KC concerts July 5-11: Warped Tour, Joan Jett, Paramore, Xscape, STS9, Neko Case | The Kansas City Star

Reality TV revived the fortunes of Xscape. The members of the R&B quartet had a string of sultry hits in the 1990s, including “My Little Secret” and “Understanding,” before going their separate ways in 1998. Tameka “Tiny” Harris married rapper T.I. in 2010. Her huge personality was documented on such TV programs as “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle” and “Tiny and Shekinah’s Weave Trip.” The renewed attention initiated an Xscape reunion. With Bell Biv DeVoe and SWV.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 5. Sprint Center. 816-949-7100. Tickets are $58-$85 through sprintcenter.com.

SIGN UP

Running amok at Warped Tour has been a summer tradition for punks, head-bangers and emo kids since 1995. The 24th and final edition of the storied caravan of noise marks the end of an era. The launching pad for the careers of pop stars like Katy Perry and a reliable refuge for punk and ska stalwarts including Bad Religion and Reel Big Fish, Warped Tour’s last hurrah features performances by the emo heroes Senses Fail and the pop-metal band Falling in Reverse.

11 a.m. Thursday, July 5. Providence Medical Center Amphitheater. 913-825-3400. Tickets are $45 through providenceamp.com.

Classical ensembles including the Kansas City Symphony have long used audience-pleasing pops concerts to fill seats and enrich their coffers. Yet conventional classical concert halls are far too small to accommodate the thousands of enthusiasts of Lindsey Stirling and Evanescence. Stirling, a violinist who rose to fame with a series of captivating YouTube videos, and Evanescence, a rock band best known for the dramatic 2003 hit “Bring Me to Life,” will be accompanied by an orchestra at Starlight Theatre on Friday.

7 p.m. Friday, July 6. Starlight Theatre. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $39.50-$135 through kcstarlight.com.

Conservative members of the jam band community insist that computer-based electronics are incapable of replicating the musical spontaneity associated with the conventional instrumentation employed by bands like Phish. Fans of STS9 know better. The California-based ensemble has deftly combined electronic elements with traditional instruments for 20 years. STS9’s two-night residency at Crossroads KC will be filled with extended jams that incorporate sampled sounds with live guitars, drums and keyboards. With Tauk on Friday and Marvel Years and Kaminanda on Saturday.

7:15 p.m. Friday, July 6; 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Crossroads KC. 785-749-3434. Tickets are $30-$40 each night through crossroadskc.com.

The two disparate versions of the band Paramore are linked by the indomitable talent of Hayley Williams. The group began as a bratty pop-punk ensemble in 2004. Williams and her Tennessee-based band mates quickly found an eager audience for their disaffected songs. The jagged rock of early favorites like “Misery Business” has been replaced with polished dance-pop on recent hits including “Hard Times.” Williams’ considerable charm has helped her admirers accept the extreme transition. With Foster the People and Jay Som.

7 p.m. Saturday, July 7. Starlight Theatre. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $35-$89.50 through kcstarlight.com.

Serving as the leading light of the alternative country movement gets an artist only so far. Neko Case has been hailed as the pre-eminent musician in the left-of-center roots community for the past two decades, but she’s relegated to the role of an opening act on a tour headlined by singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne. Case will show why her literary songs and expressive voice have made her a critical favorite as she begins Sunday’s show with confessional songs from her harrowing new album, “Hell-On.”

7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 8. Starlight Theatre. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $39.50-$99.50 through kcstarlight.com.

Jenny Lewis sings that “I’m not the same woman that you were used to” on the opening track of her most recent album. It’s true. Lewis’ sound has changed considerably since she fronted the Los Angeles band Rilo Kiley. The former child actress is one of the most fascinating singer-songwriters to emerge from the indie-rock community in recent years. Lewis’ keen sense of humor and smart songs will be showcased as she opens her summer tour in Kansas City. With Cactus Blossoms.

8 p.m. Tuesday, July 10. The Truman. 816-205-8560. Tickets are $28.50 through thetrumankc.com.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ 1982 rendition of “I Love Rock ’n Roll” acts as a bold profession of musical preference for millions of rock-and-rollers. The hit is also Jett’s mission statement. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has made an indelible mark on her favorite music. The Pennsylvania native shook the rock world as a member of the proto-punk group the Runaways before becoming an icon with a string of memorable hits in the ’80s. With Styx and Tesla.

7 p.m. Tuesday, July 10. Starlight Theatre. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $29.50-$149 through kcstarlight.com.

Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, the colorful California man who performs as Fantastic Negrito, is one of the most decorated musicians of recent years. He took the top prize in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2015 and won a Grammy Award for best contemporary blues album in 2017. Dphrepaulezz’s new album, “Please Don’t Be Dead,” merits additional accolades. He touches on the beatnik cabaret of Tom Waits and the bluesy stomp of Led Zeppelin on the ambitious project. With Levee Town.

8 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. Knuckleheads. 816-483-1456. knuckleheadskc.com.