Here are twelve things to do in KC this weekend, January 22—25 including Lunar New Year Festival, Kimberly Akimbo and Emily Catalano.
The Band That Fell To Earth
KC’s popular David Bowie tribute band, The Band That Fell To Earth, formed as a result of the glam rock artist’s death in 2016. Now, the group is celebrating its 10th anniversary with two jam-packed weekends of music at recordBar. With a cast of over twenty local musicians—including members of Katy Guillen & The Drive, The Freedom Affair and Frogpond—the production will pay homage to Bowie’s many personas, from alien rockstar Ziggy Stardust to a strung-out Major Tom. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit LGBTQ+ non-profit Our Spot KC.
January 16, 17, 23 & 24. 8:30 pm. recordBar.
Lunar New Year Festival
The lunisolar calendar may not officially begin until February 17 this year, but the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is ready to usher in the Year of the Horse a little early. At this free event, visitors can expect a rotating lineup of musical performances, a special menu of Asian-inspired dishes at the museum’s restaurant, Rozzelle Court, and festive red lanterns suspended throughout the lobby. The festival also offers interactive activities, including a paper horse craft for attendees to take home in honor of this year’s zodiac. But the much-anticipated traditional dragon and lion dances, led by student groups from KU and Rockhurst University, remain the highlight for many. Naturally, the celebration also connects to the museum’s Asian galleries.
January 25. 10 am–4 pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Songbird Sessions
Every Sunday evening, non-profit organization Manor Records spotlights KC musicians with concert series Songbird Sessions. This week, the record label collabs with 90.9 The Bridge’s The Z Show—a program featuring emerging, unsigned artists—to feature Lawrence-based singer-songwriter Kissin.
January 25. 6 pm. ArtsKC.
Kimberly Akimbo
Kimberly Akimbo, a relatively new Tony Award-winning musical, follows a nearly 16-year-old Kimberly Levaco, and to say she has a lot on her plate would be an understatement. Due to a rare disease, Levaco ages rapidly, appearing to be closer to her 60s than her teens. Regardless, she navigates many of the quintessential coming-of-age experiences (like romantic interest) on top of a turbulent family life, grappling with her mortality—and a potential felony charge. PNC Broadway brings the national Broadway tour of this musical comedy to KC stages.
January 20–25. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
On The Road Again
Yee haw! A part of Music Theatre Heritage’s intimate Ruby Room Series, On The Road Again pays homage to outlaw country luminaries Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. A cast of local crooners will perform an evening of twangy toe-tappers and weepy ballads alike, including “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Mama Tried.”
January 21–25. Times vary. Ruby Room at Crown Center.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert
Kansas City Symphony’s hit concert series brings cinema to the concert hall. Alongside a showing of Steven Spielberg’s action-packed blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, the orchestra performs John Williams’ famous score live. Set in 1936, the film follows the daring archeologist as he contends with Nazi forces in pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant.
January 22–25. Times vary. Helzberg Hall.
Ben Sayevich and Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich
Park University’s International Center for Music—a rather small and unsuspecting conservatory in Parkville—is training first-rate classical musicians, thanks in large part to its accomplished faculty. Among them, husband-wife duo Ben Sayevich (professor of violin) and Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich (director of collaborative piano) present a duo recital in Mission Hill’s upscale 1900 Building.
January 23. 7:30 pm. 1900 Building.
Emily Catalano
Los Angeles-based comedian Emily Catalano’s dry yet straightforward delivery casually makes light of the mundane. That style, as seen in her debut comedy special Unspecial, earned her a spot on the New York Times’ Best Comedy list in 2024 and a large social media following, too. Catalano comes to South KC’s Comedy Club of Kansas City for two nights of doubleheaders.
January 23 & 24. 7 pm & 9:30 pm. Comedy Club of Kansas City.
Raven Halfmoon
Building on the Kemper Museum’s legacy of visionary commissions, the museum will present a solo exhibition by artist and Native American Raven Halfmoon. Known for her monumental ceramic sculptures, Halfmoon has emerged as a leading artistic voice. Born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, Halfmoon’s influences range from ancient Indigenous pottery, Moai monoliths and elements of Western culture, such as cowboy hats. For this exhibition, she explores the various cultural histories that make up Kansas City.
November 14–April 19, 2026. Times vary. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
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.
January 23. 4:30—8:30 pm. The Phoenix.
Linda Lighton: “Love & War, A Fifty-Year Survey, 1975-2025”
Born into an affluent Kansas City family, Linda Lighton was expected to marry well and become a housewife. Instead, she became an artist, helped publish a leftist newspaper and joined a commune in Washington state. Now, Lighton presents her ceramics at the Nerman Museum. Her sculpture captures her story and the universal story of love and politics and social strife over the past 50 years of her career. The exhibition—which focuses on gun violence, gender inequality and environmental activism—is accompanied by a 208-page book, chronicling her boundary-pushing ceramic work.
December 13–May 3. Times vary. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Snow Creek
No need to head to the mountains to go skiing––enjoy the slopes at Snow Creek. Located just outside of Weston on the scenic Missouri River bluffs, the 25-acre resort offers skiing, snowboarding and tubing throughout the season, or for as long as temps stay below freezing.
December 26—March. Times vary. 1 Snow Creek Dr, Weston, MO.
