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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 |
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