The calendar has flipped to June, and our live-music calendar has moved into our many outdoor venues. This month’s recommendations included an annual two-day outdoor festival, a taco fest with a heavy dose of prime hip-hop, and shows at our finest amphitheater. If indoors is your preference, there are plenty of those, too.
Louis Tomlinson
June 10 at Starlight Theatre
Tomlinson is another One Direction alum who is making big strides in his solo career. Since the band went on what appears to be a permanent hiatus, Tomlinson, a former contestant and a judge/mentor on The X Factor, started a record label, signed a deal with Arista Records, and released several singles and two full-length albums: Walls in 2020 and Faith in the Future in 2022. Both albums cracked the Top 5 in the United Kingdom and the Top 10 in the United States. Alternative Press ranked Future No. 28 among the 55 best albums of 2022. About the album, one critic wrote: “It’s eclectic, electric, and always energetic,” which sounds like a solid thumbs-up. The singer-songwriter from Doncaster, England, has cited Robbie Williams, Ed Sheeran, and The Fray, as influences and inspirations. Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $99.
Luke Combs
June 10 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Combs’ first headlining show in Kansas City was in 2017 at The Truman, a room with a capacity of 1,200. In 2019, he topped the marquee at what was then the Sprint Center, selling out the arena for his “Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour.” Four years later, he has taken the monumental leap that few bands or artists are able to conquer: a stadium tour.
The climb has been steady and steep for the North Carolina native, who released his first recording in 2017, when he was 27 years old. It bolted to No. 1 on the country charts and No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It has since sold more than 5 million copies. Two years later, the follow up, What You See Is What You Get, reached No. 1 overall in the United States, Canada, and Australia; it has sold more than 3 million copies. Along the way, 14 of his singles have topped the country charts, and he has accumulated a mountain of awards and nominations, including CMA Entertainer of the Year.
For some fans, especially those who prefer their country music a little wild and unhinged, a la Morgan Wallen, Combs’ style is a bit safe and steady. His legions of fans, though, seem to relate deeply to his lyrics, where he portrays himself as a regular guy with everyday, real-life doubts, trials, and tribulations. And then there’s his voice, one of the most soulful and expressive in all of country music. And even critics who have deemed his music a bit formulaic must concede it has become a smashing and award-winning formula, one that has landed him atop the live-music mountain.
Combs is bringing several guests to the show: fellow country artists Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry, and Brent Cobb. Show time is 5:45 p.m. Tickets start at $75.
The Doobie Brothers
June 14 at Starlight Theatre
They are calling this their 50th anniversary tour, though they formed in 1970 and released their first studio album, The Doobie Brothers, in 1971. Regardless, they have been at it for more than five decades, primarily because their many timeless hits and favorites have aged so well. And so has the band, which still includes founding and longtime members Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, and John McFee. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 to $176.
Boulevardia
June 16-17 at Crown Center/Grand Boulevard
This celebration of music, beer, food, and other forms of entertainment started as a three-day event in June 2014 under the 12th Street Viaduct in the West Bottoms. In 2017, it moved south, just north of the former Kemper Arena and shifted to a two-day festival. The pandemic suspended Boulevardia in 2020-21. It returned in 2022 at a new locale but with the same intentions: stock the music lineup with a wide array of elite bands and artists—some famous, some lesser-known—provide plenty of food, a variety of beers, and diversions like an enormous Ferris wheel and a charity bike ride.
This year is no different. Headliners include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The War and Treaty, Surfaces, Big Freedia, Peter Shlamb’s Electric Tinks, and The Beths. Plus, some of the best bands from the Kansas City region: The Grisly Hand, Katy Guillen and The Drive, The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Grand Marquis, Julia Haile, Steddy P, and dozens of others.
Tickets are $50 per day in advance, $55 the day of show. For a schedule and more information about other festival offerings and ticket packages, visit boulevardia.com.
Santa Fe Klan with Snow Tha Product and Tornillo
June 21 at T-Mobile Center
Santa Fe Klan epitomizes artists who, with little more at their disposal than social media and the gadgets to create music and videos, can virally propel themselves into stardom. A native of Guantano, Mexico, Klan, born Ángel Quezada, was 15 when his self-produced songs started going viral. The rapper told Billboard: “As a teenager who recorded his own music, filmed his own music videos, and did his own marketing, having millions of views on a song was a big deal for me. I didn’t have anything. All I had was YouTube and SoundCloud.” Four years later, he is riding the lofty successes of subsequent releases, which showcase his signature blend of traditional and contemporary hip-hop and traditional Mexican and Latin music, including cumbia, ranchero, and bolero. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $35.50 to $95.50.
FIVE MORE SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
RadFest, featuring Radkey, The Phantastics, Drop a Grand, The Many Colored Death, and The Ugly Cowboys.
June 3 at Lemonade Park
This music bonanza features three stellar Kansas City bands, including the headliner/hosts, Radkey, plus visitors from Columbia, Mo., and Stillwater, Okla. Each will deliver a unique vibe and style, making for a diverse and dynamic evening of music. Show time is 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of show. Minors will be admitted if accompanied by an adult.
Nickel Creek with Gaby Morena
June 13 in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Any time Chris Thile is in town, it’s a must-see show, but especially when he’s with siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins, the trio known as Nickel Creek, who apply all kinds of magic and genius to bluegrass. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $67.50 to $77.50.
Tacos and Tequila Festival
June 17 at Legends West
Another stadium event, this one in the home of our minor-league baseball team, the Kansas City T-Bones. Food and adult beverages won’t be the only draw. Far from it: the rap-heavy music lineup includes Flo Rida, Lil Jon, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Montell Jordan, Mike Jones, and Paul Wall. Tickets start at $69.
Pat Metheny: Side-Eye
June 25 in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre
The Lee’s Summit native doesn’t perform often in Kansas City; more than 10 years have passed since his previous appearance here. So, here’s a rare chance to see one of the most adventurous, respected, and decorated jazz artists of his generation. He’ll be playing guitar as part of the trio Side-Eye with drummer Joe Dyson and keyboardist Chris Fishman. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $56.50 to $90.50.
Hailey Whitters
June 29 at KC Live!
Whitters is just what country music needs: a woman with talent and attitude. If your tastes in country lean more toward the Chicks, the Wreckers, Kasey Chambers, or Miranda Lambert, Whitter is what you’ve been waiting for. Check out Everything She Ain’t, which is about to top more than 70 million streams on Spotify. Show time is 8 p.m. Lauren Watkins opens. Admission is free.