Things to do around Kansas City: Garth Brooks, ZZ Top, Tech N9ne, more — unless …
With country legend Garth Brooks scheduled to perform before a record, sold-out crowd at Arrowhead Stadium, this always figured to be memorable music weekend in Kansas City.
But factor in three more major concerts and several other intriguing shows, and the weekend appears to mark a return to musical normalcy 17 months into the pandemic . In addition to Brooks on Aug. 7, concerts by Foo Fighters (Aug. 5), Lady A (Aug. 6) and ZZ Top and Willie Nelson (Aug. 8) are set for Azura Amphitheater.
With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, however, nothing is certain.
Also creating doubt was last week’s death of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill. The band has canceled two dates but went ahead with its concert Friday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And band members have said they are committed to continuing their current tour.
Music
▪ Foo Fighters with Radkey, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5, Azura Amphitheater ($49.50-$125). azuraamp.com.
▪ Paul Cauthen, 8 p.m. Aug. 5, Knuckleheads ($25). knuckleheadskc.com.
▪ Lady A with Carly Pearce, Niko Moon and Tenille Arts, 7 p.m. Aug. 6, Azura Amphitheater ($30-$395.50). azuraamp.com.
▪ Dermot Kennedy, 7 p.m. Aug. 7, Uptown ($35-$277). uptowntheater.com.
▪ Garth Brooks, 7 p.m. Aug. 7, Arrowhead Stadium ($87.70; sold out). ticketmaster.com.
▪ Tech N9ne with King Iso, Joey Cool and Jehry Robinson, 9 p.m. Aug. 7, Kansas City Live! ($27.50-$100). powerandlightdistrict.com.
▪ ZZ Top and Willie Nelson with George Thorogood & The Destroyers, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 8, Azura Amphitheater ($34.50-$274.50). azuraamp.com.
▪ Struggle Jennings with Brianna Harness and Caitlynne Curtis, 8 p.m. Aug. 9, The Truman ($20-$40). thetrumankc.
▪ Dropkick Murphys and Rancid, 7 p.m. Aug. 11, Grinders ($45-$99). grinderspizza.com/kansascity/concerts.
▪ Julia Othmer and Vi Tran with Tess Wiley, 7 p.m. Aug. 11, Black Box ($20). blackboxkc.com.
▪ Shakey Graves with Tré Burt, 8 p.m. Aug. 11, The Truman ($27-$54). thetrumankc.com.
First Friday events
▪ Kansas City Artists Coalition, works by Bianca Fields, Lilly Powell and Andre Ramos-Woodard, opening 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug. 6. kansascityartistscoalition.org.
▪ Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, “Just as I Am” by Randy Bacon, First Friday opening 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 6, runs through Oct. 30. leedy-voulkos.com.
▪ Buttonwood Art Space, “Home,” benefit for Amethyst Place, First Friday reception, 5-9 p.m. Aug. 6. buttonwoodartspace.com.
▪ West Bottoms, Festival of the Full Moon, Aug. 6-8. facebook.com.
▪ Charlotte Street Foundation, “Because of This” by Barber and Joelle Storet, opening 10 a.m. Aug. 7, runs through Oct. 7. charlottestreet.org.
More entertainment
▪ Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey and the Black Archives of Mid-America will celebrate premiere of “Ailey,” with director Jamila Wignot, at AMC Ward Parkway, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 ($25). kcfaa.org.
▪ “Hair: Then & Now” will premiere at MTH Theater at Crown Center at 50% capacity, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5; runs through Aug. 22 ($55). musicaltheaterheritage.com.
▪ The Queer Narratives Festival, with performing and visual arts, will take place at The Black Box in the West Bottoms, 6-11 p.m. Aug. 6-7 ($15-$20). nodividekc.org.
▪ The Harlem Globetrotters, the world-famous clowns of basketball, will play at the T-Mobile Center, 2 p.m. Aug. 7 ($20-$140), and at Cable-Dahmer Arena, 2 p.m. Aug. 8 ($27-$147). t-mobilecenter.com and cabledahmerarena.com.
▪ The Puppetry Arts Institute will present “Missouri Birthday Bash: A Bicentennial Revue” at the National Frontier Trails Museum, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 7, 7 p.m. Aug. 13, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 (free). puppetryartsinstitute.org.
▪ The Kansas City People’s Choice Awards at the Kansas City Scottish Rite building will recognize excellence in the urban core, 2 p.m. Aug. 8 ($30-$45). eventbrite.com.
▪ Big Boy No. 4014, the giant locomotive touring Union Pacific’s system, will stop at Union Station, Aug. 9-11; also, Lawrence (3:30 p.m. Aug. 9), Edwardsville (5:15 p.m. Aug. 9) and Paola (11:15 a.m. Aug. 11). up.com/heritage/steam.
▪ Lane Moore, best-selling author of “How to Be Alone,” will bring the comedy show “Tinder Live!” to RecordBar, 8 p.m. Aug. 11 ($20). therecordbar.com/tickets.
Hybrid event
▪ Scott Stephenson of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College will present “Embattled Weimar, 1920” at the National WWI Museum and Memorial and online, 7 p.m. Aug. 5. theworldwar.org.
