May 12-17, 2026, Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

We heard about the Tee-Pee too late!

On Friday night, The All-American Rejects arrived in Lawrence, to play one of their now-famous impromptu concerts at, of all places, under a 50ft concrete Tee-Pee, just off Highway 40, north of town. Word got out rather quickly via Social and more than a thousand stretched a line around the premises, most of whom, weren’t getting in.

No couple songs and done, they played a full 10-song set, starting with hit, “Dirty Little Secret” (which the whole thing was, for a hot minute) and ended with hit, “Gives You Hell” (directed toward any friend that didn’t tell you in time). Well, it sounded like fun and those of us that didn’t hear about it in time, can RSVP for July 11, as they’re returning to play as part of the FIFA Fan Fest in KC.

Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from May 12th to May 17th.

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

TUESDAY MAY 12

KC Ballet presents The Great Gatsby, through May 17, Kauffman, $34-$149

Step back a century ago into the glamorous Jazz Age world of the Roaring Twenties with Kansas City Ballet’s stunning new production of The Great Gatsby. Experience the luxury, drama, and tragic romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, brought to life on stage.

Set in Jay Gatsby’s lavish Long Island mansion, where the champagne flows and the elite gather for extravagant parties, this production unveils a world of glamour, jealousy, and hidden secrets. The Broadway touring production was recently in town, so continue the 100-Year celebration with the Ballet’s unique take on this classic work.

Bring Me the Horizon, Motionless in White, The Plot in You, May 12, T-Mobile Center, $69-$272

BRIT and GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum-selling rockers Bring Me the Horizon continue on the road with support from Motionless in White and The Plot in You, featuring an intense, high-energy live show following their POST HUMAN: NeX GEn campaign and their “N. American Ascension Program 2” Tour, which focuses on a tech-forward, immersive production.

After a successful first leg, this version kicked off April 28 and features a stop at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on May 2, with Program 3 leg resuming Sept. 20 in Vancouver, to Oct. 8 in Grand Rapids, MI.

More than just a tour, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – The Second Ascension Program expands on the band’s fully immersive live universe, a high-impact, multi-sensory show blending cutting-edge visuals, cyberpunk aesthetics, and relentless energy. “This tour feels like the next evolution for us,” said BMTH frontman Oli Sykes. “We’ve been building something massive with the POST HUMAN era, and this is our chance to bring that world to life for even more fans.”

Platinum-selling, Scranton, PA powerhouse Motionless in White have just announced their new and seventh album Decades – it arrives July 17 via Roadrunner Records and featuring new single “Playing God” (Featuring Corey Taylor), out now.

For over 20 years, the quintet — Chris Motionless [vocals], Ricky Olson [guitar], Ryan Sitkowski [guitar], Vinny Mauro [drums], and Justin Morrow [bass] — have resided in their own shadowy corner of alternative music and culture. The group’s uncanny alchemy of metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic has attracted an ardent audience, fueling a quiet rise out of the Rust Belt and into theaters and arenas.

Also, The Plot In You announces ‘The Volumes Series’ Collection, out July 10 via Fearless Records- a full-length culmination that unifies that band’s preceding four EP installments into one complete collection. When asked about the inspiration of the track, vocalist Landon Tewers commented: “A meditation on current society. Up is down, down is up. Nothing is what it seems we often forget what it means to be human.”

WEDNESDAY MAY 13

Charlie Puth w/ Daniel Seavey, May 13, Starlight,$52.49- $121.45 (4 for $129 offer)

Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer Charlie Puth has amassed over 35 billion career streams, nine multi-platinum singles (including “Attention,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” “See You Again” & more), four GRAMMY nominations, three Billboard Music Awards, a Critic’s Choice Award, and a Golden Globe nomination.

Following the release of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever! out now via Atlantic Records, Puth has revealed the official music video for focus track “Sideways” (featuring Coco Jones). Ex-Why Don’t We member and Portland OR native Daniel Seavey will open.

THURSDAY MAY 14

Lowertown, May 14, White Schoolhouse-Lawrence,$20

Lowertown, the NY (via Atlanta) duo comprised of Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg, recently released their single, “Big Thumb,” the latest from their new album Ugly Duckling Union, due out May 22nd via Summer Shade.

“‘Big Thumb’ was written during Olive’s obsession with collecting newspaper clippings and found pieces of writing. She had always wanted to write a song in the way the 90’s industrial scene had by using newspaper clippings to inspire lyrics. Olive collected many different clippings and writings for us and spread them out on the ground, so that when we would begin to play together, Olive on harmonica and me on 12-string guitar, we could sing the words that inspired us most,” Weinberg says of the track. “What stuck was an almost mantra-like repetition of the words ‘Holding out the Big Thumb’ which became the song’s conceptual core.”

FRIDAY MAY 15

Silversun Pickups, May 15, Warehouse on Broadway, sold out

Ahead of opening this summer for Weezer (and alongside The Shins), Silversun Pickups, the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated East Los Angeles quartet is still headlining a few shows, including this one in KC, in support of the band’s latest and seventh album, Tenterhooks, which was produced by Butch Vig. We caught them live in support of the record last year as part of MN Yacht Club Festival as well the year before in KC.

The band —Brian Aubert [vocals, guitar], Nikki Monninger [bass, vocals], Christopher Guanlao [drums], and Joe Lester [keys] remains unchanged and is very proud of their latest effort, “We wanted to make a tight record that could fit on one vinyl with five songs on each side,” says Aubert. “To me, it’s an impatient, apprehensive, and more aggressive album. We started recording when the world was changing again. You invariably wonder, ‘What are we headed towards?’ Even if you’re not necessarily writing about it, it bleeds into how you’re feeling and approaching life. We stripped things down and went louder and rawer.”

SATURDAY MAY 16

Dayseeker, Northlane, Wind Walkers, sace6, May 16, Grinders KC, Sold Out

SoCal’s Dayseeker (Rory Rodriguez (vocals),Ramone Valerio (bass) and Zac Mayfield (drums) is bigger than ever and is out on a 20-city tour to support their album Creature In The Black Night, featuring support from Northlane, Wind Walkers, and sace6. The “Pale Moonlight Tour” kicked off May 1 in Huntington, NY, and concludes May 30 in San Diego, CA

“This is our first headlining tour for our new album ‘Creature In The Black Night’ and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring some of these songs to life in our live show with a stacked lineup,” the band says. “Creature In The Black Night” landed at No. 1 on the Alternative Albums chart upon release last month, while lead single “Pale Moonlight” is currently Top 10 at U.S. rock radio.

Arrive early for genre-blending R&B metal sensation sace6 who just released their anticipated debut album, ‘brutalist’ (via Sumerian Records). In celebration of the release, the duo shared the official visualizer for “nepenthe” from the full-length. Leading up to today, the band shared tracks “ego”, “covet”, “allured”, and “reverie ft. jxdn” and the accompanying official videos.

Triumph w April Wine, May 16, Starlight, $66.75-$132.00

The return of a classic power trio! Triumph, one of Canada’s most revered and influential rock bands, is magically back on their first tour in 30 years with the Triumph 50th Anniversary Tour, celebrating their five decades of rock anthems and thankfully is making a KC stop at Starlight.

“Our fans have always been the heart of Triumph. Their energy, their belief, and the way they embraced the positivity in our music have carried us for fifty years. We’ve always said these songs were meant to bring people together – and that’s exactly why we’re coming back now. We knew there was still a chapter left to write. This tour is our chance to do it, together with the people who made the Triumph journey possible.”

Formed in Mississauga in 1975, Triumph – Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals), Mike Levine (bass, keyboards), and Gil Moore (drums, vocals), rose from playing high school auditoriums and bars to selling out iconic arenas. The band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and earned multiple gold and platinum certifications with hits like “Lay It on the Line,” “Magic Power,” and “Fight the Good Fight”- we saw them live in 1985(!), so hope to catch them one last glorious time.

Triumph has also partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold will support SoundsUnite – the music community for learning, wellness, and creativity – anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Oranssi Pazuzu w Wayfarer, May 16, Bottleneck-Lawrence,$30-$35

Finnish psychedelic black metal band Oranssi Pazuzu released two acclaimed albums in the past six years, but they haven’t toured this part of the world since before either of them came out, until now- now on their first North American Tour in seven years. Their latest full-length is 2024’s Muuntautuja (or Shapeshifter in English) out via Nuclear Blast Records.

Arrive early for American Gothic purveyors Wayfarer, whose guitarist/vocalist Shane McCarthy comments, “We look forward to crossing the country again, this time in the company of one of the strongest artists in contemporary heavy music in Oranssi Pazuzu. “This trek will signal the end of the American Gothic era (based on their 2023 album of the same name), as that material will ride on stage along with unearthing a few cuts that have not been played in sometime. We look forward to ripping stages across the country this spring – join us for a two-act bill that shouldn’t be missed.”

SUNDAY MAY 17

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.