Christian has been a prolific creator of art and music since the late 1980s, when he co-founded The Mongol Beach Party. As the band's singer and percussionist, he contributed to their world-beat influenced pop-funk-dance sound, performing extensively across the Midwest and thrilling audiences with his dynamic stage presence. Concurrently, he co-founded Damawa, an experimental world music ensemble that blended Afro-Cuban rhythms with Indian ragas, Native American melodies, and Middle-Eastern scales and harmonies.
His musical journey continued as he delved into various styles, particularly Brazilian samba. He played as a percussionist with Soundz of Samba, a batucada ensemble based in Kansas City, and also performed as a percussionist and singer with the Luciano Antonio Trio. In this period, he began to cultivate his own unique style of guitar composition, leading to intimate solo performances in the Kansas City area.
In 2002, motivated by contemporary political and social issues, as well as his family's ties to Weimar Germany, Christian co-founded Alacartoona, a modern cabaret troupe. They described their work as "theatrical music," creating an immersive experience where performances unfolded both on stage and among the audience, bringing to life vivid narratives of love, loss, and the complexities of life. In 2008, Alacartoona received an Inspiration Grant from the ArtsKC Fund, which facilitated the production of their full-length film, "Night Is the Mirror." The group also staged several theatrical productions and released three full-length albums.
In 2010, Christian collaborated with a collective of Kansas City visual and performing artists to create The Oil Boiler. This narrative centers on a hit man grappling with guilt after taking the life of his lover. Christian co-wrote the script, co-produced the show, composed four original songs performed live during the production, and portrayed one of the main characters.
He co-founded The Hillary Watts Riot in 2011, a band known for its unique style described as freak pop, characterized by humorous and often absurd lyrics, funk-inspired rhythms, and experimental sounds. The group performs in matching jumpsuits and white sunglasses, led by frontwoman Hillary Watts, who embodies an eclectic blend of 80s glam and high school prom aesthetics.
Also in 2011, Christian co-founded The Monocle, a musical and theatrical performance ensemble comprised of some of Kansas City's finest talents. The group produced original works and reimagined past pieces as artifacts of the future. Notably, in October 2011, The Monocle presented a five-minute opera on the Helzberg stage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, based on compositions by classical composer Virgil Thomson, which was recorded for an upcoming PBS special.
In early 2012, Christian composed music for a pivotal scene in the world premiere of the stage adaptation of A Bucket of Blood. He also participated in Artist, INC, an eight-week artist training workshop sponsored by the Charlotte Street Foundation, the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, and the UMKC Innovation Center. That July, he contributed music and performed multiple roles in Tara Varney's production of "Sexing Hitler." His bands remained active, with Alacartoona releasing "Fantoche" and The Hillary Watts Riot launching "A/S/L." Christian wrote the script and several compositions for "The Orphans Feast," which The Monocle staged at the Arts Asylum in November.
The year 2013 was particularly eventful for Christian. In January, he joined Money Wolf Music, a Kansas City-based music recording collective. He was acknowledged by KC Magazine in February as one of the "100 People Who Make Kansas City Great." In March, The Monocle and Money Wolf Music organized a three-day music festival featuring local and national acts, followed by Money Wolf Music hosting a stage at the Middle of the Map Fest in April. In October, The Monocle produced the opening night gala for the "Impressionist France" exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
In 2014, Money Wolf Music received two grants to help coordinate Kansas City's participation at the 2014 Folk Alliance International Conference, enabling over 40 local musicians to attend the event. Later that year, The Hillary Watts Riot released an EP of remixes along with a video for one of the tracks titled "Knuckle (Nudillo Remix)." In the fall, Christian began composing music for "Silver: A Noir Ballet."
