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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
Well done, KC!
Spring is officially in the air (but don’t count cold weather out just yet) and there are so many sold out shows this week (with several others on low ticket alert), so fans are hitting the venues to catch their favorite live acts, which is great.
This weekend is cosplay city downtown too, as the mighty Planet Comicon Kansas City takes over downtown and Bartle Hall and the Convention Center for three days. As usual, we’ll be on-site, racing between panel rooms and the show floor, to bring you the full recaps.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from March 18th-24th:
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
TUESDAY MARCH 18
flipturn, Mar 18, The Truman, Sold Out
The Jacksonville FL area indie rock band band, comprised of Dillon Basse (lead vocal, guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), and Devon VonBalson (drums), grew steadily with every gig, from college house shows to festival appearances to a TV performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Their debut album, Shadowglow, made a splash and they’ve followed it up with second release, Burnout Days, described as “caught halfway between 21st century indie rock, New Wave-inspired nostalgia, and rhythmic alt-pop.”
Ben Folds, Mar 18 AND 19, Kauffman Center, $67-$148
Pianist and composer Ben Folds joins your Kansas City Symphony for two incredible nights! The Emmy-nominated artist has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborations.
His latest album, 2023’s What Matters Most, is a blend of piano-driven pop rock songs, while his 2015 Concerto for Piano and Orchestra soared to #1 on the Billboard Classical and Classical crossover charts. For nearly two decades, Folds has performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and recently served as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. His concert documentary "My Name's Ben Folds - I Play Piano" was recently released for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and he even released a holiday album last fall.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 19
Trey Anastasio, Mar 19, Uptown, Sold Out
If KC can’t get Phish for a concert run, this is not a bad alternative- "An Acoustic Evening with Trey Anastasio," is the guitarist’s 20-date US solo acoustic tour which began last week, and the setlist reports have been impressing the longtime fans. The tour concludes with an April 5th show in Red Bank, NJ.
Anastasio had a busy last year- he embarked on a tour with his own band in the spring, released a new album with Phish titled Evolve, and with his Phish band mates, became the second act to hold a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Anastasio’s last solo album was 2022’s Mercy.
THURSDAY MARCH 20
FRIDAY MARCH 21
Planet Comicon Kansas City, Mar 21-23, Convention Center/Bartle Hall, $13.99-$97.99
Planet Comicon Kansas City is the largest comic book and pop culture convention not just in the KC area, but within the entire Midwest. At the core of PCKC is the commitment to provide a safe and welcoming venue where pop culture, comic, sci-fi, and anime fans may enjoy their particular niche of
fandom without judgment. Check out our coverage of previous years too!
It has a 26 year history, with the first installment held in Overland Park, KS in March 1999. The 2025 show is their 26th Anniversary show! This year's guests include David Tennant, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Andy Serkis, Mike Colter and so many more incredible celebrities.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mar 21, Ameristar, $55-$205
For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy Award winning band has entertained audiences with their timeless hits 'Mr. Bojangles,' 'Fishin' In The Dark,' 'An American Dream,' and many more. And now, the time has come for the band who has carried a torch for American country and roots music to say ‘So Long’ to the highways and byways they've crossed a number of times throughout their career.
'All The Good Times' perfectly describes our career, said the band in a statement. 'Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We really look forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!' With special guest Brit Taylor Duo.
Bright Eyes w/ Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mar 21, Uptown, $40-$65
Bright Eyes are barreling ahead on their current tour, after they were forced to cancel the remainder of their 2024 dates due to Conor Oberst’s vocal problems. It’s in support of their new album, Five Dice, All Threes and Oberst is said to singing stronger than ever.
We’ve seen Omaha native Oberst numerous times live over the years, including some memorable collaborations with Dawes, Phoebe Bridgers, even a Vote for Change show playing with Bruce Springsteen, and always look forward to seeing him and the band again.
Arrive early for this solid double bill to catch Alynda Segarra and Hurray for the Riff Raff before they set off on their own headlining run in May with Merce Lemon. New song, “Pyramid Scheme” has also just been released, arriving around the first anniversary of album, The Past Is Still Alive, and features Phil Cook on organ, Yan Westerlund on drums, Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on electric guitar, and producer Brad Cook on bass.
RxGhost, Mar 21, Hilsiders, KCK, (door charge?)
KC’s own RxGhost (Jeremiah James and Josh Thomas on guitars, anchored by the precise rhythm section of Justin Brooks on drums and Chris Smead on bass) returns with "Anytime But Now," a new 7" single that examines the peculiar comfort found in self-destructive patterns, whether chemical or emotional- that space where you recognize something isn't good for you but can't seem to break away.
The single is backed with "Undersaid," a more subdued B-side that offers a balancing counterpoint that offers a more minimal, atmospheric companion piece.
Since forming in 2022, RxGhost has carved out their own corner of the shoegaze/post-rock spectrum, earning recognition for their recent album 'Scaffolding' and live performances. Of the upcoming KCK show, they say, “We’re playing our first show of the year and only KC show until the summer on MARCH 21st, we’re playing tons of new stuff, and super stoked to be playing with The String and Return.”
Marc Broussard, Mar 21, Knuckleheads, Sold Out
Louisiana singer, songwriter, and musician is known for channeling the spirits of classic R&B, rock, and soul into contemporary terms. The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of “The Boogie Kings,” he nurtured his musical gifts at an early age in Lafayette, LA’s music scene. After releasing a highly successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with Carencro. The album featured the breakout hit single “Home” and catapulted him into the national spotlight.
Over the past decade, Broussard released several albums with major labels and has since returned to his indie roots with a series of critically acclaimed original and philanthropic cover albums through his S.O.S Foundation (Save our Soul). His recent release, S.O.S. 4 Blues for Your Soul, a collaboration with blues legend Joe Bonamassa is a collection of blues/soul classics that debuted at the top of the Billboard Blues Album Chart.
Broussard’s new studio album, Time is a Thief finds the acclaimed singer/songwriter delivering an ten-song set filled with rootsy hooks and dance-floor grooves, all wrapped around Broussard’s vocals. His first album of new music since 2017’s, Easy to Love, arrived via his Artist Tone Label.
Arrive early for singer Kendra Morris, in support of new album, I Am What I’m Waiting For (Karma Chief Records).
SATURDAY MARCH 22
K Flay, Mar 22, The Truman, $25-$50
The multi-platinum and 2x GRAMMY-nominee has a new EP, I’m Making Friends With The Silence out now via Giant Music. The release features six tracks from her acclaimed 2023 full-length studio album MONO that were reimagined and re-recorded with a more reflective, stripped-back sound.
The idea to revisit these album tracks came shortly after K.Flay found herself struggling to listen to loud music due to her single sided deafness coupled with severe tinnitus. In search of a new approach, she collaborated with producer Lonas to rework and re-record the tracks with a restrained touch, focusing on intimacy, subtlety, and the power of simplicity.
"My SSD (single-sided deafness) and profound tinnitus make listening to loud music difficult. And so a strange fact hung in the air: I'd made an album that was hard for me to listen to," the musician said in a press release. We just caught her live in Minneapolis.
Mickey Dolenz, Mar 22, Uptown, $39-$99
Hey, Hey, it’s a Monkee! Dolenz is at it again, this time to the benefit of his dedicated fans, as he sets out for another round of An Evening of Songs and Stories performances
He’s also featured in a new movie from last September called The Zombie Wedding” and keeps flying the Monkees flag of song favorites, for all their fans, young and old.
SUNDAY MARCH 23
Geoff Tate, Mar 23, Knuckleheads,Sold Out
The former Queensryche singer is out on his "Operation: Mindcrime- The Final Chapter" U.S. tour, during which he will perform the band's classic album in full for this final run. The 1988 milestone album was one of Queensryche's most successful and the platinum certified record features hit singles such as "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love."
Tate fronted Queensrÿche for over 30 years, performing on the band’s classic albums in the 1980s and beyond. He split from the group in 2012, though it appears he is now on better terms with his former bandmates, who still own their name after some legal wranglings, but it’s only Tate who can legally perform the classic album and the acclaimed sequel record, in full.
MONDAY MARCH 24
Annie DiRusso, Mar 24, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $20-$100
The rising Nashville indie artist has just released her debut album Super Pedestrian. DiRusso says of her debut, “a lot of the album is about this push and pull of acceptance and resistance. It's me learning to surrender and about not being in the passenger seat of your own life.”
"I feel like a much more balanced, fully formed version of myself," DiRusso says. "I'm so excited to just show people where I'm at and how I'm feeling. I want this album to show people it's okay to have fun.
To celebrate the release DiRusso and her band is out on a 32-date headlining tour which starts right here in Lawrence freaking Kansas!
The album, produced by Caleb Wright (Hippocampus, Samia) follows DiRusso’s critically acclaimed EP God, I Hate This Place, and two straight years on the road, which included opening for Haim and beabadoobee, and appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Anberlin, Copeland, Madina Lake, Mar 24, Madrid, $33.50-$73.50
The Florida alternative group Anberlin has announced their return to the road to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their quintessential album, Never Take Friendship Personal and they’ll play that landmark 2005 album in its entirety. Joining them on the tour is support act Copeland, who is set to perform their own 2005 album, In Motion in its entirety. Madina Lake adds additional support.
National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity? Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email [email protected]
| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com |
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