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Last weekend for a fairly rainy April--
Grass gets longer, temps start to slowly climb, and outdoor patios are re-opening, meaning outdoor concert venues will soon do the same. Schools will be out for summer break too, so expect Lawrence shows to slightly slow down, but we’re showing a fairly packed KC events calendar, from now through October!
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend from April 25th to 27th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
FRIDAY APRIL 25
Maribou State, Apr 25, The Truman, $25
The electronic duo Maribou State released their album 'Hallucinating Love', in late January via Ninja Tune, featuring soulful new track ‘All I Need’(feat. MOBO-nominated artist Andreya Triana). The duo of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory are back with new music, their first studio album in seven years after a turbulent few years following Davids’ surgery for a rare brain condition.
Another single, ‘Otherside’ featuring vocalist Holly Walker, also precluded the new record and it should be a nice welcome back after almost a decade away.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bobby Rush, Apr 25, Uptown, $40-$100
What a pairing! Three-time Grammy Award-winning blues legend Bobby Rush and five-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, unite on a tour to support their brand-new collaboration album, Young Fashioned Ways, which just came out late last month. Their debut single, “Who Was That,” was already featured in Lionsgate’s upcoming film Flight Risk starring Mark Wahlberg. 
The pair have embarked on a 24-city U.S. tour starting right here in Kansas City, MO going through late August to wrap in Lincoln City, LA. The 91-year-old Rush is 44 years older than KWS and is a three-time Grammy Award winner for Best Traditional Blues Album for Porcupine Meat, Rawer than Raw, and 2024’s All My Love For You. He is also a 56-time nominated and 16-time Blues Music Awards winner and has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Rush and Shepherd named the album Young Fashioned Ways culminating from their mutual admiration of blues legend Muddy Waters, and the youthfulness of their pairing despite their wide age gap. The two artists also wrote a new version of Waters’ “Young Fashioned Ways” based on Willie Dixon’s original, re-titled the song “Young Ways,” and included it on the album. The album also includes colorful re-inventions of four classic Rush songs – “40 Acres (How Long),” “G String,” “Make Love to You” and “Uncle Esau.”
Ally Venable, Apr 25, Knuckleheads,$20
The Texas-born and bred guitar shredding powerhouse drops single, “Unbreakable” featuring Shemekia Copeland and is out on her ‘Money & Power’ Tour, named after the new record of the same name, which was just released last Friday via Ruf Records. She just got off the road on the Experience Hendrix Tour, but is back out again as a headliner.
“This is a powerful duet, and defiant anthem that celebrates the indomitable spirit of women who have weathered life’s storms,” says Ally. “The song paints a vivid portrait of two souls who have both gone through adversity, yet their voices blend in a harmonious tribute to resilience and triumph. I am here to let women know that they can stand tall and face the world with unbreakable courage and strength.” “All the songs on this album showcase the theme of what it truly means to be a force to be reckoned with. I want this record to wake people up,” she notes.
Five for Fighting, Apr 25, Liberty Hall-Lawrence, $35-$85
Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) is set to hit town on the opening performance of his series of special string quartet shows before he and his full band hit the road more traditionally with Vertical Horizon later in the summer and fall. 
Ondrasik will be bringing top musicians including Tony-Award winning concertmaster and co-orchestrator of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Katie Kresek on violin, Melissa Tong on violin, who toured with Post Malone in 2023, and Broadway’s Chris Cardona on viola and Peter Sachon on cello. The unique nature of the shows allows Ondrasik to go behind the music and tell stories while the format allows for a deeper dive into the catalog, while there is always a surprise or two in store.
As Five For Fighting, he has released six studio albums, including the platinum America Town and The Battle for Everything; and the top ten Two Lights, along with an EP and live albums. FFF’s radio hits include “100 Years,” “The Riddle,” “Chances,” “World,” and “Easy Tonight,” which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top 10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s.
Ondrasik’s passion for humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment and he’s been writing songs about key events around the world from a humanistic perspective including “Can One Man Save The World?” which was inspired by President Vladimir Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. He wrote “OK (We Are Not Ok)” in response to the October 7th attacks in Israel, while addressing its cultural aftermath everywhere.
Hayes Carll / Corb Lund, Apr 25, Knuckleheads, Sold Out
The only thing better than Corb Lund and Hayes Carll is the pair on tour together! Coming off his recent collaboration with The Band of Heathens, TX songwriter Carll is now in collaboration with Canadian C&W legend Lund for their “Bible on the Dash” tour, named after the duo’s 2012 song together.
Both will be on stage together – swapping songs, storytelling, and revealing the inspirations behind many their songs in unique performances. This should be a fun and unique show for those who scored tickets – alas, already sold out for anyone on the fence.
The Ocean Blue, Apr 25- Bottleneck-Lawrence, $25-$30
The Alt-rock 120 Minutes-era veterans are back out on tour where they’re playing their 1989 self-titled debut album and 1991’s Cerulean, in their entirety. The Ocean Blue's debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 and the band of four teenagers from Hershey, PA quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay, with hits like “Between Something and Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling”. They followed their debut album with the subtle and atmospheric Cerulean, which included perhaps their most beloved song, “Ballerina Out of Control”. 
In 2013, the band released their first full length record in over 10 years, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a Minneapolis-based label cooperative label the band helped launch, which is also why they played semi-frequently in the Twin Cities, though didn’t originate there. The band has gone on to release their first new full length album in over 6 years as well.
Hairball, Apr 25, Stormont-Vail Events Center- Topeka, $15-$55
It’s a celebration of 25 years of Las Vegas meets Arena Rock! Starting out in small Minnesota bars (which is where we used to catch them), Hairball has evolved into a legendary tribute touring act that brings the glory of the 80’s to fans throughout the country, with a 2+ hour accurate homage to the biggest arena acts of the era. From Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey, Aerosmith, and more – recreated time and time again in front of your very eyes! Their bombastic, action-packed, Rock & Roll party is chock-full of surprises with an arena-sized light show, smoke, fire, and pyrotechnics.
SATURDAY APRIL 26
Paul Simon, Apr 26, Midland, Sold Out
No longer the 'boy in the bubble', legendary singer songwriter Paul Simon has un-retired from live concerts and is playing live again, for the first time since the ‘farewell tour’ of 2018 (due to hearing issues) and with more “intimate” arrangements and locations than the bigger tours of old. 
The “Quiet Celebration Tour” is focused around his most recent album, the acoustically based “Seven Psalms,”which has been played live in its entirety for the first half of these shows. Expect the 83-year-old and band to rock the hits after an intermission to close the night. Most dates on this 50-show tour are multi-nights in bigger metros, with KC just getting the one night.
The band will include Caleb Burhans (viola), Jamey Haddad (percussion), Gyan Riley (guitar), Mick Rossi (piano, keys), Andy Snitzer (saxophone), Nancy Stagnita (flute), Mark Stewart (guitar) and Eugene Friesen (cello), with Steve Gadd and Matt Chamberlin alternating on drums.
Joywave Apr 26, Truman,$28.50-$55
The acclaimed indie rock band from Rochester, NY has returned to live shows on their Here to Perform... Spring 2025 Tour. The tour supports the band’s acclaimed fifth studio album, Permanent Pleasure and is set to feature special guest little image as the supporting act. Expect a fun live show, like when we saw them last in Lawrence in 2022.
About the tour, the band said, "2024 was a busy year for us with the release of Permanent Pleasure, the accompanying short film, a full North American tour, and a run through Europe. We weren't ready for it to be over, so we figured we'd hit a bunch of cities in the US that got left out the first time. Expect a giant cat."
The band describes the new album: “A decade in the sunbeam. A unique vantage point. Our job has become to sit and think. To experience and react. The album is really 10 thoughts from Joywave's beam. I think most of the lyrics are taking place in the light as well, not loads of metaphors. Quite a bit more personal. The album is Joywave's 'whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it' at its best, and we loved the idea of the temporary state of the band name maturing into this album title."
Openers little image are a rising Dallas alt-pop trio that is out in support of its self-titled album and buzzing singles, "Out of My Mind" and the follow-up, "Run for Forever".
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Dehd, Apr 26, Granada- Lawrence, $23-$26
The Chicago-based band released their fifth album “Poetry” last year and is out playing live to support and my, have they grown in just a few years, even opening recently for Jack White, and is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. The band is still comprised of its founding members: singer and guitarist Jason Balla, singer and bassist Emily Kempf and drummer Eric McGrady. $1 from each ticket sold, will go benefit the Plus One organization.
The band released its fifth studio album “Poetry” in 2024. The album both continues Dehd’s evolution — transitioning away from its earlier punk sound (like when we saw them in Lawrence in 2021)— and maintains its genre-mixing work. “Poetry” balances the highs with the lows, weaving optimism and regret into one project. Following the breakout success of Flower of Devotion and Blue Skies, Dehd embarked on an unconventional songwriting journey, road-tripping across the U.S. to find inspiration in remote cabins, solar-powered studios, and even a brief stint stranded in rural Montana.
Shooting Star, Apr 26, Ameristar, $25-$85
Shooting Star was formed in the 1970s by Bill Guffey, Van McLain, Steve Thomas, Ron Verlin, Charles Waltz and Gary West, and Gary’s brother Ron West started the band Missouri.
Ron formed Missouri and Gary went on to record an album with a band called The Beckies. Later, Gary was recruited by a new band called The Shooting Stars, which was later changed to Shooting Star.
To Midwest radio listeners, both bands were on heavy rotation and had numerous hits, but neither band ever truly broke nationally. Come re-live the glory of the West brothers and what could have been.
Zeds Dead, Apr 26, Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, $35
Their sophomore full-length album, Return To The Spectrum Of Intergalactic Happiness from the Canadian duo just dropped last month and the tour is in full swing as well, having kicked off on March 7 in Atlanta and wraps in Toronto on May 10. 
Zeds Dead’s Hooks (real name Zachary Rapp-Rovan) and DC (real name Dylan Mamid) spent hours pouring through old videos to include as flips and projected behind them onstage as part of their visuals. Get those glowsticks ready for an EDM extravaganza!
“This year we’re trying to look at the samples behind a lot of music,” Rapp-Rovan told Pollstar “We started making hip-hop, and we would sample a lot of things. We carried that over into Zeds Dead, but it was remixing while still sampling things. This show, we wanted to incorporate visuals that show where the samples came from, not just with our music but with the music we play, and showcase how many different eras of music are actually represented in our sets. We thought it would be a cool visual element, and that’s one of the things we’re working towards.”
Smithereens with John Cowsill, Apr 26, Knuckleheads, $35-$55
New Jersey’s own Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock n roll for 45 years (since 1980!). Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret, NJ and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains, NJ. Under their belt, they have 17 albums and 2500 plus live shows and timeless songs like rock radio staples “Blood and Roses”, “Only a Memory’, “Behind the Wall of Sleep”, and “A Girl Like You.”
DiNizio passed away unexpectedly in 2017but the three surviving bandmates, Babjak, Diken, and Mesaros, decided to persevere and carry on their shared legacy. An album of all new material is in the works for later in 2025. Using alternating special guest vocalists, such as John Cowsill (The Cowsills/The Beach Boys,) they continue to tour and rock fans all over. 
SUNDAY APRIL 27
Static Dress w Soul Blind, Apr 27, Bottleneck-Lawrence,$19-$20
The West Yorkshire UK post-hardcore band have a new debut single, "face" and accompanying music video. The band has stated that the song is "a metaphor of a car crash to detail a turbulent relationship," which also "explores the horror that can unfold in the pursuit of love, and the often-destructive fallout when the results come to light."
The band are now out on their first-ever proper U.S. headline run supporting last year’s “Rouge Carpet Disaster” album, entitled the Crying Across The USA tour, with support from Soul Blind which kicked off in Brooklyn last week and wraps up in Atlanta just under one month later.
Hailing from Hudson Valley, NY, Soul Blind pushes the boundaries of alternative rock with a collage of sounds and an injection of hardcore attitude. Formed in 2018 and debuting with the Willpower EP, the band has a nuanced approach to songwriting you’ll hear on their EP, Third Chain (via Other People Records).
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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