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Almost at month’s end already--
The weather’s been somewhat up and down, but outdoor shows are in full swing, and we’re seeing some concert announcements for the Fall already.
The Rock Hall inductees were just announced- 2024 inductee Peter Frampton just having played The Midland, and Foreigner coming back one more time on their farewell tour. We’ll be traveling to Cleveland this October to cover this year’s ceremony, like we did last year’s in Brooklyn.
Coachella artists will gradually be making their way into the Midwest as well, with Kid Cudi (who just broke his foot there) and Peso Pluma coming for August arena shows.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from April 26th-30th.
FRIDAY APRIL 26
William Elliott Whitmore, Apr 26, recordBar, $18
The Iowa-born blues, folk, roots singer-songwriter has a new album in tow, Silently, the Mind Breaks hailed by No Depression as an "unsettling yet invigorating album" that blends "banjo, acoustic guitar, and kick drum with gritty, determined vocals." We also liked his 2018 covers album, Kilonova, with his versions of songs by Bad Religion, Bill Withers, Johnny Cash, and ZZ Top among others.
Cypress Hill w The Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief, Apr 26, Uptown, $50-$66
Call it near perfect timing for their “We Legalized It 2024 Tour” as we didn’t get a 4/20 show locally, but this will be close enough.
The show is stacked with Souls of Mischief and The Pharcyde as the opening acts and expect hits, like “Hand on the Pump,” “Tequila Sunrise” and “Latin Lingo," as well as a weed-themed melody, featuring “Roll it Up, Light it Up,” “I Wanna Get High,” and “Dr. Greenthumb.”
Cypress Hill were early music pioneers in the movement for weed legalization, so this is a bit of a musical victory lap.
Brett Young, Apr 26, KCLive! Power and Light, $30-$70
The Country star released his fourth studio album, Across The Sheets, via BMLG Records last August, which has over 108 million global streams to date. Recent single, “Dance With You,” is climbing with over 85.2 million total global streams to date, and he’s racked up more than 8.98 billion total tracks streamed across his career. Young is also touring with Sam Hunt on the “Outskirts Tour 2024.”
SATURDAY APRIL 27
Liquid Stranger w Ravenscoon, ZEKE BEATS, Black Carl! Zen Selekta, Sonorous, Apr 27, The Midland, $29.99-$45
aka Martin Johan Stääf from Sweden, he’s helped to set the standard for EDM with his immersive multimedia live performances, weaving his music with special visuals for an experience that transports audiences to new realms.
Out on his WAKAAN Rocks II Tour, as Liquid Stranger he promises to expand the limits and artistic boundaries of his technology-driven concert for his fans, featuring new visuals and he’s bringing along a bevy of guests for a thumping good time.
Chris Tomlin, Apr 27, Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, $20-$76
The faith-based Country singer is on his Holy Forever World Tour that launched earlier this spring., with Cain opening most dates. Tomlin closed out 2023 as his seven-week #1 single (the 21st of his career) “Holy Forever” marked a historic achievement by holding the #1 position on a radio chart for over three years, totaling a career 158+ weeks. The song was also nominated for a Grammy award and a Billboard Music Award.
“One of the most amazing parts about faith for me is that it has no boundaries,” said Chris. “There are no borders it can’t cross, no language’s it can’t speak, and no hearts it can’t touch… and in our faith we have been given the gift of worship, a universal language, a song,” shared Chris. “That is the heart behind the Holy Forever World Tour. That we may come together, all streams of the church, night after night, in cities all around the world and join in the eternal song.”
SUNDAY APRIL 28
Bianca del Rio, Apr 28, The Midland, $39.50-$49.50
Everyone’s favorite “clown in a gown” has returned to the stage with a new comedy show aptly titled “Dead Inside.” This is the seasoned comic’s sixth worldwide stand-up comedy tour. Bianca is entertaining the masses with her lightning-fast wit and razor-sharp tongue.
Her show covers politics, pop culture, political correctness, current events, cancel culture, and everyday life through the eyes of someone who’s “dead inside” but finds humor in everything.
As with all of her shows, there will be lots of audience interaction. When the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World” has a microphone in her hands, no one is safe.
“There’s so much to discuss again, with the world as it is,” she said. “You know, it’s been a year. That’s a long time for a drag queen to hide.”
MIKE, Apr 28, recordBar, $20
The rapper / producer is out in support of the new 24-track album Burning Desire— his 10th since his 2017 debut —less than a month after his collaborative effort with Wiki and the Alchemist, Faith Is a Rock. In this small venue, expect the walls to shake and the bass to rumble.
Morgan Wade, Apr 28, Liberty Hall – Lawrence, $37-$77
The outlaw Americana star is already set to follow last year’s Psychopath with a new album, Obsessed, due August 16 via Ladylike Records/Sony.
Having made her last two albums with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit guitarist Sadler Vaden producing, this one was produced by her touring guitarist Clint Wells. It includes recent singles “Halloween” and “2AM In London,” as well as the just-released “Time to Love, Time to Kill,” and even features Ke$ha on a song.
This will be a seated acoustic performance, one of a few before Wade opens Alanis Morissette‘s tour, alongside Joan Jett & the Blackhearts,
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Apr 28, The Truman, $25-$30
The Middleburg, FL-based pop-punk emo outfit has been performing its debut album Don’t You Fake It cover to cover, but while we’re not sure if that will happen at this gig, expect a healthy helping of it, as they’ve been around now for over two decades.
Along the way, they became the first “emo” band with a Top 10 hit at Top 40 radio and ended up on an episode of reality-TV franchise The Hills and have shared stages with My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday. and were always a regular booking on the annual Warped Tour when that was a thing.
MONDAY APRIL 29
BRAT, Apr 29, Minibar, $15.44
The hard rockers have a new album in Social Grace and have hit the road in stride, playing intimate venues mostly featuring opener, Bonginator.
"We're amped to get out on the road and play so many of these songs that we've been waiting to unveil until now," said Brat. "The response to the album has been amazing and we can't wait to show everyone how much fun it'll be live, with almost all of the album tracks making an appearance in the set.”
TUESDAY APRIL 30
Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, April 30, Azura Amphitheater, $99-$139+
No one throws a party like Maynard James Keenan and he’s made his 60th birthday a full-fledged tour to celebrate (even though the actual day just passed on April 17).
The tour is called Sessanta because it’s Italian for 60 and the concerts feature members of A Perfect Circle, Puscifer and Primus not only sharing a stage, but joining each other's performances as the night unfolds with all three bands onstage for the duration of the concert, which alone makes the night a “must-see”, to catch all the collaborations.
It's a sequel of sorts to Cinquanta (Italian for 50), a one-off celebration concert Keenan threw himself at the Greek Theatre in L.A. Also, look out the three-song tour EP released in conjunction, “Sessanta E.P.P.P.”
Sleep Theory, Wage War w Nothing More, Apr 30, The Midland, $29.50-$49.50.
Nothing More are out on a co-headline North American 2024 tour with Wage War, which includes special guests Veil of Maya and Sleep Theory. The tour kicked last week in Charlotte, NC and runs through mid-May. Nothing More recently released an emotionally riveting and new single “If It Doesn’t Hurt” which focuses on the hard truths of a fractured and toxic romantic relationship. The track has since garnered over 280k views and quickly has become a fan favorite.
We show a liking toward Memphis hard rockers Sleep Theory, who recently announced their new “Paper Hearts” EP will release via Epitaph Records on September 29, so arrive early to be able to catch their set.
Creeper w/Black Veil Brides, DARK DIVINE, + GHOSTKID, Apr 30, Truman, $39.50-$80
The goth and glam metal of Cincy via Hollywood band Black Veil Brides have announced the Bleeders American Tour 2024 bringing along like-minded support acts Creeper, Dark Divine, and Ghostkid, in to for a full evening of dark hard rock.
BVB drummer Christian "CC" Coma, in a recent interview hinted at the band's ongoing work on their next studio release. Coma revealed that while the band is actively creating new music, the form of release - whether singles, an EP, or a full album - remains undecided and will likely be influenced by the reception of the new material and the upcoming tour.
Adding to the anticipation, Coma teased a "very secret project" that the band is currently working on, details of which are yet to be revealed. This comes after the band's recent digital EP release The Mourning in October 2022, which followed 2021’s full-length, The Phantom Tomorrow.
Arrive early to rock out with Southhampton UK band Creeper, in support of their third and highly acclaimed album, the vampire themed Sanguivore, which was out last October via Spinefarm Records.
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Apr 30, Knuckleheads, $32.50+
Husband and wife Drew & Ellie Holcomb started the year sharing the road on their 2024 Feels Like Home US Tour, which took its name from one of the couple’s most known tunes. The duo is best known for their Americana and folk tunes that weave stories of life, love, hope and resilience.
The pair were part of Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors when originally formed in 2005, Ellie was a full-time member, but in 2012, left the group to pursue a solo career, releasing three studio albums.
Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors meanwhile, have released nine studio albums, including their most recent Strangers No More LP out last June and are now out on this Find Your People Tour, with special guest Donovan Woods, a Canadian folk singer who promises a new LP on July 12, as support.
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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