Aug. 31 at the Truman: Shakey Graves with Twin Peaks
Alejandro Rose-Garcia is a native of Austin, Texas, who was an actor long before he became a musician. In 2003, he played the role of Edog in Spy Kids 3: Game Over, which also featured Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek and Ricardo Montalban. In 2007, he played the role of “the Swede” in four episodes of Friday Night Lights, which was produced in his hometown.
Rose-Garcia turned to music and eventually adopted as his stage personae the name bestowed upon him during a campfire sing-along: Shakey Graves. In 2011, he self-released his debut album, which showcased his Texas-style mix of roots-rock, country, Americana and folk.
In 2014, Rose-Garcia signed with DualTone Records, where he has issued an EP and three full-lengths, including Can’t Wake Up, released in May. His hometown newspaper, The Austin Chronicle, said Can’t Wake Up“ completes his metamorphosis into an exceptional songwriter whose songs manifest themselves into cinematic novellas.”
Twin Peaks is a rough and rowdy indie-rock band from Chicago.
Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets to the all-ages show are $25 and $27.
Aug. 31 at Starlight Theatre: Jazon Mraz with Brett Dennen
For nearly 20 years, Jason Mraz has sustained a large and loyal audience that appreciates his high-energy live shows and his music, which blends pop, folk, rock and soul with a variety of accents, including reggae and hip-hop.
The two-time Grammy winner (and four-time nominee) has released six studio albums, including Know, released Aug. 10. It includes the track Have It All, a catchy, uplifting pop tune that Mraz says was inspired by the blessing he received from a Buddhist monk in Myanmar in 2012.
Brett Dennen is a folk-pop singer-songwriter from California who puts on a lively and engaging one-man show.
Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $29 to $100.
Sept. 1 at Starlight Theatre: Ian Anderson Presents Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour
Ian Anderson has visited Kansas City frequently, most recently in 2016 when he performed Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera at the Uptown Theater and in 2013 when he presented Ian Anderson Plays Thick As a Brick at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
This time, Anderson is bringing the latest reincarnation of Jethro Tull, a quintet of which he is the only original member. The band will take its audience on a panoramic journey through the vast classic-rock catalog of a progressive-rock band that sounded like no other, thanks in no small part to Anderson’s virtuosity on the flute. The 19-song set listhas included plenty of hits, favorites and deep album cuts.
Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $49.50 to $125.
Sept. 1 at Knuckleheads Saloon: Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore with Jon Langford
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a native of Amarillo, Texas, who has been a mainstay in the Texas singer-songwriter world since the early 1970s, starting with his membership in the hippie-country trio the Flatlanders, who also included Joe Ely and Butch Hancock.
Dave Alvin emerged in the late 1970s as part of the Los Angeles rockabilly/roots-rock band the Blasters, who included his brother, Phil. In the late 1980s, Dave started recording his own material and then worked with the Knitters, an underground supegroup that featured members of the Los Angeles punk band X.
The Blasters have reunited a few times and Alvin has continued to issue his own roots-rock/folk albums and pursue other projects, like his most recent, with Gilmore. The two are touring on their recently released collaboration of covers called Downey to Lubbock, whichRolling Stone called “a fascinating roots music excavation that merges Delta blues, Western swing and early rock and roll.”
Langford is a Welch musician most famous for starting the cowpunk band the Mekons but also for membership in bands like the Waco Bros., Three Johns, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts and the Skull Orchard, among others.
Show time is 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $28.50.
Sept. 3 at Starlight Theatre: Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band
Don’t let the pun in the band name fool you. This is a bona fide band of first-team all-stars. It includes Colin Hay of Men At Work (Who Can It Be Now), Steve Lukather of Toto (Africa, Roseanna), Graham Gouldman of 10cc (I’m Not In Love, The Things We Do For Love) and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, whose resume includes memberships in the band Santana.
The set lists have included some Ringo solo tunes, several Beatles songs and hits by Men At Work, Toto and 10cc.
Show time 7 p.m. Tickets are $36 to $175.
MORE MUSIC TO KNOW ABOUT
Fridays and Saturdays, the Green Lady Lounge and Black Dolphin: These two jazz clubs stand next to each other just south of 18th Street and Grand Boulevard, and each weekend they offer cover-free sets featuring Kansas City’s best jazz bands and musicians, ensembles led by Tim Whitmer, Chris Hazelton, Ken Lovern, Stephen Martin, Todd Wilkinson, Lonnie McFadden and many others.
Music at the Ship: This West Bottoms venue features live music Tuesdays through Saturdays, and its pallet is diverse. Tuesdays are for fans of traditional/classic country. The rest of the calendar is filled with jazz, soul, rock and eminent KC DJs like Joc Max spinning vintage sounds. Cover charges vary. Visit theshipkc.comfor more information and a look at the food menu.
Mikal Shapiro, Gav7d and the Cosmic Tady Brothers, Sept. 1 at the Brick:If you want a robust, kaleidoscopic glimpse at the creative breadth of Kansas City’s music scene, this show will provide it. You’ll see and hear some great songwriting, exceptional musicianship and subversive performance art, all in one evening.
50th Anniversary Tour for Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Sept. 9 at the Folly Theatre: The Byrds’ classic country-rock album gets a 50th birthday tribute from a must-see band: Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn of the Byrds with country star Marty Stuart and his stellar band, the Fabulous Superlatives.
Butch Walker, Sept. 12 at RecordBar:Walker has done it all in the music world, as a band leader (Marvelous 3), producer (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Avril Lavigne), songwriter, engineer and musician. He also puts on a stellar show that showcases his songwriting, musicianship and live-performance chops.