John Prine, Ben Folds (with the KC Symphony) and the Allah-Las are this week’s concert musts
John Prine
With Amanda Shires
John Prine is a pillar of American songwriting, a lyricist with an intuition that seems as deep and old as the man himself, who turned 70 last year. The wider music community has long recognized his gifts — his music has been recorded by the likes of Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt and Carly Simon — and a new generation of exciting country and folk-rock artists (think Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell) properly revere him. Despite his profound influence and catalog, though, Prine has never quite achieved Bob Dylan status. (Dylan himself is one of Prine’s many avid fans.) Well, there’s still time. Texas singer-songwriter and violin player Amanda Shires (below) — a bona fide star in her own right — is also on deck this evening.
8 p.m., Saturday, March 11, at the Midland, 1228 Main
Ben Folds, with the Kansas City Symphony
Ben Folds was last in town in 214 for back-to-back concerts with the Kansas City Symphony — shows that were so successful, he was bound to come back. This time, it’s a one-night-only performance that will span his catalog, from Ben Folds Five through his increasingly esoteric projects. For those who were fortunate enough to attend one or both of the 2014 performances, you’ll recall that the piano man’s energy was infectious. Some folks are talented musicians, and some are born entertainers. Folds is both.
8 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway
The Allah-Las
Nostalgia is one thing, but few bands exhume the glittering So-Cal psych-rock of the 1960s as convincingly as the Allah-Las do. Witness the band’s 2012 self-titled debut — and last September’s equally effective Calico Review. By the grace of its reverb-soaked riffs and jangly, Zombies-like melodies, the band has distinguished itself not just as a skilled re-creator of a beloved era’s signature sound — it’s also managed to make a record that sounds fresh and relevant for a modern audience. Canadian rocker the Babe Rainbow — real name David Reed — has a similar affinity for psych’s golden era; see him when he opens the show on Monday night.
9 p.m. Monday, March 13, at RecordBar, 1520 Grand
THURSDAY, MARCH 9
Sno tha Product
9 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Ben Summers, Nicholas Johnson & the Unrefined
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, 3402 Main
Guitar Elation
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Joe Cartwright
10:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Courtney Patton & Jason Eady, Chubby Knuckle Choir
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Grateful Dead Experience: The Schwag
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
The New Riddim, Go Generation, Boss Hooligan Soundsystem, more
6 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Zach Peterson, Amber Lehman
7:30 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Jared and the Mill, Crystal City
8 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
FRIDAY, MARCH 10
Dhaka Brakha
7 p.m., Polsky Theatre, Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park
Starhaven Rounders
9 p.m., Brick, 1727 McGee
Truckstop Honeymoon, KC Bearfighters
9 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Violent Affair, American Discord, Corrupted Youth, the Virus
9 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, 3402 Main
Molly Hammer Quartet
8:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Boogaloo 7
10 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Keith Harkin (of Celtic Thunder)
7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Sunny Sweeney
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Conor Oberst with the Felice Brothers
8 p.m., Madrid, 3810 Main
Sound Machine Series, the Valley Hush
6 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Extraordinary, Vedettes
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Wrld X Smle
9 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Paper Bird, Heidi Lynne Gluck
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
SATURDAY, MARCH 11
Old No. 5s
9 p.m., B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E. 85th St.
MidCoast Takeover Fundraiser
9 p.m., Brick, 1727 McGee
Page 7
9 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Counterfeit, Beyond the Grey
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club, 3402 Main
OJT
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Natalie Bates Quartet
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
New Transition Quartet
10:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Steve Kaufman with Dirty River Ramblers
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
The Elders
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
The Shy Boys, Fullbloods, Loud Sun
9 p.m., MiniBar, 3810 Broadway
Mickey Avalon, DeeJay Spinstyles
8 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Billy Currington
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Magic City Hippies, Pink Royal
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
Slothurst
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
The Confessors
6 p.m., B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ, 1205 E. 85th St.
Polyphia, Jason Richardson, Covet, Via Luna
7 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Kathleen Holeman Trio
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Steve Lambert Quintet
10:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Marah in the Mainsail, the UK’s, Westerners, Good Morning Bedlam
7:30 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Karma Vision, Toughies, Mountain Song
5 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Living Body, the Sextet
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
MONDAY, MARCH 13
Danny Embrey & Rod Fleeman
12 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Matt Hopper Trio
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Stan Kessler’s Crossroads Quartet
10:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Joe Bonamassa
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
The Fame Riot
8 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
Moving Units Presents: the Songs of Joy Division
9 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Chonixx
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
The Griswolds, Dreamers
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15
Roger Wilder Quartet
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Ernest Melton Quartet
10:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Albert Cummings, Connie Hawkins and the Blues Wreckers
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Total Voltage, Kool 100s, Tongues
10 p.m., MiniBar, 3810 Broadway
Bob Walkenhorst & Friends
6 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Juicy J
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Mike Mains
7 p.m., Tank Room, 1813 Grand
