W♥M

We♥KC - March 16-31, 2020 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Allen Stone at Truman Aaron Lewis (Staind) at VooDoo Lounge Devin Townsend at Granada Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real at Uptown Theater Unlikely Candidates at Riot Room Blue October at The Truman Dan Deacon at Granada Theater Steve Aoki at The Midland Grouplove at Liberty Hall Read More Dan Deacon I've already spotlighted Dan Deacon and his America album, so I'll just quickly mention that he's got an app on iTunes and Android. Apparently, during the show .... Grouplove Grouplove is based out of Los Angeles, and their debut self-titled EP was released on January 25th via Canvasback Music. They were handpicked …

(MAR 16 UPDATE - Kansas City has put a stop to any public gatherings of 50 people or more, effectively postponing all shows.  Lawrence, KS shows remain on a case-by-case basis).

In the Kansas City / Lawrence, KS area, much like everywhere else, COVID-19/coronavirus is more in the headlines after being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and high-profile acts and events like Coachella, SXSW, Pearl Jam, Madonna canceling or postponing their shows. All major sports are on hold as well and places like Disneyland are now closing, as precaution as well.

Please check venue and performer social media channels and websites for the latest word on cancellations or postponements, for the latest tour info.

As long as you’re safe, careful, and adamant about thorough hand-washing, it’s still possible to see live music and support these artists that still need to make their living. 

Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas declared a state of emergency on Thursday, March 12 in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). 

All events with a crowd of 1,000 or more people have been canceled or postponed for the next 21 days (through April 2).

Here’s what’s happening in the area (as of this moment) for the last half of March (a few recommended shows are highlighted in bold below):

Mon 03/16/2020

R.LUM.R at The Riot Room (Tour Postponed)

Control Top at Replay Lounge - Canceled

Fran at Colonial Club - Canceled

Tue 03/17/2020

Bad Omens at The Riot Room   Postponed

Heart To Gold at The Rino - Canceled

Loud Luxury at Kansas City Live! Block - Postponed to 6/5

Gaelynn Lea at recordBar Canceled

Wed 03/18/2020

Allen Stone w/Samm Henshaw at The Truman (POSTPONED) He may look like a busking hippie but Stone has become a seasoned and confident live performer, this time out on his Building Balance Tour, in support of his third full-length. Mixing soul-pop to folk, and R&B/funk, Stone can channel Daryl Hall for one track and Stevie Wonder the next, and is always entertaining live.

Thu 03/19/2020

Slander at The Midland (Postponed)

Lil Mosey at The Granada - Postponed

Edgar Winter at Prairie Band Casino & Resort (Cancelled)

Aaron Lewis (Staind) at VooDoo Lounge/Harrah’s (8p, $44-$84) It’s Been a While since we’ve seen Lewis (see what we did there) but he has very successfully maintained two different careers, fronting the sludge metal of Staind, and exploring his country roots on this State I’m In Tour stop. Lewis may drop in versions of classic Staind songs (along with a Johnny Cash cover) and his many originals, and keeps each of his two stage personas, fairly separate entities.  Postponed

Albert Cummings at Knuckleheads, (+1pm signing at Vinyl Renaissance) POSTPONED

Om at The Bottleneck - Postponed

Fri 03/20/2020

Devin Townsend w The Contortionist +Haken at Granada Theater, Lawrence (Postponed)– the Canadian guitarist/singer-songwriter returns on his Empath Tour, in support of his newest album, which evolves his blend of heavy music and power metal further. A solid bill adds Indianapolis prog-rock band The Contortionist (supporting 2019’s Our Bones EP, which includes a Smashing Pumpkins cover) and London prog-metal band Haken, which makes it a full evening worth showing up early for.

PlanetCon Convention at Bartle Hall (Postponed)

Jim Jefferies at The Midland Postponed

MercyMe at Silverstein Arena, Independence  Postponed

We Banjo 3 at The Truman  Postponed

Third Eye Blind at Uptown Theater (Postponed to June 3)

Carrot Top at Ameristar - Postponed

 

Sat 03/21/2020

PlanetCon Convention at Bartle Hall (Postponed)

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at Uptown Theater   Postponed

Oak Ridge Boys at Ameristar KC- Postponed to 8/1

City Morgue at Granada Theater  check w/venue

C.W. Stoneking at Bottleneck, Lawrence - Postponed

Welcome to Night Vale at Liberty Hall, Lawrence Postponed

 

Sun 03/22/2020

PlanetCon Convention at Bartle Hall (Postponed)

SOB X RBE at recordBar   Postponed

The Acacia Strain + Chamber at Bottleneck, Lawrence  check w/ venue

Tenci at The Rino - Canceled

 

Mon 03/23/2020

Deafheaven at Granada Theater Postponed

Houston Person at Lied Center, Lawrence CANCELED

Verite at recordBar Postponed

 

Tue 03/24/2020

"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" at Kauffman Center Postponed

Houston Person at Lied Center, Lawrence CANCELED

 

Wed 03/25/2020

Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real at Uptown Theater (POSTPONED) Known as much for backing Neil Young as their own career, this versatile band led by one of Willie Nelson’s sons also was very involved with the music in the recent Star Is Born remake, and has a new record, Naked Garden (on Fantasy Records) due out March 27.

 

Thu 03/26/2020

Del McCoury Band at Knuckleheads Garage   Postponed

Big Gigantic at the Midland (Postponed)

ABBA tribute at Kaufman Center Postponed

Marcus Lewis at Ca Va  Postponed

Cycles at Bottleneck, Lawrence   check w/venue

Borknagar w Rotting Christ, Wolfheart at The Riot Room   Postponed

Fri 03/27/2020

ABBA tribute at Kaufman Center  Postponed

Railroad Earth at Knuckleheads Postponed

G Herbo at Granada Theater, Lawrence Postponed

Matt Wilson at recordBar   Postponed

Candlebox at Ameristar - Postponed

 

Sat 03/28/2020

Unlikely Candidates at Riot Room (7p doors, $17-20) Indie rockers from Ft Worth, TX have returned with latest single, ‘Novacaine’ dethroning Billie Eilish to top the Alternative Radio Chart, with its YouTube video at some 20 million views. with Zero 9:36 and The Federal Empire.   Postponed

Blue October at The Truman (POSTPONED) The San Marcos, TX band is back pleasing their many diehard fans on their Get Back Up Tour, in support of new full-length, Sway (on Up/Down Records) and a positive, healthy and happy outlook that realizes the small everyday miracles.

Cole Swindell at Uptown Theater   Postponed

Mon 03/30/2020

Dan Deacon at Granada Theater (POSTPONED) The Baltimore experimental indie-pop musician returns with his first full-length in five years, Mystic Familiar (on Domino Recordings) which explores inner subconscious on perhaps his most emotionally open release to date. We haven’t seen the man live since in 2014 with Arcade Fire, so it might be time again. Ed Schrader's Music Beat supporting.

David Cook at Kauffman Center (UCM President’s Gala)- free, but tkt required) Postponed

Tue 03/31/2020

Steve Aoki + Timmy Trumpet, Deorro, Global Dan, Max Styler at The Midland (Postponed)– fittingly, the last day of the month brings us dessert and the much-sought after chance to get caked by legendary DJ Aoki, in what is always an insane party atmosphere. This is the Neon Future IV: The Color of Noise Tour and $1 per ticket goes to the Aoki Foundation, which supports brain research and preservation, so a good cause as well. Aoki released a memoir last year, BLUE: Color of Noise, and the new tracks feature mega-collaborations with Sting, Maluma, Monsta X, and the Backstreet Boys and several other associated guests that will also join him on this tour.

Grouplove w Le Shiv at Liberty Hall, Lawrence (POSTPONED) The LA indie-pop band comes charging back with the driving ‘Deleter’, first single from their upcoming fourth full-length, Healer (on Canvas Back/Warner Bros), recorded with producer Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio, due out this week. Co-vocalist Hannah Hooper actually underwent brain surgery last year, but has recovered and watch them make some sense of the chaos of modern times. Formerly known as The Ruminaters, Sydney’s Le Shiv to open.

Lauren Ruth Ward at The Riot Room  Postponed

Cherry Pools at Bottleneck, Lawrence  Postponed

Kayzo at Granada Theater, Lawrence - CANCELED

 

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Durand Jones and the Indications at Bottleneck, Lawrence KS (29 Feb 2020)

Destroyer at Granada Poster Durand Jones Setlist Smile Circles Don't You Know Cruisin' To The Park Listen to Your Heart Walk Away (Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go (Curtis Mayfield cover) Morning In America Make a Change Instrumental Medley C.R.E.A.M. / So Fresh, So Clean / Today Was a Good Day/ Big Poppa / My Name Is / Express Yourself / Apache: Wu-Tang Clan/Outkast/Ice Cube/Notorious B.I.G./Eminem/N.W.A./Sugar Hill Gang) Can't Keep My Cool True Love Sea Gets Hotter Groovy Babe with band intros -- Encore -- Is It Any Wonder Long Way Home Kaina Setlist Waiting on a Day Ghost So Small/So Vast Honey Happy Next to the Sun unknown song in Spanish Could be a Curse What’s a Girl Green Read More Durand Jones & The Indications Hillaryville, LA by-way-of Bloomington, IN neo-soul singer-songwriter and band, Durand Jones and the Indications made for a refreshing “soul evening’ at a recent sold-out stop …

Leap Day is a rare calendar day that only occurs once every four years, and in addition to being Superman’s birthday, it’s an extra chance to get out and see something special--

For the lucky that acquired tickets at a sold-out Bottleneck in downtown Lawrence, KS, that meant experiencing the soulful revival sounds of Durand Jones and the Indications.

The evening began with a forty-minute opening set from Chicago native Kaina Castillo who stylizes her name as KAINA and is out in support of debut full-length, Next to the Sun (on Sooper Records). Her soulful and emotion-laden delivery can be sometimes Sade-esque, other times the first-generation Venezuelan-Guatemalan reflects her Latin culture, and always is proud of her Windy City roots.

‘Ghost’ was written about “something no longer serving you”, 2016’s ‘Honey’ had the crowd learning then repeating the song’s chorus, and the title track, while having a positive message about the duality of human beings, is purposely delivered with some underlying sadness.

The salsa-flavored last song of the set, ‘Green’ was punctuated by the lighted disco ball spinning above, something the artist noticed hanging from the ceiling mid-set, and asked for it to be activated, which put the audience in even more of a dancing mood.

We’ve followed Durand Jones and the Indications for a few years now, and continue to be impressed with their evolution as artists and stage performers. Revival soul is still peaking with numerous acts taking their inspiration from Stax, Atlantic and Motown sounds of the 60’s and updating things, resulting in a fresh take on a timeless sound, and while someone like Leon Bridges is more Sam Cooke, Jones and group are more influenced by Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, and Curtis Mayfield, for a refined, but sometimes edgy delivery.

Jones, along with Aaron Frazer (drums/vocals), Blake Rhein (guitar), Steve Okonski (keys), and new bassist Michael Montgomery began their ninety-minute set with a silky ‘Smile’ followed by ‘Circles’ from most recent full-length, last year’s American Love Call (on Dead Oceans Records) with Jones’ soulful voice complimented by Frazer’s distinctive falsetto.

‘Cruisin’ to the Park’ was dedicated to any low riders in the crowd (by everyone singing along, you’d think the whole crowd had them) and things slowed down for ‘Walk Away’ but quickly built back up for the following three socially conscious-themed songs, a mini-set dedicated to a foundation Martin Luther King Jr began, which embraces equality and non-prejudice.

Jones was an ideal Curtis Mayfield for a cover still-poignant and lyrically relevant, and their own ‘Morning in America’ and ‘Make a Change’ echoed themes of Inner City Blues-era Marvin Gaye.

The past met the more-recent present during an extended instrumental medley showcasing the band members and putting soulful spins on riffs originally on Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, and N.W.A. records, which they dedicated to the local record shop around the corner they made a stop at.

The crowd again became vocal for the chorus of ‘True Love’, swayed left and right for ‘Sea Gets Hotter’ which featured Frazer’s high-pitched vocals, and KAINA and band couldn’t resist jumping back on stage to dance along to the get down of the set-ending ‘Groovy Babe’, extended to give the band members each a proper intro.

The encore began sweetly with Frazer crooning, to the audience’s delight on ‘Is It Any Wonder’, which had a few women swooning, before Jones re-emerged (in his third different shirt of the evening) to help end things with the appropriate ‘Long Way Home’, thanking everyone for selling out the room for their first local show in three years.

A (love) call was sent, and that call was answered as Lawrence filled the room to groove along with Durand Jones and the Indications, making for one very memorable Leap Day experience.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Remaining tour dates:

Mar 3 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Mar 5 Bentonville, AR Meteor Guitar Gallery
Mar 7 Savannah, GA Stopover Music Festival
Mar 12 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
Apr 11 Yokohama, Japan Motion Blue
Apr 13 Tokyo, Japan Blue Note (ブルーノート)
Apr 16 Honolulu, HI The Republik
May 1-2 Nashville, TN Sevier Park Fest
May 1-3 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
May 13 San Diego, CA Observatory North Park
May 14 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
May 15 Ventura, CA Majestic Ventura Theater
May 16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl
May 18 Fresno, CA Fulton 55
May 19 Reno, NV Cargo Concert Hall
May 21 Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Berkeley
May 22 Berkeley, CA Cornerstone Berkeley
May 22-24 Monterey, CA California Roots Festival
May 23 Felton, CA Felton Music Hall
Jul 4 Washington, DC D.C. Jam Festival
Jul 10 Marshfield, MA Levitate Music Festival
Jul 12 Ottawa, ON RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
Jul 17-19 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival

KIANA

KIANA

KIANA

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones

Durand Jones and the Indications at Bottleneck, Lawrence KS (29 Feb 2020)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Destroyer w/ Eleanor Friedberger at Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS (28 Feb 2020)

Destroyer at Granada Poster Destroyer Setlist Crimson Tide Kinda Dark The Raven Cover from the Sun Kaputt Times Square It Just Doesn’t Happen Cue Synthesizer Looter's Follies Tinseltown Swimming in Blood The Man in Black's Blues Chinatown European Oils foolssong Rubies -- Encore -- Hell with Eleanor Friedberger on vocals Canadian Lover / Falcon's Escape > L.A. Woman (The Doors cover) Eleanor Friedberger Setlist When I Knew Nice to Be Nowhere Everything He Didn't Mention His Mother Inn of the Seventh Ray Are We Good? My Own World Don't You Remember (?) Make Me a Song Stare at the Sun In Between Stars (first verse partial) I Won't Fall Apart on You Tonight Read More Destroyer Vancouver’s Destroyer (led by singer-songwriter Dan Bejar) is touring in support of their latest album Have We Met (Merge Records). Minneapolis’ local station The Current … Eleanor Friedberger Eleanor Friedberger is back in the Twin Cities! We love the songwriter, and in 2013, she did a series of promotional appearances and we …

“Twenty years ago, our first time in Lawrence, these pill-poppers let us sleep in the basement of a church that their parents owned, and I’ve had a really good feeling about Lawrence ever since then” – Dan Bejar

Canada’s Destroyer returned to downtown Lawrence, KS and the Granada Theater over the weekend, for an evocative and always interesting performance, in support of latest full-length, Have We Met (on Merge Records).

Opening support on this solidly strong bill was provided by Eleanor Friedberger, one half of indie duo Fiery Furnaces and an outright solo artist herself, rebounding with latest full-length, Rebound (on Frenchkiss Records).

The generous forty-minute set allowed for twelve songs, with Friedberger sharply dressed in gold lame polka-dotted top, dark slacks, and shimmering silver low-cut boots. Her solo set started on keyboard/sequencer (cheekily intro-ing with a looped sound collage featuring a Beatles ‘Eleanor Rigby’ snippet) then Friedberger picked up the guitar with second song, the new ‘Nice to Be Nowhere’ and a strummed staccato riff began 2015’s ‘He Didn’t Mention His Mother’.

‘Inn of the Seventh Ray’ was grounded with a dizzy harpsichord sound, and after radio hit, ‘Are We Good’, she recalled her last stop in town, a headlining show nearly scuttled by “hurricane winds” and severe flash-flooding, though a few devotees yelled they were there that night as well.

‘Stare at the Sun’ featured some of her most passionate lyrics, “when I'm with you, everything's treasure, I forget what it's like to be gone”, Rebound’’s ‘In Between Stars’ got teased with only its first verse (maybe a time limit thing), and the set ended with 2011’s promise of ‘I Won't Fall Apart on You Tonight’.

The secret of Vancouver band Destroyer’s current lineup is that it is much more than just singer-songwriter Dan Bejar and a bunch of hired hands-- it is, in fact, a very cohesive and compelling musical unit that plays like they’ve been together for years, even minus a brass section that he has brought along previous.

The new album, Have We Met as usual takes the eraser to the sonic wipe board of the band’s sound and starts anew with more personal lyrics and a sound akin to two decades ago, during the Y2K-era scare of the last millennium.

Bejar’s stage appearance involves a mic set into a thigh-high stand which a big-haired Bejar then grabs and shuffles about singing in a uniquely pronounced and somewhat theatrical building voice, to usually then crouch down at center stage to replace the mic on the stand and grab a drink from a couple nearby plastic cups.

The ninety-five minute set started strongly with the new album’s first two songs, ‘Crimson Tide’ and ‘Kinda Dark’ and 2011’s ‘Kaputt’ invited everyone to “Step out of your toga and into the ocean” before the new tunes returned with ‘It Just Doesn’t Happen’ and current radio hit, ‘Cue Synthesizer’, playing almost all of the latest release on this night.

Lyrical references jumped from The Smiths to Shakespeare in a single verse on ‘Cover from the Sun’ and fans loved the darkness of 2017’s ‘Tinseltown Swimming in Blood’. Like Friedberger, Bejar doesn’t speak much between songs, letting the music do the talking, which as mentioned, was crisply played all night- not flashy or solo-garnering, just perfectly interacting as a complete musical entity, as they should be.

The new album’s ending ‘foolssong’ cribs a Michael Franti/Spearhead line to help get its point across and Bejar and band went way back to 2006’s ‘Rubies’ to end the main set, very suitably singing, “I didn't want to go, but leave I must, as gratifying as this dust was”.

The encore started in the best possible way, with Eleanor Friedberger (literally) jumping from her merch booth to on stage for ‘Hell’ as Bejar stepped to side stage banging a tambourine and Friedberger countering the bleak song title singing, “Every time I try to look into your eyes, an angel flies by”.

Fans’ shouted requests were answered with ‘Canadian Lover/Falcon’s Escape’ and an extended instrumental end jam to the song, drifted unexpectedly into the end half of The Doors’ ‘L.A. Woman’, to the gleeful surprise of both audience and band, all smiling as the song blossomed its own organic life, to end the evening.

Have We Met?-- those witnessing that hadn’t before now happily have, and Destroyer and Eleanor Friedberger provided an entertaining and always-musically interesting evening, by what is so far the best concert double-bill of the year.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Remaining tour dates:

Mar 2 Detroit, MI Deluxx Fluxx Mar 4 Toronto, ON The Opera House Mar 5 Montreal, QC Théâtre Fairmount Mar 6 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair Music Hall Mar 7 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Steel Mar 8 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts Mar 9 Washington, DC Black Cat Mar 12 Atlanta, GA Terminal West Mar 13 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge Mar 14 St Louis, MO Blueberry Hill Duck Room Mar 15 Papillion, NE The Waiting Room Mar 16 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater Mar 17 Salt Lake City, UT The Urban Lounge Mar 19 Seattle, WA Neumos Mar 20 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre Apr 17 Rotterdam, NL Motel Mozaique Festival- day 2

Apr 18 Genk, Belgium Little Waves Apr 19 Zürich, Switzerland Plaza Apr 21 Nuremberg, Germany Roter Salon Im Z-bau Apr 22 Prague, Czech Republic Divadlo Archa Apr 24 Berlin, Germany Bi Nuu Apr 26 Copenhagen, Denmark Pumpehuset Apr 28 Oslo, Norway BlÅ Apr 30 Amsterdam, NL Paradiso May 2 Schorndorf, Germany Club Manufaktur May 3 Borgerhout, Belgium TRIX May 4 Paris, France Café de la Danse May 5 London, UK Village Underground May 7 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club Jul 1 Lisbon, Portugal Lisboa Ao Vivo (LaV) Jul 2 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain Vida Festival Aug 21 Lindsay, ON

Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger

Destroyer (with Eleanor Friedberger)

Destroyer

Destroyer

Destroyer

Destroyer

Destroyer at Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS (28 Feb 2020)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

We♥KC - March 1-15, 2020 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Opeth at Midland Lone Bellow 2020 Tour FItz and the Tantrums at Uptown Nektar Tour Glass Animals at recordBar Quireboys 2020 Tour Galactic 2020 Tour Caamp at Truman Read More Fitz and the Tantrums There’s really no doubt left– Fitz and the Tantrums are no longer a secret locally; rather, are firmly established as a party-starting, crowd-inducing good time band that everyone now has their eye on. …

March comes like a lion in the Kansas City / Lawrence, KS area, in terms of warm weather after a generally mild winter, and as far as live music, shows are startng to ramp up in frequency after the winter blahs period.

The month starts with the dark prog of Opeth, one of the best live Americana bands heads to Knuckleheads, prog legends Nektar make a rare appearance, legends themselves Blue Oyster Cult are still fearing the reaper, Glass Animals in a tiny venue (which sold out in seconds!), Spike and The Quireboys singing ‘7 o’ Clock’ in suburban Merriam, a Grateful Dead member at The Midland, and buzzing band Caamp hitting The Truman… and that’s only the first half of the month, with St. Pat’s and more shows to follow!

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the first half of March (a few recommended shows are highlighted below):

Sun 03/01/2020

Opeth at The Midland- (7p doors, $35-$40) – the Swedish influential prog-metal band who has thirty years and thirteen studio albums under their belt, returns with In Cauda Venenum (Latin for “venom in the tail”) for Nuclear Blast under their own imprint. Wall of Sound already gave the record a perfect 10, so the live show has high expectations.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers at Uptown Theater

"Baby Shark" Live at Silverstein Arena

Saintseneca at The Riot Room

Mon 03/02/2020

Lone Bellow w/ Early James at Knuckleheads- (7p doors, $28-$89)- one of our favorite live Americana acts is this Brooklyn trio that have a new record out called Half Moon Light, but look for a sweaty, full moon, full effort kind of performance. Arrive early...err, for Early James, an Alabama singer/songwriter who’s Sing for My Supper album was produced by Dan (Black Keys) Auerbach--’nuff said.

Tue 03/03/2020

Anderson East + Foy Vance at Madrid Theatre

(tour Cancelled due to Foy Vance health issues)

Susto at The Riot Room

Siberian State Symphony Orchestra at Lied Center

Wed 03/04/2020

Fitz And The Tantrums + Twin XL at Uptown Theater (8p, $29.50-$97) You can count on plenty of handclap with All The Feels watching this always-fun pop/soul band that STILL refuses to have any guitar on their records… they continue to do just fine without. LA trio Twin XL promises to show everyone How To Talk To Strangers as openers too.

Nektar at recordBar (7p doors, $25-$30)- now this is a rare sighting! A prog-rock classic UK band who formed in Germany in 1969 return with new album The Other Side. After over fifty years, there’s been plenty of lineup changes and ups and downs, but anyone curious to discover some of the roots of progressive owes themselves a commitment to pay homage ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’ - Yes we do!

Thu 03/05/2020

Y & T at VooDoo Lounge / Harrah's

Thor at recordBar

Cult of Luna w/Emma Ruth Rundle at Granada Theater

Colin Raye, Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin at Prairie Band Casino & Resort

Fri 03/06/2020

Glass Animals at recordBar- (7p doors, long Sold Out)- We’ve seen this ever-buzzing UK psych-pop band a handful of previous times and the band has released a couple of recent singles (newest is ‘Your Love (Deja Vu)’) in anticipation of a new full-length, and is heading out to play smaller clubs, with all dates selling out in seconds! If you didn’t score a ticket, you’re probably weeping all gooey and hazey and looking from the outside in.

Blue Oyster Cult at Ameristar KC (8:30p, $35-$50)- the classic rockers still bring it live, with members Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma still at the helm and going through five decades of hits. If you’ve never seen live, then Go, Go Godzilla!

Vale Of Pnath at The Riot Room

Sat 03/07/2020

Patrick Sweany at The Riot Room

Hembree at recordBar

Justin Moore at + Tracy Lawrence at Uptown Theater

Murder By Death at Liberty Hall

Ramirez at Granada Theater

Sun 03/08/2020

The London Quireboys at Aftershock Bar & Grill (6p doors, $20-$25)- The Newcastle, UK band has been around since 1984?!? Since their international breakout in 1990, they’ve released some twenty-ish records (including last year’s Amazing Disgrace), with singer Spike still leading the charge. A full night including openers The Raskins, The Almighty Trouble Brothers & Working Class Criminals make it a good bang for your concert buck.

TobyMac at Sprint Center

Mon 03/09/2020

While She Sleeps at Aftershock Bar & Grill

Thu 03/12/2020

Young Dolph w/ Key Glock at Uptown Theater

Fri 03/13/2020

Galactic at Knuckleheads- (7p doors, $28-$38.50) the New Orleans funk, pop, and roll stalwarts will bring an extra bit of groove on this, their 25^th anniversary tour. Featuring Anjelika Jelly Joseph with Naughty Professor, it will be time to bring out your dancing shoes and have a mini-Mardi Gras.

Ryan Hurd at The Midland

Sat 03/14/2020

Bear Hands w/IronTom at Bottleneck, Lawrence- (7p doors, $18) - After thirteen+ years, the group returns with the timely and cleverly-named Fake Tunes LP, and is a kind of turning the page on a new chapter, so expect some renewed passion at their live shows.

Arrive early for Irontom, an LA-based guitar+electro group who splashed early on with music featured in a high-profile TV commercial, and has been entertaining live, ever since.  

Bob Weir at The Midland

Fruition at recordBar

Microwave w/ Weakened Friends at The Rino

Sun 03/15/2020

Caamp at The Truman- (7p doors, $29-59) Athens, OH friends Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall first broke out with single ‘Vagabond’and have returned with new album By and By, which continues their buzzing upward momentum. With Bendigo Fletcher.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears at Knuckleheads (7p doors, $20-$35) -Austin, TX comes up north for a unique combination of James Brown, Howlin’ Wolf, and numerous other influences and genres to create a potent sonic Texas chili all their own. He invites everyone in the words of their 2013 radio hit, to ‘Come to My Party’.

Ratboys at The Riot Room

 

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Poppy at Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS (17 Feb 2020)

Poppy at Liberty Hall Poppy Setlist Concrete BLOODMONEY Scary Mask X Play Destroy Fill the Crown Am I a Girl? Anything Like Me Nothing I Need All the Things She Said (t.A.T.u. cover) Sit / Stay Sick of the Sun Don't Go Outside -- Encore -- Bite Your Teeth I Disagree Poppy Tour Dates Feb 20 The Pressroom Phoenix, AZ Feb 21 The Fonda Theatre Hollywood, CA Mar 12 Manchester Academy 2 Manchester UK Mar 13 Cathouse Glasgow UK Mar 14 O2 Academy Birmingham Birmingham UK Mar 15 Heaven London UK Mar 17 Melkweg Amsterdam, Netherlands Mar 18 Orangery Brussels, Belgium Mar 20 Trabendo Paris, France Mar 21 Zeche Bochum Bochum, Germany Mar 22 Columbia Theater Berlin, Germany Mar 24 Backstage Halle Munich, Germany Mar 25 Santeria Toscana 31 Milano, Italy Mar 26 Flex Vienna, Austria Mar 27 Plaza Zürich, Switzerland Mar 29 Razzmatazz Barcelona, Spain Mar 30 Sala Caracol Madrid, Spain Jun 14 Punchestown Racecourse Naas, Ireland Jul 27 Moda Center Portland, OR Jul 28 WaMu Theater Seattle, WA Jul 30 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium San Francisco, CA Aug 1 Pearl Theater Las Vegas, NV Aug 2 Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA Aug 4 Comerica Theatre Phoenix, AZ Aug 5 Isleta Amphitheater Albuquerque, NM Aug 7 Providence Medical Center Amphitheater Bonner Springs, KS Aug 8 The Rave / Eagles Club Milwaukee, WI Aug 9 The Armory Minneapolis, MN Aug 11 Huntington Bank Pavilion Chicago, IL Aug 12 Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre Sterling Heights, MI Aug 14 Agganis Arena Boston, MA Aug 15 Place Bell Laval, Canada Aug 17 RBC Echo Beach Toronto, Canada Aug 19 Pier 17 New York, NY Aug 20 Stone Pony Asbury Park, NJ Aug 22 The Met Philadelphia, PA Aug 23 The Anthem Washington, DC Aug 24 Harbor Yard Amphitheater Bridgeport, CT Aug 26 Petersen Events Center Pittsburgh, PA Aug 27 White River State Park Indianapolis, IN Aug 29 Cadence Bank Amphitheatre Atlanta, GA Aug 30 Municipal Auditorium Nashville, TN Sep 1 AT&T Center San Antonio, TX Sep 2 White Oak Music Hall Houston, TX Sep 3 Irving Music Factory Irving, TX Sep 5 Pepsi Center Denver, CO Read More Poppy If it wasn’t winter, this is the show I would be happy to show up. It’s Poppy. That weird internet girl. The show is sold out. Poppy’s new album I Disagree is out now on Sumerian Records. … VOWWS The evening began in near darkness though, as VOWWS, probably the only Australian/Iranian dark industrial experimental LA-based duo that you’ll ever encounter, opened with a sweeping thirty-minute set, conjuring even more blackness …

Poppy is an alien. I disagree. Poppy is aYouTube AI creation. I disagree. Poppy is just a made-up ASMR internet meme. I disagree. Poppy is a religious cult leader. I disagree. Poppy is nothing, and Poppy is everything. I…

Fresh from a high profile WWE televised appearance, internet sensation Poppy landed in downtown Lawrence for a raucous performance in front of many of her faithful devotees at a crowded Liberty Hall.

Liberty Hall is a staple in downtown Lawrence, dating in history from the 1850’s, also housing a coffee shop and video rental shop (yep, they still exist) in addition to its 1100+ capacity theater space, with a famous brewery right next door. With a general admission floor and reserved balcony, the sound system is crisp and clear with good stage views from almost any vantage point.

Opening the night was Vowws, a Los Angeles-based post-punk duo playing self-described “Australian death pop” who we last saw in 2017. Their newest full-length is 2018’s Under the World (on Anti-Language Records) and the band’s forty-minute set began with a few hiccups (some feedback, and the overhead stage lights all on and not able to be turned off) that took the eventually distracted members Matt and Rizz out of their comfort zone, even forcing keyboard/vocalist Rizz to lay on the floor at one point, to hide from the light. “I’m dying up here”, she remarked to which Matt added “Have you ever seen a concert in a convenience store before?”

Regardless, they professionally carried on and eventually all the issues were resolved, but the mostly younger goth crowd was too taken in by the music to really be bothered by anything ancillary. The duo’s boy/girl vocals juxtapose like a beam of light amongst their throbbing industrial electro dark beats and songs that build like a sonic plague enveloping the wasteland and their sound is recommended to any fans of Vowws’ former label, Cleopatra Records.

With a male backing band dressed casually all in white, a row of vertical pink neon tubes separating the rhythm section to the back, and a tall mirrored, lighted box framing the petite artist with braided ponytail in a one-shouldered dark ruffled dress, Poppy took to the stage to the opening air raid sirens from the first single from her new record, ‘Concrete’ to begin her sixty-minute headlining set.

The tour is called I Disagree, in support of her third full-length of the same name which was released just last month (on Sumerian Records) and which marked the last creative collaboration between the artist and her sort-of Svengali, Titanic Sinclair.

Devout fans (aka Poppy Seeds) ranged from adult women in goth pixie dresses, teen girls with adult chaperones, metalheads, gender fluids, and those simply curious to see and hear what the genre-metamorphosizing artist would show us. After some earlier, minimalist, pop-leaning (and sometimes head-scratching) efforts, her latest sound is an ear-opening blend of sugary JandK-pop innocent pixie vocals against thrash and hard rock riffs (similar to the kawaii metal of Babymetal and Ladybaby).

“Hello, Lawrence” she cooed before the delicate beginnings of ‘Scary Mask’, an on-record collaboration with fellow California hard rock band Fever 333, sounding more ferocious live as Poppy and the crowd shouted the spelling of the song’s title back at each other. “Everything will be okay” a pre-programmed voice reassured us before the industrial stompings of 2018’s ‘X’, one of only a couple tracks that were not from the newest record, which was played in its entirety.

“If you know this one, please sing with me” she sweetly implored over the melodic electro throbs of ‘Am I a Girl?’, a song one could imagine Gwen Stefani with Meshuggah covering. ‘You Shouldn’t be Anything Like Me’ she sang, but it was a moot point, with so many girls in the crowd already dressing like her and responding to the music like they were.

The lone cover of the night, was that of Russian duo t.A.T.u and their 2002 radio hit, ‘All The Things She Said’, an unexpected but entirely appropriate choice and she did the song justice with a high-volume faithful version.

The tender ‘Sick of the Sun’ had fans’ arms swaying back and forth and the main set suitably ended with the new album’s final track ‘Don’t Go Outside’, which reprises lyrics from its beginning song, ‘Concrete’ and again reassures everyone that “everything will be okay”.

No sooner did Poppy and the band exit the stage when the crowd began chanting her name, refusing to stop until their encore request was fulfilled. The lyrics of ‘Bite Your Teeth’ are very positive and life-affirming, about not giving up and to keep trying, set against a blackened doom guitar riff. The set-ending ‘I Disagree’ showed Poppy embracing the Japanese kawaii metal sound, singing first in Japanese, then with an emphatic exclamation that “We'll be safe and sound when it all burns down” as the crowd roared in approval.

Exhilarating to see live in concert (and fans will get another chance this summer as she again tours with Deftones), the always-unpredictable Poppy reminded us several times during the show that “everything will be okay”.

I disagree. For a still-evolving persona, multi-media artist, and online celebrity, everything looks much more than okay, it looks positively brilliant.

===

(Photography Notes- due to the venue’s lack of a dedicated photo pit, pro photography was not granted for this show, with previous live images inserted, courtesy of Poppy’s official Facebook page. Low resolution Vowws photos were taken with cellphone.)

 

Vowws

Vowws

Vowws

Poppy Setlist

Poppy at Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS (17 Feb 2020) photo courtesy of Poppy’s Facebook

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

We♥KC - February 16-29, 2020 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Poppy at Liberty Hall We Were Promised Jetpacks 2020 Tour Tennis at Madrid Theatre Destroyer at Granada Soul Asylum at Madrid Theatre Read More Poppy If it wasn’t winter, this is the show I would be happy to show up. It’s Poppy. That weird internet girl. The show is sold out. Poppy’s new album I Disagree is out now on Sumerian Records. …

Mid-February and the midwest finds itself in the dog days of winter. While Minnesota remains in the deep permafrost, the Kansas City area (still exhaling from the Chiefs Super Bowl win and subsequent massive parade) is in a weather pattern that is anything but predictable-- 72 and sunny on Super Sunday, then single-digit overnight lows soon after, then back to close to 60- wash, rinse, repeat.

There’s still plenty of reasons to go indoors and check out some live music as evidenced by the list of who’s coming to Kansas City / Lawrence, Kansas in the next couple weeks, plus it’s a Leap Year, so there’s one extra day to enjoy the month!

Here’s what’s happening in the area for the last half of February (a few recommended shows are highlighted):

Sun 02/16/2020

Mon 02/17/2020

Poppy at Liberty Hall – (8pm, $25+; Rescheduled from 2/16)- the social media maven and purposely difficult to pigeon-hole artist comes to Lawrence as part of a short solo tour, in-between bigger dates supporting Deftones. Taking influences from J-pop/K-pop, reggae and electro, she can be both alien and addictive, but mostly mesmerizing in concert. Arrive early to catch Vowws too.

Stone Temple Pilots at Uptown Theater – (POSTPONED due to singer Jeff Gutt’s back surgery)

MC Lars at The Riot Room

 

Tue 02/18/2020

Mattiel at The Riot Room

Matoma at Granada Theater

 

Wed 02/19/2020

Eric Johnson at Madrid Theatre

Chris Thile at Lied Center

Electric Guest at Granada Theater

 

Thu 02/20/2020

Nghtmre At The Midland

Michael Angelo Batio at The Riot Room

Rapsody at Granada Theater

Fri 02/21/2020

We Were Promised Jetpacks at recordBar (7p doors, $20)– We’ve been fans of one of Scotland’s best for over ten years and the quartet has took only a momentary breath before returning with a back-to- basics approach that also looks forward with the earned collective maturity from its four founding members, and whose live show is always memorable. With support from Slaughter Beach, Dog.

Peekaboo at The Truman

Ross The Boss at The Riot Room

 

Sat 02/22/2020

Ross The Boss at The Riot Room

William Clark Green at Granada Theater

Golf Clap at Aura

Sun 02/23/2020

Dashboard Confessional + The Get Up Kids at The Truman (7p doors, $35) Emo makes a strong comeback as Chris Carrabba celebrates twenty years of his seminal, sing-a-long project and the bill is sweetened by Kansas City’s own Get Up Kids as support, themselves a major Midwest band in mid-90s emo.

Flatfoot 56 at The Riot Room

Kathy Mattea at Lied Center

 

Mon 02/24/2020

Falling In Reverse at The Truman

Another Lost Year at The Riot Room

 

Tue 02/25/2020

Christopher Paul Stelling at Minibar

Saint Motel at The Truman

 

Tue 02/25/2020

Tennis at Madrid Theatre (8p, $25+) Kansas City gets the privilege of being the opening date of the Swimmer Tour, with their fifth album released this Valentine’s Day, and this low-fi synth duo has steadily been building a solid fanbase. Be sure to come early as Austin, TX singer-songwriter Molly Burch opens in support.

Thu 02/27/2020

Cowboy Mouth at Knuckleheads

Starship feat Mickey Thomas at Prairie Band Casino & Resort

 

Fri 02/28/2020

Destroyer at Granada Theater (8p doors, $20/$22) Have We Met? That’s not only the name of Dan Bejar’s and co’s new record, but a sort-of invitation to catch them live in concert as well, if you haven’t. Though it’s 2020, the new album is self-described as a Y2K album intertwined with poetic and abstract compositions and eccentric lyrical content… consider us intrigued. Arriving early is mandatory as The Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger opens as support.

Soul Asylum + Local H at Madrid Theatre (7p doors, $28.50+) Minneapolis travels south as the Dave Pirner-fronted classic alt-rock band stops in town on their Dead Letter Tour, which also happens to be the name of their current single. The pride of Zion, IL, Local H provides support, determined to get everyone bound for the floor once more. Berwanger to open.

Lunasa at recordBar

Sat 02/29/2020

Dweezil Zappa at The Truman

Durand Jones and the Indications at The Bottleneck, Lawrence (7p doors, $15) We've caught this rising neo-soul group the last two years and watched them organically grow into more seasoned live performers.  The good thing is this is an all-ages show, so everyone can swoon and groove to their original sounds, as well as maybe a well chosen cover or two.  Kaina to open.

 

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: July 1 to July 6, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 1 to July 6, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Big Business Seattle’s Big Business, formed in 2004 by Karp bassist Jared Warren and Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis followed with a down-to-business 35 min. set with a deep bottom end. In support of their latest, 2013’s …

D4'TH OF JULY 2016
at Triple Rock Social Club
Friday, 07/01/16, 6pm
Saturday, 07/02/16, 6pm ($40 - $55)
triplerocksocialclub.com

The annual Dillinger Four’s D4’th of July is back, and bigger than ever. This year, they’ve extended it on Friday July 1st to Saturday, July 2nd. For the first night, it is headlined by Big Business.

Big Business is touring in support of their new record Command Your Weather, which is coming out July 8th... Expect the group to play new songs.

Friday’s lineup: Big Business Off With Their Heads Naive Sense Arms Aloft Hive Constant Insult

Saturday’s lineup: Dillinger Four Cheap Girls The Brokedowns Charlie Siren Color TV No Skin

Big Business Summer Tour 2016

June 25 - Portland, OR - B Side Anniversary
June 26 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
June 28 -Billings, MT- Pub Station
June 30 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
July 1 - Minneapolis, MN - The Triple Rock
July 2 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
July 3 - Ferndale, MI - The Loving Touch
July 4 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
July 5 - Rochester, NY - The Bug Jar
July 6 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
July 7 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
July 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
July 9 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
July 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
July 12 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
July 13 - Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5
July 14 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
July 15 - Gainesville, FL - High Dive
July 16 - Tallahassee, FL - Sidebar Theater
July 17 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
July 19 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
July 20 - Austin, TX - Barracuda
July 21 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
July 23 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace
July 24 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge
July 25 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
July 28 - Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones
July 29 - Los Angeles - Bootleg Theater
July 30 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill

Read More Lawrence Breakfast Lawrence March 11, 2016 Original Release Date: March 11, 2016 Release Date: March 11, 2016 Label: Same Wavelength, LLC Copyright: 2016 Same Wavelength, LLC Total Length: 49:01 … Graveyard Club Hometown band The Graveyard Club started the night off with a handful of spooky synth-laced gems and featured main duo Matthew Schufman (vocals/keyboard) and Michael Wojtalewicz (guitarist) alongside newer ...

LAWRENCE
at 7th Street Entry
Sunday, 07/03/16, 8pm ($10/$12)
first-avenue.comm

Impossible to Google duo Lawrence (siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence) will be in town on July 3rd at the 7th Street Entry, touring in support of their new album Breakfast.

Don’t let the young ages (22 and 19) fool you, at 6, Clyde was youngest person to be admitted to the Songwriters' Guild of America for his film composition on Miss Congeniality (2000), and Gracie has performed on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and The Sitter (2011), etc.

Locals Graveyard Club and Astronomique to open.

Lawrence Summer 2016 Tour

Jun 30 -- Washington, D.C. – Songbyrd Music
Jul 01 -- Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
Jul 03 -- Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
Jul 04 -- Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barn
Jul 06 -- Chicago, IL – Schubas
Jul 07 -- Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest
Jul 09 -- Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room
Jul 10 -- Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Jul 11 -- Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
Jul 13 -- Seattle, WA – Barboza
Jul 14 -- Portland, OR – Lola’s Room
Jul 15 -- Eugene, OR – HIFI Music Hall
Jul 16 -- Squaw Valley, CA – Wanderlust
Jul 18 -- San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Shop
Jul 20 -- Los Angeles, CA – The Satellite
Jul 21 -- Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
Jul 23 -- Austin, TX – 3Ten @ Austin City Limits
Jul 24 -- Dallas, TX – The prophet Bar
Jul 27 -- Little Rock, AR – Stickyz Rock ’N’ Roll
Jul 28 -- Nashville, TN – The High Watt
Jul 29 -- Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
Jul 30 -- Castleton-On-Hudson, NY – Camp Springer

Read More Violent Femmes Violent Femmes have announced details of their eagerly awaited new EP, HAPPY NEW YEAR. The four-track EP will be released April 18th, exclusively on 180 gram champagne clear vinyl …

VIOLENT FEMMES
at First Avenue
Tuesday, 07/05/16, 7:30pm ($30)
Wednesday, 07/06/16, 7:30pm ($30)
first-avenue.com

We are so excited to have Violent Femmes back. We originally caught the band in 2000-ish at First Avenue, and jumped at the chance to catch the band again in June 2015. That Treasure Island Casino show was possibly one of the best show we’ve ever seen last year. Imagine this: Everyone in the first six rows singing along to every song. Seriously.

Expect the same sort of singalong classics at next week’s Violent Femmes show(s). Originally booked for only one date, the trio extended to a two-night residency.

Violent Femmes’ We Can Do Anything came out in March 4 on [PIAS].

Milwaukee’s Brett Newski to open both nights.

VIOLENT FEMMES ON TOUR 2016

06/25 - Frederick, MD - Flying Dog
06/26 - Columbia, MD - DC101 Radio Show
07/05 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
07/06 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
07/07 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
07/09 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
07/10 - Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
07/12 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
07/14 - St Louis, MO - Pageant
07/16 - Kansas City, MO - KRZZ Beach Ball Buzz
07/17 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
07/19 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
07/20 - Austin, TX - Stubbs
07/22 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival
07/23 - Buffalo, NY - Kerfuffle Radio Festival
07/24 - Toronto, ON - The Massey

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic