Best of KC 2023: Aztec Shawnee Theater brings live music to the ‘burbs

Aztec Shawnee Theater. // Courtesy photo

This month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can browse the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some of our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2023. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

Closed since 1974, Aztec Shawnee Theater reopened in the winter of 2020 after three years of renovations. It’s been a slow come-up since, but over the past year, the Aztec Shawnee Theater has not only become a place for film lovers to catch classic flicks but for music lovers to catch shows outside the hustle and bustle of the Crossroads.

The mix of cover bands and original music sell the place out on a regular basis, thanks to booking acts as varied as country duo Jenna & Martin, punks Sirens in the Suburbs, or tributes to the Judds, KISS, Tom Petty, Hall & Oates, and every other act under the sun. Add in the healthy support of their fellow local businesses and a robust social media presence, and heading down Johnson Drive seems like a better idea every weekend.

Aztec Shawnee Theater is located at 11119 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS 66203.