September 28-30, 2026- Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

Surprise, surprise! Two of music’s biggest names made recent headlines this week-

Taylor Swift- surprise released an expanded version of her most recent album. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, adds four new songs recorded in Sweden with hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback, all of which quickly took over the Top Four slots on Spotify.

CD singles and LPs of the new, have been selling out on her site, and like the last several releases, fans have fingers crossed for signed versions, to drop.

U2– new single “Silencio” releasing was good news enough this week (with Larry Mullen, Jr. fully back in the drum chair), but also came word that the new album, Carnaval de Luz, will be out on November 13.

The band celebrated by not only returning to play at their Mount Temple school where they formed as teenagers, but also on Grafton Street, famous for busking, for another set above the 100-year-old Bewely’s Cafe.

Pearl Jam– new drummer? Looks to be Abe Laboriel Jr., known for his longtime work playing for Paul McCartney and appeared on Eddie Vedder’s Earthling LP, so it makes good sense unless Macca doesn’t approve.

Don’t forget the MTV VMAs take place on Sunday from LA, with CBS and Paramount+ also broadcasting the event.

Let’s look at the End of the Month in Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from September 28^th to September 30^th.

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

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28

Bayonne, Sept 28, recordBar,$28.30

Bayonne (the project of Austin TX electronic and experimental musician Roger Sellers) is on his The ‘Filters’ Tour supporting his fourth immersive album, Filters.

With atmospheric soundscapes featuring constructed melodies, silken synth-work, field recordings, and a blend of piano and percussion, the album, which he mixed, engineered, and produced explores Sellers’ grief following the loss of his father and his personal journey toward acceptance.

Musically inspired by Enya and French electro-pop pioneers Air, Bayonne with Matt Toman on drums co-wrote a number of the tracks on Filters.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29

They Might be Giants, Sept 29, Truman, sold out

They Might Be Giants are back on the road with part two of THE BIGGER SHOW TOUR, with multi-night stands across the US, including the Twin Cities while KC gets a single show, which has been sold out for a while. We caught their last KC appearance at this same venue, back in 2023.

The tour is in support of their 18-song album The World Is To Dig which marks the band’s first full-length release since 2021’s Grammy-nominated BOOK. Look for our show reports from those Minn/St. Paul shows soon!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30

TLC, Salt n Pepa, En Vogue, Sept 30, Starlight,sold out?

Iconic! Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning supergroups Salt-n-Pepa and TLC are joining forces for a landmark co-headlining tour, with special guest En Vogue. The IT’S ICONIC tour amazingly marks the first time these three groups will tour together, celebrating decades of era-defining hits, culture-shifting influence, and timeless R&B and hip-hop anthems.

The “It’s Iconic Tour,” kicked off Aug. 15 in Franklin, TN and the 34-date trek will wrap in the Bay Area on Oct. 11, with KC lucky enough to nab a date outside at Starlight. We last caught Salt-n-Pepa live, out in LA as they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last November.

Fruition, Sept 30, Knuckleheads, $25.95

This looks like the end of the line! Portland’s Fruition are out in support of their new album, Something More, their Bloodshot Records debut, which centers on the band’s nearly 20-year journey from buskers to “one of Americana’s most compelling roots acts” (Billboard).

This will also be their final tour, concluding in January with shows in the Pacific Northwest. Earlier this year Mimi Naja let the band know she was ready to step away from touring, which prompted the bigger decision.

156/Silence, Sept 30, recordBar, sold out

Pittsburgh atmospheric metal / mathcore quintet 156/Silence released a recent single, “Swept From Under (Call of the Void)” just ahead of the band’s new and sixth full-length, ‘From A Distance’, just out on via Pure Noise Records.

Speaking about the single, the band shared: “The call of the void is the voice in our heads that wants to self-destruct even when we don’t feel bad. A compulsion to hurt ourselves even if we don’t want to. Being swept from under by intrusive thoughts.”

Vocalist and lyricist Jack Murray, guitarist and primary songwriter Jimmy Howell, guitarist Ryan Wilkinson, drummer Kyle O’Connell, and bassist Mike Ernst are currently out on their ‘From A Distance Tour‘ headlining run with Aviana, Heavensgate and Fromjoy supporting.

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.