W♥M

04/22/2025

Minneapolis: May 22, 2025

We♥KC! April 28-May 1, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

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Florida’s rapper Denzel Curry is playing First Avenue on Thursday, August 15.: Tour dates: 8/10-8/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands; 8/13 - Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre;
8/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

A little bit of concert and venue news,

The KC Symphony has welcomed new assistant conductors and five musicians, ahead of this Friday’s “Back to the 80’s” performance, which looks fun with a guest conductor and three guest vocalists, and the scheduled May 18 Australian Pink Floyd show at Uptown is canceled due to “logistical issues” (we caught them live in 2016 in Minneapolis for you).

Construction continues on the 15,000-capacity amphitheater in Riverside (LiveNation will exclusively book) so we’ll wonder how that will affect Azura and Starlight among venues. El Torreon’s re-opening has been delayed until late this year (at best), and we’ve heard good things about the new 650-capacity Warehouse on Broadway (except for tough parking), but haven’t been in, just yet.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend from April 28^th to May 1^st.

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

MONDAY APRIL 28

Denzel Curry, Apr 28, Uptown Theater,$52-$158

(Note: The venue is now the Uptown Theater)

In support of his new album, “King of the Mischievous South”, esteemed Miami rapper Denzel Curry is out in support on an extensive 2025 tour. The Mischievous South World Tour, which hits Australia, North America, and Europe along with support from 454, Kenny Mason, and Clip.

The new record is a sequel of sorts to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South Vol. 1 Underground Tape 1996 and also serves as an expanded version of a similarly titled record he put out this past summer. He’s already been in Australia and New Zealand in February and moved over to North America on March 31 in Phoenix to start the leg which wraps on May 9 in Los Angeles.

Silent Planet, Invent Animate, Apr 28, The Truman,$25-$47

Worlds. Will. Collide!!! Metalcore vets Silent Planet and Invent Animate are on the road together to play their 2023 records Superbloom and Heavener in their entirety, respectively. The two bands also recently teamed up for a new collaborative EP called Bloom In Heaven, which also blends their respective album titles. We checked out Invent Animate on a bill just last year in Lawrence.

We assume the stage will also get crowded as they’re expected to amalgamate to perform at least one of their Bloom In Heaven songs together as well. The trek started April 17th in TX and wraps May 16th, when both bands perform at Daytona, FL’s Welcome to Rockville festival.

Joining the bands for most dates are Pennsylvanian metalcore group 156/Silence and Sweden’s ALLT.

Korine, Apr 28, recordBar, $18

Philly darkwave duo Korine just released their fourth album, A Flame in the Dark, last month and are out on tour in support, including a fun recent weekend at Coachella. The tour hits KC around the mid-way point and is scheduled to finish in Washington, DC on May 19. Recent second single from the record is the electro ballad, “In Your Eyes” (no, not that version you’re thinking of).

TUESDAY APRIL 29

Mayday Parade Apr 29, Uptown,$41-$56

Mayday Parade – vocalist Derek Sanders, drummer/vocalist Jake Bundrick, guitarists Alex Garcia and Brooks Betts and bassist/vocalist Jeremy Lenzo – will be celebrating 20 years together this year and the Tallahassee, FL five-piece is set to release perhaps their most aspirational and ambitious effort yet: a three-part album.

The first entry, Sweet, just dropped April 18 with lead song, “By The Way.” “Being in a band for this long, sometimes you feel like you’re getting it right and sometimes you feel like you’re dancing around what you should be doing. This song feels locked in as a step in the right direction. It’s a song about trying to stay optimistic as the world and everything you know is changing around you. We hope you all enjoy it,” says Derek Sanders on “By The Way.”

The other two releases are expected later this year and into 2026 and $1 from each ticket sold will be donated to the Ally Coalition, supporting LGBTQ+ in NYC.

The Wrecks w Quarters of Change, Apr 29, The Truman, $29-$119

Alt-pop powerhouse The Wrecks have released their new project Inside, via Lava/Republic Records. This serves as the first half of their upcoming full-length album and features previously released singles “Speed” and “Always, Everytime” along with four new tracks.

On the project, frontman Nick Anderson shares: “INSIDE: is about self-realization—coming to know myself on a deeper level through both the highs and the lows. At first, that awareness felt like a cage, but over time, it became liberating. Making music is a lot like solving a puzzle, and this record was the hardest one yet. I spent a year inside my house, writing without direction, struggling with feeling lost, disconnected, and exhausted. I didn’t want to go outside, so I kept trying inside. But through that process, I rebuilt my confidence. These songs are the result of that journey. They gave me a way out—and now I get to go outside and share them with the world. I hope that people connect with it in their own way and if they do, then I set out to do exactly what I wanted to do.”

Dummy, April 29, White Schoolhouse-Lawrence, $15

Dummy, the indie Los Angeles shoegaze band comprised of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor released their new album “Free Energy” last September following their lead single/video, “Nullspace.” Their debut full-length Mandatory Enjoyment arrived in late 2021 and quickly became one of the year’s sleeper hits.

As for the rural venue, the current structure is the fourth schoolhouse to occupy the site- history swallowed the first circa 1860s structure, flooding consumed the second in 1903 and fire did in the third schoolhouse in 1928, but the fourth and current one has stayed up, being built in 1929. It’s a small and intimate space that should enhance a very personal kind of show.

Foxy Shazam, Apr 29, recordBar, $25

Foxy Shazam charged back into 2025 with a fiery new single "Rhumbatorium" ahead of their new and ninth studio album “Animality Opera”, via the band’s own label, EEEOOOAH.

Acclaimed for their over-the-top visual style and songwriting and playing, the new single features soaring vocals, underpinned by a cacophony of horns, guitars, and drums, culminating in a powerful spoken word verse by fellow artist and collaborator Shamon Cassette. As compelling as that sounds, the band is at its best live, which is its true element and arrive early for the dazzling visuals of Coney Island-based, Hot Fix Sideshow.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 30

Tommy Prine, Apr 30, Knuckleheads, $20

Son of the late John, Tommy Prine's 2023 debut album This Far South was a testimony to Prine's 20s and the defining loss, love, and growth from that era. Co-produced by close friend and musician Ruston Kelly, and Nashville engineer Gena Johnson, the album also received a deluxe version, out last June, featuring reimagined versions, a special guest and a brand-new song.

“Releasing my debut album changed so much in my life. The only things that stayed the same were my family, my pets, and my friends. Everything else changed drastically. I've had a few moments that felt like the point of no return, releasing the album being one of them. Not in a scary way, just in a way that there is no taking back art that you put out into the world. Once it has affected one other person, it has already begun its own life and will in turn change the creator's life.”

Tommy learned to play guitar by watching his father, mimicking the ways his fingers moved, he inadvertently developed his own style with influences as diverse as Gillian Welch, Outkast, Bon Iver, the Strokes and more.

THURSDAY MAY 1

Family Sideshow (play) May 1-10, KC Melting Pot, $21.50-$32.50

In this dark comedy, a dysfunctional family reunites for a chaotic and absurd night of revelations, confrontations, and unexpected twists, all unfolding under the glow of the family’s carnival sideshow held at the theater. It’s the World Premiere of Brysen Boyd's “Family Sideshow,” the winner of the 2020 KCMPT Black Playwright Festival.

Boyd is a playwright, TV writer, and essayist originally from Tacoma, WA who served on the writing staff for HBO’s “Succession”, is the inaugural Playwright-in-Residence at Reverie Theater Company, a member of Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theater and was an Artist-in-Residence at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

The play was also a Playwrights’ Center Venturous Prize Nominee, O'Neill Conference Semi-finalist, and 2022 Juilliard Finalist.

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

Posted at 03:56 PM in Denzel Curry, Foxy Shazam, Invent Animate, John, Kansas City, Kansas City Music Guide, Korine, Mayday Parade, Preview, Silent Planet, The Wrecks, Theater, Tommy Prine | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weekend Gamer: The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

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The Last of Us

I love the video game The Last of Us, probably my personal Game of the Year in 2018 for the PS3. The game was so good, that I re-purchased it for the PS4. I probably would’ve ....

With the new season of The Last of Us airing on HBO a few weeks ago, I’ve decided to finally get around to playing The Last of Us Part II video game, thanks to the game finally being available on PC (release date Apr 3, 2025).

I love the first game, having purchased it at least three times: Last of Us on PS3, “Remastered” (traded in the PS3 at Gamestop and paid the remaining balance for the PS4 version), and again on PC (purchased Sep 3, 2023 on Steam).

I love the first game, but I didn’t really understand why the game developer Naughty Dog needed to make a second game. I suppose the first game made so much money that it was inevitable that a sequel was in the works. Personally speaking, I thought the first game ended just fine and they could have ended the story there.

If you played the first game, the HBO series did a good job adapting the game - almost to a point that if you’ve played the game, there were no surprises at all. The adaption was very faithful to the game. My only gripe is the actress they cast for Ellie doesn’t look like the video game.

Dina and Ellie

With the second game, it takes place four years after the first game, making Ellie about 18 years old. So, she looks older and chiseled in the game. Again, comparing it to the television show, it looks like the actress that plays Ellie, Bella Ramsey, hasn’t aged at all and it doesn’t even seem like much time has passed in the television show.

My other problem is the actress they cast to play Abby, Kaitlyn Dever, doesn’t look as buff or physically intimidating as in the game. I know I should overlook these things, but there is a reason why Abby is so built, and in the television show, they are probably going to ignore that part of her character.

Looking at it, I felt like maybe Kaitlyn Dever looks more like Ellie, and I would’ve been much happier if they had originally cast her as Ellie. For Abby, they should have cast someone more muscular. Maybe someone in the MMA.

Anyway, as for the The Last of Us Part II game, I’m very early in the game. If you didn’t know… a major character gets killed, and it’s really the whole revenge plot of the game. They changed the show a little to better explain motivations. In the game, it’s a complete mystery, until it’s unveiled.

In the game, as is seen on the television show, Joel and Ellie’s relationship has fallen apart. The two aren’t as close as they were in the first game, and … and we’re also introduced to Ellie’s love interest, Dina. The Dina character, I have zero complaints about, as she looks and acts like the game. The video game Dina does remind me of someone I know (interesting to note that her name is also ‘Dina’, but with an ‘e’), especially with her hair and prominent nose.

I’ve forgotten how slow the game is in the beginning. It’s almost like half of it are pre-rendered movie. Playing the game on an ultrawide monitor is great… except every time a movie is shown, it cuts to widescreen. It is kind of annoying, but at least the game supports ultrawide for gameplay.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Yours,

Weekend Gamer
[email protected]

04/21/2025

My Morning Jacket at the Armory (04-20-2025)

My Morning Jacket at Armory (20 Apr 2025)

My Morning Jacket Setlist

Out in the Open
Compound Fracture
Beginning from the Ending
Evil Urges
Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2
Time Waited
I’m Amazed
Lay Low
Honest Man
Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
with Dave Simonett
Like a River
he Way That He Sings
Off the Record
Steam Engine
Master Plan
Everyday Magic
Circuital
Die for It
Gideon

-- Encore --
Victory Dance
Purple Rain (Prince cover)
with Grace Cummings
One Big Holiday

Grace Cummings Setlist

Something Going ‘Round
Raglan
A Precious Thing
Here Is the Rose
Fly a Kite
Common Man
(Unknown)
Ramona
Heaven

Read More

My Morning Jacket

This is the second night for My Morning Jacket at the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. While Friday's MMJ show featured local Hippo Campus, Saturday's support will come from Lizzo. ....

Grace Cummings

Opening the show was Melbourne’s Grace Cummings. She’s joined on stage with her brother on guitars, Tyler on drums, Lino on bass (she also thanked her driver, ....

We last saw My Morning Jacket at the Palace Theatre in June, 2023 and it was a highlight of the year for the band knows how to put on a show.

My Morning Jacket at Palace Theatre (20 June 2023)

In the review, I mentioned that “...they played some pretty good pre-show music, music you normally wouldn’t hear at a rock show with songs like “Caravan” and “Mood Indigo” from the Duke Ellington Orchestra.”

Waiting in the Armory for the opening act, the pre-show music played Stevie Wonder, Hall & Oates and “In a Sentimental Mood” by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, which I took as an omen that the show would be just as entertaining.

Grace Cummings opened up the evening with a nine-song set. She is from Melbourne, Australia and is supporting her third album, Ramona. She has a powerful voice and a commanding presence. I heard shades of Cat Power. A photographer covering the show, Brandon, mentioned PJ Harvey.

Cummings played her first three songs with a band before moving to a couple of solo songs, one on the piano and the other acoustic guitar. At that point I heard echoes of Bob Dylan, which Cummings cites as an influence, even naming her latest album after his song “To Ramona”.

When she invited her band back on stage it was full-tilt with a sound that filled the cavernous venue, especially “Heaven”.

Looking at MMJ’s setlist on setlist.fm, it became apparent that they have no intention of playing the same songs night after night. Maybe that’s the prerogative of a band who has played close to thirty years together and is supporting its tenth album Is. Still, there must be a lot of scrambling backstage to keep up with the instrument changes and lighting that seemed to be schemed for each individual song.

From Louisville, Kentucky MMJ the band consists of Jim James on lead vocals and guitar, Tom Blakenship on bass, Patrick Hallahan on drums, Carl Broemel on guitar and Bo Koster on Keyboards. And for close to two and a half hours they kept their fan base enthralled with songs that always seemed to build into epic jams. “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2” would be a case in point.

There wasn’t much patter for the songs blended right into each other. James did take a moment to say that they had the day off on Saturday and had a wonderful time in Minneapolis going to an art museum and dining at 112 Eatery.

For “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” James invited Dave Simonett from Trampled by Turtles on stage who sang, then pulled his daughter from the wings to do a little dancing.

After the reggae-tinged “Off the Record” MMJ closed with “Die for It” and “Gideon”. And for the encore the gorgeous “Victory Dance”, then inviting Cummings on stage to cover Prince’s “Purple Rain”. And although four hours had almost elapsed since Cummings took the stage, the audience had enough to shake the floor for “One Big Holiday”.

As the main lights came up and I was getting ready to leave, a fan came over to let me know, “They brought it tonight,” After a fist bump, he repeated, “They brought it.”

Remaining Tour Dates

04/21 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater #

04/25 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace **

04/26 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace ††

04/27 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace ^^

04/29 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace ##

04/30 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace ^

05/02 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory at The District ^

05/04 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

08/05 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater

08/06 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater

08/08 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater

08/09 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau St. Michelle Winery

08/13 – Dillon, CO – Dillon Amphitheater

08/15 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

08/16 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

08/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

08/20 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl

08/22 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre

10/08 – Washington, DC – The Anthem

10/10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met

10/11 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met

10/13 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway

10/14 – Portland, ME – State Theatre

10/16 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount

10/17 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount

10/18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount

10/20 – Newport, KY – MegaCorp Pavilion

10/22 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee

10/24 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed

10/25 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed

10/26 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed

10/29 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle

10/31 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre

11/01 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre

w/ Special Guests
^ Bendigo Fletcher
# Grace Cummings
** Lacey Guthrie
†† Future Killer
^^ The Jesse Lees
## 10th Street Dre and Maggie Halfman

Grace Cummings

My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket at Armory (20 Apr 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 11:44 PM in Dave, Grace Cummings, Jim James, Minneapolis, My Morning Jacket, Prince, The Armory | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jax: May 10 to May 12, 2025

Bob Mould at the Palace Theatre (04-19-2025)

Bob Mould at Palace Theatre (19 Apr 2025)

Bob Mould Setlist

Star Machine
The Descent
Neanderthal
Here We Go Crazy
You Need to Shine
Fur Mink Augurs
The Ocean
Daddy’s Favorite
Black Confetti
Next Generation
American Crisis
Fireball
Forecast of Rain
I Don’t Know You Anymore
You Say You
Hardly Getting Over It*
Celebrated Summer*
Hard to Get
When Your Heart is Broken
The War
Flip Your Wig*
Siberian Butterfly
Losing Time
Hate Paper Doll*
Something I Learned Today*
Chartered Trips*
Makes No Sense at All*

* Hüsker Dü song

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Bob Mould

“Distortion and Blue Hearts!” is the name of the new tour from Bob Mould. The guy is a legend, we’ve been listening to his music since Sugar and through back catalogs, Hüsker Dü. …

Midway through the set, lead singer Rick Valentin of Poster Children stated a rule. “Rule No. 1. Don’t talk during the show.”

I’m not sure if the rule was for the audience. It did pertain to the band along with other punk rock rules. Rules like play fast and play loud and no instrument changes. Also, get plenty of cardio training in before going on tour so you can play loud and fast with no breaks between songs.

Poster Children formed in 1987 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and its members took to the proscenium stage at the Palace Theatre like they were still in their Twenties. Valentin was joined on stage by Jim Valentin on lead guitar, Matt Friscia on drums and Rose Marshack on bass.

Special shout out to Marshack who bounced around the stage with so much energy, I would like to see the band in twenty years just to see her raging into her twilight years.

By the end, though, Marshack was out of breath, but still took the opportunity to thank everyone for coming out. Valentin said that it was her birthday and got the audience to sing her birthday song, fast and loud, and for some reason, twice.

Bob Mould next took the stage and adhered to the above rules. In fact, he blistered through the first half of his set before even stopping to grab a breath.

Mould was joined on stage by Jason Narducy of Verbow and Split Single on bass and John Wurster of Superchunk and The Mountain Goats on drums.

We are big fans of Mould and have seen him multiple times over the years, last as a solo act at the Cedar Cultural Center in Oct, 2023 and with his band at First Ave in Sept, 2021.

The front half of the set was devoted to the six albums Mould has made with Narducy and Wurster, including his latest, Here We Go Crazy. The second half was devoted to songs from Hüsker Dü, a band he formed not far from the venue when he was a college student at Macalester.

Although Mould has much love for the Twin Cities and will be the keynote speaker for the 2025 Commencement at Macalester, there were no asides or trips down memory lane. After all, that would have violated rule No. 1.

Fun Fact: Last week I was playing the Wednesday crossword puzzle on the Vox website when I came across this clue:

Hüsker Dü album about a man trying to escape his miserable home life.

Answer: Zen Arcade.

Remaining Tour Dates

04/25 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/26 – Chicago, IL – Metro ^

04/27 – Detroit, MI – El Club ^

04/29 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop ^

04/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre ^

05/02 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club ^

05/03 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge ^

05/04 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^

05/07 – Washington DC – Black Cat ^

05/09 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall ^

05/10 – Indianapolis, IN – HI–FI Indy ^

05/11 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Beer Garden #

+ w/ Special Guests Poster Children
^ w/ Special Guest J. Robbins
# w/ Special Guests Winged Wheel

Poster Children

Bob Mould

Jason Narducy

Jon Wurster

Bob Mould at Palace Theatre (19 Apr 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 07:55 PM in Bob Mould, Dave, Husker Du, Jason Narducy, Palace Theatre, St Paul, Superchunk, The Mountain Goats | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis: May 21, 2025

Jax: May 7 to May 9, 2025

Joey’s Van at Jack Rabbits (07 May 2025)

We♥KC! April 25-27, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

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Joywave

That was completely the vibe for Rochester, NY’s Joywave as they played an hour-long set, in support of fourth album, Cleanse, released in February. Singer Daniel Armbruster .

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Last weekend for a fairly rainy April--

Grass gets longer, temps start to slowly climb, and outdoor patios are re-opening, meaning outdoor concert venues will soon do the same. Schools will be out for summer break too, so expect Lawrence shows to slightly slow down, but we’re showing a fairly packed KC events calendar, from now through October!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend from April 25th to 27^th.

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

FRIDAY APRIL 25

Maribou State, Apr 25, The Truman, $25

The electronic duo Maribou State released their album 'Hallucinating Love', in late January via Ninja Tune, featuring soulful new track ‘All I Need’(feat. MOBO-nominated artist Andreya Triana). The duo of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory are back with new music, their first studio album in seven years after a turbulent few years following Davids’ surgery for a rare brain condition.

Another single, ‘Otherside’ featuring vocalist Holly Walker, also precluded the new record and it should be a nice welcome back after almost a decade away.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bobby Rush, Apr 25, Uptown, $40-$100

What a pairing! Three-time Grammy Award-winning blues legend Bobby Rush and five-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, unite on a tour to support their brand-new collaboration album, Young Fashioned Ways, which just came out late last month. Their debut single, “Who Was That,” was already featured in Lionsgate’s upcoming film Flight Risk starring Mark Wahlberg.

The pair have embarked on a 24-city U.S. tour starting right here in Kansas City, MO going through late August to wrap in Lincoln City, LA. The 91-year-old Rush is 44 years older than KWS and is a three-time Grammy Award winner for Best Traditional Blues Album for Porcupine Meat, Rawer than Raw, and 2024’s All My Love For You. He is also a 56-time nominated and 16-time Blues Music Awards winner and has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Rush and Shepherd named the album Young Fashioned Ways culminating from their mutual admiration of blues legend Muddy Waters, and the youthfulness of their pairing despite their wide age gap. The two artists also wrote a new version of Waters’ “Young Fashioned Ways” based on Willie Dixon’s original, re-titled the song “Young Ways,” and included it on the album. The album also includes colorful re-inventions of four classic Rush songs – “40 Acres (How Long),” “G String,” “Make Love to You” and “Uncle Esau.”

Ally Venable, Apr 25, Knuckleheads,$20

The Texas-born and bred guitar shredding powerhouse drops single, “Unbreakable” featuring Shemekia Copeland and is out on her ‘Money & Power’ Tour, named after the new record of the same name, which was just released last Friday via Ruf Records. She just got off the road on the Experience Hendrix Tour, but is back out again as a headliner.

“This is a powerful duet, and defiant anthem that celebrates the indomitable spirit of women who have weathered life’s storms,” says Ally. “The song paints a vivid portrait of two souls who have both gone through adversity, yet their voices blend in a harmonious tribute to resilience and triumph. I am here to let women know that they can stand tall and face the world with unbreakable courage and strength.” “All the songs on this album showcase the theme of what it truly means to be a force to be reckoned with. I want this record to wake people up,” she notes.

Five for Fighting, Apr 25, Liberty Hall-Lawrence, $35-$85

Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) is set to hit town on the opening performance of his series of special string quartet shows before he and his full band hit the road more traditionally with Vertical Horizon later in the summer and fall.

Ondrasik will be bringing top musicians including Tony-Award winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Katie Kresek on violin, Melissa Tong on violin, who toured with Post Malone in 2023, and Broadway’s Chris Cardona on viola and Peter Sachon on cello. The unique nature of the shows allows Ondrasik to go behind the music and tell stories while the format allows for a deeper dive into the catalog, while there is always a surprise or two in store.

As Five For Fighting, he has released six studio albums, including the platinum America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top ten Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. FFF’s radio hits include “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top 10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s.

Ondrasik’s passion for humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment and he’s been writing songs about key events around the world from a humanistic perspective including “Can One Man Save The World?” which was inspired by President Vladimir Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. He wrote “OK (We Are Not Ok)” in response to the October 7th attacks in Israel, while addressing its cultural aftermath everywhere.

Hayes Carll / Corb Lund, Apr 25, Knuckleheads, Sold Out

The only thing better than Corb Lund and Hayes Carll is the pair on tour together! Coming off his recent collaboration with The Band of Heathens, TX songwriter Carll is now in collaboration with Canadian C&W legend Lund for their “Bible on the Dash” tour, named after the duo’s 2012 song together.

Both will be on stage together – swapping songs, storytelling, and revealing the inspirations behind many their songs in unique performances. This should be a fun and unique show for those who scored tickets – alas, already sold out for anyone on the fence.

The Ocean Blue, Apr 25- Bottleneck-Lawrence, $25-$30

The Alt-rock 120 Minutes-era veterans are back out on tour where they’re playing their 1989 self-titled debut album and 1991’s Cerulean, in their entirety. The Ocean Blue's debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 and the band of four teenagers from Hershey, PA quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay, with hits like “Between Something and Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling”. They followed their debut album with the subtle and atmospheric Cerulean, which included perhaps their most beloved song, “Ballerina Out of Control”.

In 2013, the band released their first full length record in over 10 years, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a Minneapolis-based label cooperative label the band helped launch, which is also why they played semi-frequently in the Twin Cities, though didn’t originate there. The band has gone on to release their first new full length album in over 6 years as well.

Hairball, Apr 25, Stormont-Vail Events Center- Topeka, $15-$55

It’s a celebration of 25 years of Las Vegas meets Arena Rock! Starting out in small Minnesota bars (which is where we used to catch them), Hairball has evolved into a legendary tribute touring act that brings the glory of the 80’s to fans throughout the country, with a 2+ hour accurate homage to the biggest arena acts of the era. From Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey, Aerosmith, and more – recreated time and time again in front of your very eyes! Their bombastic, action-packed, Rock & Roll party is chock-full of surprises with an arena-sized light show, smoke, fire, and pyrotechnics.

SATURDAY APRIL 26

Paul Simon, Apr 26, Midland, Sold Out

No longer the 'boy in the bubble', legendary singer songwriter Paul Simon has un-retired from live concerts and is playing live again, for the first time since the ‘farewell tour’ of 2018 (due to hearing issues) and with more “intimate” arrangements and locations than the bigger tours of old.

The “Quiet Celebration Tour” is focused around his most recent album, the acoustically based “Seven Psalms,”which has been played live in its entirety for the first half of these shows. Expect the 83-year-old and band to rock the hits after an intermission to close the night. Most dates on this 50-show tour are multi-nights in bigger metros, with KC just getting the one night.

The band will include Caleb Burhans (viola), Jamey Haddad (percussion), Gyan Riley (guitar), Mick Rossi (piano, keys), Andy Snitzer (saxophone), Nancy Stagnita (flute), Mark Stewart (guitar) and Eugene Friesen (cello), with Steve Gadd and Matt Chamberlin alternating on drums.

Joywave Apr 26, Truman,$28.50-$55

The acclaimed indie rock band from Rochester, NY has returned to live shows on their Here to Perform... Spring 2025 Tour. The tour supports the band’s acclaimed fifth studio album, Permanent Pleasure and is set to feature special guest little image as the supporting act. Expect a fun live show, like when we saw them last in Lawrence in 2022.

About the tour, the band said, "2024 was a busy year for us with the release of Permanent Pleasure, the accompanying short film, a full North American tour, and a run through Europe. We weren't ready for it to be over, so we figured we'd hit a bunch of cities in the US that got left out the first time. Expect a giant cat."

The band describes the new album: “A decade in the sunbeam. A unique vantage point. Our job has become to sit and think. To experience and react. The album is really 10 thoughts from Joywave's beam. I think most of the lyrics are taking place in the light as well, not loads of metaphors. Quite a bit more personal. The album is Joywave's 'whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it' at its best, and we loved the idea of the temporary state of the band name maturing into this album title."

Openers little image are a rising Dallas alt-pop trio that is out in support of its self-titled album and buzzing singles, "Out of My Mind" and the follow-up, "Run for Forever".

Dehd, Apr 26, Granada- Lawrence, $23-$26

The Chicago-based band released their fifth album “Poetry” last year and is out playing live to support and my, have they grown in just a few years, even opening recently for Jack White, and is now celebrating its 10^th anniversary. The band is still comprised of its founding members: singer and guitarist Jason Balla, singer and bassist Emily Kempf and drummer Eric McGrady. $1 from each ticket sold, will go benefit the Plus One organization.

The band released its fifth studio album “Poetry” in 2024. The album both continues Dehd’s evolution — transitioning away from its earlier punk sound (like when we saw them in Lawrence in 2021)— and maintains its genre-mixing work. “Poetry” balances the highs with the lows, weaving optimism and regret into one project. Following the breakout success of Flower of Devotion and Blue Skies, Dehd embarked on an unconventional songwriting journey, road-tripping across the U.S. to find inspiration in remote cabins, solar-powered studios, and even a brief stint stranded in rural Montana.

Shooting Star, Apr 26, Ameristar, $25-$85

Shooting Star was formed in the 1970s by Bill Guffey, Van McLain, Steve Thomas, Ron Verlin, Charles Waltz and Gary West, and Gary’s brother Ron West started the band Missouri.

Ron formed Missouri and Gary went on to record an album with a band called The Beckies. Later, Gary was recruited by a new band called The Shooting Stars, which was later changed to Shooting Star.

To Midwest radio listeners, both bands were on heavy rotation and had numerous hits, but neither band ever truly broke nationally. Come re-live the glory of the West brothers and what could have been.

Zeds Dead, Apr 26, Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, $35

Their sophomore full-length album, Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness from the Canadian duo just dropped last month and the tour is in full swing as well, having kicked off on March 7 in Atlanta and wraps in Toronto on May 10.

Zeds Dead’s Hooks (real name Zachary Rapp-Rovan) and DC (real name Dylan Mamid) spent hours pouring through old videos to include as flips and projected behind them onstage as part of their visuals. Get those glowsticks ready for an EDM extravaganza!

“This year we’re trying to look at the samples behind a lot of music,” Rapp-Rovan told Pollstar “We started making hip-hop, and we would sample a lot of things. We carried that over into Zeds Dead, but it was remixing while still sampling things. This show, we wanted to incorporate visuals that show where the samples came from, not just with our music but with the music we play, and showcase how many different eras of music are actually represented in our sets. We thought it would be a cool visual element, and that’s one of the things we’re working towards.”

Smithereens with John Cowsill, Apr 26, Knuckleheads, $35-$55

New Jersey’s own Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock n roll for 45 years (since 1980!). Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret, NJ and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains, NJ. Under their belt, they have 17 albums and 2500 plus live shows and timeless songs like rock radio staples “Blood and Roses”, “Only a Memory’, “Behind the Wall of Sleep”, and “A Girl Like You.”

DiNizio passed away unexpectedly in 2017but the three surviving bandmates, Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros, decided to persevere and carry on their shared legacy. An album of all new material is in the works for later in 2025. Using alternating special guest vocalists, such as John Cowsill (The Cowsills/The Beach Boys,) they continue to tour and rock fans all over.

SUNDAY APRIL 27

Static Dress w Soul Blind, Apr 27, Bottleneck-Lawrence,$19-$20

The West Yorkshire UK post-hardcore band have a new debut single, "face" and accompanying music video. The band has stated that the song is "a metaphor of a car crash to detail a turbulent relationship," which also "explores the horror that can unfold in the pursuit of love, and the often-destructive fallout when the results come to light."

The band are now out on their first-ever proper U.S. headline run supporting last year’s “Rouge Carpet Disaster” album, entitled the Crying Across The USA tour, with support from Soul Blind which kicked off in Brooklyn last week and wraps up in Atlanta just under one month later.

Hailing from Hudson Valley, NY, Soul Blind pushes the boundaries of alternative rock with a collage of sounds and an injection of hardcore attitude. Formed in 2018 and debuting with the Willpower EP, the band has a nuanced approach to songwriting you’ll hear on their EP, Third Chain (via Other People Records).

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

Posted at 03:34 PM in Dehd, Five for Fighting, Hairball, Hayes Carll, John, Joywave, Kansas City, Kansas City Music Guide, Lawrence, Maribou State, Paul Simon, Preview, The Ocean Blue, Zeds Dead | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Welsh Ballad of John Evans

Gruff Rhys at Swedish American Hall (19 Apr 2025)

Tour Dates

04/21 Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall

04/22 Seattle, WA @ Here – After

05/07 Belfast, UK - Black Box

05/09 Stockport, UK - Savoy Theatre

05/10 Wrexham, UK - Focus Wales

05/15 London, UK - Rich Mix

05/16 Leeds, UK - The Wardrobe

06/07 Swansea, UK, Gwyl Tawe Festival

06/11 Guildford, UK - The Boileroom

06/12 Tunbridge Wells, UK - The Forum

06/14 Ipswich, UK - Brighten the Corners Festival

08/29 Brighton, UK - Psych Fest

Read More

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Gruff Rhys
Swedish American Music Hall
San Francisco
April 19, 2025

I spilled my cider in the front row. Normally, this might not be that significant at an indie rock show, but this was not a typical indie rock show. This was a seated Gruff Rhys show, with a heavy dose of a Nerd Nite-style history lesson on the 18th century Welsh explorer John Evans, as told through words, music, and staged photos projected on the screen center-stage. So, the crowd was respectfully hushed as Rhys sat down at his keyboard and computer set-up when I spilled my cider. “Oh, hopefully you didn’t lose too much of that,” he said kindly to me, before proceeding.

Rhys created catchy, kooky rock during Britpop’s heyday as the frontman for the Welsh band Super Furry Animals, with fuzzed-out riffs, carefree melodies, and Rhys’ super furry Welsh accent. As a solo artist, Rhys has mellowed out, but he’s still mining new ground. Rhys’ tour this spring, celebrating the tenth anniversary of American Interior, is a hybrid performance cataloging his travels across the American Midwest and South to retrace Evans’ journey. Evans originally set out to find out the truth behind the myth of a 12th-century Welsh prince who supposedly settled among a Native American tribe.

Though a mellower affair than a Super Furries show, it was still pretty kooky. Through the course of the concert, Rhys recounted Evans’ tragic journey through staged photos featuring a John Evans stand-in: a puppet that looked like Sesame Street’s Count Dracula. There's the Evans puppet getting "arrested" by a modern-day cop cuffing him against his cop car; there's the Evans puppet pensively sailing down the Missouri River; there’s the Evans puppet stopping during his journey to enjoy an iced latte.

Rhys recounted the entire journey from beginning to end, accompanied by, of course, a full set of musical interludes. He mainly performed solo, with keyboards and guitar, but was joined by opener Chris Forsyth near the end of his set. Rhys played lovely, low-key renditions of his solo work, like “Bad Friend” from his 2024 album, Sadness Sets Me Free, and American Interior tracks like “The Last Conquistador,” “Lost Tribes,” and “100 Unread Messages.”

With the unfolding of story and song, Evans’ journey became our collective journey. Rhys related the Welsh prince myth to our present-day bout of “fake news”—something meant to fit a colonialist narrative. Even with the hilarious slide show, the night’s performance ended up being riveting, tuneful, and melancholy in equal parts. I was fascinated and entertained all night.

The Philadelphia-based Forsyth, who has opened for Super Furry Animals in the past, brought his freeform artrock atmospherics as a complementary, stripped-down prelude.