KerryLand is a full service entertainment provider with a primary focus on
professional live, interactive acoustic performances in Kansas City and the
region. Additional services include digital disc jockey services and an 8000
song karaoke library to round off any entertainment needs that you may have!
Kerry is available for club shows, wedding ceremonies and receptions, company
parties, and pretty much any other type of event you can come up with.
All services are owned and operated by Kerry who ‘carries’ with
him over 23 continuous years of professional entertainment experience to your
club or event!
For additional dirt, check out the following Frequently Asked Questions.
How
about some basic statistical data?
Born Kerry….no my last name is not Land. I hesitate to give out my full
real name in fear that people will arrive at my house requesting "Brown-Eyed
Girl", "American Pie" and "Margaritaville" some night
at 4 AM. That’s just bad for everyone. I was born in the summer of 1969
in Northern Wisconsin, the third of three children. My parents, as well as
the rest of my family, still reside in Wisconsin.
How old were you when you began playing/singing?
My earliest recollection of singing dates back to 4 or 5 years old. I recall
being disciplined in kindergarten for singing harmony rather than melody to
"Michael Row the Boat." (Can you still sing that song in school?)
I attempted to take piano lessons in second grade but I did not have the patience
for it. I began to play guitar in 6th grade, taking lessons for a little under
a year before venturing out on my own.
What instruments do you play?
Primarily guitar. Some piano. I played drum set throughout high school and
college but recent attempts to pick that back up have proven to me that it
is not like riding a bike.
So when did you start performing?
I formed a duo with a schoolmate in 6th grade and we performed school and
church functions with the odd combination of guitar and drums. Although neither
of us had any experience working with another musician, we almost immediately
had a knack for following each other and harmonizing. My brother, who had
never played an instrument or sang prior to graduating high school, decided
he would attempt to learn to play bass guitar to make us a trio. Within weeks
he had mastered the basics and we were performing together. That band, Yellow
River, debuted ‘for hire’ on December 31st, of my freshman
year of high school, 1983. The band performed at a tedious weekend pace for
17 years before we finally decided to close it down to pursue our real lives.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I really didn’t put much thought into it. It pretty much just happened.
My family has some natural musical ability as was clearly demonstrated by
my brother who didn’t play a note until he was out of high school. My
dad played the electric organ a lot and there was always music in the house.
I think my sister was going through a really big Beatle phase at a critical
stage in my life. Listening to a lot of ‘oldies’ and what is now
classic country inspired a lot of my early taste in music.
Did you ever dream of ‘making it big?’
I can’t say that it was ever a real goal of mine and still is not. I
think I have a very realistic view of my place in the musical food chain.
I am blown away by the talent that I have seen right here in Kansas City.
I am quite content being a fish in the pond…big or small.
What goals do you have in your musical career?
I hope to keep doing what I am doing in some form for the next several years.
I would like to do some more work regionally and branch out a bit further.
Slowing down a bit is also in order. I have been performing in Kansas City
3-4 times a week for over three years now and there's a limit to how many
time one can sing Sweet Caroline in a week for an extended period of time.
How did you transition to solo shows after playing
in a band for 17 years?
I left Wisconsin when Yellow River disbanded. For over a year I stayed as
far from music as possible. By chance I ended up at an open mic night and
borrowed a guitar from someone and performed. The club owner called me later
that week commenting on my interaction with the crowd and my ability to play
a little of nearly any song that people called out and asked me to do a weekly
show. I experimented with different things for about a year before pulling
the plug on that show. Shortly after that I ended up moving to Kansas City
for my day job. Again, I stayed away from music for several months until I
landed a Saturday afternoon acoustic show in the River Market. Within a couple
months that exploded into the Johnson County schedule that I am maintaining
right now.
Do you really do anything with all of those requests
you take every week?
Yes. The motivation behind the requests slips is several-fold. Having been
in a band for years, I wasn’t certain what audiences would expect to
hear from me as an acoustic performer. I was not particularly up on the acoustic
music of the 70s which seemed to be the core of most acoustic sets. I used
the frequency of certain requests to determine the ‘must have’ songs
for my set. Additionally, I do not listen to a lot of music during the course
of a week and the requests help me keep up with new music which suits me well.
My real life sometimes gets in the way on learning as much new music as I
would like to, but I still try to add a handful of songs each month. They
also serve as a great marketing tool.
What is your favorite song/type of music/song to
play?
I don’t know what my favorite music is. I go through cycles. I listen
to a lot of adult pop-rock; the stuff that once was alternative music like
Matchbox 20, Gin Blossoms, Sister Hazel etc. I also enjoy a lot of older country
music. I really don’t have a favorite song to perform. That really depends
on the crowd and their response.
How many songs do you know?
I really don’t know but I am guessing between what’s in my head
and in my lyrics books around 500. I really only actively perform about 60
of them because they are the one’s that people request over and over…and
over and over and over….and so on.
Do you read music or play by ear?
I can sit down and figure out the notes on a piece of sheet music but I cannot
read it fluently. I play everything by ear.
Do you write and or record your own music?
I have written a handful of songs. Most fall into the alt-pop-country genre.
I will perform them on occasion when someone requests something original but
they are not the focus of the show. I find that most people want to hear stuff
they know. Most of my songs are on a CD that is available by emailing me.
But I really have not written anything in 3-4 years. Most weeks I do not find
time to pick up a guitar between shows.
What do you do to stay busy? What are your hobbies?
I work a full time job which right now has me flying to Indianapolis every
week. I fly out on Sunday and come back to KC on Thursday or Friday. I also
dabble in real estate which is quite time consuming. When in season, the NFL
occupies my Sundays. That about covers the week, other than a weekly ritual
at BD’s Mongolian BBQ in Overland Park.
Why would anyone move from Phoenix to Kansas City?
I still haven’t completely figured that one out myself. Actually, it
was a strange combination of work and life in general. It’s really a
very long story that I don’t talk about unless I’m consuming large
quantities of adult beverages. I love Phoenix and plan to return there sometime,
I am just not sure when. You can’t put your life on hold for nice weather.