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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
We’ll call this a week of “second chances”--
Several shows below are multi-night, giving you more than one chance to try and gain entrance, and the Green Day/Smashing Pumpkins co-headlining stadium tour, splits for shows here, allowing you to catch both separately in smaller venues during the same week (though yes, that involves buying two different tickets).
Some good shows in larger venues mean we’ve hit the heights of the summer concert season and with school back in session for most, it’s one of your last chances to see a summer touring act.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from August 13th-20th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show's headline)
TUESDAY AUGUST 13
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 14
Bay Ledges Aug 14, recordBar, $25.49
It’s the project of Maine-born / based musician Zach Hurd in support of debut and entirely self-made album, Ritual, described as “a meditative record that’s both psychedelic and thrilling”. After starting in 2015, things took off the following year when Hurd’s 2016 single, “Safe,” jumped to number three on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.
Smashing Pumpkins w/PVRIS, Aug 14, Starlight, $39.50-$149.50
Somewhat confusingly, The Smashing Pumpkins have a concurrent and separate headlining tour in some markets (like KC) intermixed with a co-headlining stadium tour with Green Day. Both play the KC metro in this same week and the area should be grateful to get a more intimate show from each, rather than the bring-your-own-binoculars seats of a stadium. They returned from Europe and the UK and are on this separate jaunt that ends in Las Vegas with opener PVRIS.
The band formed in Chicago in 1988, selling over 30 million albums worldwide and has two GRAMMY® Awards, two MTV VMAs and an AMA. They've released 13 studio albums, including Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts (2022–2023) and the just-released new album is Aghori Mhori Mei, described as a bit of a throwback to their early sound. They also recently teamed with Chicago-based distillery, Few Spirits, on a bourbon whiskey infused with Midnight Rose black tea from Corgan’s own Madame Zuzu’s Emporium, because...why not.
The Mass.-formed electropop and alt rock outfit PVRIS first burst onto the scene with debut LP, White Noise. Their sole official member and only constant, is vocalist Lynn Gunn (though bassist Brian MacDonald, remains part of the live roster). Gunn returned with last year’s “Evergreen” of which she commented, “‘Evergreen’ is a reclamation of control in our post-pandemic culture, posing a complex discussion on fame, technology, spectacle, and female autonomy.”
Gooseberry, Aug 14, Knuckleheads, $12
The Brooklyn-based trio [Asa Daniels (guitar, vocals), Evin Rossington (drums), and Will Hammond (bass)] formed in 2019 and melds alternative rock, indie, and blues to make for their distinctive sound.
They went on to release their sophomore 5-track EP, “Validate Me” with a debut full-length, “All My Friends Are Cattle”, coming out in September prefaced by lead single, "Kikiyon" (which is also a featured track on their 4-song EP, “Baby Do You?”. Honorary fourth member Dan Janis (Baked Goods) even provided saxophone and flute for a handful of tunes.
THURSDAY AUGUST 15
Bryan's 2024 Mind of a Country Boy Tour started in Canada in April and runs through mid-September, making Kansas City one of its 33 tour stops (playing mostly arenas, but includes two stadiums) for the five-time Entertainer of the Year and American Idol celebrity judge.
Fans can look forward to familiar hits like "Country Girl" and "Buy Dirt". In his almost twenty-year career, Bryan has been a recipient of the Album of the Decade Award by the Academy of Country Music, had 12 chart-topper songs, five Billboard Music Awards, earned Billboard's Top Country Artist of the 2010s, and become a two-time entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards.
FRIDAY AUGUST 16
Turnpike Troubadours / Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Aug 16, Azura Amph, $40-$220
Easily one of the best double bills of this concert season, both bands are more than worth seeing separately, and are a “must” appearing on this same bill. Turnpike's first album in six years, the critically acclaimed A Cat In The Rain with its singles, 'Mean Old Sun' and 'Chipping Hill' have made a real impression and expanded their already rapidly growing fan base.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit have been on tour for almost the last year (playing Liberty Hall in Lawrence this Spring) supporting their eighth studio LP, last June’s “Weathervanes” and despite a personal separation, Isbell remains one of Americana’s best songwriters.
Arrive early for up and comers Charles Wesley Godwin, who released “Family Ties” last September 22nd and Tyler Halverson who signed with Atlantic Records to release “Western Amerijuana (Part 1)” featuring single, "Good Graces".
Armor for Sleep, Aug 16, Uptown, $40-$99
The seminal New Jersey emo/post-hardcore band are on their 20 Years Of Tears Tour and are fronted by singer/songwriter Ben Jorgensen, best known for concept album, “What To Do When You Are Dead”. It had been fifteen years since their last album, but the band’s latest offering, The Rain Museum, finds them back home on Equal Vision Records where their career started.
Originally planned as the follow-up to What To Do When You Are Dead, The Rain Museum had been shelved due to “bad advice,” leading the band in another direction. Years later, the pandemic and the events of the real world encouraged Jorgensen to revisit the concept in order to put forth the finishing touches. With Hawthorne Heights, Thursday, Is for Lovers.
SATURDAY AUGUST 17
Bluey's Big Play- The Stage Show, Aug 17, 18, Kauffman Center, $40.50-$57.50
Presented along with Tobin Entertainment is the sensational adapted adventures of the popular Australian Blue Heeler puppy dog come to life in Bluey's Big Play – The Stage Show!
Grab the sticky geckos, break out the duck cakes and alert the grannies! The Emmy® Award-winning animated preschool series hits the road as fans of all ages see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli as they’ve never seen them before. Watch as the Heelers embark on their very first live theater show featuring puppetry, live actors and iconic sets. Based on an original new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show also contains new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Hooray and No Worries, mate!
SUNDAY AUGUST 18
MONDAY AUGUST 19
Jhene Aiko w Coi Leray, Tink, UMI, Kiana Lede, Aug 19, T-Mobile Center, $49.50-$249.50
The unique R&B singer/rapper kicked off her The Magic Hour Tour in Detroit in June and planned 27 stops before ending in just over a week in Columbus, OH. Her third solo album “Chilombo” was released to acclaim in 2020 when she planned to support it by embarking on “The Magic Hour” but ultimately canceled it due to the pandemic. “Chilombo” went on to receive three Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B album and the tour is finally underway.
TUESDAY AUGUST 20
Green Day, Rancid, The Linda Lindas, Aug 20, Azura Amph, $39-$199
The ever-popular Bay Area punk band commemorates the 30th anniversary of their breakout album Dookie and the 20th anniversary of their critically acclaimed American Idiot, with this tour in which they’ve been playing both records front to back. Add to the mix that the trio released “Saviors”, their 14th studio album, in January, and there’s a lot of song catalog to draw from.
Out in October, the American Idiot 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition will feature 15 demos, 14 B-sides and bonus songs, a 15-track 2004 concert recorded at New York’s Irving Plaza, and nine previously unreleased live tracks, such as a cover of Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”
As mentioned above, they’ve been co-headlining with The Smashing Pumpkins in larger venues, but not in KC, though they’ve brought the tour support acts with them here and they start 2025 with a run in South Africa.
Berkeley-bred legendary punkers Rancid released their latest album, “Tomorrow Never Comes”, last June and are still led by the ever-active Tim Armstrong, also (re) releasing digitally an album of vault songs called “B Sides and C Sides.”
Rounding out the lineup is one of our rising favorites, Los Angeles-based teen punk band The Linda Lindas, who are supporting their second full-length album, “No Obligation” which followed 2022’s breakout, “Growing Up” which found the band on the road with the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Japanese Breakfast and Paramore.
West Side Story (musical), Aug 20-25, Starlight Theatre, $12-$97
In the also-classic modern re-telling of the Romeo and Juliet doomed love story, two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the "American" Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.
The production is a carefully choreographed, half-danced/half-mimed ballet of battles, memorable and familiar songs, and the unforgettable story arc of a couple trying to elevate above it all with the strength of their love for one another.
Zach Bryan w Levi Turner and Matt Maeson Aug 20 AND 21, T-Mobile Center, $54-$320
The Oklahoma Country star is out in support of his new album, “The Great American Bar Scene” which was released July 4th (via Warner/Betting Broncos) and seemingly came out of nowhere, but it’s in fact, his fifth studio album, which began with two self-released albums. The “Quittin’ Time Tour” takes Bryan to mostly arenas (some multi-night stands like here), alongside a few stadium gigs and wraps in mid-December with two hometown shows in Tulsa.
Shows are mostly sold out and when A-listers like Bruce Springsteen leap up to join you on stage, it’s a safe bet that you’ve “made it”. Bryan’s breakout year was 2022 when he released his widely celebrated (and massive) album, “American Heartbreak”, as well as the live EP “Summertime Blues and All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster”...which, ahem, explains why this show is produced by rival AEG.
Arrive early for support acts Levi Turner, and Matt Maeson who both also embody that outsider spirit, but are no less entertaining with their songs. We’re particular fans of Maeson, who we caught live headlining at The Truman in late 2022.
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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