have seen.
 
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)


For a band that has played a very small number of shows, Loose Park has quite a bit of buzz to them, probably due to its members currently or previously being in a slew of popular KC acts (Doris Henson, Soft Reeds, In the Pines, etc). Yet another of the pleasing number of trios I’ve seen between MOTM and SXSW this year, they lived up to the hype for me. The sound is rock and roll, borrowing as much from Neil Young as it does ‘90s alternative rock, with just enough prog-like quirkiness to keep things interesting. Vocalist/guitarist Matthew Dunehoo’s voice came across especially strong and although I was unable to stick around for their whole set, what I did hear was exciting. I’ll definitely be checking them out again.
 
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)


Unpretentious high-energy punk rock with pop sensibility and a synthesizer flair. Love these guys. I’ve had the pleasure of catching them numerous times over the past couple years and have really enjoyed watching them grow into the band they are now. They played an energetic set of tunes to an appreciative crowd that grew ten fold throughout the course of their set. Gary Numan had just let out more or less right above them, but his crowd that stumbled into Westport Saloon didn’t move on once they heard what the Lungs were putting down. Anytime a band can keep a large and growing group of people for a whole set at a festival with many things happening simultaneously is a good sign.

 
For many years, my pissed-at-the-world, play-as-loud-as-my-speakers-and-ears-can-take-it album was Something to Write Home About. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to show up at showtime to hear the last couple minutes of the J. Roddy set, and therefore snake a spot about 15 feet back center stage when people left to get a beer. I’ve seen The Get Up Kids a few times now, but it had been a while, and not on a stage this big since Yahoo Outloud circa 2001. I was in full on fangirl mode.

They quickly shattered any doubt about what age and/or time may have done to a band with such an energetic reputation. Sure, there was a lot less jumping or running around and I don’t remember Dewees getting up on his keyboard stand even once, but whether due to the excitement of the crowd where I was standing or just refinement through time (or perhaps that I, like them, have grown older accordingly), their set came across as solid as it ever did. They blazed through mostly older material, though even they admitted that “it’s all old stuff at this point”. Someone from the crowd jokingly yelled out “emo grandfathers,” from which Pryor got a noticeable laugh and retorted appropriately.

The Get Up Kids showed the crowd why they are one of the biggest bands to come out of our neck of woods in recent memory. “Holiday” and “Action & Action” pummeled with raw angst and vigor. “I’m a Loner Dottie, A Rebel” brought the house down. The tender moments from “Valentine” reminded the crowd of the depth of their material. Even the technical difficulties that fouled up “Overdue” so much that they had to stop and resort to playing “Campfire Kansas” instead (which is probably what we wanted to hear more anyway) couldn’t put a damper on an otherwise hitch-free set.
 
They bantered about memories of Westport. 21st birthdays and an awkward bicycle ride at Buzzard Beach. The house not far away they used to live in. I never turned around to see how many people were there, but the ones around me felt like a community. We were all bouncing, we were all grooving, we were all belting the words along. It felt like a show in someone’s basement or at a small familiar haunt like the Replay. One of the most friendly mosh pits I’ve ever seen even broke out during their closing song “Ten Minutes.”
 
Perhaps I am waxing nostalgic, but this is what a rock show should be like.

This was my first TD show. Having heard good things about them, I slunk my way through the billowing crowd at The Riot Room to find a square foot to stand on that could see that stage. If MOTM and SXSW showed me anything this year, it’s that alt folk and dance pop bands had better get their fill now, because loud rock ‘n roll is making a comeback. Those Darlins are a friggin’ rock band. Loud guitars, rumbling bass, pounding drums, wailing vocals. The frontperson of this freight train? Jessi Zazu, a *maybe* 100-pound pasty white nymph, complete with a red blazer and curly auburn Annie hair. Her stage presence is an interesting mix of playful kitten meets jilted ex-lover meets psychopath, as she would often flare her eyes raptor size and stare holes through various people amongst the crowd. Their set was a great balance of musicality and showmanship.

Even as it grows into more of a beast year by year, Middle of the Map is delightfully Midwestern. Delightfully Kansas City. Delightfully ours.
 
--Zach Hodson
 
When Lauren Krum (The Grisly Hand) and David Regnier (Dead Voices) perform as a duet, with just their voices in tight harmony and his acoustic guitar, they perform under the moniker Ruddy Swain. They were part of the recordBar day party on Saturday, and you could have heard a pin drop as everyone in the place was captivated by the stripped-down performance of the lead vocalists of two of KC's favorite alt-country bands. It occurred to me as I snapped pictures that they don't need anything besides their voices and his guitar to hold an audience in the palm of their hand and keep them there for the entire set. No doubt, the audience would have demanded an encore if not for the tight schedule a successful festival commands.
 
Move over, Taylor Swift. 15-year-old Gracie Schram of Leawood doesn't need a bad relationship or a horrendous breakup to write a good song. I've had the hook-lines from “Yellow Shoes” and “We Are the Change” running through my head since her set at the recordBar, and I'm not humming “God Save the Queen” to get rid of them. She's a complete package: a gifted songwriter, a talented guitar player, and a superb vocalist, all combined with stage presence. Kansas City music aficionados will sniff haughtily some day when tickets to see her are going for $150 a throw that we remember her mom driving her to gigs and seeing her for five bucks at local coffee houses. Fortunately for us, we don't just get to bear witness as she matures and grows, we get to call her one of our own.
 
--Tammy Booth
 
(Photo by Jaime Russell)
 
The latest incarnation of Joshua Allen’s rock outfit kicked off The Deli’s showcase at Riot Room on MOTM’s first evening. As promised, the four-piece delivered a bombastic, psychedelic sound to the early audience. Allen’s crunching, whirling guitars joined forces with Eddie Moore’s otherworldly keyboard noises, the anarchy of which was kept in check by the bass and drum groove of EvanJohn McIntosh and Mark Lomas. The band’s chaotic, high-energy set was devoured by a hungry crowd, eager for more, ready for a sensational music-filled weekend.
 
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
 
The first time I saw Molly Gene, I was just beginning as a musician, still daunted by the complexity of my instruments, my lack of style, my own timidness. After I saw her perform, I probably should have quit right then, knowing that I would probably never possess that same ability, or charm, or grit.
 
Years later, she’s featured at Westport Saloon’s showcase. Still with all of the same elements as before, somehow enhanced. It’s not just her fancy-looking (and sounding) foot-controlled drum kit—complete with kick, snare, a cymbal, and who knows what else—but more of a toughness in her songwriting and sensuality in her stage presence. Her brand of garage rock heavily steeped in Delta blues created the precise mood for the evening.
 
 
There’s something both soothing and jarring when you hear Jorge Arana, Jason Nash, and Josh Enyart share a stage together. They conjure up these wickedly rich, complicated rhythms and melodies that almost make you uneasy. It’s like when you sneaked out of your parents’ house as a teenager to smoke cigarettes with your friends or make out with your crush—an innocent enough gesture, coupled with the exhilarating rush of rebellion and intensity. And every time the trio takes the stage, it seems like the perfect setting, whether it’s in a dingy basement or in this case—The Riot Room patio.
 
Among the highlights of the entire fest was the trio’s performance with special guest Steve Tulipana, whose mere presence on stage sent an invigorating shock wave through the already euphoric audience. The always-captivating Tulipana sang, spoke, and screamed like a shaman, keeping the masses transfixed and clinging to his every word.
 
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for what I consider true, classic, soul-satisfying, face-melting guitar rock. For several years, Supernauts was one of the best sources in KC for this unadulterated, unapologetic music. Their recent performance at MOTM—one of their only performances in years—proved that they still very much have the rock chops. Jordan Smith has a higher vocal range that can weave between a cool glam song or cut through Tim Braun’s colossal, soaring guitar riffs and J.F. Whitaker’s mammoth drum work. The Elders’ Kian Byrne also filled in on bass, helping the band produce a more solid, beefier sound than in years past.
 
 
Kicking off the main stage on Saturday afternoon—the final day of the fest—was another KC trio that has proven to be more than the sum of its parts. Fascinated by frontman Nathan Corsi’s striking voice and the band’s unmistakable overall appeal, the day’s early spectators had no choice but to move their feet. Augmented by a rhythm section (Liam Sumnicht and Bill Sturges) that provides just enough countermelody to heighten the band’s sound, Corsi ripped through the set flawlessly, keeping listeners lingering around the main stage to see if anything else could top that performance.
 
What happens when you allow a zany group of people dressed as comic heroes on acid to jump on a stage? If you have ever had the chance to see Peelander-Z, you already know the answer: several things, actually. You’ll probably get the urge to dance. You’ll probably belly laugh at least twice. You’ll definitely chant something having to do with a Rubik’s cube or guys named Mike. You may even end up on stage, playing a guitar or bowling. If you have any sort of capacity to enjoy things, you will have more fun than you’ve had at a concert… possibly ever.
 
Not only does this Japanese (from NYC) band know how to keep a crowd engaged better than most bands, but Peelander-Z can play a great set, which they proved on the Ernie Biggs stage. With plenty of punk influence along with a whole lot of quirkiness, you’d be a fool if you didn’t have a smile on your face by the end of the show.
 
Spirit is the Spirit was the finale of my time at the music fest, as I was too exhausted to possibly see anything else. But for me, it was an ideal ending. The recordBar was filled almost to capacity with people winding down from a stellar music weekend, and Spirit is the Spirit provided an outstanding soundtrack for the conclusion. The band, made up of five excellent composers/musicians, has a consistent rock sound blended with psychedelic touches, folk qualities, and atmospheric layers.
 
Special thanks to everyone who dropped by The Deli’s showcase at The Riot Room patio on the first evening of the fest, and especially to all the bands who played: Various Blonde, Is Paris Burning, Rooms Without Windows, Middle Twin, Loose Park, and Spinstyles.
 
--Michelle Bacon 
 
 
 
 

 

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Published: April 25, 2014 |
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Not A Planet Runner Up in The Deli KC's 2013 Best Emerging Artist
Congrats to Not A Planet, The Deli KC’s #3 pick for 2013 Emerging Artist!
 
Not A Planet has garnered well-deserved attention with its unmistakably catchy pop sound, complete with pleasant vocal harmonies and a garage rock edge. Frontman Nathan Corsi’s vocals are passionate, theatrical, and soulful all at once, weaving together the trio’s cohesive, sincere indie rock approach. Corsi, along with bassist William Sturges and drummer Liam Sumnicht (see our 2013 interview with Sumnicht), command each stage they play with exuberance, finesse, and finely crafted songs.
 
In mid-2013, Not A Planet released its debut LP concept album, The Few, The Proud, The Strange (see our review). The trio has opened up for big names like ZZ Ward, Flogging Molly, and Maps and Atlases, and returns on tour this month to introduce more audiences to its infectious, energetic sound.

 
 

Not A Planet will be heading out on tour this month, but you can catch them when they return for their first KC show of the year at The Riot Room on Friday, February 28, with Me Like Bees and The Electric Lungs. Facebook event page.

--Michelle Bacon

Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.

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Published: February 04, 2014 |
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Best of 2013 Poll for Emerging Kansas City Artists: FINAL RESULTS!

Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging Kansas City Artists was - as usual - a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it of with remarkable flair! Kudos to Akkiles for winning it!

First, we let the local bands submit their music (for free), and got our Deli editors to pick the nominees. Then we polled a list of 15+ KC scene expert (our jury, list at the bottom) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then we polled our writers, then we polled our readers. We tried to keep things open for each single genre, from Indie Rock to Roots Music to Hip Hop.

If you are a geek interested in all the subtelties related to how this poll works, you can read its rules here (happy reading!). But if all you care about is the awesome new music the KC area produced in the year 2013, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2013 POLL FOR EMERGING KC ARTISTS
- FINAL RESULTS -
 
ARTIST
J
W
OS
R
TOT
  
1
 Akkilles
6
2
1
0.016
9.016
2
 Katy Guillen & the Girls
7
2
 
0.012
9.012
icon
3
 Not A Planet
7
1
 
0.051
8.051
icon
4
 The Philistines
6
1
 
0.01
7.01
icon
5
 Me Like Bees
 
1
3
2
6
icon
6
 Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear
4
 
 
1.5
5.5
icon
7
 The Bad Ideas
4
 
1
0.007
5.007
icon
8
 Clairaudients
 
1
3
0.051
4.051
icon
9
 Jorge Arana Trio
3
1
 
0.022
4.022
icon
10
 Electric Lungs
3
1
 
0.02
4.02
icon

11 

 The Dead Girls
3
 
1
0.012
4.012
12
 Outsides
4
 
 
0.004
4.004
icon
13
 Atlas
3
 
 
0.5
3.5
icon
14 
 Redder Moon
3
 
 
0.04
3.04
icon
15 
 Filthy 13
3
 
 
0.02
3.02
icon
 
 Rev Gusto
1
1
1
0.007
3.007
icon
17
 Heartfelt Anarchy
3
 
 
0.006
3.006
icon
18
 Shy Boys
3
 
 
0.006
3.006
icon
19
 All Blood
3
 
 
0.004
3.004
icon
 
 Marcus Yates
3
 
 
0.004
3.004
icon
21
 Scruffy and the Janitors
 
1
1
1
3
 
 Dsoedean
 
 
2
0.5
2.5
icon
23 
 The Author & The Illustrator
 
1
1
0.031
2.031
icon
 
 Metatone
2
 
 
0.016
2.016
icon
25 
 Schwervon!
2
 
 
0.015
2.015
icon
26
 UZIS
2
 
 
0.014
2.014
icon
27
 Stiff Middle Fingers
1
 
1
0.01
2.01
icon
28
 Your Friend
2
 
 
0.01
2.01
icon
29
 Grand Marquis
2
 
 
0.008
2.008
icon
30 
 Mace Batons
2
 
 
0.008
2.008
icon
31 
 The Lucky
2
 
 
0.005
2.005
icon
32
 Black on Black
 
1
 
0.094
1.094
icon
 
 Rooms Without Windows
 
1
 
0.086
1.086
icon
 
 The Old No. 5s
1
 
 
0.051
1.051
icon
35
 The Matchsellers
 
 
1
0.04
1.04
icon
36
 A Light Within
 
 
1
0.029
1.029
icon
37
 Kurt Vee
 
 
1
0.017
1.017
icon
 
 Sundiver
1
 
 
0.017
1.017
icon
39
 Wolf, The Rabbit
 
 
1
0.014
1.014
icon
40
 We Are Voices
 
1
 
0.012
1.012
icon
41
 The Sluts
 
1
 
0.011
1.011
icon
42
 Bloodbirds
1
 
 
0.009
1.009
icon
43
 Red Kate
1
 
 
0.008
1.008
icon
44
 Drew Black & Dirty Electric
1
 
 
0.007
1.007
icon
45
 Lazy
1
 
 
0.005
1.005
icon
46
 Freight Train Rabbit Killer
1
 
 
0.004
1.004
icon
47
 Dinsdale
 
 
1
0
1
icon
 
 Monta At Odds
 
 

1
0
1
icon
 
 Gemini Revolution
 
 
1

0
1
icon
Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers,
R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

Hope you'll find some awesome new artists you weren't aware of!

The Deli's Staff

Published: January 30, 2014 |
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Published: December 31, 1969 |
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