We♥KC! May 18-25, 2026, Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence, KS metro)
The ‘Salt Shaker’ opens soon!
The new Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, MO will be hosting a community sneak peek event called “Sunset Soundcheck” on June 1 from 6:30–9:30pm. This event offers an early opportunity to explore the new 16,000-seat venue (incl. covered seating for 12,000 and a large lawn), enjoy live music from local yacht rockers Summer Breeze and support a cause, with proceeds benefiting the Steps of Faith Foundation.
Tickets are $10 (available here), with proceeds going to the charity and the venue is located at 6150 NW Music Blvd, Kansas City, MO. Similar open houses are happening at new sister venues located in the Twin Cities, MN and Grand Rapids MI and the first national show at Morton will be Ke$ha on June 3.
Let’s take look at the Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings through Memorial Day, from May 18th to May 25th.
(ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
MONDAY MAY 18
TUESDAY MAY 19
Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom have documented our living planet on assignment for National Geographic for more than 30 years. But the place they know best and love most is California’s Monterey Bay, where they have lived for decades. Explore the wonders of one of Earth’s natural crown jewels- the hottest hot spot for biodiversity in North America, according to The Nature Conservancy.
This is a place of giants, from redwood forests on land to forests of kelp offshore. Monterey Bay supports iconic wildlife from delicate Monarch butterflies to soaring California condors, and from secretive mountain lions to majestic blue whales. All survive in a region where cosmopolitan migrants mix with rare local species.
Bay of Life describes a remarkable recovery which shows that damaged ecosystems can be restored when people care and act together. That offers a model for other places at a time when we need such stories of hope.
AMPERS&ONE, May 19, Gem Theater, sold out,
AMPERS&ONE is a seven-member male pop group under FNC Entertainment that debuted in November 2023 and their name is a compound word of ‘&’ AMPERSAND, which is a symbol for the word ‘and’ + ‘ONE’, meaning you, me, and us are all one. It means each one gathers together to achieve their own dream and become one.
This truly multinational group includes KAMDEN (US), BRIAN (Canada), JIHO (S. Korea), SIYUN (S. Korea), KYRELL (U.S.A), MACKIAH (Australia), and SEUNGMO (S. Korea).
Their rapid rise to fame has earned them nominations for Rookie of the Year at the 2023 Hanteo Music Awards, as well as for Best New Male Artist and Artist of the Year at the 2024 MAMA Awards. They were also nominated for Rookie Artist of the Year at the 39th Golden Disc Awards and won the Rising Star Award at the 2026 Korea First Brand Awards.
WEDNESDAY MAY 20
THURSDAY MAY 21
Eli Young Band, May 21, KC Live!, $19.66+
Bringing a Denton, TX rock edge to modern country for 25 years, the Eli Young Band’s never-changing lineup of Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson has spent decades on the run, growing from hometown heroes into globe-trotting, chart-topping pioneers.
Their 2005 album Level launched the band into the mainstream, followed by three career Billboard Top 5 albums including the No. 1 10,000 Towns and Platinum Life At Best. Boasting back-to-back No. 1 singles with the 5x Platinum “Crazy Girl” in 2011 and 3x Platinum “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (2012), plus the Platinum No. 1 “Drunk Last Night,” 2x Platinum No. 1 “Love Ain’t” and more.
Life At Best, the band’s third studio album, celebrates its 15th anniversary today with a limited-edition vinyl, available for purchase now, alongside a digital release on all streaming platforms. Featuring No. 1 singles such as 5x Platinum and CMA Song of the Year “Crazy Girl” and 3x Platinum “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” the career-defining album cemented the band’s longevity in country music.
FRIDAY MAY 22
SATURDAY MAY 23
Crow and Gazelle, May 23, Green Guitar Folk House- Lenexa, $25-$28
TX-based duo Crow and Gazelle (Mike McClure and Chrislyn Lawrence) unveil their new album Truth Be Told, a spiritually charged concept record about love, power, survival, and buried truths, with this special record release show.
Chorus.fm recently premiered the single and album opener “The High Road.” “For us, that high road means we’re here to balance and harmonize the feminine and masculine for divine love. And we see the characters of Truth Be Told as the same,” the band said. “Remembering, when one is empowered, we both are. When one is oppressed, we all are. So we need to work together. In a place of balance, time itself is non-linear, not a rigid straight line.
McClure is a founding member of one of our OK favorites, The Great Divide and an OK Music Hall of Fame inductee, is also a respected producer. Lawrence brings an equally vital perspective as a poet, filmmaker, community organizer, healer, and storyteller. Together, they create work that confronts difficult questions about belief, grief, power, and the myths that govern our lives.
SUNDAY MAY 24
Archspire w Undeath, Crown Magnetar, May 24, Granada- Lawrence, $25-$30
Supporting their new album Too Fast To Die, extreme technical death metal outfit Archspire is out on a North American tour that kicked off on April 24 in Calgary, Alberta, and will close on June 6 in Vancouver, BC,. The ‘Long Roads Big Loads’ tour sees the band hit the road with Undeath, Crown Magnetar, and Mutiliation Barbecue. Since 2009, Archspire has aimed to be one thing above all else: extreme. Now five albums deep, the band continues to push the limits of speed and virtuosity while somehow keeping a sharp focus on hooks.
“We (just Oli) always wanted to call a tour ‘Long Roads Big Loads’ and we finally decided that we’re now dumb enough to pull the trigger! If you’re in North America, chances are you may see us abusing a gas station bathroom stall near you! We’re playing a few new songs and exposing our new drummer to the world! Make sure to heckle the sh!t out of him! Stay Tech”
Undeath emerge from festering slime with their new album, More Insane. On the record, the band-Kyle Beam (guitars), Alexander Jones (vocals), Tommy Wall (bass), Jared Welch (guitars), and Matt Browning (drums)—feast on the rotten flesh of brutality, complexity, and depravity via singles “Brandish the Blade,” “Disputatious Malignancy,” and the title track.
Crown Magnetar is a Colorado deathcore band known for their absolutely crushing heaviness and no-nonsense brutality. Their music leans hard into modern deathcore—thick guitar tones, guttural vocals, and punishing rhythms—while keeping things tight and focused rather than overly flashy.
Mutilation Barbecue is a Cleveland death metal band formed circa 2020. They consist of Chris Maggot (vocals), Peter Blanchet (rhythm guitar), Dylan Andras (guitar), Nick McGroder (guitar) and Harrison Good (drums). Their lyrical themes include gore, death, sex and cannibalism.
MONDAY MAY 25
Freddie Gibbs, May 25, The Truman, $47
Fresh off a starring role in the film Night Patrol and the release of Alfredo 2, his acclaimed collaborative album with the Alchemist, Freddie Gibbs is out on his The Last Rabbit Tour. Gibbs also became a Grammy winning artist in the Best R&B Album category at the 2026 Grammy Awards for contributions on Leon Thomas’ Mutt.
Gibbs and The Alchemist released their second collaborative album, Alfredo 2, via Rabbit Vision/ALC Records/Virgin Music. The project arrived five years after Alfredo—an album that became an instant classic and redefined what a rapper-producer duo could sound like.
One of the most respected rappers by his peers, Gibbs has collaborated with everyone from Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson.Paak, and Yasiin Bey to Tyler, The Creator, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, and Kanye West.
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.