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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
February already?! And how ‘bout those...Chiefs!!
The chill of winter has hit (thankfully only 5” of snow this season) but there’s hot concerts inside to enjoy. In addition to the below, two massive Midland announcements yesterday for The Smile (Radiohead offshoot) and Sparks, are worthy alternative choices to huge Country pop shows held those same nights. Save those pennies, as Valentine’s is just around the corner too.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings through the end of the month- February 1st- 7th.
WEDNESDAY FEB 1
Folk Alliance international Conference, Feb 1-5, Westin Crown Center $150-$550
The Folk Alliance International Conference, presented by Folk Alliance International, is the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community (crossing a diverse array of genres including Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions and always has hundreds of artists attending. The theme of the 2023 gathering is Facing the Future: Sustainability in Folk Music.
One such featured artist is country-folk-leaning singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris, who will perform on the first day, ahead of her forthcoming sophomore album Boomerang Town, with first single “Missing Someone” already out.
Harris began cultivating the album back in 2016, when a shift in the political landscape had ushered in a new level of cultural polarization, and for someone who grew up outside of Waco, TX, Harris believed the values instilled by her parents were not entirely in line with how people had now considered Christians so had to re-evaluate and it was from the intersection of these social, personal, and political currents, that the album was born.
THURSDAY FEB 2
Hairspray (musical), Lied Center- Lawrence, $21-$60.
Broadway’s Tony Award-winning popular musical comedy is back on tour! Join teen Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and bigger hair) change the world?
Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” Hairspray is “fresh, winning and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times in this all-new touring production will reuniting the creative team led by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell.
FRIDAY FEB 3
The Judds w Kelsea Ballerini, Martina McBride T-Mobile Center, $24.50-$394.50
Following the tragic passing of her mother, Wynonna Judd made the announcement that the duo’s intended outing – The Judds: The Final Tour will be continuing, thanks to the overwhelming love and support of fans. Wynonna, along with the help of many of her musical friends, including Kelsea Ballerini and Martina McBride on this stop, will celebrate a lifetime of timeless music and heart.
“I have never felt so overwhelmed by this much love and support!” says Wynonna. “The emotions that flow while listening to the different generations of fans sing back to me each night has been other-worldly. In my 39 years of performing, these shows have truly been some of my absolute favorite experiences ever and I look forward to making new memories with the fans and guest artists in 2023.”
Hairball, Ameristar Casino, $20+
Few do the hair band/heavy metal tribute better than this longtime act, now in its 23rd year of bringing blasts from the past. With their beginnings being first in the Minneapolis area, we’ve seen them over the years and their costumes/routines, and setlist of familiar jukebox songs, are all top-notch to make for a fun and very entertaining concert experience.
Destroy Lonely w/ Homixide Gang, lil 88, Granada- Lawrence, $37-$89.
Following the release of his latest project, NO STYLIST, the Atlanta rapper is embarking on a tour with label mate Homixide Gang, and lil 88 providing support. With a sonically ambitious project, a handful of viral singles under his belt and a legion of dedicated fans, the rapper's tour will be sure to impress.
Joe Pera, Uptown, $39-$49
On his Comedy In Ice: Winter Standup Tour 2023 Pera brings an all-new show. He’s a standup comedian, writer, and filmmaker originally from Buffalo, NY, best known for his current Adult Swim series, ‘Joe Pera Talks With You’, Season 3 of which, is now available to stream on HBO Max.
Marauda w Versa, Drinkurwater, The Truman, $15-$50
Hamish Prasad, professionally known as Marauda, is a Sydney-based EDM producer who has taken the world by storm with his provocative noise which summons a darkness within the souls of his listeners. “Through his relentless, punishing live sets he devours his followers into the wretchedness of depravity, hybrid soundscapes and malevolent force” says the press release...ummm, wow.
GUNNAR, Tin Roof, FREE!
Could be the next big thing! The 21-year-old up & comer is signed with star maker Scooter Braun and is out on tour this February. A social media sensation, he's amassed 22M global streams, 145K followers on IG, and 250K followers on TikTok. And recently released his single "They Didn't Tell Me, "a grunge/rock/pop number. Plus, Free!
Grab those tix while you can!
Kansas City Symphony- Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, Feb 3, 4, 5, $40-$120
Featuring Gonzalo Farias, David T. Beals III Associate Conductor
She fought for civil and women’s rights. She won eighteen Grammy® Awards. She is the most charted female artist in history. She was the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was named the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone. The story of Aretha Franklin is the story of America in the second half of the 20th century. “Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin” celebrates the singer, the icon, the leader, the woman.
(DL Hughley, Feb 3, Kansas City Improv Comedy Club – moved to Sept)
SATURDAY FEB 4
Ott, Madrid Theatre, $25-$55
The UK-born producer of electronic, dub, ambient, trip hop, ethnic electronica, livetronica has worked with Sinéad O'Connor, Embrace, the Orb, and Brian Eno, and has achieved recognition since 2002 for his own psychedelic dub tracks with latest album being last year’s, Heads. And FYI, his stage name is a reference to ethnobotanist Jonathan Ott who coined the term "entheogen".
SUNDAY FEB 5
Small Glories, Feb 5, Polsky Theatre, $25+ ($5 students)
The roots duo of Cara Luft and J.D. Edwards are a musical partnership planted on the Canadian prairies, with hummable songs and a unique stage banter. Luft was an original member of harmony sweethearts The Wailin' Jennys and whose parents were folk singers influenced by the activist Pete Seeger.
Their sophomore album, Assiniboine & the Red, was released the summer of 2019 on Compass/Red House Records as a follow-up to the band’s debut album, 2016’s Wondrous Traveler.
MONDAY FEB 6
Death Cab for Cutie w Momma (re-scheduled date), The Midland, $39.50-$79.50
Touring in support of latest album, Asphalt Meadows, area fans have been anticipating this show since it was re-scheduled from last October.
Their tenth studio album (via Atlantic Records) was released to widespread acclaim last September. Produced by GRAMMY® Award-winner John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, Wallows). An acoustic version of the record, recorded in December, will drop in March.
The band heads to Europe following, then returns later in the year for a special tour with The Postal Service reunion, meaning singer Ben Gibbard does double-duty nightly.
LA indie rockers Momma provide support, in support of new full-length, Household Name.
TUESDAY FEB 7
Bush w / Starcrawler, The Midland, $32.50-$69.50
The Gavin Rossdale-fronted group is touring in support of their latest album, The Art of Survival
“We’ll always love playing those big summer shows and the big stages, but we wanted to do some shows where we could get close to the diehard Bush fans again,” Rossdale said in a statement. “We’re excited for this run coming up.” LA band Starcrawler opens, in support of the new She Said.
My Fair Lady (musical), Feb 7-12, Kauffman Center, $56.50-$121.50
From Lincoln Center Theater (who brought The King & I and South Pacific), comes the Lerner & Loewe classic. Director Bartlett Sher’s production boasts classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Lovely” and “On the Street Where You Live,” it tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a professor determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.”
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