The NFL’s regular season kickoff in September is the top priority for rabid fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, but partisan lovers of music know attending a concert almost never comes with the threat of a loss.
The most enticing automatic win on this month’s concert calendar is Janelle Monáe’s homecoming at the Midland Theater. The hometown hero has a revamped look and a sensuous new sound.
Committed headbangers are set to enjoy a month for the record books. Several of the biggest bands in hard rock will perform in Kansas City in September — we’re placing our bet on Queens of the Stone Age’s concert at Starlight Theatre. Fans of alternative rock may prefer to revel in Cracker’s two-day blowout at Knuckleheads.
Additional selections include an exciting cross-genre mashup at the Ship, two very different jazz concerts in very different venues, an exhibition of throwback soul in the West Bottoms and a Mexican superstar in the midst of a triumphant arena tour.
Why not get the month off to the right start by joining throngs of fun-lovers at the Kansas City Irish Fest? The football-obsessed can relax knowing the three-day festival doesn’t conflict with a Chiefs game.
Kansas City Irish Fest
- When: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, September 1; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, September 2; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, September 3
- Where: Grand Boulevard at Crown Center
- Tickets: starting at $30 on Friday and $35 on Saturday and Sunday
Kansas City Irish Fest has long been the town’s most popular ticketed festival. The live music component — just one of the many attractions at the Labor Day weekend event — provides a motivational soundtrack for revelers.
Celtic-rock band The Elders (9:30 p.m. Sunday) and troubadour Eddie Delahunt (noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday) are among the beloved local entertainers this year.
Screaming Orphans, a fun-loving quartet of sisters from Donegal, Ireland, (8:30 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday) are among the international acts. The group is equally adept in pop-oriented and tradition-minded forms of Irish music.
Thee Sinseers: September 3
- When: 8 p.m. on Sunday, September 3
- Where: Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St., Kansas City, Missouri 64102
- Tickets: $20
The grounds of Lemonade Park will act as a time machine on the first Sunday of September when Thee Sinseers and The Altons, two of today’s most convincing throwback soul bands, groove like it’s 1963.
Characterized by the timeless voice of Joseph Quiniones, Thee Sinseers recreate the innocent but sultry sound of American soul in the months before the Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Fellow Los Angeles band The Altons mix things up by occasionally singing in Spanish. The up-and-coming soul singer Alanna Royale and Boss Hooligan Sound System round out the bill.
Cracker: September 8 and 9
- When: 7 p.m. on Friday, September 8; and 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 9
- Where: Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Ave., Kansas City, MO 64120
- Tickets: $25 per day
Cracker is joining the likes of Mavericks and Paul Thorn as acts worthy of a “takeover weekend” at Knuckleheads. The featured act usually appears in varying formats on different stages in themed, multi-day shows.
Two weeks after the 30th anniversary of “Kerosene Hat,” which includes dyspeptic hits “Low” and “Get Off This,” Cracker’s core members, David Lowery and Johnny Hickman, are celebrating the album’s success.
In addition to full-band performances each night, Lowery and Hickman will perform separate sets in the roadhouse’s Gospel Lounge. The Bootstrap Boys join Friday’s party. Sara Shook is the featured guest on Saturday.
Janelle Monáe: September 9
- When: 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 9
- Where: Midland Theatre, 1228 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105
- Tickets: Starting at $41.50
Janelle Monáe is the most prominent living musician to emerge from the Kansas City area. As a pop star, actress, and model, they've maintained an almost ubiquitous presence in popular culture for more than a decade.
And the artist of Kansas City, Kansas, recently flipped their style. The shift from a sleek cyborg sensibility to a bold sensual aesthetic corresponds with steamy songs like “Lipstick Lover” on Monáe’s new album, “The Age of Pleasure.”
They detail intoxicant-fueled sexual encounters over lusty Jamaican dancehall, propulsive Afrobeat and ambrosial R&B beats on the escapist project. Monáe’s fans, friends and family should expect to be scandalized at the homecoming concert.
Gregory Porter: September 10
- When: 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 10
- Where: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Tickets: Starting at $47
A grievous void was left in the jazz world when Kansas City vocalist Kevin Mahogany died in 2017, at the age of 59. While Mahogany was a singular talent, Gregory Porter’s hustle and artistry elevated him to a similarly auspicious space.
The California native is just as comfortable crooning venerable standards like “Puttin' On the Ritz” as he is evoking soul greats like Donny Hathaway on the swoon-worthy “Hey Laura.”
Porter’s appearance at Muriel Kauffman Theatre, consequently, is equally appropriate as an ideal date night and as an opportunity to bask in the mellifluous voice of one of the leading lights of jazz.
Mireya Ramos & the Poor Choices: September 12
- When: 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12
- Where: The Ship, 1221 Union Ave., Kansas City, Missouri 64101
- Tickets: Starting at $12
Mireya Ramos made a good decision when she allied with The Poor Choices. The Afro Latino artist best known as a member of the New York mariachi band Flor de Toloache collaborated with the Kansas City honky tonk traditionalists on the new album, “Sin Fronteras”.
The partnership isn’t as unlikely as it initially seems. Ramos has spent a lot of time in Kansas City during the last decade, and Beau Bledsoe of the Poor Choices is an acclaimed musical chameleon.
The cross-cultural results are rewarding. Fresh interpretations of classic material ranging from “Regresa Ya” to “There Stands the Glass” bridge the distances between Mexico City, Nashville, New York and San Juan.
Queens of the Stone Age: September 20
- When: 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 20
- Where: Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64132
- Tickets: Starting at $35
Area fans of arena-scale hard rock may need to take out loans to catch all of September’s notable head-banging concerts. Their options include Shinedown (September 4 at T-Mobile Center), 3 Doors Down (September 6 at Starlight Theatre), Rob Zombie (September 15 at Azura Amphitheater), Nickelback (September 19 at T-Mobile Center), Three Days Grace (September 21 at Starlight Theatre), Guns N’ Roses (September 23 at Kauffman Stadium) and Avenged Sevenfold (September 26 at T-Mobile Center).
Queens of the Stone Age is the best bet. The ensemble led by Josh Homme is arguably the preeminent rock band of the past 25 years. The band’s crunchy sound is typified by the hit “No One Knows” from its appropriately titled 2002 album, “Songs for the Deaf.”
Two exceptionally compelling opening acts sweeten the bill. The Swedish band Viagra Boys and the French rocker Jehnny Beth share the unhinged sense of danger that characterizes the headliner.
High Pulp: September 21
- When: 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 21
- Where: recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Tickets: $10
Less than two dozen people were present for what may have been the most exciting jazz concert to take place in Kansas City last year. High Pulp’s appearance at recordBar on April 28, 2022, offered a thrilling peek at the form’s future.
The proprietors of recordBar hope that word of mouth will boost attendance for the Los Angeles band’s return this month. High Pulp’s new album, “Days in the Desert,” indicates they have advanced their sound in the past 16 months.
While it’s rooted in the adventurous improvisation of past jazz masters, including Charlie Parker, High Pulp’s attack blends elements of hip-hop and indie rock as it forges the music of tomorrow. A band led by Joe McGuire opens the show.
Carin León: September 22
- When: 8 p.m. on Friday, September 22
- Where: T-Mobile Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri, 64106
- Tickets: Starting at $49.50
The appeal of the regional Mexican music made by Carin León isn’t limited to Spanish speakers. The star’s music can sound decidedly familiar to country music enthusiasts.
Aside from the application of an accordion rather than a harmonica and lyrics delivered in Spanish instead of English, much of León’s repertoire is pleasingly similar to the relaxed earthiness of Willie Nelson’s songs.
The native of Hermosillo, Mexico, is focusing on relatable material from his new album, “Colmillo de Leche,” such as the rootsy “Primera Cita” on his current arena tour.
Hannah Jadagu: September 29
- When: 8 p.m. on Friday, September 29
- Where: The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., Lawrence, Kansas 66044
- Tickets: $15
Hannah Jadagu is touring in support of her stunning debut album, “Aperture.” A wistful amalgamation of folk, Britpop, and jangly psychedelia, the Sub Pop Records release announces the arrival of a significant new talent.
Even as she addresses the challenges faced by her generation, the Texan betrays a maturity well beyond her years on sturdy songs like the grunge-laced “What You Did” and the eerily contemplative “Admit It.”
While she merits comparison to artists like Soccer Mommy and Taylor Swift, Jadagu’s talent will almost certainly soon be recognized as utterly distinctive. Miloe is on tour with Jadagu.
