W♥M: Led Zeppelin

05/02/2025

We♥KC! May 9-11, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

Read More

Katy Perry is one of my guilty pleasures- while I wasn't that into her singles from Teenage Dream (including "California Gurls" and the repetitive "Firework"), her new single, "The One That Got Away",

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

MAY 4 UPDATE - Tour 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.”

===

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

Posted at 06:45 PM in John, Julien Baker, Kansas City, Kansas City Music Guide, Katy Perry, Led Zeppelin, Lucero, Magdalena Bay, Preview, Steve Aoki, The Menzingers, Torres | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/10/2025

We♥Movies! Becoming Led Zeppelin - film review

Jimmy Page
John Paul Jones
John Bonham
Robert Plant

Directed by Bernard MacMahon
Screenplay by Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty
Cinematography Vern Moen
Edited by Dan Gitlin
Music by Led Zeppelin
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date: February 7, 2025 (IMAX, United States/Canada); wider release Feb 14
Running time 121 minutes

Read More

Led Zeppelin

The English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters …

Be there for the start of arguably the world’s greatest rock ‘n roll band--

That’s the premise and it’s confirmed in the title of Becoming Led Zeppelin, the new two-hour music bio that opened exclusively in IMAX theaters this weekend. Starting this coming Friday, it will expand to more traditional screens and we hope, an eventual home release.

This has been long in the making, as guitarist Jimmy Page remains under tight control of the band’s legacy and after hearing many proposals, agreed to work with Irish/English documentarian Bernard MacMahon, previously known for his multi-part chronicling of early roots music, American Epic.

First announced in 2019, a work-in-progress print was screened back in Sept 2021 at the Venice Film Festival, and the end result finally hit nationwide screens after a three-and-a-half year wait following that preview.

The story is told without narration, and is instead driven by recent interviews with Page, singer Robert Plant, and bassist John Paul Jones, and an unearthed early interview from drummer John Bonham, heard here publicly for the first time. Add to that, some photos and film clips also never before seen, and It’s a delight for the diehard fan and helps bring further life into the story for anyone more casual.

The film traces the four musicians back through their respective childhoods – Page picking up the guitar early and joining bands, Jones the product of a set of stage parents and creatively inclined from a young age, and Page and Bonham growing up in the Midlands trying to find their own way.

Still teenagers, Page and Jones would go on to become in-demand session players in London (both even contributed to the James Bond theme, “Goldfinger” sung by Shirley Bassey), with Page then joining, and soon becoming the lead guitarist of The Yardbirds after Jeff Beck quit.

With that band disassembling, Page already clearly envisioned his next plan (to be initially named The New Yardbirds), convincing Jonesy to give up his stable session work to be in a band and recruiting Plant and Bonham from their own Band of Joy (and despite Bonham’s wife’s incessant misgivings apparently).

The resulting foursome met in a basement rehearsal space, first jamming on the jump blues classic, “Train Kept a Rollin’” and all knew they had something special and never heard before- a magical combination of blues-infused muscle rock and folk, inspired by American soul, the early R’nR of Little Richard and Elvis, the jazzy skiffle of Lonnie Donegan, and the numerous early American Blues pioneers that so many UK artists of the day admired.

Taking on a name from a disparaging comment by The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, the band set about to conquer the world, starting slowly in Scandinavia and even making themselves a big name in America, before building any sizable UK fame.

The 1969 Danish TV footage most fans have seen (and was included in the band’s own 2012 DVD release), is given fresh life and immense volume in the IMAX format, and new clips from the Roundhouse in London and the band’s first UK festival in Bath, were all welcome additions.

The band said goodbye to their families and began their initial US Tour on the day after Christmas 1968 playing with Vanilla Fudge in Denver and built-up word of mouth and increasing ticket demand, for every show following.

Synced and restored 8mm footage from the Texas International Pop Fest and Atlanta Pop Fest show the band’s explosive live stage presence, and even recording/rehearsal footage from London’s Olympic Studios provided a rare glimpse into how they recorded their first album playing live (in just 36 hours over a few weeks), rather than mixing individual performance tracks.

It’s charming to see the three surviving members smile wryly hearing their drummer comment from beyond the grave, and seeing some the footage that we’re also seeing, for the first time, The performances shine with as much picture restoration as possible, and an audio soundtrack that booms the limits of the IMAX system.

It’s a satisfying beginning, but sadly only that- the film ends as the decade of the 1960s does, with the band well on its way, and just having released its even heavier second studio album. So, it seems to be a chapter one (of three or four?) and the ‘ten years gone’ of what’s ahead- seven more groundbreaking studio albums to the band’s untimely end, will all have to wait.

Becoming Led Zeppelin is a worthy first course, to document the roots and early era of the legendary band. We just hope we can see the rest of the story similarly and properly presented, in our lifetime (or that of Page, Plant, and Jones’).

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com

Posted at 02:00 AM in Films, John, Led Zeppelin, Movies, Review, Robert Plant | Permalink | Comments (1)

02/26/2024

Minneapolis: March 14 to March 15, 2024

01/01/2024

Photos / Recap: 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert - Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY

2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Read More

Starkey Hearing Foundation

Once again, on a Sunday July afternoon, St. Paul became Tinseltown if only for an evening as the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s So The World May Hear 18th Annual Gala, in support ...

Happy 2024 from W♥M!

We’re humbled and thankful for another year out on the worldwide web (since 2007!) and were proud to have brought you coverage just over 250 shows and events! That total approaches some of our pre-pandemic years like in 2015 when we covered an average of almost one per day and 2024 is already shaping up to be a very busy year as well.

===

One of the events we managed to attend was this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, a true end-of-year music highlight.

The ceremony (which rotates locations between Brooklyn, Cleveland, and Los Angeles) was as noteworthy for the inductee absences (Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine) as much as for those who did show, and the ceremony was one of the shorter ones in history (with no end jam), perhaps because it was streaming live on Disney+ for the first time.

An abbreviated version will be broadcast on January 1 on ABC at 8pm/7pm Central, streaming next day on Hulu, with the original 4 ½ hour broadcast still archived on Disney+ for their subscribers.

The evening opened strong with Sheryl Crow dueting with Olivia Rodrigo and Stevie Nicks with Laura Dern doing the induction duties before Peter Frampton joined onstage.

The godfather of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc was visibly moved by his induction, following a passionate speech from LL Cool J.

Chaka Khan was also excited and in fine voice, singing alongside Common, H.E.R., and a still-big wigged Sia, before bringing up her Rufus band mate, to acknowledge the band’s essential contribution to her fifty-year career.

Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley appeared to posthumously induct George Michael, with musical tributes from Miguel feat Jake Clemons, a trench coat-clad Adam Levine, and Country’s Carrie Underwood, an unexpectedly diehard fan of Michael.

A breathlessly exciting in-step tribute from New Edition helped induct The Spinners and Soul Train creator Don Cornelius.

Longtime super fan Big Boi from Outkast inducted no-show Kate Bush, who was paid tribute by St. Vincent, who sang a note-perfect version of “Running Up That Hill”, a thirty-five-year-old hit which found new life on Netflix series, “Stranger Things” (which undoubtedly helped with her voting totals).

90-year-old legend Willie Nelson was given proper royal treatment, singing alongside Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, and Sheryl Crow, who all stuck around with Elton John and Brittany Howard to pay tribute to the departed Robbie Robertson with a Band classic song.

Guitarist Jimmy Page was perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening, first appearing on-screen paying homage to innovator Link Wray, before the screen rose to reveal Page himself.

Elton John was present to induct his longtime lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin, who spoke of diversity and change in his speech, with Elton then playing just one of their many classics.

The ever-political Rage Against the Machine also decided not to appear, except for guitarist Tom Morello, who realized how to use the platform to enunciate the band’s message after their induction by Ice-T, with the most soulful and call-to-action speech of the evening, but the band went without any musical tribute (even though side group Prophets of Rage members were present and rappers like Denzel Curry and Machine Gun Kelly have done worthy cover versions).

If the scale of the stage performance was any barometer of how grateful an artist was to be inducted, Missy Elliott would win that, hands down, with a massive medley performance featuring countless dancers, special effects and routines. Elliott herself was emotionally overcome as Queen Latifah inducted the first female hip-hop artist into the Hall.

(click on any image to see in full / pictures shot without any provided media access)

BARCLAYS CENTER	SHERYL CROW w OLIVIA RODRIGO	SHERYL CROW w STEVIE NICKS
LAURA DERN INDUCTS SHERYL CROW	CROW, NICKS w PETER FRAMPTON	SHERYL CROW SPEECH
LL COOL J INDUCTS DJ KOOL HERC	DJ KOOL HERC	CHAKA KHAN w COMMON
CHAKA KHAN w H.E.R.	CHAKA KHAN w SIA	ANDREW RIDGELEY
MIGUEL w JAKE CLEMONS	ADAM LEVINE	CARRIE UNDERWOOD
NEW EDITION	SOUL TRAIN TRIBUTE	BIG BOI INDUCTS KATE BUSH
ST. VINCENT	DAVE MATTHEWS- WILLIE TRIBUTE	WILLIE, DAVE, CHRIS STAPLETON
CHRIS, WILLIE, SHERYL, DAVE	JAMES PATRICK PAGE	ELTON JOHN INDUCTS BERNIE TAUPIN
BERNIE TAUPIN	ELTON JOHN	ICE-T INDUCTS RATM- TOM MORELLO
QUEEN LATIFAH INDUCTS MISSY	MISSY ELLIOTT	MISSY ELLIOTT SPEECH

JohnC ♥ johnc@weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com

Posted at 04:00 PM in Brooklyn, Chaka Khan, Dave Matthews, Elton John, George Michael, John, Kate Bush, Led Zeppelin, New Edition, New York, New York City, News, Peter Frampton, Rage Against the Machine, Sheryl Crow, St Vincent, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Willie Nelson | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/18/2023

Polyphia at First Avenue, Minneapolis (17 Oct 2023)

Polyphia Setlist

Loud
Reverie
The Audacity
Goose
40oz
Chimera
O.D.
Icronic
Champagne
The Worst
All Falls Apart
Crush/Culture Shock
So Strange
Neurotica
ABC
Euphoria

-- Encore --
Genesis
Playing God
G.O.A.T.

Read More

Polyphia

Genre-fluid four-piece Polyphia have announced a massive extension to their “Remember That You Will Die World Tour” with the second leg of the tour kicking off this fall in Oklahoma City on Sept. 30. …

Genre-fluid four-piece Polyphia is currently on their “Remember That You Will Die World Tour,” stopping by First Avenue’s mainroom on October 17, 2023.

Opening the show was DOMi & JD Beck, a piano and drum duo, playing in front of fake plastic trees. They’re a weird jazz fusion band that don’t really take things that seriously. For example, for their finale, DOMi announced that the song was called “You Can Sniff My B***” … which could be the actual title to the shortened “SNiFF”? Or can you take them for word when they mentioned that they were playing Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” in D major? It certainly didn’t sound like “Stairway”.

What you can believe is that they were super excited to have worked with Thundercat (not the cartoon), for their song “NOT TiGHT.”

DOMI & JD Beck is still a very young band, it might be interesting to see them grow and mature on Anderson .Paak’s label, in partnership with the legendary jazz label Blue Note Records. They might be the future of jazz fusion.

Since forming in Plano, Texas in 2010, Polyphia have gained a massive following for their mixture of guitar riffs with hip-hop rhythms, bass-heavy trap music, and progressive metal & rock influences. They did start off as more or less an instrumental metal band, but have evolved since their second album Renaissance. They are mostly an instrumental band (read: no singers), with two guitarist Tim Henson & Scott LePage, bassist Clay Gober, and drummer Clay Aeschliman.

As you can see from the setlist, it was heavy-leaning on their latest album Remember That You Will Die. It is their highest charting album, landing at number 33 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart… possibly thanks to their numerous collaboration on the record, including $not, Chino Moreno (Deftones), Brasstracks, Sophia Black, Lil West, Killstation, Anomalie, and Steve Vai.

Remaining tour dates:

Oct. 18—Milwaukee, WI—The Rave+
Oct. 19—Chicago, IL—Riviera Theatre+
Oct. 20—Detroit, MI—Royal Oak Music Theatre+
Oct. 21—Toronto, ON—HISTORY+
Oct. 24—Montreal, QC—MTELUS+
Oct. 25—Boston, MA—Roadrunner+
Oct. 26—New York, NY—Terminal 5+
Oct. 27—Philadelphia, PA—Franklin Music Hall+
Oct. 28—Washington, DC—The Fillmore Silver Spring+
Oct. 29—Raleigh, NC—The Ritz
Oct. 31—Atlanta, GA—The Eastern
Nov. 1—Birmingham, AL—Iron City~
Nov. 2—Houston, TX—Bayou Music Centre~
Nov. 3—San Antonio, TX—Tech Port Center~

+DOMi and JD Beck join as support.
~midwxst joins as support.

DOMi & JD Beck

Polyphia

DOMi & JD Beck

Polyphia

Polyphia at First Avenue, Minneapolis (17 Oct 2023)

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 06:55 PM in First Avenue, Led Zeppelin, Minneapolis, Polyphia, Thundercat | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/06/2023

Robert Plant / Alison Krauss w/JD McPherson at Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, MO (2023-05-05)

ROBERT PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS Poster

ROBERT PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS SETLIST

Rich Woman (Lil' Millet and His Creoles cover)
Quattro (World Drifts In) (Calexico cover)
Fortune Teller (Benny Spellman cover)
The Price of Love (The Everly Brothers cover)
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)
Please Read the Letter (Page & Plant song)
High and Lonesome
Last Kind Words Blues (Geeshie Wiley cover)
You Led Me to the Wrong (Ola Belle Reed cover)
Searching for My Love (Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces cover)
In the Mood / Matty Groves/ In the Mood (reprise) (Robert Plant song, w/ interlude of Fairport Convention version of a traditional song)
Can't Let Go (Randy Weeks cover)
The Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin cover)
When the Levee Breaks (Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy cover, with snippets of "Friends" by Led Zeppelin)

Encore:
Leave My Woman Alone (Ray Charles cover)
Gone Gone Gone (The Everly Brothers cover)

JD McPHERSON setlist

Bossy
North Side Gal
Lust for Life (Iggy Pop cover)
Precious
It Shook Me Up
Head Over Heels
Lucky Penny
Let the Good Times Roll

ROBERT PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS Tour Dates

MAY 7 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis, TN
MAY 9 ExploreAsheville.com Arena Asheville, NC
MAY 10 Live Oak Bank Pavilion Wilmington, NC
MAY 12 St. Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, FL
MAY 13 Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium Chattanooga, TN
MAY 15 Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC
MAY 17 Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion Portsmouth, VA
MAY 18 Ting Pavilion Charlottesville, VA
JUN 14 The Pearl Concert Theater Las Vegas, NV
JUN 15 Centennial Hall at University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
JUN 17 Kit Carson Park Taos, NM
JUN 18 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, CO
JUN 20 KettleHouse Amphitheater Bonner, MT
JUN 23 Somerset Amphitheater Somerset, WI
JUN 24 Alpine Valley Music Theatre East Troy, WI
JUN 25 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre St. Louis, MO
JUN 28 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH
JUN 29 Wolf Trap Vienna, VA
JUL 1 Bethel Woods Center For the Arts Bethel, NY
JUL 2 Tanglewood Music Festival Lenox, MA
JUL 3 Thompon's Point Portland, ME
JUL 5 Budweiser Stage Toronto, ON
JUL 7 Festival International de Jazz Montreal, Canada

Read More

Robert Plant

The English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, .…

Some rain and threatening skies had ruled the earlier part of Cinco de Mayo in Kansas City; but as if on cue, clouds had parted, and the evening was clear and cool outdoors at Starlight Theatre to enjoy the long-awaited return of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in concert.

===

The evening began with a succinct and musically tight opening set from Oklahoma native JD McPherson and band, whose rockabilly and roots rock leaning, provided the ideal spark plug as a precursor to the main event. Managing to work in eight songs in just thirty minutes, his “no time to waste” approach was similar to when we last saw live, headlining in Minnesota in the late summer of 2017.

Openers “Bossy” and radio hit “North Side Gal” had patrons dancing in their chairs and his homage cover of Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” kept the straightaway momentum in high gear. With a “Lucky Penny” that was anything but, and finisher “Let the Good Times Roll”, it was obvious the crowd wanted more, and will just have to catch him next time through, likely at Knuckleheads.

The only regret we had was that playing an outdoor during early Spring, meant it was too far away from the holidays to hear selections from his fine Christmas album, “Socks”.

===

For Robert Plant and Alison Krauss fans, the wait had been almost a decade and a half for the pair to reunite, in support of their second collaborative album, 2021’s “Raise the Roof” (on Rounder/Concord Records), the follow up to 2007’s “Raising Sand” which swept all five Grammy Awards it was nominated for. Our collective patience was rewarded with this tour and a diverse yet cohesive ninety-minute set of songs that raided deep into the vintage record racks and showcased the vocal synergy between the two, that still remains entrancing.

The setlist itself was a bit of a music history lesson, heavily drawing on their versions of covers from modern-day bands like Calexico, to legends like The Everly Brothers, to more familiar Led Zeppelin classics turned on their Bluegrass and Americana side. Most people likely weren’t familiar with 1950’s single “Rich Woman” from New Orleans’ Lil' Millet and His Creoles which began the set, but hearing this updated version with those harmonies, likely stuck the tune in people’s heads, even days later.

Krauss took the lead to cover a somewhat obscure 1966 Everly Brothers cover, her black dress fluttering in the early Spring wind and voice soaring out into the night on its “that’s the price of love” chorus. Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” was re-invented into a swinging barn dance version, with Delta Blues-esque guitar work by McPherson, doing double duty with both bands on this tour.

Similarly, their ingrained version of Page & Plant’s “Please Read the Letter” has become so comfortable sounding and harmoniously soothing, that it’s easy to forget the original, especially as embellished by Krauss’ expert fiddle work. Krauss took lead again for 1968’s “Trouble with my Lover”, originally cut by soul singer Betty Harris. The groovy laid-back sound of 1966’s “Searching for My Love” kept things mellow yet moving and the pace would next pick up with an extended medley built around Plant’s own early solo hit, “In the Mood”.

The Lucinda Williams version of Randy Weeks’ “Can’t Let Go” swung gently, powered by the upright six-string bass of Dennis Crouch and multi-instrumentalists Viktor Krauss (brother of Alison) and Stuart Duncan. The duo’s harmonies were again showcased on Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore”, basically proving the point that Krauss would own the songs if she ever attempted an acoustic cover album of Zeppelin classics.

The main set-closing “When the Levee Breaks” was stripped of its Zep arena bombast and brought back to its 1929 rural juke joint essence, interjected with some dark fiddle work from Krauss and Duncan, riffing in parts of Zeppelin’s “Friends” and with dark sounds to conjure fire and brimstone, like vintage 16 Horsepower would do.

“Can you feel it?!” Plant exclaimed as the band jumped back onstage for a two-song encore, beginning with a bouncy 1958 Ray Charles cover which featured a fine mandolin solo. They couldn’t leave without one more- the peppy 1964 Everly Brothers hit, “Gone, Gone, Gone” and then after extended applause and a few bows, the band was just that- “really gone, done moved on”.

It may not have been Mexican-themed nor was there a “roof to raise” at this outdoor venue, but Robert Plant and Alison Krauss made this Cinco de Mayo night in Kansas City, one to remember.

(Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

ROBERT PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS

JD McPHERSON

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 08:55 PM in Alison Krauss, JD McPherson, John, Kansas City, Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/01/2023

We♥KC! May 2-8, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Topeka / Lawrence, KS)

Read More

Robert Plant

The English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, .… …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Mayday, Mayday!

The alert is that May is here, signaling the beginning (as evidenced by last weekend’s NFL Draft concerts and Kelce Jam) of outdoor concert season and a summer jam-packed with shows. Starlight takes the lead with a stellar upcoming show from Robert Plant / Alison Krauss, there’s a couple arena shows this week, and Knuckleheads looks as busy as usual.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from May 2nd-May 8th.

TUESDAY MAY 2

Janet Jackson w Ludacris, T-Mobile Center, $39.95-$499.95

The five-time GRAMMY®️ Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame®️ Inductee has returned to the road after four years with her ninth concert tour, “Together Again.” The tour will offer the long-awaited chance to reunite with Jackson in celebration of her 50th anniversary in entertainment and spotlight the milestones for two of Jackson's most critically acclaimed albums- 25 years of "The Velvet Rope", and 30 years of "janet."plus other mega hits, so expect some three-dozen classics during the evening.

3x-Grammy Award winning recording artist and Fast & Furious actor, Ludacris will open.

Skinny Puppy w Lead into Gold, Liberty Hall-Lawrence, $38.50-$174

The Canadian industrial icons are celebrating their 40th anniversary and are doing so by announcing what they're calling their "Final Tour." “It’s been eight long years since we’ve toured and there is no better way to end our run as a group than with a tour celebrating our 40th anniversary,” stated the band in a press release. “To our West Coast fans, don’t worry! We’ll see you soon!”

2013’s Weapon is the most recent LP in Skinny Puppy’s long discography.

Foreigner w Cage Willis, Stormont Vail Events Center- Topeka, $49.50-$120

The band, formed in1976 by British guitarist Mick Jones, is out on its Farewell Tour which runs through the end of 2024 and Topeka gets one of the early dates. Foreigner has released nine studio albums and sold more than 50 million records worldwide. They have had nine top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including rock radio staples such as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Hot Blooded,” “Double Vision,” “Urgent” and the power ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

Jones, the last original member still active, has become something of a special guest at the band’s concerts, not attending every show due to health reasons and playing only during the latter portion of the set. Singer Kelly Hansen as been lead vocalist since joining in 2005.

Southern rock artist Cage Willis has his debut album Who I Am just out, featuring singles “Hallucinate” and “Way Out Here” and was produced by songwriter Chris Robertson of Black Stone Cherry

Les Miserables, May 2-7, Music Hall, $36-$126

Seen by over 130 million people in 53 countries and in 22 languages around the globe, Les Miz is as popular as ever! Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon.

Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells a story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The score includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more.

WEDNESDAY MAY 3

John Butler, The Folly, $40-$58.50

(Note: Knuckleheads Presents the show, but it is at The Folly)

One of Australia’s premiere indie alternative songwriter/ storytellers, Butler’s most recent studio album, 2018’s ‘HOME’, debuted at #1 on the ARIA Charts and a Live in Paris release just came out, from John Butler Trio.

moe., The Truman. $30-$60

The longtime jam band (Al Schnier (guitars, vocals) * Chuck Garvey (guitars, vocals) * Rob Derhak (bass, vocals) * Jim Loughlin (percussion, vibes) * Vinnie Amico (drums) first formed at the Univ of Buffalo back in 1990. 2020's THIS IS NOT, WE ARE is the band's 12th studio album and first since 2014.

THURSDAY MAY 4

Dragon Inn 3, Blip Roasters, Free! (more info here)

KC-based indie pop/synth band Dragon Inn 3- led by Phil Dickey, co-founder of indie-pop band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin just released their sophomore album Trade Secrets on American Laundromat Records. The idea behind the foursome (Grace Bentley- vocals. Philip Dickey- synths, drums, guitar, bass, vocals. Sharon Hamm- synths. David Hill- synths) began as more of an experiment a decade ago by Dickey, running concurrently with SSLYBY (who we last caught live back in Minneapolis in 2013 and also in Brooklyn in 2009).

Their synth-driven sounds were polished and defined on their 2018 debut, Double Line, with the band mostly hunkered down (like most of us) as the pandemic years passed. For Kansas City fans, they’ve finally returned to the live stage, with Phil and Grace playing a special acoustic show in the Crossroads district, to showcase the new songs and play some old favorites.

Daniel Rodriguez, Knuckleheads, $20

The Colorado singer-songwriter is still out in support of his third studio album, Vast Nothing and we caught him live, opening an all-Colorado lineup featuring The Lumineers last summer. He is also a founding member of Elephant Revival and wrote some of their most well-known songs before they disbanded in 2018.

Brooks and Dunn w Scottie McCreery, T-Mobile Center,$24.75-$164.75

Country’s most-awarded duo pull on their cowboy boots once again to continue their Reboot Tour which first launched in 2021. The tour is named after the duo's 2019 collaboration album "Reboot," which includes the pair singing with artists including Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Cody Johnson and Jon Pardi.

Orianthi, Knuckleheads,$32.50-$50

The platinum-selling artist and one of the best rock guitarists today, is out supporting studio album, “Rock Candy” which came out last October. and is described as a hard rockin’, blues tinged, display of Orianthi’s guitar playing and soulful vocals. She’s played with the likes of Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Carrie Underwood, Alice Cooper, ahem...Ritchie Sambora, and lately Tracii Guns,

FRIDAY MAY 5

Air Supply, Ameristar Casino, $68-$240

The Aussie soft rock duo started all the way back in 1975 in Melbourne and is still going today – America seems never "All out of Love" to hear their songs. In addition to their own classic hits, they’ve been working in their version of Nilsson’s “Without You” into their encores.

Against the Current w Trophy Eyes, Yours Truly, Granada- Lawrence, $25-$28

The NY-based pop-punk trio dropped their new single, “good guy.” which vocalist Chrissy Costanza describes the track as “all about going from anger to apathy, recognizing that this person that hurt you is too sad to hate,” urging listeners to “don’t ignore the red flags, trust your gut.”

The band’s career spans over a decade, forming in 2011 before releasing their debut studio album, In Our Bones, in 2016, followed by 2018’s Past Lives, and have also released several EPs.

Robert Plant / Alison Krauss, Starlight, $37-$175

The legendary Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and bluegrass innovator and 27-time Grammy winner Alison Krauss have finally reunited again on their Raising the Roof Tour. More than 15 years after their initial critically acclaimed and award-sweeping collaboration, Plant and Krauss are now touring in support of their most recent album, "Raise the Roof," released last November.

It's their first LP together since their 2007 collaboration, "Raising Sand." Plant and Krauss have included songs from both albums in their new sets as well as their unique versions of Zeppelin/ Page Plant songs "The Battle of Evermore," "Rock and Roll," and "Please Read the Letter." Expect other covers from the likes of Calexico, The Everly Brothers, and Allen Toussaint. We caught Plant solo in Minneapolis in 2018, and think the magical combination of these two, outdoors under the stars, will undoubtedly make for a memorable show.

JD McPherson to open, who we saw solo at the MN State Fair back in 2017, and who is also a part of the headlining band.

Eddie Griffin,(comedian Uptown. $39.50-$122

The hometown comedian returns with a brand new hilarious show. Born in Kansas City, by the young age of 16, he opened his own dance studio and was choreographing the Kansas City Chiefs halftime shows, but his career would later lead down the comedy path and also into acting.

Amythyst Kiah, Knuckleheads, $17.50

The Chattanooga, TN singer/songwriter is making waves with her Rounder Records debut, Wary + Strange, after earning a Grammy Award nomination for Best American Roots Song and winning Song of the Year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International Awards (in Kansas City). “For anyone who’s struggled with grief or trauma or felt left out and weird and like they didn’t belong, I hope this album lets them know that they’re not alone in that feeling,” says Kiah.

SATURDAY MAY 6

Knuckle Puck & Real Friends w Between You and Me, The Truman, $28-$30

Knuckle Puck formed in 2010 in the suburbs of Chicago releasing several EPs, one of which, While I Stay Secluded, peaked at 5 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The band announced last Fall that they had signed with Pure Noise Records and released a new single “Groundhog Day.” Their upcoming 4th LP will release in 2024. We caught them live last, back in 2015 in Minneapolis.

49 Winchester with The Weathered Souls, Knuckleheads. $20

With its latest and fourth album, “Fortune Favors The Bold,” (their debut for Nashville’s New West Records) the VA-based band is ready to break onto the national scene with its unique brand alt-country, barroom floor rock-n-roll, and high-octane Appalachian folk.

Formed eight years ago in the small mountain town of Castlewood, VA, the band started as a rag tag bunch of area teenagers who just wanted to get together for the sake of playing together but are now making a larger impact.

Black Dahlia Murder w/ Terror, Frozen Soul, Fuming Mouth, and Phobophilic, Granada-Lawrence,$25

The rockers are back out on their first tour since the tragic death at age 41 of lead vocalist Trevor Strnad, with guitarist Brian Eschbach since taking over on lead vocals. They’re remembering how one of Trevor's roles was uplifting young and new bands, and how they plan to do their best to continue to do this. This tour includes three of the most promising newer metal and/or hardcore bands around (Frozen Soul, Fuming Mouth, and Phobophilic), along with hardcore vets Terror.

Sondheim on Sondheim, May 6-7, Kauffman Center, $33.50-$139.50

Sondheim on Sondheim is an intimate portrait of the famed songwriter through his beloved songs and words. With exclusive interviews interspersed among favorite songs, audiences get an inside look at the renowned composer’s personal life and artistic process. Honoring the legacy of Stephen Sondheim, who passed away in November 2021, this production features various vocal stylists accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony.

SUNDAY MAY 7

Built to Spill w Prism Bitch, Itchy Kitty (rescheduled), Madrid Theatre, $35-$59.50

The longtime alternative Boise, ID group is back on tour behind new album When the Wind Forgets Your Name. We caught the band last in Georgia back in 2016. The live band throughout the tour will be comprised of Doug Martsch, bassist Melanie Radford, and drummer Teresa Esguerra. With two interesting openers, it’s a full night of entertainment.

MONDAY MAY 8

nada

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 06:00 AM in Against The Current, Air Supply, Built to Spill, Comedy, Country Music, Foreigner, Janet Jackson, John, John Butler Trio, Kansas City, Kansas City Symphony, Knuckle Puck, Knuckleheads, Lawrence, Led Zeppelin, Musical, Orianthi, Robert Plant, Skinny Puppy, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Terror, Topeka | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/22/2023

We♥KC! March 22-31, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More

Queensrÿche

Queensrÿche is touring in support of their album The Verdict (Century Media Records). The record is available in a variety of limited and exclusive editions, including clear, red transparent, petrol green, red smoke vinyl, etc. …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Late March is bringing showers… of sold-out shows-- good job KC, for packing live venues again! Plenty else is happening, including several at Knuckleheads and don’t throw away your shot, if you can manage to wrangle those still-elusive Hamilton tickets.

Sad face for the canceled RATM show which would have taken place this week- if they happen to get inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this fall, maybe some make up dates are in the cards as a victory lap tour leg.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from March 22nd-31st.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22

Hamilton (musical), continues through Apr 2, Music Hall,$69+

PNC Broadway in Kansas City continues with its most popular and longest-running show of the season! We all know Hamilton by now- the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a unique score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton is told like never before, and has created a lasting cultural moment in the process.

With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton has won Tony®, Grammy®, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. The Disney+ special is great, but you haven’t seen Hamilton until you’ve seen it live on-stage!

THURSDAY MARCH 23

Eric Bellinger, recordBar, $30-$55

The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter is out on his headlining Obsession Tour. It follows his 2022 Vibes On Vibes Tour, which R&B singer Sammie co-headlined. VIP packages are available, including a meet and greet, early and priority entry, autographed merchandise and more. Trevor Jackson, Nick Lavelle, and Dom Chronicles are on as support.

Maddie and Tae, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, SOLD OUT

Award-winning Country pop duo Maddie & Tae are coming to a sold-out Prairie Band. Their hits include: “Die From A Broken Heart”, “Girl In A Country Song”, current single “Every Night Every Morning”, and many more!

Iris Dement w Ana Egge, Knuckleheads, SOLD OUT

Longtime folk singer-songwriter and former KC resident Dement still obviously has loyal fans in the area. Her debut record Infamous Angel, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone, and the two albums that followed, My Life and The Way I Should, each garnered Contemporary Folk GRAMMY nominations.

Thirty years after her debut, she’s still creating some of the most poignant music of her career, bridging seemingly disparate worlds with every note.

FRIDAY MARCH 24

Smithereens w Marshall Crenshaw (re-scheduled date) Knuckleheads,$35-$55

The popular New Jersey band formed way back in 1980, bringing a contemporary beat to a classic rock sound. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together and original lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from nearby Scotch Plains, NJ. They toured worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500+ live shows before the 2017 passing of DiNizio put the band on hold, momentarily.

Longtime friend Marshall Crenshaw takes over lead vocals for this tour, recreating the many Smithereens favorites, as well as likely, a few of his own hits. Special Guest is: The Popskull Rebels.

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams w Shawn Mullins, Knuckleheads. $35-$55

Multi-instrumentalist-singer-songwriter Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams’ acclaimed self-titled 2015 debut, released after seven years of playing in Levon Helm’s band – and frequent high-profile guest appearances – helped put them on the map as a formidable musical duo.

And for this tour, they’re joined by singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, whose critical breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core album shot him to fame on the strength of its Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby”. In early 2002, he formed super group The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge.

Michigan Rattlers, recordBar, $18

A Michigan folk-rock band composed of Graham Young (guitar), Adam Reed (bass), Christian Wilder (piano), and Tony Audia (drums). Veering beyond their initial Country-leaning sound, the band’s second full-length, That Kind of Life was released in 2021 to positive reviews. Morris & Depew open.

SATURDAY MARCH 25

Jerry Cantrell w Thunderpussy, Uptown,$35-$79

The Alice in Chains singer-guitarist is heading back out for another tour leg in support of his 2021 solo acclaimed album, Brighten. Expect to hear a plethora of solo material along with a number of AIC classics. The 2022 trek included vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan), drummer Gil Sharone (Team Sleep), guitarist Tyler Bates (film soundtrack composer), who should all return as part of Cantrell’s solid band.

Luzcid, Encore at Uptown Theater, $25

The Houston-born electronic artist is out on his Illusions Tour, an Audio/Visual experience with visuals from Data Byte.

JID and Smino, Midland. $32.50-$59.50

Out on their co-headlining Luv is 4ever Tour (which we’re scheduled to cover later this week in Minneapolis). Atlanta rapper J.I.D’s latest is The Forever Story, which topped many “Best of 2022” lists, including Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, while St. Louis rapper Smino’s third album Luv 4 Rent was his debut with Motown Records, in partnership with Zero Fatigue.

Queensryche w Marty Friedman, Trauma, The Truman,$32.50-$65

The ‘Ryche returns to the road with headlining tour dates in support of their latest album, 2022’s Digital Noise Alliance. Joining the classic progressive metal act on the road as special supporting acts will be ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) and rising metal band Trauma, making for an entertaining evening all around.

Queensryche said in a press release, "This touring package is amped up and very much looking forward to seeing all of you! Come on out and let's have a great time together, as live music is as vibrant as ever once again!"

Little River Band, Ameristar Casino, $50-$68

The classic rock band from Melbourne is best known for their top hits “Reminiscing,” “The Night Owls” and “Lonesome Loser,” since forming in 1975. Other radio-familiar hits include “Take it Easy on Me,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Happy Anniversary” and “The Other Guy.”

SUNDAY MARCH 26

Cowboy Mouth, Knuckleheads, $25

Jenny still Says to come to this show for a participatory fun time. Much like gumbo, the New Orleans-born band uses a potent blend of musical ingredients- rock, blues, punk, funk, country, pop, soul and whatever else feels good, for a true rock n roll revival show. Frontman, drummer, and co-founder Fred LeBlanc has asserted “if The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth."

MONDAY MARCH 27

Shame, Bottleneck. $20 (UPDATE: SHOW DATE IS SATURDAY, MAY 27 )

The rising London post-punk band has returned with their third full-length, Food for Worms, which just came out at the end of last month. Three buzzing singles were released beforehand, doing exceptionally well on the other side of the pond, “Fingers of Steel", "Six-Pack" and "Adderall".

After they missed Rock the Garden in 2018, we finally caught the band live, last summer headlining in Minneapolis. They've been busy touring the UK and Europe, so are ready to hit our shores with a bang.

(Update: NYC indie five-piece Been Stellar will provide support, in support of last August's self-titled EP. )

TUESDAY MARCH 28

Rage Against The Machine, March 28, T-Mobile Center CANCELED

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29

Toto Uptown,$39-$99

The longtime rock band has spent most of the last couple years, touring on and off with a similar classic band that’s had its ups and downs, Journey, but returns to the area to make up for a previously postponed headlining appearance.

After announcing a breakup (filled with health issues, a lawsuit, etc) in 2019, they announced a reunion a year later with a revamped lineup including old/new singer Joseph Williams (son of composer John Williams), Steve Lukather, bassist John Pierce, drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, keys/vocalist Steve Maggiora, keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Warren Ham.

Jessie Murph, The Truman, $17

Alabama alt/pop TikTokker 18-year-old singer Murph is out on her first ever North American tour in support of her debut mixtape, Drowning released last month which includes songs “Always Been You,” “If I Died Last Night,” and “Pray”, as well as three new tracks.

She’s catching more notice as many of her originally booked venues, have been re-booked into bigger halls, to accommodate additional demand. We caught Murph live just over a week ago, in Minneapolis, with her older brother opening the show. 44Phantom is listed as support for KC.

THURSDAY MARCH 30

Koe Wetzel, w/ The Cadillac Three, Dylan Wheeler, Cable Dahmer Arena. $35-$60

The genre-bending outlaw country artist brings his Road to Hell Paso Tour to the eastern KC suburbs iin support of Koe’s latest album Hell Paso, out last September which debuted at #12 on Billboard. In speaking about the album, Koe says: “We pulled in every genre we were feeling at the time. We spent the last ten years trying to make this sound, Hell Paso has it.” Wetzel sold over 350,000 tickets last year and is on track for much more in 2023. Opening acts are worth arriving early for.

Key Glock w Big Scarr, Uptown Theater,$39.50

The Memphis rapper is on his Glockoma Tour, a 31-date run of shows running until April 28 for a home-state show in Nashville, in support of new full-length, Glockoma 2, a sequel to his 2018 release.

Zepparella with Bad Bad Men, recordBar. $20

Expect to feel a whole lotta love for this Led Zeppelin tribute made up of vocalist Anna Kristina, guitarist Gretchen Menn, bassist Holly West, and drummer Clementine. Bad Bad Men (from Omaha) open the show.

FRIDAY MARCH 31

A Moving Sound, Polsky Theatre. $17-$35

Fusing traditional Taiwanese influences with a global sensibility, the award-winning ensemble (Sheng Don 聲動) built a worldwide following through their mix of original music and dance, featuring the timbres of the erhu (fiddle) and zhong ruan (lute), and vocals of Mia Hsieh,

Hsieh draws inspiration from her roots in Asian culture, as well as an assimilation of experimental and improvisational art forms. Her vocal influences range from ethnic to experimental. For many of the compositions, she performs using her own created language; chanting, speaking and singing with emotion.

Take 6, Lied Center. $19-$50

The most awarded acapella group (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley) in history hits the live stage in Lawrence. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and more, Take 6 are six voices united in crystal clear harmony. We saw them live performing a Christmas mini-set, outdoors in mid-December numbing temperatures, singing from a rail car (no joke!) supporting Sheryl Crow.

Dave Attell (comedian) thru Apr 1, KC Improv, SOLD OUT

The NYC stand-up comedian remains as popular as ever, selling out all shows on this multi-night KC residency. Known for the hit series, "Insomniac with Dave Attell" on Comedy Central, Attell has also been on every late night talk show and his own half-hour stand-up special, among numerous other appearances.

Tech N9ne with King Iso, March 31, Granada. $30

KC’s favorite rapper got a Super Bowl bump, when his unofficial anthem, “Red Kingdom” was played everywhere as our own Kansas City Chiefs repeated as NFL Champions. He brings his Strange Music show to the home of the Jayhawks (who need some cheering up after being bumped from March Madness).

Crystal Bowersox, Mar 31, Knuckleheads (POSTPONED to October 6)

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 01:45 AM in Alice in Chains, Comedy, Comedy Central, Eric Bellinger, Hamilton, Jessie Murph, John, Kansas City, Lawrence, Led Zeppelin, Musical, Queensryche, Shame, Smino, Take 6, Tech N9ne, The Smithereens, Toto, Zepparella | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/11/2023

R.I.P. Jeff Beck

(Read more Musicians who died in 2023)

One of rock’s greatest skilled and most influential guitarists (yet still somewhat under the mainstream radar) Jeff Beck passed away on Tuesday at a hospital near his southern England rural estate in Riverhall, at the age of 78 of bacterial meningitis, according to his publicist.

Beck was born in Wallington, Surrey, England on June 24, 1944, to Arnold (an accountant) and Ethel (a candy maker) Beck. His mother demanded he play piano daily at an early age, which would help to hone his distinctive musical chops after switching to guitar once he heard the great Les Paul.

By the age of 13, he was building his own guitars to play, fascinated by the tone and the mechanics of playing. Beck would enroll in Wimbledon College of Art but dropped out of school in favor of music, doing studio session work and then in 1965 was invited to join The Yardbirds via Jimmy Page (who initially turned the band's offer).

Only a band member for some 20 months, Beck played on most of The Yardbirds’ successful songs, such as “Heart Full of Soul,” which hit the Top 10 on Billboard and was #2 in the UK. The Yardbirds’ 1966 single “Shape of Things,” got to #11 in the US (#3 in UK) featuring an unmistakable double-time Beck signature guitar solo, that would help define his early legacy.

The Yardbirds would become a band of legend, adding Jimmy Page, first on bass and later in a dueling lead guitar role with Beck. In 1966, an instrumental titled “Beck’s Bolero" would feature Page on rhythm guitar, Keith Moon from The Who on drums, future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones on bass, along with piano player Nicky Hopkins.

Tensions within the band spurred him to leave, soon forming the first Jeff Beck Group (with Rod Stewart on vocals and with Ron Wood), who were signed by Columbia Records, issuing their debut album “Truth” in 1968.

Another landmark came in 1975, with Beck’s "Blow by Blow” solo album, blending jazz, fusion, funk, and more to his rock repertoire to create a Platinum-selling, successful and still-influential album that would hit the Billboard Top 5.

Though he never equaled the sales of peers Page, Eric Clapton, or idol Jimi Hendrix, he always remained respected in the highest order, with Rolling Stone recently ranking him at #5 of all-time guitarists. “I’ve never made the big time, mercifully,” Beck told the magazine in 2018. “When you look around and see who has made it huge, it’s a really rotten place to be.”

Beck’s career is highlighted by seven Grammy Awards, eight gold albums, and Induction into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame not once but twice, in 1992 as part of The Yardbirds, and solo in 2009.

We were lucky enough to have seen him play live, but only once, on a co-headlining tour with Carlos Santana, but can readily remember our jaw being on the floor for his entire set, as he made sounds and melodies that we never thought possible from a Fender Strat, and with an uncanny ease and joy.

Beck continued to tour and to record, most recently yielding a collaboration album with actor/guitarist Johnny Depp, titled “18,” (released last July), which they also took out on the road. Jeff Beck’s wife, Sandra Cash, whom he married in 2005, survives him.

John C ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 06:29 PM in Guitar Gods, Guitar Hero, Jeff Beck, John, John Paul Jones, Johnny Depp, Led Zeppelin, Musicians Who Died, News, RIP | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/01/2023

Minneapolis: This Week (01/08/2023)

Here are some shows, this week, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

01/02 The Cactus Blossoms with Lanue at Turf Club

Read More

The Cactus Blossoms

Ahead of their 2022 tour for their new album One Day For February 11, Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms (brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum) will be playing a residency at the Turf Club, every Monday. …

01/02/2023 Monday

The Cactus Blossoms
with Lanue
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Local favorite band The Cactus Blossoms is once again doing a residency at the Turf Club in January 2023.

The brother duo recently released their Bob Dylan cover EP, If Not For You (Bob Dylan Songs Vol 1).

Jack Torrey (half of the Cactus Blossoms) said, “We had recorded a version of "Went to See The Gypsy” a while back and we were thinking about doing an EP of other people’s songs, but then it just made sense to stick with all Dylan tunes. He’s written a million songs and he’s always been an inspiration for us. So many of Bob Dylan’s songs are filled with wonderful phrasing that doesn’t really lend itself to harmony singing, so we got together and started singing some of his songs to see which ones we could bend into our world.”

We last saw Cactus Blossoms at their album release instore for One Day in Feb 2022 and noted, “Immediately after the release of The Cactus Blossoms’ new album, One Day, the American duo appeared at three stores, performing at Mill City Sound (in Hopkins), Down In The Valley (in Golden Valley), and Electric Fetus (in Minneapolis), all on February 12th.”

Tour Dates

01/02 with Lanue
01/09 with Michael Gay
01/16 with Molly Brandt
01/23 with Pit Stop
01/30 with Pieta Brown
02/23 - Bellevue, WA - Wintergrass Music Festival
02/24 - Bellevue, WA - Wintergrass Music Festival

01/06 ZEPPO with 5cent Reality at Turf Club

Read More

Led Zeppelin

Robert Plant apparently kiboshed a Led Zeppelin reunion guaranteeing $800 mil. from Richard Branson. 35 dates in 3 cities (London, Berlin, NJ). .…

01/06/2022 Friday

ZEPPO
with 5cent Reality
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

Yes, it’s a Led Zeppelin cover lover band, Zeppo. If you love the Zep, you’ll probably be at this Turf Club show on January 6th.

According to their bio, it’s not a traditional tribute band, so no wigs, no costumes, and the band members don’t look like Robert Plant…

The band adds, “Merry Christmas everybody! Let us be the cure to your holiday hangover.”

5cent Reality to open. 5cent Reality is described as Kirk, Terry, Nicole, and Jef… playing music from the invisible realms.

Band members includes:

John Eller (Shiny Lights, Shabby Road Orchestra)

Paul Boblett (Fathom Lane, Faith Boblett)

Terrance J. Fisher (Run Westy Run)

Noah Levy (Brian Setzer, BoDeans, Honeydogs)

Mark Mraz (Mraz Brothers Band, Raggs, Sloppy Joels)

01/08 Charlie Parr with Todd Albright at Turf Club

Read More

Charlie Parr

Last of the Better Days Ahead is the new collection of songs from Minnesotan Charlie Parr. What’s important to note is that the album is being released on Smithsonian Folkways, the non-profit record label …

01/08/2023 Sunday

Charlie Parr
with Todd Albright
at Turf Club
first-avenue.com

As with previous years, Duluth’s Charlie Parr is doing a month-long residency at the Turf Club in St Paul.

Charlie Parr at Armory (26 Nov 2022)

We recently saw Parr with Trampled By Turtles at the Armory in Nov 2022 and wrote, “Charlie Parr opened up with his weathered steel guitar and friend, Mick, playing what Parr called: “The washing machine.” Even with no band Parr had no trouble filling the cavernous space of the Armory with an earthy voice that rose to all three levels and into the rafters of the venue. Born in Austin, MN and now residing in Duluth, Parr’s musical style of folk and blues seems to be from another era. Still, he instantly connected with the sold out crowd with a generous set of 12 songs ranging from a career that has produced 16 albums…”

Charlie Parr at the Turf Club Residency in January 2023.

01/01 with Greta Ruth
01/08 with Todd Albright
01/15 with Haley
01/22 with Mike Gangloff & Adam Kiesling
01/29 with Emma Jeanne

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Posted at 12:00 AM in Charlie Parker, Led Zeppelin, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Music Guide, The Cactus Blossoms, Todd Albright | Permalink | Comments (0)