KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For nearly a decade, recordBar has been serving Kansas City music fans some of the most authentic experiences in town in the Crossroads Arts District. However, the venue’s journey started before that in another popular KC neighborhood.
recordBar has been nestled in the Crossroads Arts District on Grand Boulevard for nine years now. Originally, though, the venue was located in Westport for 11 years. Now, the venue is looking back at two decades in the Kansas City entertainment and music scene, and celebrating what, and who, have kept the ball rolling.
That “who” and “what” have always been music and musicians, according to co-owner Steve Tulipana.
“The music is like, it’s our church,” he said.
“It’s where we come to get together to celebrate and to remember and learn, too. It’s doing things that bring it all together and make life worth living.”
recordBar’s 20th anniversary celebration, the “Play Loud Festival,” is going down on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, the 27th. With dozens of bands and artists set to perform already, the celebration will be held on multiple stages.
Some of the performances will be from recordBar staff, like owners Tulipana and Shawn Sherrill’s band, Roman Numerals, and production manager Steddy Pierce or “Steddy P“.
Since the venue’s time in Westport, there’s always been an emphasis on local talent at recordBar. However, that doesn’t mean A-list stars haven’t graced its stage. Musicians like The National, Billie Eilish, Lizzo and more have all played at recordBar.
“Down here, we have Billie Eilish in this room. That’s crazy. Sometimes, mega stars have come through these rooms. To me, I’m proud of that,” Tulipana explained.
According to Tulipana, music and events can be the lifeblood of communities. Not only do they provide entertainment and joy, but they can also provide vital financial support to neighborhoods and districts like Crossroads.
“They’re economic drivers. The people that come to concerts spend money all around the city going to restaurants before they go, or buying gas down the street, or going to the bookstore, or record store, coffee shop,” he said, discussing the importance of independent venues.
“There are these little micro things that you don’t realize how much, so much of an economic impact they add to the community, you know? And these are the things that are building up to the band that will play someday at the T-Mobile Center, and it’s all part of that ecosystem. So we’re really proud of that.”
Like all other small businesses, recordBar had to adapt to stay in business during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the venue came together with other small venues from around the country with the National Independent Venue Association, lobbying to make sure the government knew just how important venues like recordBar are to communities, other adjustments were made as well.
That’s where Lemonade Park comes in. The outdoor venue in Kansas City’s West Bottoms was created by Tulipana and local chefs Wes Gartner (Voltaire, Golden Ox) and Jill Myers (Moxie Catering) in 2020 during the pandemic to give fans a place to gather safely during a time when live music was essentially nonexistent.
Fast forward a few years, and Lemonade Park can hold up to 700 guests for summer shows.
“We’re in our sixth season,” Tulipana said about Lemonade Park’s ongoing season of shows.
“I can’t even believe it’s been that many years since the pandemic. It still feels like we’re crawling out of it, you know? But it’s good that we survived and we’re going to keep doing it.”
That’s not all, either. miniBar, located just north of 39th Street on Broadway Boulevard, opened 14 years ago, operating as a late-night cocktail bar before slowly transitioning into a venue for local and touring acts as well.
“It’s kind of a good builder room. Play there and do well, and then you can come over to recordBar and, you know? That’s kind of the thought process,” Tulpana said of miniBar.
All three venues serve a specific purpose: recordBar being a space for larger touring and local acts to perform, Lemonade Park serving as an outdoor space with a food and drink menu and miniBar serving as a more late-night DIY-style venue and bar.
Another purpose of all three venues, though, is to bring new people into an already vibrant community in Kansas City.
“You have to have the will and the guts to just keep figuring it out and taking less, if that’s what it means to make it connect, but that’s just kind of the culture we live in,” Tulipana explained about running a venue.
“And we’re, we’re always trying to like change that culture and make it bring in more people and get and educate more people and, and go, there’s, there’s more out there, you know, and there’s more things that can make your life more fulfilling.”
To learn more about recordBar’s culture, history and 20th anniversary celebration, the “Play Loud Festival”, click here.
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