Bones Owens: The Riot Room

April 22, 2019 Kaeleigh Grace

Bones Owens and his drummer Lance “the Kidd” Bennett, are no strangers to the Midwest. Lance is from Kansas City and Caleb Owens (Bones), is originally from Vandalia, MO. The two-piece powerhouse band headlined a kickass, high energy show at The Riot Room on April 14, 2019. Bones has recently been on tour and opening for Whiskey Myers. This was not the first time they have played a venue in KC, but they kept saying how glad they were to be there, even on a Sunday night.

Bones has been in the music scene for sometime now, having moved to Nashville in 2005. While covered in tattoos and playing heavy rock and roll infused with blues, he is kind and attentive. Most of the crowd there had seen them before and some had also traveled that night to see the show. He recognized those that he saw and knew during the show and thanked them for coming out. Those fans were enthusiastically singing along to every song. There was an overall sense of gratitude from both band members for everyone that came out.

He infused personality into the show with a few stories between songs while singing a variety of his originals. The set didn’t lack energy as he was all over the stage throughout the entire set. He’s currently showcasing a headlining tour before meeting back up with Whiskey Myers to finish out the Die Rockin’ Tour. They will also be a part of the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta and the Under the Big Sky Festival in Montana in July.

After the show, I was able to chat with him when he came off stage about his time on tour with Whiskey Myers and new fan base that’s been generated from being on that tour. I grew up with Ricky Young of The Wild Feathers and was wearing their shirt that night. Ironically, I’d seen The Wild Feathers around the same time 3 years ago at the same venue. Bones told me how he and Ricky are good friends and have known one another since he moved to Nashville. Later on, Lance also commented on my choice of merch shirt for the evening. Moments like that, where there’s a connection to the artist and personal conversations after the show, stand out to me the most. Both guys thanked me again for coming out. I hope to see another one of their shows again soon. If they come near you, make sure you don’t miss them, especially if they are the opening band. In the meantime, buy some merch to help bands along their way and go listen to their music wherever you prefer.