[Boston-Area Action 8/28/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on August 28, 2026 at 11:23 am | No Comments
It’s a couple days late, so I was about to fire off a quick post saying “sorry, no weekly ‘Boston-shows’ update this week, too busy, too unfocused”, then wondered if anyone has even noticed, and then figured, well, what the hell, let’s see if I can do this extra quickly. This is that attempt.
My body may be here in Boston, but my heart and half my brain are still back in Edinburgh, standing at the rail for the Cure with Slowdive, Mogwai, & Just Mustard. I officially have a new emotional ‘happy place’ to go to when I’m feeling down or overwhelmed. Needless to say, it’s been tough settling back into ‘real life’, and it ain’t just the jetlag.
Fortunately real life includes lots of Boston-area shows, both impending and recently-announced. Here are a few that jump out at me, followed by longer lists of each.
Tonight continues the Mancini & Gibbs free Friday residency at Notch Brewing (Brighton) with guests Andy California & Coco from Whyte Lipstick, after which you can head to Club Passim for a special show called “The Ego & the Oracle” featuring Jim’s Big Ego. There’s also a jammed lineup over at Warehouse XI with the Freqs, The Rupert Selection, Mallcops, & more. Chainlacing is at Deep Cuts, too. Lots to do on a Friday. I’ll definitely be over at Deep Cuts on Saturday night for the welcome return of The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries with Minibeast. That’s a no-brainer. There are a few other shows of note coming up, so check below.
As far as announcements go, the September edition of Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out has revealed their lineup, O Positive’s Dave Herlihy has scheduled his album release show on October 16th at the Burren Backroom, and Cameron Keiber will launch his own LP the next night at O’Brien’s. I’m particularly psyched about the return of Dead Gowns, who have just announced their next record and will play Deep Cuts on November 20th. Letters to Cleo have also booked their yearly hometown shows for November at the Paradise, with opener The Sheila Divine.
Full lists below, which are not actually ‘full’ lists, just things that strike me. There’s a longer list over there in the right column –>. If there’s anything you’re into that I’ve omitted, either this week or just-announced, leave a comment.
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Friday, August 28th
The Hilken Mancini &
Melissa Gibbs Residency
Week 4 with guests
Andy California &
Coco (of Whyte Lipstick)
free @ Notch Brewing Brighton
Friday, August 28th
The Ego and the Oracle
(featuring Jim’s Big Ego)
@ Club Passim
Friday, August 28th
The Freqs
Merry Brigade
The Rupert Selection
Mallcops
Neverless.am
@ Warehouse XI
Friday, August 28th
Chainlacing
Intercourse
Misuser
@ Deep Cuts
Friday & Saturday
August 28th & 29th
Kacey Musgraves
with Midland (28th)
with Flatland Cavalry (29th)
@ TD Garden
Saturday, August 29th
Martha’s Vineyard Ferries
Minibeast
@ Deep Cuts
Sunday, August 30th
Good Sleepy
Robo Pumpkin
Sophie’s Body
@ O’Brien’s
Sunday, August 30th
Mike D
@ the Royale
Sunday, August 30th
Citizen
Anxious
Hotline TNT
Rocket
Cryogeyser
@ the House of Blues
Tuesday, September 1st
Arlo Parks
@ the Royale
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Thursday, September 10th
Passim Presents
Rasa String Quartet
with Jake Armerding
@ Crane Estate, Ipswich
Friday, September 11th
Cava (Berlin)
Lupo Citta
@ the Midway
Tuesday, September 15th
Which Side Are You On?:
A Protest Music Teach-Out.
this month featuring
BVOCAL, La Chusma,
Shaw Pong Liu, Sidy Maiga,
Richie Parsons, Matt York,
& the Paid Protesters
@ the Burren Backroom
Thursday, September 17th
Passim Presents
Melissa Ferrick
@ Crane Estate, Ipswich
Sunday, September 20th
Convinced Friend
Jake McKelvie
Tiberius
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, September 25th
Greg Kelley & Yoona Kim (duo)
Mackenzie Kourie Trio
@ SMFA at Tufts
Saturday, September 26th
Nitzer Ebb
Josephine Olivia
@ the Middle East Downstairs
Sunday, September 27th
Rib Fest featuring
Sarah Borges & Mike Oram,
the Albino Mbie Trio,
The Atwoods, & Eric Royer
in East Cambridge
Wednesday, October 7th
Unseemlier
See You At Rogers
Botch Job
The Roland High Life
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, October 7th
Oso Oso
Leisure Hour
Bad Luck
@ Brighton Music Hall
Thursday, October 14th
Dogwood Tales
Hey I’m Outside
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, October 16th
Dave Herlihy
‘now’ album release show!
with Scott Damgaard
& the Bubbs Band
@ the Burren Backroom
Saturday, October 17th
Cameron Keiber
“The Tide” LP release party
with Black Helicopter
& Tony Skalicky
@ O’Brien’s
Sunday, October 18th
Screeching Weasel
The Queers
@ the Middle East Downstairs
Tuesday, October 20th
Sungaze
Lavisher
Slow Quit
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, October 24th
Rodrigo y Gabriela
@ Lynn Auditorium
Sunday, October 25th
“Hear Her Voice” with
Lucy Kaplansky,
Patty Larkin, and
Heather Maloney
@ the Cabot
Friday, November 13th
Andrea Gibson’s “Love
Letter From the Afterlife”
with Megan Falley,
the Goosebump Orchestra,
& special guests
@ Somerville Theatre
Friday, November 20th
Dead Gowns
@ Deep Cuts
Friday & Saturday
November 21st & 22nd
Letters to Cleo
The Sheila Divine
@ the Paradise Rock Club
Friday, December 11th
Old Crow Medicine Show
@ the Cabot
[Boston-Area Action 8/20/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on August 20, 2026 at 10:27 am | No Comments
The weekly Wednesday Boston-area shows post has become a Thursday post as I rush to prep for a long-awaited trip. Probably should skip this week, but let’s see how fast I can rattle this one off.
The basics: Two lists, one of about-to-happen Boston-centric shows ‘n events that I’m into (or you might be), the other with personally relevant area shows that have been announced since last week.
There’s a lot going on over the next handful of days, all of which I’ll be out of town for, so this is basically me complaining about missing out. For example: Super-bummed I’m not around to see Winged Wheel with Thalia Zedek Band at the Lilypad tomorrow night. And the third installment of the Friday Sessions residency at Notch Brewing (Brighton). And I can’t believe I’m not here to see Califone at Deep Cuts on Saturday. Seeing them play is one of my favorite things. I’d also totally be at the 92.5 the RiverFest at Salisbury Beach on Saturday, too. Sunday brings another killer bill I’ll miss out on to Deep Cuts, with Flowting Clowds, Unmade Bed, & Pterodan, as well as the sure-to-be-fun Catherine O’Hara tribute over at the Crystal Ballroom put together by Identical Cousins. You should go because I can’t. Then tell me what a blast it was.
New-announcement-wise, there’s some good stuff to be found below (author N.K. Jemisin is coming!), but I’ve run outta time. Gotta go pack for my journey.
Check the full list of area shows on my radar over in the Almanac’s right-hand column. Leave any corrections or suggestions in the comments. Let me know what you’ll be checking out or are excited about…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Friday, August 21st
The Mancini/Gibbs Residency
Week 3 with guests
Aaron Perrino &
The Starlings
free @ Notch Brewing Brighton
Friday, August 21st
Winged Wheel
Thalia Zedek Band
@ the Lilypad
Saturday, August 22nd
Califone
Early Worm
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, August 22nd
92.5’s Riverfest 2026
with Spin Doctors,
Buffalo Tom, Fantastic Cat,
and Gavin Marengi
@ Salisbury Beach Boardwalk
Saturday & Sunday
August 22nd & 23rd
Ratchella DIY Music Fest
Lady Lamb, Nova One,
Laveda, Dino Gala, Winkler,
Warmachine, Clifford,
Sweet Petunia, Main Era,
Tiberius, Ohio State Fair,
Sidebody, Surgeon General,
and Ugly Ghost
@ Washington St. Arts Center
in Somerville
Sunday, August 23rd
Flowting Clowds
Unmade Bed
Pterodan
@ Deep Cuts
Sunday, August 23rd
Identical Cousins Present!
“Home for the Holidays”
A Catherine O’Hara Tribute
@ the Crystal Ballroom
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Thursday, September 3rd
The Hardest Part:
A Tribute to Tom Petty
@ Lou’s, Harvard Square
Saturday, September 12th
Moon Over Salem
lineup announced, with…
Bad Idea USA, Belly Porba,
Big Time, Cape Crush,
Catnap, Couch Sex (reunion),
Earthlore, In/Shreds,
Jude Ivy, Pintail, & more
@ Cinema Salem
Friday, September 18th
Harvard Bookstore presents
actor/author Ke Huy Quan
presents his new memoir
in conversation with
Emiko Tamagawa
@ First Parish Church, Cambridge
Friday, September 25th
Jonas Brothers
@ TD Garden
Saturday, September 26th
Suitor
Black Beach
Mae Flux
Whyte Lipstick
@ O’Brien’s
Tuesday, September 29th
Author N.K. Jemisin
@ Boston Public Library
Saturday, October 3rd
KC & the Sunshine Band
@ Lowell Auditorium
Sunday, October 4th
Mirah
Evan Greer
@ Deep Cuts
Sunday, October 25th
Radiator Hospital
Dusk
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, November 4th
Michelle Branch
@ Roadrunner
Wednesday, November 11th
Lee Bains III
@ Faces
Saturday, November 28th
Peter Wolf
& the Midnight Travelers
@ the Shubert Theatre
Sunday, December 6th
Brett Goldstein
“Sex, Death, & Small Talk”
@ the Wang Theatre
Monday, December 7th
The Temptations
@ Cary Memorial Hall
in Lexington
Saturday, December 19th
Showcase Showdown
New Bomb Turks
@ the Paradise
Thursday, December 31st
Gov’t Mule
@ MGM Music Hall