Kansas City concerts: Opeth, George Thorogood, Fitz and the Tantrums, Lone Bellow

Not every potential Destroyer fan is willing to endure Dan Bejar’s jarring adenoidal chirp. The Canadian behind Destroyer possesses a decidedly unmusical voice, but admirers are rewarded with his artfully droll lyrics. Bejar wheezes about a “death threat scrawled in invisible ink” on the typically enigmatic “Cue Synthesizer.” Like several songs on Destroyer’s 12th studio album, “Have We Met,” “Cue Synthesizer” sounds like a deliberately dilapidated version of Steely Dan. With Eleanor Friedberger and Nap Eyes. 785-842-1390. Tickets are $20 through thegranada.com.

The music of Rome Ramirez and Dustin “Duddy” Bushnell provides the soundtrack for countless disorderly parties. As the front men of the Southern California reggae-rock bands Sublime with Rome and Dirty Heads, Rome and Duddy are renowned for bouncy songs about inebriation and beachside romances. It’s only natural that the longtime friends should team up. The duo’s new marijuana-oriented interpretation of Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me” hints at the sound of their joint acoustic tour. With Micah Brown. 816-472-7777. Tickets are $30-$153 through voodookc.com.

Icona Pop may be a one-hit-wonder, but what a hit! “I Love It,” the global smash released in 2012, defined a generation. The lyric “You’re from the ’70s, but I’m a ’90s bitch” served as a defiant declaration for millions of millennials. The Swedish duo of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo never replicated the success of “I Love It,” but recent dance-oriented songs like “Next Mistake” are no less hypnotic. Hjelt and Jawo will return to their origins as DJs during their appearance at Mosaic. With Eric Coomes. 816-842-1045. Tickets are $15-$55 through powerandlightdistrict.com.

“Young Americans,” one of several songs David Bowie recorded in tribute to the R&B sound he loved, always demanded a proper cover by an elite soul ensemble. Yet not until Durand Jones & The Indications reclaimed the 1975 classic with a sublime version released in January had a vital group working in the tradition of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes successfully fulfilled the challenge. Bowie likely would also have been impressed by the Indiana band’s potent original material such as “Morning in America.” 785-841-5483. Tickets are $15-$90 through thebottlenecklive.com.

Unassuming bar bands aren’t supposed to hit the big time. Even though it was released by a small independent record label and featured tune-challenged lead vocals, a rollicking cover of John Lee Hooker’s boogie classic “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” defied the odds when it was embraced by radio programmers in 1977. George Thorogood’s band was transformed from local heroes in their home state of Delaware into an international sensation. The group celebrates its good fortune on the Good to Be Bad Tour: 45 Years of Rock. With Nick Schnebelen. 816-753-8665. Tickets are $36-$178 through uptowntheater.com.

The members of Opeth are grand masters of metal-based progressive rock. The Swedish band overseen by Mikael Akerfeldt is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a tour in support of its 13th studio album, “In Cauda Venenum.” Combining head-spinning psychedelic effects with head-banging riffs, the sprawling opus explores the fertile ground between Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” and Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” Folk and jazz elements sweeten Opeth’s audacious attack. With Graveyard. 816-283-9900. Tickets are $35 through arvestbanktheatre.com.

The Lone Bellow might be the best of the countless bands trafficking in epic stomp-and-shout folk-rock. While the Lumineers are arena headliners and Of Monsters and Men pack concert halls, The Lone Bellow performs similar but arguably superior music in smaller rooms. Renditions of sublime compositions like “Enemies” and “Wonder” from the Brooklyn trio’s new album, “Half Moon Light,” will benefit from the relative intimacy at Knuckleheads. With Early James. 816-483-1456. Tickets are $28 through knuckleheadskc.com.

The golden era of Motown Records ended when Berry Gordy Jr. moved his monumentally successful label from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1972. Even though the group is based in Los Angeles, Fitz and the Tantrums revive the Detroit sound associated with vintage songs by the likes of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and Diana Ross and The Supremes. Fitz and the Tantrums hits “MoneyGrabber,” “HandClap” and “The Walker” are near-perfect evocations of Motown’s famed Sound of Young America. With Twin XL. 816-753-8665. Tickets are $29.50-$102 through uptowntheater.com.

This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Kansas City concerts: Opeth, George Thorogood, Fitz and the Tantrums, Lone Bellow."