Photo Gallery: Mary K. Day at Live At 825

Lil Sheek and Alexander Preston

Alexander Preston made a noble effort on Saturday night. The Kansas City producer's mother -- Mary K. -- died of cancer in July. This show was organized in tribute to her and proceeds from the door went to pay off the family's medical bills. Preston explained before the show began that his mother didn't always understand much about his music, but she always gave her support and saw how happy it made him.

Preston's producer set seemed to be the perfect tribute. It began with a track crafted just for the evening; it was the only one in which Preston performed vocals. The following 20 minutes showcased his original compositions and his talent for synthesizing electronic music than can tug at the heart. It also tugged at the lips of a few performers. A'Sean, Kye Colors, and Armon all let off impromptu freestyles and danced to Preston's instrumentals, occasionally leading to screams of pure joy on stage. And it didn't matter how many people stood to watch, it mattered that every one of them had a smile on their face.

The show was opened with a set from Lawrence-via-Chicago singer Sydny August who performed modern R&B songs with a warm, free-flowing energy. August was also accompanied by a guitarist to perform a newly-penned song in tribute to Mary K.

Following a Fearless Militia DJ set, half a dozen members of Caviart took the stage. The slot had been billed as a J-Tone performance, but instead, attendees were reminded that Cavi operates as a unit. Ray Muney, A'Sean, and Solomon performed on the stage for the third week in a row and didn't seem sick of it one bit.

The night's final set came courtesy of Kye Colors, hot off the release of his mixtape "Milk Is Nasty." A majority of the crowd knew a majority of the lyrics to the brand new songs and Kye ended the evening with a stirring, bittersweet performance of "Good."

Full photo gallery here.