Some KC-related music updates,

The Live Nation-booked 15,000 capacity outdoor amphitheater coming to Riverside is on-track construction-wise, after the groundbreaking last fall, and is scheduled to complete next May, just in time for the busy concert season.

This hopefully takes some bookings back from Omaha, St. Louis, and Des Moines that were lost without the presence of an influential radio station(s) other than 90.9 The Bridge which is now struggling to make up their loss of federal funding.

Warehouse on Broadway continues thriving and we like their approach to hosting shows and the details of the new venue- Nick from The Pitch has a nice write-up about it (and we’ll hope to get there soon). Onward to shows ahead that will end the month of July!

Let’s take look at the Kansas City metro musical happenings for the upcoming week of July 26^th-31st.

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

SATURDAY JULY 26

Lumineers, July 26, T-Mobile Center, $98-$942

Colorado duo The Lumineers have returned on their Automatic 2025 world tour, which makes a stop right here, following the North American start on July 3, on their way to larger and fabled venues like Fenway Park, Mile High Stadium, and Soldier Field. We caught the band live just shy of three years ago at this same venue and have been following their ascent since their earliest days in the early 2010’s.

The tour celebrates the arrival of their new album released in February, Automatic, available now via Dualtone Records. “Same Old Song,” the first single from the album, has turned out to be the fastest-rising single of the band’s career. And the wisdom of their musical journey and expanding family life, has inspired the lyrics and themes contained in the new album, with the record recorded live in less than a month, with the band co-producing.

Arrive early for Twin Cites’ favorites Hippo Campus, who we’re very familiar with as well, and have a new record out as well, last fall’s Flood is available now (via Psychic Hotline Records).

Michael Franti and Spearhead, Allen Stone, July 26, GrindersKC, $44.72

Michael Franti & Spearhead are returning on their Welcome To The Family Tour, which runs into August., in support of the new and 14^th album of the same name, which was released in late March.

Franti & Spearhead’s Welcome to the Family Tour promises an immersive live experience focused on unity, connection, and positivity. Known for his dynamic performances, Franti often engages with fans by performing from the crowd and inviting them on stage. “This tour isn’t just about the music—it’s about celebrating what really matters: connection, resilience, and finding light even in tough times,” Franti said. Franti evokes a joyous celebration of life and we’ve enjoyed seeing him live every time since the mid-90s.

R&B singer Allen Stone, who is also fun and life-affirming live, will open before embarking on his own co-headlining The Get Sweet Tour with funk-pop band Ripe this fall and dates with Quinn XCII, and Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show.

SUNDAY JULY 27

Wargasm, July 27, Vevo Live- Leavenworth, $27.75

(note: the show was initially booked for Overland Park, but the venue site shows Leavenworth (and the poster shows KCMO which is def wrong), so it’s worth checking before your drive to the show)

London-based electro-punk duo (Sam Matlock and Milkie Way) Wargasm have released two recent singles- “Circle Pit” and “Bad Seed” out now via slowplay / Republic / Island UK.

About the tunes, the band said, “The world is apathetic and lonely, and music is our coping mechanism. Anger is our energy. ‘Circle Pit’ (a rework of a track our Japanese family might already know) is all about the cycle. You can’t break it, so why be part of it? Get in the pit, come out to the coast have a few laughs. ‘Bad Seed’ on the other hand…. that’s for those that choose to make the cycle worse. People who waste time being small and hating when there’s so much to create. We’re going back to the start. There’s an intimate club tour coming up that craved some new riffs.”

The pair followed up their 2023 debut album, Venom, with single “70% Dead” which featured Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, so are definitely still buzzing and gaining further acclaim.

MONDAY JULY 28

TUESDAY JULY 29

Shinedown, Bush, Morgan Wade, July 29, T-Mobile Center,$60-$322

Shinedown have released a new song “Killing Fields,” their third single of 2025 and the band has yet to formerly announce their follow-up to 2022’s Planet Zero, the string of singles hints that a new album might be on the way. The previous two tracks, “Three Six Five” and “Dance, Kid, Dance,” were released back in January before the initial leg of the band’s 2025 tour. Shhh, look for the new album coming in March but hear some of the new music early here.

Shinedown (Brent Smith [vocals], Zach Myers [guitar], Eric Bass [bass, production], and Barry Kerch [drums]) is the #1 artist on Billboard’s Greatest Of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists Chart, after notching the most ever #1s (19) in the history of the Mainstream Rock Songs Chart with a string of consecutive #1 hit singles.

This 30-plus-city trek will feature alt-rock icons Bush on the summer dates with Morgan Wade opening all shows. In addition, Shinedown has teamed up with Musicians On Call, donating $1 for every ticket sold on the tour. Musicians On Call is the nation’s leading provider of live music in hospitals, has delivered the healing power of music to patients, families, and caregivers for 25 years.

Grammy®-nominated, multi-Platinum band Bush released Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023 (Round Hill Records), a 21-track retrospective celebrating nearly three decades of hits, including “Everything Zen,” “Glycerine,” “Swallowed,” and their latest single, “Nowhere To Go But Everywhere” and their newest and tenth studio album, I Beat Loneliness, was released earlier this month. With Gavin and co., everything’s still Zen. Arrive early for Morgan Wade as well.

WEDNESDAY JULY 30

Her New Knife, July 30, Farewell, $15 (PWYC)

Philly’s Her New Knife visits KC for a gig with At A Loss and The Cat Theory (note that Bulletsbetweentongues canceled their tour due to their upcoming hiatus and are no longer on this date.).

Her New Knife is an alternative band consisting of Edgar Atencio (guitar and vocals), Ben Kachler (guitar), Carolina Schooley (bass), and Elijah Ford (drums). The band’s recent EP, chrome is lullaby, captures a raw allure for fans of shoegaze and post-punk.

They also recently released a cover of Björk’s 2001 hit, “Pagan Poetry,” digitally available via the Philly label Julia’s War Recordings where the band strives for sonic innovation, turning a familiar track into a completely new experience.

The group is currently working on their debut album, expected to be released in 2026 and has been constantly on the road, playing an amazing eleven sets this year at SXSW in Austin, TX,

THURSDAY JULY 31

Fitz and the Tantrums w Ax and the Hatchetmen, July 31, The Truman, $45

Multi-platinum sensations Fitz & The Tantrums known for their blend of indie, soul, and dance-pop, return on their “Man on the Moon Tour.” The guitar-less band is still comprised of Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick (vocals), Noelle Scaggs (vocals), James King (saxophone, flute), Jeremy Ruzumna (keyboards), and Joseph Karnes (bass), boasts nearly four billion streams and a string of gold and platinum records. We last saw them live not once, but twice on tour in 2022.

“Ruin the Night” is the name of a new single with Fitz commenting, “Some memories just refuse to take the hint. ‘Ruin The Night’ is about trying to move on while the past is still living rent-free in your head. It’s raw, It’s real, and it’s a little messy, but that’s life. This track is just the beginning. More to come!”

Along with Fitz’s solo record Head Up High, their previous hit record was 2022’s Let Yourself Free, but newest album Man on the Moon was just released (!!!), along with the brand-new single, “Young Days.”

Opening is the Chicago-based rock and roll band, Ax and the Hatchetmen, a six-piece ensemble, led by Axel Ellis, who are sure to set the stage ablaze and whose latest single is “Hotel Room,” out now via Arista Records. That follows single “Stay // Honestly” and before that came 2024’s Love Songs EP, which included the single “Love Songs,” a version featuring L.A. Exes, and fan favorite “Where Did I Park My Car.”

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