We♥KC! May 4-7, 2026 Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence, KS metro)
Starlight gets involved in the Summer of Live as well-
We previously mentioned Live Nation’s current promotion of $30 tickets (including fees) for select shows, but KC’s beloved Starlight Theater has expanded on that, adding some of its productions, including plays and musicals, in addition to the LiveNation-produced shows that the venue already hosts. Details are here and all promotions are while supplies last or end on Tuesday, May 5.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings for the Week from May 4th to May 7th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY MAY 4
Benjamin Tod & The Inline Six, May 4, Madrid, $36+
Benjamin Tod is the lead singer-songwriter and guitarist for the acclaimed Lost Dog Street Band. While the Lost Dog Street Band is on an indefinite hiatus, a new ensemble, Benjamin Tod & The Inline Six, is hitting the road now, including a recent appearance at Stagecoach Festival in Indio, CA.
The brand-new double-version LP, Vengeance And Grace is out now on Thirty Tigers, and which was conceived and executed as a “dual-version” release representing the full range of Tod’s capabilities: restraint on one side, force on the other.
Lords of Acid, May 4, Warehouse on Broadway, $34.50-$39.50
The electro sex legends’ “Cheeky Freaky Tour” is a 30+ city U.S. tour featuring new music from an upcoming album, alongside industrial-dance classics. Running into May, the tour includes a mix of club shows and festival appearances with support from Princess Superstar, Dead on a Sunday, Tony & The Kiki, and Mz Neon.
This is finally new music which, of course, features the band’s signature provocative, high-energy, and sexualized aesthetic. As of last year, the band features vocalist Carla Harvey (The Violent Hour, ex-Butcher Babies) as their “Acid Queen.”
“For the first time in eight years, there is truly new material,” said Lords of Acid founder and mastermind Praga Khan. “A new album is coming, and the ‘Cheeky Freaky Tour’ ushers in a new era for the band, with respect for the past, but with a clear focus on the future.” We saw them live last, in Minneapolis in 2019.
The Midnight w The Constellations, May 4, Truman,$44-$45
The Midnight’s Time Machines Tour will make a KC stop, with Portland indie-pop duo New Constellations opening.
The Midnight are touring behind Syndicate, their fifth studio album that blends synthwave nostalgia with themes of memory, impermanence, and connection. The live version translates into a full show complete with saxophone, layered synth textures, and the widescreen energy the band has become known for.
The duo will be joined by New Constellations, the Portland indie-pop duo quickly gaining traction with their breakout single “Hot Blooded” and the band is currently gearing up for their debut album It Comes In Waves (May 15, Nettwerk).
Lorna Shore, May 4, The Midland, $55-$93
Lorna Shore‘s 2026 tour is a massive North American headline run, running until May 22 and features support from Paleface Swiss and Signs of the Swarm. The tour began in Germany back in January and supports their fifth album, last year’s I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me.
The band also recently released a single and video for “In Darkness.” Says frontman Will Ramos of the song, “’In Darkness’ is about growing up feeling distant from everyone, a song about anxiety and being an outcast (as many of us metal fans grow from). It’s a song about embracing that outlandish and ostracized feeling. Knowing that we have grown in the shadows, the darkness of the world, but accepting that through that darkness we have become.”
TUESDAY MAY 5
David Byrne, May 5, Starlight, Low Tix- $63.75 Terrace only
Who Is the Sky?, released via Matador Records, is David Byrne’s first album since releasing the acclaimed 2018 American Utopia, which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and HBO film (and was our favorite live show of that year, by far [David Byrne at Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis (17 May 2018) – WeHeartMusic].
The album’s 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra and guests include Paramore’s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.
Byrne says about the spirit behind Who Is the Sky? “I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I’m doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There’s always a bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I’ve found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it’s because I’m able to clearly impart what it is I’m trying to do.”
He’’s additionally announced a run of tour dates in Mexico this summer and his new book, SLEEPING BEAUTIES: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up, will be out October 6 via Penguin Press.
Vana, May 5, recordBar, Sold Out!
Vana is a New Zealand-based artist whose industrial alt-metal sound merges brutal riffs with haunting electro-pop elements, trap-influenced production, and visceral breakdowns. Vana is entirely self-taught, building her sound and fanbase independently before signing to Sumerian Records in 2025.
Her breakout single “Beg!” earned acclaim from Rolling Stone Australia, Vice New Zealand, NZ Musician, and Rova, and now, latest track “In Your Name” (via Sumerian Records) is already hitting high streaming numbers.
Vana shared, “Falling in love is painful. Where there is equal love, there will inevitably be equal loss. Sometimes you fall in love even when it hurts you. Sometimes, loving someone you know is bad for you hurts less than grieving the loss of that love. “In Your Name” demonstrates how far some would go in the name of love, no matter how toxic that love may be.”
Lambrini Girls w Big Special- May 5 Granada-Lawrence, is RESCHEDULED to 10/1
WEDNESDAY MAY 6
Brenn! (stylized with an exclamation point) is a 20-year-old Alabama-based indie folk-pop artist signed to Westward Recordings and who became known for viral TikTok hits like “4Runner” (which landed on the Billboard Top 50) and “Days on End.” In 2024, he released his debut EP, which has over 100 million streams, which resulted in a sold-out tour, and key festival appearances such as at Hangout Fest and Lollapalooza.
His latest release, “Somehow Made It Out” is a candid ballad which explores the pain of being left behind and finding a way forward after someone you loved has already moved on.
THURSDAY MAY 7
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, May 7, Uptown Theater,$52-$130
The Platinum-selling, five-time Grammy Award-nominated blues-rock icon is out on a major new tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his groundbreaking debut album, Ledbetter Heights, which launched February 19th in Dallas.
The tour will feature Ledbetter Heights, performed in its entirety as well as songs highlighting Shepherd’s remarkable 30-year career. This 30th anniversary chapter promises to bring things full circle, especially for longtime fans who will finally get to hear vocalist Noah Hunt perform all of the Ledbetter Heights material live. Hunt has appeared on every other KWS album but not on on the original release – making this tour a meaningful and long-anticipated moment. As Shepherd puts it, “That’s always been the missing piece – and now the circle feels complete.”
Products, May 7, Hillsiders,$10
Products Band recently shared their new single, “Winner,” and launched their tour in Fargo, which makes its way to KC at this friendly dive bar. The Minneapolis band’s single (together as a quartet since Jo, Alex, Konner and Jack started playing together in 2017) has been building up steam across the Midwest, across public radio and more.
In true DIY fashion, they self-released both their 2018 EP On the Dotted Line and 2021’s full-length Pink Puma as cassette-only releases. In 2023, they released Some Sudden Weather on Solid Brass, and the following year saw them embark on their first-ever West Coast tour, so things keep looking brighter.
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.