We♥KC! December 8-14, 2025 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence, KS metro)
All the recent music talk has been about Spotify Wrapped, which summarizes your listening habits and choices for the year, and their estimation of your “Musical Age”, based on the time periods your most listened-to artists, made the most impact.
Personally. We’re all over the map- from the early blues of Robert Johnson and Son House, to all the great 1960’s acts, to more recent hit-makers like Alex Warren and Doja Cat, to rising artists like the melodic metalcore of President. In other words, your “musical age” doesn’t matter- find and listen to the music you love, no matter what era it comes from.
Note the upcoming Lemonheads show in Lawrence was canceled- between Evan Dando’s health issues and maybe a slower selling gig, they’ll play Minneapolis the night before and then has a few days before a Dallas show on Dec. 10. – It’s a Shame.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for this week from December 8th to 14th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY DECEMBER 8
Chiodos w Hawthorne Heights, Dec 8, Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge, $31-$119 (note: BOGO Citibank offer)
Chiodos and Hawthorne Heights are finishing touring together on Chiodos’ “All’s Well That Ends Well” 20th Anniversary Tour, celebrating their debut album with a mix of old hits and career-spanning sets, with Hawthorne Heights supporting creating a nostalgic emo/post-hardcore event.
Towards the end of their fourth album, Devil, the band members brought their voices together to declare, “Look at us now, we’re right back where we left off, It’s our time to really do things right.” ‘Nuf said, in a way. The 13-track set finds founding frontman Craig Owens back in the fold after a painful – but, for both parties, productive — three-year schism and also marks drummer Derrick Frost’s return to the band and the recorded debut of new lead guitarist Thomas Erak.
“What’s the same is the feeling that we get when we play music together,” Owens explains. “The music is what always felt the same, what we were always good at. That’s what held us together for years — and what brought us back together.”
Hawthorne Heights are set to celebrate the 20th year of their widely acclaimed album If Only You Were Lonely in 2026 and HH frontman JT Woodruff shares his thoughts:
“The best thing about looking back on the last 20 years is that you can do it without the fear of the past, but with the reverence that comes with the time that has actually passed. I feel like all of the noise of that time period was drowned out by the panic and stress that we were living under when creating If Only You Were Lonely. The pressure of creating a second album was almost too much to enjoy the magic we were creating or even thinking about it as magic at all.
CANCELED\- Lemonheads, Dec 8, The Bottleneck-Lawrence,
TUESDAY DECEMBER 9
A Christmas Story (musical) Dec 9, Lied Center- Lawrence,$24-$65
“Don’t shoot your eye out!” From the songwriting team behind the hit, Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen and the acclaimed films La La Land and The Greatest Showman, A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL brings the classic 1983 movie to life on stage.
Set in 1940s Indiana, a young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. A fragile leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Nominated for three 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Charlie Brown Christmas– KC Jazz Orch, Dec 9, Kauffman Center, $80.50 (low tix)
Everyone remembers these playful jazz-based tunes from their childhood watching the animated special yearly, and the timeless music of Vince Guaraldi has been played in more households than nearly any other artist. Bear witness as the performance delivers a momentous arrangement of selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas for big band —in this unique and fun format! Join the KC Jazz Orchestra and guest vocalist Lee Langston to create a new holiday tradition. Good Grief!
Lauren Daigle. Dec 9, Midland, $55-$449
Lauren Daigle‘s holiday tour is “The Behold Christmas Tour,” an annual tradition featuring songs from her acclaimed album, Behold: A Christmas Collection, alongside other festive favorites, performed in an intimate theater (versus her typical arenas) with a focus on holiday spirit, faith, and warm vocals. It’s an entertaining family-friendly event with opportunities for VIP experiences, including Q&A sessions.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10
Trivium / Jinjer, Dec 10, Uptown,$33-$119
Trivium and Jinjer are out together on the “Ascend Above the Ashes” North American tour, with UK band Heriot as support, celebrating Trivium’s Ascendancy album’s 20th anniversary while also promoting Jinjer’s newest album, Duel and will run through Dec 14, with a KC stop just before the wrap.
“We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring this monstrous tour to life — Trivium headlining this fall across North America with the unstoppable force of Jinjer and the crushing energy of Heriot,” says Trivium frontman Matt Heafy. “Every night is going to be an absolute onslaught of riffs, sweat, and connection with our fans. This lineup represents the present and future of heavy music, and we’re honored to share the stage with such ferocious talent. See you in the pit.”
Death of a Salesman, through Dec 13, KC Melting Pot Theatre,$21-$32
The American Dream crumbles under the weight of truth in this contemporary re-imagined take on Arthur Miller’s classic. Willy Loman, an aging salesman, clings to the illusion of success, but his relentless pursuit has driven a wedge between him and his sons, Biff and Happy. As decades of sacrifice unravel, the family is forced to confront a heartbreaking reality: what happens when the dream was never meant for you? This powerful reinterpretation centers voices often left out of the narrative, making Willy’s tragedy even more resonant and urgent today.
Remaining Showtimes:
Wednesday, Dec 10 at 7:30pm
Thursday, Dec 11 at 7:30pm (Talk back after performance)
Friday, Dec 12 at 7:30pm
Saturday, Dec 13 at 7:30pm
THURSDAY DECEMBER 11
American Aquarium, Dec 11, Bottleneck- Lawrence,$20-$25
American Aquarium‘s 2025 tour features their signature honest, gritty Americana/alt-country rock, focusing on intense live performances and BJ Barham‘s storytelling about life, society, and the South. For nearly two decades, the band has pushed toward that rare form of rock-and-roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at 3am that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says frontman Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.”
On their newest album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina-bred band embody that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. The band is great live and we saw all this when they were support for a September Turnpike Troubadours sold-out gig in KC.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 12
Leslie Odom, Jr w/ Kansas City Symphony, Dec 12 and 13, Kauffman Center, Sold Out
Be in the room where it happens for the holidays! Originator of the role of Aaron Burr in Broadway’s mega-hit Hamilton,
Grammy® and Tony® award-winner Leslie Odom, Jr. returns to Kansas City to join the Kansas City Symphony for a one-of-a-kind Christmas concert. Experience Odom Jr’s vocal prowess and charisma in a show featuring orchestrated versions of Christmas carols, Broadway songs and popular music hits.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 13
SUNDAY DECEMBER 14
National / International act coming through the Midwest / Kansas City area? Please email details to johnc@weheartmusic.com with a good lead time to be considered for Show Preview and Show Coverage consideration.