Fact one: I like music, a lot. Fact two: I have not been to nearly enough concerts in my lifetime. (I still refuse to count several of the ones I’ve seen at local venues, such as Wild West Fest.) Maybe it’s just me, but fact one and fact two don’t seem to go together very well—it’s time to rectify that.
I can safely say that I’ve been to more concerts this year than ever before, and it’s a trend that I would like to continue. My recent concert summary:
| Date | Main Band | Opening Band(s) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 06 | No Doubt | Paramore, Bedouin Soundclash | Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo. |
| Sept. 21 | Phoenix | The Features | The Slowdown, Omaha, Neb. |
| Nov. 04 | Paramore | Paper Route, The Swellers | Uptown Theater, Kansas City, Mo. |
| Jan. 20 | Owl City | Hot Chelle Rae, Stephen Speaks | McCain Auditorium, Manhattan, Kan. |
| Jan. 21 | Owl City | LIGHTS, Deas Vail | Beaumont Club, Kansas City, Mo. |
| April 21 | Phoenix | Two Door Cinema Club Roman Numerals | Uptown Theater, Kansas City, Mo. |
| Oct. 29 | Two Door Cinema Club | Funeral Party | Record Bar, Kansas City, Mo. |
The No Doubt concert in July was amazing. It was hours of pure enjoyment. I had completely forgot they were going on tour until I saw them performing on some random TV show. After I found out they were performing in Kansas City on my birthday, it seemed like fate. Unfortunately since I had forgotten, I didn’t get the best seats, but the Starlight Theatre is pretty accommodating.
I was almost as excited to see Paramore, but was definitely there because of No Doubt – Paramore was just a very, very nice bonus. For a band that I dig so much, I didn’t rock out to Paramore as hard as I should have, which I feel a little guilty about. Luckily, I’ll get a chance to see them headline in a week. I don’t remember much about Bedouin Soundclash. They seemed all right, but nothing that stood out.
Truth be told, I hadn’t heard much of Phoenix prior to their concert. I had listened through the Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix album maybe once or twice. I liked what I heard, but was not compelled to see them anytime soon. My friend Aaron, on the other hand, was a fan and sought out concert dates that were remotely close to us. Turns out that the closest was in Omaha. A road trip in the middle of the week sounded like a good idea to me, so we drove up there.
First of all, the Slowdown might be one of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to. At least two levels, good drink selection and the perfect stage area for an intimate concert. Phoenix put on a great show—definitely worth the drive. The Features were pretty good as well. Their front man was crazy – I’m talking looks normal, but will cut out your liver and eat it with a nice Chianti
crazy. He did dedicate a song to Pop-Tarts after all.
I was certainly pumped to see Paramore in KC, but the majority of the people were there to see No Doubt – there was, uh, no doubt about it. You could certainly pick out the ones who showed up for Paramore; they were much younger. I wanted to stand up and jam to Paramore, I really did, but I felt like I would be in people’s way – maybe it was too hot for the No Doubt fans to stand up yet.
I knew that Paramore was coming back through KC, but it was way too soon to for me to actually go. Unlucky for some, but luckily for me they had to postpone their shows, which meant I now had plenty of time to get tickets, take off work, etc. Once again, it felt like fate and I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve heard the Uptown Theater is pretty intimate, and have convinced a few friends to go. To say that I’m looking forward to it would seem like an understatement at this point.
Once again, Aaron finds out tour dates before I even think about them. Owl City is coming to KC in January, and I just can’t pass that up. I heard Fireflies
once on the radio and instantly liked the song. As a good song will do, it made me want to check out the entire album, which is just amazing. If you don’t own Ocean Eyes, I highly recommend buying it now. I haven’t bought the tickets yet, but it will happen.
For those of you who might not know, Brand New Eyes is Paramore’s latest album. It’s fantastic. They played at least one song from the album in July, which instantly had me waiting for more. I highly recommend checking it out as well. It’s also the way I see music at concerts, through brand new eyes.