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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
Mid-March and St Pat’s just around the corner, but here’s the weekend to put on your best Cosplay and head downtown for Planet Comicon Kansas City. Additionally, a great mix of live theater, Blues, indie and art rock, opera, and the return of a couple favorites – see a live show!
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from March 9th-14th
(FYI, ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
SATURDAY MARCH 9
Planet Comicon Kansas City, Mar 8-10, Bartle Hall, $12-$234
The region’s premier pop culture destination returns all weekend for its 25th anniversary, featuring an incredible lineup of celebrities, exhibitors, special events, a wide-ranging schedule of panels, plus a cosplay contest, and more to be announced in the coming months.
The exhibit hall has several sections. Celebrity Row, Artists Alley, Crafter Alley, Cosplay Showcase, Exhibitor Emporium and Entertainment Zone. The Exhibitor Floor includes our retailers offering for sale a wide variety of merchandise and Planet Comicon Kansas City will run several fan watch-a-long screenings of beloved anime series and movies.
Celebrity guests this year include Corbin Bleu; Ian McDiarmid; Paul Bettany; Charlie Hunnam; John Rhys-Davies; Matthew Lillard; Adam Savage; Henry Winkler; Ron Perlman; Skeet Ulrich; Keith David; Danielle Fishel; Jon Bernthal; Dermot Mulroney; Adrienne Barbeau; Jamie Kennedy, and others.
Comic creators include Simon Bisley; Chris Claremont; Glenn Fabry; Jason Aaron; Doug Mahnke; Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti; Francis Manapul; Kevin Eastman; Patrick Gleason; Eduardo Risso; Mark Waid; Bill Morrison; Ben Templesmith; and Kevin Maguire, among numerous others.
Mamma Mia! (Broadway Touring) also Mar 10, The Music Hall, $66+
The music of ABBA! The classic story we’ve all come to know and love after almost a quarter-century! A mother, a daughter, and three potential fathers, all ending in a joyous trip down the aisle!
Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.
John Beasley, Mar 9, Kauffman Center, $28-$80
Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Presents Iconic Masters: Bird, Weather Report and More Featuring GRAMMY Award Winner John Beasley. A noted keyboardist with Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard, leader of the renowned MONK’estra, Beasley represents all facets of the music. Beasley brings his arrangements of Thelonious Monk, Weather Report and his own compositions to life.
Hockey Dad, Mar 9, Bottleneck - Lawrence,$20-$25
The Wollongong indie rock duo announced the imminent arrival of their fourth studio album Rebuild Repeat dropping June 14 and they’ve also unveiled a celebratory headline tour to boot. Zach Stephenson and Billy Fleming also have a brand new Hockey Dad single dubbed ‘Base Camp’, a melodic slice of indie-pop. “This album for me feels like a fresh rebirth after a muddy, hazy couple of years for us and everyone else in the world,” guitarist and lead vocalist Stephenson said of the record in a press statement.
Roméo et Juliette, Kauffman Center, March 9, March 15, March 17, $38-$212
Shakespeare’s most famous play is transformed by giving it the French grand opera treatment. Charles Gounod’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet follows the classic centuries-old tale and brings this familiar tragedy to an epic crescendo. Romeo Montague has fallen for Juliet Capulet, a member of a rival family in Verona. They secretly marry, but family tensions come to a dramatic peak. A plan is hatched to keep them together; however, it plays out in all the wrong ways resulting in devastating tragedy. With librettists Jules Barbier and Michel Carré and conducted by Christopher Allen, the work is performed in French with English translations projected above the stage.
Blackberry Smoke, Mar 9, Uptown, POSTPONED -
"In light of the passing of our band mate, and brother, Brit Turner, we will be rescheduling our shows in Denver, Beaver Creek, and Kansas City this weekend. We will be back as soon as possible with more information and rescheduled dates for you. Please hold onto your tickets for now as they will be valid for the new dates. Thank you for all your continued support during this time"
SUNDAY MARCH 10
MONDAY MARCH 11
Bombay Bicycle Club, Mar 11, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, $32-$51
Fresh off the release of their new studio album, My Big Day, BBC has finally returned stateside for the North American Tour, which wraps with two final shows in Mexico in May. We last saw them a decade ago in Minneapolis.
Announcing the new tour dates on X / Twitter, the band wrote: “North America, it’s been far, far too long. We’re coming to play some shows in a city near you next spring and can’t wait to be back on the road again.”
TUESDAY MARCH 12
Early Eyes, Thank You I'm Sorry, Mar 12, Encore at Uptown,$17
The indie five-piece has been a staple band of the Twin Cities music scene for nearly a decade and makes their way south again to KC. University of MN alum Jake Berglove and their friends formed the band in 2016. After a string of jangling and melodic EPs, Early Eyes shifted directions musically. Nowadays, Berglove is the only remaining member and now consists of Berglove (keys, lead vocals), Josie Villano (guitar, vocals), John O’Brien (guitar, sampler), Megan Mahoney (bass, vocals) and Sam Mathys (drums).
The band released their full-length debut “Look Alive!” in February 2022. The album features a bright electronic haze compared to the band’s original sound. Berglove’s vocals and meditative lyricism remain a centerpiece.
Hail the Sun, March 12, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $25-$28
The progressive post-hardcore quartet who met in Chico, CA and Intervals have announced that they will be embarking on a spring 2024 co-headlining tour. Formed by drummer Donovan Melero and guitarist Aric Garcia (who played in a death metal band in high school), the original idea for the musical direction was to remain high-energy, while allowing melodies and harmonies to be a prominent feature, rather than just screaming to portray intense emotion. The addition of Shane Gann and John Stirrat brought additional flavors, and the group began to stretch its creative legs, allowing itself to write parts and songs that were much more heavily influenced by jazz, funk, blues, fusion, and Latin musical styles.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Mar 12, recordBar, $30.02
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum has announced their much-anticipated 2024 reunion tour. The band hinted at this after announcing that they had raised over $140,000 to make their new album. A short film is also expected. This Tour marks the band’s first time performing in over 12 years.
“Our group has already spent countless hours prepping for SGM’S reunion. The core team hovers around a dozen. That’s including the five curators,” said in a statement on the group’s kickstarter page. “We all have day jobs or kiddos or other complex caregiving responsibilities, not to mention other bands to juggle, along with steering a bunch of fidgety behind-the-scenes biz stuff that’s gotta happen pre-Grand re opening to ensure that whatever final form #SGM2024 takes, it will be a success and a delight for all participating.”
Trailblazing Talks: Jean Fruth, Sport Journalist, Mar 12, Kauffman Center, $45-$68
From Sandlots to Stadiums: Inside America's Favorite Pastime: Rather than a seat at the table, she’ll take one down the third baseline. With this bold approach, sports photographer Jean Fruth has carved a unique niche in the world of sports journalism. As one of the few women to break through to cover MLB, she has brought a fresh perspective.
Fruth’s passion for baseball is infectious, from the storied ballparks of the U.S. to grassroots leagues across Route 66 and beyond. Beyond simply covering the game, Fruth’s work has also focused on how women have made their mark in baseball. From the diamond to the owner’s box, she documents the stories of women who have broken barriers and shattered stereotypes in the sport. This event is sponsored in part by the Kansas City Royals.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 13
Guster will be on the road in 2024 on what they’re calling the “We Also Have Eras” Tour. It’s more than just a wink at Taylor Swift: “We’re gonna tell the story of 30+ years of Guster with a theatrical concert that goes album by album, beginning with Parachute (1994) and ending with our new album.
The band recently surprised fans with the announcement of Ooh La La, their long-awaited ninth studio album. Set for release on May 17 via Ocho Mule records, this will be the band’s first full-length studio offering in five years, following 2019’s acclaimed Look Alive. The group offers a glimpse into the forthcoming project with lead singles “Keep Going” and “All Day,” delivered alongside matching music and lyric videos for their lead singles.
“Most of these songs were written against the backdrop of what felt like an apocalypse,” shares lead vocalist Ryan Miller. “It was such a transformative time, and we were dealing with a lot of existential questions about what it means to be a father, a husband, a creative person in the midst of all the chaos.”
“One thing we’ve continually done as a band is acknowledge what’s going on in our world but still bring some positivity to the music,” adds guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner. “We’re always going to be real about what’s happening, but we still want to leave people with a feeling of hope.”
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears w Shane Guerrete, March 13, the Bottleneck-Lawrence,$22-$25
Lauded by NPR as a group that "skillfully combines Southern gospel funk, soul, and Texas blues," which added that its bandleader's "raw and emotional vocals are reminiscent of James Brown," we caught the longtime Texas band live back in Minneapolis in 2013.
Recent album Backlash debuted at number three in the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart, and additional recordings since have included 2018's The Difference Between Me & You and the 2020 single "Five Dollars."
Arrive early for TikTok blues rocker and social media sensation Shane Guerrette whose self-produced debut album, Here's Hoping, quickly garnered attention upon its release in Nov. 2022. Since then, he has supported The Heavy Heavy, The Wood Brothers, and The Stone Foxes, in addition to headlining his own tours.
Jake Scott, March 13, The Truman, CANCELED
THURSDAY MARCH 14
Bruce Hornsby w Y Music, March 14, Kauffman Center,$51-$91
“That’s just the Way it Is” - still and after several successful decades – the songwriter, pianist and three-time Grammy Award-winner is now joined by yMusic, the genre-leading contemporary classical ensemble, for a performance showcasing new collaborative compositions plus other favorites from Hornsby’s deep song catalog.
They first collaborated on four songs of Hornsby’s 2019 album, Absolute Zero and the ensemble has previously worked with Bon Iver, Paul Simon, and Ben Folds, among others.
Each ticket purchased to this performance will include a copy of Deep Sea Vents, the new collaborative album from BrhyM, on CD. The CDs will be distributed to patrons upon entry.
Jo Koy (comedy), Mar 14, The Midland,$39-$69.50
Our favorite Pinoy comedian playing a relatively small venue on this Just Kidding Tour promising all-new material. He’s mostly graduated to arenas but is playing The Midland, maybe the result of his mixed reviewed job of hosting the Golden Globes, but he’s in his element doing pure stand-up and so, this is a rare opportunity.
Koy was offered the distinguished "Stand-Up Comedian Of The Year" award at the 2018 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He has actually had four highly rated and effective funny specials on Comedy Central and Netflix.
In 2019, the comic got to # 1 on the Billboard Charts for his stand-up comedy cd, Live From Seattle. He can also be listened to on his weekly podcast, The Koy Fish Pond with Jo Koy by Starburns Audio.
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 |
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