Excelsior Springs, MO—Taking center stage at the Hall of Waters, musicians B. Howard Crist and Matthew Mulnix set the tone for the Lyrics on the Lawn summer series on Friday, June 14. Sponsored by the Downtown Economic Partnership (DEP), this alcohol-free and admission-free event provided an inviting atmosphere for locals to relax, listen, and embrace the Americana and alternative pop duo.
Keith Hudson, brewmaster at the Atlas Saloon Brewery and a mentor to Crist, played a pivotal role in bringing Crist and Mulnix onboard for this performance. “He approached me and said they’re doing this summer series, and you’d be interested, I said absolutely,” Crist recalled. “He’s a mentor of mine, as well as a best friend. It was the easiest thing I think that I’ve ever come across for getting the show booked.”
Crist, who has always dabbled in music, began pursuing singing and songwriting more seriously in April 2020. Teaming up with Mulnix, Crist started performing with Mulnix’s band, Quinton Cox and the Company, opening shows around Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and beyond.
“He leads the band, and I started playing with them, opening shows around October 22’ in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and all over those places,” said Crist.
“He was opening for my band Quinn Cox’s company, so naturally, we started talking, and we have a lot in common even though we’re a decade and a half apart,” said Mulnix.
Mulnix, who runs Free State Music Academy in Lawrence, Kansas, has released three albums. Since their collaboration, Crist and Mulnix have created new music that blends their respective genres. “I heard some of his songs. And we’ve had the chance to write two or three together,” Mulnix shared. “The first one came up in September of last year and then November of last year.”
Inspired by similar circumstances, the two musicians have channeled their struggles into their music, forming a strong partnership. “We have a lot of shared lived experience that would result in some good songwriting and good partnership,” said Mulnix.
The performance included covers of well-known country favorites like Johnny Cash, as well as their own original songs, delighting the audience and setting a high standard for the rest of the Lyrics on the Lawn series.
The next Lyrics on the Lawn performance is scheduled for this Friday, June 28 at the Hall of Waters and will feature the Classic Rock group, Repeat Offenders. For more information on upcoming performances in the Lyrics on the Lawn series, visit visitexcelsior.com/lyrics-on-the-lawn.
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