Sounds Good: Sara Jaffe@Replay, Tea Leaf Green@Bottleneck, Ozark Mountain Daredevils@Crossroads KC

Not only are there some cool shows, there’s some other events that look interesting, too.
 
One of them combines two of my favorite things: soccer and beer.  Yep, Sporting KC is sponsoring the Summer Beer Festival, which features more than 20 breweries.  The event will take place from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday at Pennsylvania Avenue, between McCoy’s and Kelly’s in Westport. The event benefits AIDS Walk Kansas City.
 
And ladies, I have a feeling that Chance Myers will be there based on his tweet the other day:
 
“Looking forward to #beerfest this weekend. #raaaaa #SKC”
 
Follow him @CR_Myers, show up to the beerfest, and he’ll let you touch his hair.  On to the picks….

 
Friday, June 8th
 
Sara Jaffe @ the Replay patio in Lawrence
 
This is a 6 pm show on the famous Replay patio.  If you haven’t caught a matinee show there you’re missing out because it’s a mellow way to kick off your Friday evening.  And Denton, Texas singer-songwriter Sara Jaffe should provide the mood ala Norah Jones kinda.  She’s been getting major props from outlets large and hipster, like USA Today and Paste.  I know, weird right?
 
Plus it’s only like two or three bucks.  Do it!   
 
Tea Leaf Green @ the Bottleneck in Lawrence
 
Want to get your face melted off?  I thought so.  Tea Leaf Green can help you with that.  I first discovered this San Francisco jam band at Wakarusa about 5 years ago (remember, when it was in Lawrence before Kansas got real dumb?).  I was stumbling back to my tent and came upon the campground stage, which was getting torched by some guy named Matisyahu.  After his awesome set, I stuck around and, you guessed it, got my face melted off by the unique twist on jam-funk that Tea Leaf spews.  Their guitar player is a real badass and this band is nothing if not totally pro.
 
Saturday, June 9th
 
Big Smith and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils @ Crossroads KC
 
Big Smith, out of Springfield, MO, is calling it quits after this final show at the Crossroads.  So you know they’re going to pull out all the country and bluegrass stops, which I imagine will include a whiskey drinking contest and a squirrel race.  Their hillbilly style gives listeners a peek inside life in the holler, though their talent eclipses anything you would find on a front porch anywhere.
 
Also on the bill and going on around 9:00 is the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, a band that’s been around, well, forever basically.  Though they haven’t released a studio album since 1997, they do put out quite a few live recordings to keep their fans satisfied.  And really, that’s probably the best way to experience the Daredevils.
 
I mean, they keep it simple, creating country-rock classics with an ethos that puts the music first, even though they have had some major hits along the way.
 
 “To hell with a bunch of gold records on the wall,” says Supe Du jour, founding member and bass player.  “The greatest thrill of my life was when I delivered my own children. I realize it was a pretty primitive thing to do, but at the time, that’s where my heart and soul resided. Then, after they were born, I built all their furniture.”