We♥KC – April 19-26, 2022 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence KS)

Things are happening!

Outdoor concert season has started with shows at Azura and GrindersKC and there’s plenty of stand-up comedy to pick from this week. 

Comic conventions are back in full as well, with pop culture, costumed cosplay and celebrities, wrestlers and comic creators invading downtown all weekend long. 

(Despite some health mandates loosening up, several artists are still requiring for entry, so check with the venue and/or better to assume vaccination proof is required)

Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City/Lawrence area for the Third Week of APRIL:

In support of their fifth album, Starfruit, the LA band has a laid back, R&B electronic groove to their sound and the new album features guest appearances from Tank and the Bangas and Lalah Hathaway.

Opener Antoine is a creative Swiss Army Knife, with experience in music, performance art, poetry and theater.

Pinegrove w/ Katy Kirby, Chuck, April 19, Granada- Lawrence, $22-$26

“Pinenuts” are what the most loyal fans of this NJ alt-country rock band call themselves.  The band has been in action over a decade and is action for fifth studio album, 11:11, which was mixed by ex-Death Cab for Cutie member Chris Walla.  RIYL Weakerthans, Wilco, MMJ, and Bon Iver.

Texan Katy Kirby is a Nashville-based, singer-songwriter with new album Cool Dry Place, and Chuck is actually Pinegrove member Megan Benavente. 

Jason Eady, Justin Wells and Ben Danaher, April 20, Knuckleheads. $20

Texas-based singer-songwriter headlines a night of Lone Star honky-tonk. 

Primus, April 20, GrindersKC. $39.50-$99

After a few delays, the Farewell to Kings tribute finally comes to town, playing the classic 1977 Rush album in its entirety after a set of their own familiar songs, with an encore to end things up.

My Brother, My Brother and Me, April 21, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $39.50

Springing from their successful weekly comedy advice podcast, brothers McElroy will be live and in-person dishing out their unique feedback and opinions.

Mattiel w/ Meyadi,  April 21, recordBar, $13

The Atlanta indie rock duo have a third studio album out, Georgia Gothic, and counts Jack White among their many fans, and is highlighted by singer Atina Brown’s vocals.  We just caught them live last October, before the new album had been released and wrote, “Atlanta-based Mattiel opened the show, armed with just her hypnotic voice and lone guitarist Jonah Swilley. This is quite stripped down, as the last time she was in town, in June 2019, she had a full band.”

Opener Meyadi is aka Carmen Dieker and a violinist and multi-instrumentalist

Alan Doyle, April 21, Madrid Theater, $25-$35

We’ve always been entertained when seeing Great Big Sea live and Newfoundland’s Doyle comes to town on his Rough Side Out Tour, with Here, Tonight being his very first live album. 

Expect a healthy helping of GBS songs as well as his solo material, and just maybe a John Mellencamp cover thrown in for good measure. 

Black Tiger Sex Machine with Kai Wachi, Jessica Audiffred and Hairitage, April 21, The Truman. $23-$50

Montreal electro bass dubstep trio that takes their name from a James Brown inspiration back in their more sampling days.  Prepare for walls shaking and dancing.  Single “Cheatcode” is a gamer’s dream. 

Josh Abbott Band w/ Noe Palma, April 21, Granada, $22

They swear, they’ll be there!  After some pandemic delays and then a last-minute cancellation after their bus broke down en route, the Lubbock, TX country band is making good on their promise to return and play.  Latest album was The Highway Kind, released in Nov 2020. 

Opener is a KC-based singer-songwriter former singer of The Broken Cowboys whose first name is pronounced “No-E” named by his Filipino father and cheekily named his debut, Get My Name Right. 

Paul Cauthen, April 21, Knuckleheads. $35

East TX indie folk singer-songwriter formerly in Sons of Fathers with new album, Country Coming Down just released this month. 

Planet Comicon Kansas City, Bartle Hall, April 22-24,  $11-$220

The Midwest’s premier Comic Book, Toy and Pop Culture gathering is back at full strength!  Celeb guests include Mythbusters’Adam Savage, Brandon Routh, Joey Fatone, wrestlers Booker T, Sgt Slaughter, and Jerry Lawler, and comic creators Garth Ennis, Howard Chaykin, John Romita Jr, Matt Kindt, and numerous cosplayers.  Fun for all ages all weekend long.

Ballet Midwest presents Giselle, April 22-24, Topeka Perf Arts Center, $20

Snoop Dogg w/ Ice Cube, Warren G, April 22, Azura Amph, $39.50-$150

Outdoor amphitheater season already?! The whiff of you-know-what will be in the air that’ll you think it’s still 4/20.  Out on the Dogg Days of Blaze Tour, this triple bill brings Compton and Long Beach, to the heart of the Midwest. 

Snoop is relatively fresh in minds from his Super Bowl appearance, and in addition to owning the 3-on-3 basketball league, Ice Cube made headlines over his anti-vaxx stance that cost him a key movie role. 

LP with Nick Leng, April 22, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $35-$135

Still well known for the soundtrack of a decade-old credit card commercial, LP returns with new record, her sixth called Churches, released at the end of last year as well as collaborated with Imanbek on recent non-album single, “Fighter”.

Opener Leng is a South African indie-soul singer-songwriter with two new singles out. 

Johnnyswim with Katelyn Tarver, April 22, The Truman. $30-$55

We’ve been following the LA-based couple and band for almost a decade now, and after an October postponement are returning with the Johnnyswim Show Tour.  VIP experience upgrades (including soundcheck and on-stage access) are available via their site and they’ve celebrated playing live again by covering a classic Willie Nelson song towards the end of their set. 

Opener Tarver is an actress as well as singer-songwriter, known from Nick’s Big Time Rush and HBO’s Ballers. 

Parker McCollum, April 22, Cable Dahmer Arena. $29.50-$49.50

Rising young TX country singer-songwriter who released third album, Gold Chain Cowboy last year and is the current reigning ACM Best Male Artist.

Craig Robinson (comedian), April 22-25, KC Improv Comedy Club, $54

You know him from The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, and those Pizza Hut commercials, and is in town for six full shows.  Saturday night is sold out, with limited tix remaining for the other nights.

Joy Oladokun with Bre Kennedy, April 22, recordBar. $17-$20

Arizona singer-songwriter has a third album out, last year’s In Defense of my Own Happiness and recent single, “Fortune Favors the Bold” which is a taste of more new music to come.  Live, she’s been sneaking in parts of Nirvana and Bonnie Raitt bits into her own songs and has a distinct mix of folk roots pop rock.  She supports My Morning Jacket this summer/fall in much larger venues. 

Opener Kennedy is from Nashville and has debut album, Note to Self, out now.

The longtime country artist is 77 years young, and has twenty-one number one hits under his belt.

Belton, MO’s Moore & Moore will open the show. 

Yumi Zouma, April 23, Bottleneck – Lawrence, $15-$17

They’ve traveled half the world to be here! The New Zealand alt-pop band has a brand new album, Present Tense, which is their fourth full-length.  The four piece dabbles in electronic and dream pop and due to Covid restrictions, the latest album was recorded in studios all over the world. 

Mini Trees opens this week’s worth of shows, which is LA singer Lexi Vega’s solo project.

No Cap Comedy Tour featuring DC Young Fly, DeRay Davis, Lil Duval and more, April 23, Cable Dahmer Arena. $59.75-$179.75

Chelsea Handler,(comedian) April 23-24, Uptown. $49.50-$199.50

She’s out on her Vaccinated and Horny Tour (though has been in a serious relationship with fellow comic Jo Koy) promising all-new material about dating during the pandemic, having too much free time, and over Windex-ing takeout containers.

Jeff Lorber Trio, April 23, Folly. $20-$55

Another pandemic rescheduled show, from Jan, we originally wrote: Part of the Folly Jazz series, the Grammy Award-winning keyboardist, composer, and producer has, over the course of 42 years and 24 albums, pioneered the post-fusion sound of contemporary jazz with his radio-friendly, groove-oriented instrumental music and recently collaborated with guitar great Mike Stern on the album Eleven.

Kathleen Madigan, (comedian) April 23, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $29.50-$45

Growing up outside of St. Louis, this is a return home trip for the now-Nashville based comedian, who also launched her own Madigan’s Pubcast audio program during the pandemic. 

Lil Tecca, April 23, Granada. $32.50

Rising nineteen year-old NY rapper who worked recently with Gunna on his mixtape, and Coi Leray on single, “Mission Impossible”, out on his Tecca Loves You Tour. 

Americana artist discovered by Judy Collins who has also become known as a prolific essayist.  Latest album is 2021’s There Used to be Horses Here.

Henry Rollins, April 24, Liberty Hall. $25-$39.50

On the Good To See You 2022 spoken word tour, the punk legend will faithfully recount the events of his life in the brief pre-COVID period since the last tour, and when things got even stranger over the last several months.

Key Glock, April 24, Granada. $28-$78

Memphis rapper out on his Yellow Tape Tour, who has released several Young Dolph tribute tracks, who he was related to, by marriage.  VIP upgrades available which include early entry, a mini basketball hoop and money clip among other souvenirs.  

The folk soul rock artist has a new album, Dreamland, his eighth full-length and live, has always kept things loose, kept things tight, like his song by that name. “Windows are Rolled Down” is maybe his most popular song, perfect as a soundtrack song on a warm Midwest day. 

As a former teacher himself, he encourages help with funding in their supplies and often gives show tickets to teachers who are singled out for their efforts, via social media. 

California singer and poet Jensen McRae to open, Are You Happy Now? is her new and debut album.