Happy baby Friday! The weekend’s almost here, and honestly, it’s looking way too good to stay home. I’m already mentally canceling chores, ignoring my couch, and figuring out which plans deserve a spot on the calendar.

Speaking of escaping reality, Terra Luna is taking over the Overland Park Arboretum September 10-19 with Quixotic’s live music, aerial acrobatics, dance, and plenty of after-dark weirdness. Enter to win a pair of tickets!

JUST ANNOUNCED

• Fruition has spent years turning folk, bluegrass, and rock into the kind of live show that makes standing still feel stupid. Experience that energy at Knuckleheads on Sept. 30!

• The California Honeydrops make old-school R&B, funk, and soul sound like one long block party. Their Sweet Like That Tour hits Knuckleheads on Sept. 29 with Jontavious Willis! 

• Do you have too many thoughts and exactly zero interest in pretending everything’s fine? Catch AJJ at The Bottleneck on Oct. 1 for the folk-punk you’ve been missing this whole time.

• Yes, that Bill Murray. He’s rolling through with Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, because apparently being a beloved actor wasn’t enough hobbies.

• Plus other just announced shows from Petey Pablo, Evan Honer, and Kingdom of Giants and more!

THE BEST ESPRESSO MARTINIS IN THE CITY

Coffee by day, cocktails by night. The espresso martini doesn’t make you choose. It’s caffeinated, boozy, and somehow appropriate for brunch, date night, and one-more-round decisions. KC has plenty of contenders, so consider this your starting lineup.

• Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen. Their version keeps it classic-ish with Broadway Coffee espresso, Baileys, Kahlúa, and vodka. Basically dessert with a deadline.

• Farina. Pasta first, espresso martini after. Farina keeps popping up in local recommendations for good reason.

• Goat & Rabbit Coffee. Kansas City locals are pretty loud about this one, with multiple testimonies calling it one of the best espresso martinis in town.

• Crossroads Hotel. Head upstairs for a pistachio-and-tahini spin on the espresso martini, made with espresso-infused vodka and espresso liqueur. Not exactly subtle, which is kind of the point.

THIS WEEKEND

LOCALS ONLY

• Blues Park is getting wheels. A new roller rink is slated to open this month at Blues Park near 18th & Vine as part of the “Revive the Vine” upgrades. Another excuse to hang around the neighborhood that does not involve parallel parking on a packed First Friday.

• Waldo has a giant pink lamppost now. No, seriously. The new landmark is already turning into a meet-up spot in the neighborhood, because apparently “meet me by the massive pink streetlight” is a normal KC sentence now.

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