Friday, April 1st
Bill Cosby at the Midland in KC
Bill Cosby’s standup routine is definitely not dirty, not a curse word to be found. But it is funny. One of the Great American Storytellers, Cosby has perfected his craft of delivering conversational tales of family, children, and the seemingly mundane details of life. Yes, he is a master. I mean, who else could kill with a bit about ice cream? Or about visiting the dentist? Or driving his kids to school?
If you appreciate comedy and have never seen Bill Cosby in person, don’t wait, now’s your chance. Though the show is sold out there are tickets available at several online broker sites. His recent shows have been receiving consistently good reviews, and at 73, who knows how much longer the Cos will keep touring? Free pudding pops to the first thousand through the door!
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel at the Bottleneck in Lawrence
Rateliff is a Denver based singer-songwriter who was named as one of the best new solo acts of 2010 by Paste Magazine. In the last year or so, Rateliff has toured with Mumford & Sons, Delta Spirit, and released a critically acclaimed debut album, “Memory of Loss.” His soulful voice carries the show, but his songs are good too – sparse, mellow, and introspective.
Saturday, April 2nd
Bright Eyes at the Uptown Theater in KC
This Omaha band is the brainchild of lead singer/ songwriter Conor Oberst. Oberst has received high praise for his lyrical ability, and a couple years ago I think Rolling Stone even called him “the next Bob Dylan,” whatever that means. Bright Eyes recently released “The People’s Key,” their first album since 2007, which is a bit of a shift away from the over-the-top conceptual folk of previous efforts.
This album is a bit more straight forward pop, with a garage band edge instead of some of the folksy and eclectic trappings that Bright Eyes is so well known for. Oberst has intimated that “The People’s Key” will be the last album for the band, but fear not! Oberst has plenty of other projects to keep him busy. Between running Saddle Creek Records and making up one fourth of the super-group, “Monsters of Folk,” Oberst’s warbley vocals and unrepentant sentimentality will certainly find a way to your ears.
