October 1-4, 2026- Upcoming concerts / shows (Kansas City, MO / Lawrence KS)

MTV VMAs made a splash again–

In addition to Madonna’s seven trophies, Taylor Swift winning the first Artist Director Award (did they make that one up for her?), and some compelling female performances, including Madge and everybody, and another from BlackPink’s Lisa.

The show-stopper for us came late in the broadcast, as Gener8ion with Swedish rapper Yung Lean literally wrecked havoc performing “Storm.” Wow.

October (or Rocktober) begins busy as usual, with little let up for the next six weeks, but there has been some schedule changes for this week, as below.

With summer in the rearview, it’s time to don a light jacket and see some shows before Winter hits. Starlight’s outdoor run ends with Beetlejuice! this weekend (some indoor kids’ productions will follow) and Morton’s season ends Oct 23 with Thomas Rhett. New canopy coming to Starlight next season!

Also locally, UMKC broke ground on their Olson Performing Art Center, a $35,000 sq ft, $41 million-dollar fine arts venue which will complete in two phases.

Let’s look through the First Weekend of the Month in Kansas City / Lawrence KS metro musical happenings from Rocktober 1^st to Rocktober 4^th.

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

THURSDAY OCTOBER 1

Lambrini Girls w Big Special, Oct 1 (rescheduled from May 5), Granada-Lawrence, $25-$30

The Lambrini Girls’ US Tour is back on schedule and the explosive punk rock run has a fall run after having to cancel Coachella and postpone their US Spring dates after vocalist/guitarist Phoebe Lunny suffered a fractured neck in Australia.

The Brighton UK noise-punk duo (add Selin Macieira on bass) formed in 2019 and play confrontational, political garage punk and riot grrrl-inspired noise rock. The 2025 debut album, Who Let The Dogs Out, hit the UK Top 20 and added to the already high online buzz.

Arrive early for the “Big” openers-

Birmingham, UK duo Big Special recently released their 10-track EP, O’JOY!, via SO Recordings. The ten-track collection arrived following the singles “ONLY FREE WHEN SLEEPING”, “PLAINTIVE NATIVE”, “SLUGLIFE”, and “DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side)”.

Big Girl is a NYC six-piece indie-rock band whose music is expansive and cathartic, combining indie-rock vulnerability with irreverent punk energy. Debut record, Big Girl vs. God, with Final Girl Records released in June 2023.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 2

Brooks and Dunn, Oct 2, Morton Amph,$57-$380

Time again for some boot scootin’ boogie! With 20 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1991, two Grammy Awards, dozens of ACM and CMA honors and a discography counting more album sales than any duo in history, Brooks & Dunn’s influence on today’s country has never been in question.

Hits like “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “My Maria” and “Believe” have propelled the duo to more than 30 million albums sold. The duo’s recently released collaboration project, Reboot, debuted at No. One on Billboard’s Top Country Albums. In 2019 the duo was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the “Modern Era Artist” category.

Beetlejuice (musical) Oct 2-4, Starlight,$22.40-$160.40

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetl…oops! Almost said it three times- the frantic ghost-with-the-most leaps from the screen to the live stage for a return Kansas City engagement, under the stars at Starlight Theatre.

Based on Tim Burton’s beloved films, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, expect a load of fun, laughs, and a touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O! Only plays through the weekend, so secure those tix!

Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers, Oct 2, Knuckleheads, (RESCHEDULED TO OCTOBER 9)

SATURDAY OCTOBER 3

Five Finger Death Punch w Cody Jinks, Eva Under Fire, Oct 3, Morton Amph, 2 for $55 lawn to $127+

Multi-platinum powerhouse Five Finger Death Punch is out on their 2026-2027 World tour, a massive 48-city run celebrating their 20^th anniversary that kicked off on July 20th in Camden, NJ, and wraps up in Bristow, VA on October 23^rd, and includes this KC stop. Platinum-certified outlaw country musician Cody Jinks will support on behalf of his current album, In My Blood. The tour lineup will be rounded out by Eva Under Fire, whose 13-track new album, “Villainous” was released in July.

FFDP’s tenth studio album, Legacy, is out now, and $1 from each ticket sold benefits USA Judo and the USA Cycling BMX Olympic Teams, as selected by founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory to support high-performance programs for U.S. athletes as they prepare for international competition.

Voces8-Towards Paradise (Chamber Music KC), Oct 3, Village Presbyterian Church, Sold Out

VOCES8, the acclaimed British vocal ensemble is a 2023 Grammy Award-nominated group and the world’s top-streaming classical vocal ensemble, known for its stylistic versatility, and deeply communicative performances. The “Towards Paradise” program is a reflective sacred tapestry tracing a spiritual journey through music of longing, faith, consolation, and peace.

The group formed in the UK in 2005 by former Westminster Abbey choristers and brothers Paul and Barnaby Smith and their work has ranged from early Renaissance polyphony to contemporary commissions, jazz arrangements, and pop crossover projects.

Don Was, Oct 3, Knuckleheads,Canceled

SUNDAY OCTOBER 4

Beck, Oct 4, Uptown Theater, Sold Out

Eight-time Grammy Award–winner Beck is out underplaying at mostly theaters on his current “Ride Lonesome Tour”, a 25-date trek which kicked off September 16 in Vancouver, plays the elegant Uptown Theater in KC, and will conclude October 31 at The Truth in Nashville.

The tour shares its name with Beck’s single and new album, Ride Lonesome, which evokes the acoustic textures of previous albums Morning Phase and Sea Change, so expect a subdued and introspective evening that will include many of the hits as well.

Support comes from Ioanna Gika, a Greek-American singer, whose album, Thalassa, is out now.

Shiner w/ Criteria, Oct 4, Bottleneck-Lawrence, $20

KC’s own post-hardcore band Shiner is back on the road for a fall tour supporting their latest releases like “Two Black Eyes” from The Y Section.

The band, originally called Orchid, first formed back in the early 1990s and has released six studio albums total throughout the course of its career, the last of which was “BELIEVEYOUME” in 2025.

Openers Criteria are an indie post-hardcore band from Omaha, NE, formed in 2003 by former Cursive guitarist Stephen Pedersen after returning to town following his graduation from Duke University School of Law.

Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, Saves the Day, Oct 4, Midland,$51-$128

Taking Back Sunday has hit the road on a fall tour with Thrice and Saves the Day running September 16 through October 18. Guitarist Fred Mascherino is also joining TBS for the 2026 run alongside John Nolan.

And, if you can make it, a special “Louder Now Live” celebration on October 14 at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO will feature the only time on this tour performance of their 2006 album Louder Now in full, for its 20th anniversary.

TBS singer Adam Lazzara stated, “Rehearsing all the material and the arrangements we’ve worked out, I am so happy with how the band has taken shape. Who better to go out on the road to share all that with than Saves the Day and Thrice, we love those guys.”

Bayway w/ Cold Steel, Oct 4, the Rino-NKC,$30.95

Bayway is a rising hardcore band from NJ known for heavy riffs, hip-hop-influenced vocals, and street-level intensity. They are currently on tour running from September 21 through October 15.

Arrive early for rising force Cold Steel, from Tampa, FL, bringing the aggressive metal behind their debut full-length ‘Discipline & Punish,’ out now via Spinefarm.

Formed in 2021, the six-piece quickly built a reputation through their EPs ‘Will of Spiritual Cleansing’ (2021) and ‘Deeper Into Greater Pain’ (2023).

Bryson Tiller, Austin Millz, Ty Dolla Sign, Oct 4, Morton,2 for $55 lawn to $168+

Grammy Award–nominated multi-platinum selling artist Bryson Tiller has returned to the stage for his 61-date Bryson Tiller Presents: The Neo Trapsoul Tour, with support from Ty Dolla $ign and Austin Millz. It kicked off August 27 and makes nationwide stops (including at The Salt Shaker- Morton Amphitheater) and more before embarking on the UK/EU leg on November 17.

Tiller dropped his new single “IT’S OK” from his upcoming project. Last October, he both celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his groundbreaking debut T R A P S O U L and released the double-album, Solace & The Vices- The Vices leans into high-energy, rap-driven production, and Solace embraces a more soulful, R&B-forward sound.

Additionally, Tiller teamed up with Chris Brown on their smash hit “It Depends,” which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales Chart and peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also garnered an NAACP Image Award, along with two Grammy nominations, two BET Award nominations and an American Music Award.

Chasing Abbey, Oct 4, Warehouse on Broadway, $19.50-$29.50

Innovative Irish trio Chasing Abbey just released their genre-defying debut album Cyber Celt last week and are out on a 26-date tour of the U.S. through October 29. They’ve also already announced a 21-date Spring 2027 tour, kicking off March 25, so this is a prime chance to see them early-on in KC!

Hailing from Tullamore, Ireland, the trio of multi-instrumentalists, producers and vocalists Ronan Bell, Jonathan Byrne and Ted Conway fuse traditional Celtic instrumentation with modern electronic production, and are influenced by peers such as Kneecap, Lankum and The Mary Wallopers, who use the ancient language of Gaeilge to deliver their lyrics with maximum weight. Conway says. “We feel it’s our responsibility to use it to progress culture and tradition in the same way we’ve been doing through music.”

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.