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Rocktober rock and rolls on--
Several co-headlining and multi-act shows give you a good bang-for-the-buck and there’s a good mix of genres and musical styles in the metro this week.
We will say we’re a little bummed that Self Deception had some Visa issues to prevent the Swedes from invading America and a lot bummed that long after buzzing young Aussies Royel Otis sold out in Lawrence, they supposedly canceled to take a better offer by playing the Austin City Limits Festival instead.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from October 7th to 10th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY OCTOBER 7
Still Woozy w Guy Dapperton, PawPaw Rod, Oct 7, The Midland, $39.50-$59.50
In support of his sophomore album “Loveseat”, Still Woozy (the alt-indie project of Bay Area musician Sven Gamsky) is out on a headlining tour that started in July. He’s a recent father too, so we’ll be curious if that affects any upcoming music.
Arrive early for rising NY alt-pop artist Gus Dapperton who has a recent EP out, “Tunes for Late Spring”. The 4-song set includes his update of Wham!’s 1984 hit “Everything She Wants” as well as reinventions of Cher’s “Believe” and Bobby Caldwell's “What You Won’t Do For Love.”
Mod Sun w lovelytheband*, Oct 7, The Granada-Lawrence, $28-$30
Avril Lavigne’s former boyfriend and lovelytheband are out co0headlining on their Here’s Your Flowers Tour, which recently started in San Francisco and will end back in LA on Nov. 11th. 
The lower case loving lovelytheband has been pretty busy this year releasing new singles “take me to the moon”, “rock bottom”, and “feel like summer.” ahead of their new self-titled album. They’re best known for breakthrough hit, “Broken” and we caught them live in late 2021 in Kansas City.
Mod Sun (aka Bloomington MN native Derek Smith) stepped away over the last year to find himself again and just recently dropped his new single “Sunshine.” The alternative artist is on a journey to spread positivity and light through his work. His music is a blend of hip hop, rock, and pop.
Atlas Genius / Robert DeLong, Oct 7, Madrid,$22
Another co-headlining Fall tour, this one with two favorites- Australian alternative rock band Atlas Genius (on their first tour in six years) and the multi-talented electronic artist Robert DeLong. Delong has a new studio album, “Playlist of Doom” just out, and the Aussie brother's band’s new record, “End of the Tunnel” is also available now. 
Of the tour, says Keith Jeffrey of Atlas Genius says, “It’s been six years since our last proper tour, and we are thrilled and honored to share the stage with Robert DeLong, one of the most innovative and creative artists and performers of the last decade.”
It’s the 11-year anniversary of Atlas Genius’s debut album “When It Was Now”, which features charting songs including the certified platinum “Trojans” and “If So” and we caught them live last opening for Blink-182 back in 2017.
Silly Goose w Unity TX, Mugshot, Soulkeeper, Oct 7, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $20-$22
Purveyors of hip hop-influenced heft, Dallas band UnityTX, are out in support of their 2023 full length Ferality and their recent spring EP, Playing Favorites. Among the bands confirmed for the US trek, Atlanta nu-metaller’s Silly Goose (in support of new EP, “Bad Behavior”), California killers Mugshot and emerging aggressors, Soulkeeper are all on the bill,
TUESDAY OCTOBER 8
Cameron Carpenter (organist), Oct 8, Kauffman, Free!
The Pennsylvania organist and composer who has been both praised and criticized for his unorthodox interpretations of the standard organ repertoire comes to town for a free show for you to judge for yourself. He’s the first organist to be nominated for a Grammy Award for the album Revolutionary and the first Organist-in-Residence for the Philharmonic Berlin. 
For his Kauffman Center return, Carpenter will perform on the Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman Casavant Organ, Opus 3875. The performance’s repertoire includes The Goldberg Variations (Bach), Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major ‘St. Anne’, BWV 552 (Bach) and Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky).
From what we can see, he’s known the rules well enough to break them, and make the music in his own interpretation, so come open-minded and willing to hear something beyond the traditional. This free concert is a gift from Saint Luke’s to the community in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Coco & Clair Clair, Oct 8, The Bottleneck-Lawrence, $25-$30
The Atlanta pop rap pair have a new single,“Kate Spade” on the heels of their new album Girl released August 30th. Speaking about the new single Coco and Clair note, “‘Kate Spade’ was one of the first songs we finished for the album after a night out in Amsterdam. It’s a little naughty and a little catty, but overall it’s meant to be uplifting. Big up yourself vibes because there’s always gonna be someone out there who wants what you have.”
Speaking further about the album, Coco and Clair share, “In the early stages of our writing process we had a running joke about being pregnant with a new album and how this one felt like a baby girl, whereas our last project, Sexy, felt more like a baby boy. We were writing about our relationships, referencing and incorporating lyrics we had written years ago – lyrics previously put aside for being too vulnerable or confessional”.
The new project follows their previous critically acclaimed album SEXY, and its singles “Love Me”, “Cherub” and “Pop Star.” Coco & Clair Clair also released SEXY (Deluxe Edition), which included “The Hills (feat. DEELA)” remixed by George Daniel of the 1975, “Pop Star” reimagined by Chaeyoung from the KPop sensation TWICE. We just saw the duo live in Minneapolis.
The Beaches, Oct 8, The Truman, $25-$50
We dig The Beaches who are reminiscent of the Go-Go’s (with the addition of their own modern flair) in the pop rock style that they’ve homed in on, and are on their Blame My Ex Tour, named after their album of the same name released year and have a new single titled "Jocelyn." We caught the Toronto band as an opener previously in St Paul. 
The song is more in line with their jangly, new wave-y numbers, rather than the full-blown bangers of the "Blame Brett" mould. The song's roots are in the session for last year's album, when co-writer Lowell kept singing the name "Jocelyn," and the band decided to seek out a fan named Jocelyn to dedicate the song to.
"We wanted to write about the experience of feeling undeserving of all the reverence that was being thrown away after 'Blame My Ex' did so well. All of us in the band are just a bunch of messy girls, and we felt strange about the way that some people were putting us on pedestals," singer Jordan Miller said in a statement. "We kind of wrote it about this brilliant young woman, and about the experience we were going through, feeling uncomfortable and undeserving of Jocelyn's adulation."
Charlie Houston opens.
Underoath and Static Dress, Oct 8, The Midland, $31-$97
The Tampa post-hardcore band are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album They’re Only Chasing Safety in a big way, by performing the entire LP, plus a unique fan-voted second set each night.
“This is going to be like nothing we’ve ever done,” the band says. “They’re Only Chasing Safety in full every night plus *another* set of songs voted on by each city. Every song from every album over the past 20 years will be on the table. Let’s get nuts.”
Support comes from Static Dress, a newer UK band who definitely take after TOCS-era Underoath as on recent single, “crying.”The new track takes cues from the melodic aesthetic of their 2023 debut full-length, with the band marking “crying” with a mix of screamed-and-sung vocals between frontperson Ollie Appleyard and bassist George Holding.
Lady Day at Emerson's Grill, Oct 8-27, KC Rep at Copaken Stage, $44-$70
Step into the smoky allure of this Tony Award-winning play and go on a spellbinding journey through the life and music of the iconic Billie Holiday. Step back into time and immerse yourself in the soulful atmosphere of Emerson’s Bar and Grill, where every note resonates with the magic of Lady Day. 
Featuring a selection of Billie Holiday’s most well-known songs including “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child” performed live, the magic of this night will echo through your soul as you experience the highs and lows of her journey. Don’t miss this experience that celebrates the enduring legacy of one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time in a night of jazz, blues, and the timeless magic of Billie Holiday. (Recommended for ages 14 and up due to adult themes.)
Self-Deception, Oct 8, recordBar, POSTPONED (Visa issues)
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9
Ocie Elliot w Chris Staples, Oct 9, Uptown, $33-$38
The Victoria BC folk duo (Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy) was nominated for breakthrough group of the year at the Juno Awards in 2022 and have taken off in a big way ever since. “We were pleasantly surprised,” Middleton said of their reception so far in the US. “You hear so many stories about the place, but we saw none of the political stuff. It was not in your face at all.”
Ocie Elliott’s momentum from a substantial 2023 — which saw them surpass four million monthly listeners on Spotify and draw raves for their Know the Night EP — has carried over into 2024.
Chris Staples (Not Chris Stapleton!) will open. 
Briston Maroney w Annie DiRusso, Oct 9, The Truman, $27.50-$55
Nashville (via Tennessee and Florida) singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist is out in support of his 2023 sophomore album Ultrapure. Produced by 2x GRAMMY®-winner Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves) and engineered by Konrad Snyder (Noah Kahan, Rainbow Kitten Surprise), the 13-track LP showcases the artist playing every instrument.
On the live front, Ultrapure led to sold-out headline tour dates featuring multiple nights in iconic clubs across the US, Canada, UK, and Europe. Maroney’s catalog has amassed over 700 million global streams across all platforms.
Arrive early for Nashville-based indie rocker, Annie DiRusso who has a new record, “Wet” due out October 11. DiRusso’s 200k+ social media followers have eagerly awaited the release of the album’s lead single ‘Legs,’ which recently garnered 1.5M views on TikTok and Instagram.
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears w Eddie 9V, Oct 9, Knuckleheads, $24
One of the coolest live acts you might not have heard of is the Austin TX blues, funk and soul artist influenced by Howlin' Wolf and James Brown. Lewis,’ moniker is a nod to a Richard Pryor skit and something of a reclamation of Blackness from the songwriter Stephen Foster whose racist lyrics are widely regarded as an embarrassment of American music. We caught them live back in March.
Royel Otis, Oct 9, Granada-Lawrence, CANCELED
THURSDAY OCTOBER 10
Myles Smith, Oct 10, recordBar, $25
The rising London singer-songwriter mixes Folk, Americana and Pop, inspired by a broad range of music he listened to growing up. Smith cites the likes of Green Day, Ben Howard, Labrinth and UK Rap as some of his many influences. He cut his teeth with open mic nights and support slots before he released any of his own music and spent time in between classes in the studio honing his craft. 
He’s out on his Slightly Less Lonely North American Tour and currently has a big radio hit with “Stargazing” that you can’t help but sing along to.
John Douglas (Trashcan Sinatras) w/ Lily Vakili, Oct 10, Knuckleheads Gospel Lounge, $20
He’s recently been celebrating the reissue and UK Top 40 charting of Trashcan Sinatras' debut album 'Cake', 33 years since its original release and now, John Douglas has stepped into the center stage, releasing his debut solo album supported by a run of concerts around the UK and North America.
The Scottish singer songwriter opened a new chapter in his life with the release of his eponymous debut album, via Reveal Records. Featuring original material and new recordings of his favorite Trashcans catalog, and his own rendition of Prefab Sprout’s ‘We Let The Stars Go’, this album reflects the genuineness of Douglas' music.
Arrive early for Vakili Band frontwoman, Lily Vakili, who returns to her singer-songwriter roots that harkens Patti Smith’s punk swagger, Grace Slick’s psychedelia, and the blues-belting of a Janis Joplin, Vakili has released two solo records and three with the five-piece Vakili Band. The most recent LP, 2023’s Honey, also marked her debut as producer and Vakili plans to release a solo EP in conjunction with the tour. 
Blackberry Smoke, Oct 10, Uptown, SOLD OUT
(rescheduled from March 9) Blackberry Smoke’s “Be Right Here Tour” coincides with the release of their latest album, *Be Right Here*. featuring vocalist/ lead guitarist Charlie Starr, guitarist/vocalist Paul Jackson, and bassist/vocalist Richard Turner. The tour is also the first after the band held a tribute concert in Atlanta for drummer Brit Turner who died in March.
They’re best known for songs like “Little Bit Crazy,” “One Horse Town,” and “You Hear Georgia” and the album, which was recorded in 2022 and 2023, reflects the band’s growth over the past two decades and their ability to find silver linings in challenging times. Those that missed the KC show can head west to catch them the next night in Manhattan, KS.
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