Mid-March already!

St Pat’s approaches, we’re “springing forward” with the clocks on Saturday night, meaning longer days and hopefully nice nights (saying this just days after a freako snowstorm with 70mph winds).

Boulevardia just announced their lineup, keeping a mostly local theme for its tenth year, with Tech N9ne headlining, which is all fine, but also highlights the need for at least one major festival in the area with A-list talent on the bill (especially with no stadium shows this season, due to World Cup prep).

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence metro musical happenings for the upcoming week, from March 10th-14th:

(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)

MONDAY MARCH 10

Pink Martini feat China Forbes, Mar 10, Kauffman Center, $43-$107

The multi-genre, multi-lingual “little orchestra,” led by Portland’s Thomas Lauderdale and featuring China Forbes as lead singer and collaborator, is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to the stage at the Kauffman. Pink Martini performs an irresistible, postmodern amalgam anchored by 20th-century pop and jazz, surprising and delighting audiences on every new tour.

Featuring a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages, the group has performed its multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. In 2014, Pink Martini was inducted into both the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. They have released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over three million albums worldwide, and Forbes’ latest solo album was last May’s The Road.

TUESDAY MARCH 11

Keb Mo w Shawn Colvin, Mar 11, Kauffman Center, $43-$87

Previously scheduled for last October 5th, all tickets and parking are valid for this date.

Over the past two decades, award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and contemporary blues artist Keb’ Mo’ (aka Kevin Moore) has cultivated a reputation as a modern master of American roots music through the understated excellence of his live and studio performances. His TajMo project is a cross-generational collaboration with legendary blues musician Taj Mahal, merging the two artists’ distinctive voices and guitar styles.

Shawn Colvin stands out as a singular and enduring talent. Her songs are slow release works of craft and catharsis that become treasured companions for their listeners. Colvin is a keen and warm-hearted storyteller, tempering even the toughest tales with tenderness, empathy and a sense of humor. She has won three Grammy Awards, released more than a dozen albums, written a memoir, maintained a nonstop touring schedule, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a distinctive canon of work. We’ve seen both names live separately – this opportunity to have them together should make for a special night.

Gully Boys w Skating Polly, Mar 11 recordBar, $17

“Picked to click” in their hometown of Minneapolis. Gully Boys is an indie hard rock four-piece whose music features sharp riffs, anthemic hooks, and emotion into a sound that’s reminiscent of Paramore, Metric, and Hole.

Latest single “Love Me 2” (released February 27) is a breakup anthem for the soul. The music video for the song is out as well, and stars fellow Minneapolis musician, Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack. OKC stepsibling indie band Skating Polly co-headlines and opens the evening.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 12

Soccer Mommy w Hana Vu, Mar 12, The Truman, $27-$69

“Evergreen” is the new album (out last October via Loma Vista), and lead single is “Driver,” which finds Sophie Allison and band back out on the road, all in support of. Regarding the lead single, Allison describes it as “a love song that’s really about someone being there for you in spite of your shortcomings. It’s more light-hearted than some of the other songs I’ve put out this year, using my distractedness as a bit of a punchline.”

We caught the band live on their last tour, in 2022, in Lawrence KS and should be covering the upcoming Minneapolis show.

LA bedroom pop artist Hana Vu will open- she signed to Ghostly International in 2021, leading to her full-length debut, Public Storage. Vu’s relationship with music began when she picked up a guitar her dad had lying around and taught herself to play, eventually posting songs on Bandcamp. We first saw her live as a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old just starting out, in 2018 in Minneapolis.

Michigan Rattlers, Mar 12, Encore at Uptown, $21

Out in support of their third studio album, Waving From A Sea, Northern MI indie folkers Michigan Rattlers recently kicked off their Waving From A Sea Tour in Columbus, OH, also releasing a live music video for their single “Lilacs Bloom.”

The Petoskey, MI-based rock & roll group with a blend of folk, Americana and country influences, pairs the heavy hitting lyricism they’re known for, with sonic depth, evolving alongside the characters in their songs. The new album is about making the journey from adolescence into adulthood and fighting to find a place in the world. It’s their most immersive album to date, with other singles “Heaven” and “Gridlock (Just The Sky),” described as the intersection of The War on Drugs and Springsteen.

THURSDAY MARCH 13

Greensky Bluegrass, Mar 13, Uptown, (POSTPONED to June 26)

FRIDAY MARCH 14

parkbreezy, March 14, Encore at Uptown, $24

Aka Parker Williams produces soulful, emotive beats from across the musical spectrum. As an instrumentalist, producer and artist, parkbreezy seeks to explore and fuse elements of resampling, syncopated percussion, propulsive bass lines and affectional melodies.

His musical inspirations span from Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Jazz and various forms of Electronic Music. Parker continues to progress and shape his style to incorporate his newfound knowledge and past inspirations in the form of musical compositions by parkbreezy. Recent release is last July’s collab EP with TF Marz, “Move This Way.”

National Touring act coming to Kansas City, Lawrence, KS, Topeka, KS, or vicinity? Let us know so we can spotlight the appearance-email johnc@weheartmusic.com