April’s already here–

The month looks really busy in terms of concerts and shows, so it’s a No Foolin’ April, as we’ll call it. Most of the interesting shows are not in arenas or large venues (at least for April) but in the small to medium-size clubs, so this is an ideal month to visit (or re-visit) those local establishments, tip your servers, and enjoy some up close music. Record Store Day comes up soon too- on April 12, so save those pennies, vinyl fans!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro for thee musical and cultural happenings for April 1, 2, 3:

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

TUESDAY APRIL 1

Back to the Future (Broadway Touring) Apr 1-6, Music Hall, $70-$240

We gotta get back in time! Based on the classic 1980’s movie franchise, Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past and send himself… back to the future!.

The tour launched less than 12 months after the Best New Musical Olivier Award-winning production opened on Broadway, and musical has a book by Bob Gale and new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy winner Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy winner Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film, including "The Power of Love" and "Johnny B. Goode."

The production will be directed by Tony winner John Rando, who will reunite his entire London creative team. The production will feature set and costume design by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Gareth Owen, video design by Finn Ross, choreography by Chris Bailey, musical supervision and arrangements by Nick Finlow, music direction by Ted Arthur, illusions by Chris Fisher, orchestrations by Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook, and dance arrangements by David Chase. (whew!)

Kelsea Ballerini, Apr 1, T-Mobile Center,$50.50-$179.50

“This ain’t my first rodeo (but it IS my first arena tour!!!!!!),” the 31-year-old Country star shared on Instagram. “I genuinely can’t wait to be back on the road with you in 2025 and sing our lil hearts out together.” Out on her well-earned 2025 ‘Kelsea Ballerini Live Tour’ , make sure to arrive early for special guests Maisie Peters and MaRynn Taylor.

Latest record “‘Patterns’ is an album about taking inventory of self and life as it is, moving through the things that need changing, and celebrating the wins along the way,” she shared. “Writing this record really was just one big, beautiful conversation with myself, Alysa (Vanderheym), Karen (Fairchild), Hillary (Lindsey) and Jessie Jo (Dillion). THAT is what I want to bring into my show … a night (well, a lot of nights) where we come together and have the greatest night dancing while unpacking all of it. With confetti and costume changes, of course.”

WEDNESDAY APRIL 2

Amyl and the Sniffers, April 2, Uptown, $30-$50

The fun Aussie pub rockers are back on the road on their 2025 North American headlining tour, featuring support from Philly rockers Sheer Mag. Their new album, Cartoon Darkness is out now and we caught them live last, not once but twice in 2022 in Minneapolis, and plan on seeing them again there.

Recent singles include “Jerkin,” “Big Dreams,” “Chewing Gum,” and “U Should Not Be Doing That” and Amy Taylor and co. also recently opened for Foo Fighters on a North American stadium tour.

ZZ Ward, Apr 2, Madrid, $30

The Blues singer-songwriter is back with her most authentic work to date, Liberation, her debut album on the iconic Sun Records, icame out earlier this month, following up the record’s lead single, “Love Alive.” The record is an exploration of empowerment, authenticity, and self-discovery written during her journey through motherhood, and returning to her blues roots, reflecting the raw emotions of life’s trials and triumphs.

“I didn’t plan to make a blues album about motherhood, it just sort of happened naturally,” ZZ shares. “I’ve always written to get through things in life. Suddenly, I was faced with a new job that’s 24/7 with no breaks, and that’s what I wrote about. But when you get tested, you discover who you are, and this album comes from a feeling of empowerment.”

Liberation follows the release of her Mother EP last year and her summer tour with Slash, where she previewed the new material. “Signing with Sun Records felt serendipitous,” ZZ reflects. “Howlin’ Wolf recorded for Sun! It was the perfect alignment for me to truly embrace my identity as a blues artist.” We caught her live numerous times in the mid-2010’s in Minneapolis.

Haunt, Apr 2, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $12-$15

The Fresno heavy rock band began as the work of modern renaissance man Trevor William Church. Son of Montrose / Sammy Hagar bassist Bill "The Electric" Church, he first came to prominence as the vocalist/guitarist of doom-lords Beastmaker. Turning to this initially solo project, Church went solo and created a brew of classic, turn-of-the-'80s heavy metal, drawing deeply from the momentous NWOBHM movement beginning on the 2017 debut EP, Luminous Eyes.

The debut full-length is called Burst Into Flame and consists of nine anthems cover a tight 38 minutes. With HAUNT now a full band and gigging across the country already commencing, their trajectory is onward and upward. "No one can take me off my throne," Church sings on album's title track, and more prescient words have never been spoken. Support: Hitten, Mold and Burn ICT

THURSDAY APRIL 3

Franz Ferdinand, Apr 3, The Midland, $35-$40

Take Me Out! The veteran Glasgow rockers have a brand-new studio album The Human Fear (coupled with its lead single, “Audacious”) which was released back in January on Domino. Produced with Mark Ralph, who previously worked with them on their 2013 album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, the album showcases Franz at their most immediate, upbeat and life-affirming, unashamedly going for the pop-jugular in classic style.

The new record is described as one that “courses with an energy that makes you feel very much alive. Fear makes you feel alive. Awake. A life without fear is a life asleep. Fear is what shows us our humanity. It’s why we search for it in horror films or extreme physical activities. The most life-defining moments are shaped by fear: acknowledging, accepting, or overcoming it.”

We remain big fans of the band and their very loyal audiences, having covered them live for well over a decade.

Warbringer w Allegaeon, Apr 3, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $25

The modern thrash titans have just released their anticipated new album, "Wrath And Ruin", out a couple of weeks ago via Napalm Records, and follows its lead single, "A Better World".

They’re supporting that monster with a co-headlined Vortex of Violence Tour with death metal stalwarts ALLEGAEON. Featuring support from Skeletal Remains and Summoning the Lich and which began March 18 in San Diego.

About the tour, Warbringer frontman Jon Kevill says: "We will be raining down 'Wrath And Ruin' across the USA and Canada! We will be joined by a full arsenal of vicious brutality with ALLEGAEON, SKELETAL REMAINS and SUMMONING THE LICH providing fire support. We will be playing new songs as well as old live favorites, and we will be going all gas no brakes every night, as you've come to expect. Get down to the show, mosh like there's no tomorrow, and enter 'The Vortex Of Violence'!"

The Birthday Massacre, Apr 3, recordBar,$25

Time to get those bunny ears out and dress accordingly! Goth/industrial fans are rejoicing that the Toronto band is back in town to support new single, “All Of You“, which follows up first single, “Sleep Tonight” released last month. Both preface “Pathways”, the forthcoming new album coming out April 11, via Metropolis Records.

Thematically “All Of You” “explores the emotional weight of death and the profound sense of being lost in its shadow,” the band explains. “It speaks to the hopelessness of trying to find peace when the heart is still caught in the echoes of absence.”

We caught the band live in 2022 and 2017 and are always entertained, both by their high-energy performance and the great people-watching of eclectic and interesting fans that come out to see the show. Support bands scheduled are Essenger and Magic Wands.

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