Concert Review: Queens of the Stone Age, Viagra Boys and Jehnny Beth at Starlight Theatre

Original image of Queens of the Stone Age by There Stands the Glass.

Ushers and security personnel had a rough night at Starlight Theatre on Wednesday, September 20. About thirty minutes into Queens of the Stone Age’s headlining set, frontman Josh Homme encouraged the approximately 5,000 members of the audience to crowd toward the stage.

Homme’s insistence that Starlight’s employees were “working for me” didn’t go well. Scofflaws aren’t welcome at the regimented outdoor venue. I monitored testy skirmishes between belligerent fans and determined staff from my vantage point in a (comped) seat up front for the next 45 minutes. 

I eventually retreated to uncontested territory as Queens of the Stone Age revamped the riff-based, swing-inflected classic rock of Cream amid the chaos. Groovy!

I hadn’t understood the appeal of Viagra Boys. Now that I’ve taken in the band’s cheeky visual component, I finally get it. The concert began with Jehnny Beth’s tormented take on industrial rock. My skepticism of the very concept of Big Rock in 2023 was- for the moment, anyway- vanquished.

Concert Review: Culture Club, Howard Jones and Berlin at Starlight Theatre

Original image of Culture Club by There Stands the Glass.

I can’t resist a bargain. Two hours before showtime, I bought a $20 ticket ($27.15 after junk fees) to hear a trio of one-time MTV staples at Starlight Theatre on Tuesday, August 8. Approximately 6,000 people attended the nostalgic concert.

Berlin won the night. The group has largely abandoned the dated synth-pop production of its hits for a sturdier rock orientation. A cover of the Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” and a giddy reading of “Sex (I’m a)”- a song I hadn’t heard in 40 years- were especially pleasing. 

The music of Howard Jones invariably reminds me of the slogan of a Christian radio network: “positive, encouraging.” He’s perfected an enlightened form of disposable pop. The presence of sideman Nick Beggs necessitated a fun interpretation of the 1983 Kajagoogoo hit “Too Shy.”

Having always been indifferent to the group, I hadn’t previously caught Culture Club live. A lilting take on Ken Boothe’s version of “Everything I Own” allowed me to finally make sense of the band’s winning formula. 

Culture Club is simply a lite-reggae outfit with a charismatic vocalist. Having ascertained the veracity of the minor revelation, I left the iconic venue 50 minutes into the headliner’s performance feeling I’d received more than my money’s worth.

Kansas City's Ten Best Music Venues

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Uninformed trash talk in the comment section of a radio station’s social media post about a local music venue irritated me last week.  While I’m not free of bias, my longtime patronage of performances ranging from rap to opera makes me uniquely qualified to assess Kansas City’s live music landscape.  Additional commendable spaces would obviously be included on an expanded list.  The primary genres associated with each establishment are in parentheses.

1. Knuckleheads

Improbably transforming from a motorcycle repair shop into a sprawling music complex with four stages, Knuckleheads is the authentic roadhouse the House of Blues franchise pretends to be.  (Blues, country, oldies.)

2. Green Lady Lounge

Kansas City’s most popular presenter of jazz features more than 70 hours of live music every week.  The adjacent Black Dolphin and Orion Room supplement the primary stage.  (Jazz.)

3. The Ship

The bohemian West Bottom establishment renowned for good vibes just added a larger stage to an upscale annex.  (Soul, country, jazz.)

4. Starlight Theatre

Kansas City doesn’t possess the natural splendor of cities like Denver and San Francisco, but the expansive al fresco amphitheater in Swope Park is very pretty.  (Musicals and popular touring acts.)

5. recordBar

Every big city has a go-to rock club.  An excellent sound system and loyal staff help make the downtown venue Kansas City’s top intimate room for touring bands and local rock-and-rollers.  (Rock, hip-hop, pop.)

6. The Folly Theater

The absence of a Kansas City landmark on this list isn’t an oversight.  Cowtown’s arts scene has its own version of the fable about the unclothed emperor.  The Folly Theater has substantially better acoustics than the two halls of the more prestigious performing arts center.  (Classical, jazz, oldies.)

7. Westport Coffee House

The theater below the coffee shop is Kansas City’s finest listening room.  There’s no need to go hungry or thirsty as music is played.  Burgers and drinks are available in the adjacent tavern.  (Jazz, poetry comedy.)

8. The Blue Room

On its best nights, the venue operated by the American Jazz Museum offers the sounds and ambience that travelers from Europe and Asia hope to experience while visiting Kansas City.  (Jazz, soul, blues.)

9. BB's Lawnside Blues & BBQ

The authentic Kansas City- not the splashy metropolis depicted by tourism bureaus- is exemplified by the earthy roadhouse serving up savory barbecue and beer-soaked blues.  (Blues.)

10. The Black Box

The flexible indoor/outdoor space in the West Bottoms is a relative newcomer to Kansas City’s live music scene.  (Rock, hip-hop, jazz.)