Seventh annual Merle Jam: Half country, half blues, all to help out
Kansas City Star | Timothy Finn
Now in its seventh year, Merle Jam has evolved into a fundraiser, an awareness campaign for the Midwest Transplant Network, a gathering of organ recipients and donor families, and a two-day music festival stocked with big-time entertainment.
"We raise money for heart patients because I was a heart recipient, but we also raise awareness of the transplant network and increase registration of potential donors, and all that helps everyone,†said Merle Zuel, who in 2007 launched Merle Jam at Knuckleheads. It was the year he received a donor heart.
The event became a two-night event in 2008, one devoted to country music, the other to the blues. This year’s headliners are Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison on Friday, which is country night, and Delbert McClinton on Saturday, blues night. Bands will perform on the main stage and in the Living Room, the cozy lounge behind the main stage.
Willis and Robison are a wife-and-husband team; he’s from Texas, she’s from Oklahoma. Robison has written several country songs made famous by other artists, such as “Travelin’ Soldier,†covered by the Dixie Chicks; “Angry All the Time,†a hit for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill; and “Wrapped,†which George Strait turned into a radio hit.
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Now in its seventh year, Merle Jam has evolved into a fundraiser, an awareness campaign for the Midwest Transplant Network, a gathering of organ recipients and donor families, and a two-day music festival stocked with big-time entertainment.
"We raise money for heart patients because I was a heart recipient, but we also raise awareness of the transplant network and increase registration of potential donors, and all that helps everyone,†said Merle Zuel, who in 2007 launched Merle Jam at Knuckleheads. It was the year he received a donor heart.
The event became a two-night event in 2008, one devoted to country music, the other to the blues. This year’s headliners are Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison on Friday, which is country night, and Delbert McClinton on Saturday, blues night. Bands will perform on the main stage and in the Living Room, the cozy lounge behind the main stage.
Willis and Robison are a wife-and-husband team; he’s from Texas, she’s from Oklahoma. Robison has written several country songs made famous by other artists, such as “Travelin’ Soldier,†covered by the Dixie Chicks; “Angry All the Time,†a hit for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill; and “Wrapped,†which George Strait turned into a radio hit.
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THIS WEEKEND
Merle Jam, the two-night benefit for the Midwest Transplant Network, is Friday and Saturday at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester.
Friday’s lineup (country night): Kelly Willis with Bruce Robison; Outlaw Jim & the Whiskey Benders; Tater & the Gravy Train; and Carl Butler’s Gospel Lounge Greats. Showtime is 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $15.
Saturday’s lineup (blues night): Delbert McClinton; Samantha Fish; the Kris Lager Band; Stacey Mitchhart; and Amanda Wish & the Back Porch Blues Band. Showtime is 6 p.m. Cover is $30.
Merle Jam, the two-night benefit for the Midwest Transplant Network, is Friday and Saturday at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester.
Friday’s lineup (country night): Kelly Willis with Bruce Robison; Outlaw Jim & the Whiskey Benders; Tater & the Gravy Train; and Carl Butler’s Gospel Lounge Greats. Showtime is 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $15.
Saturday’s lineup (blues night): Delbert McClinton; Samantha Fish; the Kris Lager Band; Stacey Mitchhart; and Amanda Wish & the Back Porch Blues Band. Showtime is 6 p.m. Cover is $30.
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