[Boston-Area Action 7/29/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on July 29, 2026 at 12:35 pm | No Comments
Yet another Wednesday, so another post of Boston-centric lists of shows, both impending (as in, within the next 7 days) and newly-scheduled (as in, announced over the previous 7 days). It doesn’t include everything, just those that are on my radar, and maybe on yours, too. If you’re reading this, and you’re psyched about something imminent or announced that’s not listed, leave a comment.
Not many planned shows on deck for me personally this week, though that doesn’t mean I won’t end up catching one or two. Maybe that Tomahawk/ Melvins team-up tomorrow night, probably Thalia Zedek/Sarah Borges/Field Day show on Friday at the Lizard Lounge, and I’ll likely swing by Saturday’s Rat City Arts Festival at the Speedway. Further ahead, Monday brings Elliott & The Burning Paris to the Sinclair.
Announcement-wise, while I don’t generally cover Providence shows (despite often going to them), I am compelled to mention that the Jason Molina documentary “You Fuckers Figure It Out”/YFFIO will make its New England premiere as part of the Rhode Island International Film Festival, screening on August 6th. Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs are hosting a free 10-week Friday residency at Notch Brewing (Brighton) that has some killer guests. Elizabeth Steen & Arto Vaun are playing at the Project Save Photograph Archive in Watertown on 8/15. The August edition of Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out has another solid lineup (including Damon & Naomi!). And Flowting Clowds, which features Jeff Mueller (June of 44, Shipping News, Rodan) and Sean Meadows (June of 44, Lungfish), will be at Deep Cuts on the 23rd with Unmade Bed & Pterodan.
There are a few other cool announcements beyond that, so check the lists below, and have a look at the Almanac’s right column over there—> for many more.
Away we go…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Thursday, July 30th
Tomahawk
Melvins
@ House of Blues
Thursday, July 30th
WOMPS
Loen Trout
ODACOVA
@ Soundcheck Studios
Friday, July 31st
Gang Green (40th anniversary)
with F.U.’s, Spectacle,
The Promised End, Worm
@ Brighton Music Hall
Friday, July 31st
Tori Amos
@ the Pavilion
Friday, July 31st
Thalia Zedek Band
Sarah Borges
Field Day
@ the Lizard Lounge
Friday, July 31st
David Champagne
(ep release show)
@ Club Passim
Friday & Saturday
July 31st & August 1st
Phish
@ Fenway Park
Saturday, August 1st
Bearmonster
The Daylilies
The Zip-Ups
@ The Square Root
Saturday, August 1st
Regal Seagull (release show!)
37 Houses
Lesser Birds
@ Deep Cuts
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 2nd
Dan Deacon
@ the Sinclair
Monday, August 3rd
Elliott
The Burning Paris
@ the Sinclair
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Thursday, August 6th
“You Fuckers Figure It Out:
A Jason Molina Story”
New England Premiere
@ Rhode Island Intl Film Fest
@ the Uptown Theatre
in Providence
Every Friday for 10 weeks!
Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs
in (a free!) residency each week
with special guests including:
8/7 – Beth Kaplan & Chris Brokaw
& Evan Shore (Muck & the Mires)
8/14 – Thalia Zedek
8/21 – Aaron Perrino & The Starlings
8/28 – Andy California
& Coco (of Whyte Lipstick)
9/4 – Mike Gent (the Figgs)
& Chris Colbourn (Buffalo Tom)
9/11 – Nature Machine
& Bob Bradshaw
9/18 – Kathy Snax & Emily Grogan
9/25 – Nat Freedberg
10/2 – Magen Tracy & Andrea Gillis
10/9 – Highway Hosiery
@ Notch Brewing Brighton
Saturday, August 15th
“Archive After Hours”
with Elizabeth Steen
& Arto Vaun
Free @ the Project Save
Photo Archive in Watertown
Tuesday, August 18th
Which Side?:
A Protest Music Teach-Out.
this month featuring
the Croaks, Damon & Naomi,
Dom the Composer, Hazel Project,
Eric Martin, Emily Marvosh,
& the Paid Protesters
@ the Burren
Sunday, August 23rd
Flowting Clowds
Unmade Bed
Pterodan
@ Deep Cuts
CANCELLED
Wednesday, September 16th
Roxette
Taylor Dayne
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets
@ the Xfinity Center
Sunday, September 27th
Improvement Movement
The Point.
@ Warehouse XI
Friday, October 2nd
Empty Country
Strange Pains
Meredith Sheldon
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, October 2nd
Greenleaf (Sweden)
Howling Giant
High Desert Queen
Worshipper
@ Widowmaker Braintree
Sunday, October 4th
Set Your Goals
The Warriors
(playing “War Is Hell”)
Restraining Order
Stateside
@ the Sinclair
Thursday, October 15th
Jamie Webster
@ the Rockwell
Saturday, November 21st
Orville Peck
Abbie Callahan
@ MGM Music Hall
Sunday, December 6th
Jim James
(My Morning Jacket)
@ the Wilbur Theatre
Saturday, December 12th
Emma Ruth Rundle
Cinder Well
@ Roadrunner
Tuesday, March 30th
Hayley Thompson-King
@ David Friend Recital Hall
[Boston-Area Action 7/22/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on July 22, 2026 at 3:22 pm | No Comments
Hey, so yeah, kinda busy again. Obligations just about every night this week, and another demanding workload, which has me on the verge of just skipping this weekly shows update thing. But I’ve finally got a spare moment so let’s see what I can crank out.
If you’re seeing this for the first time: Once a week, usually Wednesdays, I ramble a bit about a handful of Boston-area shows that are happening in the next 7 days that I’m particularly psyched about (or think you might be), and then chat about some new show announcements, before sharing longer lists of each that you might want to put on your radar.
Highlights from the week ahead: Well, it’s all about NICE, a fest in Somerville on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday (plus a pre-fest shindig tomorrow night). An incredible (and incredibly large) lineup, as usual, but I’m most excited about Friday with the long-awaited area return of Krill. Plus I finally get to see Dari Bay, catch Sad13 solo, & witness some Rick Rude. Soooo many good bands all weekend. I’m excited, but also already pre-tired. Gonna have to dig deep for this one.
Otherwise, in the not-NICE sense, there’s the Allah-Las in Somerville tonight, Los Lobos up in Gloucester, too. Tomorrow brings Twisted Teens to the Sinclair, and the first of two nights with the Smoking Popes (marking their 35th anniversary) & Radiator Hospital at Deep Cuts. Kurt Vile & his band are also at the Royale on Friday, while Passion Pit hit the House of Blues. Francis Forever will be at Warehouse XI on Saturday, up against Lisa Bastoni & Sean Staples in the Rec Room in Belmont (ask an older punk). Speaking of, um, aging, here’s an odd team up on Sunday: Men at Work, Toad the Wet Sprocket, & Shonen Knife at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset. Pretty tempting.
The always-entertaining Robyn Hitchcock will be presenting his new book at the Seaport/Boston location of Porter Square Books on Monday, and since his new album arrives on Friday, I can’t imagine he won’t also be playing some songs, as he did last time he was at the original PSB. After that, you could head straight to the all-Canadian triple-bill at MGM Music Hall with Broken Social Scene, Metric, & Stars. I shy away from huge rooms & huger ticket prices, but I’m close to shelling out just to see “Ageless Beauty” played live in front of me. Guessing I’ll be too worn out by then, but I’ve learned to never say never.
Announcements? We’ve got a few. Bobby Bare Jr. has just this very moment announced a special solo show in Somerville on August 13th. This year’s free Riverfest on 8/22 on Salisbury Beach, which was canceled last year due to high tides from Hurricane Erin before Belly could headline, instead has Spin Doctors, but has kept Buffalo Tom & Gavin Marengi (who I will NEVER not read as “Garth Marenghi”!) on the bill while adding Fantastic Cat in place of the Far Out. I was already near the beach when last year got the axe, and this time I’ll be out of town. Alas. Next year, maybe? Bring back Belly for a do-over.
Other announcements I’m diggin’: Identical Cousins are doing a Catherine O’Hara tribute show on 8/23 at Crystal Ballroom, and Wesley Stace will be back at Club Passim in September. October brings Sylvan Esso to House of Blues, plus Greg Freeman & Hello Shark to the Sinclair. Don’t sleep on that one… Greg sold out his last area show super-fast (and it was freakin’ fantastic).
Ok, I’m already taking too long doing this thing. Time to cut and paste the full lists I’ve gathered. If you see something incorrect, say something. And If there’s a show this week you’re particularly psyched about that I didn’t list (either here or on the Nac’s right-column master-list, over there—>), feel free leave a comment here or on my farcebook post.
On to the lists…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Tuesday & Wednesday
July 21st & 22nd
Billy Strings
@ Agganis Arena
Wednesday, July 22nd
Los Lobos
@ the Cut
Wednesday, July 22nd
Allah-Las
Rahill
@ the Crystal Ballroom
Wednesday, July 22nd
Finn Wolfhard
Sleeper’s Bell
@ Royale
Thursday, July 23rd
The NICE, a fest MIX’R
a pre-fest hang
with live sets from
Gollylagging & Otis Shanty
plus other cool stuff
@ the Somerville Armory
Thursday, July 23rd
Twisted Teens
Ravi Shavi
@ the Sinclair
Thursday & Friday
July 23rd & 24th
Smoking Popes
35th Anniversary Tour
with Radiator Hospital
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, July 24th
Man Man
Death Valley Girls
@ the Sinclair
Friday, July 24th
Kurt Vile & the Violators
Being Dead
@ the Royale
Friday, July 24th
Passion Pit
@ the House of Blues
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
July 24th, 25th, & 26th
NICE, a fest
the lineup was announced!
too many bands to list here.
just go take a look.
@ Davis Square, Somerville
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, July 25th
Fra
@ Warehouse XI
Saturday, July 25th
Lisa Bastoni
Sean Staples
@ the Rec Room
Sunday, July 26th
Men At Work
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Shonen Knife
@ South Shore Music Circus
Monday, July 27th
Robyn Hitchcock
presents his new book
@ Porter Square Books
Seaport/Boston location
Monday, July 27th
Metric
Broken Social Scene
Stars
@ MGM Music Hall
Tuesday, July 28th
Babe Rainbow
Sam Blasucci
Spirit Ghost
@ Crystal Ballroom
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Thursday, August 13th
Bobby Bare Jr.
Live in Somerville
(search eventbrite for info)
Saturday, August 22nd
92.5’s Riverfest 2026
with Spin Doctors,
Buffalo Tom, Fantastic Cat,
and Gavin Marengi
@ Salisbury Beach Boardwalk
Sunday, August 23rd
Identical Cousins Present!
“Home for the Holidays”
A Catherine O’Hara Tribute
@ the Crystal Ballroom
Wednesday, September 9th
Glitterer
Bleary Eyed
Guttered
@ the Sinclair
Tuesday, September 22nd
Wesley Stace
@ Club Passim
Wednesday, September 23rd
Rebecca Black
@ the Royale
Wednesday, September 23rd
Fastball
Spacehog
@ Crystal Ballroom
Sunday, September 27th
Militarie Gun
Softcult
Shady Nasty
Dazy
@ the Paradise
Sunday, October 11th
gymclassheroes
Lupe Fiasco
B.o.B.
@ House of Blues
Friday, October 16th
Don Was
& the Pan-Detroit Ensemble
@ the Sinclair
Saturday, October 17th
Sylvan Esso
@ House of Blues
Tuesday, October 20th
Greg Freeman
Hello Shark
@ the Sinclair
Thursday & Friday
October 30th & 31st
moe
@ the Wilbur
Monday, November 9th
Jessica Lee Mayfield
Rachel Bobbitt
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, November 21st
Martin Sexton
@ City Winery
Friday, November 27th
Judy Collins
@ Cary Memorial Hall
Sunday, November 29th
Shaun Cassidy
Holiday Show
@ Cary Memorial Hall
Thursday, December 17th
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
@ the Cabot
February 19th, 2027
Dan Reeder
@ the Somerville Armory