Cultural Shorts

Woody Giessmann left Wichita in the early 1980s for Boston, but by the time he was playing Madison Square Garden later in the decade, he was deeply addicted to drugs and alcohol. He's been clean and sober for over 30 years and today works as an addiction specialist.

Molly Joyce is a composer and performer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her new album, State Change, was released July 11 via Better Company Records in North America and FatCat Records’ 130701 imprint worldwide.

The Wood Brothers led different musical lives after their teen years in Colorado. When they were finally able to play music together after more than a decade on separate paths, Oliver Wood says it was immediately apparent that they were on to something special.

Johnathon Ford of the band Unwed Sailor has been making music for over 30 years but he says that the increasingly competitive nature of the music business is a source of frustration.

Frank Waugh, a meteorologist at KAKE-TV, and filmmaker Lester Rowe recently produced a short film called “Echoes of the Storm,” recounting the 1955 Udall tornado in which 80 people died.

Texas singer-songwriter James McMurtry is on tour supporting his latest album, "The Black Dog and The Wandering Boy." McMurtry says that working with producer Don Dixon was central to the album's artistic success.

The band Sister Sadie is getting ready to release a new album and the band's co-founder Deanie Richardson says the record in part celebrates country music from the '90s.

The Kansas City Symphony played at the final Symphony in the Flint Hills on the Evans Family Ranch in Chase County, Kansas on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Rudy Love and The Encore have a new album out and will perform at the Somewhere Fest and Conference this weekend. The group's newest member says that the new single from the album drew from some unusual inspiration.

Funk legend Sly Stone passed away Monday at the age of 82. He performed and toured with the late Rudy Love, a Wichita musician. The Love Family had strong ties with Sly, who was their friend and mentor during the 70s. KMUW’s Carla Eckels spoke with Bob Love about those years and their musical journey.