We♥KC! October 6-9, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence, KS metro)
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the first days of the month, October 6th-9th
The first full week of the month (following any hangover of Taylor’s album release and the two Chappell shows) is loaded with great acts from multi-genres, and with the warmer-than-average temps, we say to get out there and see live music before it gets chillier (we spotted snow watching the Wyoming football game).
And, our thoughts are with Raul Malo, band The Mavericks, and his family, after reporting his cancer battle has taken a turn and caused them to cancel tour plans, including their usual three nights at Knuckleheads.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the first days of the month, October 6th-9th
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY OCTOBER 6
Garbage w Starcrawler, Oct 6, The Midland, $51-$76
Garbage has embarked on their Happy Endings North American Fall Tour 2025. whose meaning was further made true when the band revealed in a social media post that the upcoming excursion will be their “last North American headline tour.” The revered foursome- Shirley Manson, Duke Erikson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig are celebrating 30 years as a band *first show ever was in Minneapolis, and we saw them a few days later in Lawrence back in 1995).
Their eighth studio album is their latest, Let All That We Imagine Be The Light, but expect to hear the hits from the last three decades as well, of course.
Arrive early for LA rock band Starcrawler led by front woman Arrow de Wilde, who has a new single that was recorded in the Foo Fighters’ legendary studio, 606, and is a preview of more music to come. “Learn to Say Goodbye” is an anthem that chronicles the struggles of letting go, despite the gripping desperation that comes with wanting something that does not serve you.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 7
Maddox Batson, Oct 7, The Truman, $82-$88
What were you doing at age fifteen besides riding your bike and hanging with friends?! Maddox Batson is amazingly that age and the Nashville-
born, Alabama-based songwriter started getting online buzz from his covers of Zach Bryan and Red Clay Strays and then moved to writing his own songs. His early singles like “Tears In The River” and “I Wanna Know” led to being a co-writer on Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s hit collaboration, “Tough”- amazing!
The multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar & mandolin) now has a deluxe EP First Dance (The After Party) out, and is out on his I Need A Truck Tour (which wraps Nov 2 with a hometown show in Birmingham, AL). Recent singles have included “No More” and the upbeat, sentimental track “Coincidence,” both available via Prosper Entertainment / Warner Records,
“It can be overwhelming, this life, but I’ve got a lot of good people surrounding me,” he explains. “I’m still just a kid, though, and I’m happy about that.”
Jonas Brothers, Oct 7, T-Mobile Center,$46-$233
Speaking of teen heartthrobs, Jonas Brothers—Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Kevin Jonas—have sold over 20 million albums, garnered two GRAMMY® Award nominations, earned 26 Billboard Hot 100 hits, logged three consecutive #1 debuts on the Billboard 200, and recently claimed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.2025 marks a special year for Jonas Brothers as they celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band.
They released two new singles at the beginning of the year–“Slow Motion” with producer Marshmello and “Love Me To Heaven” and have a brand new album, Greetings from Your Hometown, which cleverly has 50 different versions, one from each state, with a brief comments about their memories of that particular state. In support, the ‘JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown’ Tour, kicked off on August 10th at MetLife Stadium. All-American Rejects will open.
Shonen Knife, Oct 7, recordBar,$20
The longtime Japanese punk-pop trio (and one of Vu’s faves) Shonen Knife, are out on their first North American tour since 2019. The “Everyone Happy” U.S. Tour kicked off September 20th and runs through late October, fueled by Momokawa Sake (the tour sponsor, we assume). First- see the band live, if you never have or need to again, and for the collectors out there, two very limited releases are only available at the merch table until the tour ends:
Our Best Place (2025 Edition) — (reviewed here) an expanded vinyl version of their acclaimed 2023 album, featuring four new tracks and embroidered artwork.
Minna Tanoshiku (1982) — the long-lost debut cassette that launched their career, reissued for the first time ever after 40+ years. Only 70 copies of the original existed, so this is a rare chance to hear where everything started for the three-piece, four decades ago.
Djo w Post Animal, Oct 7, Grinders KC, sold out
Djo is the musical project of actor / producer / songwriter Joe Keery (from Stranger Things) who released his third record The Crux earlier this year. With the new record out, he exceeded 2.7 billion streams across his catalogue, earned his first #1 at Alt Radio with “Basic Being Basic,” and went 3x Platinum on his hit “End of Beginning,” while also making Glastonbury and Coachella debuts earlier this year.
More recently, The Crux Deluxe was released- an expansive, 12-track companion album to The Crux, written, recorded and produced by Keery and his collaborator Adam Thein. The record is full of songs that were written at the same time as The Crux album sessions, earmarked for this follow up release, but completed this summer (both out now available via AWAL).
Arrive early for Post Animal, in support of new album Iron, the first album made with original band member Djo / Joe Keery in 7+ years. In 2017, Joe Keery left this band to focus on acting as Stranger Things began to take off, and eventually his own solo music project. The other six members reunited in the studio after some time off, and reunited with Keery, so expect some onstage collaboration,
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8
Lucius, Case Oats, Oct 8, Liberty Hall-Lawrence,$25-$39
The harmonic pair of Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe are out in support of their self-titled fourth album, released May 2 via Fantasy Records. The
band’s Dan Molad produced the album and it features contributions from The War on Drugs‘ Adam Granduciel (who we saw them with last year in Portland, OR) Dawes‘ Taylor Goldsmith, Madison Cunningham, Luke Temple, Rob Moose, and more.
“Our fourth studio album is the four of us, just as we first started recording together as a band,” say the group. “It’s raw and honest and feels like coming home; something that resonates deeply in this moment of our lives. We are home in so many senses of the word; in the last couple of years we’ve started setting roots, finding life partners, building families, growing gardens. We wrote songs about life and relationships. We saw the beginnings and endings of life cycles while making this record, the beauty and fragility of the human experience.”
Wisp w/ Dream, Ivory, Oct 8, recordBar,$25
The young San Fran native Wisp recently release her cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow” following up her buzzy full-length, If Not Winter. Of the track, Wisp says,”‘Yellow’ to me is a childhood memory that I wanted to rendition into my present life. A song that I never understood the depth of, to now relating to the lyrics and singing them with the emotion of my romantic journeys this past year.”
She’s already had a full yeat, appearing at Coachella and Bonnaroo and supported System of a Down, KORN, Deftones, and Avenged Sevenfold. Inspired by the likes of Whirr and Slowdive, her debut single, “Your face,” hit #10 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs and in May of 2024, she played her live debut in Los Angeles to two sold-out crowds.
Arrive early for Los Angeles duo Dream, Ivory whose new album, When You Come Back I Have So Much To Tell You, released on July 18th and follows 2022 debut LP, About a Boy, Growing up in SoCal, Filipino American brothers Christian and Louie Baello were each other’s universe. “We experienced the world through the same frame,” Christian says. They now have over 450 million total streams, and their debut single “welcome goodbye” is RIAA certified gold.
Deafheaven, Oct 8, Granada-Lawrence, $28-$32
LA by way of San Fran blackgaze rockers Deafheaven are out on a 2025 North American tour in support of new album, Lonely People With Power, the follow-up to 2021’s Infinite Granite.
The new album was released March 28 and this sixth album is their first for Roadrunner Records. In addition to reuniting with producer (and Beck’s bassist) Justin Meldal-Johnsen for the LP, They also invited Interpol’s Paul Banks and Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews to guest on the new album.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 9
Christian McBride and Brad Mehldau, Oct 9, Kauffman Center,$43.50-$97.50
Two of the most respected artists in contemporary jazz join forces in this duo!
Christian McBride says, “Brad is justifiably revered as one of the greatest pianists of all time. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to NYC in 1989, and it continues to be an uplifting experience every time we play together.”
Brad Mehldau says, “It is a dream come true to play with Christian in this duo setting. His level of sophistication and swing, of emotional power and grace, is unsurpassed. I’m so honored to be on stage with him.”
This longtime friendship and musical camaraderie has led to various collaborations through the years including the albums MoodSwing, RoundAgain, and LongGone with JoshuaRedman and Brian Blade – this should be a masterclass on how modern jazz is done!
Jade Bird, Oct 9, recordBar, $20
After releasing her new album Who Wants To Talk About Love? on July 18th, UK songstress Jade Bird hit the road again on her highly anticipated headline tour throughout America, the UK and Europe. Count us as fans of hers, catching her in St. Paul on her first trip to tour the States years ago, and her catchy songs and cheeky, friendly 
demeanor, make her live show, always a treat.
Friendship Commanders, Oct 9, Sk8 Bar,$10
On October 10, Nashville-based heavy melodic duo Friendship Commanders will release their fourth album Bear via their new label home Magnetic Eye Records. The record was co-produced by band members Buick Audra (guitars, vocals) and Jerry Roe (drums, bass) along with their longtime collaborator, Kurt Ballou, who also tracked the instrumental performances and mixed the record.
“Found” is the third single from the upcoming record and reflects on where one turns when feeling lost or left on the outside, carrying an anchoring message of hope and follows their dual singles “KEEPING SCORE / MELT” and “X / MIDHEAVEN.”
Mavericks, Oct 9, 10, 11, Knuckleheads, CANCELED
