Jason Sudeikis’ rockstar karaoke fantasy returns: Here’s why Thundergong! matters to homegrown ‘Ted Lasso’ star
November 11, 2022 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Kansas City is the “secret sauce” in the recipes for Thundergong! and Big Slick, said Jason Sudeikis, who helps host the two high-profile events.
Jason Sudeikis, Thundergong! Photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
The Overland Park native and “Ted Lasso” star was in Kansas City Friday to promote the annual Thundergong! fundraiser for Steps of Faith Foundation — returning Saturday at the Uptown Theater.
Sudeikis, who hinted at a Thungergong reference in the upcoming season of “Ted Lasso,” said it’s not difficult to get special guests on board for these local events.
“That’s one of the perks and the secret sauces of both Thundergong! and Big Slick,” he explained. “It’s right smack dab in the middle of the country. It’s a great city. People know it as much now for its culture as they do the sports teams. That’s lovely.”
Special guests slated for this weekend’s Thundergong! — the first live version of the show since 2019 — include actors Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Brendan Hunt, and Sam Richardson, along with musicians Wynonna, Cactus Moser, Justin and Dan Hawkins of The Darkness, Hembree, Summer Breeze, and Jason Barnes.
The fundraiser — a night of musical performances that started in 2017 — benefits Steps of Faith and its mission to help uninsured and underinsured amputees get the prosthetic limbs they need — restoring mobility and restoring possibilities.
Billy Brimblecom and Jason Sudeikis, Thundergong! Photo by Jason Domingues
Billy Brimblecom, executive director of the foundation and an amputee himself, has been a friend of Sudeikis since they were teens.
Click here to read about Sudeikis and Brimblecom’s start in KC with ComedySportz.
“They’re not vanity projects,” Sudeikis explained about why he prioritizes coming home for Thundergong! and Big Slick, a summertime baseball event. “It’s really nice to get to come out here and live my rockstar fantasies in the best karaoke situation I’ve ever had in my life with Billy, the house band Summer Breeze, as well as all our guests. So that’s the reason we get to it.”
Events like Thundergong! have impact, he emphasized.
“I like when Billy gets all fired up and talks about power and greed and bureaucracy,” Sudeikis said. “Because you can live your life that way and you can make the dough that way and never pay attention to these folks that are being affected by your choices. It’s tough to hear people crying for the 16th hole of your country club. … But at the end of the day, it’s important to take time, as I said, to help these folks while we have the opportunity. It just matters to me and that’s the example I want to set for my kids.”
Click here to read about how Sudeikis boosted a Kansas City entrepreneur and friend’s apparel line with a well-worn on-screen wardrobe choice.
Billy Brimblecom and Jason Sudeikis, Thundergong! Photo by Jason Domingues
In 2021, Thundergong! raised nearly $400,000 for the foundation, bringing the six-year total to $1.3 million, which has provided prosthetics for 845 people.
“Five hundred people lose a limb every day – which seems like I’m making it up, but I’m not – just in the United States,” Brimblecom said. “That’s why we’re here. We’re having a lot of fun to raise a lot of money to get people walking again, using all four limbs, and gaining their mobility to get their lives back.”
The least expensive prosthetic limb, he noted, is $5,000.
“It’s ridiculous,” Brimblecom added. “My job shouldn’t need to exist to run a charity to get someone a prosthetic limb after they’ve lost one because bureaucracy and money and a bunch of other junk’s in the way. But it is, so I’m thankful to be here to pick up the pieces.”
Sudeikis joked that they plan to continue the fundraiser until there is an amusement park and action figures.
“Thundergong! does kind of sound like a roller coaster,” Brimblecom added. “A very safe but thrilling ride that doesn’t hurt your neck.”
People wanting to donate to Steps of Faith can text “STEPS” to 44321.
Featured Business
2022 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?
In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…
FCC head: Repealing net neutrality will boost innovation, investment; startups disagree
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to eliminate regulatory rules that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with consumers’ access to web content. FCC chairman Ajit Pai announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the regulatory body will vote Dec. 14 to repeal 2015 Obama-era regulations. That regulatory model, referred to as Title II,…
Bitten by Disney sharks, Roy Scott beats the odds with Healthy Hip Hop
When a potentially life-altering business deal suddenly vanished, Roy Scott didn’t get mad — he got funded. “Disney thought they were going to snuff us out, but all they did was put gasoline on this fire,” said Scott, founder of Kansas City-based H3 Enterprises (Healthy Hip Hop). Rewind. Starting his company with a live performance-based…
Governor-in-waiting talks startup funding, Amazon and why entrepreneurism is bigger than KC
The strongest person in the room isn’t necessarily the loudest, Jeff Colyer said. “Kansans are used to being overlooked,” he said. “My role as lieutenant governor was to be a little quieter. You give your best advice. And when decisions are made, you’re going to work to support them.” Soon, however, he’ll be the state’s…