Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
Easter weekend approaches and with the weather staying warmer (89 degrees as I write this), there’s some colorful shows to hop to (see what we did there), and a good excuse to leave the house, if visiting family gets to be too much.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from April 6th-11th.
THURSDAY APRIL 6
Noel Miller, Uptown, $30
His one-liners and topical social commentary has made him a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world. In addition to starring in the YouTube series That’s Cringe, he co-presents podcast Tiny Meat Gang with fellow comedian Cody Ko,
Outside of music, Noel recently released his first short film, Suki, a dark comedy about a relationship between a detective and a serial killer.
David Koechner (comedy), Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, $25-$30
KC’s own Koechner is known for a wealth of characters in movies and TV including Champ Kind from “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and Todd Packer from “The Office.”
Koechner’s start was in improv in 1987. He was a member of the famous Chicago Second City comedy troupe. He was also a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 1995-1996. He still loves the art of improv as much as stand-up and acting.
Kevin Morby w Erin Rae, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $30
How is this Not sold out!!?? KC native Morby has seven acclaimed solo albums and myriad records of various collaboration under his belt and usually sell out every local appearance.
This Is A Photograph, Morby’s latest album, finds him leaning more toward Americana with his signature mature songwriting and arrangements.
He’s also worked on Music from Montana Story, the official soundtrack for the 2021 film Montana Story, including latest single “Like a Flower.” Morby’s soundtrack is 13 tracks and only 18-minutes long, with plenty of moody guitar instrumentals plucked out in sparse soundscapes and also boasts “One Paper Kid,” a collaboration with Katie Crutchfield aka Waxahatchee.
Laura Jane Grace w Weakened Friends, Knuckleheads, $23.50-$37
Best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of punk band Against Me! for the past two-plus decades, Laura Jane Grace is also a prolific solo artist (with backing band The Devouring Mothers) whose most recent album is 2020's “Stay Alive” recorded in Chicago with the legendary Steve Albini.
Expect a healthy helping of Against Me! Favorites (more of those than solo songs) and local faves, The Black Mariah Theater who we caught at the end of last year, are supporting as well.
FRIDAY APRIL 7
Martha Redbone, Lied Center. $11-$30
The multi award-winning Roots musician draws from the folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Kentucky Appalachian hills, mixed with the grit of teenage years in per-gentrified Brooklyn.
Redbone will perform Bone Hill—The Concert, an epic story of one woman’s return to her childhood homeland on Black Mountain and the coal mines of Harlan County, KY, where her family have lived for centuries. Traveling back in time to her childhood and her ancestors spanning four generations of women in a Cherokee family, Bone Hill explores their lives and stories.
Kevin Morby w Erin Rae, Apr 7, recordBar, SOLD OUT
sold out in seconds, see above for details.
Future and Friends, T-Mobile Center, $55-$260
After hosting a string of shows in January as part of his One Big Party Tour that showcased acts such as Lil Durk, Kodak Black, Jeezy, and more, innovative rapper Future looks to extend the festivities with his arena tour. The Future and Friends One Big Party Tour will boast a star-studded lineup with Don Toliver, G Herbo, Mariah the Scientist and Dess Dior hitting the road.
Future is coming off a successful run with his ninth studio album, I NEVER LIKED YOU., which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last year, anchored by its Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “Wait for U” featuring Drake and Tems.
Rakim, Madrid Theatre, $29.50-$59.50
The pioneering slow flow rap of game-changing innovator and God MC will be live and in-person in midtown Kansas City! Hip hop great and rapper Rakim (William Griffin Jr.) is rightfully known as one of greatest MCs of all time, pioneering the complex lyrical rhyme pattern that transformed rap music in the 1980s.
Rakim formed the Eric B. & Rakim duo with producer DJ Eric B. The pair’s first album Paid in Full was named MTV’s greatest hip hop album of all time. The album produced six classic singles: Eric B. Is President, I Ain’t No Joke, I Know You Got Soul, Move the Crowd, My Melody and Paid in Full.
The album went gold then platinum in 1997. Rolling Stone listed the album on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and Time magazine included the album among the 18 albums of the ‘80s that were included in its “All-TIME 100” albums. Come witness the greatness.
Floyd Nation (Pink Floyd tribute), Kauffman Center, $57.50
Since there’s looks to be no chance of another Waters/Gilmour/Mason reunion, this tribute band might be your closest next best option. Expect to be immersed in sound, lights and lasers as they take you on an epic audio journey, bringing back your best memories of the iconic psychedelic music we all grew up with.
Kansas City Jazz Orchestra- Riff Generation, Medallion Theater, $25
April installment featuring a new jazz ensemble that cultivates new music alongside Kansas City’s fabled heritage of the genre. Part of a stand-alone performance series of new, highly collaborative compositions in a modern examination of the Kansas City “riff style.” Musicians audition for a one-year residency and perform these works in a variety of settings.
SATURDAY APRIL 8
Asleep at the Wheel, Brennan Leigh, Joshua Hedley, Uptown, $25-$79
The Past, Present and Future of Country & Western Music! Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American roots music landscape for more than 50 years. Inspired by western swing and honky-tonk country, the band has accrued 10 Grammy Awards. Ray Benson carries the band back onto the road, where they’ve remained a staple for five decades.
Brennen Leigh is a rising songwriter, guitar player, mandolin player and singer. Her new 7th album Obsessed with the West is an ode to Western swing featuring Asleep at the Wheel as backing band.
Joshua Hedley is “a singing professor of country & western,” he declares on his new album, Neon Blue. His 2018 debut, Mr. Jukebox, showcased his knowledge of country’s history, in particular the ballads of the 1950s and ‘60s.
Straight Jokes! No Chaser Comedy Tour featuring Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, Earthquake & D.C. Young Fly, T-Mobile Center. $59.50-$129.50
Mike Epps who will host, is known for his comedy, along with his notable acting roles. Cedric the Entertainer is an actor, comedian, and game show host, known for being one of The Original Kings of Comedy. Earthquake is a comedian, actor, and voice-artist known for stand-up on BET, HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, and more. D.L. Hughley is one of the most popular and recognized stand-ups, having made an impression in the television, film, and radio arenas. DC Young Fly is a comedian, actor, host, rapper, and singer best known for his “roasting sessions” videos on Instagram and Vine.
SUNDAY APRIL 9
Mountain Goats, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, $37-$47
The longtime indie folk band from Claremont, CA led by John Darnielle formed back in 1991 and have amassed a cult following and released over 20 albums to date, are out on their Spectral Tide 2023 Tour. The now-North Carolina-based band’s newest album is last year’s Bleed Out.
Mac Ayres, The Truman, $27.50-$55
Ayres is a self-taught producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist from Long Island, NY. In the summer of 2017, Mac released his debut EP "Drive Slow" and 5th and latest studio album is this year’s Comfortable Enough.
Pokey Bear, April 9, KC Music Hall, CANCELED
MONDAY APRIL 10
TUESDAY APRIL 1!
Michigander, recordBar, $15
The ever-buzzworthy indie rock artist (aka Jason Singer and actually from Michigan) is out on tour in support of his EP It Will Never Be The Same (via C3 Records), produced and mixed by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Phoenix, M83), mastered by Dave Cooley (Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore), and recorded at L.A.’s Sunset Sound (with the exception of “In My Head” produced by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra).
Sullivan King w Level Up, Benda, Vastive, The Truman, $20-$50
“Pursuit of Violence” marks the final single off Sullivan King’s new album Thrones of Blood, which was released March 17th blending the DJ / musician’s unique mix of guitar-driven metal and EDM. Three support acts make for a full evening of hard noise.
Nat Geo Live: Life on the Vertical, Kauffman Center, $32.50-$73.50
Mark Synnott is a man on the brink of new discovery. A big wall rock-climber, he’s made first ascents of some of the world’s tallest, most forbidding walls, from Baffin Island to Pakistan. Synnott uses his skills to break scientific ground, reaching inaccessible environments in search of rare species. It’s all in the adventurous spirit of exploration in order to educate about these sites of strange and remote beauty.
National Geographic Live brings you behind-the-scenes stories, unforgettable imagery, and gripping footage from world-renowned photographers, scientists, writers, filmmakers and adventurers. We’ve attended this series previously in Minneapolis and always come away highly “info-tained”.
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