Tribute concert will honor influential member of Wichita music scene killed last month
Kenny Ballinger made a big contribution to the Wichita music scene during his 37 years of life, say his local friends and admirers.
Now, they’re honoring his memory in a way he would have approved of: with a huge tribute concert featuring 30 of his favorite local bands.
The Fine Swine Fest, scheduled for 3 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday at The Cotillion, 11125 W. Kellogg, was organized as a way to remember Ballinger, a longtime concert promoter and Barleycorn’s manager who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in late August. He’d been riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle on 47th Street when he was struck by a black SUV whose driver then fled the scene. Jesus Manuel Olave Jr. of Derby was later arrested and charged in connection with the accident.
Ballinger left behind wife, Dariah, and 2-year-old son, Harlan. Proceeds from Saturday’s concert will go to a trust fund for Harlan.
Admission is $20, and the event also will include a silent auction and live art. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
The 30 bands on the list include many that Ballinger would have booked at places like Barleycorn’s and The Elbow Room as well as at Lizard Lounge in the early 2010s. Each of the bands will play for 10 minutes. Among the names on the bill: Big Red Horse, Mountain Deer Revival, Kingshifter, and Parallax, a band that includes Ballinger friend and business partner Jason Catlett. The two opened Fine Swine Records, a business that gave local independent artists without big cash reserves a place to record their music.
For more information about the concert or to buy tickets, visit visit thecotillion.com.
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 5:03 AM.
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