KC concerts Nov. 23-29: Muddy Waters Jr., Straight No Chaser, Citizen, Joywave | The Kansas City Star

Thanksgiving blues breakfasts are a Kansas City tradition.

Revelers will wash down the breakfast that’s included with the price of admission with beverages they bring to the high-spirited BYOB event in Kansas City, Kan., on Thursday. Muddy Waters Jr., the eldest son of the blues legend, headlines the party. Also known as Mud Morganfield, he sounds uncannily like his father as he performs traditional Chicago blues. With Levee Town, T.J. Hooker-Taylor and Memphis Mike.

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10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 23. National Guard Armory. 816-982-9238. Tickets are $45 through ticketkc.com.

Loud, urgent and threatening guitars have been marginalized in contemporary rock music. Rock radio formats that once embraced guitar-based sounds are dominated by keyboard and electronica-based groups like Imagine Dragons. Citizen riffs like it’s 2002. The ascendant Midwestern emo band echoes Pearl Jam, Everclear and Taking Back Sunday on its three albums. Whether Citizen’s approach is merely loud nostalgia or a harbinger of a genuine rock guitar revival may be determined at Friday’s show. With Sorority Noise and Great Grandpa.

8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. Granada. 785-842-1390. Tickets are $17 through thegranada.com.

Three of Kansas City’s most prominent folk and country artists are banding together in a benefit for the Rose Brooks Center, a charity dedicated to “breaking the cycle of domestic violence.” Kasey Rausch is respected as an accomplished folk artist and as half of the Country Duo. Sara Morgan is a country traditionalist. “The Boots,” Morgan’s twangy new song, is a celebration of female empowerment. Banjo-wielding newcomer Kelly Hunt has helped reinvigorate Kansas City’s roots music scene in 2017.

6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads. 816-483-1456. Tickets are $12 through knuckleheadskc.com.

Joywave endeared itself to Kansas City’s indie-rock community in August. Rather than taking the remainder of the night off when rain canceled its appearance at Starlight Theatre, the band from Rochester, N.Y., entertained fans with a free in-store performance at Vinyl Renaissance in Overland Park. The extra effort makes Joywave’s sly hits like the melodically grooving “It’s a Trip!” and the odd bombast of “Destruction” even more ingratiating. With the Aces, Maybird and Hembree.

8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. The Truman. 816-205-8560. Tickets are $10 through thetrumankc.com.

Rittz rails against the new breed of hit-making rappers on “Dork Rap,” a track on his latest album for the locally based Strange Music record label. The veteran artist from Georgia suggests that “this rap game is like a comedy club/but you the one that’s on stage getting laughed at/putting dye up in your braids, wearing man-bags.” Rittz will demonstrate his old-school wordplay and unfashionable focus on artful flow for rap traditionalists on Saturday. With Sam Lachow and Eric Biddines.

8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Riot Room. 816-442-8179. Tickets are $25 through theriotroom.com.

Even though Revocation uses an illegible font in its logo, applies breakneck blast beats and customary screaming on songs with titles like “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the Boston band is a cut above most of its peers in heavy metal. The sharp hooks and superior technical dexterity displayed on albums including its self-titled 2013 masterwork solidified Revocation’s reputation as one of the most formidable purveyors of extreme rock sounds. With Bleed the Victim, Abjure and Damned by the Pope.

8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Riot Room. 816-442-8179. Tickets are $15 through theriotroom.com.

The popularity of a cappella ensembles seems counterintuitive in an age of sophisticated production tricks that mask the deficiencies of feeble vocalists and inexpensive apps that easily enable the creation of simulated instrumentation on smartphones. The success of Straight No Chaser might be a reaction to the processed sounds. The Indiana troupe’s ascent to stardom was hastened by concerts broadcast by public TV. The superlative vocalists are putting their frills-free spin on pop hits on the Speakeasy tour.

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29. Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. 816-283-9921. Tickets are $34.50-$49.50 through midlandkc.com.

Scores of musicians with roots in the Kansas City area enjoy homecomings during the holiday season. Originally from Kansas City, the Chicago trio the Life and Times will reunite with fans, friends and family at RecordBar on Wednesday. The group’s imposing sound sculptures are revered by adventurous post-rock aficionados who appreciate the ensemble’s ability to connect the noisy doctrine of Sonic Youth with the spacey innovations of Pink Floyd. With Giants Chair and Ex Acrobat.

8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29. RecordBar. 816-753-5207. Tickets are $10 through therecordbar.com.