Skip to main content

Tickets are on sale now!

Folly Theater is proud to celebrate her 125th anniversary with a special concert event on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 7:30 PM. As Kansas City’s oldest historic theater, we are thrilled to mark this milestone with an electrifying performance by local soul powerhouse The Freedom Affair. Known for their dynamic vocals, rich harmonies, and high-energy live shows, The Freedom Affair will bring a powerful and joyful celebration to our storied stage. Join us for an unforgettable evening honoring 125 years of arts, culture, and community at the heart of Kansas City.

VIP Ticket includes:
Premium Orchestra Seating
Parking
Pre-show reception with snacks and drinks
1 Folly merch item

Sponsorship opportunities with box seats available. Please email [email protected]

About The Freedom Affair

The Freedom Affair is timeless soul music for the spirit and dancefloor. With an explosive live show, they fit into a juke joint on Saturday night just as easily as a church on Sunday morning. Fronted by three awe-inspiring singers (Paula Saunders, Shon Ruffin, and Seyko Groves), they make deeply funky message-music rooted in peace, love, and unity that touches souls and activates dancefloors. Building off the success of their debut album Freedom is Love with song placements in multiple TV shows, movies, and an Apple iWatch ad, they’re primed for a big 2025 with the release of a new album.

Their sophomore album, “The Freedom Affair” (self-titled), was conceived during a 2023 tour through the American South, where Muscle Shoals meets Memphis Soul. A fateful encounter with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Al Green, Bruno Mars, John Mayer) at Royal Studios set the stage for the band to record their southern soul-inspired record in the legendary Memphis studio, using the same Ampex tape recorder that captured all the Hi Record hits from 1974 and before. In fact, it was The Freedom Affair’s insistence on authenticity that led to the first time the machine had been used for an album since 1974. All the limitations and quirks of using vintage, analog gear helped shape the album’s charm and magical moments shine through each track in ways that may have been lost with modern technologies. The record sheds new light on the southern soul sound with all the coziness and warmth you’d expect from an Al Green or Ann Peebles record captured in the same room. The album explores ageless themes of inequity, love, and togetherness. Mixed by Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley), the album is a firm assertion of The Freedom Affair’s identity as a timeless, soul supergroup.

Event Sponsors