Here are eleven things to do in KC this Memorial Day weekend, May 21—24 including Night/Shift: Iconique, Tech N9ne & E-40 and Celebration at the Station.
Ben Rector with the Kansas City Symphony
Folk singer-songwriter Ben Rector’s latest endeavor, Symphonies Across America, is inspired by the past 15 years he’s spent on the road. Performing his catalogue alongside orchestras nationwide, Rector is joined by friend and fellow singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin. The tour brings the duo’s songs—like McLaughlin’s “Beautiful Disaster” and Rector’s “Make Something Beautiful”—to new heights with lush symphonic arrangements.
May 21 & 22. 8 pm. Helzberg Hall.
Night/Shift: Iconique
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art throws a great party—and for free. Every few months on a Thursday evening, Night/Shift combines the museum’s world-class collection with live music and hands-on activities. This installment, Iconique, revolves around the museum’s special exhibition Timeless Mucha—which features the work of Art Nouveau visionary Alphonse Mucha—and includes performances from local musicians, drag performers and more.
May 21. 5 pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
MO River Murals Fest
From Berkeley Riverfront to the West Bottoms, 100 muralists and street artists will gather this weekend, painting over 60,000 square feet of concrete levee walls along the Missouri River. A collaboration between Spray KC and Port KC, the three day festival also includes film screenings, local DJs, food trucks and more.
May 22—24. Times and locations vary.
Tech N9ne & E-40
KC’s own Tech N9ne teams up with longtime collaborator and fellow platinum-selling rapper E-40 on the Strange Wid’ It Tour, with the Midland Theatre performance closing out the run. Beyond Tech N9ne’s own music, the rapper has spent more than two decades building record label Strange Music into a hip-hop empire right out of his hometown. Special guest (and Strange Music artist) King Iso joins the line-up.
May 24. 8 pm. The Midland Theatre.
The Wizard of Oz
From The Wiz to Wicked, L. Frank Baum’s turn-of-the-century novel The Wizard of Oz has seen a plethora of interpretations—especially for the stage. As Dorothy and Toto stray far from their Kansas farm, KCRep’s upcoming production makes the classic story its own. A collaboration with PigPen Theatre Co., KCRep artistic director Stuart Carden says the New York City-based indie troupe specializes in productions that place “music-making at the center of the experience.” In this reimagining, the score is performed entirely by 15 actor-musicians: The Cowardly Lion will timidly strum the ukulele; the Tinman operates as a rustic one-man-band, complete with a washboard integrated into the costume; Dorothy doubles as a cellist.
May 5–24. Times vary. Spencer Theatre.
Celebration at the Station
Held each Sunday before Memorial Day, this KC tradition returns to honor fallen soldiers. Tens of thousands of audience members will gather on the lawn of Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial for food trucks and patriotic festivities. The Kansas City Symphony reliably ends its program with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s climactic 1812 Overture (and deploys real canon blasts), immediately followed by a dazzling fireworks display.For those who’d prefer to avoid the crowds, Kansas City PBS broadcasts the festivities from home.
May 24. 5 pm. Union Station & National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Mini Golf At The Museum
It’s back! Art Course offers an artist-designed mini-golf adventure within the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Play nine unique holes, each offering a creative spin on a masterpiece from the museum’s collection.
April 10—October 25. Times vary. Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.
Talya Groves
Former Broadway performer Talya Groves is a Kansas City music scene star. Singing anything and everything from showtunes to jazz standards to pop songs, Groves’ magnetic presence seems to always captivate the room. Nearly every Friday night, she commands the stage at The Phoenix.
May 22. 4:30—8:30 pm. The Phoenix.
“The World in Kansas City”
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art prepares for this summer’s World Cup matches with its latest exhibition, “The World in Kansas City.” Representative not only of the global event but also of KC as a multicultural hub, the exhibit features a diverse array of artists with ties to the region. Curator Jessica S. Hong says the display aims to showcase “how we all belong to a shared, complicated and nuanced social and cultural fabric.”
March 6–August 9. Times vary. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Hot Country Nights: Eli Young Band
Hot Country Nights are back, bringing live music to the Power & Light District every Thursday through August. Hailing from Southeast Texas, Eli Young Band kicks off the summertime series with its gritty and down-to-earth Southern rock stylings. Sing along to fan favorites like “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Crazy Girl.”
May 21. 7 pm. Kansas City Live!
The Notebook
Rooftop Cinema Club has officially reopened. Located at the corner of Broadway and 21st Street, the open-air movie theater is known for its skyline views in major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, London and more. Enjoy cocktails, mocktails and elevated bar-food bites alongside a showing of tearjerker romance The Notebook.
May 22. 9 pm. Rooftop Cinema Club.
