CFTC-A Fundraiser for The Reno County Food Bank

  Concert For The Cause

By Lydia Lowe
(all photo's by Bob Hunter)

      The Rusty Needle Sports Bar played host to Concert For The Cause for a fundraiser to support The Reno County Food Bank. Donations of cash and canned goods were collected at the door. 

     The evening was full of music, food, drinks, and fun. Three outstanding female performers: Morgan Wilk, Kaylee Keller and Lacey Cruse took to the stage to sing in a round robin style, shifting from one performer to another, as they sang some of their favorite songs. It was an all-acoustic evening. Occasionally the ladies would chime in on one of the other performers songs, when they knew the lyrics.  There was original music as well as cover tunes. The musical styles were different, yet all blended well.

     Kaylee Keller was the nights pop princess. She sang her original song entitled Red Boots, which I thought was outstanding. She also did her rendition of an older cover song, Brand New Key. I've heard the original version as well as Kaylee's version, and I'll have to say that I think the way she sang this song was the way it should have always been sung. Her voice rose and changed on a dime, it seemed, and her range was incredible. Whenever I hear that song from now on, I will always think of Kaylee's version as being the right one.

     Lacey Cruse was the folk singer of the group. A member of the audience likened her style to Janis Joplin and I think I'll have to agree. I loved her original tunes entitled Not That Kind of Girl and, I hope I have the title of this one right, Treasure Hunting?. Lacey sang a cover of House of The Rising Sun and put her own twist on it. It was pretty amazing! It had a slower folksy sound to it and I loved the way she did it. As good if not better than the original version.

     Then there was Morgan Wilk, our country music sweetheart. She sang an original tune entitled Almost Like Mine, which I loved. She sang the well-known, I'll Fly Away, which got everyone in the bar clapping, hooting and hollaring. At one point she lead the group in singing a Christmas song.

      Truly a wonderful evening with three strong, talented female performers with varied styles. Oh, and I almost forgot, toward the end of the evening two of the wrestlers from Midwest Entertainment, a wrestling company in Wichita, Kansas; showed up to promote their Sunday night show in Wichita. It's a CFTC show, so you never know whats going to happen and you never know who'll show up. Three ladies sitting on bar stools singing to muscle bound wrestlers-you just never know.

                                           

Mike Super-Illusionist/Magician

Mike Super

The McPherson Opera House

By Lydia Lowe
(photo courtesy of the official website)

     Mike Super made an appearance at The McPherson Opera House on Saturday night to a nearly sold out crowd.  

     The night started with a video wall that welcomed the crowd to the venue and then passed on information about the night's performer.  Mike Super won the reality show Phenomenon and was on America's Got Talent, where he took second place.  Since then he's won a variety of awards for his work.  

     A darkened theater welcomed Super to the stage and then the crowd sat there in wonder as Super created seemingly endless illusions that couldn't be explained.  I was skeptical because magicians are not my thing, but I have to admit that some of the illusions that Super did even had my attention.  At some point during the show I was completely taken in by the stage show and Mike Super's talent.  The show was broken up into two segments and during the second segment he took finger rings from three audience members and linked them together.  They were actually linked.  I'm not sure how he did that or how he separated them to give them back to the audience members.  It was amazing!

     After the show, Super greeted the audience out in the lobby at a meet and greet.  He took pictures, signed autographs and even ran into someone who he knew which made his day.  It's a small world.  All in all, a terrific evening.