With our 17th selection, #347 overall, AliceLoveGarden is proud to select in the Wildcard Band category, The Kirk Rundstrom Band.
Guys, I've been struggling with this slot for a couple of weeks now. I had several bands that I would've felt great about drafting here. Grant Lee Buffalo, Mother Love Bone, Gov't Mule and The Black Crowes all got heavy consideration for this pick. Ultimately, I decided that Kirk Rundstrom's story and unique and extremely entertaining (IMHO) music was something I needed to share with the rest of the participants.
Kirk Rundstrom was a local musician here in Wichita. I found out about him a couple of years ago on the local news. He was dying of esohphageal cancer at 38 years of age. I watched the news story on him and how he was spending his last weeks touring with his band, recording a new solo record and spending time with his wife and two daughters. He was a professional musician. He didn't make a lot of money, but he was well known even outside of Wichita. The story focused on his positive attitude. It grabbed me. I didn't even think about the music side of it.
A few months ago I was carrying some mail off of another route for some OT when I stumbled upon his house. His wife was on the porch and I handed her the mail. I thought about what it must be like to have lost someone at such a young age and so recently and my heart went out to her. Suddenly, I thought I should check this guy's stuff out. No expectations whatsoever. First, I read this....
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/19/081425.php Great tribute video at the end set to the pure awesomeness of Record Shop.
Next I hop on his band's website
http://www.splitliprayfield.com/ and was immediately struck by the embedded song, 'Never Make It Home' and dug it. I toggled through the rest of their songs available on the embedded player and came to 'Record Shop'. OK...now I'm blown away. What a unique sound. A sort of rockabilly, bluegrass, speed punk fusion with incredible harmonies and a god damn gas tank 1-string bass? WOW.
So then I start reading about Kirk's music and the various bands he created and lead. (
Now I'm cheating but I don't care because they really are all The Kirk Rundstrom Band in one incarnation or another!) First there was Grain and Demise, then the speed country Scroat Belly, The Kirk Rundstrom Band and finally Split Lip Rayfield. Then it was time to hit youtube! Enjoy! The secondary tragedy to Kirk's passing is that I lived here for 10 years before I had ever heard of him and never once got to see the man give of himself in what were obvioulsy some great performances. I regret that.
John Brown (about a rather famous historical Kansan if you read about him the song will make a lot more sense click to the right
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(abolitionist) ...or you could just enjoy it as is!) This was performed only 7 weeks before Kirk passed away.
Whiskey Drinkin' SOB as Scroat Belly
Record Shop as Split Lip Rayfield I strongly suggest you check out the CD version on the splitlip website!
Outlaw as Split Lip Rayfield (this is from Split Lip Rayfield's final show with Kirk at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita. There is a DVD of the show, but it is available on youtube in 6 parts. If you search for it you can watch the whole show, it's outstanding. Kirk was less than 3 months from death here.
Mines Kirk solo