The Greeting Committee’s stacked Midland show proves their heart remains in KC

August 20, 2024

Kaylynn Mullins,

Photo by Haley Mullenix

As we finally arrived at The Midland Theatre after defeating the grueling downtown traffic and parking situations, we walked into the first opener for The Greeting Committee’s 10 Years of Blooming homecoming show. The band pieced together one hell of a night for its longtime fans with three openers, comedy, clothes, a special cameo, and an exciting announcement. But before we dive into the headliners, let’s talk about some of the extremely talented supporting acts.

Congolese and Michigan-based Miloe began the six-hour mini-music festival with his lively demeanor and enthusiasm, which was felt throughout the historical theatre.

Though his studio music leans more into the relaxed, moody indie realm, his live performances saw much more of that punk influence. It was at this point that I was incredibly bummed out that I missed the beginning of his set. Luckily, I didn’t miss out on “Winona” and “Floating,” which got the crowd involved and brought some great energy leading up to the rest of the show. After his set, he hung out in GA and enjoyed the music alongside the fans.

Miloe by Haley Mullenix

There was some downtime between sets, but no one sat around twiddling their thumbs. The Greeting Committee got some Kansas City vintage curators to set up shop in the basement of the theatre. This now needs to be commonplace for shows because moseying through some awesome thrift finds was the perfect way to kill time waiting for the next performer. Truly a concert asset I didn’t know I needed.

Before every set, Caleb Hearon would take the stage to keep the momentum of the night moving. Hearon ripped jokes about being gay, being fat, and straight girls apologizing for their heterosexuality. The KC native comedian truly connected with the audience as he reminisced on growing up alongside The Greeting Committee’s music.

Following Miloe, Hearon brings out the band Boyish. The indie group has been taking off since their collaboration with King Princess. They performed alternative music bursting with sapphic angst. They were animated on stage and cracking jokes with the crowd about how lesbians have a problem with falling in love with their friends. A favorite moment from this was the audience-wide “FUCK YOU HEATHER.” From the sound of it, a lot of people really needed that communal scream sesh.

Boyish by Haley Mullenix

After Boyish left the stage, the much anticipated Beach Bunny’s Lili Trifilio stood armed with an electric baby blue guitar and her incredible bandmates. Her sweet voice rings through the crowd instructing everyone to get down, jump up, pull out their flashlights, and sing along. As cutesy as she seems she was able to handle the awkward crowd and get everyone to loosen up and have fun. “Cloud 9,” “Prom Queen,” and “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used) prepared everyone for a night of sing-alongs and dancing with the headliners.

Lili Trifilio by Haley Mullenix

The anticipation for the headliner’s set filled the room with an anxious buzzing. This show seemed more personal to the attendees than an average concert. Just existing in Kansas City, when I mention I’ve been covering the band for this album cycle, they share their personal stories about the band. Whether knowing them through 3 degrees of friends, running into their bassist at Messenger, or the exact moment they heard “Hands Down” on the radio, the band means a lot to this city.

As Hearon made his final introduction of the night and the lights dimmed down, bassist Pierce Turcotte, guitarist Noah Spencer, and drummer Brodie Glaza began to play. People immediately sprung to their feet, ready for the main vocalist, Addie Sartino, to take the stage.

Photo by Haley Mullenix

As the intro to “17” began, Sartino ran to join the others on stage. The room went from dormant to explosive instantly. Everyone could feel the energy coming from the stage. Jumping, going onto the floor, and being playful with one another, the band was giving this show 110%.

When I spoke with the band before the concert, they promised this would be a show to remember. The Overland Park natives put an immense amount of thought and effort into showing KC a good time. Turcotte worked on the lighting diligently for about a month leading up to the show. His efforts did not go to waste as the colors filled up the stage and truly elevated the visuals for all the performers.

A highlight of the show was “Sex and Taxes” from their latest album. The lights flashed white and purple while Turcotte replaced his bass for a saxophone and just fucking went for it. The brass added a “get off your keister and dance” feeling to the otherwise mellow and romantic track. It even got the shy, polite head-nodding crowd to put in a little movement.

The gusto continued through more upbeat bangers that absolutely ripped live. “popmoneyhits” saw lots of jumping and hand choreography from the crowd as the band danced together and Sartino did her signature Hayley Williams-type stomp.

One of the loudest moments of their set was when they played “Can I Leave Me Too?” The track from their 2022 record Dandelion got both the original and recent fans screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. I think it was at this point my voice began to give out, and we weren’t even halfway through the setlist.

For “Call In The Morning,” the tone shifted. The deeply personal song touches a lot of people, and Sartino uses this moment to really connect with the crowd. People swayed and flashlights were raised as it felt like the whole room took a deep breath to soak in the moment, which was definitely needed as they dove into the final leg of their show.

As they weaved through songs, their grit never ceased. Spencer was all over the stage ripping the guitar, Sartino was crowd surfing, Turcotte was playing bass behind his head, and the big surprises were right around the corner.

Photo by Haley Mullenix

The final stretch went out with a bang. Soulful, clap along “Pull it Together” was immediately followed by tongue-in-cheek rebound track, “Make Out.” The band brought out their tour manager, Michael Arquette, to play guitar with them, sharing the spotlight with more Kansas City-born talent.

As they bid the crowd farewell, the chants and pleas for an encore were met with three more songs and the big surprise. Onto the stage walks the original guitarist for The Greeting Committee, Brandon Yangmi. As he warms up his guitar, he strummed the first few seconds of their breakout hit “Hands Down.” When I tell you the crowd screamed, I mean the crowd SCREAMED. Minutes passed before it was calm enough to actually play the song.

All five of the musicians played the now 10-year-old track side by side for a beautiful moment. The band stressed how important this show was to them, and how amazed they were at their progress since their beginning. Midland was the dream for The Greeting Committee, and they got to share that with Yangmi. The moment ran with the heightened emotions of the homecoming concert.

They closed out with “She’s a Gun” and “BBC,” which are deeper cuts from their 2017 EP, Meeting People Is Easy. The perfect ending for a “thank you” show to Kansas City, and its unyielding support for its artists. However, the appreciation didn’t end there.

The band announced its surprise concert on the Percheron rooftop, the final surprise of the night. On Sunday, August 18, the band performed overlooking the city. Tickets were only $20 and the proceeds went to a non-profit artist mentorship that supports young musicians.

Even though the band lives in Nashville now, they’ve never stopped giving back to their hometown. The Greeting Committee’s 10 Years of Blooming mini-festival gave The Midland Theatre and Kansas City a night full of dancing, reunions, and reflecting on our own growth since hearing “Hands Down” on 96.5.

So cheers to The Greeting Committee on how far they’ve come, and more importantly, how far they’ll go.

The Greeting Committee by Haley Mullenix