W♥M

We♥KC! July 27- August 3, 2023 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More: Michael Franti Michael Franti is all about heart— From the large stage banner of the organ’s drawing amidst a Rastafari and rainbow colored background, to the current Once A Day Tour poster showing hearts dropped out of an airplane ...…

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uh...It’s Hot out!!

All-time record temps should make anyone believe in global warming, and though the nights are cooler, it’s still warm to see an outdoor show of late. Thankfully, many upcoming are at indoor venues and the ones that are outdoors, are generally good enough to endure a little perspiration in the process. Stay hydrated!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from July 27th- August 3rd.

THURSDAY JULY 27

Kansas, The Midland, $45-$129.50

Kansas celebrates their 50th anniversary this year, on an outing the progressive rock band is dubbing “The Another Fork in the Road Tour,” also the title of their recent 3-CD compilation set out last December, via InsideOut Music. The band’s long history has seen them issue 16 studio albums and sell more than 30 million albums worldwide.

The band originated in Topeka and is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin, and original guitarist Richard Williams. Carry On!

Brothers Osborne, KCLive!, $30

The critically acclaimed country duo is set to release their self-titled fourth studio album on September 15, with newest single, “Sun Ain’t Even Gone Down Yet.” Miranda Lambert provides guest vocals on the track, “We Ain’t Good at Breaking Up,” which she co-wrote with Brothers Osborne and Jesse Frasure.

The GRAMMY-winning duo’s upcoming album was produced by Mike Elizondo (Sheryl Crow, Turnstile, Dr. Dre, Twenty One Pilots) and the brothers trusted him to compile his own band of studio musicians, which included Paul McCartney’s drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.

Dude Perfect, T-Mobile Center. $34.75- $204.75

YouTube sensations— Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, Garrett Hilbert and twins Coby and Cory Cotton — will bring their action-packed 2023 Dude Perfect Panda-Monium Tour to T-Mobile Center, which will include fan favorites like Wheel Unfortunate with Ned Forrester, Cool Not Cool, crazy stunts and all-new battles! We saw some of the troupe this spring at the NFL Draft in a skit with Travis Kelce’s mom.

Telekinetic Yeti, The Bottleneck- Lawrence,$18-$23

The spacey, psychedelic groove Iowa-based duo is on a 19-date tour with Stinking Lizaveta joining them for all shows, still in support their 2022 release Primordial, which is available now via Tee Pee Records. We had our own Yeti sighting last Fall- catching them live in Minneapolis.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Kauffman Center CANCELED

FRIDAY JULY 28

The Pharcyde, Madrid Theater,$29.50-$79

The LA 90’s rap pioneers have returned under this name or “The Far Side” (we’re confused…) They met as dancers and choreographers, entering the music industry in 1991 with their first album and record deal with Delicious Vinyl.

1995's "Labcabincalifornia" would peak at number 17 on the R&B charts, but the group would eventually separate with each member pursuing their own projects, after the album's release. In 2022, Imani, Slimkid3, and Fatlip would pick up where they left off.

SATURDAY JULY 29

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Knuckleheads,$20

It's as Hot as Louisiana, so, this is a great Summer soundtrack- Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band have recorded ten CDs over the past 22 years of Chubby's professional career. Chubby and the band travel 150-175 days a year, taking his act to big festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz Fest, the Chicago Blues Fest. Summerfest, and Memphis in May.

Michael Franti and Spearhead with Soja, KC Live! $25-$75

One of our live favorites and some of the most positive and uplifting music you'll hear, Franti and Spearhead are back on the road for their Big Big Love 2023 Tour. He says about it, "I believe that we all need “big big love” in our lives, especially today. To me, that’s holding space for those we love closely, those we may have differences with and for the world as a whole! We’ll be spreading that love coast-to-coast from May to August, playing over 50 shows at some of our favorite venues across the country and some new ones too!!" We caught them last, live in Lawrence in late 2021.

Jinkx Monsoon, Folly. $55

The Witch of all Witches is ready to cast her next great spell! The two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner presents her biggest concert tour to date with “Everything at Stake.” For the first time ever, Jinkx and her musical main squeeze Major Scales, will tour with a full rock band performing a decade worth of covers and original music from her albums (The Ginger Snapped, The Inevitable Album), along with new songs from her upcoming 3-part album The Virgo Odyssey. Jinkx weaves together tales from her enigmatic life in a show where music, comedy, witchy magic, and camp-fantasy collide.

EKKSTACY w Usted Señalemelo, Encore at Uptown, $18

The young Vancouver-born indie rocker spent all of 2022 receiving international atention: selling out his North American tour, and receiving Best New Artist nods from Complex and NME, following the relase of his ‘80s postpunk album, misery.

Before he was filling up rooms in L.A. and New York, EKKSTACY came up in downtown venues like Fortune Sound Club. He grew up in Langley and Cloverdale, and enjoyed skateboarding and music. He started playing guitar in Grade 6. Without access to a computer until the age of 13, his sources of musical discovery were limited to his immediate surroundings.

His breakthrough EP, NEGATIVE, dropped in 2021 and charts a relationship from its beginning to breakup, with the song titles, when read chronologically, revealing a poem, but the new album is different- “misery is fun. misery is fast and heavy and hard, and I just stopped overthinking when I made it,” he comments.

Arrive early for support from Argentians Usted Señalemelo, out on their first North American Tour, and on their way to play Lollpalooza in Chicago. They've just been presented with the "Discovery Award" at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in NYC after releasing their third album 'TRIPOLAR' at the end of May.

SUNDAY JULY 30

MONDAY JULY 31

TUESDAY AUGUST 1

Goth Babe with Husbands, The Truman. $27.50-$55

Aka Griff Washburn has just announced his debut album, Lola, will arrive this Fall on Mom + Pop Music, an album named for the sailboat on which he now lives, one of many scaled-back small places he's called 'home'. Newest single is “Bioluminescence”, the song feels like an extension and appreciation for his adventurous lifestyle, the wanderlust, and the wonders it reveals.

No word if his perpetual sidekick, his blue-eyed Australian Shepherd, Sadie, will appear.

Arrive early for support from Husbands, the indie-pop rock project fronted by Danny Davis who has Cuatro, their fourth studio album, coming out October 13th on Thirty Tigers, with lead single “Can’t Do Anything” and are also headed to Lollapalooza (including an official aftershow with Men I Trust) then joining Wilderado on tour this fall.

Jagged Little Pill (Alanis Morissette musical) Aug 1-5, Starlight, $15-$97

The Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning new musical is about a perfectly imperfect American family, based on Alanis Morissette’s memorable music. Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and GRAMMY-winning score, this production “vaults the audience to its collective feet” says The Guardian, (never mind that Morrissette herself is actually Canadian).

 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2

The Front Bottoms Aug 2, Grinders KC, $32.50-$49

Out on their Road To The Jam Tour, in conjunction with their upcoming album, You Are Who You Hang Out With, due out August 4 on Fueled by Ramen. The NJ folk-punk group just wrapped up shows supporting the 10th anniversary of Talon of the Hawk, with this tour leg runs through September in the Midwest and East Coast, with support from Vundabar.

Working on new music has always been therapeutic, but on their forthcoming new album, having complete and utter fun took top priority for the duo of Brian Sella and Mat Uychich. It’s this carefree, laid-back mindset that shaped the new album's sessions, and recent singles “Emotional,” “Outlook” and “Punching Bag” serve as the perfect sneak peek into the band’s next chapter.

THURSDAY AUGUST 3

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! July 20-26, 2023 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More: Tedeschi Trucks Band The musical ensemble includes Bob Babbit (Marvin Gaye), Karl Denson (Lenny Kravitz), Richard Elliott (Tower of Power), Steve Ferrone (Average White Band), Mike Mattison i ……

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We’re midway through the dog days of summer-

Lingering heat and humidity, mixed with bursts of random t-storms; in other words, a typical season in middle America, but thankfully, the weather hasn’t fully scuttled any outdoor shows we’ve attended so far. Plenty of indoor shows in the nice cool A/C and cooler weather and a busy Fall calendar (Rocktober and more!) are just around the corner.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from July 20th-26th.

THURSDAY JULY 20

Granger Smith, KCLive!, Free!

Looks like this might be your last chance! -- Smith is out on his Like a River Farewell Tour after his recent announcement that he is retiring from touring. Over the course of his career, Smith has amassed an audience known as "Yee Yee Nation" built through 24 years of touring and grassroots engagement. Smith broke onto the national scene with Remington, an album that garnered him the No. 1 song "Backroad Song." He also released his first book If You’re City, If You’re Country, which hit No. 1 on Amazon. Known as an artist but also for his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr., his family’s YouTube series “The Smiths” and his outdoor apparel company, Yee Yee Apparel.

FRIDAY JULY 21

Rain- Beatles Tribute, July 21-23, Starlight, $16-$100

Maybe the closest to the real thing-- the musically accurate tribute performs songs from Abbey Road & the Rooftop Concert live in addition to all your favorite hits. We've seen the production and it is well made, entertaining, and rewarding seeing all of the band's eras, including the later years and hearing songs live that they never performed in front of audiences.

Backseat Lovers, GrindersKC, $46-$76

The Utah four-piece indie rockers have really blown up in popularity over the last year and are out on their Waiting To Spill Tour in support of their major-label debut album, last Fall's Waiting To Spill via Capitol Records which landed #1 on the Alternative New Artist Albums and #2 on the Heatseekers Album charts. We caught them in Minneapolis back in late 2021, before the recent fame (and much bigger venues), so this show at the relatively small Grinders, might be a good chance to see them before they move to even bigger places.

Arrive early for Kentucky openers Bendigo Fletcher in support of their Wingding EP., making waves in the indie scene with their fusion of folk, rock, and pop. Recently, the band released a new single called "Uncle Mick's Fireworks Extravaganza".

SATURDAY JULY 22

Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, Robert Randolph, GrindersKC, $62-$101

Like a loaded baked potato, this lineup has everything!- New Orleans musical icon Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, is out with co-headliner Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, and Robert Randolph Band.

It’s already been a busy year for Shorty, who released his most recent album, Lifted, last April. He performed “Shotgun” at the MusiCares Person of the Year event honoring Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson during Grammy Week and also performed at the Grammy Salute to Paul Simon Concert. The entire lineup is musically impeccable, so assuming the weather holds, it should be a great and full evening.

Ann Wilson with Tripsitter, Uptown, $35-$99.

Though we'd rather see the Wilson sisters together again as Heart, we saw the elder Wilson and were thoroughly entertained when we caught her live in 2017. She's got a new backing band and latest solo album, 2022's Fierce Bliss, was a collection of covers and originals, featuring Vince Gill, along with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes.

A new album with her band, Tripsitter, comprised of guitarists Ryan Wariner, bassist Tony Lucido, Paul Moak on guitar and keyboards, and drummer Sean Lane is due as well and expect a mix of solo songs, Heart favorites and Zeppelin and other covers.

Ginuwine w Shai, Jagged Edge,The Midland, $39.50-$249.50

This one's mostly for the ladies – it's the R&B Kickback featuring three 90's radio mainstays, but might not be selling as well as planned, as we've seen previous offers on Groupon/ Living Social, so check around for possible deals.

SUNDAY JULY 23

MONDAY JULY 24

Tedeschi Trucks Band w Vincent Neil Emerson, Music Hall, $39.50-$175

Blues rockers Tedeschi Trucks Band expanded their 2023 North American tour to include Kansas City at an unexpected but sonically sound venue, the Music Hall downtown and will continue on following with two additional arena dates at New York’s Madison Square Garden and Boston’s TD Garden, dubbing those “The Garden Parties.”

The band released their four-part, fifth album, I Am the Moon, in September 2022 and expect several covers (Wet Willie, Dr John, maybe Rolling Stones) alongside their own songs, and some mesmerizing live guitar work.

Opening Texas Country folk artist Vincent Neil Emerson has recent single, “Learnin’ to Drown” out and an interestingly titled 2019 album, “Fried Chicken & Evil Women”.

AJJ, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $25-$28

AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad) are an American folk punk band from Phoenix, formed in 2004 and comprised of core members Sean Bonnette (acoustic guitar) and Ben Gallaty (upright bass). Their self-released debut, Candy Cigarettes & Cap Guns, was released in 2005 after which, a number of self-released demos and EPs attracted the attention of Plan-It-X Records, which issued a split release with the similarly styled Ghost Mice in 2007. Newest album is their eighth and released in late May, Disposable Everything.

Arrive early for support acts- Chicago-raised hip hopper Open Mike Eagle, and the experimental folk of Portland’s Foot Ox.

TUESDAY JULY 25

Yungblud w The Regrettes, Uptown, $39-$50

YUNGBLUD released his self-titled third studio album ‘YUNGBLUD’ [Locomotion/GEFFEN Records] to acclaim with Rolling Stone hailing it for its “angst and tender introspect,” and “perfect for arena singalongs” and has been on the road in support of, with the Kansas City date being one of the last of the current tour leg.

The young rocker celebrated the new album's release with a whirlwind 5-day in-store tour playing 9 cities, including a three-venues-in-one-night LA run, performing live at The Roxy, Whiskey a Go-Go and The Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.

Arrive early for support band The Regrettes, whose third studio album, Further Joy, is out now via Warner Records. The band (singer/songwriter, Lydia Night, Genessa Gariano- guitar; Brooke Dickson -bass; Drew Thomsen- drums), have written a manual for living in these times, replete with personalized songs about things we're all going through. They were the highlight of the Innovation Festival when we caught them live last summer in Kansas City.

Death Grips, The Midland, $35-$65

The experimental hip-hop band have fascinated since their beginnings in 2010. The Sacramento-based band includes MC Ride on vocals, Zach Hill on drums and production and Andy Morin on keyboards and production.

With influences from everything to punk rock to electronic music, their sound didn’t go unnoticed when they started in 2010. Most recently, they released their 4th EP, Gmail and the Restraining Orders and have also been teasing additional new music.

1776 (musical), July 25-30, Starlight, $16-$100

1776 follows John Adams as he persuades and convinces the United States founding fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence. This musical digs deep into historical figures and contains a cast that includes women, nonbinary individuals, and transgender individuals.

This Tony Award-winning Best Musical is tuneful, witty, and surprising, especially in this revolutionary new production from directors Jeffrey L. Page (Violet) and Diane Paulus (Waitress) with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.

Youth Lagoon w Nina Keith, recordBar, $22

He's back - The project of Trevor Powers, Youth Lagoon is touring on his latest album, “Heaven Is A Junkyard.” From the early lo-fi dreamy bedroom pop of his 2011 debut LP The Year of Hibernation to the synth-rock of 2015’s Savage Hill Ballroom, he shunned complacency, always keeping listeners on their toes. In 2018, he stopped using the Youth Lagoon moniker, saying it was a space he no longer wanted to inhabit but now he has returned as Youth Lagoon. We caught him a decade ago.

Opener LA artist Nina Keith has shared a new song 'Blow Up Yr Life (U Need To)' as a follow up to the musician's 2019 debut album 'MARANASATI 19111'.

WEDNESDAY JULY 26

Julia Jacklin w Macie Stewart, recordBar, $23

The Australian singer/songwriter is out on the road, stopping locally with support from Macie Stewart, celebrating her latest LP, Pre Pleasure, released last August. She shared a self-directed video filmed in Melbourne for “I Was Neon” in June. We caught her last Fall in Minneapolis and despite somewhat losing her voice, still managed to put on a good live show.

Chicago multi-instrumentalist Stewart opens with a unique mix of folk tinged with some hip hop in support of 2021’s “Mouth Full of Glass”.

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! July 1-11, 2023 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More: Sparks Sparks are a new wave/glam band from Los Angeles, lead by two brothers: Ron and Russell Mael. The Los Angeles duo influenced everyone from Nirvana to New Order to They Might Be Giants.

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Summer’s definitely here- it’s hot and staying hot, but at least we’re not seeing the worst of that Canadian wildfire haze. Some gaps this week in live music as expected, but we’re celebrating not one, but two National Holidays!

July 4^th is of course, Independence Day, but July 7-8 in Kansas City are “Swiftie Days”, as Taylor Swift comes to town for two long sold-out, anticipated shows at Arrowhead on her Eras Tour.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from July 1st - July 11th.

SATURDAY JULY 1

Young the Giant w Milky Chance, Talk, Starlight, $29.50-$69.50

The Irvine, CA band’s fifth LP, American Bollywood, was released in November, compiling their four recent EPs. In fact, we just saw them live in Minneapolis this week! They’ve opened live with the title track and recent new single “Wake Up” so expect that and hits like “Cough Syrup”, “Something to Believe In”, and Superposition” live.

Meanwhile, Berlin duo Milky Chance dropped their latest project, Trip Tape II, in October.

Fleet Foxes w Uwarde, The Midland, $39.50-$79.50

The acclaimed Seattle indie-folk band are still on the road in support of their 2020 Grammy nominated album, Shore, an album leader Robin Pecknold described as a “celebration of life in the face of death” (which would prove timely listening during the pandemic years).

Our shows last summer were by far the best of our career and we can’t wait to do it again in a few months,” Pecknold said in a statement. “It’s an honor to bring this music to life with and for everybody and we hope to see you there. With love and gratitude.”

Shore collaborator Uwade Akhere will support the band and also provided additional vocals on three of the album’s tracks. Prepare for some unreal harmonies to be heard as performed by all.

Michael Ray w Caylee Hammack, Big Time Grain Co, Baldwin City Golf Course, Free!

Located just south of Lawrence, Baldwin City will see national recording artists Michael Ray and Caylee Hammack visit for Independence Day festivities. Opening will be local favorite, Big Time Grain Company. The event itself is free, though expect charges for parking, food, beverage, etc.

Ray’s new record is Dive Bars & Broken Hearts (out last week via Warner Nashville) which traces a boy coming into his own, chasing life and girls, getting his heart broken and learning to man up. The Florida-raised Country singer has, among other accolades to his credit, four No. 1 songs– “Think a Little Less,” “Whiskey And Rain,” “Kiss You in the Morning, "and “One That Got Away” – with over 1 billion global streams, over 150 million YouTube views, and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry more than 70 times.

SUNDAY JULY 2

Between the Buried and Me, The Truman, $25-$50

Out on their The Parallax II Tour, the Raleigh, NC prog metal band will perform The Paralax II: Future Sequence in its entirety, as well as other tracks. The Paralax II: Future Sequence was released in October 2012 as the follow-up to 2011 EP, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. The band would continue to use this sequential format for future releases (Automata I and II; Colors II), creating distinct thematic sagas within their discography.

MONDAY JULY 3

TUESDAY JULY 4

WEDNESDAY JULY 5

THURSDAY JULY 6

Randy Rogers Band, KCLive!, Free!

Their new album Nothing Shines Like Neon rings with authenticity from the same line up has been performing together since 2002- Rogers and band mates Geoffrey Hill (guitar), Johnny “Chops” Richardson (bass guitar), Brady Black (fiddle), Les Lawless (drums) and Todd Stewart (utility player) remain one of the top bands on the Texas music scene.

FRIDAY JULY 7

Taylor Swift w Muna, Gracie Abrams, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, July 7 and 8, SOLD OUT

Swifties unite! The Eras Tour is the ongoing sixth major (and second stadium-sized) concert tour by Swift. Described as a journey through all of her "musical eras" it is a tribute to all of Swift's studio albums, including her latest, Midnights (2022), and those that did not have a tour due to the pandemic: Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), and Evermore (2020).

The tour began in Glendale, AZ in mid-March, and is set to conclude next August in London. And shows have lasted over three hours, with a set list of 44 songs divided into 10 distinct acts.

We love the lineup top-to-bottom, as young opener Gracie Abrams (daughter of J.J.) is currently crushing it with single, "I Know It Won't Work" off her Interscope Records debut, Good Riddance, and we're big fans of fellow LA band MUNA, who released their third and self-titled full-length album last year via Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory records/Dead Oceans. They knocked us out opening for Kacey Musgraves last year and are taking a break from their own headlining Life's So Fun Tour, to join on this leg. Arrive Early to catch them all!

Legally Blonde (musical) July 7-13, Starlight,$16-$100

A fun award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend Warner dumps her so he can attend Harvard Law.

Determined to get him back, Elle charms her way into the prestigious law school. While there, she struggles with peers, professors, and her ex. With the support of some new friends, Elle quickly realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. Action-packed and exploding with songs and dynamic dances. Word is, even local dogs have been cast for the show.

The James Hunter Six, Knuckleheads. $24.50

Over the span of 30 years, James Hunter has worked on the railway, busked in London, provided backup vocals and guitar for Van Morrison, played venues all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the best rhythm and soul albums of the last two decades. By 2006, Hunter was recognized with a Grammy nomination and an American Music Award. The band hit the road for a decade of extensive touring and recorded albums including The Hard Way (Hear Music, 2008), Minute by Minute (Fantasy, 2013), Hold On! (Daptone, 2016), and Whatever it Takes (Daptone, 2018).

Last Valentine’s Day, Daptone Records presented With Love, The James Hunter Six, a heart-shaped collection of candle-lit ballads and love songs. These twelve melodies have been selected and sequenced with great care, tenderness, and intention by Daptone staff for the sole purpose of compiling some of the overlooked treasures in his critically acclaimed catalog.

SATURDAY JULY 8

Sparks,The Midland, $37.50-$85

Brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael will celebrate their more than 50-year history and newest and 26th studio album, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte, released May 26, via Island Records. The album is described by the brothers as a record that is “as bold and uncompromising as anything we did back then, or for that matter, anytime throughout our career.”

Their lauded career-spanning 2021 documentary film, The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun Of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver), brought the duo a new awareness.

Sparks’ 2021 film musical Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, has received many awards- the film won three Lumières Awards and five César Awards in France. In addition, the film’s “So May We Start” was shortlisted for “Best Original Song” at the 94th Academy Awards.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ameristar Casino, $50-$68

Now celebrating over 50 years since forming in 1966, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band have existed from their early days as a large ensemble to the critically acclaimed folk and country rock group that they are today. Despite their heyday existing in the late 80's where they charted three number one singles, their popularity has seen a recent resurgence with continuing dedication to touring and recording.

Having virtually outlasted every other folk/country rock band from the Sixties, with their last studio album Speed of Life recieving acclaim for its minimal post-production tinkering. However, their most popular song was their 1970 hit cover of "Mr. Bojangles", originally recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker. In addition, their Nashville-recorded 1972 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken? remains to date, their most successful.

Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters, Knuckleheads, $35-$55

The Boxmasters are out promoting their brand-new record, “69,” one of many records they’ve made over the last several years. Country rock, progressive, blues, outlaw rock’n’roll, with roots in the ’60s and ’70s, Billy Bob Thornton, J.D. Andrew and band can flex many styles of music as we saw when we caught them live in Topeka in the summer of 2021.

SUNDAY JULY 9

MONDAY JULY 10

TUESDAY JULY 11

Gogol Bordello, Truman, $30-$60

The Gypsy Punk rockers return to the road for a North American summer tour, kicking off right here n Kansas City! The international punk band is led by Ukrainian front man Eugene Hütz, and the band’s latest album, Solidaritine, takes them back to their hardcore roots. According to Hütz, “Solidaritine is the substance that unlocks our empathy and our full human potential … May this be your punky uplift for our packed with troubled times.”

Gogol Bordello has been active in efforts to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Last March, the band led a benefit concert at NYC’s City Winery with friends including Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Matisyahu, Craig Finn & Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady), Jesse Malin, Lady Lamb, Marc Robert (O.A.R.), and Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields).

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! June 16-21, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

 

Read More: Eels Eels recently debut the video for “Good Night On Earth”, in anticipation for the upcoming fourteenth studio album Extreme Witchcraft, available January 28 via PIAS

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Now, we’re in the heart of concert season, as this weekend looks pretty packed, with the outdoor highlights being the annual Boulevardia Festival near Crown Center and the back-to-back night Phase Fest and Tacos and Tequila Festival on the KS side at Legends Field.

But there’s a good amount of indoor and club shows that shouldn’t be ignored either-- in other words, go see some live music!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from June 16th-21st.

FRIDAY JUNE 16

Olivia Jean, Encore at Uptown, $30

She’s the lead singer and guitarist of The Black Belles (and probably heard she got married on stage to a certain Mr Jack White in 2022), but Olivia Jean also just released her third solo album Raving Ghost on May 5th (via Third Man Records of course), which includes tracks like “Trouble” and “Too Late”.

Live, expect some dim red lighting, but an energetic show featuring her own songs, a couple Black Belles favorites, and just maybe, her version of Enya’s’ “Orinoco Flow”.

Boulevardia Day One- Jason Isbell, War & Treaty, The Beths, more, Crown Center, $35 / $60 +

Boulevardia is a unique beer, food and music festival that Kansas City has come to embrace as all its own. Sponsored by the premier local brewery, the day features plenty of live music, food and attractions, and of course, all kinds of Boulevard beer. We love Isbell, who remains making some of the best music of his career.

Not a Phase Fest feat Dashboard Confessional, All-American Rejects, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Plain White T's, The Ataris Legends Field,

Not a PHASE FEST 2023 will be a night of live performances, custom cocktails, and fun at Legends Field. The main sage acts all harken back some twenty years, when Emo, screamo, and everything else over-emotional, was more of a musical thing. In addition, look for Wine Bars, Craft Food & Retail Vendors, a Throwback Video Game Lounge, Outdoor Game Experiences, Art Installations, and more for this 21+ outdoor festival.

Dillon Francis, KC Live! CANCELED

SATURDAY JUNE 17

Rival Sons w The Black Angels, Uptown, $32.50-$49

The Grammy-nominated California rockers are out on a spanning nationwide tour in support of their new album, the just released DARKFIGHTER, which came out on June 2^nd and features new single, “Bird in the Hand”. Just a few dates left on this leg, it’s set to end in Denver on June 18^th, but it’s fortunate for anyone seeing these last shows also get to see TX-psych rockers The Black Angels as support, and who we saw headline in Lawrence last October.

Regarding the new single, “Bird in the Hand,” singer Jay Buchannan said, “There’s a lyric in there, ‘Let’s go down to the river where the water runs still and deep, to scatter the ashes of the mess I used to be.’ You can burn through a whole lot of time just trying to find your lane, your realized intention. At some point you accept reincarnation as a waking process. Build, refine and burn again and again and the lyric, ‘A bird in the hand, now that’s a miracle I can believe’ is the immersive commitment to the present.”

Tacos and Tequila feat. Mike Jones, Montell Jordan, Fat Joe, Lil Jon, Fat Joe, Paul Wall, June 17, Legends Field, $69-$99

KC’s biggest (and only?!) Tacos and Tequila Festival is back for their 3^rd year. This 21+ event features all-day live hip-hop by talented throwback acts as well as Taco Chef demos, Margaritas, Lucha Libre Wrestling, an Exotic Car Showcase, Chihuahua Beauty Pageant, Salsa & Queso Competition, Art Installations & Photo Ops, and more.

Randall King, Washunga Days-Emporia, free

The rising Hereford, TX native Country singer is making waves not only here, but across the pond, recently playing at London’s celebrated C2C Festival and is playing a full run of European/UK shows this fall.

“I’m beyond excited to see the world through my Honkytonk dream and to bring the ‘neon overseas’ to so many great countries,” shares King. “It’s going to be a true thrill to see a side of life I’ve never seen and to play so many iconic venues that have held a lot of my heroes. It’ll be a true honor.”

Impractical Jokers (comedy), T-Mobile Center, $47.50-$158

“We are so excited to finally get back on tour next year. After the difficult last couple of years, we are looking forward to laughing again".  Brian Quinn (Q), James Murray (Murr) and Sal Vulcano are the Creators, Executive Producers, and Stars of truTV’s series, Impractical Jokers., a hidden camera comedy show that follows Q, Murr and Sal as they compete to embarrass each other amongst the general public with a series of hilarious and outrageous dares. When they challenge each other to say or do something, they have to do it... if they refuse, they lose!

At the end of every episode - with the help of a celebrity guest - the loser must endure a punishment of epic proportions. The series returned for its 10th season in February.

Boulevardia Day Two- Surfaces, Grandson, K Flay, Big Freedia, more, Crown Center, $35 / $60 +

Day Two of the outdoor extravaganza continues, with the lineup going more alternative than the prvious day’s Americana-leaning. Plenty of local bands both days and other attractions, so assuming the rain can hold off, why not go both days?

Shooting Star with Missouri, Kearney Amphitheater. $20

2018 was the 38th Anniversary of the legendary Shooting Star debut album released in 1980. Featuring the iconic hit songs written by Van McLain and Gary West; “You've Got What I Need”, “Bring It On”, “Last Chance” and more. Sadly though 2018 was also year of tremendous loss.

Through the years, Shooting Star endured their share of industry challenges and member changes. Founding member was the constant rock that kept the fire burning but sadly, McLain passed away in March of 2018. The remaining members were determined to continue on to honor Van and keep his music alive.

SUNDAY JUNE 18

Matchbox Twenty, Starlight, $39.50-$129.50

After some pandemic-related delays, the band has finally returned, and with a new album, their first new album in over a decade. Where The Light Goes, was released on May 26th via Atlantic Records, featuring recent single, “Wild Dogs (Running In A Slow Dream).”

The 50-date “Slow Dream Tour” kicked off on May 16th in Vancouver and runs through early August. Matt Nathanson will provide support for the KC show-- we thoroughly enjoyed him headlining in March.

Eels, (rescheduled date) Liberty Hall- Lawrence), $30-$55

The coolest band in the popular MCU (aka the Marvel Comics film Universe- they had a cameo in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”), they finally overcome pandemic delays and forced re-scheduling to embark on their Spring Tour, which started in March and runs through the end of the month.

The brainchild of leader Mark Oliver Everett, the band released their “Extreme Witchcraft” album last year and also has limited-edition vinyl reissues of their earlier records, Hombre Lobo, End Times, and Tomorrow Morning through E Works/[PIAS]. Plus, they brought Journey’s Steve Perry back from seclusion. We've caught the band live several times, including in 2018 at First Ave in Minneapolis. 

MONDAY JUNE 19

IAMX, RecordBar. $20

We only saw them live once, back in 2015, but still remember that powerful live show. The FAULT LINES1 Tour sees aka Chris Corner and live band performing across North America, following the release of the first lyrically driven IAMX album in years, with a second full album and European tour coming this fall.

The cold, grinding, synthetic soundscapes of Fault Lines combine with biting lyrical themes of psychological fracture, social division, and the ineffable forces of nature. Both albums showcase a new, harder side of IAMX while elevating the melody and emotions at the core of the project to new heights. Live, expect IAMX's psycho-sexual, passionate performance paired with theatrical lights, visuals, filth glam and the bands' need to become one with their audience.

TUESDAY JUNE 20

Annie DiRusso, recordBar, $15

The Nashville based indie-rock artist born in NYC is out on her God, I Love This Tour. (named from the title of her recent EP). Musically, she blends buzzing garage rock guitars and high-energy performances with a pop-infused flair. DiRusso is currently working on new music at a studio in NYC, which will debut next month and is best-known for her 2018 song, “Don’t Swerve”.

Jesus Christ Superstar (musical), June 20-25, Starlight,$16-$100

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, a new production of the iconic musical phenomenon returns to the stage. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and helmed by director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and choreographer Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom), this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical.

With lyrics and music by Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, it is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the score includes “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane,” and “Superstar.”

WEDNESDAY JUNE 21

Santa Fe Klan w Tornillo, Snow da Product,$35+ UPDATE: Moved to The Midland

The Mexican rapper is set to bring his recent album Mundos (featuring songs “Mar y Tierra,” “Eres,” and “Me Iré Con Ella,” which features Tornillo) on the road for a 35-stop tour, titled “Todo y Nada.” (“All and Nothing.”).

“I am really excited to perform new songs that weren’t on my last two tours, to see my fans experience an exciting show with an all-new production, look, and feel,” he says. “I’m always excited to perform in front of my fans again, to feel the energy that they bring me, and to experience these memories with them.

Summer Salt, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $26-30

Campanita is the new record from the trop-pop, just out on May 19 on Wax Bodega. Its 12 tracks meander through sun-soaked and rose-tinted memories, deep relationships and loss. The album drifts across dreamy jazz, bedroom pop, beachy bossa nova, and desert-night indie rock. There are guitars, keys, and cloud-light harmonies, and strings, synths, horns, and harmonicas, too.

Live, expect some twenty songs, ending with an encore that includes the new album’s title track.

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! June 1-8, 2023, Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

June already! Summer concert season is in full effect!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from June 1st-8th.

THURSDAY JUNE 1

Aladdin (musical), continuing thru-June 4, Music Hall, $35-$125.

From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s the theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.

Aladdin features all your favorite songs from the Disney film versions as well as new music written by Tony® and Academy Award® winner Alan Menken with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida), and book writer Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!), this new musical boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots), and Natasha Katz (An American in Paris).

McBride and the Ride, Knuckleheads,$30

Only recently reuniting, the hardworking country band played their first Nashville concert in 20 years last Feb and are on the road on tour again. Acclaimed vocalist, guitar player and songwriter Terry McBride hails from Lampasas, TX, following in the musical footsteps of his father, the late Dale McBride with a singing and also very successful songwriting career.

Haken w Up to Eleven, Arch Echo, Granada- Lawrence, $25

The Prog rockers are on the road again supporting their seventh studio album Fauna, which came out in March—described as their "most genre-busting and conceptually fascinating album to date."

About the album, vocalist Ross Jennings has said "The premise of the album when we started writing it was that every song would have an animal assigned to it. They all have something related to the animal kingdom that we could write about, but they also connect to the human world. Each track has layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.”

Spanish band Up to Eleven and US prog metallists Arch Echo make it a full evening.

FRIDAY JUNE 2

America, Ameristar Casino, $60-$189

The perennial classic-rock favorites hit the road in 2023, celebrating their 53rd Anniversary and still riding that horse with no name. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band mate, the late Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late ‘60s and harmonized their way to the top of the charts with their signature song "A Horse With No Name." America became a well-known band and paved the way with a string of hits following the success of their first #1 single. Fifty plus years later, the pair and band are still making music together and touring the world.

Bad Omens w Invent Animate and Erra, Uptown. Sold out.

Long sold out, the alt metal band have a busy year ahead as they tour in support of 2022’s The Death of Peace of Mind, which extends into a Fall tour dubbed Concrete Forever, but this is a chance to catch the rising band at a relatively small venue.

SATURDAY JUNE 3

The Big Slick benefit show T-Mobile Center,$75 and up

The biggest and best annual charity event in the metro, Big Slick is an annual fundraising event hosted by some of Kansas City's most famous funny people and their friends. All proceeds go to Children's Mercy Hospital and expect laughs, skits, and surprises from the likes of Jason Sudekis, Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Eric Stonestreet, and newly added to the group, KC’s own Heidi Gardner. (The celebrity softball game was the previous day, for a fun and worthy weekend).

Sparta w/ zeta and Geoffrey Rickly, recordBar,$25

Returning to the road to celebrate the (belated) 20th anniversary of their debut album, Wiretap Scars (which features the single “Cut Your Ribbon” and fan favorite “Air”), the alt rockers’ jaunt will also feature support from Thursday singer Geoff Rickly, and zeta.

All Time Low with Mayday Parade and Games We Play, Midland. $38.50-$58.50

The multi-platinum-selling rock band hit the road for leg one of "Tell Me I'm Alive On Tour" with support from Mayday Parade and Games We Play. The 25-city North American Trek includes two special shows that quickly sold out - the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO which they are headlining for the first time on May 23; and a special unplugged performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on May 18.

Their latest studio album Tell Me I'm Alive was recently released via Fueled By Ramen and the 13-track collection marks All Time Low's first full-length album in three years.

Radkey with The Phantastics, The Many Colored Death, Drop a Grand, Lemonade Park. $25.49-$31.16

A one-day music event jam-packed with some of the best local and regional artists. This throwdown will go down at Lemonade Park, located in the West Bottoms heart of the city.

Trivium w Beartooth, Malevolence, Archetypes Collide, Uptown,$37-$75

BEARTOOTH and TRIVIUM have joined forces for a U.S. co-headlining tour this spring. The 29-city tour kicked May 1 in Stroudsburg, PA before wrapping up on Thursday, June 15 in Seattle.

TRIVIUM is stoked about this bill, saying: "TRIVTOOTH! We are elated to announce our co-headlining monster of a tour with the incredible BEARTOOTH. We have been fans of what they do, and pals with them for ages — so it's great we're finally doing something so massive together. TRIVIUM and BEARTOOTH are both bands supported by each of our wonderful fanbases — so we know these shows are going to go off. Add in MALEVOLENCE, one of our favorite bands on the planet, and ARCHETYPES COLLIDE, one of BEARTOOTH's favorites, and we have a hell of a bill."

The Brummies, Encore at Uptown Theater, $20

The Nashville-based Brummies are John Davidson, Jacob Bryant and Trevor Davis. And have new single "Sunshine" out now! Independent artists, Davidson and Bryant have already had major songwriter success with The Band Perry and Kacey Musgraves and are out forging their own path.  Debut album is called Eternal Reach and their name is U.K. slang for a resident of Birmingham UK.

Parker Millsap, Knuckleheads, $20

The singer-songwriter quickly made a name for himself with his live performances, soulful sound, and character-driven narratives. He's shared the stage with folks like Jason Isbell, Shovels & Rope, Patty Griffin, Houndmouth, and many others.

Parker’s early releases showcased his acoustic folk rock, with their flourish for revelation and fiery dynamics. Be Here Instead, Millsap’s 2021 release hinted at the wildness to come while exploring newer, more personal songwriting styles. Parker's newest album, Wilderness Within You, is a natural step in his musical evolution interweaving threads of his musical past and newer influences. A duet with Gillian Welch is recently out as well.

Trixie Mattel, KC Live! $25-$75

Trixie Mattel has redefined what it means to be a “drag queen” by releasing three charting albums (‘Two Birds’, ‘One Stone’, and most recently, 2020’s ‘Barbara’), launching a successful cosmetics company, Trixie Cosmetics, co-authoring “Trixie and Katya’s Guide To Modern Womanhood”, raising over $100k for numerous charities and organizations in 2020 through her “Twitch Tuesdays” video game livestreams, all while winning the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.

Buckcherry, the Hat-Manhattan,$25

The LA rockers formed way back in 1995 by frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson and made a huge splash on rock radio with their 1999 self-titled debut LP and hit single, “Lit Up”.

They’ve since survived lineup changes, the perils of rock n roll, and an extended hiatus, to still be on a comeback roll, which may have started with lewd but addictive single, “Crazy Bitch”.

Hellbound was released to positive reviews in 2021, and keeping momentum going, the band’s upcoming Vol. 10 releases this June. Live on this The Gang’s All Here Tour, they’ve been opening with “Lit Up” (talk about getting the crowd going from the start!) and be grateful they’re playing sweaty intimate clubs, as we last saw them from the upper deck supporting Kiss. Playing in the Little Apple, this tour is taking them everywhere!

SUNDAY JUNE 4

MONDAY JUNE 5

Shakey Graves, The Truman,$30-$60

Alejandro Rose-Garcia (aka Shakey Graves) announced his newest album Can't Wake Up (out now on Dualtone) and after this solo run, will finish the rest of the summer co-headlining with Lucius, at mostly larger outdoor venues.

TUESDAY JUNE 6

WEDNESDAY JUNE 7

Nascar Aloe, The Bottleneck-Lawrence, $17-$20

With a great sounding moniker, the Los Angeles-based musician and rapper has announced a new EP called HEY A$$HOLE, just out on Epitaph Records on May 26.

With the announcement of the EP came the release of the first single called “DON’T 4GET DA NAME.” “It’s shouting at the kids that I still exist, as brash as possible,” the alt-rapper says about his new single. “Even though I might be banned from Instagram and I don’t really care, I’m still making works of art like the rest of these social media-first artists.”

Brit Floyd, Midland. $45-$79.50

The lunatic is still on the grass – the top-notch tribute band returns to the stage in 2023 to perform a brand-new production celebrating 50 years of the ground-breaking and iconic musical masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon. We saw Aussie Pink Floyd in 2016 in Minneapolis and were impressed, and this Brit Floyd show looks to be as good or better.  

THURSDAY JUNE 8

Illenium, Azura Amphitheater. $39.50-$59.50

Possibly the biggest and most buzzing tour of the Spring – his single entitled “Luv Me A Little” featuring Nina Nesbitt made a splash and precluded the awaited fifth full-length self-titled album, ILLENIUM, which released April 28th.

To make things even better, we see ILLENIUM go on a massive 2023 headlining world tour called “ILLENIUM LIVE”, which promises amazing visuals and a truly immersive audio visual dance experience.

Sisters of Mercy, Uptown, $39.50-$79.50

The legendary goth-rockers just returned to the US to kick off their first state-side tour in nearly 15 years. Playing to a full house at The Fillmore Silver Springs two weeks ago, the band delivered with a 23-song set, featuring 10 previously unreleased tunes.

Opening with the new song “Don’t Drive On Ice,” they did include some of their classic hits, like “Lucretia My Reflection,” “Temple of Love,” “More,” “Dominion,” and the new songs, show off songwriter Andrew Eldritch’s recent creative output, despite having not released an album since 1990, so may mean a new studio release is forthcoming.

If it’s been this long since the band has toured the States, you don’t want to wait on another chance and because of the long absence, this has been one of the most anticipated tours of the year.

Deana Carter, Knuckleheads. $35-$55

The Country songstress made most of her hits in the 90’s, but like a few other acts, has returned on a second life of sorts, with her music reaching a new generation.

Warrant, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta,SOLD OUT

The Down Boys are still serving up their brand of cherry pie and rock debauchery, decades later, and their string of radio hits (most completely written by late singer Jani Lane) is rather impressive. Always entertaining live, ex-Lynch Mob singer Robert Mason remains vocalist, and all other members are the originals (hard to say that with many of their day). We caught them live last in 2016 in Minnesota.

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Aladdin (musical) at The Music Hall, Kansas City, MO (30 May- 4 June 2023)

ALADDIN   ACT ONE: "Overture" - Instrumental "Arabian Nights" - Genie and Company "Once Jump Ahead"- Aladdin, Ensemble "Once Jump Ahead (Reprise)" - Aladdin "Proud of Your Boy"- Aladdin "These Palace Walls"- Jasmine and Female Attendants "Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim" - Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, Jasmine, Ensemble "A Million Miles Away"- Aladdin, Jasmine "Diamond in the Rough" - Jafar, Iago, Aladdin "Friend Like Me" - Genie, Aladdin, Ensemble "Act One Finale" (Friend Like Me (Reprise) / Proud of Your Boy (Reprise 1)) - Genie, Aladdin ACT TWO: "Prince Ali" - Genie, Babkak, Omar, Kassim, Ensemble "A Whole New World" - Aladdin, Jasmine "High Adventure" - Babkak, Omar, Kassim, Ensemble "Somebody's Got Your Back" - Aladdin, Genie, Babkak, Omar, Kassim "Proud of Your Boy (Reprise 2)"- Aladdin "Prince Ali (Sultan Reprise)" - Sultan and Company "Prince Ali (Jafar Reprise)" - Jafar "Finale Ultimo (Arabian Nights (Reprise) / A Whole New World (Reprise)" - Company Bows ("Friend Like Me (Reprise 2)" - Company ALADDIN Tour Dates JUN 7-11 POPEJOY HALL 203 Cornell Dr Albuquerque, NM JUN 13-18 DCPA - BUELL THEATRE 1350 Curtis St Denver, CO JUN 20-25 MORRISON CENTER 2201 W. Cesar Chavez LN Boise, ID JUN 27 - JUL 2 FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS 334 W Spokane Falls Blvd Spokane, WA JUL 11-16 NORTHERN ALBERTA JUBILEE AUDITORIUM 11455 87 Ave NW Edmonton, AB JUL 18-23 SOUTHERN ALBERTA JUBILEE AUDITORIUM 1415 14 Ave NW Calgary, AB JUL 25-30 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 630 Hamilton Street Vancouver, BC AUG 2-13 ORPHEUM THEATRE 1192 Market San Francisco, CA SEP 5-10 CENTENNIAL HALL 1020 E University Blvd Tucson, AZ SEP 12-23 HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE 6233 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA SEP 26 - OCT 1 TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 110 E 2nd St Tulsa, OK OCT 3-8 LIED CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS 301 N 12th St Lincoln, NE OCT 10-15 OVERTURE CENTER 201 State St Madison, WI OCT 17-22 MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 929 N Water St Milwaukee, WI OCT 25-29 CHRYSLER HALL 215 St. Paul's Blvd Norfolk, VA OCT 31 - NOV 11 TANGER CENTER 300 N Elm Greensboro, NC NOV 8-12 LANDMARK THEATRE 374 S. Salina St Syracuse, NY NOV 14-19 ARONOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS 650 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH NOV 28 - DEC 3 WASHINGTON PAVILION 301 S Main Ave Sioux Falls, SD DEC 5-10 ORPHEUM THEATRE 910 Hennepin Minneapolis, MN DEC 12-17 THE FABULOUS FOX THEATRE 527 N Grand Blvd St. Louis, MO   2024 JAN 3-7 DR. PHILIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 445 S Magnolia Ave Orlando, FL JAN 9-14 FOX THEATRE 660 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA JAN 16-21 DEVOS PERFORMANCE HALL 303 Monroe Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI JAN 24-28 BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON CC 1 Richard Arrigton Jr Blvd N Birmingham, AL JAN 31 - FEB 4 BASS PERFORMANCE HALL 525 Commerce St Fort Worth, TX FEB 20-11 PLAZA THEATRE 125 W Mills Ave El Paso, TX MAR 19-24 MORRIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 211 N Michigan St South Bend, IN MAR 26-31 WALTON ARTS CENTER 495 W Dickson St Fayetteville, AR APR 3-7 CIVIC THEATRE 1100 3rd Ave San Diego, CA APR 10-21 ATWOOD CONCERT HALL 621 West 6th Avenue Suite ACH Anchorage, AK APR 24-28 PARAMOUNT THEATRE 911 Pine St. Seattle, WA MAY 1-5 SAROYAN THEATRE 730 M Street Fresno, CA MAY 7-12 COSTA MESA, CA Read More Broadway in Kansas City Hadestown, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album....   AMERICAN THEATRE GUILD WEBSITE

 We were excited to witness opening night of the last selection from this season of PNC Bank Broadway and came away unexpectedly very impressed.  

Disney's Aladdin is well-paced and staged, features a mesmerizing Marcus M. Martin as the genie, is not overly kid-friendly with plenty of adult-level humor, and much more than a simple retread of either the animated or live-action films.  

With bright costumes and effects and a dazzling huge ensemble version of "Friend Like Me", this very entertaining show was the surprise of our season to witness.  

More info to come!

====

From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s the theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.

Aladdin features all your favorite songs from the Disney film versions as well as new music written by Tony® and Academy Award® winner Alan Menken with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida), and book writer Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!), this new musical boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots), and Natasha Katz (An American in Paris).

Aladdin The Broadway Musical is playing at The Music Hall in downtown Kansas City, from now through Sunday June 4th.  

 (Photos courtesy of the official website / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)

Michael James Scott as Genie Michael Maliakel Aladdin by Matthew Murphy

Michael Maliakel as Aladdin by Matthew Murphy

Michael James Scott as Genie by Deen van Meer

Shoba Narayan as Jasmine by Matthew Murphy

Michael Maliakel as Aladdin Shoba Naraya as Jasmine by Matthew Murphy

Arabian Nights by Deen van Meer

ALADDIN (Touring Musical)

ALADDIN (Touring Musical)

Marcus M Martin and Adi Roy and Company by Deen van Meer

Arabian Nights by Deen van Meer

Adi Roy and Company by Deen van Meer

Anand Nagraj as Jafar w Aaron Choi as Iago by Deen van Meer

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! May 24-31, 2023, Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence KS)

shame 2023 Tour poster Read More Shame It’s a shame, but London’s Shame had to cancel their appearance. They were replaced by U.S. Girls, who said, “We’re the best replacement you'll ever get.” …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/ Lawrence / Topeka KS metro musical happenings from May 24th-31st. Have a good Memorial weekend!

WEDNESDAY MAY 24

THURSDAY MAY 25

The Mavericks, May 25-27, Knuckleheads. $49.50-$74.50

Bueno, Bueno! Widely respected as one of the most dynamic live music bands in the country, The Mavericks return with an added multi-cultural/bilingual energy added to their musical melting pot. The genre-bending band puts their unique spin on Latin American music classics as heard on their acclaimed Spanish language album "En Español,” as well as new originals, and many of their longtime fan favorite greatest hits in this multi-night area stand.

Cirque du Soleil- Corteo, May 25-28, T-Mobile Center, $87-$230

Returning to town with an in-the-round dazzling show that first premiered in Montreal in 2005. Corteo, means "cortege" in Italian, a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.

The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us.

FRIDAY MAY 26

Chicago, Starlight. $39.50-$129.50

The longtime band is still regularly on the road and also releases new records with last year’s Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment being their latest. With its 38 studio albums and more than 100 million records sold, Chicago is one of the longest-running and best-selling music groups of all time.

This "rock and roll band with horns" found success with their original sound of pop and rock fusion, including hits "Make Me Smile," "Saturday In The Park," "25 or 6 to 4," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," and many more.

Les Claypool's Frog Brigade (performing Pink Floyd- Animals), GrindersKC, $45-$201.

After twenty years, Claypool recently resurrected his group the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade for a tour this spring and summer and much like Primus covering Rush during their recent shows, the band will be performing Pink Floyd's 1977 seminal album, Animals, each night on tour.

The band will feature Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on keys, and Paolo Baldi on drums, along with longtime cohorts Skerik on saxophone, and Mike Dillon on percussion. In 2020, Claypool reissued the 2001 album Live Frogs as Live Frogs: Set 1 & 2, which also includes a full performance of Animals recorded October 8–9 of 2000 shows in San Francisco.

SATURDAY MAY 27

shame w/ Been Stellar, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $20

The rising London post-punk band has returned with their third full-length, Food for Worms, which just came out at the end of last month. Three buzzing singles were released beforehand, doing exceptionally well on the other side of the pond, “Fingers of Steel", "Six-Pack" and "Adderall".

After they missed Rock the Garden in 2018, we finally caught the band live, last summer headlining in Minneapolis. They've been busy touring the UK and Europe, so are ready to hit our shores with a bang.

NYC indie five-piece Been Stellar will provide support, in support of last August's self-titled EP.)

SUNDAY MAY 28

Hammerfall, Granada. $25

The Swedish metallers return to these shores in support of 2022’s Hammer of Dawn, "We can't wait to be back and celebrate our new album with our fans in the U.S. and Canada!" said Helloween vocalist Andi Deris.

"Hammerfall will accompany Helloween on their North American tour next year!" added Hammerfall. "The highly successful 'United Forces' tour will continue across the ocean in May and June, serving as the perfect prelude to the summer. You asked for it so here we go!"

MONDAY MAY 29

TUESDAY MAY 30

The Bros Landreth, Knuckleheads, $20

Canadian sibling duo The Bros. Landreth welcome a new day with Come Morning, an album that marks both a rebirth and refinement of the JUNO-winning band's blend of North American roots music and harmony-heavy soul.

Brothers Joey and Dave lace their melody-driven songs with layers of atmospheric synth, organ, and textured guitar. Come Morning sketches a markedly different picture, showcasing the introspection and clarity that comes with a long period of rest.

Aladdin (musical), May 30-June 4, Music Hall, $35-$125

From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s the theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.

Aladdin features all your favorite songs from the Disney film versions as well as new music written by Tony® and Academy Award® winner Alan Menken with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida), and book writer Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!), this new musical boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from Tony Award winners Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots), and Natasha Katz (An American in Paris).

The Wailers, Bottleneck. $23

The legendary reggae band is hitting the road on tour, continuing the magic of their timeless classics and incredible cuts from Bob Marley‘s vast repertoire under the guidance of Aston Barrett Jr. and featuring the addition of vocalist Mitchell Brunings.

The Wailers are also working on a new album, which is set to be released in the second half of 2023. Produced by Emilio Estefan, the album promises to be some fresh takes on the band’s classic sound.

In 2020, they made a comeback with album, “One World“, which earned a Grammy® nomination for Best Reggae Album.

WEDNESDAY MAY 31

Drain, Bottleneck. $25

One of the most buzzing bands in hardcore right now, known for high-intensity live shows, the Santa Cruz trio is headlining the 2023 edition of the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour, celebrating their anticipated sophomore album, Living Proof (out via Epitaph Records).

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! May 16-22, 2023, Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence / Topeka, KS)

KT TUNSTALL NUT album cover Read More KT Tunstall I’ll never forget seeing KT Tunstall over at the now-defunct Epic in Minneapolis in November 2010. KT actually paused the show so she can ask the girl in front to stop talking...

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from May 16th-May 22nd.

TUESDAY MAY 16

They Might be Giants, The Truman, SOLD OUT

We love the Johns and all the wonderfully eclectic music they put out, as does most of the nation, because almost all of these dates have been sold out...for over three years! Covid and scheduling has caused date changes, but it’s finally happening and they’re coming for real!

The band will play seminal album Flood in full, as well as other numerous hits to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band. We caught them live last Fall in Minneapolis and can’t wait to see what the live show looks like now.

Mask wearing is requested by the band.

Man or Astro-man w/ Season to Risk recordBar, $25

The longtime Avant rock Alabama outfit emerged in the early ‘90s as a punk-driven, surf-rock band with members who claimed to be extraterrestrials and with a sound peppered with synthesizers, gadgetry and clips from science-fiction movies. They would re-form in 2006 for label Touch and Go’s 25th anniversary and in 2013 released the album Defcon 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1.

A three-song single, Space 1991 came out in 2021 and earlier this year, the double seven-inch, Distant Pulsar (Chunklet Industries) was released.

The Hails, May 16, Encore at Uptown, $15

Groovy five-piece Florida indie band are out on the road for their Fun Run Tour. Having just wrapped up a run with The Happy Fits, they are joining The Beaches and the moss winding their way through the South, Midwest and Northeast. Listen for recent releases like "Fiona," “Breathless” and “Exonerate” off of their upcoming debut LP, slated for release later this year, as well as longtime fan favorites like "Younger" and "Stay."

WEDNESDAY MAY 17

Wednesday w Cyrogeyser, recordBar, $15

Wednesday...playing on a Wednesday means you gotta go! The Asheville-based quintet (Karly Hartzman, MJ Lenderman, Alan Miller, Xandy Chelmis and Ethan Baechtold) is out in support of new album Rat Saw God, which came out April 7th via Dead Oceans.

The band has shared a new video for “Quarry” to outlets everywhere, in support of the new record and come see an ideal example of why so much buzzworthy music is currently coming out of Asheville. Recently, the band was named Billboard’s Must-Hear Indie Artist of the Month and Consequence’s Artist of the Month.  LA indie trio Cryogeyser to open.

Moonspell, moved to The Bottleneck-Lawrence. $25

The Portuguese dark metallers make their return to North America. Originally planned for last year, the "American Full Moon" 30th-anniversary trek will celebrate three decades of metal magic. Commenting on the band’s return, lead vocalist Fernando Ribeiro says: "Touring North America and Canada made us a stronger band on stage and we've learned a lot about music, fans and hard work overseas. We see this 30 years tour as an opportunity to repay all the amazing fans over there who don't get to see enough of us or hear enough of our music.”

THURSDAY MAY 18

KT Tunstall w Ellie Smith Band Jayhawk Theatre- Topeka, $30-$50

The Scottish singer-songwriter returns to the road to support her recently released seventh studio album, Nut. Known for her dynamic live performance, Tunstall’s signature style skyrocketed her to fame when she appeared solo on the Jools Holland show performing her then single, “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree” in 2004 and where she also met Squeeze. The two acts would tour together in 2019, which is when we saw them last, live in Minneapolis.

Tunstall rang in 2023 with a special New Year’s Eve show opening for fellow singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile at a sold-out show in Portland, OR and is playing a rare gig in downtown Topeka at a near-100-year-old venue that is in the midst of restoration and was just awarded a $5mil grant by the state to finish the work. We saw openers Ellie Smith Band live at this same venue with The Boxmasters.

The Slackers, Madrid. $20-$40

The Ska mainstays are out on their Don't Let The Sunlight Fool Ya Tour and will soon join Flogging Molly’s cruise, a few festivals, and the Rocks Off Concert Cruise to wrap the summer before heading overseas.

Hamilton Loomis, Knuckleheads. $20

The Galveston TX blues, rock and soul musician who draws on Bo Diddley, Johnny Copeland and Joe “Guitar” Hughes as mentors and inspirations, is at the perfect metro venue for his hybrid musical style.

Jordan Davis, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, SOLD OUT

Ahead of his bigger “Damn Good Time Tour,” starting in August, the rising Country artist plays a relatively smaller room, in support of Bluebird Days, only his second full-length album.

Hits include: “What My World Spins Around”, “Next Thing You Know” “Almost Maybes “ and “Buy Dirt,” which was certified 2x platinum, earning Song Of The Year at the CMA and NSAI awards, plus Billboard, AMA, iHeart, and ACM award nominations.

FRIDAY MAY 19

Thomas Rhett with Cole Swindell and Nate Smith, T-Mobile Center. $24.50-$104.50

The multi-Platinum entertainer is midway through his HOME TEAM TOUR 23, to end in Nashville in September. “Being on the road is one of my favorite places to be,” said Thomas Rhett. “I can’t wait to see the joy on y’alls faces next year and with my buddies Cole Swindell and Nate Smith. We’re definitely gonna have a good time.”

Southern Culture on the Skids with The Get Down, Knuckleheads, $20

Psychobilly/surf rock band SCOTS has been around since 1983(!?) and is out in support of 2021’s At Home With SCOTS. Bummer as it seems they no longer throw fried chicken / play “Eight Piece Box” but watch your head during “Banana Puddin’” and assume the whole audience might be on stage by the end.

Atreyu, Granada Theater-Lawrence. $25

The Cali metalcore pioneers have a new EP, The Hope Of A Spark, that was released on April 14, so it makes sense they’re back on the road to play it live for the fans.

Tootsie (musical) May 19-21, Starlight, $16-$100

Known best as the award-winning movie starring Dustin Hoffman, this laugh-out-loud love letter to the theater tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime.

Featuring a Tony Award®-winning book by Robert Horn and score by 2018 Tony winner Davie Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), this is a “joyful delight” (The Washington Post).

SATURDAY MAY 20

Willie Nelson w Gary Allan, Tracy Lawrence, Azura Amph,$34-$249

There might be no bigger (or higher) legend! 90 years-young and fresh from an all-star birthday celebration, the red-headed stranger comes to town for what looks to be a very memorable show.

The music icon was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998 and is one of the newest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this November. His discography includes 98 studio albums, with 25 singles reaching number one on the US charts.

Tracy Lawrence has released 14 studio albums, highlighted by Alibis and Time Marches On, both certified double-platinum and has charted more than forty singles on the Billboard Hot Country charts.

Gary Allan's ten studio / greatest hits albums have produced 26 singles on the U.S. Billboard Country and Country Airplay charts, including number one hits "Man to Man,” "Tough Little Boys,” "Nothing On but the Radio,” and "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain).”

Currents w Like Moths to Flames, The Bottleneck-Lawrence, now SOLD OUT

The Connecticut metalcore (w djent influences) outfit spent the winter on tour with Parkway Drive + Memphis May Fire and have hit the road again on their The Death We Seek Tour running through June 9 in Philadelphia, in support of the album of the same name, which was released just last week.

Monster Jam (giant trucks),Arrowhead Stadium, $15-$85+

They’ll sell you the whole seat, but all you’ll need is the edge! The most unexpected, unscripted and unforgettable motorsports experience for families and fans returns for an adrenaline-charged weekend. Twelve drivers and their 12,000 lb. trucks tear up the dirt in wide-open competitions of speed and skill. The Stadium Series Blue Champion will receive a highly coveted automatic bid to the prestigious Monster Jam World Finals® to compete for the title of World Champion.

Skating Polly w Lord Friday the 13th, Replay Lounge- Lawrence,$5

The OKC punk grunge all-grrrl band has been around since 2009 and has sixth full-length, Chaos County Line, due out June 23, and is known for alternating instruments among each member, poetic song lyrics, and intense live shows playing an eclectic array of songs. “Hickey King” is the new single and they love playing covers, so expect maybe something familiar with their own spin on things.

SUNDAY MAY 21

Me Nd Adam Encore at Uptown, $13

These trash wave trailblazers are an alternative rock duo from Austin, TX. American Drip, Pt. I is now available worldwide. “Giddy Up or Giddy Out!” as they say.

MONDAY MAY 22

Ricardo Arjona, T-Mobile Center. $63.49-$253.49

The Guatemalan singer/songwriter is out on his Blanco y Negro Tour, and he is one of the most respected Latin artists, for both his social conscience and his overall integrity. Arjona has enjoyed over 25 years of success since his breakthrough album Animal Nocturno in 1992. Since then, he has switched styles and formats from intimate ballads to electric epics, while building his audience and winning multiple Grammys.

Aquadolls, Encore at Uptown, $12

Los Angeles’ The Aquadolls is currently on their Spring Fling Tour in support of their upcoming album Charmed, set for release on June 2nd. In the meantime, they recently released some singles, the latest being “Far Far Away” which takes on a lighter feel with more pop influences, but still showcases catchy melodies and bright harmonies. We might just have a report from the Minneapolis show- check back.

Christian Lee Huston w Fenne Lily, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $18-$20

The cute Bristol UK indie folk singer-songwriter returns to these shores, co-headlining with Christian Lee Hutson. Lily’s new and third album Big Picture is out now on Dead Oceans, released last month. Newest single from the LP is “Pick” and she’s recommended to Laura Marling fans. We caught her live last March in Minneapolis.

As for Hutson, he’s supporting new album Quitters, the follow up to his ANTI records debut, Beginners. He moves away from the focus on growing up to the dread and complications of growing older on a more mature record, produced by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst which was recorded with more of an organic and homegrown approach. We caught him live with both producers, in a Spring 2019 Minneapolis show.

Ruston Kelly w Briscoe, Knuckleheads, $25-$134

Americana singer-songwriter Kelly is out on his “The Weakness Tour,” a run of 30 spring dates in support of his new album, The Weakness (on Rounder Records), which came out in early April.

Kelly will be joined by Briscoe, and wraps June 2nd in Nashville, TN, before Kelly embarks on his previously-announced trek with Noah Kahan..We saw the show just two weeks ago in Minneapolis – peep here for all the details and info.

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

We♥KC! May 2-8, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Topeka / Lawrence, KS)

Read More Robert Plant The English musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Led Zeppelin, will be headlining the Orpheum Theatre. Billed as Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters, .… …

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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

We♥KC! April 18-25, 2023 Upcoming concerts/shows (Kansas City / Lawrence, KS)

Read More Neil Hamburger America's favorite funnyman Neil Hamburger is coming back to Minneapolis at the Cedar Cultural Center this August 21st (additional details available at thecedar.org).…

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Ahh, mid- April,

The weather is 80 and super-windy, or it’s 40’s and overcast—enough already, we’re ready for outdoor concert season! The NFL Draft is on the horizon (streets are already closed anywhere near Union Station) and the amount of shows is slowly, but definitely rising up.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from April 18th-25th.

TUESDAY APRIL 18

City Morgue, The Truman,$28.50-$55

Since 2017, the NY rap/rock duo of ZillaKami and SosMula have gathered a growing fanbase following their 2018 debut, CITY MORGUE VOL. 1: HELL OR HIGH WATER, More recently, they released their TOXIC BOOGALOO EP in 2020 and CITY MORGUE VOL. 3: BOTTOM OF THE BARREL to complete their trilogy.

Annie (musical), Apr 18-23, Kauffman Center, $56.50-$126.50

The classic story has reminded generations of theatergoers that the sun will come out tomorrow and now the well-loved musical is set to return in a new production – just when we need it. This new revival is directed by Jenn Thompson, features the iconic book and score, written by Tony Award®-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. This celebration of family, optimism and spirit remains the ultimate cure for the hard knock life we all face.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 19

Pop Evil with The Word Alive and Avoid, The Truman. $25-$50

The Michigan postmodern alt rock band has returned with new studio album, Skeletons. featuring recent single, “Dead Reckoning” and has bumped their European Tour to finish out more US shows.

A bit hard to define their sound because they’re creatively restless and curious, there’s no discounting their passion and their fans love the fact that they continue to stretch their own musical boundaries. "That's our thing,"? Vocalist Leigh Kakaty declares. "People know they're going to get that Pop Evil."!

THURSDAY APRIL 20

Neil Hamburger, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $22-$25

Neil Hamburger is a stand-up comedian character created by Australian-American actor, musician and writer Gregg Turkington and he’s out on his well-named "GRAND RETURN TO THE STAGE” tour. (He says…) To make the shows more worthwhile for everyone, top Comedy and Music act Major Entertainer, has been added to the bill as well.

Little Stranger, Encore at Uptown, SOLD OUT

Philly-born, Charleston-raised, Kevin and John Shields are breaking into previously uncharted waters with their quirky indie hip-hop group. Stylistically somewhat to Gorillaz and Odelay-era Beck, the duo delivers a take on melodic hip-hop. The group also puts a big focus on creating visual experiences through their videos, own TV program (LSTV), and in-house graphics.

Black Tiger Sex Machine w Kai Wachi, The Midland, $25-$40

From Montreal, the rising EDM trio specializes in aggressive, dark electronic music, as well as are also the label heads for Kannibalen Records The trio’s comprised of Marc Chagnon, Julien Maranda and Patrick Barry. and wear illuminated tiger helmets during their live shows.

The ‘PORTALS’ tour will be the most advanced BTSM production to date. The sets will showcase brand new immersive production with CGI animation and never before heard IDs from the album. They just released an album a year ago with Once Upon A Time In Cyberworld, but even before that album’s one-year anniversary, they announced next album, PORTALS.

Ronnie Milsap, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, SOLD OUT

The legendary Country music singer and pianist sells out the casino ballroom and expect hits like “Smoky Mountain Rain”, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life”, “Lost in the Fifties (In the Still of the Night)”, “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World” and “She Keeps the Home Fires Burning”,

Carcass with Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich and more, Granada. $28

The UK extreme metal veterans have embarked on another tour with support on the trek from crossover thrash heroes MUNICIPAL WASTE, Arizona thrashers SACRED REICH and death metal newcomers CREEPING DEATH. Carcass's latest album, Torn Arteries, was released in September 2021 via Nuclear Blast.

4/20 Fest featuring Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$ and more, Smokey River Entertainment District. $59.50-$125+

Jah love, Missouri has legalized it, mon! This inaugural fest celebrates the green and includes a Cannabis Village, featuring some of the state’s top brands. There will be designated consumption areas where cannabis lovers can come together and celebrate the day.

Wiz, Berner, and Smoke Dza are all well known in the cannabis space already, with all having their own cannabis brands: Khalifa Kush (Wiz), Cookies (Berner), and Smokers Club (DZA) and each should also take the stage for live performances (providing they’re up to it after sampling the stash).

FRIDAY APRIL 21

Booker T Jones The Folly, $25-$60

The legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and most famous Hammond B3 player in history takes the stage at a historic downtown venue.. As leader of Booker T and the MGs, he’s collaborated with Otis Redding, Albert King, and more during his tenure at Stax Records.

Booker recently released the newly remastered “Green Onions 60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Rhino) and new album “Note by Note” (Edith Street Records) was out late last year, a companion to his memoir “Time Is Tight”, which was published last October (Little, Brown And Company).

SATURDAY APRIL 22

Laurie Berkner, Lied Center. $14-$25

Recognized as “the queen of kids’ music” by People magazine, Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author and founder of Two Tomatoes Records, LLC, releasing 14 bestselling albums and is known as a leader behind the progressive “kiddie rock” movement.

Los Temerarios Midland. $49-$250

The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees are on a 20-city excursion that makes a stop in downtown KC. They received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame in 2012 after winning the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Latin Billboard Music Awards. Originally known as Conjunto La Brisa, brothers Adolfo and Gustavo Angel formed the band in 1978 along with their cousin Fernando who departed in 2005.

Tim Dillon (comedy), Uptown,$39-$69

The stand-up comedian, writer, and actor was a new face at the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2016. He won the title of New York’s Funniest 2016 at Caroline’s NY Comedy Festival. He had two specials premiere in 2018, a Comedy Central Half Hour and a Netflix Quarter hour and hosts a Podcast called The Tim Dillon Show.

Molchat Doma w Nuovo Testamento, The Truman,$25-$50

Belarusian synthwavers are on an extensive 2023 North American tour with L.A.'s Nuovo Testamento. Their previous album was 2020's Monument with new album Love Lines just out on March 6 via Discoteca Italia, featuring single "Heartbeat".

Cupcakke,(upgraded to) Liberty Hall-Lawrence,$25

Upgraded due to demand, Chicago’s Elizabeth Harris is known professionally as (stylized) cupcakKe, a rising rapper, singer and songwriter. First earning attention after releasing her 2016 mixtape Cum Cake in 2016, she remains an indie artist. Not for the meek, expect some graphic lyrics and a promiscuous and sultry style which earned her most of her fame. N1N4 FREAKQUNCY and Chance Romance also on the bill.

Elevation Nights, T-Mobile Center. $29.75-$189

Elevation Nights Spring 2023 Tour features Elevation Worship and Steven Furtick. The night of worship features a group of worship leaders bringing their message of hope and life, along with songs including “Graves Into Gardens, “RATTLE!,” “Do It Again,” “The Blessing” and others.

Emalkay w Coki, Encore at Uptown,$20-$25

The UK Dubstep legend (aka Martin Knowles) is out on his Into The System Tour. He is best known for his 2009 single "When I Look at You", bringing together elements of grime, garage, reggae, and drum'n'bass.

San Holo, Aura Nightclub, SOLD OUT

Dutch bass producer Sander van Dijck (aka San Holo) blurs the line between EDM genres in the pursuit of creative freedom. In 2014, Holo released his debut EP, Cosmos, and around the same time, Disney was threatening legal action over his stage name, claiming it an infringement on the Star Wars character. Holo defended his name as a tribute born out of a love for the franchise, and eventually Disney backed off.

Radkey (Midwest Music Foundation benefit for mental health) , The Ship,$15

Funds from Midwest Music Foundation’s annual Donation Drive have assisted local musicians and industry professionals with affordable, essential health care services. This year’s focus on our Mental Health For Musicians initiative will designate funds for counseling and other mental wellness resources.

The evening will consist of two performances: a dinner matinee variety show curated by Havilah and Kris Bruders with doors at 6:00P and the show beginning at 7:00P., and a later concert featuring Radkey, Pamper the Madman, and Gascan, with doors at 9:30P.

SUNDAY APRIL 23

Ripe, April 23, recordBar, $20

Boston eclectic soul-pop outfit Ripe just released its sophomore LP, Bright Blues, last month via Glassnote Records. The high-energy outfit (currently comprised of singer Robbie Wulfsohn, guitarist Jon Becker, drummer Sampson Hellerman, and trombonist Calvin Barthel) has gotten growing buzz for their high-energy live shows and spirited performances.

“The wildest thing for me is that the new record simultaneously sounds like it has the scars of everything we’ve been through and also that it doesn’t,” says vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn. “It’s joyful music, which is very exciting given that it was made in the middle of getting hit in the stomach.”

First two singles from the album, “Settling” and “Noise in the Forest“ are making waves as well.

Trevor Hall, Granada- Lawrence, $34.50-$40

The South Carolina singer-songwriter with his signature fusion of folk, roots, and reggae has returned to the road on the An Evening in a Blue Sky Mind Tour. Hall is set to share his fan-favorite hits, anthems, and music from his 2020 album "In and Through Your Body".

He’s performed with various musicians including Matisyahu, the Wailers, and Ben Harper and grew a fanbase that became a strongly-connected community..

August Burns Red w Devil Wears Prada, Bleed From Within, The Truman,$29.50-$60

ABR released Leveler:10th Anniversary Edition in 2021, re-recording its fourth album, which was originally released 2011, with special guests, brand new guitar solos, alternate versions, and more.

Brand new album Death Below came out just a couple weeks ago, and is the metalcore band’s tenth studio album.

Joe w/Case, The Midland CANCELED

 

MONDAY APRIL 24

TUESDAY APRIL 25

Transviolet, recordBar, $20

The NY-born, L.A.-based alt dance pop quartet channels smooth hyper-romantic style vocals with low-key production and minimalist electro vibes to create subtle pop. We caught them live very early-on, way back in 2015 at the since-closed Triple Rock in Minneapolis and rightfully predicted bigger things for the band. New full-length Body, is out now.

Arrive early for Roy English, the creative spirit behind Jagwar Twin, in support of sophomore album, 33, out now and featuring single, “Happy Face”. The follow up to 2019 album, Subject To Flooding, he’s taken a nod from Adele in terms of naming the album.

“It’s about showing possibilities beyond the grid we’re currently living in and, I guess, how a 33-year-old failed influencer finally found their voice in this digital-first world. I want to make music that makes me want to dance, too.”

Ashe w Em Beihold, The Truman CANCELED,

john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com