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Concert Review: The Decemberists at the Uptown Theater

Prog rock opus, fan favorites and confessions of a camel

I walked in to The Decemberists concert at the Uptown Theater Wednesday night as a reporter and a somewhat objective critic. In the name of full disclosure, I am a pretty big fan of the Portland-based literary folk rockers. But by the time it was over, I ended up being a camel for approximately three minutes. I'll explain later.

Concert review: Blake Shelton and Joey + Rory at the Civic Arena

A mostly good mix of solid tunes from two country music extremes

As popular music, country has grown to resemble a giant umbrella that encompasses a variety of genres, personas and personalities. And the two artists that came to St. Joseph Thursday night couldn't be on more opposite sides.

Weekend recap: Flee the Seen's final show at the Uptown Theater

Kansas City's post-hardcore all-stars Flee the Seen had talent and drive that left them destined for greater things. Unfortunately, when it comes to destiny, reality can get in the way.

Weekend recap: Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington at Civic Arena

Two fun-loving country acts help Joetown cut loose

Judging by the appearance of at least half of the 1,700 country fans that showed up for Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington performance Friday night, it appeared that St. Joe was in a T.G.I.F. mindset, ready to kick back and cut loose to a few tunes they knew by heart. For those fans, the two headliners happily obliged in each of their loose, playful sets.

Weekend recap: Madahoochi at Hammerjacks. Jean Claude Van Halen at The Vous

Two performances on opposite ends of the spectrum for St. Joe's craziest party weekend

As I walked into Hammerjacks on Friday night during Madahoochi's first set break, I had to wonder what the band was thinking. The St. Louis jam quartet, primarily known for playing the funk/blues/jazz/rock amalgam that jam band fans adore, was drinking as death metal played over the jukebox and the male bartender entertained patrons by blowing flames. I would bet that this isn't their ideal venue, but the skilled musicians won most of the crowd over with an excellent choice of covers and some bouncy originals

Weekend recap: Aliaz at The Vous

St. Joe's lone hip-hop ambassador delivers energetic show

Some people can't see that St. Joe has an original hip-hop music scene, but that's because there's really only one guy carrying the torch. Lucky for us, Brandon Smith a.k.a. Hollywood Aliaz proved during a solo show at The Rendezvous Friday night that he carries it well.

Concert review: Slipknot at the Sprint Center with Coheed & Cambria and Trivium

Shoving was mandatory, bodysurfing was recommended, and the smell of a certain illegal substance was in the air. One thing is for sure: The Sprint Center had yet to see a show as insane as Slipknot's.

Live Review: Smashing Pumpkins at Midland Theater

The Billy Corgan Show delivers banter, obscure tracks and loose performance on second night in KC

For the fans of '90s alt-rock icons Smashing Pumpkins who decided they would take a beer or bathroom break any time they heard an obscure song, they probably missed a majority of the two-and-a-half hour plus performance by the band at the Midland Theater Tuesday night, their second of two straight performances in Kansas City. At times, they may have been better off for it. But most of the night, they got a taste of lesser-known tracks mixed with a few Pumpkins hits that let people know why the band is alive, kicking and relevent.

Live review: Metallica at Sprint Center

Thrash metal titans deliver powerhouse performance

A common theme in Metallica's latest album "Death Magnetic" is the inevitable demise we all face, living life with death hanging overhead. And a symbol of death was literally hanging overhead during Metallica's performance at the Sprint Center in Kansas City Saturday night, where nearly 14,000 people witnessed an old-school metal show where the rock icons performed the genre with maximum toughness and precision.

The Foo Fighters at Kemper Arena

Dave Grohl and Co. fill arena with brawny rock and tireless energy

It's crazy to imagine that 14 years ago, Dave Grohl, drummer for '90s grunge icons Nirvana, decided to carry on, pick up a guitar and start writing his own alt-rock tunes in the Foo Fighters. It's even crazier to imagine that Grohl's exercise in working out his Nirvana tendencies would turn into Grammy-winning modern rock staples while maintaining unwavering credibility that has gotten them asked to do tribute performances for The Who and sharing the stage with Led Zeppelin's own Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Wembley Stadium. The Foo's stopped in KC to perform at Kemper Arena July 19 and brought a big 120-minute plus rock show to a crowd hungry to be pummeled by the group's buff riffs and relentless energy.

Concert Review: The Police at the Sprint Center May 13

A reunion tour always makes you ask an uncomfortable question: "How did I get so old?" Looking around at my fellow Gen-Xers, and often equal numbers of Boomers, I wonder, am I, and what I'm about to see, tragically unhip? But if a band is still at the top of its game, when the lights go out, the doubts dissipate and you're transported back in time. Last night, The Police took me, and he rest of the crowd at the Sprint Center, back to 1983.

Concert Review: Radiohead in St. Louis May 14

I thought I knew what to expect out of Radiohead on Wednesday night. After all, I had seen the band play the same venue in 2003. Message boards let me know what to expect from the setlist. And every self-respecting music blog around had praised the epic light show. But no review prepared me for 50-foot rope ladders, extra songs, or a suspiciously large pair of women's undergarments.

Dierks Bentley and Bucky Covington at Bearcat Stadium

Young, charistmatic country stars excite Maryville crowd with solid performances

On the football field of Bearcat Stadium in Maryville, under overcast skies, a group of young gun country artists didn't have to suit up in pads to be cheered on like the home team.

Rick Ross and Yung Joc at Civic Arena

The big-time rappers only produce small crowd, lacking show

It seemed like something that could potentially be a big deal for St. Joseph. Miami-based MC Rick Ross and Atlanta rapper Yung Joc both have platinum-selling albums under their belts (or around their neck). Both have smash singles, Yung Joc's southern snapper "It's Goin' Down" and Ross's yayo-anthem "Hustlin.'" They were both sharing the stage in at the Civic Arena in St. Joe, a city whose hip hop scene in need of a boost. But as big as these MCs are (or were), they brought out a dismally small crowd and with a show that left something to be desired.

Matchbox Twenty and Alanis Morissette at the Sprint Center

Two late-nineties artists entered, but only one really won the crowd

If there was a nostalgia show on VH1 called "I Love the Late '90s," there is no doubt the two artists co-headlining the show at the Sprint Center on Monday night would get a few minutes each devoted to them.