A couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves at a Me Like Bees show in Kansas City. They took us by complete surprise, and we were astonished at the level of skill and charisma this band brought to the stage. So naturally, we were elated to see that they were slated to play the Replay on Saturday.

This band took the place by storm. Me Like Bees is all about energy. Everyone in the band can play a pretty mean guitar, finding that perfect balance between music you can rock out to and music you can dance to (which the audience did happily). Even the guitarists found themselves displaying a little fancy footwork, scooting and sliding across the carpet. The drummer was out of this world, and dare we say we even saw a few stick tricks burst out of him now and again?

The songs were so catchy, it’s no wonder the audience was happily singing along. Their song about the Joplin tornado has a particularly catchy chorus that can get stuck in your head pretty easily. The frontman’s got a magnificent voice that at times is reminiscent of Jack White, while his onstage demeanor reminds us of Jim James (especially that magnificent mane he kept whipping about).

Me Like Bees can easily become the life of the party while leaving you with enough stamina for a night full of vitality. They call Joplin home, but we’d like to see more of them in Lawrence and Kansas City.

Here’s a clip of the song they wrote after a tornado devastated their hometown (remember that catchy chorus we were talking about). It picks up and becomes quite lively after about a minute in:

Bonus clip! Here’s how they started their set at the Replay on Saturday:

Words and photos by Fally Afani