Boyz II Men (with the KC Symphony), Elle King and Sturgill Simpson lead your live-music week
Boyz II Men
With the Kansas City Symphony
Boyz II Men’s anniversary tour includes three nights in the fine company of the Kansas City Symphony. If you want to relive the magic that earned the R&B act four Grammy Awards over the past two decades, this is your weekend. The harmonies of Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris are as smooth as they’ve ever been, and hearing “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You,” and “One Sweet Day” with a layer of live symphonic power should put concertgoers in something of a mood. We can only imagine the many, many KC babies destined to arrive in about nine months.
October 28, 29, 30
Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway
Elle King
with Paul Cauthen
Don’t be fooled by the radio polish of Elle King’s breakthrough single, “Ex’s and Oh’s.” It’s a catchy song, one that reveals a voice with a lot of character and promise, but the pop-perfect sheen is a little misleading. You shouldn’t put too much stock, either, in King’s rather generic debut, Love Stuff. It’s good, but it doesn’t make a lasting impression. It’s onstage where this sultry, foul-mouthed singer (daughter of comic Rob Schneider) makes you remember her. If you want to know what you’re in for on Friday at the Midland, envision a cross between the badassery of the Runaways’ Cherie Curie and the sensitive rasp of Lissie: someone endearingly rough around the edges.
8 p.m. Friday, October 28
Midland, 1228 Main
Sturgill Simpson
Things have changed a little for Sturgill Simpson over the past two years. If you’re looking for the psychedelic country star who caused music writers everywhere to swoon with his 2014 album, The Metamodern Sounds of Country Music, well, he’s still here. But on this year’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, you’ll find that the enigmatic space cowboy has undergone beefy injections of soul and blues (see “Keep It Between the Lines” for a full horn section of supporting evidence). The effect is impressive: Sturgill — who has eluded most gut-spilling interviews and remains rather tight-lipped about his craft — has positioned himself as that rare modern artist to find success by avoiding a commitment to one musical style, and by not talking about himself. Tuesday night at the Midland, settle in for a show that will take you to the moon and back.
8 p.m. Tuesday, November 1
Midland, 1228 Main
Also this week:
Thursday 10.27
Pablo Sanhueza and the Latin Jazz All-Stars
7 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Midnight Marauders
10 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Gallows Bound, Goddamn Gallows, Ghost of Granddads Past
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
Figure x Protohype
8 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Matt Hopper Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Chris Hazelton Quartet
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Blue Water Highway
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Cherub
7 p.m., Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Tsushimamire, We Are the Asteroid, Kool 100s, Blondie Brunetti
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Dead Bars
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Vela, Fallopian Fire, Trauma Parlor
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Brothers Osborne
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Friday 10.28
Joyce Manor
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Gray Matter
5 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Kathy Kosins & Uncovered Soul
8:30 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Star Haven Rounders
9 p.m., Brick, 1727 McGee
Flobots
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Miry Wild, Radial Red, Hillary Watts Riot
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
Denis Matsuev, Pianist in Recital
7:30 p.m., Folly, 300 W. 12th St.
Tim Whitmer Quartet
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Guitar Elation
8:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Boogaloo 7
10 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
2 Proud 2 Beg
10 p.m., Kelly’s, 500 Westport Rd.
Margo Price with Darrin Bradbury
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Reel Big Fish
7 p.m., Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Freight Train Rabbit Killer, Berwanger
9:30 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Young Manchego, Mr. & Mrs. Dodge
6 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Cloud Dog Reunion Show, Lion, Ricky Roosevelt
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Islands, Steady Holiday, La Guerre
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Charlie Puth
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Saturday 10.29
Troye Sivan
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Ida McBeth
8:30 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Aaron Kamm & the One Drops, Soul Rebel and the Beast
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Cave Girls, Haunted Creepies, Godzillionaire
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
The Wonder Years and Real Friends
6 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
OJT
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Max Groove
8:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
2 Proud 2 Beg
10 p.m., Kelly’s, 500 Westport Rd.
Zombie Halloween with Boogie Wonderland Zombie Contest & Costume Contest
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Boo Bash featuring Ben Rector, Jacob Whitesides and Anne-Marie
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
The Twilight Hours, Outhouse
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Foxy by Proxy, Widman Vintage, STC, SSL
6 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Keef Mountain, Inner Altar, Sons of Mourning
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
The Sluts, the New Baboons, Young Bull
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
The Shameless Pursuit, Animal Parade, What a Wreck
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
Sunday 10.30
Attila
6 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Molly Hammer Duo
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Matt Otto Sextet
9:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Tech N9ne
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
My Empty Phantom, La Guerre, Wild Eye
0 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Halloween Nightmare Show
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Monday 10.31
The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City
7 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
The Sluts, Young Bull, Wides
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Eoto, Louis Futon, Midnight Marauders, Linear Symmetry
7 p.m., Crossroads KC, 417 E. 18th St.
Booze & Boo’s Blowout, Gekko, 3 Sons Green
9 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
Jon Bellion
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Mark Lowrey & Molly Hammer Duo
Noon, Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Todd Strait Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Will Matthews Organ Trio
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Safe in Sound Halloween Festival featuring Snails, Brillz and Botnek
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
Not a Planet, Carswell & Hope, Trashed
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Gnarly Davidson, Bummer, Raymond
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Bleached with Beach Slang, Hunny
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
Tuesday 11.1
MewithoutYou
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Listener, the Homeless Gospel Choir
7 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
Chris Hazelton Trio
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Gerald Spaits Trio
9:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
William Fitzsimmons, Laura Burhenn (of the Mynabirds)
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
The O’s, Taylor Phelan, IAMWE, the Dear Misses
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Parsonsfield
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
Wednesday 11.2
Stick Figure
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Natalie Bates Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
OJT
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Fast Johnny Ricker
7:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Bob Walkenhorst & Friends
6 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Rittz, Jarren Benton
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Lil Uzi Vert
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Halfnoise, Brother, Sleepwalker
5 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
