Here are eleven great things to do in KC this weekend, January 12-15, including Kansas City Restaurant Week, Monster Jam at the T-Mobile Center, and Bobby Watson Quartet.
The Fountains and Pines of Rome
Guest conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong and New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis will take audiences on a tour of the other famous fountain city, Rome, with Mozart’s youthful and joyous concerto, which was written while the composer was still a teenager.
January 13–14. 8 pm. January 15. 2 pm. Kauffman Center.
Michael Yo
Michael Yo is perhaps best known for his work on E! Entertainment Channel–as a roundtable panelist for Chelsea Lately and as an E! News correspondent, covering celebrity gossip and red carpet looks. He most recently appeared on America’s Got Talent, hoping to gain a renewed interest in his stand-up comedy performances which center on the trials of getting older and his mixed racial heritage.
January 13. 7:30 and 10:15 pm. January 14. 7 and 9:45 pm. Improv Comedy Club.
Better Off Dead
Better Off Dead isn’t just a cover band, primarily thinking of themselves as being influenced with a “sprinkling” of the Dead’s classic sound. Along with other covers of the same era, this eight piece band–including not one, but two drummers–brings a familiar sound and upbeat energy to old favorites.
January 13. 7 pm. Aztec Shawnee Theater.
Kansas City Restaurant Week
The fourteenth annual Kansas City Restaurant Week returns this week in January. This ten day dining event features special multi-course menus and deals from over 150 of KC’s best restaurants. This provides the perfect opportunity to indulge, with exclusive menus from hot new restaurants and tried-and-true old favorites.
January 13–22.
The Iceman Cometh
The Iceman Cometh is a tragedy in four acts, written by Eugene O’Neill in 1939 and is widely considered to be his best work. The drama centers on salesman Theodore Hickman, who encourages his fellow alcoholic friends to give up their pipe dreams and embrace their harsh realities. O’Neill’s raw drama showcases the innate human need for hope amid despair.
January 13–15 and 18–22. Times Vary. Warwick.
Chinese Ink Teacher Workshop with Artist Hong Chun Zhang
Artist Hong Chun Zhang has used gongbi, or Chinese fine style ink painting, to explore topics such as gender, cross-cultural identity and social justice in her work for over twenty years. In this class at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, participants will observe two Chinese ink painting styles used by the artist and try out the techniques themselves. The class will also visit the exhibition, “Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists” to view Zhang’s featured piece and learn more about the inspirations and techniques she uses in her work.
January 14. 1 pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum.
The Steve Miller Experience & The John Cougar Project
Two tribute bands celebrate the music of Steve Miller and John Mellencamp, whose dad-rock music with timeless sound still holds up four decades later. Hint: they sound best wearing a pair of comfortable New Balance sneakers and holding an american beer.
January 14. 7 pm. Aztec Shawnee Theater.
Petty & The Straights
Comedian J Petty brings an unexpected “bro night” to the West Bottoms, hosting a modern variety show of sorts including stand up comedy and drag and burlesque performances which promises to be the “The straightest queer show in America.”
January 14. 8 pm. The Black Box.
Monster Jam
Sometimes you want to go to the opera. Sometimes you just need to watch oversized Matchbox cars tumble over each other in the dirt. And that’s okay. Life is about balance.
January 14. 1 pm and 7 pm. January 15. 1 pm. T-Mobile Center.
The Emo Night Tour
Beginning as a throwback night in 2014 in Los Angeles, Emo Night became wildly popular with aging millennials. The now-national tour plays hits from early 2000’s pop-punk bands like Fallout Boy and Paramore for the generation who wants to scream out their favorite angsty lyrics because they will never be able to afford to buy their own home.
January 14. 8 pm. The Truman.
Bobby Watson Quartet
KCK native and jazz legend Bobby Watson performs for the “Winterlude” series. Working for nearly thirty years, he has become one of the most sought-after composers and jazz musicians, even composing music for the soundtrack of A Bronx Tale, Robert DeNiro’s 1993 directorial debut. The saxophonist and composer returns to his hometown to play some of his signature modern jazz.
January 15. 7 pm. Yardley Hall.
