Bill Grigsby Is Beauuutiful

"Watch for the German submarines in the river."

Kansas City broadcasting icon Bill Grigsby was vamping at the Parkville’s Jazz/Blues & Fine Arts River Jam Saturday night.

The evening’s headliner, Sonny Landreth, had been delayed, and Grigsby was killing time. He promised a perfect season for the Kansas City Chiefs and mused about how a pitiful Royals team was better than no team at all. He extolled the virtues of life in Parkville and when he finally could think of nothing else to say, he encouraged patrons to buy more beer.

Bill Grigsby is beloved for his cheerful work on the Chiefs’ radio broadcast team. A sunny optimist, Grigsby’s "beauuutiful" catchphrase is mimicked throughout the Midwest. (My personal catchphrase is "I’m sorry, I didn’t really mean it like that.")

Landreth never made it to the festival. And while Arkansas journeyman blues-rock act Oreo Blue was fine, and Levee Town demonstrated why they're regional favorites, the evening clearly belonged to Grigsby and his accidental poetry.