Fewer than 200 fans ventured to the White Schoolhouse in Lawrence, Kan. to witness the area debut of Belair Lip Bombs, a peppy indie rock quartet from Australia signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records.
Those lucky souls experienced a joyous hour of bouncy, playful tunes made even more joyous by the cool spring weather that graced the makeshift outdoor stage on the Schoolhouse back porch.
It was the kind of night when the support acts joined the crowd to take in the other bands.
Fellow Aussies Dust, also making their area debut, set the stage with a moody, introspective performance that blended post-punk aggression with free jazz saxophone. Don’t worry, their sound went down easier than you’d think.
NYC band Laveda and Mellowphobia rounded out the bill.
Shout-out to the Lawrence volunteers who run the Schoolhouse and kept the downtime between sets to a minimum. Bigger praise goes to whoever decided to hand out Belair Lip Bombs lip balm.
Amazing show last night with Ratboys. They hit harder onstage than they do on album, and their latest release is one of my favorite 2026 platters. Opening act Villagerrr was more subdued and moody, but won me over by the end.
There are legends and then there is Bob Dylan. I’m delighted I got to see him kick off the latest leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour with my wife and son in a beautiful old Omaha theater. Phones got locked up, so these are my only images.
The temperature was stubbornly stuck at freezing. Snow flurries speckled the sky. But when “Hot Fun in the Summertime” came over the speakers, the filthy, frigid gas station in Cameron, Mo. became a balmy oasis.
Maybe the programmers were onto something. Sly and the Family Stone gave way to a reggae cover of “Here Comes the Sun,” which set up “Little Duece Coupe.”
After the three-song set, my duties were complete and it was time to get back on the road. But I am grateful for the brief sonic paradise of palm trees, pina coladas and a peaceful, balmy breeze.
I asked several friends to tell me their favorite Stevie Wonder love song. Everyone shared a different song. No one was wrong. Join the fun - share your favorite Stevie love song jn the comments.
A fantastic night with Nation of Language. Postponed from from the fall, they made up for it with a passionate 85-minute set that leaned heavily on last year’s wonderful Dance Called Memory. Opening act Packaging made their KC debut with a sonically dense set. The live mix did them no favors at first, but once the sound evened out, I enjoyed their style, which danced between dreampop, shoegaze and industrial with a heavy dollop of motorik rhythms.
