The Pitch staff’s most anticipated concerts of the summer

Rocking out to Suffocation. // photo by Jason Colvin

As we’ve already noted several times thus far, it’s hot as Hades outside and with Memorial Day well in the rear view, it means it’s time for summer concert season. With an eye toward providing you with a plan to navigate the sheer excess of offerings on hand for 2026, we had The Pitch staff and freelance music team put together a can’t-miss selection of what they can’t wait to see over the next three months.

Kolby Brown (writer): The Head and The Heart is performing at KC Live! in Power and Light in July and I’m pretty psyched- I’m a big folk music fan and they’ve got a nice indie folk vibe and also ideal music to stand in a crowd and sway to. John Batiste is also performing at Starlight and I appreciate his blend of music genres and slight classical influences. I’m a journalism major but also a music major at the University of Oklahoma, so I’ve gotten my foot in some classical ground. Speaking of, the KC Symphony is doing a Taylor Swift show where they are performing some symphonies based on her different eras. I actually am not a Taylor Swift fan but it’s a goofy concept.

The Head and The Heart play KC Live! on Saturday, July 18. Details here.

John Batiste plays Starlight on Friday, July 17. Details here.

Steve Hackman Conducts His “Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era” at the Kauffman Center on Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12. Details here.

Jason Colvin (writer/photographer): After some thought, I landed on The Black Angels at Warehouse on Broadway on Monday, June 1. As you read this, it may have already happened, and if you missed it, damn shame. Why this show? For starters, it is a band I have yet to see live. Secondly, this is the year to do so as 2026 marks the twentieth anniversary of their first LP, Passover. With that album, the Austin, TX-based band defined the modern psych-rock revival. Their multi-textured sound channels the spirit of classic psychedelia while adding powerful, dark modern touches. For their current tour, they are playing the seminal debut album in its entirety as well as following it up with a mixture of other career-spanning tracks.

Multi-instrumentalist, founder, and lead vocalist for the band, Alex Maas’ passion for the genre is evident by the fact that he was co-founder of Levitation, the annual Austin-based psych-rock music festival. Opening for The Black Angels will be L.A. Witch, a female trio from Los Angeles, California. Their sound has been described as a mix of psych folk, lethargic lo-fi blues, and boozy garage rock. Writing this, I am getting even more excited for this show. Hope to see you there. Otherwise, be on the lookout for a full show review. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out both of these bands’ music.

Daniel Fuchs (photographer): July kicks off loud and unapologetically fun as The Beaches hit town supporting Louis Tomlinson’s tour. They’re the kind of band that makes scrolling tour announcements exhilarating—and every single time, I’m frantically hunting for Kansas City on the routing list.

Somehow, despite living near the top of my must-see list, they’ve continued to dodge my calendar. Not this time. Every festival clip I’ve watched has only reinforced the same thought: what a damn vibe. The Beaches bring the chaotic, cool, and infectious chemistry that is tailor-made for summer.

The timing couldn’t be better, either. The show lands just a month after their deluxe album release, opening the door for a few first-time live cuts to sneak into the setlist. These are some kick-ass women making kick-ass music, and I already know this show will become one of my favorites.

The Beaches play Cable Dahmer Arena on Thursday, July 2. Details here.

Emma Goulding (writer): CAAMP is coming to Starlight, and the vibes of an outdoor concert are so good. Mixing that with a hot summer night and CAAMP’s indie folk vibe, it’s definitely a concert I would write about. Their sound is really raspy and raw, and their lyrics are so beautiful. It’s a really great feel-good band to listen to, especially during the summer.

CAAMP plays Starlight on Monday, August 24. Details here.

Eleanor Leslie (writer): The first time I heard a Passion Pit song was when I was sitting in the passenger seat of my high school best friend’s car, driving around with the windows down—in a lot of ways, their music reminds me of those times. Passion Pit is a perfect serenade to summer, with angst and millennial nostalgia. I am more than excited to see them coming to KC—especially at such an amazing venue.

Passion Pit plays the Truman on Saturday, June 24. Details here.

Ava McCluer (writer): Lately, I have been really into TheBabeGabe. When I was in high school, my neighbor was the drummer for the Black Star Kids, which she was a singer for before they disbanded and now she and Ty Faizon (another former BSK singer) are performing at the FIFA Fan Festival in a few weeks as solo artists. I got to see her live many years ago, so I’d love to write about that experience, but also how I’ve enjoyed her pivot to a more electronic-pop sound. Her music is very fun and playful, so I bet the concert will have great energy.

Information on the FIFA Fan Festival is available here.

Allison Scavo (writer/photographer): My most anticipated show of the summer would definitely be Dave Matthews Band. It will be my first time seeing them live but I grew up listening to their live performances and I love their jams, it’s nothing like what they play in the studio or on the radio. They’re great live and we could use some nostalgia this summer!

Dave Matthews Band plays Morton Amphitheater on Wednesday, June 24. Details here.

Nick Spacek (music editor): There are so many big shows that I am delighted to attend, like Paul Simon at Starlight and Tyler Childers at Morton, but honestly, I’m most excited for a double bill of Jeff Stolz bands at the Replay for a Sunday matinee. Since the dissolution of Drakkar Sauna, Stolz’s main musical output has been the similarly unclassifiable The Frightened Stag, whose folk-adjacent world-building songs and brilliant cover choices always make for a great show.

However, 95 Sweetbird, featuring Heidi Gluck and Justin Parr, as well as a revolving lineup of other folks alongside Stolz, is the sort of bar band that elevates the genre into something special. It’ll be hot and sweaty and probably kinda rowdy, which ought to prime the pump nicely for the Fourth of July the following weekend. Being as how it’s a celebration of Stolz’s 50th birthday, here’s to hoping it also sees the release of some of the 95 Sweetbird recordings band members have been teasing me with.

The Stolz 50th Birthday Extravaganza with the Frightened Stag and 95 Sweetbird is at the Replay Loinge on Sunday, June 28. Details here.

Tommy Vean (writer/photographer): My most anticipated show this summer has to be the Don Toliver Octane Tour stop on June 17 at the T-Mobile Center. Since the tour began in May, I’ve seen clips online showcasing its incredible production value, and I can’t wait to experience it in person. The album Octane has been on repeat for me since its February release, with standout tracks that make it one of my favorite projects of the year. I’m especially excited for the energy of the crowd and I hope Don Toliver surprises fans with a special guest appearance!

Don Toliver plays T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, June 17. Details here.