Musicbyskippy’s We Press Play 2 album release party was delightfully weird
Photo of musicbyskippy and Damian Blake courtesy of Kellie Green
“I guarantee you’ve probably never experienced anything like this. It’s pretty different,” says DJ, producer, and beatbox extraordinaire, musicbyskippy.
Folks, let me tell you, he was not exaggerating.
When I received the press release for the We Press Play Release 2 album party on July 12, even with the event description, nothing could have prepared me for the night I spent in Westport Bowery. It’s not everyday work that sends you to see a twerking Waluigi cosplayer and a Charlie Chaplin impersonator leading a line dance.
Luke “Skippy” Harbur was not on the stage for most of this performance, but what was on the stage was a projector screen. “We Press Play is an interactive, immersive dance party,” says Skippy. “I have animated custom instruction, customized instructions that go on this back wall of the Westport Bowery, and it’s gonna show you dance instructions for every single song.” The electronic dance music combined with the upbeat, eccentric energy of Skippy made the release party feel like an uncharacteristically optimistic fever dream.
On top of these instructions, which included a rock, paper, scissors war, and giving three strangers a compliment, there were pop-up characters scattered throughout the dancefloor that would perform and engage the audience. The performances ranged from serious to completely unserious, with fantastic, classically trained dancers to Waluigi helping the crowd play limbo and then death dropping into the spilts.
“I just want people to feel important in seeing my shows. That’s really my big mission,” Skippy says. As he floats around the crowd throughout the show, he makes sure to stop by every person for a chat or hug. “I’m very much creating a whole show with you because, without the audience, this discography and this show completely doesn’t work,” he says. “So the audience becomes the show and that makes that so distinct in my discography.”
As my roommate and I, admittedly awkwardly, stood in the crowd following the various cues from the stage, the rest of the attendees fearlessly danced their hearts out. Everyone seemed to really let loose and participated wholeheartedly, it made the environment bearable for even the most introverted square. “I want people to know that I’ve finally se
Photo by Kellie Green
en the artist in me, my hope is they see it in themselves,” Skippy says.
There’s something so refreshing about people owning their eccentricity, and Skippy proudly wears his quirks as a badge of honor. “I live for how people react to this one,” says Skippy. “I just think it’s kind of playful for me, too. You know, I get to have a good time.” During the show, he checked in on me, asking how I liked everything thus far. I made a joke about visiting the bar, and he laughed about needing a drink for this sort of thing.
A frequent performer and fan of the local arts scene, Skippy plans to continue his career in KC. “I just really hope that Kansas City continues to be diverse in what it offers music genre-wise,” he says. “We have so much.” No matter how niche the artist or performance may be, he encourages people to continue bringing their unique acts to the area. “If there’s something you really want to see in the art scene and you’re not seeing it, be the one to bring it here and watch how people react,” says Skippy.
“I have nothing but things to look forward to,” says Skippy, who will be bringing all his eccentricities to the local theatre and arts scene. His first musical comedy, 800 Years Young, will be in Kansas City this September 8 at the Bryd Comedy Theater. Skippy plays an immortal bard, and every show is his 800th birthday. Skippy’s flair toward interactive performance continues with the musical, he says, “The audience has to do 10 tasks with him by the end of the show or else he dies.”
He will also be participating in a few Fringe Fest performances, and his beatboxing is featured in The Sound Mandala on UMKC’s campus.
