Knuckleheads Saloon

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Knuckleheads Saloon is a music venue in Kansas City, Missouri. Located at 2715 Rochester Street in the East Bottoms, it features four stages: a large outdoor stage with a converted caboose as VIP seating, an indoor stage, a big indoor space called Knuckleheads Garage, and the Gospel Lounge, used for Wednesday blues-oriented church services. Music can be performed on all four stages at once, with shows most Wednesdays through Sundays and occasional Tuesdays.

The building dates back to 1887 and started as a railroad boarding house near the original Electric Park. A nearby train track sometimes whistles during performances, which has become a quirky part of the experience. The venue is owned by Frank and Mary Hicks. They previously ran an auto body shop and, across the street, a Harley-Davidson dealer before opening Knuckleheads in 2001 after getting a liquor license. The name honors three cycling friends who jokingly called themselves The Three Stooges.

In 2015, Knuckleheads expanded with Knuckleheads Garage, a larger indoor venue that can hold 800–1,000 guests. The project was funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised about $38,490. Wednesday church services began in 2009, led by Carl and Sharon Butler of New Song Christian Fellowship, aimed at workers who stay late on weekends and mix music with preaching.

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band recorded a live album there in 2007, among others. Each year Knuckleheads hosts hundreds of performers, with concerts on five nights a week across multiple stages. Well-known acts have included Sam Bush, Leon Russell, Keb’ Mo’, John Doe, Samantha Fish, and many more. Tickets for many shows can be purchased in advance on Eventbrite. The venue also hosts no-cover open jams on weekends: Saturdays from 1:00 to 5:30 PM hosted by Billy Ebeling, and Sundays from 1:00 to 6:00 PM hosted by Levee Town.

Knuckleheads features video and lighting across all stages, with cameras and in-house feeds that can also stream to Facebook. The club has won several awards, including the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Best Blues Club in 2008 and multiple Best Blues Club honors from The Pitch readers starting in 2005. Kansas City Star writer Bill Brownlee has called it Kansas City’s premier roots music venue.