[Boston-Area Action 4/29/26] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on April 29, 2026 at 12:31 pm | No Comments
Wednesday = time for the lists I pull together of Boston-area shows of interest (to me, and maybe you) happening in the next week, and recent announcements of bands coming to town.
There’s way too much going on, which is a better problem than nothing going on, but I’d prefer just-a-little-less going on. This is where I whine about tough choices again, because this coming weekend is crazy. Conflicts abound.
Jumping out: The Town & The City Festival on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. Check out their schedule and get yourself to Lowell, good people. Chris Brokaw & Tanya Donelly are playing it on Saturday, and they’re also playing the night before in Cambridge (I have an extra ticket, get at me). Thalia Zedek Band plays Deep Cuts tonight. Lloyd Cole is at City Winery tomorrow. Vivid Bloom are at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, and Lady Lamb plays the Somerville Theatre on Sunday. Whew.
If you aren’t heading down to the Providence Pop Fest to see them like I am, you can catch Good Flying Birds here at the Lilypad on Sunday night. But that goes up against the guaranteed-great screening of Rachel Lichtman’s “Programme 4” film at the Regent Theatre in Arlington. Cannot wait for that. It’s the main reason I’m hitting Providence for GFB (also, Pylon!) rather than their Sunday show. Jugglin’ over here. My beloved Ducks Ltd. are opening for Yumi Zouma at The Sinclair on Monday, Dry Cleaning is at the Paradise on Tuesday, the Messthetics team up with Trinary System at City Winery that night as well, and Joe Pernice starts his two-night stand at Club Passim, too.
Standout announcement-wise, the Earfull Series has announced the lineups for their June shows at Branch Line (Syd Straw! Sleepyhead! Todd Thibaud!), Liz Phair & Sleater-Kinney are playing MGM Music Hall together in September, and loathe as I am to mention it, Moz is coming to Lowell. Maybe? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ok, list time. If you please, comment with events I missed that you’re particularly psyched about or involved in, or with any updated/incorrect info. Any shows not listed below might be over in the right-hand column, so have a look there, too.
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Wednesday, April 29th
Vulture Feather
Thalia Zedek Band
Sinaloa
@ Deep Cuts
Thursday, April 30th
Lloyd Cole
@ City Winery
Thursday, April 30th
through Saturday, May 2nd
The Town and the City Festival
@ venues throughout Lowell, MA
Thursday, April 30th
through Sunday, May 3rd
The Hold Steady
celebrate 30 years of
“Boys and Girls in America”
@ The Sinclair
Friday, May 1st
4th Wall presents…
Circus Trees
Vivid Bloom
Declaw
@ the Capitol Theatre
in Arlington
Friday, May 1st
Tanya Donelly
& Chris Brokaw
@ First Church, Cambridge
Saturday, May 2nd
Telehealth
Perennial
Pinklids
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, May 2nd
Lightheaded
The Hobknobs
Intac
Ohio State Fair
@ O’Brien’s
Saturday, May 2nd
Vundabar
Copilot
free & all ages
@ Palmer St. in Lowell
Sunday, May 3rd
Lady Lamb
@ the Somerville Theatre
Sunday, May 3rd
Good Flying Birds
Galore
Grass Widow
@ the Lilypad
Sunday, May 3rd
Rachel Lichtman presents
Programme 4’s
“Make the Scene”
with guests Josh Kantor,
Chris Murphy/Jim Roebuck,
and Juliana Hatfield
@ the Regent Theatre
Monday, May 4th
Yumi Zouma
Ducks Ltd.
@ the Sinclair
Monday, May 4th
Harvard Bookstore presents
Gaelynn Lea in conversation
with Adrian Anantawan
and Colleen Flanagan
@ Cambridge Public Library
Tuesday, May 5th
Dry Cleaning
YHWH Nailgun
@ the Paradise
Tuesday, May 5th
The Messthetics
and James Brandon Lewis
Trinary System
@ City Winery Boston
Tuesday, May 5th
Gladie
Noun
@ Deep Cuts
Tuesday & Wednesday
May 5th & 6th
Joe Pernice
@ Club Passim
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Wednesday, May 6th
Future Teens Paint Night +
Record Release Listening Party!
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, May 15th
Natural Information Society
Jake Meginsky & Lemual Marc
@ Hope Central Church
Friday, May 29th
Field Day
@ Village Social Club, Brookline
Tuesday, June 2nd
Earfull Series presents…
Authors Allison King & Lauren Acampora
Musicians Hope for Rain & The Franc Graham Band
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Tuesday, June 9th
Earfull Series presents…
Authors Lesley Mahoney O’Connell & Elizabeth Graver
Musicians Syd Straw & Todd Thibaud
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Tuesday, June 16th
Earfull Series presents…
Authors Laura Zigman & Tom Perrotta
Musicians Special Guests TBA & Sleepyhead
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Tuesday, June 23rd
Earfull Series presents…
Authors Keith O’Brien & Charlie Pierce
Musicians Bronson Arroyo & Gompson
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Friday, July 10th
Emperor X
@ Warehouse XI
Wednesday, July 15th
Willis
Boyscott
The Flooks
@ the Sinclair
Monday, July 22nd
Los Lobos
@ the Cut
Friday – Sunday
July 24th – July 26th
2026 Lowell Folk Fest
Elida Almeida, Dat Mighty 9,
Melissa Carper & Emily Gimble,
John Doyle & Friends,
Fabiola Mendez,
and Super Chikan
& the Fighting Cocks
@ downtown Lowell
Saturday, August 8th
King Yellowman
@ the Cut
Friday, August 28th
Kacey Musgraves
Midland
@ TD Garden
Sunday, August 30th
Citizen
Anxious
Hotline TNT
Rocket
Cryogeyser
@ the House of Blues
Monday, September 21st
Liz Phair
Sleater-Kinney
@ MGM Music Hall
Thursday, September 24th
Suki Waterhouse
Charlotte Lawrence
@ MGM Music Hall
Wednesday, September 30th
Morrissey
@ Lowell Memorial Auditorium
Tuesday, October 13th
Fred Armisen
@ the Wilbur
Tuesday, November 10th
Geese
@ Roadrunner
See you out there. I might be limping. Don’t ask.
[Boston-Area Action 4/22/26] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on April 22, 2026 at 3:51 pm | No Comments
And now, your irregularly-scheduled run-down of imminent Boston-area shows and recent notable announcements. Usually every Wednesday, but I make no guarantees…
Greetings from scenic Burlington, Vermont, where I’m drowning in nostalgia while visiting the fam, and currently working from a coffee shop near the shores of Lake Champlain. Given where I’m at, I missed a few Boston-centric events of note last night, including the LUCE benefit in JP headlined by Hotline TNT (did anyone reading this go? was it nuts?), Matt Pond PA & Dan Mangan at Passim, and the latest edition of Which Side? at the Burren. Hey, at least I wasn’t forced to make a choice.
Also sadly won’t be there to see the New Pornographers & Will Sheff tonight at the Wilbur, or the opening night of Independent Film Fest of Boston (but will of course be catching some flicks after I return). Should be back in time to catch Tommy Stinson in Hingham on Friday night, then down to Providence on Saturday for the Dambuilders & Sleepyhead. Bummed I’ll be missing Lupo Cittá’s LP release show that night. A pox on the scheduling gods. Sunday there’s a benefit for our beloved bass-playin’ bud Joe McMahon that I emphatically encourage you to attend. Details below, along with a few other shows you might dig, including the Afghan Whigs/Mercury Rev combo on Monday night.
Announcement-wise, not a ton, but personal stand-outs include that killer Oneida/Kinski team-up in August at Deep Cuts, Yard Act at the Sinclair, and the Damned in October. Other notable names coming to town: Bob Dylan, Beck, the Charlatans, & Modest Mouse. Read on for dates. Or check the Almanac’s right-hand column for more —>
If there’s anything just-announced you’re psyched about, drop a comment. I often miss some good stuff. If any of the info is incorrect, lemme know. Impending shows first, announcements follow…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Wednesday, April 22nd
The New Pornographers
Will Sheff (Okkervil River)
@ the Wilbur
Wednesday, April 22nd
to Wednesday, April 29th
The Independent Film Festival Boston
@ indie cinemas around town
Wednesday, April 22nd
Waxahatchee
MJ Lenderman
@ the Wang
Thursday, April 23rd
Liz Cooper
Dead Gowns
@ the Rockwell
Thursday, April 23rd
Weedeater
Conan
@ Sonia
Friday, April 24th
Tommy Stinson & friends
@ Ames Chapel, Hingham
Saturday, April 25th
Robin Pecknold
(of Fleet Foxes)
Allegra Krieger
@ Shalin Liu Performance Ctr.
in Rockport, MA
Saturday, April 25th
Cock Sparrer
Haywire
Lower Class Brat
Yellow Stitches
@ Roadrunner
Saturday, April 25th
Lupo Cittá
“Inverno” LP release show!
with Taxidermists
@ the Lilypad
Sunday, April 26th
A Night for Joe:
A Fundraiser with music & friends
featuring Tanya Donnelly,
Hilken and Melissa Band,
The Night Watchmen (Tom Petty tribute),
Stars like Ours, Mill Pond Falls,
CUJO with Jen Trynin, Mike Mele,
Abbie Barrett, Aaron Lippert, &
DJ Panda spinning before & after
@ Lou’s in Harvard Square
Monday, April 27th
The Afghan Whigs
Mercury Rev
@ the Royale
Monday, April 27th
Fishbone
@ the Sinclair
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Tuesday, May 19th
Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out
with this month’s guests
Joan Anderman, The Bags,
Mark Erelli, Najee Janey,
Brendan Murphy of Autumn Hollow,
Safiya, and The Paid Protesters
@ the Burren Backroom
Saturday, June 27th
Meg Toohey
@ Club Passim
Thursday, July 9th
Buju Banton
Stephen Marley
@ the Pavilion
Thursday, July 16th
Bob Dylan
@ the Pavilion
Saturday, August 8th
Oneida
Kinski
@ Deep Cuts
Sunday, August 16th
Yard Act
@ the Sinclair
Wednesday, September 9th
ZZ Top
@ Lynn Auditorium
Tuesday, September 22nd
The Charlatans UK
@ the Paradise
Wednesday, October 7th
Modest Mouse
Caroline Rose
@ Roadrunner
Friday, October 9th
Teddy Swims
@ TD Garden
Friday, October 16th
The Damned
Flamin’ Groovies
The Courettes
@ the Royale
Saturday, October 17th
Beck
@ MGM Music Hall
Alright, back to work, then back to my melancholic birthplace immersion. As the wise man sang, “this town is full of ghosts…”