[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
[Boston-Area Action 8/12/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on August 12, 2026 at 5:11 pm | No Comments
Hey, so, it’s Wednesday, when I try to share a couple of Boston-centric lists: One with area (mostly indie-ish, rock-ish?) shows happening in the next seven days, and another with new show announcements. So I guess I’ll do that. But first, I ramble a little about personal highlights from each…
The biggie this weekend is Friday night’s free anniversary party for Fenway Recordings at Brighton Music Hall, where all three Mission of Burma members will be playing with their respective projects: Clint with a reconstituted Consonant (!), Peter with his mighty Minibeast, and Roger doing a solo set. Will their long-retired mutual rock band make an appearance? Magic 8-ball says All Signs Point to Yes. BigTime, John Herguth, & Lessa will be playing as well, and a certain DJ Carbo will be spinning tunes, too. I mean, it would be weird if he didn’t.
Before you head there on Friday, the free weekly series over at Notch Brewing (Brighton) has Thalia Zedek joining hosts Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs, and it starts early enough to do both. The night before brings Bobby Bare Jr. to Somerville for a solo show, and it looks like tickets are running low, so head to his page for details.
I whine about conflicts every week on this thing, and this time it’s because Honey Radar plays the same night as that Fenway show. Sigh. Love that band, bummed to miss out. :-/
Saturday has Brendan Boogie’s birthday bash at the Lizard Lounge Cambridge with The Grownup Noise, The Best Intentions, Scamper, & more, and Sunday you can catch Yard Act with the Armed at The Sinclair. I’m extremely psyched that Swervedriver are playing that same room on Tuesday night with Slow Fiction, celebrating the 35th anniversary of their ace “Raise” LP. Oh yes. Though that means I’ll be missing the monthly Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out event at The Burren, which includes Damon & Naomi this time around. Sure to be great.
As far as announcements go, a total highlight is the return of The Specific Heats, who will have their record release party at the Lilypad Inman on September 5th with Adult Learners. Earfull Series returns to The Regattabar on Sept. 16th with a lineup that includes Peter Wolf in his author guise, Joe Pernice will be opening for The Jayhawks at The Shubert Theater in October, and the Del Fuegos will play two holiday shows at City Winery Boston in December.
A few days ago I made sure to remind you to grab tickets to see Ted Leo in Beverly on October 9th… then I realized it’s the same night as Kyle MacLachlan appearing at WBUR CitySpace. And then immediately discovered that Christopher Slusarenko’s great podcast Revolutions Per Movie will screen “URGH! A MUSIC WAR” at MassArt with co-host Chaki & guest Hugo Burnham at the very same time. The gods of scheduling are just messing with me at this point. I badly want to be at all three of those events. Urgh, indeed.
Oh, and remember how surprised I was that Imperial Teen was playing a space as small at the Lilypad is? Well, that November show has been moved to the more spacious Warehouse XI. Much more suited for what they’re bringin’.
Peruse the lists below, make the tough choices, get yourself out there & support the audible arts. Don’t take it for granted. Sometimes it’s all we got. Check the full list over in the right-hand column. Leave any suggestions, corrections, criticism, or compliments in the comments… all are welcome. Well, maybe not the third thing.
Off we go…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Wednesday, August 12th
Triptides
Dyr Faser
@ Deep Cuts
Thursday, August 13th
Bobby Bare Jr.
live solo in Somerville
(search eventbrite for info)
Thursday, August 13th
Save Ferris
@ Taffeta Music Hall
Thursday, August 13th
Deep Purple
Kansas
Jefferson Starship
@ the Xfinity Center
Thursday, August 13th
Family Trip Podcast Show
with Seth Meyers
@ City Winery Boston
Friday, August 14th
Celebrating 25 Years
of Fenway Recordings
Consonant (reunion!)
Roger Clark Miller
Minibeast
BigTime
(and perhaps a ‘surprise’)
@ Brighton Music Hall
Friday, August 14th
Best Brother Records presents
Emily Robb
Honey Radar
Heathen Shame
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, August 14th
The Hilken Mancini &
Melissa Gibbs Residency
Week 2 with guests
Thalia Zedek
free @ Notch Brewing Brighton
Friday, August 14th
Blues Traveler
Gin Blossoms
Spin Doctors
@ the Pavilion
Saturday, August 15th
North West
Molly Santana
@ House of Blues
Saturday, August 15th
Brendan Boogie’s Bday Bash!
featuring
The Best Intentions,
The Broken Gates,
Fooled By April,
The Grownup Noise,
Harris, & Scamper
@ the Lizard Lounge
Saturday, August 15th
BoDeans
@ the Cabot
Sunday, August 16th
Dogstar
@ House of Blues
Sunday, August 16th
Yard Act
@ the Sinclair
Sunday, August 16th
Ben Nichols (Lucero) & friends
Cory Branan
@ Deep Cuts
Tuesday, August 18th
Swervedriver
Slow Fiction
@ the Sinclair
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
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Friday, September 4th
Zola Simone
Shallow Pools
TWAM
@ Deep Cuts
Saturday, September 5th
The Specific Heats (record release!)
Adult Learners
@ the Lilypad
Wednesday, September 16th
In The Pines
Feep
Daughter of the Vine
@ Deep Cuts
Wednesday, September 16th
The EARFULL series
writers reading,
songwriters performing.
with authors
Jennifer Belle & Peter Wolf
and musicians
Eric & Hazel Royer
and Kenny White
@ the Regattabar
Saturday, October 3rd
Sera Cahoone
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, October 9th
Kyle MacLachlan
presents his new book
@ WBUR Cityspace
Friday, October 9th
Revolutions Per Movie
and Culture Saves presents
URGH! A MUSIC WAR
with Chaki, Chris Slusarenko,
and guest Hugo Burnham
@ Tower Auditorium, MassArt
Tuesday, October 13th
Steve Lacy
@ MGM Music Hall
Saturday, October 17th
Sidewalk Driver (record release!)
Louder Joy
Lipsmear
Blindspot
@ the Middle East Down
Sunday, October 18th
Laura Cortese
@ the Rockwell
Sunday, October 18th
Allison Russell
Autumn Nicholas
@ the Royale
Saturday, October 24th
The Jayhawks
Joe Pernice
@ the Shubert Theatre
Saturday, December 19th
The Del Fuegos
“Home For The Holidays 2026”
two shows @ City Winery