Midland Mystery

The usher was growing weary of chasing a gaggle of intoxicated teens. She seemed relieved when I began chatting her up during the break at the Merle Haggard/Bob Dylan concert Monday night at the Midland Theatre. She told me that the next night’s concert would be the Midland’s last event.

The grand old building is owned by AMC. Will it survive as a theater in Kansas City's new Power & Light District? Maybe it become an incredibly cool batcave for a young captain of industry. The redevelopment’s official site curiously omits The Midland from its plans. While the cavernous room's acoustics are horrendous, it’s a gorgeous structure. It’d be a shame to lose it.

The young usher approached me a few songs into Dylan’s set. "What’s he doing?" she asked. "Why is he like that?" Those are good questions. I hope she reads my review of the concert at Patchchord.