Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros
March 5. 7 pm.
Best known for being a founding member of the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir started this new project in 2018, with the band performing songs from both Weir and the Grateful Dead, adding in a string and brass quintet accompaniment for a new sound. March 5. 7 pm. The Midland Theatre.
Taylor Swift Night
March 3. 9 pm.
Taylor Swift’s highly sought after “Eras” tour made headlines this past fall, with lawsuits over Ticketmaster’s price-gouging and scalpers’ reselling causing prices to balloon for hopeful fans, but this U.S. touring party is coming to KC. Following other wildly successful U.S. tours like “Emo Nite,” this Taylor Swift dance party may be a small salve to the burn of not being able to see the superstar live for some fans. March 3. 9 pm. The Truman.
Ravel’s “Rapsodie” and the Poem of Ecstasy
March 3–5
Guest conductor Matthias Pintscher adapts Maurice Ravel’s “Rapsodie espagnole,” which draws on the composer’s rich Spanish heritage. Russian composer and pianist Alexander Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy closes out the show with a transcendent and mystical finale. March 3–4, 8 pm; March 5, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.
Elle King
March 8, 8 pm.
L.A.-native singer-songwriter Elle King skyrocketed to fame with her radio hit “Ex’s and Oh’s,” which used her sultry vocals to mesh surprising elements of country and soul. Even more surprising, King is the daughter of comedian Rob Schnieder, whose tumultuous relationship kept her in the spotlight long after her hit faded from the airwaves. March 8, 8 pm. Uptown Theater.
Big 12 Basketball Championship
March 8–11
This will be the twenty-second time that KC will host the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. The conference has proven to be the most exciting in college basketball, so get your brackets and bets ready. March 8–11. Times Vary. T-Mobile Center.
Gaelic Storm & The High Kings
March 9. 7 pm.
Celebrating Ireland’s folk heritage, The High Kings are internationally acclaimed singers and instrumentalists, with the versatile quartet playing thirteen instruments between them. The group performs an array of Irish folk songs, bringing a nostalgic acoustic sound to old favorites as well as showcasing contemporary Irish songs. March 9. 7 pm. Kauffman Center.
Josh Johnson
March 10 & 11
Although you probably don’t instantly recognize his name, Josh Johnson has been a staple in the writing room of some of the most successful late-night shows in recent years. Johnson was previously a late-night writer for Jimmy Fallon before going on to open for Trevor Noah’s comedy tour, which led him to a permanent spot in the writer’s room for Noah’s The Daily Show. Consistently gaining the title of “Funniest Comic” at comedy festivals, Johnson is proving he deserves recognition in the comedy scene all his own. March 10, 7:30 & 10:15 pm; March 11, 7 & 9:45 pm. Improv Comedy Club.
Buddy Guy
March 11. 7 pm.
Now in his mid-eighties, Chicago blues pioneer Buddy Guy has been singing and playing blues guitar for decades, influencing generations of musicians from Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer. Now a legend in his own right, Guy is touring a last time for his well deserved “Damn Right Farewell Tour.” March 11. 7 pm. Uptown Theater.
John McCutcheon
March 11. 8 pm.
John McCutcheon has been a prolific singer-songwriter and instrumentalist for nearly fifty years. His songwriting has garnered quiet attention and honors, including a handful of Grammy noms while collaborating with and producing for other artists, from fiddlers to documentarians. His huge catalog of original songs has his signature storytelling style with help from his mastery of a dozen instruments, including the rare hammered dulcimer. March 11. 8 pm. Polsky Theatre.
The Shining
March 11, 17 & 19
Stephen King’s horror novel The Shining gets updated as the Lyric Opera of Kansas City adapts the classic. Jack Torrance’s descent into madness and paranoia at the picturesque Overlook Hotel gets heightened with accompanying music and dramatic opera. March 11, 17 and 19. Times vary. Kauffman Center.
Kenny G with the KC Symphony
March 13–15. 7 pm.
Now infamous as the most popular saxophonist alive, Kenny G will be joining forces with the KC Symphony to bring his signature easy and smooth style, guaranteeing that audiences will be “Forever in Love” with his sound. March 13–15. 7 pm. Kauffman Center.
the ripple, the wave that carried me home
March 14–19, 21–26, & 29–April 2
Written by Christina Anderson and directed by Khanisha Foster for KC Rep, the ripple, the wave that carried me home is a moving exploration of a family’s response to injustice, reckoning with legacy and, ultimately, forgiveness. March 14–19, 21–26, and 29–April 2. Times vary. KCRep Copaken Stage.
Underoath
March 15. 7 pm.
Tampa Bay-based rock band Underoath was a staple in the growing pop-punk scene of the early aughts, relying heavily on screaming, emotional vocals with subtly religious lyrics and hardcore-adjacent guitar riffs. In the nearly two decades since the release of the critically and commercially successful album, They’re Only Chasing Safety, they’ve distanced themselves from their Christian image and are embarking on a U.S. tour, playing songs from their whole oeuvre. March 15. 7 pm. Uptown Theater.
WWE Smackdown
March 17. 6:45 pm
WWE Smackdown lets us go back to a simpler time, where grown men can scream from the stands for their favorite oiled muscle men in extravagant, tiny spandex costumes to top each other. March 17. 6:45 pm. T-Mobile Center.
Planet Comicon
March 17–19
Planet Comicon Kansas City is the largest comic book and pop culture convention in the Midwest, featuring celebrity guests like William Shatner and Giancarlo Esposito on panels, exhibit halls, meet and greets, contests and more for fans of almost literally anything and everything. March 17, 1-8 pm; March 18, 10 am-7 pm; March 19, 10 am-5 pm. Bartle Hall.
Blake Shelton
March 18. 7 pm
Country singer Blake Shelton has been on the scene for twenty years, but he didn’t reach worldwide fame until his highly publicized marriage (and later divorce) with fellow country superstar Miranda Lambert, shortly followed by a surprising marriage to fellow The Voice judge, pop-punk queen Gwen Stefani. Shelton is leaving the competition series after twenty-three long seasons and kicking off his aptly named “Back to the Honky Tonk Tour.” March 18. 7 pm. T-Mobile Center.
Indigo Girls with the Kansas City Symphony
March 18. 8 pm
The folk-rock duo Indigo Girls has been breaking barriers for nearly forty years, with hits like “Closer to Fine” and “Galileo.” Now accompanied by the incredible sound of the KC Symphony, the program promises an energetic performance that blurs the lines between folk, rock, pop and classical sounds. March 18. 8 pm. Kauffman Center.
New Moves
March 21–23
One of KC Ballet’s most popular performances, New Moves allows audiences to experience new and never-before-seen contemporary ballet choreography. This limited-run production gives both dancers and audience members a rare opportunity to see exciting new dance creations in an intimate setting. March 21–23. Times vary. Michael and Ginger Frost Theater.
Hamilton
March 21–April 2
One of the most popular musicals of all time, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton comes to KC, retelling the story of the forgotten founding father through hip-hop. March 21–April 2. Times vary. Kansas City Music Hall.
Curtis on Tour
March 26. 7 pm
Igor Stravinsky’s exciting tale of trickery and magic, L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), comes to life through an ensemble of musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music along with actor John de Lancie’s narration, David Shifrin on clarinet and prominent violin recitalist Soovin Kim. March 26. 7 pm. Polsky Theatre.
TOTO
March 29. 8 pm
After making some of the most recognizable radio hits of the late seventies and early eighties, including “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” and of course, “Africa,” TOTO’s paradoxical pop-rock, jazz-fusion has somehow endured through the new millennium. March 29. 8 pm. Uptown Theater.
A Moving Sound
March 31. 8 pm
Fusing traditional Taiwanese influences with global styles, award-winning ensemble A Moving Sound has garnered a worldwide following through their exciting mix of original music and dance, being featured on BBC Radio 3 and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Utilizing the unique sounds of the erhu (fiddle) and zhong ruan (lute) with transcendent vocals, the sound strikes an unexpected balance between meditative and cheerful. March 31. 8 pm. Polsky Theatre.
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Nielsen’s “Inextinguishable”
March 31–April 2
Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, leads the KC Symphony in Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s reflection of the human spirit during WWI, aptly titled “The Inextinguishable,” and George Gershwin’s enduringly popular “Rhapsody in Blue,” featuring the rising talent of pianist and violinist Ray Ushikubo. March 31–April 1, 8 pm; April 2, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.
