The Music Man: The Buzz outdoes itself with two Halloween concert lineups
September 14, 2015
This past summer has been filled with 96.5 The Buzz-curated concerts. The alternative radio station kept itself busy, putting together lineups for four nights of the “Buzz Under The Stars” summer concert series, three days of main stage performances at Boulevardia and, of course, two stages at the annual one-day Buzz Beach Ball festival. These shows brought Matt and Kim, The Mowgli’s, J. Roddy Walston and the Business, The Offspring, Taking Back Sunday, alt-J, Walk The Moon and Sublime With Rome, to name a few, to Kansas City.
After seeing the last tweet about Sublime With Rome’s performance at “Buzz Under The Stars Night Four,” I immediately began to dream about what bands The Buzz would bring to Kansas City in October for the annual “Halloweenie Roast” and “Afentra’s No Costume Party.” Last year, Courtney Barnett headlined “No Costume Party,” mere months before releasing her amazing debut album. For the first time ever, the station split “Halloweenie Roast” into two nights — one headlined by Broken Bells, with additional performances by Phantogram, St. Lucia and Wild Cub, and the other headlined by alt-J. When you add last year’s stellar Halloween lineups to this year’s precedent of fantastic Buzz concerts, those some big shoes to fill.
And, of course, The Buzz delivered, curating two very different lineups for “Afentra’s No Costume Party” and “Halloweenie Roast.” Both shows promise to impress as much as this summer’s Buzz shows have.
This year’s “No Costume Party” brings two bands with great relationships with Kansas City and The Buzz — concept rock veterans Coheed and Cambria and alternative-electronic duo MS MR. The two bands will play a free 18+ show at KC Live! in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, Oct. 16. They’ll be supplemented by opening sets from electronic artist Jack Garratt and progressive rock septet Thank You Scientist (a band that, oddly enough, sounds like Coheed and Cambria).
This show’s headlining combination will be what sets it apart from others. MS MR comes back to Kansas City mere months after an amazing performance at night one of Boulevardia. Without contest, the duo had the most impressive set that night at Boulevardia, and will surely bring that same energy to “Afentra’s No Costume Party.” Coheed and Cambria, on the other hand, have a very strong fanbase, but haven’t been to Kansas City since their set at Buzz Beach Ball in 2013. The band will be sure to give a dedicated crowd something they haven’t heard before with tracks off their eighth and first non-concept album, “The Color Before The Sun.”
“Halloweenie Roast” is taking a bit of a different approach, repurposing Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and New Politics’ double-headlining “Wilderness Politics” tour, with openers The Griswolds and Lolo, into a Buzz show. The four artists come to the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, Oct. 30. Presale tickets for the all-ages show sold to Buzz Freeloaders for $9.65 before fees (and I’m forever grateful to senior Adri Talavera for buying me one), and regular tickets are now on sale for $26.50 before fees.
The show sets itself up to be a pop punk fan’s paradise — Andrew McMahon has fronted two successful pop punk bands, New Politics are a quintessential new(er) pop punk band, The Griswolds boast some pop punk influences and Lolo has vocal credits with pop punk giants Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy. The openers are an odd combination that somehow works. Lolo is an alternative pop vocalist who has never performed in Kansas City before. Conversely, alternative rockers The Griswolds come back to the Kansas City area for their third show of the year, after well-received performances opening for Walk The Moon at The Granada and headlining a show at The Tank Room.
The headliners are a bit more cohesive, and will likely be the night’s true spectacles. New Politics haven’t been to Kansas City since playing Mix 93.3’s “Red White & Boom” in 2014, but promise to bring tons of energy between the band’s upbeat, danceable melodies and lead vocalist David Boyd’s signature breakdancing. Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness comes back to headline this show after opening the main stage at this year’s Buzz Beach Ball. Playing in a less abbreviated format will greatly benefit McMahon, allowing him to perform past punk hits from his days of fronting Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, along with newer alternative pop songs from his debut solo album, “Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness.”
Both shows carry on this year’s tradition of exciting and quality concerts from The Buzz. I can’t wait to go to “Halloweenie Roast,” and wish I were 18 so I could attend “Afentra’s No Costume Party.” Buy your tickets for Halloweenie Roast now, and plan on getting to “Afentra’s No Costume Party” early, as I wouldn’t be surprised if both shows sell out with lineups like these.
Senior Justin Curto is an avid music lover whose tastes range from alternative rock to dance pop. He enjoys supporting the Kansas City music scene by listening longer to 96.5 The Buzz, rocking out to local music and seeing artists live at his favorite venues in the area.
Correction: An earlier version of this post included incorrect information. The last concert New Politics played in Kansas City was “Red White & Boom,” not “Afentra’s VD Party,” in 2014.
