November is traditionally the last hurrah on Kansas City’s annual concert calendar, as many touring acts go into December hibernation. For music lovers eager to hear performances by an impressive array of internationally recognized artists, this month’s bookings offer the final opportunities to end the year on high notes.
Options include a few global icons from the pop, R&B, and classical spheres, some noteworthy up-and-comers and a local hero.
Musicians from around the world lead the way, including Australian acoustic guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel, Canadian R&B duo DVSN, and First Nations rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, who entertain at the Encore Room.
Follow that up with shows from French-born, Colorado-based electronic dance music producer CloZee at the Midland Theater, no-frills British rocker Nick Lowe at Knuckleheads, and the illustrious Hungarian pianist András Schiff, who appears at Helzberg Hall.
So get out there while the gettin’ is still good — the live music scene doesn’t come to a complete standstill in December, but a multitude of luminous offerings won’t resume until 2024.
Terence Blanchard: November 2
- When: 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2
- Where: Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66045
- Tickets: Starting at $30
Terence Blanchard conjured the late Miles Davis in an astonishing 2022 performance at Kansas City’s Atkins Auditorium. The renaissance musician will evoke a different component of Davis’ career in Lawrence this month.
Davis’ score for the 1958 French film “Ascenseur pour l'échafaud” is one of his most admired recordings. In keeping with that tradition, Blanchard has crafted musical accompaniment for dozens of films. His work will be showcased in the “Film Scores Live!” presentation.
Enhanced by his band E-Collective and members of the Lawrence Community Orchestra, Blanchard will render his noirish work for films including “Malcolm X,” “Red Tails” and “BlacKkKlansman.”
CloZee: November 11
- When: 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11
- Where: Midland Theatre, 1228 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri 64105
- Tickets: $30
CloZee doesn’t create the loudest or funkiest form of electronic dance music, but her sound is imbued with a gentle humanity that’s rare in EDM. Ethereal textures and celestial melodies give tracks like “Neon Jungle” uncommon profundity.
Chloé Henry, a French DJ and producer, recently joined Denver’s thriving electronic music community.
Even though CloZee deemphasizes audience-pleasing bass drops, her tasteful form of EDM won't disappoint dance-minded revelers. CloZee’s party begins with outings by Daily Bread, Chmura and Lazuli.
András Schiff: November 14
- When: 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14
- Where: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Tickets: Starting at $53
Rather than treating centuries-old works like fragile artifacts, András Schiff approaches pieces by the likes of Bach and Mozart as if they were brand new. The pianist is a relentlessly curious and intrepid explorer.
Born in Budapest, Schiff is a British citizen. With more than 100 albums to his name, the 69-year-old has set the artistic bar for his peers. The bold and imaginative Schiff is among the most storied living pianists.
Schiff’s recital, his debut at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is presented by the Friends of Chamber Music.
Nick Lowe: November 15
- When: 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15
- Where: Knuckleheads, 715 Rochester Ave., Kansas City, Missouri 64120
- Tickets: Starting at $35
Ingratiating where Elvis Costello is surly, dependable where Joe Jackson is mercurial, and earthy where Squeeze is arty, Nick Lowe is the most likable of the so-called New Wave of British singer-songwriters who stormed America in the late 1970s.
Lowe had a few minor hits including “Cruel to be Kind” but he never became a mainstream star. Even so, Johnny Cash interpreted Lowe’s lacerating “The Beast in Me,” while Costello found success with Lowe’s “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
As in his previous appearances at Knuckleheads, the man once dubbed the Jesus of Cool will be joined by the masked surf-rock band Los Straitjackets.
Gladys Knight: November 19
- When: 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19
- Where: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Tickets: Starting at $80
While Gladys Knight’s theme song for the 1989 James Bond film “License to Kill” is intended to portray the lethal instincts of an action hero, it can also be heard as a nod to Knight’s capacity to slay listeners.
Through a burnished voice that induced countless tears of joy and pain on hits including “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye),” “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and “Superwoman,” Knight became an American icon.
Elegant and reserved even when she was young, Knight, now 79, hasn’t lost a step. She’s remained formidable decades after the hits stopped coming.
Mariah Carey: November 24
- When: 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24
- Where: T-Mobile Center, 1407 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64106
- Tickets: Starting at $60
Mariah Carey’s 1994 seasonal ditty “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become as beloved as Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Nat “King” Cole’s “The Christmas Song.”
It’s an unlikely turn of events for a singer known for applying her startlingly agile voice to sultry pop songs. Hits like “Vision of Love” and “Don't Forget About Us” made Carey one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and 2000s.
Yet “All I Want for Christmas Is You” eventually eclipsed the popularity of her conventional repertoire. Even so, Carey is interpreting some of her romantic bangers on her Merry Christmas One and All tour.
The Popper: November 24
- When: 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24
- Where: recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64108
- Tickets: $20
Tech N9ne’s “They Know Meh” could be the most definitive Kansas City song of the year, and The Popper’s playful guest verse proves Tech isn’t the only Kansas City rapper sustaining an enviable career.
The “homies from the Show-Me,” as the duo characterize themselves, have been integral components of Kansas City’s rap scene for decades. As KCUR reported in 2018, The Popper, aka Walter Edwin, is also an entrepreneur.
It’s only appropriate, then, that The Popper is taking over recordBar on Black Friday. In addition to performing Kansas City classics like “For the Mo,” he’s sure to promote his I'm KC retail outlets in the Historic 18th and Vine district and Ward Parkway Shopping Center.
Tommy Emmanuel: November 28
- When: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28
- Where: Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64111
- Tickets: Starting at $35
Tommy Emmanuel isn’t a typical guitar hero. Unlike past masters such as the late Eddie Van Halen, the Australian isn’t a slash-and-burn stylist.
Emmanuel, once a successful rock musician, opted more than 30 years ago to concentrate on acoustic guitar. He’s since become an unlikely television phenomenon, and his concerts are regularly featured on PBS.
He’s currently on a bluegrass jag. “Accomplice Two,” Emmanuel’s latest album, features collaborations with bluegrass’ biggest stars, including Jerry Douglas. The dobro master will join Emmanuel at the Uptown Theater.
DVSN: November 29
- When: 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29
- Where: The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
- Tickets: Starting at $30
DVSN’s 2018 mashup of Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Aaliyah’s “One In a Million” acted as a bold statement of purpose. The sultry mélange continues to define the DVSN’s sound.
Vocalist Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85 are faithful practitioners of R&B in an era when the form has been pushed aside by the dominance of hip-hop.
Even so, Nineteen85 isn’t an R&B elitist. He co-produced Drake’s monster 2013 hit “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Curious hip-hop fans and R&B aficionados will surely rub shoulders on DVSN’s Working On My Karma tour.
Snotty Nose Rez Kids: November 30
- When: 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30
- Where: Encore Room, 3700 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64111
- Tickets: $25
It’s all in the name. The First Nations rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids is knowingly obnoxious. Young D and Young Tribez apply the bratty personas of groups like Brockhampton and the hip-hop aesthetics of Migos to their vital songs of protest.
The duo’s defiance is proudly displayed in the music video for “Boujee Natives.” And Indigenous peoples’ presupposed role as responsible environmental caretakers is highlighted on the global warming screed “Hot Planet.”
The latter song insists “my ancestors be OGs/ land back by any means.” Such boasts should make Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ appearance at the Encore Room a celebratory occasion for unruly people of all backgrounds.
