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Dog Days, baby!
We got the heat (but not triple-digits yet), the humidity, and everything in-between, though have been lucky so far to not be at a show rained out, or too oppressively hot, but the outdoor season still has a few months left.
We pre-registered with FIFA and their World Cup ticket lottery to potentially overpay to watch a match next summer, and are kind of wondering on what side of the state line the stadiums might end up following. Kansas is making a good pitch to get at least one of the teams.
This upcoming Friday and Saturday are absolutely jam-packed with live goodness, see below!
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend of July 18th, 19th, 20th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
FRIDAY JULY 18
Railroad Earth, Yonder Mtn String Band, July 18, Grinders KC, $8.32 / $77.93
Three of the jam world’s foremost acts will band together for a brief two weeks and KC gets a date! Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country will each deliver sets and doubtlessly spawn some surprise collaborations.
“We can’t wait to set out on the road with our friends Yonder Mountain String Band & Daniel Donato in July,” Railroad Earth’s Carey Harmon shared in a release. “These are the moments (we and) our fans live for, so to be able to get out and do this run is a dream come true.”
Earth Wind and Fire, July 18, Starlight, $60.25-$195.25
Legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire returns to the road on a 22-city summer tour which will wrap up Aug. 10 at The Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park, MN. We caught the band live last year in Kansas City, on a great bill with Lionel Richie.
After decades in the entertainment industry, the band has gained a new following with younger audiences, almost by accident. Their 1978 hit "September" has more than 2 billion Spotify streams, and has gone viral on TikTok and Instagram via meme culture. At the same time, a growing interest in vinyl among millennials and Gen Z has brought the band's catalog back into regular rotation.
Kröna, July 18, Sk8Bar, $22.19
Miami-via-Santo Domingo Caribbean punk force trio Kröna is charging through North America this summer on a run of tour dates in support of their new single “Take ’Em All”, now streaming and will be followed by their debut LP Dead Air Diaries on November (on their own Merenpón Records).
Blending breakneck punk, hardcore fury, and reggae grooves, Kröna brings an unmistakable Dominican flair to the global punk scene. Formed just over a year ago by childhood friends Cristóbal and JP (formerly of ESPÉRICLES), and drummer Chino (Zeta), the band has quickly earned a reputation for their confrontational yet celebratory sound. With Strung Out, D-Fibs, and SCUD also on the bill.
David Lowery, July 18, Lawrence Public Library, free w/ RSVP (waitlist)
Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery's new 28-track solo album "Fathers, Sons and Brothers" was released May 30th (via Cooking Vinyl), his musical autobiography, celebrating his youth, family, friends and the highs and lows of his 40-year career in the music business. 
This set combines three of David's previously online-only released autobiographical solo albums In The Shadow of the Bull, Leaving Key Member Clause, and Vending Machine, and also includes four previously unreleased songs, as well as four newly re-recorded tracks- something he discussed when we saw him last in Lawrence, at The Arts Center back in 2023 (so he must like coming back to town).
He notes, "In lieu of an uninteresting written autobiography I’ve made this record. I do this not so much to tell my own story but to pay tribute to my mother, father, sisters, extended family, friends, and those who have shared their lives with me. I wanted to sing the songs of the unsung, celebrate friends and family, make amends, and apologize where necessary. It took me nearly 5 years to make this recording and I’m a little sad the process is over. Although much of this I recorded alone during the pandemic I had an amazing set of virtual collaborators spread across 5 time zones and three continents. I couldn’t have done it without them."
idobi Radio Summer School w/Taylor Acorn & Rain City Drive, Charlotte Sands, Arrows in Action, Beauty School Dropout, and If Not For M, July 18, $46-$47
(UPDATE- MOVED to the Granada in Lawrence) Following its 2024 debut, the idobi Radio Summer School Tour returns this summer for its highly sophomore year. Sponsored by idobi Radio and Hot Topic, the nationwide traveling festival highlights independent artists while focusing on artist development, community, ticket affordability, and social impact.
Headlining the tour will be Taylor Acorn, Charlotte Sands, Rain City Drive, If Not For Me, Beauty School Dropout, Arrows in Action, and Huddy. This is the festivals second year with a focus on artist development, community, ticket affordability, and social impact. The tour was created by Vans Warped Tour (which it will intersect with) creator Kevin Lyman, Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records) and Michael Kaminsky (KMGMT).
Speaking of Arrows in Action, they’re in support of their forthcoming album I Think I've Been Here Before, featuring single "Cheekbones," which hit over 500K streams on Spotify the first week of release. Blending rock, pop, and alternative styles, their music explores themes of youth, love, and self-discovery.
SATURDAY JULY 19
Laney Jones and the Spirits, July 19, miniBar, $18.86
Nashville-based Laney Jones and the Spirits have released their new single, “Another Rolling Stone,” which follows 2024’s single, “Stay At Home,” and 2022’s full-length, Stories Up High.
Jones is a genre-defying songwriter and front woman whose sound blends indie and psychedelic rock, with a soulful, grungy sound and this 19-date tour makes a local stop.
In 2022, Jones released that critically acclaimed album Stories Up High, marking a turning point in her artistic evolution, praised for its cinematic scope and introspective songwriting with expansive arrangements and lyrical intimacy. Earlier this year, the band released a four-song live EP through OurVinyl, filmed at Fighters Boxing in Nashville, TN.
Father John Misty w Hamilton Leithauser, July 19, Uptown, $58-$100
Father John Misty is out on a new stretch of tour dates in support of his 2024 album, Mahashmashana, with The Walkmen vocalist Hamilton Leithauser set to open and will conclude with a July 31st show in Vancouver, followed by another set of shows across the pond.
Aka Josh Tillman released his sixth studio album, last November, which made many Best-Of lists to end the year, and he also recently shared a 10th anniversary reissue of his 2015 album I Love You, Honeybear; His sardonic wit and banter between songs is worth the price of admission alone.
Maggie Baugh, July 19, recordBar, $25.49
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maggie Baugh is out on her Entertainers Heart World Tour, in support of her upcoming self-produced sophomore album and a rock-infused sound. 
Lead single from the album, “Headstone,” hit #1 on Amazon’s Movers & Shakers chart. That track, along with newest single, “Other Side of the World,” are early glimpses of her next album: real instruments, live band energy, and no filter.
Shane Gillis (comedian), July 19, T-Mobile Center, $47-$133
Comedian Shane Gillis extended his Shane Gillis Live run to eleven additional cities, including a date right here in KC, just ahead of him hosting The Espys next week. Gillis has already set the all-time ticket sales record at six arenas and the achieved historic sellouts, playing each arena’s largest comedy show of all time, at 11 more- breaking records belonging to acts like Kevin Hart and U2 (he’s as surprised at all of this, as you are).
SUNDAY JULY 20
take a nap
National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity? Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email [email protected]
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