Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
Plenty of concert news, but not from around here--
Which is both good and bad, because we don’t need the drama, but would appreciate more acts coming through.
Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter Tour” is about kick off in LA, and ticket prices have been dropping, Metric has dropped out of the Bloc Party co-headlining tour (replaced by Blonde Redhead), R&B singer Kehlani had her concert at Cornell canceled due to politics, and this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced on “American Idol” (cheesy, but we’ll try and be in LA for the ceremony and concert anyway.). Quiet around here, but not for long-
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week from May 5th-8th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY MAY 5
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, May 5, Music Hall, Sold Out
Australian legends Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are on the road, making their first North American appearances since 2018, and are in support of newest record, “Wild God” which debuted at No. 5 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart and No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart down under.
The Wild God Tour started on April 15 in Boston with the KC date being on the back half of the run, and has been sold out for a while. Discussing the band’s latest offering, Cave shared, “I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me. It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it. It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious.”
“There is never a master plan when we make a record. The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.”
Family Sideshow (play) Through May 10, KC Melting Pot, $21.50-$32.50
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.
TUESDAY MAY 6
Future Islands, May 6, Madrid, Sold Out
Future Islands released their seventh studio album, “People Who Aren’t There Anymore” last year with a tour that followed and now, the band is back with a new standalone single titled “Glimpse.”
Recorded during the same album sessions, “Glimpse” captures their dreamy electronic sound, with a driving, dancey beat, a retro synth countermelody, and vocalist Sam Herring’s signature growl. Lyrically, it deals with a sense of communal loss and memory, describing the burning of a family home and coming to the poignant climax, “Let the green grass over me … Who is left to grieve?”
The band is in their element live – vocalist Herring is one that barely stands still, and Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), and Michael Lowry (percussion) have been said to be playing at their best, according to tour reviews.
Black Violin, May 6, Lied Center- Lawrence,$16-$60
Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus, who combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom.” 
The band released their major label debut, Stereotypes (featuring Black Thought of The Roots and MC Pharoahe Monch), on Universal Music, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart.
With Take the Stairs, the pair strives to take their message of unity and inclusiveness even further, moving Wil’s vocals further forward, while continuing to explore the possibilities of merging classical virtuosity and structure with modern beats and tones.
Black Violin challenges the stereotypes and preconceived notion of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like. “The stereotypes are always there, embedded so deep in our culture,” says Wil. “Just by nature of our existence, we challenge those ideas. It’s a unique thing that brings people together who aren’t usually in the same room, and in the current climate, it’s good to bring people together.”
Melanie MacLaren May 6 MiniBar and May 7 Replay Lounge, $13.15 / PWYC
Nashville-based artist Melanie MacLaren is on the road this spring supporting her acclaimed EP Bloodlust and is playing a two-fer in the KC metro, so you have no excuse about missing her! “Bloodlust” is Melanie’s third solo project, following her debut EP Kill My Time and collaborative folk EP of duets called Tadpole Emporium with songwriter Lorkin O’Reilly (DUG), both released in 2022.
Produced by Max Helgemo (who produced her 2023 cover of Loudon Wainwright III’s “The Swimming Song”) the EP draws from 90’s alt-country influences and brings out her Americana sensibilities while staying true to her instinct for flipping conventions of genre on their head.
She’s also spent time on the road supporting Jessica Lea Mayfield, Charli Adams, Caleb Caudle, and DUG, and last year was direct support for Charlie Starr (of Blackberry Smoke) on his acoustic tour.
Health, May 6, Warehouse on Broadway, $25 (low tix)
The industrial rockers are out on a Spring U.S. leg of their ‘Rat Wars Expansion Tour ‘. One-man industrial band Author & Punisher will be opening as well (and we still haven’t been to this venue). 
Led by vocalist Jake Duzsik, HEALTH’s current arc of reinvention and musical exploration has seen them attract larger and more diverse audiences across the world. A keen sense for collaboration and boundary-pushing has made them the band they are today.
Having fans of the band in Slipknot is an added layer that only helps too, as drummer B.J. Miller aptly notes. “To get the Slipknot nod, as it were…it’s definitely a cool thing.”
Ice Nine Kills w Hail the Sun and more, May 6 AND 7, Uptown, $99 (single day avail)
Ice Nine Kills is on the road across for their The Silver Scream-A-Thon tour which is a two-night experience in every city that will see the band play both their albums The Silver Scream on the first night and The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood in full on the second night (along with a selection of deep cuts and fan favorites).
"The Silver Scream-A-Thon is a devilish chance for us to spend twice as much time in some of our favorite haunts, presenting a grindhouse-style double feature filled with deep cuts and our signature singalongs alike," said Ice Nine Kills vocalist Spencer Charnas. "In each city, Night One celebrates the fearsome full-length that began this era, The Silver Scream. Night Two slashes through The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood. Both evenings will unearth deep cuts from our band's haunted past, with shocks and surprises galore." 2-Day and single day tix available.
Here are the KC support lineups for each evening:
NIGHT I- The Word Alive The Funeral Portrait Melrose Avenue
NIGHT II- Hail The Sun TX2 Dark Divine
WEDNESDAY MAY 7
Thornhill, with Avoid, May 7, recordBar, $22
Heralded by the band as a “bold evolution in our ever-developing sound”, Thornhill’s third and newest album, BODIES was just released a couple weeks ago. 
“[Our second album] Heroine was defined by its meticulously crafted and tightly woven concept, but the weight of this careful construction sometimes overshadowed the energy of the music itself, leaving some listeners feeling disconnected,” Thornhill shares. “With BODIES, we have embraced a more immediate, unfiltered approach that feels like a lightning bolt, looking to capture the energy of ‘Thornhill right now’.”
The band continues: “The album thrives on spontaneity and freedom, foregoing rigid concepts in favor of pure, in-your-face authenticity. It’s less about delivering a carefully constructed narrative and more about creating a visceral, open-ended experience. BODIES serves as a sonic moodboard—a collection of feelings and vibes—intentionally left open to interpretation. It has an upbeat and almost celebratory, party energy at times, but also retains all the emotion and intensity Thornhill are known for, making it our heaviest and most explosive work to date.”
“With BODIES, we invite listeners to connect on their own terms,” they add. “It’s raw, personal, and unapologetically immediate—a record that thrives in the moment, capturing our band at our most authentic and free.” We last saw the Aussie band last fall on a full hardcore bill in Lawrence.
Avoid, Banks Arcade, and Ocean Grove fill out the bill of a very busy night at the club.
Lucy Dacus w/Jasmine 4.t , May 7, The Midland, $39-$203
The new album, “Forever Is a Feeling” was out just last month (via Geffen Records), and features contributions from Hozier, Blake Mills, Bartees Strange, Madison Cunningham, Collin Pastore, Jake Finch, Melina Duterte, and boygenius bandmates, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers.
Most songs were written between the autumn of 2022 and summer 2024. "I got kicked in the head with emotions," Dacus shared in a release. "Falling in love, falling out of love. You have to destroy things in order to create things. And I did destroy a really beautiful life. You can't actually capture forever. But I think we feel forever in moments. I don't know how much time I've spent in forever, but I know I've visited."
The US/Canada tour began on April 16 in Philadelphia and you’ll recall we saw her playing live flat on her back in Lawrence on her last solo tour in 2022. In partnership with PLUS1, $1 from each ticket will go toward providing critical and long-term relief for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
Katie Gavin (singer from Muna, who we love) has a first solo record out, What a Relief, from last October and Manchester UK’s Jasmine 4.t is in support of debut album, You Are the Morning (both are via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records!) are scheduled as openers, so be sure to arrive early.
Of Mice and Men w Until I Wake, Gore, May 7, Granada- Lawrence, $29.50-$35
Of Mice & Men is out on a spring U.S.headlining outing which kicks off May 6 in Dallas, then hits Lawrence and concludes May 24 in Pittsburgh. It coincides with the 15th anniversary of OM&M’s 2010 self-titled debut album. 
The Gold-selling hard rockers- Aaron Pauley (bass + vocals), Valentino Arteaga (drums), Alan Ashby (guitar) and Phil Manansala (guitar) — are hitting the road this spring, with support from Gore. and Until I Wake.
“We want to thank all of our fans for the years of support, and we can’t wait to celebrate the last 15 years of music with you all at these shows,” says frontman Pauley. "We're beyond stoked to be announcing these dates with UNTIL I WAKE and GORE."
THURSDAY MAY 8
bodie w/ Gracie Binion, May 8, Encore at Uptown, $16.50
Rising Alt-Pop Singer/Songwriter bodie, known best from The Voice Season 22, released a new single, “Say So” and his headlining ‘Murder My Ego Tour’ Kicks Off May 3rd with a KC stop on the itinerary soon after. Previous single, “whisper and the wind” went Top 10 at radio and continues charting across Billboard Airplay and Mediabase Audience lists.
That song, from his Sony/Provident debut EP “Happy to Be Here” amassed 15 million+ global streams, streaming nearly 1 million times weekly. The 14-date run features Gracie Binion as support and promises a mix of fan favorites and unreleased tracks from bodie’s ever-evolving sound.
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]
Recent Comments