My first trip out to the new Morton Amphitheater was on Tuesday, July 14 to cover Tyler Childers and the band Wednesday. As I headed north on I-635 and hit construction and then concert traffic, my thoughts went to: “Are there any secret workarounds to gain advantage, another approach less used?”. Once I made it through the 75-minute vehicle line and met up with veteran venue photographers, I got my answer: No.” Phew, at least I didn’t waste time on the wrong roads. If exiting at Horizon Parkway from I-635 North, do use both lanes. There was fear that the right-most lane would not get you to the amphitheater or that maybe you would be cutting in line. Both are not true. All road noise aside, the police officers, parking attendants, security, medical and venue staff were all professional, friendly and helpful.

I was able to hear a few songs from Wednesday as I filed in to park. Karly Hartzman’s singing slipped between modern country, indie, grunge and the screams of an utterly broken soul. The music showcased Xandy Chelmis’ slide guitar while oscillating between twang, indie and shoegaze. The transitions were expertly done; they left me confused but interested. I wish I was inside to capture what that sound looked like. At the end of their set, the band got a pretty formidable cheer for their efforts.

Tyler Childers' set design was a mix of Mister Rogers and American Gothic. A rack of guitars was seated on the Victorian sofa, while a 1970s vacuum tube TV set and stuffed wild pets threatened to roam the stage. As Tyler walked on stage, my first thought was a comedian is going to introduce the band. When he broke into song, none of that crossed my mind again, until now. As I write and after editing the photographs, I noticed that Childers’ sweater had a Mr. Rogers flair to it. From the first note until I had to leave, the band played expertly, tastefully and outright engagingly.

Tyler’s voice has the classic trademark twang delivered in a satisfying timbre. The music dances between ragtime, funk, indie, rock and of course, old-time country. Sometimes the styles endured throughout a whole song and sometimes they were intertwined. Childers introduced “Lady May” as a love song to his wife of 11 years, Senora May. He played the song solo with acoustic guitar and had the full crowd singing the choruses. What a lovely song. “Nose on the Grindstone” followed. A murder ballad about hopelessness, burnt bridges and the scourge of drugs. What a way to yank your heart from one side to the other.

I’m glad to have persisted in line to get into the show and for the opportunity to cover Tyler’s set. It was energetic and moving, skillfully delivered by a soulful group of lads.

SET LIST

Eatin' Big Time
Shake the Frost
Down Under
Her and the Banks
All Your'n
Oneida
Jersey Giant
I Swear (To God)
Dirty Ought Trill
Bitin' List
Watch Out
Lady May 
Nose on the Grindstone
Follow You To Virgie
Kansas City
Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?
Whitehouse Road
Honky Tonk Flame
Way of the Triune God
Snipe Hunt
House Fire
Universal Sound

The Beaches stopped at Cable Dahmer Arena on Thursday, July 2, in support of Louis Tomlinson. They played a packed 10-song set to a growing throng of concertgoers. As a longtime fan, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see the group in Kansas City, even for a short set, and dance along to their vast collection of breakup anthems.

The band opened with “Takes One to Know One” from their 2025 album “No Hard Feelings,” the deluxe version of which was just released this June. Between songs, lead singer Jordan Miller greeted the crowd while grabbing her bass from a stagehand, introducing themselves as The Beaches from Ontario, Canada. Her distinctly deep voice launched into the next song.

The set was energetic from beginning to end, with guitarists Kylie Miller and Leandra Earl switching places as they provided backup vocals in perfect harmony. The Beaches originally formed under the name Done With Dolls in 2009, with the Miller sisters and drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel staying on and adding Earl on guitar in 2013. The name comes from the Toronto neighborhood where most of the band grew up.

Four songs in, Miller paused the show to report on the latest World Cup game, saying, “Portugal won, I just wanted everyone to know,” causing the stadium to erupt in cheers. Miller talked to the crowd in a comfortable, familiar tone that turned every comment into an inside joke with a friend. 

After the reflective “Should’ve Known Better,” Miller asked if anyone in the audience was going through a breakup or heartbreak, pausing as fans screamed and jumped in admission. After telling them to forget (okay, maybe a different f-word was used) their exes, she shared some hard-earned wisdom with us. “The love of your life should never make you feel hypothetical,” before starting the next song, also entitled “Hypothetical.”

Earl asked if anyone else was watching “Off Campus,” the popular series featuring their song “Edge of the Earth.” She smiled, telling us the show has changed their lives, before Miller began the instantly recognizable first verse.

They rounded out the night with the anthemic “Last Girls at the Party,” dancing harder than ever, and their breakout hit, “Blame Brett.” During the last song’s bridge, guitarists Earl and Miller hopped side by side across the width of the stage, the crowd cheering them on. Earl played the final chorus while spinning in circles by the drum kit, her guitar raised in a blur as she flawlessly executed her part.

Although the evening was technically just getting started, The Beaches put on an incredible performance worthy of a headlining tour.

SET LIST

Takes One to Know One
Did I Say Too Much
Me & Me
Perfect 10
Can I Call You in the Morning?
Should've Known Better
Hypothetical
Edge of the Earth
Last Girls at the Party
Blame Brett

Saturday, Oct. 3 - Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, July 22 10 a.m. to Friday, July 24 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, Oct. 28 - Ryan Bingham & the Texas Gentlemen at Uptown Theater

Still Gettin' Away With It Tour · Presale: Thursday, July 23 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, Nov. 11 - Cheap Trick at Uptown Theater

All Washed Up Tour · Presale: Thursday, July 23 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Hinterland has grown into one of the most anticipated festivals in the Midwest, now spanning four days of national and local acts just south of Des Moines, Iowa. The 2026 lineup is the best we’ve seen yet, with headliners KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons and Kali Uchis, and an incredible array of supporting acts (more to come on our most anticipated acts below, but MUNA is back!).

As we descend on our favorite regional festival of the year, here are a few tips to help you make the most of your experience, from Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 2.

Getting in

The festival is located at the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater (3357 St. Charles Rd, St. Charles, IA 50240). Give yourself an hour between arriving for any acts you want to see just to get through the entrance. To have a fun festival, the first step is having a safe festival –  that means security checking everyone’s bags and belongings as they go in. You can save time by only bringing a clear bag or skipping a bag altogether, but it’s worth the wait to have any supplies you’ll need. The lines will get longer throughout the day, so I recommend going early, finding a good spot to put down a scarf or blanket, and enjoying some music.

Check the weather (duh) & dress for walking

I’ve seen Hinterland in beautiful weather, blistering heat and as a muddy mess. As long as the weather isn’t impeding safety, the show will go on, and you should come prepared. Consider packing a small fan, rain jacket, extra socks, your best bucket hat and anything else that will keep you relaxed and enjoying the music. And whatever you do, bring some sunscreen.

No matter what festival look you’re going for, prioritize comfort in your planning. You’ll be outside all day with minimal shade and lots of walking, so pair your best band tee or your craziest outfit with some comfortable footwear.

Pack for Success

I like to pack a clear festival bag (which has a built-in water bottle) with anything I might need so I can make the most of my days at Hinterland. The official packing list for campers and non-campers is available on the festival site.

My list as a non-camper usually includes:

• Water bottle (a must have!)
• Sunscreen
• Portable fan
• Poncho
• Hat
• Earplugs
• Scarf (to cover shoulders or sit on)
• Hand sanitizer
• Sanitizing wipes (festival restrooms sometimes run out of supplies at the end of a day)
• Individually labeled medications (including prescriptions, painkillers and antacids)

Campers have access to their belongings throughout the festival, so you can leave anything that you aren't sure about at the campsite and grab it later. A few tips for camping: 

• Get in as early as you can to snag a more convenient campsite
• More restrooms are being added throughout the campsites this year!
• Plan for rain, no matter what's in the forecast
• Bring towels for the shower – it’s open Thursday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon and 3 to 9 p.m.
• If you have the gear, set up some kind of sun shade for breaks during the day
• Pack sanitizing wipes (again!)

Food and Drink

In the past, Hinterland has been set up with tons of food stalls that covered most dietary needs, and we’re expecting more of the same this year. Lines can get pretty long at peak mealtimes, so I recommend grabbing food in the middle of a set if you don’t feel like waiting. I can usually leave the listening area, get food and get back to my seat without missing a full performance.

Beyond the Music

Hinterland has gone above and beyond in making this year's festival more immersive than ever. Besides an incredible lineup of music and activations at basecamp, they're providing opportunities to connect and relax all weekend long. 

Hiking Trails: Over 3.5 miles of beautiful wooded paths were added around the festival grounds this year. Allegedly, there's even a lemonade stand along the way. 

HinterMarket: Shop more than 20 small and local vendors, where you can find everything from handmade guitars to custom hats.

Miniland: Family-friendly creative experience focused on DIY music and art. Open to all ages, but especially kids and their caretakers. Check out the Miniland schedule for a full list of performances and demonstrations!

Yoga & Sound Bath: Bring a mat or towel and a water bottle for daily 9 a.m. yoga by the campfire stage. This all-levels vinyasa class will conclude with a 10 to 15-minute sound bath during savasana, or the final meditation.

Leaving the fest

Whether you take the shuttle out or drive yourself, expect to spend one to two hours exiting each night. The festival has made strides in managing the flow of attendees, but has also seen explosive growth in recent years.

If you’re worried about long wait times by shuttle or by car, I recommend you leave early. It’s tough to leave during a set, but your comfort and safety are the most important factors.

Anticipated Acts

Finally, the music. Preparing for a festival is a lot of work, but there’s nothing like the environment once you’re there. Hinterland has one main stage, plus the Miniland stage for family-friendly and DIY entertainment, and a campfire stage that begins after the main stage ends, so you won’t miss a beat.

Audrey Nuna (Thursday, 5:15 p.m.) - Landing somewhere between pop and R&B, singer and rapper Audrey Nuna’s music is intense and evocative.

Paris Paloma (Friday, 5 p.m.) - If you haven’t heard Paloma’s biting single “Good Boy,” I suggest you give it a listen. I’m expecting a live performance filled with symbolism and vitriol.

MUNA (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) - I have high expectations for the indie pop icons. Their dramatic, danceworthy anthems should bring big energy ahead of Lorde, Friday’s headliner.

Santigold (Saturday, 5 p.m.) - The legendary Santigold will grace the Hinterland stage, creating genre-bending contemporary pop that is unexpected and exhilarating.

CMAT (Saturday, 3:45 p.m.) - I was lucky enough to see CMAT in Lawrence in April and it was one of the most unhinged and memorable performances of recent memory. Her stunning voice and hilarious honesty are a potent combination.

Samia (Sunday, 1:15 p.m.) - I’ve followed Samia since she was an opening act and I have yet to be disappointed by a show. Her ethereal brand of indie rock cuts to the heart and pulls you in close.

Wet Leg (Sunday, 4:45 p.m.) - After missing their first and only show in KC, I’m stoked to catch them at the festival. Their off-kilter, upbeat indie rock will definitely get the crowd moving.

For tickets and further info on Hinterland 2026, visit hinterlandiowa.com.

“Monkey Mind” is the new album from French-American duo Pearl & The Oysters, produced by Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus, Father John Misty). Though sunny on the surface, the album was written and recorded in the wake of the devastating LA fires of 2025 and Trump’s second inauguration.

Monkey Mind is named after the Buddhist concept of a restless, looping consciousness – the duo drew on their own “monkey minds” to write the album in a matter of weeks, using music as a way to process their worry.

After years of building their own intricate, home-recorded worlds, P&TO worked with producer Jonathan Rado, recording straight to tape with minimal overdubs and working with their musical family of LA musicians. The result is looser and more grounded in the present moment than anything they’ve done before.

Like so many others, I have known Sheryl Crow’s music since I was little, belting along to “If It Makes You Happy” whenever possible. Crow was part of a powerful wave of female musicians that came of age in the ‘90s, with events like Lilith Fair, the first all-female touring festival, cementing their lasting cultural significance. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see Crow in Kansas City at the end of FIFA Fan Fest, a free month-long celebration of the World Cup, last Friday night (July 10) at Liberty Memorial Park.

Arriving midway through the set, I could hear Jessica Paige’s powerful vocals from the entrance gates, singing her 2024 track “Move Along.” Kadesh Flow took over just before the bridge, rapping along to the music of their four-piece backing band, before Paige finished the song. Kadesh took the lead on the next track, “Forgot About Me,” his voice potent, passionate. The two local artists joined forces for the massive Fan Fest stage, forming the limited-edition group Deshica Rage. They finished their set with Paige’s “Beautiful Life,” Kadesh blasting a beautiful trombone melody at the end of the song. 

One quick stage flip later, Hembree strode out, immediately launching into their 2017 track “Culture.” Originally from Kansas City and Lawrence, the quartet has built a career on their catchy indie rock riffs. The crowd was happy to sing along to the chorus as they played “Wonderful Life,” released in 2024. Here, former bandmate Garrett Childers came out to join the band on backing vocals for the rest of their set.

A few songs later, lead singer Isaac Flynn introduced “Can’t Run Forever” as the first song to earn the band attention, also bringing out his dad to play guitar. John Flynn is a well-known musician in Kansas City, sometimes playing with the yacht rock tribute band Summer Breeze, and he shredded a couple of incredible solos while onstage with Hembree. Guitarist Alex Ward, repping a Hembree shirt with a soccer ball on it, invited fans to message the band on socials to get one of the limited-edition tees. Then, they debuted their new song “Options,” set to be released in August. “The boys are back,” the young Flynn said, grinning. 

Finally, after an hour of high-energy hits from DJ Skittlez, it was time for Sheryl Crow, walking out to The Rolling Stones’ instantly recognizable “Start Me Up” promptly at 7:45 p.m. The intro music faded out as Crow began singing “A Change Would Do You Good,” pausing at one point to playfully shout, “Does anybody here like soccer?” During her second song, “Can’t Cry Anymore,” right at the end, the Missouri native held her arms wide, letting her voice dance up to a dangerously high note with apparent ease.

Crow’s stage presence was warm and familiar, translating to a good-natured, friendly crowd of her own fans and soccer lovers who stopped to take in the impressive performance. She could be seen kneeling at the front of the stage, handing guitar picks to security to pass over the barrier to some of her younger fans. The huge venue was crowded with concertgoers, but never so full that you couldn’t find a spot to swing dance, which many fans did throughout the set.

The nine-time Grammy winner primarily stuck to the hits, which continue to permeate after more than 30 years, but did treat us to a beautiful and hopeful unreleased song, due to come out this fall. Crow didn’t disclose the name during her set, only saying it’s akin to something you’d hear from The Eagles, but the song is known online as “Freedom Bus.”

Crow and her band played a cover of Cat Stevens “The First Cut is the Deepest,” encouraging the crowd to sing along to the timeless tune. Then, the singer-songwriter switched to her biggest hits, from 1993’s “All I Wanna Do” to 2002’s “Soak Up the Sun,” the crowd singing and moving along to the music. The set ended with “Everyday is a Winding Road,” the crowd singing louder than ever, then cheering as the band came together to take a bow.

SHERYL CROW SET LIST

A Change Would Do You Good
Can't Cry Anymore
Real Gone
My Favorite Mistake
Steve McQueen
Freedom Bus (New song)
The First Cut Is the Deepest (Cat Stevens cover)
If It Makes You Happy
All I Wanna Do
Soak Up the Sun
Everyday Is a Winding Road

Thursday, Sept. 17 - D.K. Harrell at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, July 13 10 a.m. to Friday, July 15 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Saturday, Oct. 10 - Willi Carlisle at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, July 13 10 a.m. to Friday, July 15 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Sunday, Feb. 7 - The Legend of Korra at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Presale: Thursday, July 16 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. · TICKETS

The Bridge is The Official Radio Station of the Kansas City Current! Tune in to hear every game, both home and away, throughout the entire season. Don’t miss a single goal, save or victory dance!

From a man who has previously not given many straightforward answers to interviewers, it seems feat enough that Bob Dylan will perform in-person at the venue he says he’ll be at. Yet the living legend continues to tour and continues to show up well into his eighties. What comes after the date is set and the tickets are sold and the audience fills out is anyone’s guess – Dylan will certainly be there, but in what performative capacity?

Some people seeing him live note that it’s among the best shows they’ve ever seen, if not the best. Others weigh in that it’s among the worst performances they’ve ever witnessed, often the worst. With a personal respect for Bob Dylan’s contribution to music and a craving to hear the legendary figure live, I tested my own senses against the hung jury.

Bob Dylan, the chosen moniker of Robert Zimmerman, effectively fostered a mythical persona over the course of his artistic career. From non-answers during interviews to an unabashed genre switch-up from folk to rock, his magnetism both attracts and deflects the likes of fans and critics; the push-and-pull of the enigma that he is. Joan Baez sings to his stature in “Diamonds and Rust,” calling him, “the unwashed phenomenon, the original vagabond.” 

Bob Dylan’s rampant creativity, paired with a secretive nature, assisted in cultivating his larger-than-life persona. That the man is still alive and has multiple documentaries and biopics made about him speaks to the widespread allure around his poetic mysticism. 

All in attendance the evening of July 4 at Starlight were drawn by the pull of Bob Dylan and the promise of witnessing his songwriting, live, on the United States’ 250th birthday. Attire ranged from tie dye shirts to adjacent-era tees of bands like the Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead. One man wore a suit with a bolo tie. Many were dressed in patriotic colors of red, white and blue. 

There are two ways to approach this show: either the fireworks were interrupting the Bob Dylan concert or Bob Dylan was interrupting the fireworks. A sliding scale of Dylan fanaticism with a physical dividing line inside the venue are necessary in this assessment, meaning, how much Bob Dylan and his music were already liked before attending this performance, and, how close the seats were to the front. 

After the sun went down, Dylan emerged to a dim stage. Subtle lights backlit the curtains, adding contrast to their draped ridges. Stage lights in a half-circle around the band etched their silhouettes in a warm, muted orange. With no introduction or motion to the crowd, Bob Dylan planted his feet behind his keyboard and began playing. A gray hood from a gray jacket donned his head. He stood there, wide stance triangled behind his keys, hood up, and did not move his feet until the end of the last song.

His signature raspy vocals took up the lyrics to his first song, “To Be Alone With You.” He sounded decades younger. Cloaked as he was, he could even appear it. Fireworks exploded all around the outside of the theatre from enthusiastic Independence Day partiers, at war with the rhythms on stage and at times in communion with them. Bob Dylan took no notice either way. 

He intermixed older songs between tracks of his 2020 album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” He took the recognizability of his songs and revised them entirely with different arrangements. It sometimes took until his vocals chimed in to realize what song was being played. 

No image of the band was cast to the large LED screens flanking the stage. They remained dark. Sound became the only method of seeing. This performance would be better meant for a recording studio, lit in low light with an obscured frontman, not attempting connection to the audience as it was. Some lyrics, as in “False Prophet” seemed to toy with the crowd when sung aloud under the shrouded circumstances, “What are you lookin’ at, there’s nothing to see, just a cool breeze that’s encircling me.”

If an unconditional fan to the point of disregarding the more erring, human sides of the godlike musician, the performance would emerge divine in any capacity. It is Bob Dylan in the flesh, after all: his voice, singing his music. Yet, if anything less than a well-versed fan, the dividing line for whether or not folks appeared to enjoy their time could be gleaned by where they sat. If sitting in the front few sections of Starlight, Bob Dylan would be able to be glimpsed in some capacity. Those seats close to the stage had the chance of viewing more than silhouettes and seemed to best enjoy the show. Standing ovations speckled the front sections after every song, though this energy did not transfer upwards to the topmost seats. Dylan never spoke once, outside the words he sang. It left a dangling disconnect: if people could not meet him in his staunch performative choice with excess love overcoming performance shortfalls, the concert became a jarringly unbridged experience. 

To answer where I stood on the sliding scale of enjoyment, whether it was the fireworks or Bob Dylan commanding my attention: I am a moderate fan, though not devoted – and I was sitting far behind the reach of stage visibility. My sentiment resounded in the seats around me. I watched a local musician, who earlier cheered emphatically for Lucinda Williams, leave after the first few of Dylan’s songs. 

One might seem self-righteous in proposing America’s beloved songwriter as anything other than great. The truth is, in live performance, that may very well be true. Yet Bob Dylan has never aimed to be liked. He’s not pandering or catering to what people want of him, and for that, as much of a disparate performance as it was, he held attentively true to that authentic element of Bob-Dylan-existing-as-he-may, take it or leave it, hate it or love it. 

To see the Nobel-Prize-winning songwriter live – wordsmith extraordinaire, original vagabond, the voice of a generation – was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For memory’s sake though, I’ll stick to his recordings over this live rendition.

Thursday, Oct. 8 - Shwayze at Knuckleheads

The Nostalgia Tour · Presale: Wednesday, July 8 10 a.m. to Friday, July 10 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Thursday, Oct. 15 - True Loves at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, July 8 10 a.m. to Friday, July 10 10 a.m. · TICKETS

The sweet, strong melodies of Esther Rose could be heard at recordBar on Sunday, June 28, as she wrapped up the first leg of her summer tour.

Sam Gelband opened the night with a thoughtful solo set, pulling tracks from his album “That’s All,” released in May. The songwriter talked easily between songs, telling the crowd he liked to frequent magic shops while touring but had been too busy on this run. His lyrics were raw and unpretentious over the lone electric guitar, mellowing his blend of folk and rock.

After the somber but moving title track about his neighbor who died in a fire, Gelband played the lighter “Terrified,” about falling in love, from his previous project Mr. Sam & The People People. He ended the set with an unreleased song – “The rock that broke the water cries that it meant no harm,” Gelband crooned – before the crowd applauded warmly.

Esther Rose came onstage with her band a few minutes past 9 p.m., opening with “Not Bad” from her latest album, “Want,” released last May. The five-piece band included opener Gelband on drums, Kunal Prakash on guitar, Jeremy Buethe on bass and JR Bohannon on pedal steel.

A few songs in, Rose communicated that it was their last night on tour. “It's been a really lovely tour with these guys,” she said. I actually really like the feeling of being totally depleted because it's very satisfying.” 

Rose told us she wrote the next song about her relationship with touring and drinking while on the road with her siblings and bandmates in The Desmonds before starting the twangy, catchy “Had To.”

Born and raised in Michigan, Rose is now based in Santa Fe, NM, but spent the previous decade writing music in New Orleans. Her unique brand of country has evolved over time, invoking elements of rock and folk and jazz, pulling influences from her many different homes.

With the crowd dancing along, Rose pulled songs from across her five albums, interspersed with commentary that felt intimate. After the lilting fight song “Spider,” Rose thanked her loyal fans for years of support - referencing a gig that took place about 12 years earlier in KC musician Fritz Hutchison’s backyard, eliciting cheers from a few fans. She thanked the crowd several times for all of the support throughout her career, brimming with sincerity.

The official set ended with “Want” and then “Rescue You,” both from her last album. The band filed off stage to cheers for more music, with Rose last in line. At the edge of the stage, she turned back, shrugging, and said, “Where am I really going to go?”, to laughs from the audience.

Rose gave fans the solo encore of their dreams, revealing that some attendees had driven more than five hours to attend the show. She performed a new, searching song called “Millennial Witness” and then the universally applicable “Always Changing,” the lyrics about being true to yourself. “Do what you wanna do, it’s alright, up to you,” Rose vocalized, the crowd dancing and smiling until the very end.

Now in its fourth year, Celebrate Ameri'kana is a celebration of the myriad backgrounds, cultures, languages, and sounds that have shaped American music, bringing Grammy-winning artists to Kansas City to perform at the FREE festival alongside youth performers from the Art As Mentorship’s year-round mentorship programs.

Performances from Making Movies, Radkey, Gina Chávez, Rosie Flores, The Salvation Choir, The Freedom Threedom, Rebel Song Academy and more. 

The music and arts festival celebrates Black, Indigenous, Latino and immigrant heroes of American music, and supports Art As Mentorship, a KC nonprofit that empowers young artists to write their own success stories. 2026 activities include a drum circle, Copa de Calla Fútbol, water toys, artmaking, obstacle course, instrument petting zoo, international food and drink, a makers market, Nomada bar tent in Kansas City's Historic Northeast neighborhood. 

Admission is FREE and open to the public, and VIP tickets are available.

Brothers Matt and Mark Hill are the sonic visionaries behind electronic-funkpowerhouse The Floozies. Certified heavyweights in the world of jam and future-groove, the Lawrence, KS-based tandem champion authentic funk in the digital age.Familiar with sold-out shows across the country including prominent festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, High Sierra, Summercamp, Wakarusa, Camp Bisco, Summerset, Bumbershoot, and headlining Red Rocks shows,their formidable sound is continuously celebrated from coast to coast.

Their annual Funk Street Festival will feature appearances from Moontricks, Desert Dwellers, Phyphr and Bray Radbury.

Texas Headhunters is what happens when three of Texas’ fiercest guitar slingers – Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller, and Jesse Dayton – finally collide on the same stage. Born from deep roots, old friendships, and a shared reverence for the swaggering soul of Texas blues, this is not your average jam. It’s a movement. A reckoning. A new chapter in the book of American roots music.

For more than 50 years, Spyro Gyra has been one of the most consistently commercially successful pop-jazz groups to emerge from the fusion era. It began inauspiciously when Beckenstein and a few musician friends in Buffalo, NY, organized a get-together on their shared night off from working in bands that actually made money. It was a simple, humble idea with a name that was likewise simple and humble, “Tuesday Night – Jazz Jam”. Fast forward 50 years and this jazz super group has released over 30 albums, garnering gold and platinum along the way. They’ve played over 10,000 concerts on six continents. Spyro Gyra has maintained its standards of excellence and that has sustained them on the “A list” of live attractions in jazz for 50 years.

For over the past 25 years, Jason Boland & the Stragglers have dazzled audiences all over as one of the leading ambassadors of the Oklahoma and Texas music movement. Millions of fans cheering him on, over 500,000 records sold independently and 10 albums later, Boland is a career musician whose legacy continues to grow. From his early days touring in cramped vans and playing in front of tiny bar crowds to the packed venues he performs in today, Boland’s uncompromising approach has grown his profile dramatically, especially in the past handful of years. Add to that the legions of musicians who are influenced by Boland, and his impact on the scene is undeniable.

Get ready for an unforgettable night of music and an electrifying performance featuring hits from Darius’s solo country career, including favorites like “Wagon Wheel” and “Come Back Song,” as well as classic rock anthems that have defined his career.

Genre-defying rock icons The Black Crowes are teaming up with boundary-pushing rock powerhouse Whiskey Myers for the co-headlining Southern Hospitality Tour, promising a high-voltage rock and roll collision from the hardest-hitting bands in music today.

See KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons and Kali Uchis at Hinterland Music Festival! Happening just 30 minutes south of Des Moines and also featuring MUNA, beabadoobee, Santigold, Geese, Wet Leg and more, it’ll be the music and camping experience of the summer. 

Check out our preview of Hinterland 2026, with tips and tricks for navigating the festival!