First Annual Shuttlecock Slam Dancer Award Winners

As voted on by Kansas City's music scene in our poll earlier this year, here are the results of Shuttlecock's first annual Slam Dancer Awards for 2021.

Mosher of the year: Jordan Bixler
Runner-up: Nicolas Harris

Pit newcomer of the year: Harrison Hawkins
Runner-ups (tie): Matthew Caseres, Ben Coleman, Rose Brown

Best active Kansas City act to mosh to: Spine
Runner-up: Total Sham

Best touring band to mosh to: Yambag
Runner-ups (tie): Dare, Dead Heat, Direct Threat, Liquids

Best venue to mosh at: 22/32
Runner-up: The Bottleneck

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In addition to the voting, we asked Kansas Citians to share some of their favorite “mosh pit memories” of 2021. Read them below and rest easy knowing hardcore and punk are still a dangerously fun time.

“Breaking my nose while pogoing during Foil’s set at The Fix.” -Harrison H.

“Standing on the benches outside of the pit and snapping pictures of everyone moshing and getting a picture of a full on butt crack mid-mosh!” -Ash P.

“Jordan Bix in the pit, all the times.” -Keleigh C.

“Kicking people from the side of the pit at multiple shows.” -Ian K.

“Finding out I was filmed slamming to Dead Heat at 22/32.” -Jordan B.

“Push mosh fashion punks at 22/32 being annihilated by oldheads.” -Will T.

“Colin Woroniak hate moshing an idiot kid who shouldn't have been in public to begin with while at TAS.” -Damian E.

“People getting fucked up.” -Joe W.

“I broke my homie’s nose and fractured their brow bone during Mouth For War at Grey's House. That was pretty radical.” -Elijah F.

“At the Doldrums/Dead Heat show at 22/32 I got kicked in the face so hard that I passed out. Nothing broken, just a concussion, very funny though.” -Charley K.

“When Ben got his tooth knocked out at the Swollen Shut noise show.” -Lydia S.

“All the KCHC shout outs/mosh calls from Vomit Forth that had me moshing with a gin and tonic.” -Taylor P.

“Sentenced 2 Die at 7th Heaven. This hardcore dancer whacked me in the face when I was just chilling. Intentional? I don’t know but it was welcome. Highlight of the day.” -Matthew C.

“Ceiling vent at Pussy Palace couldn't hang.” -Mahtab G.

“Getting hit in the face during Cohen’s set at 7th Heaven.” -Mark

“Not KC, sadly, but I got clocked by a slam dancer while on the edge of the pit and had my glasses flung off my face. A guy standing next to me quickly reached up and caught them in mid-air without so much as a second thought and passed them back to me. Saved my glasses from certain death and I responded with a sincere thank yout dap and a beer. Then we got right back to it. How it goes!
 

KC: Anytime I bring someone new into the fold and warn them beforehand that it's gonna be a little intense, only to see them not really come to terms with that fact until the moment of judgment. That combined look of excitement and terror is the absolute best.” - Kody S.

“Holding the road flares during the Doldrums and Anti-Feds set at Penn Valley Skate Park.” -Tony M.

“I somehow missed the part of Big Water's July 4 set where 10 people locked arms and headbanged in unison, but there's a great video of it.” -Aaron R.

[This article first appeared in issue 6 of Shuttlecock's free monthly print edition. Click here to order a copy online, or pick one up for free at locations around KC/Lawrence/JoCo.]