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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
Congrats to the recent Tony Award winners--
We always keep an eye on them especially, the musical winners as they may take the production on the road, meaning it would likely play in KC.
This year’s Best Musical winner was “Almost Happy Ending” (about two robots in future Seoul, that find friendship and potential love, of all things).
Best Play was given to the dramatic “Purpose” about a prominent political Black family, and which already had won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. He’s also written the book for the upcoming “Prince- Purple Rain” musical, which world-premieres in Minneapolis this fall, so that’s all a very good sign for that production.
On the concert front, fall announcements continue (it looks busy through October, as usual) and Live Nation continues their $30 sale, but as their current bookings are limited in KC, it’s primarily for Starlight shows.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week of June 21st-June 26th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
SATURDAY JUNE 21
SUNDAY JUNE 22
George Thorogood and the Destroyers, June 22, Uptown, $54-$197
Since 1976, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have sold over 15 million albums, built a catalogue of numerous hits, and played more than 8,000 live shows (and yet, he still “drinks alone”).
Thorogood and his longtime band which includes Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) should be playing hits like “Get A Haircut”, “I Drink Alone”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, “Move It On Over”, “Who Do You Love” and the anthem “Bad To The Bone” – it’s the baddest show on earth!
MONDAY JUNE 23
Tripping Daisy, June 23, Warehouse on Broadway, $36.15-$42.15
The 90s Dallas psych-grunge band led by Tim DeLaughter (who’d go on to form The Polyphonic Spree) best known for alt-rock hit “I Got a Girl,” broke up in 1999 but have occasionally played reunion shows in Texas in recent years. Now, the band is back together and Tripping Daisy will head out on their first North American tour in 26 years. (I think we saw them at The Bottleneck in the ‘90s...maybe).
The tour will be a 30th anniversary celebration of their 1995 album I Am an Elastic Firecracker (the record containing “I Got A Girl”) and they’ll be playing it in its entirety alongside “timeless favorites from every album.”
TUESDAY JUNE 24
Modest Mouse, June 24, Grinders KC,$59.65-$245.36
Back on the road and back at the venue we saw them at in 2022! The tour follows last April’s expanded re-release of their early 2000s alt-rock gem Good News for People Who Love Bad News. Formed in 1993 in Issaquah, WA, and now based in Portland, Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse have long been a staple of the Pacific NW indie scene.
Their sound ranges from post-punk–influenced tracks inspired by Pixies to the psych-pop stylings of bands like Flaming Lips (both who have been recent tour mates). The band reached mainstream success in 2004 with the hit single “Float On,” they even now have their own themed cruise happening next year!)
Bear Hands w/OK Cowgirl, June 24, recordBar, $41.70
Bear Hands are back out on the 18-date second leg of their ‘The Key to What’ tour., performing songs from their latest album alongside fan favorites from their nineteen-year catalog, including top 20 alternative hits “Giants” and “Back Seat Driver.”
Bear Hands is Dylan Rau (vocals and guitar), Val Loper (bass), and TJ Orscher (drums). Formed in 2006 in Brooklyn, New York, the band gained early attention with their 2010 single “What a Drag,” which led to their signing with Cantora Records. They released their debut album Burning Bush Supper Club, that same year, followed by the critically acclaimed Distraction. Two additional albums followed – 2016’s You’ll Pay For This and 2019’s Fake Tunes.
Arrive early for Brooklyn-based indie rockers OK Cowgirl supporting the release of the deluxe edition of their debut album, Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut, out now via Easy Does It Records. The expanded release includes six bonus tracks, four unreleased demos and two alternate versions.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 25
THURSDAY JUNE 26
Weird Al Yankovic w Puddles Pity Party, June 26, Starlight, sold out
The parody king returns! Weird Al brings his legendary full-production multimedia comedy rock show back to the concert stage with the BIGGER & WEIRDER 2025 Tour, playing his iconic hits as well as some never-performed-live-before fan favorites. Al’s long-time band is joined by four additional players to create a super-sized concert experience.
“Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history. A 5-time Grammy Award winner, he is best known for his parodies of the biggest musical artists over the last four decades. His many hits include “Amish Paradise,” “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Word Crimes,” and the platinum-selling “White & Nerdy.” His last album Mandatory Fun is the only comedy album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and in 2022, Yankovic produced and co-wrote the Emmy-winning biopic WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe.
Country Stampede (Day One) Luke Bryan, June 26-28 Azura Amph, $99-$219
Under new and bigger-thinking management (“Kustom Entertainment”), a highly anticipated A-List lineup for the 2025 Country Stampede Festival makes this year’s installment perhaps the most exciting one to date. We ‘ve covered it the last few years and caught Jon Pardi bringing down the house last year.
The three-day fest kicks off on Thursday with Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Drew Baldridge & the winner of their Battle of the Bands contest. In addition to these main stage performances, the festival will showcase local and regional talent on the Platinum Club Stage throughout the weekend, ensuring a diverse and dynamic entertainment experience for attendees.
The fest launched five regional Battle of the Bands competitions with qualifiers in Wichita, KS, Springfield, MO, Omaha, NE, and Columbia, MO, with each market producing a winner to advance to the finals in KC and the overall winner gaining the opportunity to perform in front of thousands at the festival.
Greensky Bluegrass, June 26, Uptown, (rescheduled from March), $38-$82
The bluegrass jam band had to shift their schedule back in March (“postponed due to unforeseen circumstances”), but are returning on this make-up date, with all previous tickets being honored. The Kalamazoo MI band’s last studio album was 2022’s Stress Dreams.
The band has evolved over the years, growing from 3 to 5 members, adding electric effects, and touring with a full light show. GSBG describes their sound as "their own version of bluegrass music, mixing the acoustic stomp of a string band with the rule-breaking spirit of rock & roll."
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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