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Matt Baysinger: Choir Bar revival is just one note in Swell Spark’s chorus of experiences planned for 2025
Developments from within Kansas City-based entertainment group Swell Spark are coming in a round this winter, said Matt Baysinger, starting with the crescendoing return of its Choir Bar group singalong experience after a five-year hiatus.
“We want to create places where people can come together, relax, and try something a little different,” said Baysinger, whose company not only created Choir Bar, but also one-of-a-kind destinations like Breakout KC (escape rooms), Blade & Timber (axe-throwing), Sinkers Lounge (mini golf) and the ambitious Atlas9 project (immersive art).
“Our goal isn’t just to entertain but to help people build connections,” he continued. “That’s what drives everything we do here at Swell Spark.”
Hosted at Sinkers Lounge in Kansas City’s Power & Light District, Choir Bar already gathered dozens of Kansas Citians in October and December to sing harmonized versions of popular songs in a laid-back, social environment. Participants don’t know in advance what song will be sung until they arrive and begin practicing. It all culminates with the recording of a group music video.
The experience continues its revival Jan. 16 at Sinkers Lounge.
Click here for tickets to participate.
Swell Spark’s Choir Bar concept originally launched in 2018, but was shelved after what was thought to be its final performance in June 2019.
“We’ve had people asking us to bring it back since the day we paused it,” said Baysinger. “It’s not our biggest moneymaker, but it has this magic that’s hard to find in any other event. It attracts people who just want to sing and feel that sense of community.”
Watch videos from the October and December events below, then keep reading.
Choir Bar will now be a monthly event at Sinkers Lounge in Kansas City, with each session featuring a new popular song. The selection will vary each month, ranging from timeless classics to current Top 40 hits, adding an element of surprise and excitement to each meetup.
As for the crowd? It continues to feature a mixed group of people who love music, from former choir members to shower singers, Baysinger said.
“You don’t need to know sheet music, and you definitely don’t need to be a trained singer,” he said. “We split you up into highs, mids, and lows, so there’s a place for everyone.”
That’s the theme for Swell Spark as a whole, Baysinger continued, emphasizing the company’s variety of brands — and new developments just unwrapped or waiting around the corner — make it a hub of immersive and interactive entertainment.
Sinkers Lounge at 722 Mass Street in Lawrence; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Sinkers expands to Lawrence
Following its successful launch in Kansas City in April 2022, Sinkers Lounge has opened a second location in Lawrence, Kansas. A lively indoor mini-golf and cocktail bar, Sinkers has become popular with guests of all ages, Baysinger said.
Its Lawrence location, which opened its doors this fall and shares a Mass Street spot alongside Blade & Timber, offers the same engaging blend of miniature golf, craft cocktails, and a comfortable lounge setting.
“We chose Lawrence because it’s such a unique, eclectic town with a strong arts scene and a love for gathering spaces,” said Baysinger. “It’s an opportunity for us to serve the community where I live while expanding the Sinkers brand.”
He also highlighted a significant new step for Swell Spark: owning the real estate for the new Lawrence location.
“Actually owning this space gives us more freedom to experiment and evolve,” he said. “It’s a big milestone for us to be both tenant and landlord for one of our own properties.”
With additional locations in Kansas and Missouri, Sinkers Lounge aims to bring people together in a fun, accessible way.
Click here for more details on Sinkers’ other lounges.
“The idea is that guests can make an evening of it — start with a cocktail, play a round of mini-golf, then end with a drink,” said Baysinger. “It’s all about creating an experience where people feel welcome to stay and enjoy.”
Atlas9 rendering; courtesy of Dimensional Innovations
Atlas9, an immersive art experience
Among Swell Spark’s most ambitious projects to date, Atlas9 is a massive 47,000-square-foot immersive art and entertainment complex under construction near Kansas City’s Legends Outlets and the new Margaritaville development.
Set to open in 2025, the venue promises to combine art installations, interactive exhibits, and live performances in a way the city has never seen before.
Atlas9’s narrative follows a struggling movie theater looking to draw in customers by using new holographic projection technology to provide moviegoers with a fully immersive and interactive viewing experience. During its first demonstration, the system overloads and causes a power surge, and, as a result of the surge, brings the characters and settings from the movies into the real world.
“Atlas9 is hard to describe because it’s truly unlike anything else in the area,” said Baysinger, “Imagine a place where art, technology, and storytelling come together in unexpected ways. It’s a space where guests can lose themselves for hours and come back for a totally new experience each time.”
Click here to follow Atlas9’s progress on Instagram.
Developed in collaboration with local experts at Homefield, Dimensional Innovations and Quixotic, Atlas9 is designed to be a major regional draw, with Baysinger projecting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
“Our goal is to put Kansas City on the map as a destination for immersive art and entertainment,” he said. “Atlas9 will be the largest entertainment space we’ve ever created, and we’re beyond excited to see it come to life.”
Reflecting on Swell Spark’s broader impact on Kansas City’s entertainment scene, Baysinger emphasized the sense of pride his team feels in helping shape the city’s identity through new avenues of entertainment.
“We’re proud to be part of Kansas City’s transformation into a place where people don’t just pass through — they stop, stay, and make memories,” he said. “We’re building these spaces to be part of that story.”
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