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Three magical words- Super! Bowl! Champions!
Ok, the big game’s over and getting back to music, this week is all about The Boss! Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are finally back on the road, though not without some drama, as several members have very recently had to sit out, due to Covid. Let’s hope the outbreak is behind them and all members are back on stage this weekend.
The biggest avant-garde secret is that Laurie Anderson is in town with Filharmonie Brno for a unique tribute to Amelia Earhart, and there are also several good club shows this week.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City/Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from February 15th-20th.
WEDNESDAY FEB 15
Bruce Cockburn's 50th Anniversary Concert, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, $39-$59
Delayed by the pandemic, this special tour is back on tracks and playing to appreciative fans. Cockburn has released 34 albums and his songs have been covered by many artists including Jimmy Buffet, kd Lang, Barenaked Ladies, Jerry Garcia, Anne Murray, Elbow, Judy Collins, Chet Atkins, and more. The 50th Anniversary shows promise songs from each decade that he’s made records in: 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s and the 2020’s!
The Dip, Madrid Theatre, $30
The Dip is a pop, rhythm and blues band that was formed in 2013 by jazz music students at the UW-Seattle. The band combines a typical pop instrumentation with a 3-part horn section. They have released three full-length albums as well as two instrumental Eps with latest being last year’s Sticking With it (on Dualtone Records). Live, they’ve recently snuck in their unique version of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”.
Noah Kahan w Jack Van Cleaf, The Truman, SOLD OUT
Newest releases the Cape Elizabeth EP and full-length Stick Season are both so critically acclaimed, many feel the Vermont folk pop singer-songwriter is on the verge of breaking it big(ger) with most shows (including this one) on this run being sold-out. Anyone enamored by the Mumford-like big folk sound will need to somehow find a way into this one.
THURSDAY FEB 16
Brian Posehn, Comedy Club of KC, Feb 16, 17, 18, $20 / $30
The comedian/actor/writer is in town for a multi-night stand, so plenty of chances to catch him live. Known for specials "25x2" and "Criminally Posehn" and his podcast, Nerd Poker, he’s been in numerous films and TV shows including The Five-Year Engagement, Lloyd the Conqueror and The Sarah Silverman Program.
Cody Canada w Rob Leines, Knuckleheads, $20
Expect a heaping helping of Cross Canadian Ragweed songs as well as solo material from their former rock/alt-country Oklahoma-based lead singer. He fronts The Departed and newest release is last year’s Soul Gravy.
FRIDAY FEB 17
Niko Moon w Dylan Schneider, The Truman, $20-$40
Out on his Ain’t No Better Place Tour, the country-pop singer is also currently writing and recording the follow-up to his 2021 debut album Good Time, named after his double Platinum, No. 1 hit single. Also, he recently welcomed a daughter, Lily, with his wife / frequent collaborator, Anna. Together they composed “I Can’t Wait to Love You” in anticipation of Lily’s arrival. Live, he’s been working in Tim McGraw, Zac Brown, and Travis Tritt covers.
Thy Art is Murder, Granada- Lawrence, $25-$30
Australian deathcore band out on their Decade of Hate Tour, it’s a packed evening with the lineup including Kublai Khan TX, Undeath, I AM, and Justice For The Damned, so an early door time.
Rodney Carrington, Feb 17-18 , Ameristar, $65+
Carrington is known for the witty and sarcastic humor that he is able to blend into various mediums of stand-up, music, and short films. He integrates his country roots seamlessly into the essence of his demeanor and writing style, playing around the world as one of the top 10 highest-grossing touring comedians for the past two decades.
SATURDAY FEB 18
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, T-Mobile Center. $63.50-$403.50
Despite high prices and low-ticket availability and a current fight with Covid, Springsteen and his full band have returned to the road for the first time in North America in seven years. Little Steven, Patti Scialfa and Soozie Tyrell have all missed the recent TX dates and the setlist spans decades, but is heavier on material from Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born in the USA and the more recent Letter to You albums. Whichever way, expect a marathon and fun evening from a legend and one of the best bands working.
Filharmonie Brno With Dennis Russell Davies, and Laurie Anderson, $43.50-$83.50
Take the ultimate flight of fancy with iconic creative pioneer Laurie Anderson as she channels Atchison, KS’ own Amelia Earhart in an expansive work for Filharmonie Brno under the baton of renowned American conductor Dennis Russell Davies. Earhart’s own radio transmissions, diaries, and news clippings are used in Anderson’s sonic score that show off the technical capabilities of Helzberg Hall.
The roots of the Filharmonie Brno go way back to the 1870s when young Leoš Janáček endeavored to establish a Czech symphony orchestra in Brno and the setlist will consist of work by Antonin Dvořák and Bohuslav Martinů as well as the Laurie Anderson piece.
SUNDAY FEB 19
Winterlude: Trent Austin Quartet, Polsky Theatre. $17-$35
Trumpeter, artist, and educator Trent Austin plays jazz classics with the influences of classical and contemporary music. A prodigy, Austin performed at the opening of Euro-Disney and was a featured performer at the 1992 Montreux Jazz Festival and later played with the likes of Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Jack Jones, and numerous others.
He was a trumpet professor at the University of Southern Maine for nine years and now maintains an active teaching studio providing trumpet and jazz improv lessons in Kansas City.
MONDAY FEB 20
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