It’s a new year, Lawrence! Just look at us. Be proud of how far you’ve come, it wasn’t easy. We made it through another holiday season with nonstop action and busy live events to attend. This January, you’ll be able to finally go at your own pace. Luckily, the music scene has a plethora of shows to choose from (and some are just your speed). Here are the top shows to see this month, and be sure to check out the list of other shows to keep on your radar down at the bottom.
Jazz Sundays
Liberty Hall | January 4, 11, 18
There’s been some rumblings in the scene about this great event that’s happening nearly every week at Liberty Hall. The venue spent last Summer transforming their basement into a smaller speakeasy type of room. Since then, they’ve hosted a number of events down there (karaoke, standup) but the one standout is their Sunday jazz shows. These fill up and have been wowing the audiences consistently since its inception. The fact that it’s in a basement with low lighting makes it a little cooler, don’t you think?
Here's the lineup for the month:
January 4th - Hicks and Slote quartet with Jackson Graham on the vibraphone and Zak Pischnotte on saxophone.
January 11th - Ven Bergdall quartet with Tommy Johnson Jr on trumpet.
January 18th - Eric Mardis quartet featuring Tommy Johnson Jr on trumpet.
RIYL: Being in touch with one of Lawrence’s best kept secrets
Indie Rewind: A Y2K Tribute Concert
The Granada | January 10
Full disclosure, this is an I Heart Local Music event.
We’re told everything old comes around again, and that’s certainly true right now. If you walk Downtown, you’ll notice that the young and hip kids tend to hit up stores like Daisy Lee Vintage in search of that Y2K style that’s come back around. You’ll get to indulge your elder millennial fantasies at this show, with five local bands covering some of the biggest indie acts from the early 2000’s.
Mickey Mouse Slaughterhouse performing The Ting Tings
The Sluts performing The White Stripes
Hello Biplane performing Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Oxytoxin performing The Hives
The Fun Guy performing The Strokes
There will also be drag performers on hand, as well as some other fun activities.
Bring the kids! This event is all ages and FREE. Starts early at 6:00 p.m., so don’t dilly dally.
RIYL: Digging out your old American Apparel shirts and arguing which Strokes album was better
Hostage Situation
The Granada | January 16
If you’re looking to start the year by throwing down hard, this is the show for you. Hostage Situation will bring their heavy dubstep/riddim to the Granada for this concert that kicks off right before the school year starts back up at KU. Make no mistake, with a history of appearances at dance festivals, this is going to be a high energy show. They’ve earned a bit of a reputation for immersive shows for the audience. Expect tracks from their recently released album Hostile Frequencies and a new single “Burn For You.”
RIYL: Flozone, Gardella, Skrillex
Surfield / discotek mama / guyinafierydeathh
The Replay | January 16
This is a really good show to go see if you want to get a glimpse of the current state of indie rock. Surfield’s been making big waves on small stages due to their larger-in-life rock sound thanks in part to the guitar expertise of Hannah Norris, while discotek mama was named one of our top tracks of 2025. The psychedelic guyinafierydeathh opens up the show.
RIYL: College bands, indie rock, 90’s vibes
Mountain Grass Unit
The Bottleneck | January 26
Every time we see the Kaw River Roots Fest label on a show, we know it’s going to be a good one. Mountain Grass Unit is kind of a big underground name in the bluegrass world, so expect a ton of people to attend this one. They’re on a massive tour through August, and are starting out their tour here in Kansas. This is definitely a festival band, so expect festival energy.
RIYL: Fidpick, Winfield, and Kaw River Roots Fest vibes
This is the place where Nirvana & Green Day played in a small, standing-room-only shack. This is the place where Janelle Monae packed in her hometown crowd. George Clinton has funked up our streets and we “fought the power” with...
