KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tin Roof is turning a tragedy in the Westport community into new life.
On Dec. 15, 2021, a firetruck crashed into the side of the building that used to be the Riot Room.
Nearly all who were working in Westport at that time say they rememberthe crash and the three lives lost.
“I was on my way to work when I found out about it,” said Michael McEvoy, who works next to the scene of the incident.
Tin Roof Assistant General Manager Lindsay Hartman recalls the incident vividly.
“Total destruction. Just beams supporting what was left,” Hartman said.
Over the last decade, McEvoy has seen Westport at its highs and lows.
“When I started, next door was a parking lot, and now we have Tin Roof,” McEvoy said.
After a multimillion-dollar renovation, Tin Roof has expanded — connecting its main stage to a patio, three bars and an additional stage called the Broadway Room.
“Our main goal is to bring live music back to Westport,” Hartman said. “I love it now. I used to love the Riot Room myself, a lot of great memories here.”
The live music joint transformed the hole in the two-story building to give local artists another stage in the Kansas City metro.
“To not be looking at an empty spot that was a reminder of what happened, to now seeing it living and breathing is nice,” McEvoy said. “I would like to see more underground, smaller acts, diverse genres. It is nice to have more live music again. Having that is nice. It feels good for the neighborhood.”
Tin Roof tells KSHB 41 the venue will bring more original acts to the Broadway Stage with one ticketed show each week.
“We will start the stage with an acoustic show," Hartman said. "Last weekend we had Gecko, a great local band, more funky type of music. We are listening to the community and seeing what everybody wants."
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