GUEST COLUMN - Finding no soul in the heart of Power & Light District

I don’t relax on the weekends. I work on making very specific decisions as to which song to play next. I’m a disc jockey and I often play hip-hop. In my 10 years of DJ-ing I have successfully done my best to avoid negativity and violence while playing to diverse communities. This isn’t an accident.

I’m a white guy who grew up on the east coast in the infamously diverse community of Teaneck, N.J., home to many cultures and skin tones. In describing the experience of living there to my Midwest friends, I often mention that to be white and Christian was to be in the extreme minority – Orthodox Jewish and African-American populations abound.

While in high school, I developed an interest in increasing my knowledge of the true history of the United States of America. In 1999, I moved to the region from whence my parents came, the Midwest. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a double major in American and African-American studies. Sure they are one in the same, but do our schools treat them that way? Even in Teaneck my high school history teacher avoided difficult questions regarding the involvement of Indigenous Americans in the westward expansion. Educating myself was important. I learned that during slavery, slave families were split up on purpose and schooling was against the law. How often do you consider these historical facts when examining the current social ills facing our community?

It’s easy to avoid the realities of our collective history in this country. Today is nothing but the yesterday of the future. The choices we make in addressing social concerns at this moment in time will always determine in which direction this city and its inhabitants will grow.

It’s 2009. Grammy award-winning DJ Jazzy Jeff is asked to perform on a tour with a stop in Kansas City. His fans arrive and are among the large crowd gathered to see a series of DJ acts perform. According to reports, when Jeff takes the stage and begins playing, the sound is decidedly different from that of DJ Z-trip who played before. Thirty minutes into his set, his MC Skillz makes a statement on the microphone and he and Jeff leave. Since this event, there has yet to be a clear explanation which both Jeff’s staff and Power & Light’s staff agree on.

If there is speculation that Jazzy Jeff was asked to adjust his audio levels, then it is important to have an in-depth discussion of the specifics of that sounds system. If the discussion is about musical genre or specific artists the staff did or didn’t want played, then that is the discussion to publicly have.

Conclusion? I do want answers as to what happened that night, and I fear the truth will never be agreed upon. However, regardless of the facts, one thing is clear. The Power & Light District poorly managed their response to the incident, further encouraging the public to determine the facts for themselves. Currently the feeling among my peers is that Power & Light District does not understand or care about serving the public in a fair and balanced manner. If Power & Light wants to face their public image problems, I’d suggest calling a meeting with those that hold the public’s trust. I’d love to be involved.

A good friend of mine was involved in setting up the sound for the venue. He confirmed my belief that the sound system would have limiters and compressors that would accurately prevent any damage to the system related to volume. As far as musical taste and worries of violence or clientele, I have dealt with that discussion many times as a DJ in Kansas City. Every time it has occurred it has been based in a fear of the unknown and not in knowledge or understanding of the realities before them. It is possible to throw a hip-hop event in Kansas City without violence, and I and my peers know how to do it. It happens every week and without controversy.

I don’t trust Power & Light. I never have. Its birth into the cradle of Kansas City’s downtown has always felt like an alien shell acting as a local, laughing all the way to the bank. It is a mall with local financial investment but no local emotional investment. The cosmetic buildings and financial backing cannot cover up poor sales and an even poorer reputation. When will Kansas City (not the suburbs) feel at home there? Does the Power & Light District want to hold events where all of the region are welcome to enjoy themselves? If so, take steps. Kansas City is not fooled. I am not fooled. I live in Missouri. Show me.

Miles Bonny is a DJ, singer and runs the Innate Sounds collective of Kansas City musicians.

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Write comment