W♥M

Killswitch Engage w/ Kublai Khan TX at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (30 March 2025)

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE SETLIST Strength of the Mind Rose of Sharyn Reckoning Aftermath Numbered Days This Is Absolution No End in Sight Collusion Hate by Design Forever Aligned The Signal Fire I Believe The Arms of Sorrow In Due Time This Fire My Curse The End of Heartache My Last Serenade KUBLAI KHAN TX SETLIST Supreme Ruler Theory of Mind Low Tech Resentment Boomslang Darwinism Swan Song Cannibal Loyal to None The Hammer Self-Destruct Antpile Antpile 2 FROZEN SOUL SETLIST Encased in Ice Invisible Tormentor Death and Glory Morbid Effigy Arsenal of War Crypt of Ice FIT FOR A KING SETLIST Eyes Roll Back Technium End (The Other Side) Reaper Keeping Secrets Backbreaker Shattered Glass Breaking the Mirror When Everything Means Nothing God of Fire KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TOUR DATES APR 1 GLC Live at 20 Monroe Grand Rapids, MI APR 3 The Corbin Arena Corbin, KY APR 4 Stage AE Pittsburgh, PA APR 5 Franklin Music Hall Philadelphia, PA APR 6 Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC APR 8 College Street Music Hall New Haven, CT APR 9 Buffalo RiverWorks Buffalo, NY APR 11 Place Bell Laval, Canada APR 12 Cross Insurance Arena Portland, ME MAY 8 Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival Columbus, OH MAY 10 Egyptian Room Indianapolis, IN MAY 11 Minglewood Hall Memphis, TN MAY 13 Fillmore New Orleans, LA MAY 14 Avondale Brewing Company Birmingham, AL MAY 16 Welcome to Rockville Daytona Beach, FL MAY 17 House of Blues North Myrtle Beach, SC MAY 18 The Dome Virginia Beach, VA JUN 21 Summer of Loud West Palm Beach, FL JUN 22 Summer of Loud Tampa, FL JUN 24 Summer of Loud Atlanta, GA JUN 26 Summer of Loud Dallas, TX JUN 27 Summer of Loud Austin, TX JUN 28 Summer of Loud The Woodlands, TX JUL 1 Summer of Loud Phoenix, AZ JUL 2 Summer of Loud San Diego, CA JUL 5 Summer of Loud Irvine, CA JUL 6 Summer of Loud Concord, CA JUL 8 Summer of Loud West Valley City, UT JUL 9 Summer of Loud Denver, CO JUL 11 Summer of Loud Somerset, WI JUL 12 Summer of Loud Green Bay, WI JUL 13 Summer of Loud Tinley Park, IL JUL 15 Summer of Loud Toronto, Canada JUL 16 Summer of Loud Clarkston, MI JUL 18 Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival Mansfield, OH JUL 19 Summer of Loud North York, PA JUL 20 Summer of Loud Wantagh, NY JUL 22 Summer of Loud Mansfield, MA JUL 23 Summer of Loud Camden, NJ JUL 24 Summer of Loud Holmdel, NJ JUL 26 Summer of Loud Bristow, VA JUL 27 Summer of Loud Charlotte, NC Read More Killswitch Engage The Massachusetts three-time Grammy-nominated hard rockers (Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums)

When the choices are truth or consequences, take This Consequence every time!

Massachusetts metalcore masters Killswitch Engage led an all-you-can-head bang to, rock buffet of four bands to combine for a full and satisfying evening as their 2025 North American Tour landed in downtown Kansas City at the Midland Theatre.

The three-time Grammy-nominated hard rockers (Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums) are back on the road, in support of their brand-new 10-track album, “This Consequence” which was released February 21 via Metal Blade Records. This is the band’s ninth studio album and comes after a long six-year gap since 2019’s “Atonement”, so it was easy to tell that their live return was highly anticipated by the fans.

 

Leading off the four-band bill was Fit for a King, a Tyler TX metalcore band, taking a break from the studio and finishing their new 13-track record, expected later this year as a follow-up to their previous release, 2022’s “The Hell We Create”. The band has released a couple of recent singles though, to whet appetites for the new music, “Keeping Secrets” and “Technium”, both of which were set-included.

They’ve taken their time with the new record, which will reportedly include a (gasp!) ballad among the tracks, but the two recent songs show their familiar sound will continue as well.

 

Next up was another Texas metal band, Frozen Soul, who are newer to the scene (active since 2018, though singer Chad Green drummed for bands like End Times as far back as 2007) and play a chilly classic form of old school death metal (OSDM).

Their well-named album, “Glacial Domination” is out now via Century Media and expect no sunny day songs in the set when you’ve got “Death and Glory” and “Morbid Effigy” (both fine names for similar bands, btw) but we know, that’s not what we signed up for. Their set was high-energy, and the band does get comparisons to Bolt Thrower and similar, but you’ll just have to see them live yourself, to fully decide.

 

Another Texas band (...seeing a pattern here…) was next in line, the explosive Kublai Khan TX led by Matt Honeycutt on vocals and out in support of their latest, last year’s “Exhibition of Prowess” (on Rise Records) and its single, “Supreme Ruler”. (Being mostly MN-based, we always got them confused with the area thrash band of the same name, who was active in the mid-80s, disbanded, then re-formed in 2003).

Honeycutt commanded the stage as he brutally stomped from one side to the other, and the crowd was happy to oblige, collectively chanting to the songs and churning in the one rhythmic flow of the front pit. As well as rocking out, the band isn’t afraid to be socially conscious lyrically, on songs like “The Hammer” (which touches on social anxiety), “Swan Song” (violence against women), “Darwinism” (their take on natural selection) and “Self-Destruct” (about the toxicity of online interactions).

 

Finally, it was time for the headliner, and Killswitch Engage did not disappoint those that had waited years to see the band live again. Although serious about their music (as evidenced by encouraging the vortex of the pit and the crowd surfers, the band has a light comedic side as well, with Adam Dutkiewicz sporting an “I’m with Stupid” shirt and goading the crowd playfully by cracking jokes during breaks.

Vocalist Leach generally keeps things hopeful between songs and, like the best metal bands, celebrates the commonality of a shared love of the genre, and encourages a sense of extended family and unity that everyone’s in together.

The band opened their headlining set with 2016’s “Strength of the Mind” and would work in just four tracks from the newest record but having over two-and-a-half decades of material, means that you can’t unfortunately play everything. But they did manage to work in two of their three Grammy-nominated songs which thrilled the fans- “In Due Time” and their 2005 classic, “The End of Heartache”, which dates back to Howard Jones’ (no, not the synth-pop guy) stint as lead vocalist when Leach had departed.

Their set would build with ferocity towards the end, with the mid-00’s “This Fire”, then “My Curse” (with Leach and the audience repeating “this is my curse!” and to end the song, “there is love!”), the aforementioned “End of the Heartache,” and ending appropriately with 2002’s “My Last Serenade” – a song about having to sometimes burn bridges with the ones you love, and the breakthrough track that introduced the band to the world and imprinted their sustaining influence upon the genre.

All Photos below by JASON DOMINGUES

 

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

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (2024-03-30)

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (2024-03-30)

KUBLAI KHAN at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (2024-03-30)

FROZEN SOUL at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (2024-03-30)

FIT FOR A KING at Midland Theatre, Kansas City MO (2024-03-30)

John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥X / twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap

We♥KC! March 29-31, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS / Topeka KS)

Read More Bob Dylan Legendary Bob Dylan is back in town for a residency at the Orpheum Theatre from November 4-November 6th. This should be a much better experience than his last …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Month’s end!

March weather may supposedly go “out like a lamb” (maybe not this wacky year!) but concerts and shows are definitely still “roaring like a lion” as this last weekend is pretty packed, with no less than the Bobfather himself returning to navigate the still-terrible street conditions of Topeka for the first time in decades!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS / Topeka KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming weekend, from March 29th-31st:

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

SATURDAY MARCH 29

Warrant, BulletBoys, Mar 29, Uptown, $29-$75

The Down Boys are back!

The Hollywood rockers have been around since 1994 and of course, had massive success with their debut album, "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich," from 1989 with its hit singles "Down Boys," "Sometimes She Cries," and "Heaven." That success paved the way for their second album, "Cherry Pie," which was released in 1990. The title track, "Cherry Pie," became the band's biggest hit, reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band continued to release successful albums throughout the 1990s, including "Dog Eat Dog" and "Ultraphobic."

They continue to tour and release new music with vocalist Robert Mason, including recent album, "Louder Harder Faster," and we covered them live last, back in Minnesota in late 2016.

Arrive early for longtime rockers BulletBoys who are welcoming back a founding member after a few years absent from the band. Lonnie Vincent, who left the band in 2022, is coming back and joining him will be guitarist Jake Faun who’s worked with David Lee Roth and Winger. Smooth Up!

Giovannie and the Hired Guns, Mar 29, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $23-$25

Giovannie and The Hired Guns are back on tour in support of their fourth full-length album, Quitter, just out earlier this month and prefaced by the title track as a lead single. We saw them live at this same venue in 2023, and the band has a continued strong Kansas fan base, as evidenced by booking four KS shows on this tour.

Since their inception in 2015, the group has merged alt-metal, Red Dirt country, Latin pop, Americana, and much more. The new record is their second LP since signing with Warner Music Nashville through Warner Music Latina and was recorded at the famed Sonic Ranch (a residential studio near the Mexican border in Tornillo, TX).

““Quitter” is about being out on tour all the time and never getting to be at home and also feeling like you don’t deserve the person who’s back at home waiting for you,” says Giovannie Yanez. “Everything kind of clicked for this album after we wrote ‘Quitter,. Jerrod came up with a riff and I just jumped in and started singing those opening lines: ‘Here we go again/Pass me a Xan.’ It was exactly what I was going through at the time, but I didn’t even mean for it to come out.”

Harlem Globetrotters, Mar 29, T-Mobile Center, $20-$200

Don't bet on the Washington Generals! The basketball team that brings the most fun, the Harlem Globetrotters level-up every game with all-new, exciting challenges in 2025! You'll see all that you've come to expect at every Globetrotters game, plus new trials as players face-off to see who can pull off trick shots and more! See you favorite Globetrotter stars versus their renowned rivals, the Generals. Packages and VIP available, we saw them about ten years ago and they’re still a fun show.

SUNDAY MARCH 30

Killswitch Engage w Kublai Khan TX Fit for a King, Frozen Soul, Mar 30, The Midland, $39-$81

The Massachusetts three-time Grammy-nominated hard rockers (Jesse Leach, vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz, guitar; Joel Stroetzel, guitar; Mike D'Antonio, bass; and Justin Foley, drums) are back on tour with a renewed energy, in support of their brand-new album, “This Consequence” released February 21 via Metal Blade, with lead single, “I Believe.”

"We are very excited to be back out on the road in support of our incoming new album," states singer Jesse Leach. “['This Consequence'] means the world to us so we will be giving it our absolute all on these shows. Be sure to come out; it will be one for the memories!"

This tour leg started March 5 in Nashville and runs through April 12 in Portland, ME and is a packed four-band lineup, so make sure to arrive early to secure a good spot!

Bob Dylan, Mar 30, TPAC- Topeka, $65-$262

The Bobfather has expanded his touring schedule yet again, still on his “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour,” named after his 2020 album of the same name, which mark his most recent original, full-length release to date. ahead of his participation in the 2025 “Outlaw Music Festival Tour.”

He returns to Topeka for the first time in years, having played TPAC in 1994 and the old Expocentre back in Spring 2001.

Of course, his early days were recently chronicled in the Timothée Chalamet-starring Oscar-nominated bio film A Complete Unknown, and believe it or not, he also recently joined TikTok. Live, Bob plays what he wants to play (so don’t expect a hit parade), doesn’t say much at all between songs, and the stage is usually dark, but that’s the legend for you!

Waylon Wyatt, Mar 30, Knuckleheads, Sold Out

This is one hot sold-out show! The teen rising Red Dirt Country singer-songwriter from Hackett, AR is out on his 13-date headlining Til The Sun Goes Down Tour.

He was recently named a 2025 Artist To Watch by Amazon and Music Mayhem Magazine and released his debut EP, Til The Sun Goes Down, in 2024, a project that he solely produced and wrote (in his childhood home!), which has racked up over 5 million streams across platforms.

Here’s what he said about the tour: "Going on my first tour ever!! Might just be coming to a town near you!! Thank y’all so much for supporting me. I’ll be on spring break from school during this tour so I’m actually gonna have some time to travel. Hope to see y’all at this next string of shows!!"

MONDAY MARCH 31

Kraftwerk, Mar 31, The Midland, $39-$100

Ze fun, fun, fun of fifty years of the Autobahn! Kraftwerk co-founder Ralf Hutter still leads the iconic German synth outfit and is celebrating five decades on this “Multi-media Tour-50 Years of Autobahn” paying tribute to the band’s first US tour in 1975 to promote their fourth album of the same name.

Bringing together electronic-music computer animations and performance art, Kraftwerk concerts are a true "Gesamtkunstwerk – a total work of art.”The group was founded in 1970 by Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider. They set up their electronic Kling Klang Studio in Duesseldorf, where they conceived and produced all Kraftwerk albums.

By the mid 1970’s Kraftwerk had achieved international recognition for their revolutionary electronic ‘sound scapes’ and their musical experimentation with robotics and other technical innovations. With their visions of the future, they created the soundtrack for the digital age of the 21st century and were constantly ahead of their time.

In 2014, Huetter and Schneider were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. and in 2021 Kraftwerk were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Danielle Nicole, Mar 31, Kauffman Center, free for Spotlight members

A true KC favorite and winner of eight Blues Music Awards, Danielle Nicole Band, led by vocalist and bassist Danielle Nicole, has carved a niche in the contemporary blues scene. Known for her soulful voice, stage presence and skillful bass playing, Danielle Nicole blends blues with elements of soul, rock and R&B. We caught her live last in 2023.  

Her solo debut album, “Wolf Den,” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Charts and earned 7.5 million Spotify streams. Her follow-up album, “Cry No More” (2018), was Grammy-nominated in the contemporary blues category and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts – and can claim more than 10 million Spotify streams. Most recently, “The Love You Bleed” (2024) spun more than 1.2 million streams in its first year.

If not yet a Spotlight member, signup is available and consider supporting the Arts in this fine manner--
5:30 p.m. – Doors open. Complimentary wine, beer, seasonal cocktail and appetizers.
7 p.m. – Danielle Nicole Band performance in Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
8:15 p.m. – Artist meet-and-greet in Brandmeyer Great Hall. Cash bar available.

 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

Rise Against at Cabooze Plaza, Minneapolis (01 August 2015)

Tour Dates 08/07/15 Seattle, WA ShowBox SoDo 08/09/15 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 08/11/15 San Francisco, CA Masonic 08/13/15 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium 08/16/15 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 11/01/15 Hampton Beach, NH - H.Beach Casino 11/03/15 Lancaster, PA - Freedom Hall 11/04/15 Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater 11/06/15 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room 11/07/15 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater 11/08/15 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit 11/10/15 Richmond, VA - The National 11/12/15 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte 11/13/15 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle 11/14/15 Orlando, FL - Central FL Fairgrounds 11/16/15 Houston, TX - House of Blues 11/17/15 Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek 11/18/15 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theatre 11/20/15 Tempe, AZ - Marquee 11/21/15 Las Vegas, NV - Downtown LV Event 11/22/15 San Diego, CA - SOMA Read More Rise Against Rise Against's "Any Way You Want It" cover appeared on their Revolutions Per Minute (2003) album as a hidden track. If you've never heard of Rise Against, they are a … Letlive Letlive. are at the top of their game. I got this album last year, plenty of time after it had been released but also well before the new album was about to come out. It was my jam for the summer. Then the new beauty …

Most people look at a concert as a full bill. They look at all of the bands that are playing and decide if the show is worth the ticket price.

Not me.

There were three bands on the bill last night. There was one band that I could tolerate and wouldn't mind experiencing live. There was one band that I absolutely could not tolerate. There was one band I have been dying to see live. The ticket price was right around $45 after all the fees. Most people would say no, $45 is not worth it to see one band that has an opening set and will probably only play 30 minutes. Those people are idiots.

Can you really put a price on that one band you've been dying to see? I say nay.

Letlive

I only wanted to see one band last night. Letlive. They've been on my bucket list for a little over a year now. I've heard about their live shows and how crazy they get. Jason, their singer, is notorious for climbing anything and everything he can find. Last May, they played a show in Georgia where Jason had climbed up the balcony of the venue and sang a whole song while clutching to the side of said balcony. That set was cut short due to safety concerns. Ever since then, I knew this was a band I had to see live. Letlive. didn't let me down last night. The music was great. The energy was unreal and Jason was back to climbing anything and everything he could.

This show was held outside at The Cabooze outdoor plaza which is just a fancy name for the parking lot between The Cabooze and Whiskey Junction in Minneapolis. The stage was sandwiched between the wall of The Whiskey Junction and the fence that surrounds the patio of The Cabooze. Jason went for it. He started walking to the side of the stage closest to the fence. At first, I thought he was going to start climbing the frame of the stage. Instead, he climbed the fence and ended up with half of his body over the fence singing to the people in the patio of The Cabooze. All the crowd could see were his legs dangling on the other side of the fence. He never missed a word, never missed a beat.

As if that wasn't enough, Jason ended up in the pit at one point. He warned the crowd that if the mosh pit wasn't sufficient, he would get down there and show them how it's done. That's exactly what he did. He jumped down from the stage, climbed over the first couple rows of people, and pushed and shoved the people who seemed to be trying to conserve their energy for the headlining acts. I definitely understand wanting to conserve you energy for other acts but come on, this was the best band of the night.

Killswitch Engage

If you know me, you know that I am extremely opinionated when it comes to music. If I love a band, I LOVE them. If I hate a band, I absolutely HATE them. I HATE Killswitch Engage. They never did anything bad to me, but I hate them. I hate their music, I hate the way they look, I hate their fans, and now I can say I hate their live show. I'm a firm believer in the idea that a band can be completely different live than they are on CD. That's the only reason I stayed at the show, well that and my roommate wanted to stay and see the other bands (Good god she has the worst taste in music!). I was hoping that Killswitch Engage would do something that would make it click for me. Make me understand why people love them so much. They didn't. They got up on stage, played their songs, and then got off. Remember that post about radio rock? Wash, rinse, repeat. I hate it.

Rise Against was the headliner. I had been wanting to see them live. I don't mind their music but it's not my favorite. I was waiting for that "a-ha" moment of seeing them live to sway me either one way or the other. They were fine. They sounded like the CD. Yeah, they have some catchy songs, their singer has a good voice. Meh, I don't hate them, I wouldn't pay $45 to see them though. They got up, played their songs, got the crowd going, and left. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I spent $45 to see one band play a thirty minute set and suffered through the last two bands. Letlive. killed it last night and made all of the suffering worth it.

I regret nothing.

Rise Against at Cabooze Plaza, Minneapolis (01 August 2015)

langen ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com