[Boston-Area Action 6/3/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on June 3, 2026 at 1:13 pm | No Comments
My brain is abuzz with far too many concurring thoughts at the moment, so forgive what may be a frazzled and error-filled weekly Wednesday post of impending Boston-area shows and recent announcements. I’m just going to cruise through this thing on auto-pilot and see what happens. If you haven’t visited here lately, here’s the deal: Every week I share a list of local (meaning Boston-adjacent) shows that appeal to me (and/or maybe to those I know) that are either coming up in the next seven days, or have been announced since last week. Mostly rock shows, but not just that. Sometimes other random events that I/you might attend, too.
Impending highlights: Waaaay too much happening on Saturday. Free fests galore, including the Forever Lager Music & Beer Festival at Notch Brewing (Brighton), the The New England Americana Festival, Medford Porchfest, & Boston Chilling (hosted by Mr. Matt Shearer). The clash of the Notch fest, where I plan to park myself, against the Medford Porchfest is a truly painful one, but I’ve gotta stick with my own ‘hood. That said, I’ll still be heading out to Medfidd that night because… Bent Shapes are back! I adore that band and can’t believe I get to see them play again, with openers Colleen Green & Beeef. Incredible.
Other imminent highlights include They Might Be Giants in town for two nights, Kevin Morby on Sunday (his new album is ace), and the next June Earfull installment on Tuesday. That night also brings the first of the new Spring series of Allston Pudding/Zone 3 free show line-ups, so have a look at the list for that one.
Stand-out announcements? A couple of Hallelujah The Hills shows (neither of which I can attend. you did it to me again, Ryan!), the lineup for the Rat City Arts Festival , and the welcome return of Califone to Deep Cuts. Last time they were in town, I was outta town. This time? Also out of town. Argh. I compel you all to go in my absence.
Gotta run, so here are the lists. Any additions/corrections would be much appreciated. I can’t keep track of it all, so if there’s something you’re psyched about, please say so. Unless it’s already listed on the Almanac’s right column over there —>
Here goes…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Wednesday, June 3rd
Ryan Bingham
& the Texas Gentlemen
@ Roadrunner
Wednesday, June 3rd
The Fiery Furnaces
Chris Lee Rodriguez
@ the Somerville Armory
Wednesday, June 3rd
Tim Kasher (Cursive)
Old Canes
Regals
@ O’Brien’s
Thursday, June 4th
Doused Sparkler
Bedroom Eyes
(T-T)b
@ the Model
Thursday, June 4th
St. Vincent
with the Boston Pops Orchestra
@ Boston Symphony Hall
Thursday, June 4th
The Snares
Zip-Tie Handcuffs
Donny Toronto
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, June 5th
Opening Reception for
FACES, PLACES, & SPACES
A Spatial Justice Exhibition
presented by #ARTSTAYSHERE
6pm @ the Somerville Museum
(exhibit runs through August 23rd)
Friday, June 5th
Jon Butcher
Barrence Whitfield
TJ Welch & the Wasted
@ the Middle East Downstairs
Friday, June 5th
Freddie Gibbs
Geordie Greep
@ Roadrunner
Friday, June 5th
Pete & Bas Save America
Delivery Boys
@ the Sinclair
Friday & Saturday
June 5th & 6th
They Might Be Giants
@ the House of Blues
Saturday, June 6th
Boston Chilling fest
Hosted by Matt Shearer
with Laundry Day, Lily Fitts,
Toledo, Ali McGuirk,
& Lightfootbeats
1pm @ the Lawn on D
Saturday, June 6th
Notch Brewing presents
Forever Lager ’26
with Black Helicopter,
The Dogmatics, Spiller,
Thalia Zedek Band,
Hilken & Melissa Band,
Andy California, Pledge Pins,
& Whyte Lipstick
@ Notch Brighton
@ the Charles River Speedway
Saturday, June 6th
Medford Porchfest
all over Medford, MA
Saturday, June 6th
New England Americana Festival
with
Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners,
Nate Perry & Ragged Company,
Other Brother Darryl, Elisa Smith,
Jennifer Tefft & The Strange,
Tigerman Woah, Berm, Regals,
Dirt Road Souls, Autumn Hollow,
Beware the Dangers of a
Ghost Scorpion, Comanchero,
Consuelo’s Revenge, and
Damian and the Displayers
@ the Bellforge Arts Center
Saturday, June 6th
Bent Shapes
Colleen Green
Beeef
@ Deep Cuts
Sunday, June 7th
Kevin Morby
Liam Kazar
@ the Royale
Sunday, June 7th
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
@ the Cabot
Tuesday, June 9th
The EARFULL series
writers reading,
songwriters performing.
with authors
Lesley Mahoney O’Connell
& Elizabeth Graver
and musicians
Syd Straw & Todd Thibaud
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Tuesday, June 9th
Allston Pudding’s
Spring Concert Series (S2!)
with Spirit Ghost, Dinos
& the Stirling Taylor Band
@ Zone 3, Lower Allston
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Friday, June 12th
Hallelujah the Hills
perform at
“Homeground at the Haven”
@ the Haven in JP
Thursday, June 18th
Todd Thibaud & his band
welcome back from tour show
playing their “Alchemy” LP in full
@ Q Division Studios
Saturday, August 1st
Rat City Arts Festival
with Cheem, Makeout Palace,
Justice Cow, The Reunion,
Kay Wolf, Ashy Finn, Intac,
Dream Journal, Taylor Hurd,
Eli Shane, Ava Sophia, Von Aldra,
Nick Shea, Aka Rat, Ella Faye,
& C.J. Red Mouth
@ Charles River Speedway
Sunday, August 16th
Ben Nichols (Lucero) & friends
Cory Branan
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, August 22nd
Califone
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, September 9th
Sara Bareilles
@ MGM Music Hall
Thursday, September 10th
Gary Clark Jr.
@ the Paradise
Friday, September 18th
Sparta
Public Opinion
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, September 23rd
Mastadon
Deafheaven
Alcest
@ House of Blues
Thursday, September 24th
The Prodigy
Femtanyl
@ Roadrunner
Thursday, September 24th
She & Him
@ the Wilbur Theatre
Saturday, October 17th
Hallelujah the Hills
Hilken & Melissa Band
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, October 21st
Hank Azaria
& the EZ Street Band
@ the Sinclair
Saturday, November 7th
Jimmy Webb
@ City Winery Boston
Thursday, November 19th
Cowboy Junkies
@ the Cabot
Friday, November 20th
Julia Jacklin
@ the Royale
Sunday, November 29th
The Temptations
@ the Cabot
Monday & Tuesday
March 1st & 2nd, 2027
Gracie Abrams
Grace Ives
@ TD Garden
That’s it for this week. Time for me to go outside for some fresh air and a clearer head. Here’s hoping.
[Boston-Area Action 5/27/26] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on May 27, 2026 at 5:36 pm | No Comments
Hey, looks like I might actually get this weekly post thing out on a Wednesday (he writes optimistically as he starts composing this at 5pm). This is where I run down a couple of Boston-specific lists: First, shows ‘n stuff that are happening within the next seven days that I’m into and you might be, too, along with recent announcements that strike my fancy. Not that I’m going to go to all of them. Despite my best efforts.
Highlights from the imminent shows: Tonight has Ezra Furman at The Rockwell doing whatever she wants, and Faces on Film has an EP release party at Lou’s in Harvard Square. On Friday, Tinkertown plays at the Burren Backroom (that show marks the very welcome return of our pal Joe McMahon to the stage, and his band was also announced as opener for the Echo and the Bunnymen show at Roadrunner in a couple weeks), and Field Day plays the Village Social Club in Brookline.
Saturday has Deep Cuts 3-year anniversary party, a reason to celebrate if ever there was one, and Silver Screams are part of a bill up in Salem at Bit Bar. There’s also an early-evening show at the Burren Backroom with Abbie Barrett, Cut Braids, & Jordan Renzi. Sunday afternoon brings an ACLU benefit to O’Brien’s with Cold Expectations, Dave Herlihy, Ghosts & Shadows, & Garret Vandermolen, which will make way for Major Stars headlining later that night. Monday has the sold-out Ann Wilson (of Heart) documentary screening at City Winery, with a post-film Q&A with the subject herself. And lastly, Tuesday starts the weekly June Earfull Series at Branch Line in Watertown.
Did I miss something you’re psyched about? Got plans you wanna share? Hit the comments.
As far as announcements go, NICE, a fest released their (amazing) daily lineups, Tanya Donelly & Chris Brokaw were added to the June 16th edition of Earfull, the lineup for the (already at capacity) June edition of Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out was posted, and it’s killer. I’m absolutely loving the new Feeble Little Horse record (listening to it yet again as I type this), and they’ve announced a show at the Royale in October with Snuggle. Sweeping Promises announced their new record, and they’ve got two shows booked at Deep Cuts in November. Major props to them for playing two nights there, when they could have easily booked one night in a much bigger room.
Alright, I’ll stop rambling. Lemme get listing. Drop corrections/comments/recommendations in the comments. Check out the right-hand-column for the more fleshed-out list that I keep relatively well-updated. Believe it or not.
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Wednesday, May 27th
Faces on Film (EP release)
Daniel Donovan
DJ Johnny Allen
@ Lou’s
Wednesday, May 27th
Ms. Ezra Furman doing
whatever she wants
@ the Rockwell
Friday, May 29th
Field Day
@ Village Social Club, Brookline
Friday, May 29th
Jeffrey Gaines
@ the Fallout Shelter
Saturday, May 30th
The Downhauls
Silver Screams
Bad Idea USA
The Angry-Las
@ Bitbar Salem
Saturday, May 30th
DEEP CUTS
3 Year Anniversary Party!
6pm @ Deep Cuts, Medford
Saturday, May 30th
Senator Chris Murphy
& Heather Cox Richardson
presenting
“Crisis of the Common Good”
@ First Parish Church
Saturday, May 30th
Duke Robillard
& His All-Star Band
@ The Regattabar
Saturday, May 30th
David Cross
as part of the
WBUR Festival
@ Tsai Performance Center @ BU
Saturday, May 30th
Napalm Death
Acid Bath
Pig Destroyer
@ Roadrunner
Saturday, May 30th
Corinne Bailey Rae
@ Cary Hall, Lexington
Saturday, May 30th
Abbie Barrett
Cut Braids
Jordan Renzi
early show
@ the Burren Backroom
Sunday, May 31st
a benefit for the ACLU
with
Cold Expectations
Dave Herlihy
Ghosts & Shadows
Garret Vandermolen
Matinee show @ O’Brien’s
Sunday, May 31st
Jittery Jack w/Amy Griffin
Hot Franks
Matinee show @ the Midway
Sunday, May 31st
James Blake
@ Roadrunner
Sunday, May 31st
Major Stars
Rose Thomas Bannister
Debby Schwartz
@ O’Brien’s
Monday, June 1st
Haute & Freddy
@ The Sinclair
Monday, June 1st
Ann Wilson (of Heart)
in conversation with
director Barbara Hall
presenting their documentary
“In My Voice”
@ City Winery Boston
Tuesday, June 2nd
The EARFULL series
writers reading,
songwriters performing.
with authors
Allison King
& Lauren Acampora
and musicians
Hope for Rain
& The Franc Graham Band
@ Branch Line, Watertown
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Friday, June 5th
Opening Reception for
FACES, PLACES, & SPACES
A Spatial Justice Exhibition
presented by #Artstayshere
6pm @ the Somerville Museum
(exhibit runs through August 23rd)
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
July 24th, 25th, & 26th
NICE, a fest 2026
Daily lineups were announced!
Go take a look.
Tuesday, June 16th
Tanya Donelly & Chris Brokaw
added to this edition of
the EARFULL series
featuring writers reading
& songwriters performing
joining announced authors
Laura Zigman & Tom Perrotta
and the band Sleepyhead
@ Branch Line, Watertown
Thursday, June 18th
Jesus The Dinosaur
Puppy Problems
Lake Saint Daniel
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, June 24th
Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out
with this month’s guests
Beth Kaplan & Chris Brokaw,
Kameelah, Maverick, Ted Leo,
Toussaint the Liberator, &
special guests “Damaged Gods”
with The Paid Protesters
@ the Burren Backroom
Thursday, June 25th
Spirit Ghost
Hereboy
Doss
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, July 17th
Indoor Friends
The Eyetraps
Sailor Down
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, August 7th
Holy Wave
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, August 19th
Kehlani
@ MGM Music Hall
Thursday, August 20th
The Golden Hours
@ the MFA Boston Courtyard
Thursday, August 27th
Patty Larkin
@ the MFA Boston Courtyard
Thursday, September 3rd
Quicksand
Bane
Soulblind
@ the Royale
Wednesday, September 16th
Roxette
Taylor Dayne
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets
@ the Xfinity Center
Sunday, September 20th
Esther Rose
@ the Crystal Ballroom
Wednesday, October 14th
Feeble Little Horse
Snuggle
@ the Royale
Saturday, October 17th
Gilla Band
@ Brighton Music Hall
Wednesday, October 21st
The Tallest Man On Earth
@ the Royale
Thursday & Friday
November 5th & 6th
Sweeping Promises
@ Deep Cuts
Thursday, December 3rd
Death From Above 1979
@ Brighton Music Hall
Alright, that’s it. Keep an eye out for me up front, and say hey if you’re in the mood.