Country Mike Blog

The other Oprys and country

Mike Sudhalter  |  May 23, 2007

When you grow up in the northeast, there's little chance of every visiting an Opry. The only Opry I even knew about was the Grand Ole Opry

When I moved to the Kansas City area in 2000, I discovered a quiet lake area with some rural development near it. I was ecstatic to find out that an a local Opry was going to be opening up in that shopping plaza, Rutlader Outpost south of Louisburg, Kan.

These shows were really neat because there was so much variety in them from honky-tonk and contemporary country to gospel and bluegrass. All of the singers in the Middle Creek Opry show would chat with the audience inbetween shows. Guests would come on the show, and sing their own songs/cover song. It was really neat because it gives country performers a venue without the wild life of the honky-tonk.

As I began working a lot of Friday nights, I missed the local Opry and unfortunately, didn't get a chance to visit the dozens of other Oprys scattered throughout the American heartland. But it was refreshing to know that a gentleman from Kansas started a website, Missouri-Kansas Opry, and the local country music scene is alive and well in the Kansas City area.

These Oprys are not affiliated with the Grand Old Opry, but they're still excellent sources of country entertainment.

If you're having a tough day or you just want to make a good day better, turn to country like Tresa Jordan suggests in this song, accompanied by a honky-tonk slideshow. E-mail me and let me you're favorite artists in the slideshow.

I discovered Jordan by accident. When Tower Records shut its doors, they had a big sale on everything in the store over the final days. On the eve of the store's closing, I bought 20 country CDs for $20, many of them by Texas artists. Jordan's album was among the ones I purchased, and I wasn't disappointed. She has such a sweet, soothing voice, and this song can transport you into the middle of a backwoods paradise, even if you're in the middle of a big ol' city.