As a child prodigy on harmonica back in the 1990s, Brody Buster was once one of Kansas City’s most notable musical exports. He appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and on an episode of the sitcom “Full House.”
But Buster's fame was as fleeting as his youth. The disturbing 90-minute documentary "How Did This Happen" documents Buster’s decline from child star to relatively obscure bar band musician.
3 reasons we're listening to Brody Buster this week:
1. Though Buster’s stature has greatly diminished, he's still very talented. In addition to performing bruising blues-rock with his trio, Buster works as a one-man-band.
2. Mudstomp Records released the album Brody Buster’s One Man Band earlier this year. In addition to an interpretation of the Beatles’ “Get Back” that features his harmonica, vocals, guitar and drums, the album includes covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Prince and the Grateful Dead.
3. Buster performs every Monday at the Westport Saloon (4112 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, Missouri), a homey honkytonk that features nightly performances by country, bluegrass, folk and old-timey musicians where there’s rarely a cover charge.
Bill Brownlee’s writing appears weekly in The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine. He blogs about Kansas City’s jazz scene at Plastic Sax.
