Friends, the Lawrence music scene is an absolute thrill to experience on a weekly basis. It really feels like there’s something for everyone here, with all genres of music making consistent appearances in our venues. COVID threw everyone in the region a few curveballs, thanks to regular spikes at the top of the year and in the Summer. But it isn’t hard to find where the magic happened. Here is, in our professional opinion, the top ten most badass things we saw in local acts in 2022.
Editor’s note: There were a lot of very good shows this year, but we’re only covering the ones that thrilled and bewildered us, earning a spot on the badass list. So… take it with a grain of salt.
10. Captain Howdy and the Sunset Serenaders
When they played as part of a stacked local lineup at The Bottleneck in August, you could immediately feel the energy in the room change. The crowd was over the top and filled with that young energy we’ve been missing from shows in Lawrence over the course of the pandemic. Every musician in that band is outrageous. They can effortlessly play their guitar parts while flailing around with the confidence and recklessness that only a college student can get away with. By the end of the set, they were dogpiling each other. It was an absolute delight to watch a band embody the very nature of youthfulness.
9. Everyone who fought for reproductive rights
8. Cuee recording a video right after top surgery
Cuee never ceases to amaze us because every time we say “that’s it, no more Cuee stories, we’ve covered him too much,” he goes and does something like this.
The Lawrence rapper has always been an open book when it comes to his identity, struggles, and triumphs as a trans man. In return, Lawrence has thrown plenty of love his way, so it’s no wonder that every little accomplishment feels like a reason to celebrate.
Early this Summer, Cuee went straight from the stage at Lawrence PRIDE to the operating table where he finally fulfilled one of his biggest goals in his journey: top surgery. Two weeks post-op, he decided to celebrate with a music video showing celebrating this final major step in his journey. He hit the streets of Lawrence for “Man Now,” where he celebrates the body he was always meant to show off. You’ll see some familiar landmarks, including The Bottleneck and even the banners that showcase his image as part of the local eXplore Lawrence tourism campaign. But most importantly, you see his surgery scars, proudly out on display. On a local level, Cuee has used his music as a vehicle to pave roads for trans visibility. We’re just going to have to get used to the feeling that we’ll never know what’s coming next from this unpredictable fella.
7. LYXE
The trio– comprised of frontman Ryan Wise (of The Sluts fame), bassist AJ Knudson, and drummer Jimmy Girod– have been flooding the scene with new-wave inspired melodies and a bit of a garage rock fetish. This has given a COVID-weary crowd the permission and freedom to loosen up at their shows and dive in head first to unapologetic feel-good vibes that tend to explode from their show. Lawrence loves this band and it shows (did you see the local burlesque performer who performed to one of their songs?). Thanks to the current generation’s 90’s fetish, the trio could soon find themselves as one of the powerhouses of the local indie scene.
6. Serene Fiend’s release show
Local doe-eyed goth Joel Bonner, the man behind Serene Fiend, is one of those musicians who put just as much effort into the live show as they do their music. For Serene Fiend, these things go hand-in-hand. These aren’t so much concerts as they are experiences, and he left it all on the floor in late August.
Bonner convinced the Replay to let him hold his dark and brooding live show outside, filling the dance floor with strobes, fog, and crunchy synths. It really walloped the crowd, and they responded with heavy dancing and thrashing about. We salute you, Serene Fiend. How you convinced the Replay to trade in their insanely popular dance floor for this show, we’ll never know.
5. Belle and the Vertigo Waves
What a thrilling set! This is everything you want in a rock band– they had energy! Charisma! And a great rapport with the crowd. This was the type of rock outfit where they made instant fans out of newcomers. They sounded like they belonged smack dab in the middle of the “Scott Pilgrim” soundtrack. The vocalist alone is a wild experience, and the guitarists had the chops to back them up. We can’t recommend them enough. You should run, not walk, to the next Belle & The Vertigo Waves set.
4. The absolute gayness of the ABBA show
In April, the Bottleneck briefly transformed from your regular old rock-and-roll venue to a volcano of squeals, cheers, dancing, glitter, and sing-alongs thanks to a mutual love of Sweden’s greatest musical export, ABBA.
The crowd (comprised of Fernandos, Chiquititas, and everyone in between) danced so hard to the covers, but it wasn’t until the drag queens did their numbers that we were worried the floor might cave in. When we tell you the sing-a-longs were tremendous! And the fashion! We saw so many sequins, you would have though a disco ball exploded in there. Velour, flower-power-prints, and sparkles dotted everyone in the audience.
We give this show a rating of five out of five Dancing Queens.
3. Jackoffs
They end every set just wrecking their gear, slamming it into the ground (and slamming their bodies into the ground), pounding guitars on the ceiling, and flailing off into oblivion. Jackoffs are Lawrence’s newest can’t-miss band.
2. Manor Fest’s new talent
What we got in return was a glimpse into what can happens when unruly bands get organized under the same umbrella. A wide array of bands took the stages at the Gaslight, The Bottleneck, Taproom, and the Replay. But it was Dunes Day’s set that stood out the most to us. They’re energetic, fresh, very good at what they do, and woke that audience the hell up. Sets like the ones from Dunes Day and Pale Tongue signaled a grand exodus of dream pop (oh thank God, we are so sick of dream pop) and a welcoming of something more physical.
1. The Salvation Choir
It’s hard to compete with a basketball win, especially one that sends the team to the Final Four (and eventually the Championship) and fans flooding into the streets. But The Salvation Choir achieved such a feat, accomplishing what most bands strive for. They proved that you can do anything in Lawrence, and it’s satisfying to see it happen to musicians who put their entire hearts into it.