Mooncaller, Making Contact, and ENDRID break the Sound Barrier at miniBar for Amber Blackburn’s Birthday 04.17.2026

Sheets of rain poured down, in a violent tap dance against the roof of my car. My hands gripped the wheel, my eyes strained. The dark horizons sputtered and a bright flash of lightning cut across it, tearing open the gray like a dagger. In the slowly diminishing distance, thunder boomed. I kept my mind focused on my destination: Amber Blackburn’s birthday show at miniBar in Kansas City. 

The original lineup was Dirtee Water, Mooncaller, and ENDRID. Unfortunately, the weather caused a slight change in lineup. Dirtee Water had to cancel, but Amber found the band Making Contact to fill in:

“When Dirtee Water had to cancel just a few hours before load in, I had a slight moment of panic. Thankfully, I happened to be communicating telepathically with Mabus and El Chupacabra of Making Contact at that time. When this idea started pinging around in my head over a year ago, I wasn't familiar with Mabus or their music, but Making Contact has quickly become one of my absolute favorite “local” acts. . . I was also so thrilled Orion from Dirtee Water was still able to make it out, it wouldn't have been as fun without him. He brings the type of friendly chaos that is absolutely essential to a proper party.”

I pulled up to the party. The skies were still gray, cloudy and stormy, but by the time I had crossed the River, the rain had started to lessen up.

Like the name suggests, miniBar is pretty miniature for a venue; still, it packs a sound. The venue consists of two floors: when you walk in, you enter the downstairs bar. Dimmed lights, a standard bar setup, and a jukebox in the corner. Cross the room and the door on your right opens into a staircase. Up the concrete stairs is the performance room. Band stickers cling to the wall as graffiti and memories. Despite being upstairs, it feels like walking into a small house show in someone’s basement. 

Mooncaller was the first band to take the stage. The last time I had seen them was Halloween at Outlaw Cigar (coincidentally they also played with Making Contact that night). The 4-piece delivered a hard rock, slow doom vibe set that very much reflected the weather. Their attire was simple, not too flashy to obscure the music, with classic black t-shirts and jeans. Mooncaller prowled the stage with screams and growls, hair flying in every direction, and guitar pedal effects galore. They ended their set with their newest single “Lobotomized.”

Making Contact followed. They were a 3-piece that night - guitar, bass, and drums. Now, this is a band of mystics and mystery: the band’s fashion is as much a part of their act, as the music itself. The members are anonymous, stepping onto stage with masks and using stage names: Mabus the Mad Scientist on guitar and lead vocals, El Chupacabra con Carne on bass guitar and vocals, and The Watcher in Black on drums. That night, The Watcher in Black wore a black ski mask; El Chupacabra con Carne wore a mask with antlers, reminiscent of either a deer or the Wendigo; and Mabus wore a mask with spikes all across the scalp, face and back of the skull. There was an eager energy in the air seeing them walk on stage even before their music started. . .

Their music resembles prog-metal, twisting and turning in an unexpected undertow that pulls the audience under their spell. I am uncertain if it was the size of the venue or the band themselves or a combination of both, but the dynamic held a powerful VOLUME. It was so loud, that I had to go downstairs for a moment to adjust my ears; meanwhile, downstairs, I thought a second leg of the storm was brewing as I heard the roar of thunder. Pause. No, it was just the powerful drums from upstairs. I had to stifle a smile when I headed back upstairs and saw there was a splintered drumstick on the ground. The band’s short but powerful set exclaimed - “no filler, all power.” 

The last band of the night - ENDRID. The rock-n-roll 4-piece is a band who gets better every time I see them. I had seen their show prior to this at Harrah’s VooDoo Lounge, which has a stadium vibe when it comes to seeing a local band perform there. Seeing ENDRID in a smaller, more intimate venue reminded me of the first time I had seen them play a few years ago. At the miniBar show, ENDRID wore jeans, flannel, and black hoodies. This band continues to grow in their strengths; I have seen previous incarnations, and ENDRID consistently puts on a great show. ENDRID is a staple band in the Kansas City music scene, and one to watch for what is next.

Ultimately, the birthday girl herself Amber Blackburn described the night best:

“The show was phenomenal. Every single person on stage that night put their entire heart into it. Collectively they had some of the best performances I've ever witnessed from them. 

“I can't stress enough all the work these guys put in to make sure this show went well, it was so important to them. I can't believe it all came together like it did. Seeing people I love having fun playing really, really good music has become a life sustaining activity for me, I'm going to be living off this show for a long time. All the little things they did to make the night special for me will stay with me forever. It was quite possibly the best night of my life so far, so overall, I'd say it definitely exceeded my expectations.”