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Concert review: The Old 97's

Alt-country. Power pop. Garage rock. Punk? It was all on display Thursday night when the Old 97’s took the stage at Crossroads KC in downtown Kansas City to promote 2008’s “Blame it on Gravity” and a new studio album due out later this year. Since forming in Texas in 1993, the band has been labeled an alt-country group and even helped to define that sound over that decade. But once again, the 97’s proved just how hard it is to tie them down to one genre. And they made sure the thousands-strong crowd enjoyed it the entire time.

Concert review: Paul McCartney

Macca delivers performance worthy of his legend

There are plenty of musical legends still touring, but few could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime act. For Kansas City, that's what Paul McCartney is. Saturday night's near-sold out show at the Sprint Center was his first performance in KC since 1993 and his fourth performance there since 1964 (once with The Beatles, one with Wings and once solo ... in case you were curious).

Concert review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Sprint Center

Reliable American songsmith and seasoned band delivers the goods

Even though Tom Petty is 59 and has been making distinctly American pop rock staples for well over three decades, the appreciation seems to have no age limit. This was evidenced in the 11,000-plus crowd that congregated at the Sprint Center Tuesday night to see Petty and his stellar backing band, The Heartbreakers, deliver a mix of songs old and new in staggeringly effective fashion.

Review: Conan O'Brien at the Midland Theatre

Popular host sharpens 'Late Night' edge in hilarious show

After a very public and controversial ousting from "The Tonight Show" back in January in favor of re-instating Jay Leno to his old post, Conan O'Brien was basically told to hit the road -- and hit the road he has. Riding the wave of a rabid Internet following and an outpouring of public support, Conan O'Brien brought "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" to the Midland Theatre in Kansas City Sunday night to give an enthralled crowd a brand of comedy they love and miss. And based on the look and sound of things, O'Brien's job loss couldn't have been more invigorating.

Concert review: Pearl Jam at Sprint Center

Tireless grunge rockers give K.C. a playful, rousing good time

Pearl Jam opened their 2010 tour at a nearly full Sprint Center in Kansas City Monday playing a 28-song set spanning more than two hours.

Concert review: Jonsi at Liberty Hall

Icelandic import delivers sensory-driven spectacle

The world has gotten more familiar with Iceland in the last week. Parts of the north Atlantic island are now spewed across Europe thanks to Eyjafjallajokull, a volcano that erupted and subsequently shut down air travel to and from Europe. Jonsi Birgisson, frontman of Iceland’s post-rock surrealists Sigur Ros, is spewing his own bit of Iceland across North America and brought his spectacular show to a sold out Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kan., Thursday on the eve of his 36th birthday.

Concert review: Puddle of Mudd and Saliva

A mixed bag of hard rock highlights, low notes and strange moments

If Joetown had a craving for big-time hard rock, the city certainly got its fill Thursday night at the Civic Arena.

Concert review: John Mayer at the Sprint Center

Pop guitarist lets his songs speak for him in successful show

There was a point when blues-pop guitarist and singer/songwriter John Mayer was trying to get the crowd to turn it up a notch. He had a call-and-response, Sly and the Family Stone-esque request for everyone to get "higher." No, this is not referring to the provocative chorus from one of his latest singles asking "who says I can't get stoned," but "higher" is probably a place John Mayer would like to be. Preferably, high above the controversies his loose lips have caused him in recent months.

Weekend recap: Jazz Express at Foster's

Young jazz quartet shows off chops and versatility

Plenty of bands, even great ones, have a weak link. Who knows how far Red Hot Chilli Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis would have gone if he didn't have Flea, Chad Smith or John Frusciante backing him. If you had to pinpoint the least talented member of The Beatles, all eyes will immediately go to Ringo. That being said, there are no weak links in the St. Joe quartet Jazz Express, as they demonstrated to a receptive crowd at Foster's Saturday night.

Weekend recap: This Is Energy at Cafe Acoustic

You knew this was one of those weird mismatches between venue and band before the St. Louis pop rockers This Is Energy played a single note at Cafe Acoustic Friday night.

Review: Liverpool Legends at Missouri Theater

Beatles tribute incorporates history and oustanding visuals into show

Maybe I wasn't alive for Beatlemania, but I feel like I know more about the band than the typical person. I've seen the six-hour "The Beatles Anthology" DVD, I own and routinely play "The Beatles: Rock Band" and my Zune is filled with many of the Fab Four's hits and lesser-knowns. With that in mind, the Liverpool Legends tribute is as close as I or anyone under the age of 30 will ever come to seeing The Beatles live. The tribute group put on a great show Friday, Feb. 5 at the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph.

Concert review: MUTEMATH at the Beaumont Club

Electro-rock quartet earn crowd response with visual and sonic stunners

When it comes to seeing a band live, different want people want to see different things. Some people want the flawless execution of their favorite tunes they've cranked up on their iPods. Others revel in getting a unique transformation of those songs when they hit the road. All of them would like to have that "Holy Crap!" moment that has them fumbling for their digital cameras and camera phones so they can show their friends.

Concert review: Brand New and Manchester Orchestra at the Uptown Theater

It was difficult to tell who was the main headliner at last night's show at the Uptown. Sure, Brand New was the last to take the stage and got the loudest crowd response. But the group was outperformed by Atlanta's Manchester Orchestra. Either way, both bands rocked hard and gave emotional performances.

Weekend in review: June 12, 2009

A young post-hardcore group and two distinctly different brands of country were all to be found last weekend

Sound, Scene, Delivered: Video Edition

What I saw in May 2009