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Kansas Live Music July 4 Weekend
I almost skipped the Weekend Roundup entirely this holiday weekend.
Seriously.
Kansas Live Music: A huge chunk of my gig listings comes from the www.NEKS.show calendar put together by the legendary Josh Brewer. Yesterday, I posted a full-blown Facebook rant because, honestly, it’s exhausting trying to build this calendar every single week when the people who stand to benefit the most—the bands and the venues—often seem allergic to promoting their own shows.
I know everybody’s busy. I know social media is a mess. But if I have to play detective to figure out when and where you’re performing, chances are a lot of potential fans aren’t going to find you either.
So… once again, I dug through the scattered Facebook events, flyers, comments, and random posts to piece together what I could find.
Here are my picks for this weekend’s live music. As always, I try to shine a little extra light on the younger bands, newer venues, and under-the-radar artists who are out there busting their asses and deserve a bigger audience.
Now go support some local music. The bands can’t survive on “I meant to come out.”
Kansas Live Music July 4 Weekend
Friday, 3 - July 5th. July 4th Weekend.
Kansas Live Music July 4 Weekend
July 4th weekend is already here! And with it is deadly sweltering heat and drunk driving traffic and celebrations where Americans clog their arteries with mayonaise and red meat and trying to blow their fingers or limbs off, or drown in the nearest body of water. Americans will spend about $2.7 BILLION dollars on fireworks (Averages out to $44 dollars per person) they will spend almost $10 Billion on food and $4 Billion on beer and wine. And with all this going on, thats pretty stiff competition for live music, unless you are going to a big community festival that includes live music. I learned ong ago not to book shows on holidays like the 4th of July. Unless youve got something really big, with a LOT of widespread interest, dont bother booking anything, everyone is blowing their disposable income on fireworks booze and emergency room visits. BUT there are a few brave souls that are gambling on the idea that their audiences arnt interested in all of that Yankee Doodle Dandy and would rather listen to angry punkrock bands scream about the government. God Bless them!
So here are my 4th of July Weekend picks.....and the rest of the calendar for July 4th.
Kansas Live Music July 4 Weekend:
Featured Picks
The Flamin' Ghoulies, ARC FLASH, HEAT SEGER
Oh look, their show flyer didnt show up, why? Because it was some obnoxious eye-splitting flashing gif and didnt have an image link on instagram.....sorry guys, live and learn! Now will someone give me one good reason why they use instagram for this sort of thing? Im sorry but the answer "Because facebook is full of old people" just doesnt fly. You will have to compare notes with red Kate and some of those other brand news bands about how this "Promoting" thing works. And you might take a notice that many of these venues you play at dont spend more than 2 minutes promoting your show. I gotta be honest, half the reason I picked this show for my featured pick was because they (or someone) bothered to make a facebook event invite. (See how that works bands?) And Look! One of them made a flyer, but luckily they didnt let that be their ONLY bit of promo for their show! Otherwise I would have missed this completely. I had to go look at their instagram page, which is pathetically devoid of any information about the bands. Remind me again why the fuck anyone uses instagram? FRIDAY NIGHT SHOW W/ HEAT SEGER (mem of The Whiffs) https://www.instagram.com/heatsegerband/ ARC FLASH https://www.instagram.com/arcflashlfk/ THE FLAMIN' GHOULIES https://www.instagram.com/theflaminghoulies/ $3 Cover / 21+ / 10PM
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I thought there was a band at Sk8bar on the 4th of July? Is there? Is there not? Hard to tell....but I thought I saw something about it....
Oh there it is! I had to search through all of the tons of other stuff going on on the 4th of July to find it: Nature Boys Red Kate The Bad Ideas The Phantom A.D. Braggers Saturday, July 4, 2026 - 7 pm Since they are obviously very new to all of this, I'll give them a break and whatever little push I can with this weekend calendar. I'll even go easy with the sarcasm and bitter scolding because these bands have obviously not played a lot of shows. You know how I can tell? Because the ONLY evidence (Thats I had to SEARCH for) that there is a show this weekend is the one flyer I found. (Pictured above) I went and searched for The Nature Boys and found their facebook page. It hasnt been updated since March. so theres no mention of this show or a link to a facebook event. I searched for that too, and cant find one. Is this some new marketing ploy that the new young bands are doing now? Not making facebook event invites for their show? Thats a bold but curious gambit, I dont see it working out very well for them. But here I am, trying to help out the obviously NEW and INEXPERIENCED bands promote what seems to be their first gig by all the noob moves....or lack of moves. I searched for the Bad Ideas and found their Facebook page. And they have a different flyer for this show than Red Kate had. But no links to any facebook event page. No real information. Oh well, they are young and just getting started, so I dont really expect them to know how to do these things, or why they should promote their shows. I mean, its a challenge to do a show on a holiday like the 4th of July in the first place, I dont know what sort of clever marketing move this is to not really bother advertising at least by getting those flyer out and in peoples faces....I am seriously low hanging fruit here, This shot should be in my feed daily. Phantom AD and braggers? Am I really going to spend much more time on digging for the information about these young kids bands first show? Success and wisdom are always on the prowl, but so far these spry new bands have outrun them. Good luck kids! I hope your show does well. I've given you all the help I really can from here, but maybe you can pick up a few tips from this for your future shows.
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Two venues! Four stages! 16 local acts! 🎉 This Sunday, July 5th (Algerian Independence Day! 🇩🇿) is the Rock The Vote 2026 voter registration concert!
Well ill be goddamned! Someone actually made a facebook event invite for this event! And just look at all of the information I found! I onder if this trend will catch on? Two venues! Four stages! 16 local acts! 🎉 This Sunday, July 5th (Algerian Independence Day! 🇩🇿) is the Rock The Vote 2026 voter registration concert! 🗳️ Featuring: Captain Kansas, East of Abilene, The Frightened Stag, Futchdog, Hyperspherian, MAW, Mire Pral, Party Helmet, The Scriveners, The Shebangs, Slaughtermouse, 95 Sweetbird, Tick Check, Third Kansas Cavalry Unit, TUN, and Wayne Gottstine! Plus, League of Women Voters of Lawrence/Douglas County and Women For Kansas will be on hand to help check you are registered to vote, and provide resources about upcoming ballot initiatives ahead of the Primary Election on August 4th. ✔️ Big thanks to our sponsors for making this free, all ages event possible! 👏🏼 Love Garden Sounds, Mass St. Fish House & Raw Bar, Mass Street Music, Cottin's Hardware & Rental, Tom Harper, and 1313 Mockingbird Lane 📆 Sunday, July 5th ⏰Doors 1pm // Show 2-6pm 🎟️ All Ages // Free 📍The Granada Theater and Lucia 2026 is a crucial time for civic engagement, make sure you are ready to make your voice heard and register to vote before July 14th! 🇺🇸 RSVP: Rock The Vote 2026 in Downtown Lawrence
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Two venues! Four stages! 16 local acts! 🎉 This Sunday, July 5th (Algerian Independence Day! 🇩🇿) is the Rock The Vote 2026 voter registration concert!
Rock The Vote 2026 Sunday, July 5th With: Captain Kansas, East of Abilene, The Frightened Stag, Futchdog, Hyperspherian, MAW, Mire Pral, Party Helmet, The Scriveners, The Shebangs, Slaughtermouse, 95 Sweetbird, Tick Check, Third Kansas Cavalry Unit, TUN, and Wayne Gottstine Two stages at The Granada! Two stages at Lucia! Doors 1pm // Show 2pm Free // All Ages Thank you to our sponsors: The Granada, Lucia, Love Garden Sounds, Mass St Fish House & Raw Bar, Mass Street Music, Cottin's Hardware & Rental, Tom Harper, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, League of Women Voters, and Women for Kansas.
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Friday Night
Arthur Dodge & the Horsefeathers // Rich Mattson and the Northstars // The Hobbled ~ 6pm Early Show
Fri, Oct 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM CDT
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ROCK THE VOTE, The Sounds of Many, The Scriveners, The Braggers, Kian Byrne
Fri, Oct 02, 2026 at 6:00 PM CDT
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Quintron & Miss Pussycat w/ Solid Goldberg and Nature Boys
Fri, Oct 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT
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Bob Log III, Freight Train Rabbit Killer, White Line Nightmares
Fri, Oct 02, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT
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THE ROSELINE RECORD RELEASE W/ THE CREEPY JINGLES / TURE LIONS
Fri, Oct 2, 2026 at 9:00 PM CST
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Thursday Night
Free Concert Series: Miguel Antonio on Thursday, OCT 1 from 5-8PM in Shawnee
Thu, Oct 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM CDT
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Thanks Dolly: For all the Love and Music Featuring The Girls Next Door doing the music of Dolly
Thu, Oct 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM CDT
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Nirvana Hope with Snake Church // The Basement Melons // Speak Easy
Thu, Oct 1, 2026 at 10:00 PM CDT
View EventSaturday
THE ROSELINE *ALBUM RELEASE SHOW* w/ Gracie Hughes & Her Band
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM CDT
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Central Standard Bluegrass Band and Tap Takeover at Lucia
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT
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Madman, Razordaisies, Mitzi McKee and the Precious Cargo
Sat, Oct 03, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT
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SIDE OF A BULLET Nickelback tribute with ONE LAST BREATH Creed tribute at Aztec Shawnee Theater
Sat, Oct 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM CDT
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Sunday
The Steppers // The Big Sky // Super Tremolo Brothers ~ 6pm Early Show
Sun, Oct 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM CDT
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Kansas Live Music July 4 Weekend
NAPPY’S PLACE
Vintage Weirdness • Guitars • Thrift • Local Chaos
BUY / SELL / TRADE
📍 3310 SW 6th Street • Topeka, KS 66604
Come for the guitars. Stay for the weird.
Kansas Live Music, July 4th Weekend
Kansas Live Music, July 4th Weekend
Kansas Live Music
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Kansas Live Music – July 4th edition
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