We♥KC! September 11-13, 2026, Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence, KS metro)
Call it Rock-tember!
Things have gotten busy, with no let-up until after Rocktober. Fall is around the corner (despite the current triple-digit real feel temps), so take advantage before it turns to jacket and sweatshirt season.
And, take good care while out there- concerts and their crowds have taken recent hits:
Ray LaMontagne, one of our folky faves, collapsed from heat dehydration at the Ryman in Nashville, but is said to be ok.
Lionel Richie is said to be back at home and recuperating after falling ill and struggling to breathe live on stage at a recent St. Louis show and checked himself into the ICU following, for ‘cardiac-related issues’. This follows a similar St. Paul MN incident in June.
The Chainsmokers’ recent show in San Jose found fourteen people rushed to the hospital- substances, ahem, may have been involved in at least some of those cases.
Spacehog has had some kind of ‘medical emergency’ affect the band, forcing them off the road and canceling all remaining dates, including an upcoming show with Fastball in Minneapolis- hope all are ok, but maybe in the meantime, we’ll wait and see…
Rosanne Cash, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash, has canceled upcoming shows due to “an unexpected medical emergency,” according to a Sept. 7 Instagram post.
We wish them all the best-
Let’s look at the Weekend in Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from September 11th (Always remember) to September 13th.
(official ticket hyperlinks are embedded in each show’s headline)
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11
Minus the Bear, Sept 11 Granada- Lawrence, $48.79
(rescheduled date from November 19- all previous tix honored)
Minus the Bear continues to celebrate 20 years of their sophomore album, Menos El Oso, on tour this year. An exclusive “coke bottle green” vinyl variant of the 20th anniversary edition is available on their webstore.
David Knudson says, “We had way too much fun playing Menos el Oso on the Fall run last year so we’re gonna do it again! This time we’re hitting some of our favorite towns that we couldn’t squeeze into the last itinerary. See you in September!”
Insane Clown Posse, Sept 11, The Truman, sold out
A gathering of the KC ICP Juggalos!
Insane Clown Posse are back on the road, in support of the release of their 17th studio album, The Naught, out now via Psychopathic Records. This follows shortly after their annual Gathering of the Juggalos 2026 event was held a couple weeks ago in a new location of Macks Creek, MO (near Lake Ozark), moving away from their long-time Ohio location.
Expect the usual (and now legendary) signature horrorcore style music, Faygo-spraying antics, and more activity than can be properly described- this goes much beyond a typical concert.
Newsies (musical), Sept 8-13, Starlight,$22.40-$148.90
Set in turn-of-the century NYC, Disney’s Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a newspaper boy and leader of a band of teenage “newsies.” When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at their expense, Jack rallies them from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and to fight for what’s right.
Based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, the show features a Tony Award- winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein and features the familiar songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe.”
This Starlight production of Disney’s Newsies is excited to welcome back David Grindrod who will lead the production as Director and Choreographer and he is a NYC-based director, choreographer, performer, and educator with a long resume.
Lucas Pastrana leads the company as Jack. Broadway veteran Graham Rowat joins as Joseph Pulitzer, and Aubrey Matalon will take on the role of Katherine Plummer.
Dancefestopia, Sept 7-13, Lacygne, KS,$493+
Dancefestopia 2026 is a 7-day electronic dance music (EDM) camping festival taking place at the Wildwood Outdoor Education Center in La Cygne, just south of the KC metro.
The main music runs Thursday through Sunday, with early camping and pre-parties starting Labor Day Monday, so take the rest of the week off and pitch a tent!
Known as a bass-heavy music festival featuring a Wizard of Oz (“Emerald City”) motif, forest camping, and immersive art are part of the festivities, along with numerous DJs and musicians, including headliners Excision, GriZ, Zeds Dead. LSDream, and Crankdat.
Come From Away- KC Rep, Sept 1-20, Spencer Theatre,$69-$109
Helping to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, KC Rep presents this breathtaking tale of triumph that will leave you cheering for the power of community. This Tony Award-winning musical tells the remarkable true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers from around the world who were grounded in the small town of Gander, Canada in the wake of 9/11.
This production reminds us that amid fear and uncertainty, joy and resilience prevail. Through music, humor, and heart, this Broadway hit celebrates the power of human connection, shows how kindness can unite us, and affirms that hope can arise in the most unexpected places.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12
Kamelot w Visions of Atlantis, Sept 12, Truman, $35-$114
Symphonic metallers Kamelot are out in support of their epic new album Dark Asylum, out now via Napalm Records and third single from the record, “Sanctuary.”
Frontman Tommy Karevik is joined by Visions of Atlantis’ Clémentine Delauney, and Decessus frontwoman and current Miss World Chile (huh?!) Ignacia Fernández to make up a dynamic vocal trio on the track.
The new record was released on a plethora of platforms including standard gold, solid silver, and classic black vinyl editions, certified vinyl with the white label, white splatter, and blood-filled variants, the latter of which are each paired with an official 24-page booklet and the Dark Asylum World Tour recently kicked off in Orlando, FL and makes its way to KC.
Arrive early for symphonic metal pioneers Visions of Atlantis who collab’d with German medieval metal group Saltatio Mortis on the new single “Reckless Sailor (Black Flag Rises).” Re-imagining the legendary sea shanty “Drunken Sailor,” the track was created in collaboration with Ubisoft Germany to celebrate the launch of Assassin’s Creed™ Black Flag Resynced.
Jefferson Starship w Pure Prairie League, Firefall, Sept 12, Uptown, $61.60
Jefferson Starship and Pure Prairie League are co-headlining and touring together across 2026 on their Runaway Again Tour, joined by Firefall.
Starship had numerous hits in the late 70s/early 80s and Country-rockers PPL blends old and new on a dozen songs on their new LP that showcase expert musicianship and the signature sound that’s cemented their legacy. Back on Track, the group’s first studio album in nearly two decades, was released in December.
Pure Prairie League’s current lineup features founding member John David Call on pedal steel guitar; Scott Thompson on drums, percussion, and vocals; Randy Harper on keyboards and vocals; Jeffrey Zona on guitars and vocals; and Jared Camic on bass and vocals.
Openers Firefall should play their hits “You Are the Woman”, “Just Remember I Love You,” and more.
Gregory Uhlmann (The Abstraction Series), June 12, Lawrence Arts Center,$15
A new music series focused on bringing notable contemporary avant garde, ambient, and improvised music to stages in Lawrence!
Gregory Uhlmann is a guitarist, composer, and producer from Chicago living in Los Angeles. His musical palette embraces beautiful warble-y sounds, low fuzzy vibrations, and rhythms that overlap in surprising ways.
His guitar tones and syncopated picking style are immediately recognizable across a vast array of musical collaborations, and that distinction. while maintaining a shape-shifting flexibility is no small feat. His latest album, Extra Stars, explores that latter territory to a deeper degree than ever before.
The Josh Adams, Shawn E Hansen and Sterling Holman Trio, all with roots in KC, open the evening with an improvised performance with nods to their 2016 “Want Cry Love” album. Hansen and Holman regularly record together as SHSH and Adams works as a touring drummer and percussionist.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13
Squid Pisser, Sept 13, miniBar, $23
Squid Pisser, the grindcore and noise project led by Tommy Meehan (Grodius Maximus of GWAR) under the moniker Baxter Yogurt (and is one of our fave band names), are on the road for their InternalViolence Tour 2026.
The LA slime merchants are out in support of ‘Throat Slave,’ a “full-length EP” featuring five original songs, six remixes, and a foreboding intro that pushes the band’s strange universe into even darker territory. Side A explores paranoia, confrontation, self-examination, and release, while Side B transforms that vision through remixes by Plack Blague, Hyper Gal, Drumcorps, Fartbarf, Ecology: HomeStones, dj Embryonic Petit Sac, and KK Null (Zeni Geva).
Jo Koy (comedy) Sept 13, The Midland- POSTPONED to APRIL 3, 2027
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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.