Billy Idol at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside (Kansas City) MO (2026-09-16)

Still Dancing
Cradle of Love
Flesh for Fantasy
77
Too Much Fun
Eyes Without a Face
Steve Stevens Guitar Solo
Mony Mony (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
License to Thrill
Night of the Cadillacs (Generation X song)
Blue Highway / Top Gun Anthem
Rebel Yell

Encore:
Dancing With Myself (Generation X song)
Hot in the City
White Wedding (with band introductions & tour credits)

intro music: Soul Bossa Nova (Quincy Jones song)
Manic Monday (Prince cover)
In Your Room (The Bangles song)
Casablanca
Bad Case of Loneliness
Hero Takes a Fall (The Bangles song)
Walk Like an Egyptian (The Bangles song)
None of Them Were You
Good Luck
Time
Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground cover)
Willin’ (Little Feat cover)
Another Girl (The Beatles cover)
Eternal Flame (The Bangles song)
A Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel cover)

outro music: Soul Bossa Nova (Quincy Jones song)

Date Location Venue Tickets
September 18 (Fri) Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavilion
September 19 (Sat) Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
September 21 (Mon) Wichita, KS Orpheum Theatre
September 22 (Tue) Tulsa, OK BOK Center
September 25 (Fri) Dana Point, CA Ohana Fest
September 27 (Sun) Albuquerque, NM First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater

Still dancing, still with his rebel yell—

Now at age seventy and a grandfather, longtime legendary pop punk rocker Billy Idol remains much beyond a basic musical legacy act simply putting on a nostalgic performance-

Continuing on his It’s a Nice Day to…Tour Again!, which made a stop at Morton Amphitheater in the KC suburb of Riverside, MO, he and the band of course re-visit the classics but also feature several of his newer songs and some prime deep cuts, all delivered with a passion and ferocity, that acts half his age, would envy.

Most would sit on their laurels after four decades of radio hits, iconic MTV music videos, the typical ups and downs of a rock star, and a near death motorcycle accident, but Idol has survived and managed to come out the other side; still beloved, and seemingly in the happiest place he’s ever been. Check out last year’s mesmerizing documentary for the full story.

Seeing this 100 min. headlining performance should prove to anyone, why he’s still considered musically worthy and relevant after half a century, and is more than deserving of his upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (stay tuned for our coverage of the November ceremony from LA).

With wingman and legendary in-his-own-right guitarist Steve Stevens at his side, the set appropriately began with 2025’s “Still Dancing” the lead single from his recent album, Dream Into It, then quickly reversed in time for hits, “Cradle of Love” and “Flesh for Fantasy” which elevated the crowd early-on. “77” was a 2025 collab with Avril Lavigne (with her being absent, he asked the audience to help with her parts) and another new song, “Too Much Fun” re-established that the still spiky-haired sneering rocker, has plenty left to say.

The profane audience callback lyrics on “Mony Mony”’s choruses were in full volume and “License to Thrill” (subbed in place of “Trouble with the Sweet Stuff”) were part of Idol’s re-visiting of some older songs not played live in some time, Oddly, those revived songs were culled from 1990’s Charmed Life, an album that guitarist Stevens did not play on.

As for Stevens himself, his playing was in fine form all night- from an extended solo that weaved in snippets of Van Halen’s “Eruption” and The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, to Idol’s “Blue Highway” seguing into the Grammy Award-winning “Top Gun Anthem”, which Stevens and Harold Faltermeyer collaborated on for the end credits of the 1986 Tom Cruise classic, to Idol himself helping on a solo, handing Stevens a neon-colored ray gun that emitted a sharp-patterned noise into the guitar body.

The first half of the set seemed more for Idol and the band- playing new numbers and lesser-known oldies, including a raucous version of former band Generation X’s 1979 non-single, “Night of the Cadillacs” and the second half was more for the fans- playing those hits that were in regular MTV rotation and sing a-longs familiar enough that Idol held out the mic to have the crowd lead the choruses.

Idol’s brief intros before several songs were appreciated as well- not too long to be boring, not too short to skimp on any key details. He notices the brand of bourbon The Rolling Stones are drinking at a member’s birthday party, which becomes the inspiration for “Rebel Yell” and the typically warm NYC summer which was extra sweltering to Idol in his bulky boots and punk gear, inspiring “Hot in the City” as the first song he wrote upon arriving in America, and so on.

The three-song encore became a venue-wide party, beginning with 1980’s Generation X hit “Dancing with Myself” which Idol remixed and re-released to begin his solo career and all would end, of course, with 1982’s “White Wedding”, inspired by his own sister’s pregnant nuptials and began with Idol feigning confusion of what song he had left to play.

Following the song, a grateful Idol genuinely thanked the crowd for his charmed life and introduced his solid band. Guitarist Billy Morrison, who’s played with The Cult, was a dynamo all night, longtime bassist Stephen McGrath played with a no F’s allowed intensity, and background vocalists Jessica Childress and Kitten Kuroi added some vocal punch and visual flair.

The evening got underway with an opening set from The Bangles lead singer, Susanna Hoffs, whose newest full-length, The List, is just out, via her own Baroque Folk label. Though she admitted that she didn’t have much in common with the headliner (other than having success during the same era), she was very glad to be on the tour, and the crowd that filed in early, was glad to see her as well.

She looked mostly ageless at 67-years-young, and still has that playful and distinct lilt to her vocals that immediately makes her voice recognizable. Opening with the Prince-penned 1985 Bangles hit, “Manic Monday,” it almost seemed like it was the 80’s all over again and Wednesday, not Sunday, was our fun day.

“Casablanca” from the new record, was partially inspired by a re-watch of the classic Bogart/Bergman film, and the album title itself, co-produced with her keyboardist/trumpeter, C.J. Camerieri, was taken from a list that Hoffs kept of her…dalliances (ok, hook-ups). Many of those listed had a number after their name, indicating exactly how many encounters happened (the ‘80s could be fun, kids).

“None of Them Were You” referred to the last name on said list, her longtime husband Jay Roach, best known for directing the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents franchises. The back half of her set featured numerous vintage covers- music that influenced her and were favorites (some which were recorded by her and Matthew Sweet on their trio of cover albums) and she thanked the crowd for letting her indulge in those older songs.

While “Manic Monday” only peaked at Number Two on the charts, 1989’s hushed “Eternal Flame” which she co-wrote, did hit Number One in nine countries including the US, and the set ended with some last energy on a Simon & Garfunkel cover that became as or more famous, for the Bangles version. ​

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