After family and friends and turkey and football and a nap and more football, there’s still more stuff to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.
Namely, the wonderful world of local live entertainment, including music, theater and good causes to support. All while wondering if the drumstick you hid in the refrigerator vegetable bin will be there when you get back.
And, of course, there'll be even more football. Always more football!
1. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills
Be thankful for a Kansas City Chiefs home game on Sunday, and that our 6-4 Chiefs still have a two-game lead in the AFC West, despite losing four out of their last five contests in the wake of a giddy 5-0 start. The six remaining regular-season games for the Chiefs will pit them against relatively easy opponents – or so we’re told – and veteran quarterback Alex Smith and his guys are still likely to at least stumble into the playoff picture. What if the Bills and other upcoming opponents don’t go along with that scenario? Prepare to be thankful sooner than later for highly touted rookie QB Patrick Mahomes.
Sunday, noon; Arrowhead Stadium, 1 Arrowhead Drive, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: Start at $34.
John Lennon famously said, “Before Elvis there was nothing,” a pronouncement that was both hyperbolic and essentially true. The youth-culture wilderness that Elvis Presley wiped away in the 1950s with a curl of his lip, a swivel of his hip and a passel of amazing rock ’n’ roll songs from his heart will be thankfully revisited by talented Elvis impersonator Jeff Bergen. Sure, the real King ultimately fell apart and expired far too soon in 1977. But we still have “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “All Shook Up,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and so many other tunes to be glad for. Hey, it beats nothing.
Friday, 8 p.m.; Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $15.
Life is good. That’s the precious lesson thankfully learned by self-tortured miser Ebenezer Scrooge in Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s annual presentation of “A Christmas Carol.” Notwithstanding this year’s brand new staging of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic by KC Rep artistic director Eric Rosen, you already know the drill: Bring two hankies – one for you to cry in and one for anyone who forgets to bring theirs. “God bless us, every one!” Sniff.
Wednesday, 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $40-$91.
4. Kasey Rausch, Sara Morgan and Kelley Hunt
Many thanks to Kansas City’s Rose Brooks Center and its mission to protect people and their pets from domestic violence. The center’s longstanding helping hand will be supported this weekend by Americana-country-blues artists Kasey Rausch (“Break Down and Cry”), Sara Morgan (“East Bound and Down”) and Kelley Hunt (“Across the Great Divide”) in a benefit concert to raise funds and hopes for the future.
Friday, 6 p.m.; Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $12 advance.
5. Joywave
I’m always thankful for things that unambiguously tell me what they are. In the case of Billboard Alternative Songs Chart-topping band Joywave – well, that’s pretty clear, isn’t it? Let the pure pleasure emanating from this quintet of indie New York rockers roll over you, courtesy of such delightful odes to enjoyment as “It’s a Trip!” No luggage needed. With The Aces, Maybird and Hembree.
Saturday, 8 p.m.; the Truman, 601 E. Truman Road, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $10.
Play board games and make instant friends at this Thanksgiving weekend get-together at Ruin’s Pub. Bring a favorite game or try one of the many that will be provided. And whether you're rubbing elbows or merely game pieces, feel free to sample the self-pouring beer tap, which could make tackling a table-top game of electric football even more of a buzz. Always more football!
Sunday, 5-10 p.m.; Ruin’s Pub, 1715 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.
Brian McTavish is a regular arts and culture contributor for KCUR 89.3. You can reach him at brianmctavish@gmail.com.
