{"id":2486654,"date":"2026-07-03T14:59:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2486654"},"modified":"2026-07-03T14:59:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:59:36","slug":"kansas-city-got-this-new-live-music-venue-in-the-crossroads-as-part-of-its-world-cup-efforts-kcur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/kansas-city-got-this-new-live-music-venue-in-the-crossroads-as-part-of-its-world-cup-efforts-kcur\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas City got this new live music venue in the Crossroads as part of its World Cup efforts | KCUR"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Lindsey Jarrett and Emily Behrmann had their first peek a few months ago at a storefront in the Crossroads, it didn\u2019t quite have the vibe of the music venue they had envisioned building there.<\/p>\n

For one thing, Jarrett says, the space at 515 Southwest Blvd. sat next to a busy auto repair shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cHalf of it was a garage for a pedicab company. They had their vehicles in here cleaning them, getting them ready,\u201d Jarrett remembers. \u201cWe kind of walked into this space not knowing what we would create.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Jarrett, the executive director of music and education nonprofit Music Across Borders<\/u><\/a>, and Behrmann, board treasurer of the advocacy group Kansas City Jazz Alive<\/u><\/a>, weren\u2019t deterred.<\/p>\n

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Julie Denesha<\/p>\n

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KCUR 89.3<\/p>\n<\/div>

Music Across Borders Executive Director Lindsey Jarrett, at left, and Kansas City Jazz Alive\u2019s Emily Behrmann teamed up to create a new venue designed for musicians and audiences who are serious about music. 515 Music Hub is one of around 22 projects backed by Kansas City\u2019s Open Doors! initiative. <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The pair secured the space for a pop-up they now call 515 Music Hub<\/u><\/a> through Kansas City\u2019s Open Doors! program<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The performance space is one of around 22 projects backed by the special initiative launched by the Kansas City Council last year<\/u><\/a>. The program provides up to $10,000 in one-time grants and rent subsidies to small businesses and cultural organizations to boost commercial activity during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n

Jarrett says they built their proposal for 515 Music Hub centered around creating a musicians-first environment, \u201cwhere all musicians from all genres can be respected for all of the hard work that they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behrmann says the new venue serves a need that\u2019s long been overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Kansas City Jazz Alive has heard from musicians for years is there aren’t enough listening rooms, for jazz or for music generally in Kansas City,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

And while there are plenty of venues that offer live music, Behrmann hopes this one stands out in an important way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music is the center. It’s the focus of what we’re doing, as opposed to people talking over musicians as they eat or drink, and socialize,\u201d Behrmann says. \u201cWe still want socializing, obviously, but the musicians are just going to be at the center of all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Julie Denesha<\/p>\n

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KCUR 89.3<\/p>\n<\/div>

Musicians wait for a turn to play with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at 515 Music Hub in June. The space still has an industrial feel, with high ceilings and a large garage door.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018Helps build community\u2019<\/h2>\n

Despite its new purpose, the space still has an industrial feel, with high ceilings and a large garage door. But now there\u2019s a bright neon sign in the front window, a lighted stage, and, for seating, an array of thrift store chairs and sofas.<\/p>\n

Since the venue opened in early June, they\u2019ve hosted a handful of musical events.<\/p>\n

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Julie Denesha<\/p>\n

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KCUR 89.3<\/p>\n<\/div>

Alex Toepfer listens to the band from his seat in the audience. Toepfer is director of bands at Shawnee Mission East High School, and he’s letting one of his students sit in and jam with the band.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

At a Wednesday-night jam session with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, about a dozen people make up the audience \u2014 most are musicians waiting to sit in and play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just sight-reading stuff,\u201d says trumpeter Clint Ashlock<\/u><\/a> while he kicks off the set with the jazz standard \u201cMoten\u2019s Swing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashlock, who is also the big band\u2019s artistic director, says these informal jam sessions are a relaxed way for players of all ages to collaborate. He calls the weekly meetups New Jazz Order.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t rehearsed any of this stuff, nobody knows the charts,\u201d Ashlock explains. \u201cWe get together and play, and invite young folks to come up and play. So it\u2019s kind of an organic way to bring all of us together musically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baritone saxophone player Alex Schrempf<\/u><\/a> says, so far, he\u2019s impressed with the new venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first time in this space, and I just, like, really dig the vibe, first and foremost,\u201d he says. \u201cBeyond that, acoustically, it sounds pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Julie Denesha<\/p>\n

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KCUR 89.3<\/p>\n<\/div>

Clint Ashlock, standing at left, is artistic director of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra\u2019s 18-piece big band. He says the group\u2019s informal jam sessions are a chance for musicians of all ages to come together and play.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Schrempf says he feels like this is the kind of place that\u2019ll bring a serious crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese sessions draw out primarily musicians,\u201d he says. \u201cTo just have a place to meet up every week. Keeps things regular. Helps build community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashlock takes it a step further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was nice to be able to play for an audience that is there to listen,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to share our emotions and our feelings and our perspectives through our music, because humanity needs art to translate the things that we can’t translate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Julie Denesha<\/p>\n

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KCUR 89.3<\/p>\n<\/div>

As the jam session winds down, Bob Harvey steps out to get a breath of fresh air and play a tune on the sidewalk. He says the Music Hub\u2019s insulated, curved ceiling kept the big band sound from overwhelming the audience.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

City leaders say they hope filling spaces like these with new ventures will reenergize areas like the Crossroads, the 18th and Vine District and midtown during the World Cup. There\u2019s also potential for long-term opportunities for small businesses and building owners, officials have said.<\/p>\n

“Kansas City is a city of makers, creators, and entrepreneurs. We’re lowering barriers, providing real resources, and making sure our businesses are positioned to thrive,\u201d Mayor Quinton Lucas boasted about the Open Doors! program in a press release in May. \u201cBy linking businesses to storefronts across the city, we’re turning global attention into real, lasting economic opportunity for the people who call Kansas City home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like most of the program\u2019s participants, 515 Music Hub is scheduled to be open through October.<\/p>\n

Organizers say they plan to seek donations and sponsorships to keep the music going long after World Cup fans leave.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n