The Velveteers: A Million Knives Tour

Story and Photos: Haley Mullenix

Wednesday night (3.26.25), The Velveteers brought the "A Million Knives" tour to the Bottleneck in Lawrence Kansas. I’ve been lucky to have seen the Colorado based band a handful of times over the past few years, this being the third time photographing them! It’s safe to say I am a big time appreciator of what The Velveteers are bringing to their live sets. 

First up to the stage was local support Lawrence based band INDRA. Made up of five college kids, this group had great stage presence. The chemistry between them was ever present and their guitarist can SHRED. I’ll definitely be following along to see where this band goes next.

Next up was Girl Tones, and I almost have no words to describe the sheer power this duo brought to the stage. Sisters Kenzie on vocals and guitar and Laila on drums just spent nearly 50 days touring. First with Cage the Elephant in Europe and now with The Velveteers, yet this time on the road hasn’t seemed to diminish an ounce of their energy. Kenzie paced the stage with this incredible crazed look in her eyes that felt almost as if she was sizing up the crowd. Screaming at the crowd to move with an ear-piercing, guttural “COME ONNN!” showed that maybe she was. I even heard someone mutter “I’m scared” which was both hilarious and understandable. These two did not come to play and it was honestly one of the best opening sets I’ve seen in a hot minute. The sisters released a single, I Know You Know this past February and just last year released their debut single "Fade Away", produced by Cage The Elephant's Brad Shultz. Girl Tones is gonna go far, so start listening now!

Finally, The Velveteers took the stage to much fanfare. The presence of this band is always so incredible, it's impossible to look away. Lead singer Demi Demitro leads the band with vocals that are both filled with catharsis and yet airy and floaty in a way that almost slithers around the heaviness of her guitar riffs. Drummer duo Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig are so fascinating to watch. The two drum in sync, with Jonny occasionally turning to play keys/guitar and sing. Baby can be found carrying over a drum for the crowd to hold while climbing onto the nearest monitor, platform or even the crowd itself to drum on it, immersing the crowd into the set itself. I always say The Velveteers are a band you just NEED to see live. It’s one thing to stream their songs, but to get out there and watch them in their element elevates their music to a whole new level. The band just released their second album A Million Knives so be sure to check it out and see them on the road!

A huge thanks to Velveteers mangement for photo access. Thanks for reading and we'll see you at the next one!