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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
A fine and very varied weekend cornucopia of shows--
Kinda wishing that we weren’t out of town for a friend’s birthday because we’d love to attend any of the shows we’ve listed below. From classic rock to arena pop, to DJ beats to rising indie rock, and more, there’s truly something for everyone.
Starlight opens their season the following weekend, Azura will the do the same the week after, and GrindersKC had a night of local bands last weekend, so outdoor concert season and warmer temps are here!
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend of May 9th-11th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
FRIDAY MAY 9
Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin tribute, May 9, Voodoo Lounge, $49-$105
Son of famed Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience (a.k.a. JBLZE) is back with another 21-date run of U.S. dates and will focus on the 50th anniversary of the classic Zep album, "Physical Graffiti". The show will feature all the selections from "Physical Graffiti" performed alongside numerous other Zep classics. The tour kicked off on May 3 in Connecticut and wraps May 31 in Los Angeles.
Bonham said: "This is my favorite Led Zeppelin album of all time. Being able to celebrate it the way we are planning on this tour is something I am extremely excited about. I can't wait for people to come out and see these shows and celebrate this extraordinary record with us. My goal is to play at least 50 shows to commemorate 50 years…And don't worry there will be plenty of other songs that you also love played that night."
Hot Milk, May 9, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $27-$30
The Manchester UK band is out in support of their upcoming second album ‘Corporation P.O.P’, (out 27th June via Music For Nations), with new single “Swallow This”, which takes aim at global leadership and media control, with lead singer Han Mee explaining: “We live in a post-truth era, we are confused, we are lost, and we are untrusting. We must follow our gut to what is moral, right and kind. Swallow This is a protest song against the hypodermic needle of control media. They anger and press upon pressure points to gain control. As we have always said, QUESTION EVERYTHING. It is healthy, and it is right in this world that has evolved too fast for our primate brains to keep up. We must prioritise the wellness and safety of our fellow man, no matter their race, creed, religion, gender or sexuality.” The new release follows up previous single, “”90 Seconds to Midnight” and all is a follow-up to their 2023 album, “A Call to the Void”.
The hard emo power-pop band’s new record examines global issues through a British perspective, with roots firmly planted in Manchester and Salford. “Manchester is the best f’in city in the world,” Mee shares. “We started this band in Manchester, it’s intrinsic to me and who I am. It has to bleed into the art we create, because it helped me create it.”
Orlando power punk band Magnolia Park headlines, in support of their fourth and recently released album, “VAMP” (via Epitaph Records).
Steve Aoki, May 9, Power & Light KC Live! $25-$65
There will be Cake! Steve Aoki brings the beats back on his much-anticipated return to Kansas City!
Counting nearly 3 billion music streams to his name, Aoki is a true visionary and a 2x-GRAMMY-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, NFT futurist, and Dim Mak Records founder.
He’s a Guinness World Record holder for the “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year,” and has performed at nearly every top festival around the world, including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival, Tomorrowland, and Electric Daisy Carnival. He just played at the sister festival of Coachella, Country’s Stagecoach Festival which at first seems odd, but brought the party with guest Goo Goo Dolls, Backstreet Boys, and a greatest hits (or greatest beats) playlist.
Family Sideshow (play) Through May 10, KC Melting Pot, $21.50-$32.50
Last Chances! In this dark comedy, a dysfunctional family reunites for a chaotic and absurd night of revelations, confrontations, and unexpected twists, all unfolding under the glow of the family’s carnival sideshow held at the theater. It’s the World Premiere of Brysen Boyd's “Family Sideshow,” the winner of the 2020 KCMPT Black Playwright Festival.
Boyd is a playwright, TV writer, and essayist originally from Tacoma, WA who served on the writing staff for HBO’s “Succession”, is the inaugural Playwright-in-Residence at Reverie Theater Company, a member of Youngblood/Ensemble Studio Theater and was an Artist-in-Residence at the Williamstown Theater Festival.
The play was also a Playwrights’ Center Venturous Prize Nominee, O'Neill Conference Semi-finalist, and 2022 Juilliard Finalist.
SATURDAY MAY 10
Katy Perry, May 10, T-Mobile Center, $54.50-$304
Katy Perry just launched her Lifetimes Tour in Mexico, with seven arena shows and hits the States shortly, stopping in KC and with all produced by Live Nation, in support of her new album, “143”. We saw her last in Minneapolis back in 2019 as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities.
Her latest dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message was launched live with a sold-out headline show in front of 100,000+ at Rock in Rio in Brazil last September with her usual candy-colored sets, multiple wardrobe changes, and of course, fireworks. September will bring her to South America, and then she will wrap up the 2025 tour in the UK and Europe, where multi-night shows have been added in most major cities.
Julien Baker and Torres, May 10, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, UPDATE - CANCELED
"Due to recent events, Julien Baker is prioritizing her well-being and taking time to focus on her health. Therefore, the Julien Baker & TORRES ‘Send A Prayer My Way’ Tour has been canceled. This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the disappointment this may cause for fans. We deeply appreciate your understanding.
Refunds and ticketing information will be provided by the original point of purchase."
Menzingers, Queen of Jeans, Lucero, May 10, Granada, $32-$36
Philly-via-Scranton punks the Menzingers are back headlining North America for another round of tour dates, with Lucero and Queen of Jeans along as support. The run got underway May 8 in Cleveland and wraps in their home state on June 8 in McKees Rocks, PA.
Seventh album, “Some Of It Was True”, has been described as their most immediate-sounding and energetic record to date and their follow-up to 2019’s LP, “Hello Exile”, with that record’s tour of course, being delayed due to the pandemic.
One of today’s best bar bands, Lucero released a recent “Lucero Unplugged” double album and for their twelfth and previous record, “Should’ve Learned by Now”, Lucero drew on a lot of work from their past, adapting songs and guitar parts that had been left over from the groups previous two albums.
Fellow Philly indie-rock band Queen of Jeans is on the bill as well, in support of last year’s “All Again” release and have been back in the studio already as well.
SUNDAY MAY 11
Magdalena Bay w Sam Austins, Apr 11, The Midland, $30-$70
Due to public demand, this show has been upgraded from The Truman to make more tickets available! Experimental Miami pop duo Magdalena Bay’s (aka Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin) newest and sophomore album, “Imaginal Disk” was released last August.
They were recently in Australia and performed a notable synth cover of David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” on station Triple-J and continue their Imaginal Mystery Tour with a stop in Kansas City. The duo blends alt-pop with disco, shoegaze and some prog and has a growing fan base, as evidenced by the venue upgrade.
Detroit’s Sam Austins is providing for the shows- Austins continues to reel from heartache with his latest single, “A baby girl named Heaven,” from his forthcoming
The Woods EP, out later this year and the follow up to 2023’s “Boy Toy” EP.
Beth Hart, May 11, Uptown, CANCELED
After previous mental health cancellations, another cancellation including the KC date, as reported:
“We’re very sorry to share that Beth’s remaining U.S. tour dates have been canceled. After her show in Canada, Beth began experiencing significant vocal strain. Despite following her doctor’s orders for vocal rest, her condition hasn’t improved enough to safely continue the tour. As any Beth Hart fan knows, her voice is everything — and pushing through could risk long-term damage. All tickets will be refunded at the original point of purchase. We know how much these shows meant, and we’re deeply sorry for the disappointment. Thank you for your love, support, and understanding during this tough moment.”
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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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