Music in KC

Live music hits all the right notes in KC. From the area’s deep roots in jazz to ranking as the No. 3 city for alternative music, KC delivers a mix of tunes and venues to fit every taste. 

Get into the swing by exploring the historic 18th & Vine District, home to The Blue Room and weekly jam sessions for up-and-coming jazz musicians. For more Kansas City jazz, visit the Green Lady Lounge in the Crossroads Arts District. 

Blues music is right at home in KC, too. The Phoenix, one of KC’s oldest jazz and blues clubs, features live music six days a week. Or if a casual setting is more your style, try BB’s Lawnside BBQ, which pairs authentic blues with delicious barbecue. 

Ready to rock? Head to The Bottleneck in nearby Lawrence or The Truman in the Crossroads, which both host some of the best in the rock and alternative music genres. For up-close experiences across the rock music spectrum, check out recordBar, Grinders and Knuckleheads. 

This selection of local vinyl was curated by Records with Merritt.

Top Row: The Freedom Affair, Freedom Is Love, 2020; Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood, 2024; Janelle Monáe, The Age of Pleasure, 2023; The Whiffs, Scratch 'n' Sniff, 2023.

Middle Row: Shy Boys, Talk Loud, 2020; Katy Guillen & The Drive, Another One Gained, 2022; Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, Death Wish Blues, 2023; Fritz Hutchison, Wide Wild Acres, 2020.

Bottom Row: The Get Up Kids, Live! @ the Granada Theater, 2022; The Hearers, elevators come undone, 2024; Kevin Morby, This is a Photograph, 2022; Frogpong, Time Thief, 2021.

Country music is always popular in the Heartland, with the biggest stars taking the stage at GEHA Field at Arrowhead or T-Mobile Center. For live country in a smaller setting, check out Guitars and Cadillacs in Overland Park. Or, fill your calendar with live music nearly every night at Tin Roof in the Westport entertainment district. 

On any given weekend, hip-hop, rap and R&B artists take the stage across the region, with local talent defining a distinct KC style. Explore clubs like North Kansas City’s VooDoo Lounge, larger venues like the Uptown Theater and the multiple stages at Boulevardia, one of the area’s many music festivals. 

Classical music in many forms rounds out KC’s musical mix, with the renowned Kansas City Symphony and Lyric Opera leading the way. And for an experience only America’s Heartland could deliver, make sure the Symphony in the Flint Hills — an annual celebration of music and the region’s tallgrass prairie — is on your bucket list. 

Find your next spin in Kansas City.