Seeing a show at the outdoor Crossroads KC venue behind Grinders restaurant in the art district near downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is always a treat. The weather was a perfect summer evening in July, and the microbrew beverages were priced at a very reasonable “concert-night” price. Prior to the two main acts, it was announced that the opening local band, Point Of Refuge, did not show, so the evening was off to a bit of a rough start. Although the gates opened at 7:00PM, the music did not begin until around 9:15PM, over two hours later.

As Marcy Playground took the stage, the small crowd of about 300 people began to filter their way to the front. These New York City natives played through an hour set of their post-grunge, alternative-pop gems. Of each of these three-minute tunes, it was expected to hear large ovations for such songs as “Poppies,” “Sherry Fraser,” and “Saint Joe on the School Bus,” each from their self-titled debut album. It was to my surprise that Marcy did not close their portion with the 1997 smash, “Sex and Candy.” Although it was played near the end of the set, the trio covered Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which could have used a few lessons from Rufus Wainwright or the late-Jeff Buckley. Founders of the band, lead vocalist/guitarist John Wozniak and bassist Dylan Keefe, still showed the same levels of energy and showmanship that had been displayed during their first tours in the late nineties. Forever labeled as just another one-hit wonder from the last decade, Marcy Playground was still able to lure faithful fans back for a sing-along of crafty, hard-edged, melodic rock.

The headliner for the evening was the alternative hard rock band, Seven Mary Three, based out of Orlando, Florida. Having put out their most recent album, Day & Nightdriving, in early 2008, it was refreshing to see this quartet with no need to support one specific release. With seven studio albums, Seven Mary Three chose songs found throughout their entire catalogue. As an experienced band, they were able to mix up the set with gritty rock, as well as with warm alt-country textures. Frontman Jason Ross still sings with the same intensity that he showed on their major-label debut release, American Standard. Songs such as “Cumbersome,” “Water’s Edge,” “My, My,” “Lucky,” and “Wait,” were just a few of the hits that shined throughout their set. In addition to their energetic presence, it was a treat to have the opportunity to purchase their long out-of-print album, Churn, originally released in 1994. After nearly seventeen years as a band, it is evident that Seven Mary Three is like red wine: they are still getting better with age.