MO Fest wraps up with blues, indie rock, country and punk

Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read

MO Fest, The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall's two-week survey of top-flight Missouri artists, wraps this weekend with acts grouped into four loosely-define labels. Here's who and what you can expect if you're into blues, indie rock, country, punk and tones somewhere between.

More:Columbia artists lead a list of Missouri's best music in 2022

Jan. 13 — Missouri Blues Fest at The Blue Note

Amanda Fish (Kansas City): A true blues blood — her sister, Samantha, also represents the musical color — Fish offers a sound with old-school appeal, built on blistering guitars, chugging rhythms and her powerhouse somebody-done-me-wrong vocals. Fish's presence at the microphone is immediately compelling.

Also appearing: The Daves (Columbia), Kingdom Brothers (St. Louis), Fox DeLuxe

Tickets: $8-$15

Jan. 13 — Missouri Indie Fest at Rose Music Hall

Enemy Airship
Enemy Airship

Enemy Airship (St. Louis): This former Columbia outfit continues to innovate with high fidelity, braiding the atmospheric and accessible on tracks like the sublime, groove-oriented "Magnetic Light" and cloudy but churning "New Tanuki Suit." Guitarist Zach Biri, bassist Michael Hopkins and drummer Logan Epps create manifold moving parts but always achieve a unified kinetic energy.

Also appearing: Tri-County Liquidators (Columbia), The Lizardtones (St. Louis), Drona (Columbia)

Tickets: $8-$10

Jan. 14 — Missouri Country Fest at The Blue Note

Nick Gusman and the Coyotes (St. Louis): On last year's self-titled record, Gusman and Co. deliver a rollicking, full-bodied set that twines old-school country, juke-joint blues and the 1970s records of stated influence Bob Dylan. The band's songwriting and arranging are pitch-perfect; everything in its right place without sounding rote.

Also appearing: Forrest McCurren (Fulton), Meredith Shaw (Columbia), Jake Stringer (Springfield)

Tickets: $8-$15

Jan. 14 — Missouri Punk Fest at Rose Music Hall

Bruiser Queen
Bruiser Queen

Bruiser Queen (St. Louis): Morgan Nusbaum (vocals, guitar) and Jason Potter (drums, vocals) will rev up your rock 'n' roll heart with a sound that welds glam guitars, punk rhythms and the melodic purity of girl-group soul. The band's latest, "Between You, Me, and the Trash," was among the strongest rock records to emerge from Missouri in 2022, adding a number of engaging anthems to the band's already-deep catalog.

Also appearing: Radkey (St. Joseph), Bad Investments (Columbia), New Car Scent (Columbia)

Tickets: $8-$10

Learn more about these shows at https://thebluenote.com/ or https://rosemusichall.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: MO Fest, Weekend 2: Blues, indie rock, country and punk