Wichitans, and a lot of folks visiting from out-of-town, were obviously in a party mood, and heading out to Grub and Groove after parties.  Eager to keep the party going Kandi B and I were able to attend two events.   First we hit the Backyard Bar located off Lincoln St. for a little open mic where the artist were surely ready for their 15 minutes in the spotlight. BDL also known as “Bout Dat Life” set the stage on fire with their large entourage and their catchy hooks.  The group was hot, but soloist John Doe shut the open mic down with his hits. This young man clearly has a huge following and everyone rose to their feet and danced it out as he held the stage like a pro! We sure haven’t heard the last from this phenomenal artist. Next, we stopped by 40 plus lounge on 13th St.   They were promoting the official Grub and Groove After-Party and it was obvious this big crowd was made up mostly of festival-goers who were by no means ready to head home.  Hats off to the DJ, bartenders and owner Chez for keeping the party going.  The dance floor was packed and even Kandi and I stepped out there and cut a rug. Low and behold both parties left me feeling proud.   Who says all we do is cow tip in the Midwest lied to you.   — Shy

Open mics are a fantastic way to catch all the local new artist looking for their time to shine. So I went to the open Mic hosted by Till the Def Records on Aug. 28 and boy was I amazed! When I walked in, host Desmond Bryant was engaging the crowd.  Later, I noticed I hadn’t even picked up my phone, the entire time he was on set.  It was like text, calls, even Facebook had lost their importance. Enthusiasm swept me up and I’m sure that I had a Kool-Aid grin on my face, like I was the big man. The first artist I caught greeted me with a soulful sounding rap. The artist goes by the name of Tone Loc; I know, soulful rap artist right? His delivery and style was heartfelt like each word was hitting home for you in his verses. You could instantly tell that the crowd loved him. Next up was Flick Drane, also a rap artist that tickled me when he left the stage by simply telling me to google him when I asked about how to follow up with him because his music was hot; which I later did. He grabs two thumbs up from me with his personality and energy. I so loved his song he sang for the ladies that had them all in awe.  Finally, when Hood Rich hit the stage this first song called “Max Out” was off the chain and easily my top favorite of the night. The artist presence was demanding and you just had to watch him. Overall it was a fabulous opportunity to catch some new music in Wichita and I am so proud of our next generation of hit makers.  — Kandi

Labor Day weekend partying was a must! Where to go though? I’ll tell you! Nowhere else, but Club Bounce in Old Town for the Lay Back Labor Day Bash.  The event was hosted by none other than the fabulous, beautiful, Sky from VH1’s “Black Ink Crew,” which we are big fans of! The club was packed with all the ladies in their heels and little black dresses even the fellas came out looking the part! The dance floor was congested and the bar looked like a traffic jam in any major city during rush hour, but the wait for the drink was worth it. The crowd enjoyed Sky hosting the event in our little Midwest City. She kept the energy high; and the crowd didn’t stop dancing as she stood up on the balcony with the DJ who I swore tapped into my own personal play list because I found myself out on the dance floor trying to do the Milly Rock. We even got to meet the owner Mr. Bounce himself and he was gracious enough inviting the Community Voice to come back any time and cover his events!

After the party outside Kandi and I were able to get an impromptu interview with Sky.  What did she think of her experience partying Wichita?  “I love Wichita,” she said.  We’ll be watching for a mention of Wichita in an upcoming Black Ink Crew episode.  — Shy and Kandi