As we swing into the thick of summer, the live-music waters are teeming with shows and tours, so many fans face more tough decisions about how to indulge (and afford) their choices. Here are just 10 of the dozens of tours and shows worthy of consideration.
July 7 and July 8 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Taylor Swift
As if it were necessary, she has further validated her status as the super-est of mega-superstars by launching a gargantuan stadium extravaganza – The Eras Tour – that, according to Variety, comprises 52 dates in North America and more elsewhere on the planet, including concerts in Singapore in 2024.
But those are shows, not stops: She’s doing two, sometimes three, performances in each city, including two in Kansas City. According to Pollstar, a premier source for the live-music industry, the tour is likely to gross well more than $1 billion. Demands for tickets at every show were so high, Ticketmaster had to shut down its overwhelmed site the first day of sales. Fans were further outraged by ticket prices that were accelerated by second-hand sellers and Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing.
But all that is behind her, and the tour, which launched in March, has received a torrent of rave reviews for its length (three hours) and the number of songs on the setlist: 44, drawn from nine of her 10 studio albums. A writer with the British New Music Express called the tour opener “one of the most ambitious, spectacular and charming pop shows ever.”
Muna and Gracie Adams open each night. Show times are 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available only through second-hand markets.
July 11 at The Truman
Gogol Bordello
They’re from New York City, but their music is drawn from a variety of deep wells, starting with Romani, an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, and including punk, folk and dub. Eugene Hutz is the leader who guides the band of nine through a marauding show that is at times euphoric: a 100 barrels of feverish dance grooves, theatrics and no shortage of whimsy and humor. A “don’t miss,” whether or not you’ve seen them. Puzzled Panther opens at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 to $60.
July 14 at Starlight Theatre
Tears for Fears with Cold War Kids
They never overtook the planet, but in 1984-85, they came close. That’s when two singles from the album Songs From the Big Chair commanded the charts (and MTV): Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Their music was a mid-’80s mix of pop, new wave and anthem rock: groovy and melodic. If you saw them at the Midland Theater in 2017 or the Uptown Theater in 2015, you know that they have aged and evolved as seamlessly as their music. And as many people around here know: They helped accelerate the career of Kansas Citian (and California transplant) Oleta Adams.
The Cold War Kids are from another, sound and era, but their blend of rock, blues and soul ought to be a suitable prelude. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50.
July 14 at Liberty Hall
The Mountain Goats
They are the definition of a cult band, led by John Darnielle, who, like the mammal for which his band is named, is something of a recluse who has no fear of heights or terrains when it comes to exploring music and composing lyrics. They’ve recorded a dozen studio albums in 20 years, including 2022’s Bleed Out, on Merge, their label for 12 years. It’s a mix of uber-indie folk and rock). Defining them briefly is difficult, but be assured: If you lean towards oddball creative types, know that he’ll lead you to places you’ve either never seen or knew existed. Adeem the Artist opens 8 p.m. Tickets are $37-$47.
July 18 at Starlight Theatre
Foreigner with Loverboy
These bands thrived at high levels at different times. Foreigner, a British rock band, dominated radio and record charts for more than seven years, dropping seven singles into the Top 5 (Feels Like the First Time, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, I Want to Know What Love Is) and several others into the Top 25. They are down to one founding member, Mick Jones, but like so many heritage acts with a bounty of classic-rock hits, they can still draw big crowds at hefty prices. Loverboy came out of Calgary, Canada, in 1980 and made large, but fewer, waves. Their biggest hits – Turn Me Loose, Working for the Weekend, Hot Girls in Love – all dropped within three years of one another (1980-83). Four of their five founding members are still with the band. Show time is 7 p.m. Only remaining tickets start at $109.50.
July 19 at the Arvest Bank Theater at the Midland
The Smile
This trio of soundscapists includes Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead; drummer Tom Skinner completes the trinity. Its building blocks include jazz and electronica and dollops of hip-hop dipped in prog-rock and art-rock. It’s moody and challenging and demands attention. If you think it sounds like more Radiohead, you’d be wrong. Robert Stillman opens at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $59.75.
July 22 at Grinders KC
Trombone Shorty, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples and Robert Randolph
All five of these performers are headliners. Each approaches music from a different summit: New Orleans jazz; reggae; gospel/soul; funk/soul/sacred steel. It will all dovetail this evening into a tide of music that is bedrock to nearly all the music we love. Show time is 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $62.
July 24 at the Kansas City Music Hall
Tedeschi Trucks Band
They’ve been married for more than 20 years and a duo since 2011. Susan Tedeschi is a self-starter from Boston with a voice that draws comparisons to Bonnie Raitt; Derek Trucks comes from rock royalty: nephew of Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band. Both are ace guitarists, and together they take the blues, rock, country and other base music forms into a realm that inspires online reviews/reactions like: “The best show I’ve ever seen.” Country artist Vincent Neil Emerson opens at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $59.50
July 29 at Knuckleheads Saloon
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Carrier is a real-deal Zydeco master from Lafayette, La., where he first started performing live at the age of 12, in his father’s band. He started the Bayou Swamp Band in 1989, when he was 22. It remains a high-octane, dance-happy orchestra that conjures all the charms and virtues of Zydeco and the music roots of Louisiana. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.