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Rock-vember?!
...Not exactly, but while it’s still a bit busy, the busiest month is in the rearview mirror for the year. Just in time too as temps have remained mild, but will soon take a turn and clocks fall back this Saturday night.
Spring shows have started to announce for small and medium-size venues mostly, though expect some big-time 2025 tours to announce before the holidays to take advantage of possible tickets as gifts.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from November 1st- 7th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1
Leslie Jones (comedy), Nov 1, Uptown, $39-$60
The ex-SNL, three-time Emmy Award nominee has also been honored as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and is back on the road doing stand-up. Jones co-hosts the podcast THE FCKRY with comedian Lenny Marcus, interviewing guests and answer listener questions, while exposing “the fckry” of any given topic.
Jesse McCartney, Nov 1, the Midland, $34.50-$40
The singer-songwriter is out for part 2 of the All’s Well Tour. The first half of the tour ended in May, but because of such high demand, he is resumed the tour for another leg. Known for songs like "Beautiful Soul," "Leavin'" and "How Do You Sleep?" the pop star emerged onto the music scene in 1999 as a member of boy band Dream Street, McCartney's career took off in 2004 with the release of his debut solo album, "Beautiful Soul."
McCartney's following two albums — "Right Where You Want Me" and "Departure" — yielded the musician a number of hits as well as his highest charting album on the Billboard charts. McCartney has released only two full-length albums in the following sixteen years — 2014's "In Technicolor" and 2021's "New Stage."
Taj Farrant, Nov 1, Knuckleheads, $35
The Aussie prodigy started playing guitar at 7 years old and two years later, he'd found fame on Ellen and Australia's Got Talent, and has since played with icons like Carlos Santana, KISS, Rob Thomas and Orianthi to name a few. Now a teenager, he was recently asked by Prince’s estate to perform at Paisley Park for the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain where he performed with Prince’s band- we were there
Taj is celebrating six of his latest original songs — “Crossroads,” “Cruz,” “Bad Trip,” “House Always Wins,” “2 x 2 and “I Give Up” — reaching No. 1 status on the iTunes Blues Charts in the U.S., Australia, Finland and Canada.
Taj Farrant's debut album tour, titled "Chapter One," marks an exciting milestone for the young Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter. Launched to coincide with the release of his highly anticipated first album, the tour showcases his exceptional talent and eclectic musical style, blending rock, blues, and pop influences.
Chris Janson, Nov 1, TPAC- Topeka, $39-$69
Janson is a Platinum-selling high octane Country entertainer, multi-instrumentalist, award-winning singer/songwriter, and the youngest living member of the Grand Ole Opry. His sophomore album, Everybody, produced his second No. 1 hit single, “Fix A Drink,” the chart-topping follow up to his No. 1 debut smash and summer anthem, “Buy Me A Boat.”
After earlier dates with Jake Owen, he’s been headlining on his Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get Tour. Janson is known for giving his all on stage and recently, he released his music video for current single, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,” featuring global superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“I can’t wait to get this show on the road. Seeing the fans and playing live is my favorite thing to do. Expect nothing but hits, positivity, and a lot of energy on the Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get Tour!!! Love y’all and can’t wait to see you in a town near you!”
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2
Yoke Lore, Nov 2, Granada-Lawrence, $32-$35
In a recent social media post to his followers, Yoke Lore announced that there are so many songs he wants to perform for his fans, so he is hitting the road for the “In the Autumn Amble: An Introspective Spectacular” starting in October and running through most of November with Runner opening.
Yoke Lore previously released his debut album, Toward a Never Ending New Beginning (Yell House Records (2023), solidifying him as an indie pioneer with a distinctive artistic vision and thoughtful lyricism.
Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert (early/late shows), Nov. 2, Kauffman Center, $96
It’s a live orchestral rendition of the series’ iconic soundtrack, paired with a nearly two-hour special recap of the animated series' three seasons displayed on a full-size cinema screen. The projection will feature the original dialogue and sound effects without any pre-recorded music, allowing the live orchestra to perform the legendary score live and in perfect sync with the show scenes for a truly immersive and grandiose concert experience.
Taiko drums and erhus will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series' fan-favorite scenes are presented in chronological order on the film screen, breathing life into Aang’s liberating quest in an epic and authentic way.
The creative mastermind behind the show's original music, award-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman, has poured his heart and exceptional talent into re-imagining and expanding the show’s soundtrack specially for this event. Through the creative collaboration with Jeff Adams (the show's original editor) and under the artistic guidance of the show's creators, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, this spectacular production magnifies the essence of the series. (Low tix alert for both)
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3
MONDAY NOVEMBER 4
The Chameleons, Nov 4, recordBar, $42.49
We’ve waited months for this rescheduled date after the band had vehicle trouble on the road here! Some of the old, some of the new-- the iconic post-punk 80's band The Chameleons have returned with a brand-new three-song EP, “Where Are You?”, out via Metropolis Records and represents their first new studio recordings in over two decades. This is all a follow-up to last year’s return to live stages alongside The Mission (UK), which we were saddened to have missed also at recordBar.
“It’s exciting to finally be putting out fresh Chameleons material for the first time in over twenty years, although initially I found it quite daunting,” admits vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess, “The question about new music is one I had been asked the most from people coming to the shows, a great many of whom weren’t even born when those records were originally made but nevertheless were excited and inspired by the music enough to catch multiple shows on multiple tours.”
Coupled with the shimmery “Endlessly Falling” and the acoustic ballad “Forever,” the “Where Are You?” EP is a slight taste of an upcoming album titled Arctic Moon. "We’ve managed to transcend the confines of our own legacy and finally forge something fresh.” Burgess says.
In the live show, the band will be celebrating their 1986 breakthrough album Strange Times, which spawned the singles “Tears” and “Swamp Thing.” “I initially wasn’t a huge fan of album performance tours,” Burgess admits. “I believed instead that they ought to have been confined to one-off, special events. Performing Strange Times changed my mind,” he says. “For one thing, the album marked a significant evolution by the band both in its sound and the maturity of the writing. Secondly, it’s a challenging album to perform live and thus, it’s much more fun to play.”
City and Colour, w Vincent Neil Emerson, Nov 4, Liberty Hall-Lawrence, $38.50-$58
aka Dallas Green celebrates 20 years of City and Colour next year, - the 44-year-old's latest album The Love Still Held Me Near is his most personal work to date. On it, Green aims to look to the future with optimism and the hopes of living life to the fullest, while also keeping the respective deaths of both his cousin, and his old friend Karl Bareham, the latter having drowned in 2019.
By the end of the record, Green comes to accept how hard things can get and how tired life can leave us and declares that he’s ready to “Begin Again.” He also continues to work with P!nk on new music.
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5
Rod Wave w Moneybagg YoToosii Lil Poppa Dess Dior EELmatic, Nov 5, T-Mobile Center, $49.50-$229.50
Rod Wave is out on his 2024 Last Lap Tour headlining 36 of North America's top arenas, with Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior and Eelmatic as special guests.
The "Nostalgia" rapper will continue to other major cities until he reaches his home state of Florida in December. Known for his fiercely loyal fanbase, Rod's extensive touring history includes two consecutive nationwide arena tours, grossing tens of millions of dollars on the road.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6
Creed w 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH, Nov 6, T-Mobile Center, $34.50-$220
The Creed reunion tour continues on a new leg of shows with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH, dubbed the "Are You Ready?" tour. The band's song "Higher" helped propel rocker Huntley to a win on the previous season of NBC's The Voice.
The band first announced a "Summer of '99" cruise with numerous guest bands, leading to a second cruise was soon added and now this full-fledged tour. Bassist Wolfgang Van Halen fronting his own band Mammoth WVH, was previously the bass player for Creed offshoot band Tremonti, and we just saw Wolf less than two weeks ago, as part of the Ozzy Tribute at the Rock Hall of Fame Induction concert.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7
Vitamin String Quartet (playing music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton), Nov 7, Kauffman, $37
Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) helped establish classical crossover as a genuine force in contemporary music. With high-profile placements in Seasons 1 and 2 of the smash streaming hit show Bridgerton, VSQ has "reached a mainstream, global audience" (Variety) and "charmed the world with their classical covers" (Nylon).
On their latest tour, VSQ have also created fresh arrangements of the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, performing innovative renditions of Swift’s music, alongside familiar hits from Billie Eilish, BTS, Bridgerton, The Weeknd and Daft Punk. VSQ are one of the most popular string ensembles in the world with over 2 billion streams and seven albums charting on both Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts.
Animals As Leaders, Nov 7, Madrid, $35-$75
The alt-tech and prog instrumental trio is out on their “Joy of Motion X Tour” in celebration of 10 years, performing their signature album in its entirety on this 26-city tour. The mind-bending trio – comprising guitarist Tosin Abasi, bassist-guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka –released their fifth album Parrhesia in 2022.
They first shot to fame with their djent-informed self-titled album in 2009, including their early hits like “Cafo” and “Tempting Time.” In 2011, they released Weightless, their second album that doubled down on the ambient-meets-progressive-metal sound with songs like “An Infinite Regression.” More playfulness was imbued on 2014’s The Joy of Motion, best heard on “Physical Education,” although they still brought djent breakdowns with “Tooth and Claw.”
Abasi, Reyes and Garstka took a different turn with their next album, The Madness of Many, released in 2016. Songs like “Arithmophobia” had a distinct sitar-like influence while “The Brain Dance” found its place in the catalog as perhaps their most accessible song, buoyed by acoustic guitar and jazz influences.
Plini will handle support duties.
Tender, Nov 7, recordBar, $20
The UK-based indie electronic duo has returned with their new album Flux, via Nettwerk. The album follows after their 2017 debut, Modern Addiction, and their 2019 sophomore record, Fear of Falling Asleep.
Vocalist James Cullen and instrumentalist Dan Cobb explained part of their five years between albums, “The record represents a period of huge change in our life where we both moved away from London, started families and had to learn a bit more about what made us ourselves now in these new lives we’d carved out. Where was our place in this world? “
Title track “flux” acts as a center point for the album, both musically and thematically. It finds the band at their most soulful and resonant, coloring their vocals with gospel harmonies and spacious production. Cullen offers a fittingly tender vocal performance while Cobb immerses the track in an effortless sheen, building from a sparse blend of bass and finger snaps into a swirl of organic and electronic tones.
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]
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