Gucci Mane
August 1
Gucci Mane at the World War I Memorial? Bingo. Everybody Looking. Shining For No Apparent Reason. Shit Crazy. All About The Money. That’s All. Gucci Mane with Lil TJay & Yung Bleu. World War I Memorial, 2 Memorial Drive, KCMO. 7 pm. $50–$150.
Jason Mraz
August 3
Every time a man dons a fedora and steps onto a coffee shop stage to sing low-key love songs, he’s hoping to someday become the next Jason Mraz. The record run of “I’m Yours” atop the charts has empowered Mraz to hang out with Al Gore and invest in a chain of vegan restaurants. For this tour, Mraz brings along a thirteen-piece reggae band. Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, KCMO. 7 pm. $30–$100.
MUXE: The Language of Art & Culture
August 5
Hugo Ximello-Salido isn’t the first documentarian to train his lens on Muxe (pronounced MOO-che), a third gender that’s an established and celebrated part of the Zapotec culture in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. MUXE: The Language of Art & Culture, a new documentary from KC-based Ximello-Salido that will make its local premiere at the Queer Narrative Festival at the Black Box West Bottoms, stands out for not just its striking imagery but also its deep dive into the cultural roots of the Muxe. “There are many documentaries about the Muxe community, but none of them ask why they are concentrated in Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca,” he says. “Zapotec language doesn’t use pronouns like we do—so this is telling us that Zapotec culture views on gender, prior to the Europeans, was very different.” Muxe aren’t what Americans would call transgender, he points out; they’re Muxe. “Something that really surprised me is how well integrated they are into their communities,” he says. “One of the things that I did was interview a priest. I asked many questions: How does Catholicism see the Muxe community? Are they judged by the church? His point was that it doesn’t matter—for anyone, you will be judged depending on your actions.”
GO: Screening on Thursday, August 5, at the Black Box, 1060 Union Ave., KCMO. Indoor screening at 5 pm, outdoor screening at 8 pm.
Cowtown Ballroom…Sweet Jesus
August 4
The legendary Cowtown Ballroom was a counterculture icon that fostered much of KC’s avante garde culture in the seventies. To mark its fiftieth anniversary—the venue opened with a Flying Burrito Brothers show in 1971—Lemonade Park is screening Joe Heyen’s documentary with special musical performances from Janet Jameson (Billy Spears Band), Rick Bacus (Morningstar) and John Anderson. Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St., KCMO. 7 pm. $20.
Wilco and Sleater-Kinney
August 12
Musically, Wilco and Sleater-Kinney isn’t the most obvious bill. The feminist punk band and jammy dad rock band with an alt-country twang would have been an odd pairing when the two acts emerged in the late-middle nineties. But, of course, time has a way of smoothing out petty distinctions between contemporaries. Especially here, given the direction of Sleater-Kinney, which has found deeper, slower grooves (check the May single, “Worry With You”) since parting with longtime drummer Janet Weiss. Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland, 1228 Main St., KCMO. 8 pm. $35-$88. This show has been moved to Grinders.
Steve Treviño
August 13-14
Standup Steve Treviño has modernized the ancient art of complaining about a marriage in which there’s “paperwork involved” in hanging out with his friends but his wife “is just gone.” His new special, My Life in Quarantine, was shot last year at an outdoor theater in front of a distanced and masked audience and dives into relatable topics such as coming to the abrupt realization you’re nonessential and the natural awkwardness of curbside carryout. Kansas City Improv, 7260 N.W. 87th St., KCMO. $52 two-seat table, $104 four-seat table. improvkc.com.
816 Day
August 16
The Jazz District’s annual celebration of the city’s eastern area code actually falls on Monday this year. The weekend before will feature Fly Friday, where revelers dress in vintage finery at 18th and Vine, and a Saturday Block Party with vendors, live music, food carts and step dance. August 13–16. 18th and Vine, KCMO.
Pride Parade
August 21
After a hiatus, the Kansas City Pride Festival is happening in Theis Park on the weekend of August 21 and will include national and local acts, vendors, food trucks and family activities. The mar-quee event at the LGBTQ+ festival is the KC Pride Parade midday on Saturday. Volker Park (aka Frank A. Theis Park) at Oak Street and Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd., KCMO. Parade at 11 am.
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs
August 28
After a year off, Chiefs tailgaters have to wait until the final week of the NFL preseason to shake the rust off and get some reps in the parking lot at GEHA Field. The league cut the preseason from four to three games, so it remains to be seen whether the third game is still the dress-rehearsal, as it was in the past, or if it’s now like past preseason finales, where the starters play a series or two before the deep bench players and practice squad guys face off. Don’t expect much Mahomes, but do expect plenty of revelry in the lots before this night game. GEHA Field, 1 Arrowhead Drive, KCMO. 7 pm. Prices vary.
