The New Pornographers stunned at Liberty Hall Saturday night, even without its heavy hitters

The New Pornographers stunned at Liberty Hall Saturday night, even without its heavy hitters

The New Pornographers Liberty Hall, Lawrence Saturday, August 12 The ticket buyers baffled and/or confused by the absence of both Neko Case and Dan Bejar…

Source: www.pitch.com/music/concert-reviews/blog/20972388/the-new-pornographers-stunned-at-liberty-hall-saturday-night-even-without-its-heavy-hitters

Green Day brought the crowd onstage last night at the Sprint Center

Green Day brought the crowd onstage last night at the Sprint Center

Nick SpacekGreen Day The Sprint CenterFriday, August 11 Crowd participation was the theme of last night’s Green Day show at the Sprint Center. The arena w…

Source: www.pitch.com/music/concert-reviews/blog/20972379/green-day-brought-the-crowd-onstage-last-night-at-the-sprint-center

LKxRR showcase review in the Pitch

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Last night’s LKxRR show at the Granada, organized by Treet Ward of Lawrence’s Young Bull, ably demonstrated that a solid bill can pull a hundred people out on a holiday weekend. The show was stacked top-to-bottom with the finest heavy music the Lawrence and Kansas City areas have to offer, and there was no finer way to starting kicking 2016 out the door than with a big, metal boot.

Read the full review and see more photos at the Pitch. Published 12/31/16

Live Review of Def Leppard / REO Speedwagon / Tesla at the Pitch

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While the weather was turning downtown into a veritable series of waterfalls and small rivers last night, the inside of the Sprint Center was high ‘n’ dry.

Sorry.

But for the repeated flood warnings blowing up everyone’s phones, no one would have given a thought to the weather outside, because Def Leppard’s performance would’ve kept everyone fascinated, even if a tornado were attempting to destroy downtown. Despite some weird vocal quirks that saw the band sometimes sounding as if they were playing instrumentals, the English pop-metal band’s sound was robust and strong, thanks to a strong guitar work from Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell.

Read the full review at the Pitch. Published 8/27/16

Heart / Joan Jett / Cheap Trick concert review at the Pitch

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Three bands, all Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees of recent vintage, and of the rare talent undamaged by the ravages of time. Despite necessary reductions in range, last night’s triple bill proved that there’s at least three acts that can still kick it after three decades or more.

Of the three, Heart might as well have stepped out of a time warp. While Ann Wilson said “times have changed,” one would never know it from her band’s performance. They might as well have come straight from recording “These Dreams” — although, I’m pretty certain the original wasn’t played with mandolin on lead as it was at Starlight, as nice a touch as it was.

Read the complete review at the Pitch. Published on 8/16/116

Mills Record Co. feature at the Pitch

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Mills Record Co. feels like a Westport institution, even though the shop first opened next to Dave’s Stagecoach in May 2013. Less than a year and a half later, the shop expanded into a former vape store next door, doubling its size. Now, a couple of months after its third anniversary, Mills has moved into a much bigger space, around the corner at 4045 Broadway, the former home of Westport on Broadway Antiques.

Read the complete piece, “As Mills Record Co. moves into a new Westport space, it makes room for showcasing local talent live” at the Pitch. Published on 7/19/126

Journey / Doobie Brothers at the Sprint Center review in the Pitch

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Classic Rock Summer is a series wherein we attempt to see as many classic-rock concerts coming through the Kansas City area as possible. From May through September, we will immerse ourselves in the music of our parents, from yacht rock to oldies to hair metal, you’ll find us there.

Journey and the Doobie Brothers
Sprint Center
Saturday, May 28

Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend: where else would you be but seeing Journey and belting your heart out? For realsies, kids — if you were wondering why mom and dad weren’t answering their phone, they were probably in khaki shorts and drinking Miller Lite with several thousand of their peer group.

Read the entire review at the Pitch, published 5/29/16

Lawrence Field Day Fest 2015, Night Three

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The third and final night of 2015’s Lawrence Field Day Fest kicked off hard. It was pushed back half an hour, but Eyes of Iolite wasted no time in getting things ripping. “The Thing” kicked it off, and for the rest of their set, it was fuzzed-out blast after blast. Sludge? Doom? Whatever you want to call it, this trio knows how to deliver metal. It’s so fucking heavy, with a volume and low end that makes it hard to even breathe. There’s no moshing to this: just let the band lead the assault.


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Lawrence Field Day Fest 2015, Night Two

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My first band of the second night was a muscular rock ‘n’ roll quartet. It looks like I’m going for a theme, huh? Actually, Kansas City’s Admiral of the Red would pair nicely with the Vedettes. The KC act definitely leans more toward modern rock in their sound, but definitely knows how to lock in to more than just shredding and screaming. There’s a punk verve and melodic hook to what they do, and while it’s not earth-shattering in terms of novelty, it’s certainly worth watching.


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