The mission of public media never stops, and neither does our responsibility to ensure its survival. Your investment in The Bridge — in public media that delivers enriching programming and connects our community — is so appreciated and so very important. Today through Sunday, we’re also giving you the chance to spread the love! Donate at least $60 (or $5/month as a sustaining member) to share your membership with another music lover in your life! Submit their name and email address when you make your donation, and just like you, they will be thanked on-air, receive early invitations to certain station events, and experience the reward of helping The Bridge thrive. Thank you for championing music discovery in Kansas City!

Kansas City’s Kat King opened the evening with a short but dreamy set, layering music from their upcoming album with older favorites. Added to the bill within days of the show, the band had some of their permanent members – King covering guitar duties with John McCain on bass and Kara LePage on keys – but missing was lead guitarist Derek Melies, and drummer Nick Frederickson sat in for Daniel Cole. 

After their latest single, the protest anthem “Merry Go Rounds,” Kat told us this was their biggest show to date, eliciting cheers from the crowd. They wrapped up the set with a cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” a signature of their annual Zombie Prom that takes place each fall.

A few minutes past 9 p.m., CMAT’s strong voice rang out from the back of the venue and we turned to look, craning to see her silhouette on the balcony in blazing spotlights. She paused while the crowd screamed in excitement, then continued “Janis Joplining,” disappearing amidst a blue strobe light to reappear on stage. Her energy was immediately contagious and lights bounced off sequined cowboy hats as the audience began to move.

After “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station,” and tossing the first of several picks into the crowd, we get an introduction. “My name is CMAT and the T stands for ‘Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.’” As the crowd discovered on Saturday, it turns out CMAT is a huge Wizard of Oz fan, revealing that a reference to the story has made it into each one of her albums. 

And then we’re onto the next song, each band member showing off their musical skill and dance moves (shout out to the keyboardist for the impressive dancer’s pose and double toe touch). The set was half songs from “EURO-COUNTRY,” released last August, and half older material, including the infectious “Have Fun!” and the all-too-relatable “2 Wrecked 2 Care.” CMAT has a unique blend of rock, pop and country that stood out long before her last album, which happened to coincide with a surge in popularity of country influence in indie music.

The theatrics of the show were nonstop, with the singer starting some songs laying down on the stage and others with choreographed dances with other band members. Apparently the crowd only added to the hectic energy, with CMAT telling us, “this is one of the most unhinged crowds we've had.” The singer slowed down for a few minutes to perform “Such a Miranda” solo, telling us, “This is a song I wrote about being weird and sad while I was living in Denmark.”

The set wound down with “Running/Planning” before CMAT and her band exited the stage, only to be brought back for an encore right away at the crowd’s insistence. The encore included the title track from “EURO-COUNTRY” and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to an audience member. For her final song of the night, CMAT played “Stay for Something,” coming into the heart of the crowd for several minutes.

CMAT is set to continue touring, now in support of Florence & The Machine, and there’s no doubt her audience will continue to grow. Her addictive live performance adds new depth to the music we already knew and loved.

SET LIST

Janis Joplining
The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station
I Don’t Really Care For You
When A Good Man Cries
2 Wrecked 2 Care
Lollipop Guild (snippet)
Aw, Shoot!
Tree Six Foive
Have Fun!
No More Virgos (snippet)
Take A Sexy Picture Of Me
Such A Miranda
Rent
Running/Planning

Encore

EURO-COUNTRY
I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!
Happy Birthday To You
Stay For Something

Bridge listeners can access presale tickets on Friday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by clicking the GET TICKETS button and entering the password BRIDGE.

Last Sunday, April 19, Brigitte Calls Me Baby brought their distinct crooning alt-rock sound to recordBar, fresh off the March release of their second album, “Irreversible.”

The show was opened by SKORTS, a heavy, atmospheric four-piece band out of New York City. In the middle of the set, lead singer Alli Walls shouted out a fan named Lily who had seen them four times in the last month (including twice in KC!). SKORTS’ dramatic set was the perfect start to the evening, each song building energetically on the last.

Brigitte Calls Me Baby took the stage at 9 p.m. sharp, dressed in all black, rocking a mix of vintage-inspired haircuts that matched their eclectic sound. The band played “I Danced With Another Love in My Dream” to open the show before lead singer Wes Leavins greeted the crowd, saying, “It’s good to be back in Kansas City.”

BCMB formed in Chicago in 2022, releasing their debut EP independently in 2023 before being signed to ATO Records later that year. Their signature sound, with chugging guitar lines and timeless hooks, combines ‘80s post-punk and new wave, evoking The Smiths and The Cure. The band was tightly in sync throughout their show, conveying their years of playing side by side and the packed touring schedule they maintain.

The five-piece ensemble powered through their set, pausing halfway through to ask the audience for questions and comments. One fan shouted for Leavins to remove his sunglasses, a request he obliged, breaking through his cool-guy demeanor and revealing a more intimate performance.

After the crowd banter, BCMB covered “Is This It” by The Strokes, paying homage to another band that had clearly influenced their own sound. A few minutes later, during the catchy “We Were Never Alive,” guitarist Jack Fluegel and bassist Devin Wessels both got to show off, stepping to the front of the stage for their respective solos.  

Brigitte Calls Me Baby ended their official set with “Impressively Average” before their obligatory encore. Leavins promised the crowd “one more” and I heard the opening riff of “The Future Is Our Way Out,” from their eponymous debut LP, as I slipped out the door and into the Sunday evening air.

SET LIST

Friday, July 31 - Spyro Gyra at Uptown Theater

Presale: Thursday, April 23 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Friday, Sept. 18 - Violent Femmes at Grinders KC

45 Year Anniversary Tour · Presale: Thursday, April 23 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Modest Mouse at Grinders KC

Presale: Thursday, April 23 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. · TICKETS

Sunday, Oct. 4 - The Bridge Presents Beck

Ride Lonesome Tour · Presale: Thursday, April 23 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Singer songwriter Bill Callahan returns with his eighth studio album, “My Days of 58” – his first since 2022. The 12 tunes here open uncanny depths of expression as Callahan continues to blaze one of the most original songwriting-and-performance trails out there. With “My Days of 58,” he applies the living, breathing energies of his live shows to the studio process, sharpening his slice-of-life portraiture to cut deeper than ever before.

Full disclosure: I don’t miss a Krystle Warren show if I can help it. Now based in France, the Kansas City native doesn’t make it stateside too often these days. So whenever she does – whether it’s in stripped-down formation for a festival set or a quick fly-in to slay a couple David Bowie tunes – it’s always a special treat.

It would stand to reason that “And Wonder,” an evening of Warren’s music set to live choreography by the esteemed Owen/Cox Dance Group, would be something special. 

Last weekend’s three-night performance would mark the second time Warren and Owen/Cox would work together on this type of event. In 2019, they teamed up for “Love Songs,” a two-part album released by her main project, Krystle Warren & the Faculty.

“It was wonderful and crazy,” Warren told me in a pre-show interview of that initial experience with Owen/Cox, led by long-time friends – choreographer and executive/artistic director Jennifer Owen and co-founder/musician Brad Cox. 

This time around, Warren was quick to heed Owen’s vision for “And Wonder,” which would mainly focus on her unrecorded material and lone solo album from 2017, “Three the Hard Way.” Warren introduced many of the unreleased songs to them in demo form, and Owen/Cox chose the stylistic direction for the program. 

“It’s almost a playlist of my music, and it’s titles I never would’ve thought to sequence together,” Warren said, noting that some of her demos were “patchy thoughts” saved in her phone, and many were fleshed out with Cox’s help. 

Knowing all of this, I was even more eager to see it all play out on the City Stage Theatre inside Union Station at the premiere on Friday, April 10. The lights dimmed as the band took their places upstage, their silhouettes dimly illuminated by the lamps on their music stands. With a lone dancer in position, the band eased into with “Macca,” a one-off single released by The Faculty in 2023. In those five minutes, we were introduced to the six-person dance troupe, each member gracefully using physical movement to express the song’s message of hope. 

Through each of the program’s 12 songs, it was easy to get swept up by this divine collision of choreography, musicality and songwriting. With subtlety and precision, Warren and her musical assemblage (Cox on keys and accordion, Jaylen Ward on drums, David Dawda on bass, Jonathan Anderson on keys, Mike Stover on guitar, pedal steel and banjo) set the narrative in motion. In one moment, you might hear fractured banjo riffs and frenetic gospel-inspired protest music. In another, funky bass leads over sparse instrumentation and a loping Americana pedal steel. At every turn, the instrumentation felt both nuanced and omnipresent, framing the compositions around Warren’s emotionally affecting vocals and the poignant dynamics of the dance ensemble. 

All of these elements together often felt like one organism, moving and breathing together in tandem. But the show also felt like a well-deserved hat tip to Warren’s artistry – an exploration of the impact of her brilliant songs and unparalleled voice – from the perspective of her creative peers.

To Warren, a program like this is possible because of Kansas City’s arts community.

“It’s just so rich, this town, when it comes to the arts, to its music scene. It’s so unique in that it’s so giving and gracious, and it’s not about anything but the music,” Warren said. “I wish that was the case all over the world, and it’s not.”

And though it may be awhile again before KC gets another Krystle Warren appearance, we have a pretty good feeling she’ll be back. 

“When there’s the call, I’ll always answer,” she said. “I’m hungry for it.”

SET LIST

Macca
If Memory Serves Me Well
Maybe We’re Too Old
Poor Butterfly
These Steps
Tumbleweeds
Even Cowgirls
Born In the Fall
Daddy Don’t Live Here No More
I Was Looking For Pastures
Move
Thanks and Praise

Sunday, June 14 - Psychics vs. Science at Uptown Theater

Presale: Thursday, April 16 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Wednesday, Aug. 19 - moe. at Knuckleheads

Presale: Wednesday, April 15 10 a.m. to Friday, April 17 10 a.m. · TICKETS

Saturday, Oct. 31 - sombr w/The Last Dinner Party & Hannah Jadagu at T-Mobile Center

You Are the Reason Tour · Presale: Thursday, April 16 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. · TICKETS

Neill Smith and J.C. Cirece realized the necessity of filling a gap in midsize live music venues after Riot Room closed in 2021. They formed Warehouse on Broadway last year, soft-launching last St. Patrick’s Day. Over their past year in business, Warehouse on Broadway has provided a platform for both local musicians and moderate-sized bands traveling through the city – many who may not have posted a bill in Kansas City prior. It’s a venue perfect for intimate music encounters, settling for a size between local bar and a larger music space like The Madrid. The venue provides patrons accessible music in a down-to-earth space and has a good time doing it. 

On Saturday March 28, in celebration of the Warehouse’s first birthday, local legends Roman Numerals reunited to etch another headlining performance. Bandmates Steve Tulipana, Pete LaPorte, Shawn Sherrill and Billy Smith homed in on their craft, showing themselves up to snuff and beyond. They brought big energy to their set, to the thrill of both fans who’ve been there since the beginning and newcomers to their music, like me. Dialed in on songs, they presented music from their eponymous 2006 album, including “Known” – a trickier one to play live that they haven’t performed in a long time, said Tulipana, even though it’s one of his favorites, because “it’s damn difficult.” Their precision throughout the performance upheld their discography and paid homage to the fans holding their music in high esteem. 

Tulipana and Smith bounced back and forth on vocals, sometimes one carrying the sole voice, at times each layering the other, and other times sharing the stage in an equally-sung belt. All band members were focused and conscious of each other’s presence. Every instrument had its place, none stepping on the other. So much so that a double-bass song was procured for the audience and dedicated to a friend of Tulipana’s visiting from Nebraska. The songs’ harmonic conversation between bass-drums-vocals-guitar-keyboard created a taut rolling energy that sprung individual solos into orbit and steamrolled any post-Saturday-sun-soaked exhaustion. To showcase their attention to detail: after the first song, Tulipana requested adjustments to frequencies on Smith’s vocals I am not in the realm of hearing. 

The words “Roman Numerals” flickered with fire on the screen behind the band, changing to a quip bridging the No Kings parade that happened across the city earlier in the day: “No Kings, No Clowns Either.” 

A patron in the crowd who’s been dancing to every song like he wished he were in a mosh pit, shouted, “Thank you for the memories!” This year, Tulipana said, Roman Numerals also celebrates 20 years together, with this being their third show in 15 years – and hopefully not the last live cameo we’ll see of them.

The Sluts, composed of Kristoffer Dover on drums and Ryan Wise on guitar and vocals, kicked off their set before Roman Numerals took the stage. Dover was fun to watch with drumstick twirls and upbeat playing that matched the raucous grunge of The Sluts’ music, their band name stacked tall in white writing on a speaker center stage. Wise, smiling, punctuated the end of their set by throwing a beer can (still with some liquor in it) across the stage in Dover’s direction after their last song. 

Emmaline Twist also reunited for this show, lead singer Meredith McGrade with The Killers/The Smiths-like vocals warbling out across a space-age landscape. Emmaline Twist are five dark figures, also comprised of keyboardist Alex Alexander, Jonathan Knecht on drums, baritone guitarist Krysztof Nemeth and Kristin Conkright on bass. They were highlighted with backlit glowing blue and purple lights, accentuating hues of their moody and twangy synth shoegaze. A supernova galaxy image cycles behind them, an E and a T at either end bookending a static black star in the middle. 

And beginning the night, I caught the last wave of songs from opener Pimp Magic Guts raging into the microphone. They effused numerous birthday wishes to the Warehouse speckled in between songs. 

Happy first birthday, Warehouse on Broadway. Cheers to many more to come.

The Last Dinner Party is known for their distinct baroque pop sound, so my expectations for a dramatic performance were sky high when I heard they were coming to The Midland on April 1. The English band last visited Kansas City less than two years ago (July 31, 2024) and played to a packed house at The Truman. Their meteoric rise since then clearly necessitated a larger venue, which was already nearing capacity as I arrived.

Opening for the night was Irish band florence road, fresh off a new EP, “Spring Forward.” Their nine-song set was powerful and energizing, lead singer Lily Aron’s voice strong and clear as it cut through the conversational buzz. The all-female band formed in 2019 and had one single, but didn’t really start trying to write and record until 2024, with their first mixtape “Fall Back” released last June. florence road pulled songs from both of these collections, and also played an unreleased song about having a crush on a friend. They fittingly closed the set with “Goodnight,” a cutting, clever breakup anthem you should listen to immediately. 

At 9 p.m., after the stage was turned over, the music died down and the lights dimmed. The Last Dinner Party burst onto the stage, starting with "Agnus Dei” – the first track from their second and latest studio album, 2025’s “From the Pyre.” The crowd was immediately engrossed, swelling to meet vocalist Abigail Morris as she moved around the stage. After “Count the Ways,” Morris introduced the band, whose touring lineup includes Dave Adsett on drums, Aurora Nishevci on keys, Emily Roberts on guitar, Lizzie Mayland on guitar, and Max Lilley filling in for Georgia Davies on bass. Throughout the night, the original band members traded instruments and lead vocal parts.

The band moved into “The Feminine Urge” from their debut album, “Prelude to Ecstasy,” Morris singing about the generational weight passed down through women. The set looked like two curved staircases, meeting in the back center of the stage. Band members moved up and down the steps during several songs, making use of the theatrical display. They stopped several times to engage with their fans, with Morris accepting several posters as gifts and coming down into the crowd to sign a cast.

Before the haunting “Gjuha,” which is sung in Albanian, keyboardist Nishevci shared a personal note about her Albanian heritage, saying she didn't know the language as well as English because her family immigrated when she was young. She spoke about the complex feelings it causes. “I am so proud to be a child of immigration,” she said, to an outcry of support.

Following “Rifle” and “The Scythe,” lead singer Morris told us about the band’s partnership with WhyHunger to support the fight against food insecurity. Donations from each show go to organizations local to that community.

The back half of the show included “Sinners” and “Inferno,” building up to the performance of an unreleased song called “Knocking at the Sky.” The Last Dinner Party finished the main set with their breakout hit “Nothing Matters,” with their crowd raucously singing along to the all-consuming song, then screaming as the band left the stage. Moments later, they came back out to continued applause, launching into “This is the Killer Speaking” for their obligatory encore before concluding the show with a reprise of “Agnus Dei.”

SET LIST

Agnus Dei
Count the Ways
The Feminine Urge
Caesar On A TV Screen
On Your Side
Second Best
I Hold Your Anger
Woman Is A Tree
Gjuha
Rifle
The Scythe
Sail Away
Sinner
My Lady of Mercy
Inferno
Knocking at the Sky
Nothing Matters

Encore

This Is the Killer Speaking
Agnus Dei (reprise)

Earlybirds Club is a dance party designed for women, trans, and non-binary folks that starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. – because we have sh*t to do in the morning!

The DJ spins music from the '80s to 2000s, including pop, hip-hop, new wave and R&B – you know, the songs you sing at the top of your lungs when no one’s home! Earlybirds Club is more than a fun night out, it’s a supportive space where kindness, good vibes, and sensible footwear rule, and 10% of proceeds always benefit a local non-profit. Come as you are – there’s plenty of room on the dance floor for everyone. Ten percent of ticket proceeds benefit Sleepyhead Beds, which takes gently used, donated beds and bedding and distribute them to Kansas City area children and families in need, free of charge.

A Flock of Seagulls may well be known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as much as their hit single “I Ran.” A Flock of Seagulls were one of prime movers in the '80s new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement. Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. “I Ran (So Far Away)” was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video. 

In 2003, the original lineup reunited for a one-off performance on the VH1 series “Bands Reunited,” their first time on record together since 1984. In 2024, Mike Score returned with the sixth Flock of Seagulls album, “Some Dreams,” their first studio album in nearly 20 years.

For 30 years, Wilco has been a pioneering force in independent music. The Chicago rock band has released 13 studio albums and won multiple Grammy Awards. They have founded their own record label, dBpm Records, and the renowned Solid Sound festival. The sextet comprised of Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Pat Sansone, Nels Cline and Mikael Jorgensen continues to be regarded as a live powerhouse, as described by NPR, “To see Wilco on stage is to hear the best of the best. ”The band’s newest album, “Cousin,” was released in 2023, followed by 2024’s “Hot Sun Cool Shroud” EP.

Multi-Platinum selling, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Geoff Tate is best known for his 30-plus years as the creative and driving force behind the progressive metal band Queensryche. Since its inception, with Tate at the helm, the band sold more than 25 million albums worldwide and performed in more than 50 countries.

Tate returns with his band Operation: Mindcrime for The Final Chapter tour. Released in 1990, Queensryche's “Operation: Mindcrime” album spawned six singles and is the band's best-selling album to date – achieving triple-platinum status.

In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee-directed HBO film, David Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute.

During the tumultuous three prior years, “I did a LOT of cooking (Mexican and Indian mostly) and a LOT of drawing,” says Byrne, who also started compiling lyric ideas and phrases for possible songs. “I’ve found that when the time comes, it’s easier to start if there’s a little stockpile – and before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.”

And with the world, and the in-progress American Utopia Broadway run, on pause, he, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, “Do I like what I’m doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?”

Byrne’s attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, a first-time collaboration between himself, Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon aka Tom Hull (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus) and New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, and featuring guest appearances by Paramore’s Hayley Williams, longtime collaborator St. Vincent (“she lives just around the corner from the studio,” Byrne says) and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.

The album builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, and more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it’s always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne’s gift for riding the razor’s edge of avant-garde and accessible pop.

In its 50-plus-year history as a band, Little Feat has gained recognition as one of rock and roll's greatest live bands. The band's music crosses genres from rock and blues to jazz fusion and Cajun funk. In a 1975 Rolling Stone interview, Jimmy Page called Little Feat his favorite American band.

Celebrated singer-songwriter and guitarist Jason Isbell comes back to KC with his long-time band, The 400 Unit. Isbell has established himself as one of the most respected and celebrated songwriters of his generation. The North Alabama native possesses an incredible penchant for identifying and articulating some of the deepest, yet simplest, human emotions, and turning them into beautiful poetry through song. Isbell sings of the everyday human condition with thoughtful, heartfelt, and sometimes brutal honesty. 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd has built an enviable resume as an accomplished recording artist, a riveting live performer and one of the most talented and distinctive guitarists of his generation. He's also emerged as one of the contemporary blues world's leading lights, helping to spearhead a widespread revival of interest in the blues.

Shepherd has sold millions of albums worldwide and received five Grammy nominations, two Billboard Music Awards, the Blues Foundation's Keeping The Blues Alive award and two Blues Music awards. He's had six No. 1 blues albums and a string of No. 1 mainstream rock singles. He'll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Ledbetter Heights.”