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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
It’s the halfway mark--
June already usually means hot temps outside, but it’s been unseasonably cool in KC so far, but that looks to change soon. Outdoor venues are all open and school’s out, so time for a cold beverage and some hot music!
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the upcoming week of June 2nd-June 8th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY JUNE 2
TUESDAY JUNE 3
Brit Floyd, June 3, Midland, $47-$94
Brit Floyd is on the road again, this time celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" with their North American leg playing into July. There will also be dates in Europe, including the UK, and elsewhere. The tour features a 2.5-hour plus show with a laser and light show, circular screen, and inflatables, showcasing music from various Pink Floyd albums, including "Dark Side of the Moon", "The Wall", and "Animals".
The ensemble includes long-time guitarist/lead vocalist and musical director Damian Darlington, bassist/lead vocalist Ian Cattell, and Canadian Idol Winner vocalist Eva Avila, along with the other expert musicians who have joined the ranks over the last decade.
Wish You Were Here features four of Floyd’s most loved songs, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Welcome to the Machine,” “Have a Cigar” and, of course, the title track. With the actual band still on rocky terms, and the Roger Waters’ recent redux versions, being a little too...lacking, this is the Floyd version you know from their glory days- Shine On!
School of Rock (musical), June 3-8, Starlight, $14.72-$104.75
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is a Broadway smash hit based on the 2003 movie of the same name that starred Jack Black. The musical tells the story of Dewey Finn, a failed rock star who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school to earn extra money. He then transforms a class of straight-A students into a rock band, with the goal of entering them in the Battle of the Bands.
While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.
Featuring 14 new songs from Webber and all the originals from the movie, the show also features a cast of talented kids who play their instruments live on stage. The musical has been praised for its energy, humor, and message about the transformative power of music.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 4
THURSDAY JUNE 5
Flatland Cavalry, June 5, Grinders KC,$43.17GA
The Lubbock, TX Country band heads out on their new “Flatland Forever Tour” which began in February in Atlanta. They also have a new album to support, Flatland Forever, out via Interscope Records which reached No. 1 on Shazam’s U.S. Top 200 chart after their song “How Long” was featured in the hit show Yellowstone.
They also wrote and recorded songs for two major film soundtracks (Twisters and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), received their first ACM Awards nomination for Group of the Year and garnered more than 500 million streams across platforms. The Wilder Blue and Keller Cox will open.
Peelander-Z, June 5, recordBar, $15
The revered costumed Japanese American punk rock band calls Austin, TX home these days (formerly NYC), but if you ask them, they hail “from the Z area of Planet Peelander."
Blending elements of the Power Rangers, Japanese and American pop culture images, sci-fi, and pro wrestling, Peelander-Z won fans and friends from a wide cross section of the pop audience, appearing on a number of compilations, as well as festivals and conventions.
The group, made up of Kengo Hioki (aka Peelander Yellow — vocals, guitar), Kotaro Tsukada (aka Peelander Red — bass, vocals), and Kazuki Yamamoto (aka Peelander Blue — drums, vocals) came together in 1998. After Blue was called back to their home planet, Peelander Green (Akihiko Naruse) signed on to further the group’s momentum. As “the story goes, they were born in the Z region of the planet Peelander, and their colorful garb was not merely costume, but their “alien” skin.
Their debut recording, the mini-album Peelander-Z, was released in 1999, and the legend was born!
FRIDAY JUNE 6
Bill Murray and Blood Brothers, June 6, Knuckleheads, Sold Out
Actor, singer, and raconteur Bill Murray is touring with his band "The Blood Brothers" which includes Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia. The tour blends of Murray's comedic charm with the band's musical talent as they run through a mix of classic-rock covers and originals too.
The pair’s “Blood Brothers” album won a 2024 Blues Music Award for Blues Rock Album of the Year and Zito earned Blues Rock Artist of the year. Murray and the pair of six-string slingers will be joined by veteran session and touring band ace and longtime Conan O’Brien show music director, Jimmy Vivino.
The tour kicked off in January with shows in Chicago and ends in Louisville, KY on October 4th, with the KC date and associated VIP packages, being long sold out, and “that’s a fact, jack!”
SATURDAY JUNE 7
Samia w Raffaella, June 7, The Truman, $19+
Minneapolis-based artist Samia shared an initial single from her third studio album Bloodless, which arrived in April. “Carousel is a shadow of a long song,” said Samia. “It’s about spinning your wheels and being afraid to make someone’s life less beautiful if you’re in it.” She’s also shared the project’s second single, “Lizard.”
The North American tour kicked off in Portland, ME last week and the 13-date run concludes with this show in Kansas City. She’ll be joined by collaborator and Peach Fuzz bandmate Raffaella.
Raffaella has released a new EP, LIVE, RAFF, LOVE (Act II), a follow up to 2022’s ACT I EP. If Act I was a revolution, Act II is a revelation. With both acts being Twin Cities residents, we caught Samia at a hometown First Ave show in 2023, and just saw Raffaella in Lawrence in March.
Dawes, June 7, Ameristar, $63-$166
Count us as longtime fans of, and covering them since their start in 2009, LA-based Dawes, who has always had Taylor Goldsmith and his younger brother drummer Griffin as the band’s foundation. We’ve seen them back up and play with other bands, and with rotating lineups that even included Allman Bros.’ Dickey Betts’ son Duane, but as of last year the band is just a brotherly duo.
The release of their ninth studio album, Oh Brother, began this new era of Dawes, and alongside some touring musicians, the siblings hit the road to support their new record. But the joy of touring the country came to a hard halt in January of this year, when both brothers were directly affected by the wildfires of Los Angeles.
They lost their music studio — and Griff, his home and collection of percussion gear, but they became voices for the people of Altadena and associated, with a surprise appearance to open the 67th Grammy Awards. Backed by a supergroup including Brad Paisley, Brittany Howard, John Legend, Sheryl Crow and St. Vincent, Dawes covered Randy Newman’s 1983 hit “I Love L.A.,” with modified lyrics to pay tribute to the L.A. firefighters.
They’ve hit the road again, with a renewed passion, and we’ve always been impressed with their live show, having last seen them in Lawrence in 2023
Faster Pussycat w Supersuckers, June 7, Knuckleheads, $39.32
The LA-based self-proclaimed Kings of Sleaze Rock Faster Pussycat are still out there and on a summer tour with Supersuckers. The tour kicked off on May 30th in Las Vegas and ends after 30 dates, out West in July.
Faster Pussycat are fronted by founder and chief song-writer Taime Downe, with his rhythm section of Chad Stewart (drums) and Danny Nordahl (bass) holding down the low-end since 2001, with a dual-guitar attack of Sam ‘Bam’ Koultan and Kieran Robertson. Their 80’s hits included “Bathroom Wall” and their remake of “You’re So Vain” and Downe’s fiancé apparently jumped off a cruise ship to her death back in March, ...so wowza.
Supersuckers formed in 1988, whose music ranges from Alternative Rock to Country Rock to Cowpunk. Described by AllMusic as “the bastard sons of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after being weaned on punk rock, unafraid of massive guitar riffs, outsized personalities, or pledging allegiance to sex, weed, and Satan with a wink and a nudge”. The band consists of trio Eddie Spaghetti, Metal Marty Chandler and Christopher “Chango” von Streicher.
The Rumors and The Lonely Ones will fill out a very full musical evening.
SUNDAY JUNE 8
National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity? Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email [email protected]
| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ X / twitter.com |
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