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Two Icons, One Night--
Arrowhead Stadium again takes center stage this week for the big Billy Joel/Stevie Nicks extravaganza and fingers crossed, that any late August rain stays away for the night. Headliner Lil’ Durk was supposed to hit T-Mobile Center this week, but medical issues have kept him from the road, and our collective heart goes out to everyone in Maui.
School starts August 21 at KU, so expect Lawrence to come alive more, with additional shows heading into the Fall.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from August 14th to 23rd.
MONDAY AUGUST 14
Dave Wakeling with The English Beat, Knuckleheads CANCELED/RESCHEDULED
TUESDAY AUGUST 15
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16
ZZ Top w Uncle Kracker, Starlight, $35-$99.50
The Houston blues rock group aka “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” (also the title of their recent Netflix doc) returns to the road, just ahead of a co-headlining tour with (what remains of) Lynyrd Skynyrd. When bassist Dusty Hill died in his sleep recently at age 72, fans thought the band might be over, but even after 51 years of the core trio, replacement Elwood Francis has fit in remarkably well.
They formed way back in 1969 when two rival bands joined forces: Moving Sidewalks with guitarist Billy Gibbons and American Blues with Hill and drummer Frank Beard. Their mainstream breakthrough was 1983’s Eliminator album, receiving Diamond certification (sales over 10 million units) which included hit tracks “Gimme All Your Lovin’” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Keith Richards in 2004. We saw them last, fifteen years ago at a radio festival with The Pretenders and Stray Cats, and know they still put on an entertaining show.
Arrive early for opener Uncle Kracker, the one-time Kid Rock cohort, to hear his big hit, “Follow Me”.
THURSDAY AUGUST 17
The Wallflowers w Will Dailey, Uptown, $35-$75
Can it be this long already?! For the past 30 years, Jakob Dylan has led his ever-changing line up of The Wallflowers, who broke through with 1996’s Bringing Down the Horse sophomore album. Dylan has also done some solo work and even the 2018 film Echo in the Canyon whose accompanying soundtrack also featured Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Beck and Fiona Apple.
Outlaw country singer Shelby Lynne is featured on three tracks of the band’s newest album, 2021’s Exit Wounds, (produced by a fave, Butch Walker) and KC missed them on the recent Matchbox Twenty tour (Matt Nathanson opened the local stop), but this is a chance to see a few headlining set.
Arrive early to catch Boston area singer-songwriter Will Dailey, who we interviewed ahead of this show (link here) and be sure to stop at the merch booth for a chance to listen (and leave your thoughts) to a song only available there.
FRIDAY AUGUST 18
Sylvan Esso with Indigo De Souza, The Midland. $29.50-$49.50
A double bill worth the wait- the “No Rules Tour” makes a Kansas City stop on its way to wrapping up next month at Red Rocks in Colorado. The eclectic electronic duo (Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn) has a new album, No Rules Sandy, which features the singles “Your Reality” and “Didn’t Care.” When we caught them live as openers a decade ago, we knew they were headed to bigger and better things (and larger venues too).
Live, expect their handful of alternative radio hits, a healthy helping of the new record, and even digging deep for a not well-known cover from Chicago’s Califone.
Arrive early for another Carolina-based artists, Indigo De Souza whose third full-length, All of This Will End, dropped earlier this spring (via Saddle Creek). We caught her live last, opening for a bedridden Lucy Dacus in Lawrence last year. The new record signals a confident artistic turning point, encompassing eleven songs that are described as” raw and radically optimistic” that “grapples with mortality, the rejuvenation that community brings, and the importance of centering yourself now.”
Kidz Bop, Starlight. $29.50-$79.50
Not to be denied, they are the #1 kids brand for music- The KIDZ BOP Never Stop Live Tour introduces four new KIDZ BOP Kids- Jackson, Kiya, Shila, and Tyler performing today’s biggest hits live on stage. The family-friendly show will feature new songs, choreography, special effects, and the return of the Daddy Dance Off, giving dads the chance to show off their own dance moves on stage.
SATURDAY AUGUST 19
Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, Arrowhead. $54.50-$354.50
“Two Icons, One Night”- two rock radio titans join forces at the stadium level for a night of songs we all know by heart. Despite their stylistic differences, their catalogs share the commonality of depth and endurance.
Hopes are quite dim that Fleetwood Mac will ever play together again after the passing of Christine McVie (and thoughts go out to Mick Fleetwood, whose Maui restaurant was completely burned down), so this might be one of the last chances to hear their hits, along with Nicks’ own radio classics (prepare for tears during “Landslide”.)
Joel recently announced an end to his fabled Madison Square Garden run (next July) and at the age of 74, (Nicks is 75), chances become fewer and far between to see them on the road, never mind together. As he has previously at recent baseball stadium solo shows, Joel performs on a rotating platform so all can get a good look at the Piano Man and remains in relatively good voice.
In addition to their own full sets, they join forces on the dueling vocals of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and there’s been a touching Tina Turner tribute, though not a part of the regular setlist.
Incubus w Badfinger, Paris Jackson, Azura Amph, $24-$149
Incubus are back for another summer of touring, with a package that includes Aussie rockers Badflower and Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson opening on a trek that goes to the end of the month, wrapping Aug 29 in Grand Junction, CO.
Incubus last released a full album with 2017's 8 but returned in 2019 with single "Into the Summer" and in 2020 with "Our Love" from the Trust Fall (Side B) EP. Badflower's most recent offering was 2021's This Is How the World Ends, and Jackson issued the lost ep last February.
Trey Kennedy (comedian), The Midland, $45-$95
A social media sensation, Kennedy never expected to enter the entertainment industry but found fame while in college on Vine, amassing more than 2.5 million followers. Kennedy has continued his social media success on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube (his self-produced comedy special “Are You For Real?” is on there) and TikTok where he has a combined 10+ million followers and also has a podcast titled “Correct Opinions”.
Lil Durk w Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, and DD Osama T-Mobile Center CANCELED
SUNDAY AUGUST 20
Soulja Boy, The Truman, $30-$60
It's SouljaWorld as the rapper is heading out on tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his “SouljaBoyTellem” album. To kick off the anniversary tour, he took the stage alongside several music icons, including Usher, Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey, Pitbull and Christina Aguilera, during the Lovers and Friends Festival back in May. S.O.D. and Money Gang listed as support.
MONDAY AUGUST 21
TUESDAY AUGUST 22
Johnny Booth, Thoughtcrime, and Earth Grones, Encore at Uptown, $15
The NY five-piece metalcore outfit is out in support of their latest studio album, Moments Elsewhere, released just last month. The Moments Elsewhere Tour just kicked off, with the band saying, “We'll be hitting the road with our friends in Thoughtcrimes and Earth Groans We'll see you out there!”
Kings Kaleidoscope, The Truman, $29.50
The Seattle faith-based alternative band has released 4 EPs to date, all musically curious and building upon the mainstay sounds of drums, bass, keys and guitars, adding an array of orchestral violins, cellos, woodwinds, trombones, trumpets and vibraphones. There’s also a strong hip-hop influence and a Mars Volta-like energy that makes them both eclectic and ones to watch. Tyson Motsenbocker listed as support.
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23
Friendship Commanders, miniBar, $15
The Nashville heavy duo is vocalist/guitarist Buick Audra and drummer/bassist Jerry Roe, out in support of upcoming new full-length, MASS, a ten-track concept record about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts and the album will be accompanied by a memoir of essays by Audra, both released on September 29th, so this should be a preview of the new work.
The ten-track body of work was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Kurt Ballou at his Salem, MA studio. Last year’s EP, RELEASE THE REST, is a limited vinyl compilation of the singles they released throughout the pandemic, also mixed by Ballou. HEELS and Buzzard Fight also featured on the bill.
| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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