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Read more Kansas City Music Guide.
We finally made it to Christmas week!
As expected, not a lot of national touring acts (that aren’t holiday-themed) but we’ll recommend LA rockers Classless Act coming to a new-ish small venue in Lawrence. Since activity has slowed, we’ll take these Previews all the way to the end of the year.
After a very busy concert year, NYE has a surprising lack of a national artist show locally, but see below for a few interesting ways to count it down and pop that champagne. Happy 2023!
Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City metro December 19th-31st.
Monday Dec 19
CONTINUING: Kansas City Ballet Presents The Nutcracker December 7-24, Kauffman Center, $64.50-$258.50
An annual holiday tradition! The classic, Victorian-era story by E.T.A. Hoffman features Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, Dr. Drosselmeier and the Sugar Plum Fairy and is a magical theatrical experience wrapped with memorable costumes, grand sets, and captivating choreography. Thru Xmas Eve.
Tuesday Dec 20
Wednesday Dec 21
Classless Act, Dec 21, Lucia- Lawrence, $10
Don’t sleep on this one! - Formed in 2018 and consisting of five former strangers who met via social media (Derek Day-Vocals; Dane Pieper– Guitar; Griffin Tucker-Guitar; Franco Gravante – Bass; Chuck McKissock- Drums), the rising LA band is turning heads and catching ears!
Their debut single “Give It To Me” was released in summer 2021 and they quickly hit the road with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard on their Summer Stadium Tour. New acoustic single “All That We Are” is one from the five unplugged song/video collection, due out this week, that also includes acoustic versions of their debut album’s (Welcome to the Show, released in June) stand-out tracks.
Local openers LYXE (pronounced “likes”) have released a new EP, following a few years (and a pandemic pause). The rock trio is comprised of frontman Ryan Wise (of The Sluts), AJ Knudson- bass; and Jimmy Girod – drums.
Kansas City Symphony Presents Elf™ in Concert Film + Live Orchestra Dec 21-24, Helzberg Hall, up to $148.50
The new classic holiday film (starring Will Ferrell) comes more to life with a live orchestral soundtrack!
Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn't fit in, adult Buddy travels to NYC, in full elf uniform, to search for his real father. MPAA Rating: PG The entire run is nearly sold out, so get tix while you can!
Thursday Dec 22
Friday Dec 23
Christmas at the Crossroads benefit, The Truman, 11:00 AM, Free
Shelter KC’s annual celebration of Christmas serving adults experiencing homelessness. Last year, 70% of the people in attendance had not previously used our services. This premier holiday event offers fun, food, and fellowship with carnival-style booths, a traditional holiday meal, care package giveaways, and new this year, we are partnering with Operation Care International to provide new socks and shoes to those in attendance.
Radkey, Xmas Evil Eve, w Frogpond, The Many Colored Death and Drop A Grand, $18-$50
St. Joe’s favorite punk rock brothers, Dee, Solomon, and Isaiah Radke, and return en force, with a Xmas Eve Eve epic night of ROCK! “It's going to be a sleigher!,” they promise.
Saturday Dec 24
Christmas Eve with the Soul Visionaries, Granada- Lawrence, $10-$15
Bring in your Christmas with style as an area musical collective comes together to bring some soul classics (holiday-themed and otherwise) to the live stage – expect to hear familiar tunes from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, the Stax Records lineup, and many more timeless songs that most of us know every word to.
Sunday Dec 25
Monday Nov 26
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Dec 26-Afternoon & Eve, T-Mobile Center $39.50-$109.50
The multi-platinum, progressive rock group brings its 2022 winter tour, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve – the Best of TSO & More in for two shows on this Boxing Day, bringing a completely updated presentation of the multi-generational holiday tradition to 60 cities, including right here in KC.
TSO will give at least $1 from every ticket sold to charity and to date and some $18 million has been donated by the group.” A product of the imagination of TSO’s late founder Paul O’Neill (also from rock band Savatage), and his wife Desi, the rock opera features such favorites as "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," "O’ Come All Ye Faithful," "Good King Joy," "Christmas Canon," "Music Box Blues," "Promises To Keep," and "This Christmas Day." A second set containing TSO’s greatest hits includes “Wizards In Winter,” “A Mad Russian’s Christmas,” and more.
Tuesday Dec 27
Wednesday Dec 28
Rainmakers, Knuckleheads, $20
After a successful Thanksgiving weekend show at the venue, the band returns for their Almost New Year's Eve Show. The classic KC original rock band, fronted by Bob Walkenhorst, which had a handful of radio of hits ("Let My People Go-Go", "Downstream", "Small Circles", more) in the late 1980s-90s in the US and Europe, especially Norway.
We caught them live back in June, in suburban Olathe, for their first show back from the pandemic and heard all the favorites that were all over Midwest rock radio. No word if bassist Rich Ruth will again make the trip from Nashville to play at this show, as he did in June, but it’s a nice show to finish the year with.
Thursday Dec 29
Friday Dec 30
Saturday Dec 31
NYE 2023, Uptown Theater, $55-$65+
NYE is packed with local talent including main stage DJ’s, yacht rock cover band Summer Breeze in the main Theater, 9-piece soul band The Freedom Affair in the Valentine Room, disc jockey DJ Thundercutz in the Encore, and a special drag show with Moltyn Decadence in the Cabaret Room.
Five open bars with drinks included, a video wall on the main stage as well as lasers, haze, liquid sky, and two photo booths. The Valentine Room will feature a craft beer lounge while the Mezzanine is transformed into a Margarita Cantina. GA-$55 in adv / $65 day of / Limited VIP $90.
Deadman Flats, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $15, (21+)
Five friends from KS– Alex Law (guitar), Matt Stambaugh (mandolin), Pat Watt (banjo), Sonny Sparks (bass) and Brody Buster (harmonica/guitar) playing experimental bluegrass by injecting it with their own flavor of hard-edged acoustic deathpunk. This energetic string band catalyzes outrageous outbursts of dance and foot-stomping with their bouncy, up-tempo outlaw anthems about women, whiskey and the simple things in life.(..so they claim...but sounds like a good time).
Support from Kansas City Bear Fighters, Chucky Waggs and the Company of Raggs
Emo Nite, Granada Theater- Lawrence - $20-$25
Who knew this was such a big thing?!
Founders and party organizers Morgan Freed and T.J. Petracca are committed to reviving the emo scene with a nationwide club tour. Fans can expect DJ-style sets featuring hit emo and punk tunes (think: blink-182, All Time Low, Dashboard Confessional, The Maine, and Good Charlotte) mashed with today’s pop and electronic songs.
A similar (but different) event takes place mid-Jan at The Truman as well.
| john c ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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