Sounds Good: My Morning Jacket & Delta Spirit@Uptown; Eminem, Muse, Ween @Kanrocksas

This week is looking like one of the best of the summer if you’re a live music fan in KC.

There is literally something for everyone, as long as you don’t mind getting a little hot and sweaty.

You don’t mind, do you KC?

I mean, at this point hasn’t your right elbow developed a callus from being burned so often on your center console?

Wednesday, August 3rd

My Morning Jacket & Delta Spirit at the Uptown in KC

Is My Morning Jacket my favorite band right now?  Probably.  (Richmond Fontaine is a close second).  So I won’t bring my critical bias into this.  I’ll let you see what some other music writers have recently said about MMJ and their newest album, "Circuital."

Rolling Stone‘s Jon Dolan gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, and writes, "Over the past decade, the Kentucky quintet has been on an ambitious, boundary-melting mission."

Spin‘s David Menconi gave the album a rating of 8 out of 10, and writes, "Circuital resets the band’s compass… Indeed, the reference point here is fairly unexpected and audacious: the Who, transposed to a far-off galaxy where James passes frigid nights weaving hazy dreams."

And Pitchfork‘s Amanda Petrusich rated the album at a 7.2, and writes, "Like nearly all of their studio albums, Circuital may not reach the heights of the band’s live show– a good MMJ concert can recalibrate your gut, it can change you– but it’s a remarkably solid step for a band that’s never stopped evolving."

Enough said. 

Now to openers Delta Spirit.  Seriously, if you go to the show, go early and make sure to catch these guys.  They’ve been generating a ton of buzz lately with their blend of soulful folk and Americana, and lead singer Matt Vasquez’s memorable vocals seal the deal.

Friday, August 5th

Kanrocksas featuring Eminem, Ween, The Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi, Primus, Arctic Monkeys & more at the Kansas Speedway

The weather is supposed to break a little bit, at least according to Border Patrol monkey boy Gary Lezak.  How cool would 90 degrees feel right about now?  Get out your turtlenecks.

The music starts around 2:00 pm and goes until they kick Motown rapper Eminem off the stage somewhere around 1:00 am, I’m guessing. 

Will this brand new festival be a hot or a bust?  To be honest, I’m not really sure.  I’ve heard a lot of mixed reports regarding ticket sales and so forth, so I guess we’ll see.  Check back to get the lowdown.  And I’m taking new-ish KCC photog Katie Grogan out into the blistering heat with me, so we should have some killer pics to share as well.

Saturday, August 6th

Kanrocksas featuring Muse, STS9, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, A Perfect Circle, Tinie Tempah & more at the Kansas Speedway

Day two of this weird named festy features the band I’m most excited to see, Muse.  Word is they stole the show this past weekend at a huge gig in the LA Coliseum alongside Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, Lauryn Hill, and others. 

No small feat, especially in LA where Rage are considered gods.  So I’m expecting Muse to tear the roof… er, the… Okay, I’m expecting them to rage against my skull, how about that?  And I hear they have a killer light show, too. 

Throw in some interesting acts that I’ve never had the chance to see before like Girl Talk and the Black Keys, plus a quick jaunt over to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park to catch a match against the Seattle Sounders at 7:30 pm, and we’ve got a nice little Saturday there, don’t you think?