Outdoor Music
Crossroads KC at Grinders
417 East 18th Street
Rain or shine, the show always goes on in the Crossroads. Rock, reggae, bluegrass or whatever, the venue behind Grinders and Grinders West has all-ages shows and free shows, depending on the artists.
Saturday, June 13: Great White, Dangerous Toys, Love/Hate, Rhino Bucket, Federation of Horsepower, Cretin 66
Thursday, June 25: Talib Kweli
Friday, June 26: Del McCoury Band, Truckstop Honeymoon, WhiteWater Ramble
Sunday, June 28: LeAnn Rimes
Friday, July 3: Carbon Leaf
Saturday, July 11: Zappa Plays Zappa
Tuesday, July 14: Gov’t Mule, Backyard Tire Fire
Thursday, July 16: Seven Mary Three, Marcy Playground
Friday, July 17: Matisyahu, Umphrey’s McGee
Saturday, July 18: The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Friday, July 24: Reverend Horton Heat, Jason Isbell, Split Lip Rayfield, Nekromantix, Dirtfoot
Saturday, July 25: Kevin Costner & Modern West
Sunday, July 26: The Wailers, Public Property
Friday, July 31: Cowboy Mouth
Tuesday, August 4: George Thorogood, Jonny Lang
Tuesday, August 11: Yonder Mountain String Band
Wednesday, August 15: Avett Brothers, Railroad Earth
Tuesday, August 18: Blondie
Friday, September 11: Cross Canadian Ragweed, Lucero, Jonathan Tyler & Northern Lights
KC Live!
The Power & Light District
Nationally known country, blues, rock and pop acts will perform in the Power & Light District’s “Living Room” under the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, single-skin membrane roof. Go to the Web site for times and age restrictions.
Wednesday, June 3: Sponge, Days of the New
Thursday, June 4: Craig Morgan
Friday, June 5: Rattle & Hum
Sunday, June 7: Trampled Under Foot, Doghouse Daddies
Wednesday, June 10: Sometimes Three, Red Guitar
Sunday, June 14: J.D. Summers
Wednesday, June 17: Alien Ant Farm
Thursday, June 18: The Transients
Sunday, June 21: Levee Town
Wednesday, June 24: Pomeroy
Thursday, June 25: Chuck Wicks
Wednesday, July 1: Lit
Thursday, July 2: Dierks Bentley
Wednesday, July 8: Stolen Winnebagos
Friday, July 10: Eve 6
Wednesday, July 15: The Republic Tigers
Thursday, July 16: Cory Morrow
Friday, July 17: The Zeros
Thursday, July 23: Keith Anderson
Friday, July 24: Better Than Ezra
Wednesday, July 29: The Bravery
Thursday, July 30: County Road 5, John Joiner Band
Friday, July 31: Pomeroy
Wednesday, August 5: The Leo Project, Red Line Chemistry
Thursday, August 6: Damon Smith, Noe Palma
Wednesday, August 12: Blues Traveler
Wednesday, August 19: Filter
Thursday, August 20: Adam Gregory
Friday, August 21: The Zeros
Thursday, August 27: Hazzard County
Friday, August 28: Pomeroy
Friday, September 4: Justin Moore
Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone
633 North 130th Street, Bonner Springs
913-721-3400, sandstoneamp.com
This 18,000-person-capacity amphitheater just west of the Legends has ditched the seats up in front for better spectator viewing. It has also upgraded the concession stands and the VIP area. Lawn seating is available at certain shows.
Saturday, June 6: O.A.R., Brett Dennen
Saturday, June 13: Big Summer Jam 2 with Soulja Boy, Tech N9ne, Rick Ross, Murs, Hurricane Chris, Piles, Young L.A., Block Life
Saturday, June 20: Red, White & Boom 14 with David Cook, Blue October, Kevin Rudolf, the Veronicas, Matt Nathanson, White Tie Affair, Safety Suit
Saturday, July 4: Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jonathan Tayler
Tuesday, July 21: Rockstar Mayhem Festival with Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Killswitch Engage, Bullet For My Valentine, Cannibal Corpse, Job For A Cowboy, Behemoth, the Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Trivium, All That Remains, God Forbid
Saturday, July 25: Rock ‘n Roll Dream Concert with Houses of Holy, Paradise City, 7 Bridges Road, Dead or Alive, Rattle & Hum
Tuesday, August 4: Vans Warped Tour with 3OH!3, Less Than Jake, the Architects, Underoath, Chiodos, Bad Religion, the Devil Wears Prada, Bouncing Souls, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Sing It Loud, A Day to Remember, the Maine, Gallows, Alexisonfire, Saosin, Escape the Fate, TAT, Bayside
Starlight Theatre
4600 Starlight Road
816-363-7827, 800-776-1730
One of only three self-producing outdoor theaters in the country, Starlight hosts Broadway productions and large touring musical acts.
June 4: REO Speedwagon, Styx
July 6: No Doubt
July 22: The Fray
July 23: Tori Amos
July 24: Lyle Lovett
August 23: Kathy Griffin
August 30: Crosby Stills & Nash
September 4: Rock the Light X with Stars Go Dim, Brandon Heath, Downhere, the Afters, Chris & Conrad, Casting Crowns
September 5: Rock the Light X with Hearts of Saints, Disciple, Stellar Kart, Kutless, Live Fish, Newsboys
Summerfest Chamber Music Festival
Twelve instrumentalists, most of them from the Kansas City Symphony, play summer-garden-themed concerts. Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. at White Recital Hall (4949 Cherry), and Sunday concerts are at 5 p.m. at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (1307 Holmes). Ticket information and concert details are found at the Web site.
July 11–12: Wildflowers — music by Jenni Brandon, Alexandra DuBois, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi
July 18–19: The Secret Flower — music by David Morgan, Ludwig van Beethoven, Nancy Galbraith
July 25–26: Chrysanthemums — music by Edward Elgar, Endre Szervánszky, Giacomo Puccini
August 1–2: Cypresses — music by Attilio Ariosti, Franz Schubert, Antonín Dvorák, Knudage Riisager
Kansas City Pride Festival
June 5–7
gaypridekansascity.com
This year’s musical guests for the 31st-annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered gathering at Penn Valley Park include Crystal Waters, Wendy Ho, the Transients, Amuka, Kat Deluna, Eric Himan and the Adams. The party begins on Friday, June 5, at 19th Street and Main (with Crystal Waters) from 6 p.m. to midnight, then moves to Liberty Memorial and surrounding areas. Go to the Web site for more details.
Gladstone Summertime Bluesfest
June 5–6
Gladstone brings in about 15,000 blues fans to see local and touring acts at this free concert at Oak Grove Park, at the corner of Northeast 76th Street and North Troost. This year’s lineup includes Guitar Shorty, Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys, King King, Moreland & Arbuckle, Chris Duarte, J.P. Soars & the Red Hots, B.J. Allen & Blue Voodoo, and Mark Montgomery & Max Berry. The music begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 6. Admission is free, but parking is $5. See gladstonechamber.com/bluesfest.aspx for more information.
Lawrence City Band Summer Concert Series
Every Wednesday through July 15 at the William Kelly Bandstand in South Park (12th Street and Massachusetts), the Lawrence City Band, conducted by Bob Foster, presents family-friendly, free concerts at 8 p.m. See lawrenceks.org/lprd/summer-fall/specialevents.pdf for concert themes.
Live at the Legends
This free concert series offers a variety of local music every Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. until Labor Day (including September 7 from noon to 3 p.m.), in the center courtyard in front of the fountain by the movie theater of this Wyandotte County retail, restaurant and entertainment complex. For more information, see the Web site.
June 6: Soca Juke Box
June 13: Red Guitar
June 20: Lipriddle
June 27: The Shanks
July 4: John Joiner Band
July 11: The Mikey Needleman Band
July 18: 90 Minutes
July 25: Adam Blue and the Taxis
August 1: Drew 6
August 8: Heather Thornton
August 15: Angel Rattay
August 22: Kirsten Paludan
August 29: Wonderland
September 7: The KC Allstars
Jazz in the Woods
June 12–13, Corporate Woods
For the past 20 years, the Overland Park South Rotary Club has sponsored this jazz concert at Corporate Woods (9401 Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park), to raise money for local youth charities. This year, proceeds go to Marillac, Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center and the Fox 4 Love Fund. On Friday, June 12, beginning at 6 p.m.: David Wells, Joyce Cooling and the Sax Pack featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters and Steve Cole. On Saturday, June 13, beginning at 6 p.m.: Matt Marshak, Acoustic Alchemy and Mindi Abair. See the Web site for VIP tickets, charity info and more.
Country in the Woods
June 14, Corporate Woods
Country in the Woods donates to the same charities as its jazzy sister event and rounds out a weekend of free music at Corporate Woods (9401 Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park). Performers on Sunday, June 14, include Emerson Drive, Eric Church and Dean Brody. The show begins at 4:30 p.m. For more information, see the Web site.
Parkville Jazz, Blues & Fine Arts RiverJam
June 19–20, English Landing Park
Food, music and art will be near the Missouri River at English Landing Park (127 South Main in Parkville). The lineup for Friday, June 19, includes Angela Hagenbach, Harper and the Rev. Jimmie Bratcher. Acts on Saturday, June 20, include Sons of Brasil, Roger “Hurricane” Wilson with Levee Town, Tommy Andrews Band, Stacy Mitchhart, Skip Hawkins Band and the Parkville Community Band. Music starts at 5:30 p.m. Friday and at noon on Saturday. See the Web site for more information.
KCK Street Blues Festival
June 26–27
kckstreetbluesfest.com
More than 20 blues acts descend on 13th Street and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, for this huge local music festival. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome at this free event, which includes vendor concessions and performances by Eugene Smiley, Millage Gilbert, Levee Town, Billy Ebeling, Danny Cox and more. The festival begins at 1:45 p.m. on Friday. It continues at 11 a.m. Saturday and runs through 11 p.m. More information, including full lineup, Living Heritage award recipients and contact information, is at the Web site.
Pitch Music Showcase
Thursday, August 6
All the major and minor players, hangers-on and spectators in the Kansas City music scene converge on Westport for the annual Pitch Music Showcase. Performing at five different venues, more than 25 bands and DJs strut their stuff to earn votes and the chance to win a Pitch Music Award. Keep reading The Pitch this summer and go to pitch.com for the ballot, showtimes and acts.
Compiled by Berry Anderson
