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Whiskey Myers at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-07-12)

WHISKEY MYERS SETLIST Gasoline Frogman Home Bury My Bones Bar, Guitar, and a Honky Tonk Crowd (Brent Cobb cover) Time Bomb Die Rockin Broken Window Serenade Tailspin Different Mold Feets The Wolf Trailer We Call Home Glitter Ain’t Gold John Wayne Bitch Stone Going Down (Jeff Beck Group cover) BLAKE WHITEN SETLIST Breaking My Heart Bad Guy He's Gone Carolina Rollin' Stone Made for Goodbyes Running for the Money WHISKEY MYERS TOUR DATES JUL 17 Macon Amphitheater Macon, GA JUL 18 Coca-Cola Amphitheater Birmingham, AL JUL 19 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN JUL 20 Salem Civic Center Salem, VA JUL 22 Roanoke Island Festival Park Manteo, NC JUL 24 Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC JUL 25 The Dome Virginia Beach, VA JUL 26 Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront Richmond, VA JUL 27 Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort Cherokee, NC AUG 7 Hayden Homes Amphitheater Bend, OR AUG 8 Hayden Homes Amphitheater Bend, OR AUG 9 Gorge Amphitheatre Quincy, WA AUG 12 The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, CA AUG 13 The Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA AUG 15 Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre Stateline, NV AUG 16 Yaamava’ Theater Highland, CA AUG 18 Arizona Financial Theatre Phoenix, AZ AUG 19 Isleta Amphitheater Albuquerque, NM AUG 23 Ruoff Music Center Noblesville, IN AUG 24 Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Earth City, MO AUG 26 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH AUG 27 Toledo Zoo Amphitheater Toledo, OH AUG 28 Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview Syracuse, NY AUG 29 Filene Center at Wolf Trap Vienna, VA AUG 30 Filene Center at Wolf Trap Vienna, VA SEP 1 Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion Gilford, NH SEP 18 First National Bank Arena Jonesboro, AR SEP 19 Laborde Earles Coliseum Alexandria, LA SEP 20 Brandon Amphitheater Brandon, MS SEP 25 Moody Amphitheater Austin, TX SEP 26 Paycom Center Oklahoma City, OK SEP 27 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Woodlands, TX OCT 9 Memorial Auditorium Chattanooga, TN OCT 10 Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC OCT 11 Riverfront Revival 2025 North Charleston, SC NOV 7 Moon Crush "Whiskey Moon"  Miramar Beach, FL NOV 8 Moon Crush "Whiskey Moon" Miramar Beach, FL NOV 9 Moon Crush "Whiskey Moon" Miramar Beach, FL Read More Whiskey Myers The band is poised to begin their next chapter with their highly-anticipated seventh studio album Whomp Whack Thunder arriving Sept. 26 via the band’s own Wiggy Thump Records,

Raising hell and red dirt, and bringing some early whomp whack thunder, it is what they were born to do!

Palestine, TX country rock band Whiskey Myers triumphantly returned to the area after a brief postponement (their original June date was delayed as guitarist John Jeffers welcomed his second boy, Ozzy Jak on June 18), playing to a rowdy and fiercely loyal crowd outdoors at Starlight Theatre on a Saturday night in Kansas City.

===

The three-act bill began with a talented and affable newcomer, Blake Whiten who is a 20-year-old singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist from Six Mile, SC, in support of his debut EP, Six Mile (named for his hometown). Like everyone on the lineup card, he blends Country and Southern rock with a slightly raspy vocal style that belies his young age.

Whiten just signed to Enchntmnt/Warner Records, and released the ballad, “Made for Goodbyes,” his debut major-label track which he played late in his short set. His initial single,

“Rollin’ Stone” caught fans’ and labels’ attention, garnering 25M+ streams, and he also co-wrote Bailey Zimmerman’s “Holding On,” so already has a healthy resume and will add to that when he begins his own headlining tour in September.

===

Next up was the pride of Stillwater (Blair), OK – Read Southall and band, in support of a self-titled fourth full-length album, on their own Smokelahoma Records label. The energetic band plays their own kind of red dirt “rural rock n’ roll“ and is doing some headlining shows in-between as well, on their own Six String Sorrow Tour (named for his 2015 debut).

The new record is said to more collaborative between Southall and his crack five piece band (most are from OK as well)- Reid Barber- drums; Jeremee Knipp- bass; Braxton Curliss- keys; and dual guitarists John Tyler Perry and Ryan Wellman, and the band’s live interplay is a testament to that musical kinship and unspoken understanding they’ve built between them.

Southall reflected that his song “Gunshy” was already celebrating its tenth anniversary and remarked that the he and the band were fortunate enough to play the Grand Ol’ Opry last month before striking up the fan favorite ballad, “Why”.

The set built its momentum as it progressed, peaking near the end with the band’s own “Don’t Tell Me” mixed together with verses of the Blackfoot classic, “Mississippi Queen” followed by the initial single off the most recent album, “Scared Money” with Southall smartly changing one of the lyrics from OKC to “I’m finally sitting pretty in Kansas City”, to rave shouts and cheers.

===

Finally, it was whiskey time- East Texas band Whiskey Myers has been on the scene for two decades now but still remain a bit of a best-kept secret from the mainstream. The band does unabashedly have its own line of liquor, an upcoming cruise fest weekend, and headlined their own Firewater Festival for three years in the Dancefestopia location of La Cygne, KS, so it’s hard to keep that secret around these parts, and as evidenced by its very loud and rabid fan base in the crowd.

The band proudly is at the forefront and waving the flag for the currently burgeoning red dirt country rock movement and is poised to begin their next chapter with their upcoming seventh studio album Whomp Whack Thunder, arriving Sept. 26 via the band’s own Wiggy Thump Records. The album’s lead single, “Time Bomb” is already making waves and was plugged into the band’s 100min. headlining set, about a third of the way in.

Things gone underway with the bubbling and brooding 2019 song, “Gasoline” and the collaborative interaction between guitarists John Jeffers and Cody Tate was apparent from early-on: trading riffs, playing off one another, in unison, and letting each take a turn at solos, as well as taking on lead vocals on a song each.

Vocalist/guitarist Cody Cannon seemed to take everything in stride, growling through songs, inciting the crowd with a peace sign from one hand and holding a Miller Lite in the other; and generally having a good time on stage- happy whether being center stage swinging his mic stand or deferring to others and staying in the background.

“Die Rockin’” had the crowd singing along to the chorus and most knew all of the lyrics to the ballad, “Broken Window Serenade,” one of multiple songs from the band featured in TV’s “Yellowstone”. Another new track, “Tailspin” from the upcoming album, was anchored by a confidently swaggering beat and was unflinching in its honest lyrics, with Cannon admitting, “If I’m going out, I’m going out in style, I’m headed for the bottom again”.

“Different Mold” with its thumping bass drum and slide guitar, was easy to coax the crowd to clap along to it, and slow dances broke out in the aisles during the tender ballad, “Trailer We Call Home.” 2019’s passionate “Glitter Ain’t Gold” about seeing a person for what they really are, led into the unmistakable harmonica intro of “John Wayne”, from 2022’s Tornillo album and which went Top 15 on the US digital rock charts.

Guitarist Jeffers took the lead for “Bitch”, their 2013 breakthrough hit, “Stone” (also heavily featured on Yellowstone) received the loudest applause of the night, and the band capped things with a raucous, bluesy, and somewhat deep-cut cover of 1972’s “Going Down” by the Jeff Beck Group.

No encore (that’s outlaw!) and none needed, as they made their musical statement and said good night – sometimes, less is more. For Whiskey Myers, it’s no bones and just about bringing their brand of whomp whack thunder.

(click on any image to enlarge and to see in full)

WHISKEY MYERS at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-7-12)
WHISKEY MYERS at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-7-12)

WHISKEY MYERS at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-7-12)

SOUTHALL at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-7-12)

BLAKE WHITEN at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO (2025-7-12)

John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥X / twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

The Human League w/ Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

THE HUMAN LEAGUE SETLIST The Sound of the Crowd Mirror Man Heart Like a Wheel Open Your Heart Louise All I Ever Wanted Seconds The Lebanon One Man in my Heart Love Action (I Believe in Love) Tell Me When (Keep Feeling) Fascination Don't You Want Me Encore: Being Boiled Together in Electric Dreams (Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder song) TOM BAILEY SETLIST Love on Your Side* Science Fiction You Take Me Up* We Are Detective* Lay Your Hands on Me* King for a Day* Psycho Killer (Talking Heads cover) Doctor! Doctor!* Hold Me Now* (*= Thompson Twins song) THE HUMAN LEAGUE TOUR DATES 05.07.2025 - Llangollen Pavilion 06.07.2025 - Cardiff Castle 09.07.2025 - Kew Gardens 10.07.2025 - Bedford Park Summer Sessions 11.07.2025 - Live At The Piece Halifax 15.07.2025 - Valencia, Jardines de Viveros 16.07.2025 - Barcelona, Les Nits de Barcelona 23.07.2025 - Brighton, On The Beach 26.07.2025 - 80s Calling! Slessor Gardens 21.08.2025 - Letterkenny Summer Sessions 22.08.2025 - Wider than Pictures Dublin 24.08.2025 - 80s Calling! Darlington Arena TOM BAILEY TOUR DATES 05 JULY Brit Fest- Ashley Hall Showground, Altrincham, UK 06 JULY Cardiff, UK Cardiff Castle 10 JULY Bedford UK Bedford Park 11 JULY Haifax UK The Piece Hall 02 AUGUST London, UK Beckenham Place Park 15-17 AUGUST Rewind Festival Temple Island Meadows, Henley-on-thames, UK 27 SEPTEMBER OC Rewind Huntington Beach Sports Complex, Huntington Beach, CA Read More Tom Bailey Tom Bailey (of Thompson Twins) has several confirmed tour dates in the UK and US for the summer of 2025, performing at venues and festivals, including Bedford Park, The Piece Hall, Rewind Festival, and OC Rewind.

Summer is off to a great start in the East Midlands!

As part of our extended weekend excursion to the UK, we couldn’t help but find our way up to Derby (approx. 45-50min. NE of Birmingham) to see the beginning show of their Derby Summer Sessions series of concerts, starring The Human League, Tom Bailey (ex-Thompson Twins), and Blancmange (sponsored by TK Maxx as it’s known over there for legal reasons, not TJ Maxx).

The Summer Sessions concerts are in their successful second year and play other similar size towns; but this year in Derby, most shows have been pulled inside into the city’s brand-new event venue, Vaillant Live, instead of being held outdoors in Markeaton Park under a big circus-style tent. The 207-acre park was ideal for many, and they expressed their displeasure about the move, but Vaillant Live is an impressive venue on its own.

Located on Colyear Street, near the end of their pedestrian city centre area (which explains my difficulty in locating it), it’s a state-of-the-art 3500-capacity venue with an open floor, large back balcony, and smaller side balconies.

The multi-purpose £46m structure already has concerts, comedians, family and sporting events on its calendar, so should remain busy and fills a need for a concert venue in town, since the Assembly Rooms had a fire there over a decade ago, and have yet to rebound.

===

The evening began with a short set from Blancmange, an underrated (at least in the US) synth-pop band from London composed of Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe who scored four Top 20 songs over three albums in the 80s.

After breaking up in 1986, they reformed and released 2011’s Blanc Burn, only to have Luscombe need to retire for health reasons, but with Arthur (who has been very prolific in recent years) continuing with a different and often experimental sound.

The setlist concentrated of course, on the 80’s-era material, including their biggest hit, the middle eastern-inspired “Living on the Ceiling” and two other UK top ten singles, “Blind Vision” and “Don’t Tell Me”.

===

Still in his late 60s, Tom Bailey is enjoying a bit of a rebirth over the last decade, having made his biggest success leading The Thompson Twins from the late 70s to the early 90s. After a hiatus, he returned to live stages in 2014, and has been playing live consistently, releasing a solo album, Science Fiction, in 2018.

Bailey and his all-female band emerged all dressed in white, and began their 48-minute set with Thompson Twins’ first top 10 single, 1983’s “Love on Your Side”, then shifted the music thirty-five years forward with the title track to his recent solo album. “Shall we have some fun?” Bailey remarked with the harmonica intro of The Thompson’s “You Take Me Up” signaling the hit song.

Bailey’s voice still resonates and the three-piece band (aka The Sisters of Mercy- Charlotte Raven- keyboards and cello; Paulina Szczepaniak– drums; Alice Offley- bass / backing vocals) were musically spot-on all night and fun to watch.

They even worked in a natty Talking Heads cover before ending their night with the Thompsons’ biggest hit on both sides of the pond– “Hold Me Now.” We’re so glad Bailey is back performing and though he eluded us a few times in the recent past, it was worth the wait finally see him live.

===

Like Bailey and the Thompsons, The Human League is also from the steel workingman’s town of Sheffield (along with the likes of Def Leppard, Arctic Monkeys, and Pulp among others) and whose influence is well respected and renown in the UK and Europe. The US, though, mostly thinks of them as a two (maybe three) hit pop wonder – how wrong we were on this side of the pond.

The band began with a more experimental sound in 1977, eventually solidifying their lineup and sound on the 1981 album, “Dare”, which yielded them four hit singles and a Brit Award the following year.

Amazingly, the core lineup of founder Philip Oakey and singers Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley remains intact and still clearly enjoys performing, making several costume changes, and thrilling audiences.

The band has continued releasing albums, compilations, and live releases with regularity and counts the likes of Moby and Pet Shop Boys as acknowledging them as an influence. The band has been covered and sampled by everyone from George Michael and Robbie Williams to LCD Soundsystem, and more.

Their seventy-four-minute headlining set barely took a breath, except in the form of extended instrumentals so the trio could change outfits, and lesser-known songs (in the States) like “Mirror Man” and “Heart Like a Wheel” instantly became familiar once played. Their backing band, fully lit stage, and enhanced screen graphics all combined for a mesmerizing and truly enjoyable performance.

2001’s “All I Ever Wanted” is filled with vocoder and keytar, set to a throbbing electro beat, but hardly sounds dated, and Oakey donned a long black coat on the still-political and charged “The Lebanon” from their fourth album, 1984’s Hysteria (hey, did Def Lep nick that title a few years later!?).

Sulley took the lead for the 1995 ballad, “One Man in My Heart” (I’m seeing a lot of “heart” in their song titles), Oakey mentioned the band hadn’t played Derby since 1982 (!!), and called out their former guitarist, Jo Callis, as well as Jyoti Mishra aka White Town, in the crowd watching (anyone remember 1996’s “Your Woman,” also sampled in Dua Lipa’s “Love Again”).

The band ended the main set with the one-two punch of their biggest hits, “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” and “Don’t You Want Me”, the latter of which found the crowd singing the first verse and chorus back to the band in full voice, before they could even approach a mic.

The encore began with a real chestnut- 1978’s “Being Boiled”, their debut single which established them as a name on the UK electro scene, though with a much darker theme and a slicing synth sound. “Together in Electric Dreams” from 1985 would end the evening, the title track from a poorly received film, but important in that Oakey collaborated with famed musician/composer Georgio Moroder on, for a joyous and positive anthem that was ideal to send everyone home with.

A trip across the pond to be taken back in time forty years, courtesy of The Human League, Tom Bailey, and Blancmange, turned out to be even better and more fun than expected, and well worth the journey to hear these songs of yesteryear played live once more (and was better than any fireworks on the 4^th!).

(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

THE HUMAN LEAGUE at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

THE HUMAN LEAGUE at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

THE HUMAN LEAGUE at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

TOM BAILEY (Thompson Twins) at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

TOM BAILEY (Thompson Twins) at Vaillant Live, Derby UK (2025-07-04)

 

John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥X / twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

The Crane Wives at Palace Theatre, St Paul MN (July 12, 2025)

The Crane Wives at Palace Theatre (July 12, 2025) The Crane Wives Setlist Scars Queen of Nothing Bitter Medicine Allies or Enemies The Wolf Steady, Steady Take Me to War Black Hole Fantasy Nobody Say It The Moon Will Sing Arcturus Beaming Mad Dog Sleeping Giants Tongues & Teeth Encore: The Hand That Feeds Curses Tour Dates We're honored to be able to announce that we'll be joined on these upcoming tours by two incredible songwriters. This spring, Cristina Vane will open our shows along the East Coast, then we'll be joined by Arny Margret to the midwest! 07/12 Palace Theatre Saint Paul, MN 07/14 The Truman Kansas City, MO 07/15 The Pageant St Louis, MO 07/17 Brooklyn Bowl Nashville Nashville, TN 07/18 Mercury Ballroom Louisville, KY 07/19 Hi-Fi Annex Indianapolis, IN 07/20 Hi-Fi Annex Indianapolis, IN 07/22 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH 07/23 Athenaeum Theatre Columbus, OH 07/25 Saint Andrew's Hall Detroit, MI 07/26 The Vic Theatre Chicago, IL 08/28 Frederik Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids, MI 09/24 Islington Assembly Hall London 09/25 Birmingham Town Hall Birmingham 09/26 O2 Ritz Manchester Manchester 09/27 O2 Academy Glasgow Glasgow 09/29 SWX Bristol 09/30 Islington Assembly Hall London Band Members Emilee Petersmark (guitar/vocals) Kate Pillsbury (guitar/vocals) Dan Rickabus (drums/vocals) Ben Zito (bass) The Crane Wives Grand Rapids’ The Crane Wives (named after The Decemberists, ala Japanese folk tale 鶴女房) is headlining the Palace Theatre on July 12, 2025, in support of Beyond Beyond Beyond. … read more Arny Margret Arny Margret was the opener for the evening. The Icelandic born Margret (actual name: Árný Margrét Sævarsdóttir) is relatively early in her career, with an EP … read more

Grand Rapids, MI band The Crane Wives (named after The Decemberists, ala Japanese folk tale 鶴女房) just headlined the Palace Theatre in downtown St. Paul, in support of newest album, Beyond Beyond Beyond.

Arny Margret at Dakota Jazz Club (Mar 29, 2025)

A nearly perfect Saturday evening in Saint Paul made the extremely long line at the Palace Theatre no problem at all. And what was the cause of those very long lines? Indie band The Crane Wives was in town to perform.

The evening started with Icelandic singer & songwriter Arny Margret. I last saw her opening for John Grant in March 2025 and ended that review talking about how more touring would increase the confidence at all of the non-music parts of a performance.

I didn’t think I would be checking in on her progress so soon! Margret again performed solo with guitar and she’s still killing it on the musical side, with the early going having some similarities to her show at The Dakota. But it was very pleasant to see her growth and improved confidence as a performer, as she handled the massive applause of the Palace audience quite well.

She may never be an extremely gregarious sort on stage, but the poise and a sense that she knew she belonged on that stage was a palpable step up from March. And these songs deserve that strength as they are really quite beautiful. Margret is a voice worth seeking out and her music exudes a depth that belies her youth. The reaction from the crowd was genuine and positive and although in a little different direction from the headliner, I think it was close enough to speak to the crowd.

She ended with an efficient set of just over thirty minutes. Having seen both her Minnesota shows, I’ll be on the watch for her next performance and how she continues to develop. I found out after the show that Margret had a fever and had left immediately after the show, which is quite impressive given how well she did. Get better quickly!

The Crane Wives are a quartet based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. They took their name from a 2006 album by indie darlings The Decemberists, who in turn had named their album from the Japanese folk legend. The band is centered as indie rock, but also lean heavily into folk and Americana.

Guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury share lead vocal duties, with drummer Dan Rickabus also providing harmonies, and bassist Ben Zito rounding out the group. They have released seven albums, most recently 2024’s Beyond Beyond Beyond, which was what The Crane Wives were touring in support of.

They had a brilliantly dramatic set up before getting started, building the crowd anticipation up before ever coming on stage. But when they did, it was a stunning opening and Scarswas outstanding. Petersmark and Pillsbury played excellently off each other and although one of them may have lead vocals, their comfort in sharing lead was extremely obvious.

The crowd, particularly the younger teens in the front section were singing along to nearly every song. Bitter Medicine was alarmingly good, with Petersmark’s “bull sh*t” lyric hitting hard. As the band rolled into older material, Allies or Enemies had the audience in full throated sing along mode, with Pillsbury thanking them for joining in. We also got a brief moment as they asked how many people were at their first The Crane Wives concert, with many hands and screams.

A quick question followed if it was anyone’s first ever concert and a surprising number of hands went back in the air. With a “We’ll try to make it a good one”, the band was back in full action and I can’t find enough ways to say it was simply tremendous.

"The Wolf" was electric and the band was clearly starting to feed off that high audience energy in the best possible way. A “You guys are wonderful!” was certainly heart felt. Take Me to Warlet Petersmark rage vocally and Rickabus’ drums were staccato artillery sounding hits.

"Black Hole Fantasy" is probably my favorite song off the recent album, and those opening chords struck deep as Pillsbury started singing, and this song as a mini-movie took off. As the lyrics ended and they went into the extended outro, The Crane Wives had crushed it. I don’t know if this is the reception they get every night, but both band and audience were flying high.

"Say It" finally slowed things down a little but was still intense enough with those double harmonies backing Pillsbury’s lead vocals. We got our first wolf howl from the band, and with a full throated reply from the audience. A note of how amazing to have this audience (referring to getting 20 people at shows in years past), the band continued to appreciate the moment.

"Arcturus Beaming", the first single released from Beyond Beyond Beyond highlighted both Perersmark and Pillsbury in true co-lead vocals at points and really rocked with emphatic guitar work from Pillsbury.

"Mad Dog" was probably the first moment that felt like the end of the concert was showing up, but the crowd doubled down on their singing and Petersmark leaned into her lead vocals as if this might go on forever.

At this point, even the drum intro for the next song was recognizable enough for the crowd to be ready for "Sleeping Giants". Closing out the main set, they gave an initially convincing sign that it was over, but they were soon back for a two number encore.

"The Hand That Feeds" was a perfectly placed song for the start, while "Curses", after an extended drum intro, closed things out strong. The Crane Wives had given a truly stellar performance and had left the St. Paul audience completely enthralled.

 

THE CRANE WIVES Palace Theatre St Paul MN 2025-07-12

THE CRANE WIVES Palace Theatre St Paul MN 2025-07-12

ARNY MARGRET Palace Theatre St Paul MN 2025-07-12

ARNY MARGRET Palace Theatre St Paul MN 2025-07-12

 

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com ♥ bsky.app

Jax: August 11 to August 15, 2025

Read more Jacksonville.

Blind Melon at FIVE (August 12, 2025) Blind Melon Steven Weeks-Johnson was fun, doing some 90s tunes like Sublime’s “What I Got” and Blind Melon’s “No Rain”. He even played Joe Walsh’s “Life's Been Good”. … read more

August 12, 2025 Tuesday
Blind Melon
at FIVE
fivejax.com

Just ahead of their appearance at the massive Minnesota Yacht Club, Neon Praire Festival, and Highland Festival Grounds, Blind Melon will be headlining FIVE, in Jacksonville, Florida. The show was just announced today (July 9th).

Tour dates:

July 9th: Desplaines Theatre, Desplaines, IL

July 11th: Uncle Sam Jam in Woodhaven, MI

July 12th: CornStock 2025 - Bill Monroe Park, Morgantown, IN

July 13th: Rochester Public Music Series -Mayo Park, MN

July 20th: Minnesota Yacht Club, St. Paul, MN

August 7th: House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC

August 8th: The Underground, Charlotte, NC

August 9th: Town Center Park, Suwanee, GA

August 16th: House of Blues, New Orleans, LA

September 5th: House of Blues, Houston, TX

September 7th, 2025: NEON PRAIRE FESTIVAL, Tulsa, OK

September 11th Louisville, KY BOURBON & BEYOND Festival

September 13th. Foothills Festival, Jasper, AL

September 28th, Ocean City, MD OCEANS CALLING Festival

Postmodern Jukebox at Florida Theatre (August 13, 2025) Postmodern Jukebox A rescheduled show – Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox is a musical troupe known for covering modern pop hits and transforming them into jazz, swing, and doo-wop songs. … read more

August 13, 2025 Wednesday
Postmodern Jukebox
at Florida Theatre
floridatheatre.com

Postmodern Jukebox is the musical ensemble that centers around New York-based pianist Scott Bradlee. The group is known for re-working popular modern music into different vintage genres, particularly swing and jazz. They will stop at the Florida Theatre, in Jacksonville, on August 13, 2025.

Tour dates:

Jul 09, 2025 The Grey Eagle Event Centre Calgary, Canada

Jul 10, 2025 River Cree Resort And Casino Edmonton, Canada

Jul 11, 2025 História Garden Veszprém, Hungary

Jul 11, 2025 TCU Place Saskatoon, SK

Jul 12, 2025 Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, MB

Jul 14, 2025 Ames Center Burnsville, MN

Jul 15, 2025 Orpheum Theater Madison, WI

Jul 16, 2025 Hoyt Sherman Place Des Moines, IA

Jul 17, 2025 Englert Civic Theatre Iowa City, IA

Jul 18, 2025 Blue Gate Performing Arts Center Shipshewana, IN

Jul 19, 2025 John M. Hall Auditorium Petoskey, MI

Jul 21, 2025 Goodyear Theater Akron, OH

Jul 22, 2025 Fisher Theatre Detroit, MI

Jul 23, 2025 Massey Hall Toronto, ON

Jul 24, 2025 Rialto Theatre Montreal, QC

Jul 25, 2025 Tupelo Music Hall Derry, NH

Jul 26, 2025 The Wind Creek Event Center Bethlehem, PA

Jul 29, 2025 Waterville Opera House Waterville, ME

Jul 30, 2025 Historic Park Theatre Cranston, RI

Jul 31, 2025 Plymouth Memorial Hall Plymouth, MA

Aug 01, 2025 Cary Hall Lexington, MA

Aug 02, 2025 Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT

Aug 03, 2025 The Suffolk Theater Riverhead, NY

Aug 05, 2025 Capital One Hall Tysons, VA

Aug 06, 2025 The Lyric Baltimore Baltimore, MD

Aug 07, 2025 Knight Theater at Levine Center For The Arts Charlotte, NC

Aug 08, 2025 Carolina Theatre – Fletcher Hall Durham, NC

Aug 09, 2025 Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN

Aug 10, 2025 The Woodruff Arts Center (Atlanta Symphony Hall) Atlanta, GA

Aug 12, 2025 The Orange Peel Asheville, NC

Aug 13, 2025 Florida Theatre Jacksonville, FL

Aug 14, 2025 Au-Rene Theater Fort Lauderdale, FL

Aug 15, 2025 Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Orlando, FL

Aug 16, 2025 Saenger Theater Pensacola, FL

Aug 19, 2025 The Ludlow Garage Cincinnati, OH

Aug 20, 2025 Lexington Opera House Lexington, KY

Aug 21, 2025 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN

Aug 23, 2025 Rivers Casino Des Plaines Des Plaines, IL

Aug 24, 2025 Holland Performing Arts Center Omaha, NE

Aug 26, 2025 Pikes Peak Center Colorado Springs, CO

Aug 27, 2025 The Avalon Theatre Grand Junction, CO

Aug 28, 2025 KiMo Theatre Albuquerque, NM

Aug 29, 2025 Ikeda Theater Mesa, AZ

Aug 30, 2025 Fox Performing Arts Center Riverside, CA

Aug 31, 2025 Humphreys Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA

Sep 03, 2025 The Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA

Sep 04, 2025 Mary Stuart Rogers Theater Modesto, CA

Sep 05, 2025 Uptown Theatre Napa, CA

Sep 06, 2025 Segerstrom Center for the Arts Costa Mesa, CA

Sep 07, 2025 The Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks, CA

Mike Campbell at Florida Theatre (August 14, 2025) Mike Campbell If you didn’t know, Mike Campbell is the “other guy” in The Heartbreakers, a band with Tom Petty. Mike met Tom in a Gainesville, Florida carport in 1972… and the rest is history. … read more

August 14, 2025 Thursday
Mike Campbell
and The Dirty Knobs
at Florida Theatre
floridatheatre.com

Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Mike Campbell returns to the city as headliner at the Florida Theatre on August 14, 2025. The bill also includes his band The Dirty Knobs, whom he was the lead singer and guitarist of the band, while also being in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

His new album, with the Dirty Knobs is called Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits.

Tour dates:

Jul 25, 2025 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN

Jul 26, 2025 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN

Jul 29, 2025 Warner Theatre Washington, DC

Jul 31, 2025 Artpark Lewiston, NY

Aug 1, 2025 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA

Aug 2, 2025 KEMBA Live! Columbus, OH

Aug 3, 2025 The Berglund Performing Arts Theatre Roanoke, VA

Aug 5, 2025 Firefly Distillery North Charleston, SC

Aug 7, 2025 Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh, NC

Aug 8, 2025 Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC

Aug 9, 2025 Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park Atlanta, GA

Aug 10, 2025 Asheville Yards Amphitheater Asheville, NC

Aug 13, 2025 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL

Aug 14, 2025 Florida Theatre Jacksonville, FL

Taylor Swift Laser Party at Florida Theatre (August 15, 2025) Taylor Swift So, I’m sure you all know the Taylor Swift saga about how she tried to get rights to her music from Scooter Braun. Braun eventually sold the masters of Swift’s … read more

August 15, 2025 Friday
Taylor Swift Laser Party
featuring DJ Swiftie & Riane
at Florida Theatre
floridatheatre.com

Everybody loves Taylor Swift. Expect to dance with other Swifties at this upcoming Taylor Swift Laser Party, featuring DJ Swiftie and Riane.

Details and disclaimers:

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Calling all Swifties for the most epic Taylor-themed event. The all-ages Taylor Swift Laser Party is coming back to the Florida Theatre. DJ Swiftie has traveled the world since 2022 performing for over 800,000 attendees bringing the love of Taylor Swift Music to all! He’s teamed up with RIANE a Nashville based artist to re-create Taylors biggest album in a 2025 World Laser Party Tour kicking off in January 2025.

VIP1 includes upfront seating and a merch package.

DOBRES TOURING, LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected with Taylor Swift or any of her respective business entities or their affiliates or subsidiaries, including but not limited to TAS Rights Management, LLC. The name Taylor Swift as well as related names, marks, emblems and images are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Furthermore, DOBRES TOURING, LLC is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected with other third party entities that provide similar services and events to DOBRES TOURING, LLC; the similarity of any services and events are purely coincidental and does not imply any association with such third party

If your band is coming to the Jacksonville/St Augustine area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Minneapolis This Week (July 20, 2025)

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Yeison Landero at the Cedar (July 16, 2025) Summer at the Cedar Every Wednesday, music fans can experience Summer at the Cedar for free at the Cedar Plaza (outdoors). There are limited seating, so the venue suggests you can bring … read more

July 16, 2025 Wednesday
Yeison Landero
at Cedar Cultural Center
thecedar.org

From San Jacinto in Colombia’s Montes de María province near Cartagena, Yeison Landero will be bringing his Latin music to the Cedar Cultural Center on July 16, 2025.

Every Wednesday, music fans can experience Summer at the Cedar for free at the Cedar Plaza (outdoors). There is limited seating, so the venue suggests you can bring your own chairs.

Summer at the Cedar

July 9 - Sinkane

July 16 - Yeison Landero

July 23 - Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet

July 30 - Buddha Prince

August 6 - Combo Daguerre

August 13 - The Burroughs

August 20 - Ukrainian Village Band

Trapper Schoepp at Sunset Series (July 17, 2025) The Sunset Series The Summer series takes place every Thursday evening, starting June 12 and ending August 21, in Downtown Park, 40 Ninth Avenue S, Hopkins. … read more Trapper Schoepp Trapper Schoepp has some fun with this one (how could you not?), borrowing a few lines he overheard a kid lament during the ride: “I feel weird, I feel … read more

July 17, 2025 Thursday
Trapper Schoepp
at Hopkins Downtown Park
hopkinsartscenter.com

Trapper Schoepp is headlining Hopkin’s The Sunset Series on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The Sunset Series is a free outdoor concert series, showcasing local favorites to emerging new talent taking place every Thursday evening, starting June 12 and ending August 21, in Downtown Park, 40 Ninth Avenue S, Hopkins.

Bring a chair and some friends! If there’s rain, they may move the show indoors at The Depot (9451 Excelsior Blvd). An announcement will be made by 3pm of the concert date.

Trapper Schoepp at 7th St Entry (April 14, 2023)

We’ve previously seen Annie Mack (Dec 2024): “Mack has a voice built for the blues” and Trapper Schoepp (April 2023): “The Trapper Schoepp Band was started when Trapper and his brother Tanner Schoepp were in high school. They recorded and released A Change in the Weather in 2007. Some band changes, which created Trapper Schoepp & the Shades… and that’s how we first heard of the group, in November 2013.”

Lineup:

June 12 - Katy Tessman and the Tumbuckels

June 26 – Zacc Harris, American Reverie

July 10 – Triple Fiddle

July 17 – Trapper Schoepp

July 24 – Annie Mack

July 31 – Westwind Big Band

August 7 – Salsa del Soul

August 14 – Power of 10

August 21 – Elska

Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Marshall Tucker Band at Treasure Island (July 19, 2025) Jefferson Starship Jefferson Starship is one of the most successful groups of the 1970s and 80’s, and continues to tour today with original member David Freiberg, drummer Donny Baldwin … read more

July 19, 2025 Saturday
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
and The Marshall Tucker Band
with Jefferson Starship
at Treasure Island
ticasino.com

I was recently at a Home Depot, in Jacksonville, when Bachman–Turner Overdrive’s classic song “Takin’ Care of Business” came on the airwaves at the home improvement store. A young dude in the other aisle was absolutely singing along, finishing that line, “Takin’ care of business - EVERYDAY!” This story is to illustrate what a great song it was that dominated the US Top 40 charts in the ‘70s… and carrying itself well into 2025, that a new generation is loving the infection song.

It looks like the Canadian rock group will be playing Treasure Island Casino, in Welch, Minnesota, on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

Co-headlining the event will be southern rock pioneers The Marshall Tucker Band, famous for “Can't You See” and “Heard it in a Love Song”.

Support will be from Jefferson Starship. Don’t confuse the band with the original Jefferson Airplane or the evolution/breakoff Starship (famous for “Sara” and “We Built This City”). Still, if you’ve seen one of these Jefferson-related bands, I think you can mark them all off on your Bingo card.

Summer US Tour Dates with The Marshall Tucker Band and Jefferson Starship:

July 18 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Stir Cove

July 19 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Casino

July 20 – Fargo, ND – Scheels Arena

July 22 – Interlochen, MI – Kresge Auditorium

July 24 – Appleton, WI – Neuroscience Group Field

July 25 – Terre Haute, IN – The Mill Terre Haute

July 26 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center

August 1 – El Reno, OK – Lucky Star Casino

August 3 – Amarillo, TX – Amarillo Civic Center Complex #

# Outlaws replacing Jefferson Starship as special guest

Summer US Tour Dates - BTO only:

July 28 – Bloomington, IL – Bloomington Center For The Performing Art

July 29 – Elk Grove Village, IL – The Village Green at the Charles Zettek Municipal Complex

July 31 – Jefferson City, MO – MU Health Care Capital Region Amphitheater

August 15 – Wendover, NV – Peppermill Casino

August 16 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar PAC

August 18 – Boise, ID – Western Idaho Fair

August 21 – Pala, CA – Pala Casino

August 22 – Ft. McDowell, AZ – We-Ko-Pa Casino

August 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Legends Theater at Route 66 Casino

August 26 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theater

August 27 – Park City, KS – Park City Arena

August 28 – Tulsa, OK – The Cove at River Spirit

August 30 – St. Charles, MO – Family Arena

August 31 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Paramount Theater

September 17 – Puyallup, WA – Washington State Fair

September 19 – Grand Ronde, OR – Spirit Mountain Casino

September 20 – Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino

Minnesota Yacht Club (July 18-20, 2025) Minnesota Yacht Club Festival No surprises here, but Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (MYC) returns to Minnesota. Presale (lowest priced-tickets) will be made available today, January 30 at 10am … read more Green Day Punk trio Green Day is pleased to announced their three nominations for iHeartRadio Music Awards for “Rock Artist of the Year”, “Alternative Artists of … read more Sublime Ska/punk trio Sublime dominated the radio airways in 1997 with such hits as ‘What I Got’ and ‘Santeria’ from their third self-titled album... They were the … read more Hozier One of the most popular voices from Ireland came to the heartland as folk-rock singer-songwriter Hozier played a long sold-out show in front of 18,000 fans … read more 311 311 w AWOLNATION, Blame My Youth, Grinders KC The rock/rap/funk band started in Omaha way back in 1990, and has been a local favorite ever since … read more Garbage After previously naming an album 2.0, this could be considered version 3.0 of the career of Garbage, the Madison, WI based band who resumed work in … read more Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy brought So Much Stardust to end Night One of the 2023 NFL Draft held at Union Station in Kansas … read more Alabama Shakes The second half of the show is Lara's music pick of The Alabama Shakes and why she loves them. Song of the show is "You Ain't Alone", which was … read more Train The popular “Hey, Soul Sister” band Train is headlining the Surly Brewing Festival Field this September 11, 2023. Show up early to … read more Sheryl Crow The evening opened strong with Sheryl Crow dueting with Olivia Rodrigo and Stevie Nicks with Laura Dern doing the induction duties before Peter Frampton joined … read more O.A.R. Longtime Rockville MD alt-roots rock band O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) got things started with a 75-minute opening set, that properly warmed up the crowd … read more Father John Misty Before he was Father John Misty, he was known as Josh Tillman, or rather by his billing stagename, J. Tillman. We caught J Tillman at the Music … read more Beach Bunny Due to popular demand (the original venue Fine Line Music Café sold out), the Beach Bunny (led by Lili Trifilio) show got an upgrade to First Avenue’s … read more Blind Melon Steven Weeks-Johnson was fun, doing some 90s tunes like Sublime’s “What I Got” and Blind Melon’s “No Rain”. He even played Joe Walsh’s “Life's Been Good”. … read more

July 18, 2025 Friday
July 19, 2025 Saturday
July 20, 2025 Sunday
Minnesota Yacht Club
at Harriet Island
minnesotayachtclubfestival.com

Can you believe it? The biggest music event of Minnesota, the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (MYC) will be taking place this weekend, starting on Friday (July 18) and ending on Sunday (July 20). Pre-sale tickets sold out seven months ago!!! The lineup is incredible.

NOTE: Please note that Blind Melon has replaced Semisonic on Sunday night.

Hozier at State Theatre (0June 2, 2019)

For Friday, Hozier is the headliner. The headliner is incredibly popular, playing to 18,000 in 2024. We caught Hozier in Minnesota, in June 2019 and said, “What is even more impressive is that while the debut self-titled album only reached #2 on the US chart, Hozier’s sophomore album Wasteland, Baby! went straight to #1 - thanks to such strong singles as “Movement” and “Almost (Sweet Music)”. Although his international breakout single “Take Me To Church” (which the band closed out the show with), I think the real secret to Hozier’s success is his very excellent band and backup singers. They were all giving their 150%, and you can just tell how much they love playing these songs.”

Father John Misty at Rock the Garden (June 16, 2018)

Also, on Friday is Father John Misty, who we saw in June 2018 and wrote, “As usual, the Rock the Garden did a great job organizing the music festival. Although the original scheduled was delayed about 30 minutes, because of the weather... once the music started, they did an amazing job getting things back on track. Father John Misty had a whole Minnesota orchestra behind him (players Leah Ottman/LOTT, Cameron Kinghorn, the Laurels String Quartet, Dan Lawonn, and Devan Moran).”

Weezer at Azura Amphitheater (June 11, 2023)

On Saturday, the headliner will be Chicago’s popular band Fall Out Boy (not to be confused with Fallout’s Vault Boy), which we saw in April 2023 … however, we probably more excited for Weezer. We last saw Weezer in June 2023 and said, “Weezer would begin as darkness filled the skies, illuminating the car dashboard stage set, themed around road trips and a large backdrop screen that showed animated versions of famous landmarks that could be visited on a road trip, as the band dipped into their entire three decade-plus musical catalogue. Singer Rivers Cuomo gained instant applause, sporting a I Heart KC t-shirt and at one point early on, Cuomo said "something is wrong" and he "turned up the volume" on the dashboard stage to keep the road tunes and fun atmosphere going.”

Garbage at Mystic Lake (July 21, 2017)

Personally speaking, I’m more excited about Sunday’s lineup, which features punk legends Green Day on the same bill as Garbage and Sublime! That’s totally nuts! We love Garbage and have seen them a few times, with the last in July 2017: “After previously naming an album 2.0, this could be considered version 3.0 of the career of Garbage, the Madison, WI based band who resumed work in 2012 after a break, and is in support of last summer’s Strange Little Birds (on the band’s own Stunvolume Records) and also their own coffee table book, This is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake (Akashic Books). Their new one-off single, the brooding ‘No Horses’ opened their seventy-five minute set, with singer Shirley Manson literally shimmering in a sparkling dress hiding Dr. Martin-style boots underneath. The band (Duke Erikson-bass; Steve Marker-guitar; Butch Vig- drums) remains a musically tight as ever, working in all the radio hits, in addition to a fewer newer songs.”

As usual, we will be there early to cover all the bands - including local favorites like Semisonic and Raffaella.

Friday - July 18 Hozier Alabama Shakes Train Sheryl Crow Father John Misty Gigi Perez The 502s Hamilton Leithauser Mike Kota Maygen & the Birdwatcher

Saturday - July 19 Fall Out Boy Weezer Remi Wolf OAR Cory Wong Motion City Soundtrack Silversun Pickups Jake Clemons Raffaella LAAMAR

Sunday - July 20 Green Day Sublime 311 Garbage Beach Bunny The Beaches Blind Melon Grace Bowers Winona Fighter Landon Conrath

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! July 14-17, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO metro)

Read More St. Paul and the Broken Bones They may look like the company photo of your accountants or law team, but underneath that façade, St. Paul and the Broken Bones soulfully proves you can’t judge a book by its cover. …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Will “Swag” yield the song of the summer?

If you hadn’t heard, Justin Bieber just dropped a surprise album, his seventh studio release, and while reports are that it’s filled with sophisticated pop, it’s also a personal and cathartic inward look at his own mental health as well. That kind of leads to the question around this time of year, asking “What is the song of the summer?”

Sabrina Carpenter may have taken the crown last year and tries to again with “Manchild”, and other contenders include Lady Gaga, Leon Thomas, and the Kendrick/Sza collab and we kinda like that sombr kid, but Billboard claims to have a chart for this and claims Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” is taking the lead so far. It’s got legs and crosses genres, but time will still have to tell, so feel free to discuss.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week of July 14th-July 17th.

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

MONDAY JULY 14

The Crane Wives, July 14, The Truman,$25.10-$65.92

Grand Rapids, MI indie rock band The Crane Wives (with a name based on a Decemberists song) have amassed more than 1.4m Spotify monthly listeners, 724k TikTok likes and are coming through town in support of their acclaimed new album, Beyond Beyond Beyond, which is out now.

Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock era, the band boomed on social channels during the pandemic and are known for their high-energy performances. Their harmony-dense melodies support resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition.

TUESDAY JULY 15

WEDNESDAY JULY 16

St Paul and the Broken Bones, Wood Brothers, Yasmin Williams, July 16, Grinders KC, $56.05-$89.26

One of our favorites, St. Paul & The Broken Bones are out on a summer co-headlining tour with The Wood Brothers. Broken Bones singer Paul Janeway shares: “We are excited to join forces with The Wood Brothers. It will be such a pleasure to share the stage with such a talented group of folks. We can’t wait to see y’all out there."

Oliver Wood adds, “St. Paul and the Broken Bones is such a great band. We’re beyond excited to do these shows together. I also have to admit, we’re thinking of ways to steal that incredible horn section.”

STTBB’ s latest album Angels In Science Fiction is out now on ATO Records and the album’s theme follows the literary examples such as Aristotle, William James and John Steinbeck, Janeway penned the album as a series of letters to his then-unborn daughter. We caught them live at this very venue, three summers ago and glad they’re returning to the area.

For nearly 20+ years, Grammy Award-nominated roots music trio The Wood Brothers have been building a devoted audience through a prolific flow of creative output, including eight studio albums and five official live releases. The band’s most recent recording, Heart Is The Hero, was praised for its "immersive take on Americana—part country, soul, Southern rock and gospel” and look for a new record shortly.

Collective Soul, Live, Our Lady Peace, July 16, Starlight,$30-$153.75

The Atlanta, GA band celebrated their 30th Anniversary in 2024 with the release of their anticipated and acclaimed 12th studio album, Here to Eternity, released last May on their Fuzze-Flex Records label. Special guest appearances included Paul McCartney guitarist Brian Ray, longtime Sheryl Crow bandleader Peter Stroud, and Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship. The band is best-known for their classic hits like “Shine,” “December,” “The World I Know,” “Heavy,” and “Where The River Flows.” and have sold over 15 million albums worldwide.

Additionally, a feature-length documentary, Give Me A Word: The Collective Soul Story, was just released via Trinity Content Partners and tells the band’s untold history: the family component to the band (brother Ed and Dean Roland), the creativity, and the wisdom that has been hard won over their career.

Lightning still crashes for a reunited Live and Our Lady Peace remains one of Canada’s best-known band of the last thirty years, so this should be a fun and full evening.

Robin Trower, July 16, Uptown, $50-$130

The 80-years-young guitar legend is keeping a busy year adding nearly two dozen concerts for a 2025 summer tour of the U.S.tour in May. Prior to that, his February-March dates made up those that were rescheduled from 2024 following a “major operation” that he had over that summer.

The 50th anniversary expanded edition of his third studio album, For Earth Below released on June 27, features the album newly remastered, an extended stereo mix of the entire record, a disc of outtakes, rarities and BBC sessions with the majority previously unreleased and a newly mixed concert taped live in Los Angeles from the “For Earth Below” tour, never available in its entirety before.

THURSDAY JULY 17

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, July 17, Uptown, $62-$147

Following a spring excursion with his Acoustic Group, Lyle Lovett again hits the road with his celebrated Large Band for a comprehensive summer tour over the course of 10 weeks, making a local stop in midtown and will wrap at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA on August 7. His most recent studio album is 2022’s 12^th of June.

Craig Morgan, July 17, Prairie Band Casino- Mayetta, $70.95

The patriotic singer, author, actor, and soldier has amassed nearly 2.5 billion career streams and charted over 25 songs on Billboard. With signature hits including “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Almost Home,” “International Harvester,” “Soldier,” “That's What I Love About Sunday,” and his faith-filled tribute, “The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost,” Morgan has formed the soundtrack to our lives for over two decades.

His new music, American Soundtrack (via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville), is no exception, with each of the EP’s six songs infused with Craig’s faith and patriotism. His inspiring memoir - “God, Family, Country” is out now and we caught him live, a few years ago at Country Stampede in Topeka

   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

Pure Prairie League at Parkway Theater, Minneapolis (July 10, 2025)

Pure Prairie League at Parkway Theater (July 10, 2025) Tour Dates Coming to a town near you…we’re excited to announce our Back On Track Summer Tour dates! Catch us on the road and check out our website pureprairieleague.com for tickets, updates, additional info… 07/10 Parkway Theater - Minneapolis, MN 07/12 Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI 07/13 Peg Egan Performing Arts Center - Egg Harbor, WI 07/17 Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL 07/18 Peabody Auditorium - Daytona Beach, FL 08/08 Bloomington Center - Bloomington, IL 08/10 The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI 08/22 Winspear Opera House - Dallas, TX 08/23 Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX 08/24 Tobin Center - San Antonio, TX 08/25 Main Street Crossing - Tomball, TX 08/30 SamJam Bluegrass Festival 2025 - Piketon, OH 09/05 Uptown Theater - Kansas City, MO 09/06 Ozarks Amphitheater - Camdenton, MO 09/11 Beaver Creek Village - Avon, CO 12/04 Musikfest Café - Bethlehem, PA 12/05 Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis, MD 01/09/26 Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ Band Members Scott Thompson — vocals, drums, percussion Randy Harper - vocals, keyboards, guitar Jared Camic - vocals, bass Jeff Zona - vocals, guitar John Heinrich - steel, sax Pure Prairie League Country-rock royalty Pure Prairie League will be playing the Parkway Theater, in Minneapolis, on July 10, 2025, in support of their new album … read more

It was a perfect summer evening, and there was a casual feel in the air when I stepped up to the Parkway Theater and showed my ID. It wasn’t surprising. The band I was about to see had their last hit song decades before and the fan base on average was getting along in years. There was no reason for the night not to be a sleepy affair.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Like the Four Freshmen which we covered last month at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Pure Prairie League (PPL) has held a similar trajectory starting with its original members and ending up with a completely new set of musicians on their latest tour. In between over thirty musicians have played in the band, some of them going on to have their own careers like Vince Gill, Gary Burr and Curtis Wright.

PPL started in the late Sixties with Craig Fuller on guitar, Tom McGrail on drums and John David Call on steel guitar. Their name was lifted from a fictional temperance union featured in the cowboy movie Dodge City, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Their 1972 debut album cover features a Norman Rockwell cowboy named Sad Luke, who would go on to appear on every PPL album thereafter as well as providing the backdrop to the new set of musicians who took the stage at the Parkway, they being: Jeff Zona on guitar, Jared Camic on bass, Randy Harper on the keyboard and guitar, Scott Thompson on drums and John Heinrich on pedal steel guitar and tenor sax.

PPL had over ten albums to play from, but they were also supporting their latest album Back on Track which was released in 2024. And by the third song it became apparent that the newest iteration of PPL could play as Harper and Heinrich had a nice call and response with their keys and pedal steel guitar on the song “Early Morning Riser.”

Then a “purty” song, “Angel #9” followed by “Heart of Her Own”.

“Man, you guys are kicking it,” said Harper after the applause died down.

He was right. The audience wasn’t sleepy. They were in the moment and showing their approval, especially when Heinrich laid down a sweet and soulful solo on his pedal steel guitar and Zona leaned into his guitar solos.

Harper said that there was only one song that was played at every PPL concert for the past fifty plus years. Most in the audience thought it was their hit song, but Harper said it was actually the Nick Gravenites “I’ll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle”, as in Merle Haggard, which held the same DNA of Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” and got a big roar from the crowd with lyrics like:

If you're gonna call the world your home
Ya know you're gonna have to get out and get stoned

Somehow a breezy 45 minutes went by. And when they returned for the second half, it was with songs from their latest album like “Picture Perfect Life”, “Skipping Stones” and “I’m the Lucky One.” Then earlier songs like “Jazz Man” and “Two Lane Highway” as well as forays from the 80’s with “Goodbye So Long” and “Let Me Love You Tonight.”

It was a pleasant evening of music from a band who deftly blended songs from past members as well as songs of their own. But Harper finally mentioned what was on everyone’s mind. “If we don’t do this. We will get shot.”

And so they finished a perfect evening with a perfect song, “Aime”, a song that helped start the country rock movement. A song that I would describe as drinking a smooth whiskey on a summer’s eve.

Pure Prairie League at Parkway Theater, Minneapolis (July 10, 2025)

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com ♥ bsky.app

Black Sabbath / Ozzy Osbourne & friends - Back to the Beginning at Aston Villa Stadium, Birmingham UK (2025-07-05) Official Photos

Black Sabbath 2025-07-05 Birmingham Astion Villa BACK TO THE BEGINNING SETLIST (intro music: Black Sabbath w/ video collage of Birmingham) Mastodon Black Tongue Blood and Thunder Supernaut (Black Sabbath cover) with Mario Duplantier, Danny Carey, and Eloy Casagrande Rival Sons Do Your Worst Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath cover) Secret Anthrax Indians Into the Void (Black Sabbath cover) > Indians reprise Halestorm Love Bites (So Do I) Rain Your Blood on Me Perry Mason (Ozzy Osbourne cover) Lamb of God Laid to Rest Redneck Children of the Grave (Black Sabbath cover) Supergroup (Tom Morello's All-Stars) The Ultimate Sin (Ozzy Osbourne cover) with Lzzy Hale, Jake E. Lee, Nuno Bettencourt, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman) Shot in the Dark (Ozzy Osbourne cover) with David Draiman, Jake E. Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman) Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath cover) with David Draiman, Scott Ian, Nuno Bettencourt, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin, and Adam Wakeman) Believer (Ozzy Osbourne cover) with Whitfield Crane, Scott Ian, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, ll, and Adam Wakeman) Changes (Black Sabbath cover) with YUNGBLUD, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II, and Adam Wakeman; dedicated to Diogo Jota Jack Black (video) Mr. Crowley (Ozzy Osbourne cover) with Revel Ian, Roman Morello, Yoyoka Soma, and Hugo Weiss Alice In Chains Man in the Box Would? Fairies Wear Boots (Black Sabbath cover) Gojira Stranded Silvera Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) [traditional] with Marina Viotti Under the Sun (Black Sabbath cover) Drum-Off Symptom of the Universe (Black Sabbath cover) Travis Barker vs. Chad Smith vs. Danny Carey, with Tom Morello, Nuno Bettencourt, and Rudy Sarzo Supergroup (Tom Morello's All-Stars) Breaking the Law (Judas Priest cover) with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo, and Danny Carey Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover) with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo, and Danny Carey Flying High Again (Ozzy Osbourne cover) with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith, and Vernon Reid Rock Candy (Montrose cover) with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith, and Tom Morello Bark at the Moon (Ozzy Osbourne cover ) with Papa V Perpetua, Vernon Reid, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, and Travis Barker The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Tiny Bradshaw cover) with Steven Tyler, Ron Wood, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo, & Travis Barker Walk This Way (Aerosmith cover ) with Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo, and Chad Smith Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover (Black Sabbath cover) with Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo, and Chad Smith Pantera Cowboys From Hell Walk Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover) Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath cover) Tool Forty Six & 2 Hand of Doom (Black Sabbath cover) Ænema Slayer Disciple War Ensemble Wicked World (Black Sabbath cover) South of Heaven > Wicked World reprise Raining Blood Angel of Death Guns N’ Roses It's Alright (Black Sabbath cover, shortened) Never Say Die (Black Sabbath cover) Junior's Eyes (Black Sabbath cover) Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover) Welcome to the Jungle Paradise City Metallica Hole in the Sky (Black Sabbath cover) Creeping Death For Whom the Bell Tolls Johnny Blade (Black Sabbath cover) Battery Master of Puppets Ozzy Osbourne       (intro music: O Fortuna - Carl Orff song) > I Don't Know Mr. Crowley Suicide Solution Mama, I'm Coming Home Crazy Train Black Sabbath       (intro: Sabbra Cadabra w/video of the history of Black Sabbath) > War Pigs (with “Black Sabbath” intro) N.I.B. (with band introductions) Iron Man Paranoid (with fireworks) Black Sabbath The band features faithful covers of Black Sabbath songs but with the lyrics humorously re-written to keep to their fast-food theme – Sabbath’s "Paranoid" becomes "Pair-a-Buns" … read more

The greatest Heavy Metal / Hard Rock concert of all time!

“Back to the Beginning” took place on July 5 at Birmingham UK’s Villa Park Stadium, home to Aston Villa F.C. This historic event marked the first time the original Black Sabbath lineup featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward performed together in twenty years, and was very likely also for their last time.

The concert also held special significance as it represented Ozzy Osbourne’s final solo performance as well. Saddled with health issues including Parkinson’s disease and several surgeries over the last several years, the show marked Ozzy’s first major stage appearance in nearly seven years (though we did see him on stage at last year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and concert).

Beyond its musical importance, this was also a benefit event which raised over £140 million to be shared equally between three area charities close to the Osbourne’s heart- Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice.

The return to Birmingham for this once-in-a-lifetime gathering, held deep meaning for the band as it represented the hometown where Black Sabbath first formed in 1968, and brought their legendary career full circle in the city where it all began.

This event is waaaay too big to cover in one post, so look for a couple related follow-ups including our pics from the pit; and in the meantime, see the official photos from the day below.



(Official Photos are copyrighted and courtesy of Live Nation UK, by Ross Halfin and Kazuyo Horie

Click on any image to enlarge and to see in full)

BACK TO THE BEGINNING at Aston Villa Stadium, Birmingham UK (2025-7-12) by Ross Halfin w Kazuyo Horie

BACK TO THE BEGINNING at Aston Villa Stadium, Birmingham UK (2025-7-12) by Ross Halfin w Kazuyo Horie

BACK TO THE BEGINNING at Aston Villa Stadium, Birmingham UK (2025-7-12) by Ross Halfin w Kazuyo Horie

BACK TO THE BEGINNING at Aston Villa Stadium, Birmingham UK (2025-7-12) by Ross Halfin w Kazuyo Horie

John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com ♥ bsky.app

John Garcia at Turf Club, St Paul (July 09, 2025)

John Garcia at Turf Club (July 09, 2025) John Garcia Setlist   ¹ Kyuss song ² Hermano song ³ Vista Chino song Cowboys Suck² Hurricane¹ Jim's Whiskers Conan Troutman¹ Rolling Stoned (Black Mastiff cover) Kentucky II Don't Even Think About It My Mind Dargona Dragona³ Instrumental Jam Gardenia¹ All These Walls My Everything Thumb¹ -- Encore -- Green Machine¹ Telekinetic Yeti Setlist Ghost Train Abominable Stoned and Feathered Ancient Nug Beast Toke Wizard Himalayan Hymn Tour Dates John and his band will also be hitting the following dates. Solo material, Vista Chino, Slo Burn, Hermano and Kyuss songs in the line up. Plus some tasty jams from his band. 07/09: St Paul, MN @ Turf Club 07/10: Milwaukee, WI @ Club Garibaldi 07/11: Omaha, NE @ Slowdown 07/12: Denver, CO @ Marquis 07/13: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge 07/19: Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's John Garcia Band John Garcia - vocals Greg Saenz - drums Billy Cordell - bass John Bennet - guitar John Garcia Finally time for John Garcia, who played a career-spanning ninety-minute set that was no frills and in-your-face, as the most devoted fans would want … read more Telekinetic Yeti Iowa-based two-piece Telekinetic Yeti is headlining the 7th Street Entry this August 29th, in support of their Tee Pee Records debut album, Primordial. … read more

Very hot days, with much more comfortable evenings have been the norm in the Twin Cities for a hot minute. On an appropriately warm day in St. Paul, John Garcia, one of the founders of desert rock, was playing at the Turf Club.

Side note: While it was loud, I felt like the band had taken just the smallest edge off the volume, which made it pleasantly loud and not simply painful loud. Thanks guys!

Getting things started was Telekinetic Yeti. The stoner rock duo from Iowa has two albums, with their most recent being 2022’s Primordial. On guitar/vocals & drums, this was a loud sound for just two people. A long introduction on the first number finally gave way to the low rumble of reverb vocals. A celebratory “cheers” to the crowd after the first song, and they were right back into it. The repetitive guitar chords on the third sound were a base for Telekinetic Yeti to riff in a variety of directions around that center. A slight change in tempo moved into the best guitar solo of the evening and those kinetic drums fed that intense feeling they had going.

We got some programmed electronic synth sounds at the start of the next number, Ancient Nug, and a lot of impressive drums before the guitar came back in. This was a very spacey sounding version of the hard rock/metal, and the crowd was head banging to that irresistible beat. Telekinetic Yeti was also doing a great job of riding the line of psych band without going into full jam session, with songs averaging a little over five minutes each. A little technical set up from the drummer prior to Beast probably had the most scream-like vocals of the set, and also had the fastest tempo guitar work in a very stoner rock vibe. Finishing on Himalayan Hymn, Telekinetic Yeti started on a slower tempo song that had at least two or three movements, with distinct changes in feel. This was a well-paced and enjoyable forty-minute set.

John Garcia is a stalwart of the Palm Desert Scene. He was a co-founder of the hard rock band Kyuss, the progenitor of the desert, stoner rock, that Garcia, Brant Bjork, Queens of the Stone Age, and others have really built out. That hard rock base with some psych rock jam sessions and a bit of alternative rock hooks is a distinct sound. Post-Kyuss, Garcia has been in several projects while always keeping his solo career going with multiple album releases, including 2019’s John Garcia and the Band of Gold. A quartet (vocals, guitar, bass, and drums), the band went all over the back log of those different projects. They started with Cowboys Suck, a Hermano song, and went straight into a Kyuss number and then into Jim’s Whiskers off the afore mentioned Band of Gold album. And while Garcia is/was lead singer for all three of those bands, his vocal style was slightly different across them. It’s also worth noting that while he could (and did) slide into that more spoken/ screamed style throughout the evening, he really is a singer at his core.

Thanking the crowd for being at the show (“Is it a Tuesday? A Wednesday? I don’t f’in know.”), the band moved into Rolling Stoned, a harder edged song both musically and vocally, with Garcia giving a more gravelly sound. The driving guitar lick was super catchy, and Garcia spoke highly of the band Black Mastiff that he had seen originally perform it. Garcia went on a small tangent about getting older, but how much he appreciated the crowd age range and helping keep music like this alive. Don’t Even Think About It was nearly metal at times, and Garcia went significantly higher in range, including some well-done falsetto before a longer guitar solo closed it out. Introducing the band, Garcia launched into Dragona Dragona from yet another band he fronted, Vista Chino. It was a lot of fun to essentially get the full tour of that Palm Desert sound.

Garcia left the stage, allowing the rest of the band the opportunity for an extended instrumental jam, another hallmark of the desert rock genre. Returning to the stage, Garcia started the slow descent towards the close, though that didn’t mean a decrease in intensity. All These Walls had a heavy drum and bass intro and Garcia fully into the lyrics. I’m a big fan of performers who care, and it seemed like Garcia cares a lot for the music and the experience the band was trying to share with the audience. Garcia and band went into Thumb, with the crowd erupting. After a brief break, the band came back for the encore, ending with Green Machine, a pretty great encapsulation of the evening, with a thankful Garcia ripping ripping through the song and raising hands victorious as they left.

Telekinetic Yeti

Telekinetic Yeti

Telekinetic Yeti

Telekinetic Yeti

John Garcia

John Garcia

John Garcia

John Garcia

John Garcia at Turf Club, St Paul (July 09, 2025)

thaddeus ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

The Wiz (Broadway touring musical) at The Music Hall, Kansas City MO (2025-07-08 to 07-13)

(The Wiz playbill from The Music Hall, Kansas City, MO)   KANSAS CITY SHOWTIMES   Tuesday, July 8: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 10: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 11: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12: 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 13: 1 p.m. Sunday, July 13: 6:30 p.m.   THE WIZ TOUR DATES   Jul 15-20 Fort Worth, TX Bass Hall Jul 22-27 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre Jul 29-Aug 3 Louisville, KY The Kentucky Center Aug 5-10 Durham, NC DPAC Aug 12-24 Boston, MA Boston Opera House Sep 9-21 Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park Sep 23-28 Nashville, TN Tennessee Performing Arts Center Sep 30-Oct 5 Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips Center Oct 7-12 Miami, FL Arsht Center Oct 14-19 Tampa, FL Straz Center Oct 21-26 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center Oct 28-Nov 2 Greensboro, NC Tanger Center Nov 4-9 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall Nov 11-16 Dayton, OH Schuster Center Nov 18-23 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theater Nov 25-Dec 7 St. Louis, MO Fabulous Fox Theatre Dec 9-14 East Lansing Wharton Center Dec 16-21 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre Jan 6-11, 2026 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall Jan 13-25, 2026 Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center Jan 27-Feb 1, 2026 San Jose CA Center for the Performing Arts Feb 3-8, 2026 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium Feb 10-15, 2026 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre Feb 18-22, 2026 El Paso, TX Plaza Theatre Mar 3-15, 2026 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center Mar 17-22, 2026 Indianapolis, IN Clowes Hall Mar 24-29, 2026 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Center  Apr 7-12, 2026 Washington, DC National Theatre Apr 14-19, 2026 North Charleston, SC N. Charleston PAC Apr 21-26, 2026 Richmond, VA Altria Center Apr 28-May 3, 2026 Chattanooga, TN Soldiers & Sailors May 5-10, 2026 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Performing Arts Center May 12-17, 2026 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall May 19-24, 2026 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center Music Hall May 26-31, 2026 Toledo, OH Stranahan Theater Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album.... …

It’s the right time to ‘ease on down the road’!

With the success of last year’s “Wicked” film and its sequel on the way this November, ‘Wizard of Oz’ mania is back and strong, but fans shouldn’t have to wait a year to again scratch that itch.

Luckily for Kansas City audiences, another well-known and unique take on the mythos is refreshed and back in circulation. The Tony® Award-winning Best Musical, The Wiz returns to stages across America in an all-new tour, direct from Broadway, playing downtown at the Music Hall, now through the weekend.

This production got its start back in late 1974, with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown and would move to Broadway early the following year.

It won a total of seven Tonys, and with its soul, gospel, rock and funk soundtrack and all-black cast, became a revelatory whole new groove of the original creation from the turn-of-the-century book series by author L. Frank Baum.

Of course, many are most familiar with the 1978 film version, which starred Diana Ross, a young Michael Jackson as the scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the tin man, along with Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, and other names of the day. Quincy Jones supervised and produced the music, but the missteps may have been with a Joel Schumacher script and Sidney Lumet directing, resulting in mixed reviews at the time, but it’s become much more beloved and emerged as a cult favorite, over the years.

A December 2015 live television version was well-received and in the fall of 2023, this updated production, directed by Schele Williams with new material by Amber Ruffin (a comedian and writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers) opened in Baltimore and soon moved to Broadway the following Spring, featuring a cast that would include the likes of singer Deborah Cox, and comedian Wayne Brady as the wizard.

The story is so familiar, there’s no real need for any re-cap, and this version begins set in rural Kansas as well (though there was no strong mention of such for the KC crowd). A hopeful and emotive opening scene between young Dorothy (Dana Cimone) and an eye-opening Kyla Jade (who plays Aunt Em as well as Evillene) whose soaring vocals made her a finalist on The Voice, combined to make for a memorable beginning to the story.

“Ease on Down the Road” is the cornerstone signature song for the production and we hear parts of it often, as Dorothy recruits the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, to join her on her trip down the yellow brick road to Emerald City.

As with the 1978 film, the Scarecrow takes an active lead comedic role that is a linchpin to the entire narrative working, and actor Elijah Ahmad Lewis proves himself in fine voice, is as limber as needed during the dance routines, and stays humbly likable in a sometimes sublime performance.

Though the book was updated, the songs were kept to their mid-70s original versions; sounding often nostalgic, sometimes dated, and a reflection of that seminal funk/soul era. We wouldn’t have minded some more modern hip-hop beats and lyrics infused into the music as part of this yellow-brick refresh but understand the choice to keep the original classic music classic, as-is.

It should also be noted that costumed dancers represent certain inanimate objects (the winds of the tornado, poppies in a field, etc.) which leads to some nice expressive routines, and the first act would end with the group just arriving at the gates of Emerald City, in search of the mysterious wizard.

Following the intermission, Oz is revealed as a swanky green dance club and we meet The Wiz himself, played with a dapper confidence and swagger by Alan Mingo Jr. (best known as “Lola” from “Kinky Boots” and he also worked in the KC Rep company of A Christmas Story), only to later find he’s just an ordinary man.

Almost as if the cast were holding out during the first act (or maybe just building momentum), the second act absolutely crests with standout vocal performances from Jade as Evillene (on “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News”), Sheherazade as a sparkly Glinda (“Believe in Yourself”) and Cimone shows how her Dorothy can truly hold a note, on the closing “Home”.

A buoyant “Everybody Rejoice” was the centerpiece song of the second act (sung as part of a “free love” Age of Aquarius-like colorful dance number), and the tune reprises after the final bows, for a joyous send off to end the evening on a fun note.

Given a fresh coast of yellow-brick paint with some updated modern sensibilities while retaining its classic core, The Wiz returns like a brand-new day, to entertain on live stages once again.

The WIZ plays in Kansas City at The Music Hall through Sunday, July 13 with tickets available here: THE WIZ | PNC Broadway In Kansas City

  (Tour photography by Jeffrey Daniel / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full) 

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / Twitter.com