FARM AID

1 P.M. SATURDAY. LIVESTRONG SPORTING PARK.

The first big music event at Livestrong Sporting Park is a doozy. The 2011 edition of Farm Aid will bring a plethora of stars to the home of the Sporting Kansas City soccer club. The country side of the annual charitable event is represented by Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson and Billy Joe Shaver. The day’s rock and pop stars include Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews and Jakob Dylan. Fans arriving early will be rewarded with performances by compelling lesser-known artists such as Will Dailey and John Trudell. Advance tickets range from $29 to $149.

KATY PERRY, JANELLE MONAE

7:30 P.M. WEDNESDAY. SPRINT CENTER.

Katy Perry is playing with fire. Allowing Janelle Monae to serve as an opening act is dangerous business. As both Bruno Mars and Of Montreal have discovered at concerts in Independence and Lawrence in the last year, the dynamic Monae is a hard act to follow. A visual feast will almost certainly accompany Perry’s renditions of hits such as “Firework,” “California Gurls” and “I Kissed a Girl,” but Kansas City, Kan., native Monae performs her more innovative music with reckless abandon. May the best lady win. Advance tickets range from $25 to $46.

THE ETTES

10 P.M. SATURDAY. REPLAY LOUNGE.

After Jack White hears “Pendulum,” the first single from the new album by The Ettes, the former frontman for the White Stripes might beg to join the trio from Nashville, Tenn. At its best, the garage rock band is every bit as ferocious as White’s acclaimed punk-inflected roots rock. The Ettes’ rawness is leavened by catchy pop smarts, as if the band’s members are simultaneously chewing bubblegum and nails. Two additional like-minded acts from Tennessee — Heavy Cream and Hans Condor — open for The Ettes. Tickets are $3.

BRIAN MCKNIGHT

8 P.M. FRIDAY. UPTOWN THEATER.

The most romantic place in Kansas City on Friday will be the Uptown Theater. Couples will smooch, cuddle and hold hands as Brian McKnight croons old-fashioned love songs. The late Luther Vandross aside, McKnight is the premier male R&B ballad singer of the last 20 years. A few of his hits — most notably “Back At One” — are frequently heard at weddings. Although a few of the new songs on “Just Me,” McKnight’s most recent album, are uncharacteristically aggressive, romantically inclined fans should expect to hear their favorite songs delicately delivered by the multitalented McKnight. Advance tickets range from $39 to $175.

100 MONKEYS

7:30 P.M. THURSDAY. BEAUMONT CLUB.

The list of contemporary actors who are also credible musicians is a short one. For every successful crossover story such as those of Zooey Deschanel and Jamie Foxx, there are dozens of dubious dual-career candidates, including Russell Crowe, Eddie Murphy and Jason Schwartzman. The verdict is still out on Jackson Rathbone, the actor who plays Jasper Hale in the “Twilight” movie series. 100 Monkeys, his eclectic rock band, seems passable, but curious fans can decide on Rathbone’s rock ’n’ roll credentials in person on Thursday. Opening acts include the New York-based Kissing Club and Kansas City’s Not a Planet. Tickets are $12 in advance.