Jason Isbell
He’s a staple in every indie-folk playlist: Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell is doing a show at the Uptown, where he’ll perform hits from his latest record, Georgia Blue, which came out last fall. Originally released for charity, the album is composed of covers that celebrate music from the state of Georgia artists like Brandi Carlile and John Paul White of The Civil Wars.
Thursday, May 5. 7 pm. Uptown Theater.
Buddy Guy
Arguably the greatest living bluesman, Buddy Guy is in his mid-eighties but remains in remarkable health and still possesses the blues on an almost mystical level. As DownBeat says, Guy performs like a man half his age. He is playing Knuckleheads in support of 2018’s The Blues Is Alive and Well, an affirmation of health for himself and the tradition he has dedicated his life to.
Thursday, May 5. 8 pm. Knuckleheads.
The Old Man and the Old Moon
KCRep has a new, whimsical American fable running this month that blends puppetry and live indie-folk music. The Old Man and the Old Moon is an epic tale of love and triumph created by PigPen Theatre Co. and was called “a phenomenon” by the Boston Herald.
Opening night is Friday, May 6. 8 pm. Spencer Theatre.
Lenexa Art Fair
May typically offers some of the best weather KC sees all year, and the annual Lenexa Art Fair is a great way to spend a Saturday—live jazz, wine, food trucks, activities for kids and the works of more than fifty local artists.
Saturday, May 7. 10 am–7 pm. Lenexa Civic Campus.
Sheep Shearing at Missouri Town
Missouri Town 1855 in Lee’s Summit takes you back to Kansas City’s time as a frontier town. In those days, giving sheep their annual spring haircut to make woolen clothing was not as much of a pageant as it will be this Saturday when kids can also try the diversions of the day, which included stilt walking, egg racing, tin punching and log sawing.
Saturday, May 7. 9 am-4:30 pm. Missouri Town 1855.
Wettest Block Party
The history of the West Bottoms is being honored with the Wettest Block Party on the Ninth Street block, thanks to Heather Hamilton, owner of the bar Ninth & State. As part of Historic West Bottom Heritage Days, an outdoor festival with live music will be held on the boozy block on the border of Kansas and Missouri.
Saturday, May 7 at the corner of Ninth St. and State Line, KCMO. 4–11 pm.
