Being pleasing is the point of the pop world, where things that strike people’s fancies rise and fall and perhaps rise again with what might be described as consistent unpredictability.
Bands or shows or concepts given permission by the masses to be truly pop are only there to be enjoyed for the time that they have in the sun.
Wait, are those clouds forming? Better get popping.
1. Duran Duran
Duran Duran never really went away. The stylish Brit-pop band kept busy with albums and tours following their pivotal music videos (“Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Girls on Film” and “Rio”) that came at just the right time in the early 1980s to make them and MTV famous. It’s just that the band’s 14th studio album, “Paper Gods,” has caught on better than some of the previous, including the catchy minimalist track, “All You Need Is Now.” How pop. Supporting the band on tour in KC will be fabled disco outfit CHIC, including guitarist and frequent Duran Duran collaborator Nile Rodgers. Don’t ask what happened to MTV. It’s not good.
7 p.m. Sunday, Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $35.95-$185.95.
We love our TV game shows. Is the price right? Do you want to make a deal? What’s the password? I could go on, but leave it to 30 local artists to tap into the fever by creating artwork with game show themes. The event’s audience-participation hook will be the staging of live game shows. Want to get picked to play a game? Wear something whacky. Jump up and down. Oh, and loudly compliment the art – that ought to do it. The Sexy Accident will also play original songs stirred by 1970s game show music. Pop goes the past!
Thursday and Friday, 6-10 p.m. (live game shows at 7, 8 and 9 p.m.); Sunday, noon-6 p.m. (gallery hours); River Market Event Place, 140 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
3. ‘Madagascar: A Musical Adventure’
The kiddie-pop appeal of “Madagascar” and its sequels can’t be contained to the screen with this world-premiere Coterie Theatre musical inspired by the DreamWorks movie franchise. The familiar lion, zebra, giraffe, hippo and penguin characters are back, as well as the get-up-and-dance tune, “I Like To Move It” – and reports are that families have been doing just that at the Coterie. The production features a pack of new songs, too, including “Best Friends” and “Relax, Be Cool, Chill Out,” dreamed up by the creative team responsible for music heard on TV’s “Dora the Explorer” and “Go Diego Go.” Beat the heat this weekend by taking in this popular indoor show.
Friday, 11 a.m., 1 and 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.; Coterie Theatre at Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $12-$17.
4. Br. John Sings Sam Cooke: Memoirs of the Father of Soul
Exquisite singer/songwriter and killer performer Sam Cooke was a genius pop and soul artist in the 1950s and ’60s. He expertly communicated utter romantic love (“You Send Me”), cleverly capitalized on dance fads like the twist (“Twistin’ the Night Away”) and movingly commented on the struggle for civil rights in the form of a Top-40 hit (“A Change is Gonna Come”). Cooke’s singular legacy is celebrated in this theatrical tribute incorporating acting, storytelling and song that’s part of this year’s Kansas City Fringe Festival.
Saturday, 9 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30 p.m.; Musical Theatre Heritage at Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $10.
5. Chipotle Cultivate Festival
Pop-star chefs used to be a rarity, led by French-cooking queen Julia Child. Nowadays the high-profile chefs just keep coming, including Carla Hall of ABC-TV’s “The Chew” and Andrew Zimmern of too many “Bizarre Foods” shows to mention on the Travel Channel. Both will be among the celebrity food experts giving cooking demos at the Chipotle Cultivate Festival, which will include pop bands like the Mowgli’s and a kids’ zone featuring a free snack station. Free is always popular.
Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Penn Valley Park, 2698 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
With just one album (“Pawn Shop”) under their country music belts, the Brothers Osborne – T.J. and John – are already a big draw with such ear-catching ditties as “Stay a Little Longer” (it never hurts to ask), “Rum” (what doesn’t it go with?) and “21 Summer” (sigh). Savvy meat-and-potatoes modern country with roots in good times and better memories. Darn it, if they ain’t pop stars!
Thursday, 7 p.m.; KC Live Stage, Power & Light District, 1100 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
Brian McTavish is a regular arts and culture contributor for KCUR 89.3. Reach him through email at brianmctavish@gmail.com.
