Almost home time

Tonight I booked my Amtrak tickets from Kansas City to Los Angeles. The train journey takes 35 hours, but with the help of a couple of good books and my doona I should be fine. There'll be plenty of nice scenery to take in as well, and I can get nostalgic about the time I rode the train in the opposite direction in August of 2005. Below is the Southwest Chief Amtrak route. I'm currently in Springfield, which is just to the left of the MO on the map.

Music in the USA

I've never been much of a concert going person, but I decided to take the advice of Dave Walz and see who I could see while over here, and I'm very glad I did. Perhaps my favourite artist (for his message and his music) is Derek Webb, and on March 28 I made the 50km trip up the road to see him perform with just his 12 string guitar to a bunch of Southwest Baptist University (SBU) students. I paid $5 for the privilege, and would gladly pay at least 5 times the amount for a repeat performance. He's playing in Tennessee just before I leave, this time with his wife (Sandra McCracken, a fellow artist) and full band, so I'm considering a follow up visit!

Derek Webb
Rating: 13/10 (3 points extra credit)
Cost: $5
What I'd pay to go again: $35

Next up the more widely known Switchfoot came to the Shrine Mosque in Springfield, and while they're not among my favourite artists I thought I might as well go along and have a look for $10, especially since they were in town. It was much more of a rock concert, very showy, lots of lights, rocking, and volume. Too much volume in my opinion, I really appreciate some of the things they do with their music, but in that sort of concert atmosphere it seems like everything's drowned out or molded into one big mess. It also irked me to see the fans jumping up and down and striving to touch the lead singer, and he was playing to it as well. There's no denying they have a bit of talent though.

Switchfoot
Rating: 6/10
Cost: $10
What I'd pay to go again: I wouldn't

Switchfoot in action. At least their lighting effects were cool.

Last night I heard that a guy named Randall Goodgame was coming to the Plaster Student Union (PSU) theatre, which is on Campus - a mere 90 second jog from my room. Though I'd never heard of him, I was told he was a member of the Square Peg Alliance, whose members include Derek Webb and Andrew Peterson, and I was also told he'd created some music with the latter, so I thought I might as well go along. I woke up a little late so I missed most of his singing, but I did hear him preach a bit and sing two really nice songs. His wife was there and she sang with him. He seemed like a really nice humble guy, and I'm going to find some of his CD's so I can hear more about what he has to say.

Randall Goodgame
Rating: 10/10
Cost: Free
What I'd pay to go again: $20

This Thursday Andrew Peterson is playing about 90 minutes drive away from here, and while I'd love to go and see him play I don't think I'll be able to find a ride at this stage. You never know.

Sport in Kansas City

A highlight of the recent visit to Kansas City was attending my first Major League Baseball game, played between the Kansas City Royals and last year's World Series Runner up, the Detroit Tigers. The Royals, though much loved are usually one of the worst teams in their division, although our hosts, devoted Royals fans Robbie and Jeff assure us that their division is the "toughest" in the major league.

After watching a few minor league and college baseball games, I still haven't lost my awe for the fielding ability of the players. Their throws rocket to first base, both accurate and powerful, and it really is an awesome sight. Apparently baseball coaches are teaching cricketers how to improve their throwing, and on the evidence I've seen they've got a lot to offer.

Unfortunately, the Royals lost 5-6, but not before scoring in the 6th inning (earning all ticket holders a free fudge covered sundae), making 7 strikeouts (earning us a free drink and king size Snickers bar), and just falling short of the 13 hits required to give us all 12 free bagels each. The sponsors have deals like that, we just presented our tickets at the participating stores later on and received the goods!

Unlike the Royals, Kansas City's (American) Football team, the Chiefs, are one of the better teams in the National Football League, and their stadium (Arrowhead Stadium, pictured below) is in the same complex as the Royal's stadium.

Lastly, Robbie and Jeff work at a golf club in their Kansas City suburb Independence, and treated Andrew, Mark and I to a free nine holes. I actually impressed myself, parring two holes in a row, even though they were both par 3's. The picture below shows me teeing off. I hope I'm in mid swing, because I don't look like I'm following through at all!

Kansas City

This view shows Kansas City centre viewed from the Amtrak station. The station is the one I arrived in from Los Angeles on my last trip to the USA, and is quite impressive.

The following three pictures show union station from the outside, some of its internal decorations, and facade for the dead sea scrolls exhibition, which was going on while we were in town. It cost $20, and significant as they are, I couldn't see any reason to part with 3 hours of kitchen earned cash just to say I'd seen the them with my own eyes.

It's not as if I'd have been able to read them anyway, and thankfully there's a bunch of scholars who translated the writings and they're now published in many places, including online. Andrew was keen, but when he asked ab found they were sold out, so he's going to try to caout tickets hetch a peek at the scrolls in San Diego before he leaves the USA.

Opposite Union (Amtrak) Station is apparently the only world war one Museum in the United States. For a small fee, its possible to ride up to the top of the column pictured below and get a nice view of the city. We found that the view from the glass windowed lift on the 17th floor of a neighbouring hotel wasn't too bad either, and it was free.

Click any of the pictures for enlargements.