Joy and Pain

My first impression of the Troost Avenue Festival wasn't good. It initially struck me as a sad little affair. The longer I stuck around, however, the more I began to appreciate the one-day event. I laughed out loud when organizers literally pulled the plug on an appearance by a crew representing Ain't No Love Entertainment. They'd been peppering their sad sack raps with the "n" and "f" words. I laughed even harder as only two people clapped when Kansas City, Missouri, school board member Airick West was introduced. (I was one of his two fans.) And genuinely good times kicked in when kids affiliated with nearby Operation Breakthrough danced as an R&B band played War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" and Maze's "Joy and Pain."