[Boston-Area Action 9/3/2026] Show-Going Plans & New Show Announcements
Posted on September 3, 2026 at 10:20 am | No Comments
Hey, it’s (past) time for the weekly (supposed to be) Wednesday Boston-area upcoming & announced shows post. If I had gotten this done yesterday as I’d planned then I’d have reminded you to go see the Fixx, Colin Blunstone, & Peter Asher at the Somerville Theatre last night, or maybe catch the show over at Q Division. Alas, hopefully you went without my absent reminder.
For impending area shows of interest happening this week, I’ll start with tonight’s right-up-my-alley pairing of the rarely-seen Dumptruck with Mary Lou Lord at Deep Cuts. That’s where I’ll be, at least. Maybe Robyn at Agganis is more your speed? There’s also a pretty killer Tom Petty tribute going on at Lou’s in Harvard Square that I wish was on a different night. And jeez, Quicksand is playing, too. Another tough one to miss.
As far as the rest of the weekend goes, I’ll be away again (I’d never miss a DromFest), but you should totally hit the Hilken & Melissa-curated weekly free Friday evening show at Notch Brewing (Brighton), where Mike Gent (the Figgs) & Chris Colbourn (Buffalo Tom) will be playing. I’d be there if I was here, then maybe at the Peter Hook show at the House of Blues afterwards (the Sox aren’t in town, so it’ll be less of a cluster down there).
It kills me that I’m missing the return of The Specific Heats on Saturday, who are celebrating their new record with the help of Adult Learners at the Lilypad. Monday brings a post-DromFest area appearance from a couple of ace, and long-absent, bands: Via & Nice Strong Arm. They’ll be playing Deep Cuts with openers Astral B.itch. Will I be too exhausted from my weekend away to make it out? Time will tell.
Announcement-wise, details on newly-booked shows from Hedge, Little Barrie, Dinosaur Jr., another chance to catch the Specific Heats, and more can be found below, and in the longer list over in the right column over there –>
As always, corrections and your own personal recommendations are not just welcome, but encouraged. Leave a comment with what I missed. I do not judge. At least not out loud.
The lists…
First, imminent Boston-area shows of (my/your?) interest…
Thursday, September 3rd
Dumptruck
Mary Lou Lord
@ Deep Cuts
Thursday, September 3rd
Robyn
Avalon Emerson & the Charm
@ Agganis Arena
Thursday, September 3rd
The Hardest Part:
A Tribute to Tom Petty
@ Lou’s, Harvard Square
Thursday, September 3rd
Reverend Horton Heat
Messer Chups
@ City Winery
Thursday, September 3rd
Quicksand
Bane
Soulblind
@ the Royale
Friday, September 4th
The Hilken Mancini &
Melissa Gibbs Residency
Week 5 with guests
Mike Gent (the Figgs)
& Chris Colbourn (Buffalo Tom)
free @ Notch Brewing Brighton
Friday, September 4th
Peter Hook & the Light
play New Order’s “Get Ready”
@ House of Blues
Friday, September 4th
Zola Simone
Shallow Pools
TWAM
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, September 4th
Lily Allen
performs “West End Girl”
@ MGM Music Hall
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
September 4th, 5th, & 6th
Esperanza Spalding
@ City Winery
Saturday, September 5th
The Specific Heats
(record release show!)
Adult Learners
@ the Lilypad
Saturday & Sunday
September 5th & 6th
James Taylor & his band
@ MGM Music Hall
Saturday, September 5th
Violent Femmes
@ Cape Cod Melody Tent
Sunday, September 6th
Violent Femmes
@ South Shore Music Circus
Monday, September 7th
Nice Strong Arm
Via
Astral Bitch
@ Deep Cuts
Tuesday, September 8th
John Fogerty
Steve Winwood
@ the Pavilion
And now, recently announced Boston-area shows…
Thursday, September 17th
(rescheduled from 9/3)
The Grownup Noise
@ the Condon Shell, Medford
Saturday, September 19th
Roslindale Porchfest!
including a show with
The Specific Heats
& Frisson
@ Roslindale, duh
Saturday, September 19th
Doss
Moon by Moon
Birdbath
Intac (solo)
@ somewhere in Brighton
(ask a punk)
Saturday, September 19th
Andy California
Nnnice Guys
The Swettes
Pledge Pins
@ Lou Ann David Park
in Somerville
Thursday, October 8th
The Movielife
Travis Shettel (Piebald)
True Crime
@ the Somerville Armory
Thursday, October 22nd
Declaw
Hedge
Dagwood
Something Sneaky
@ Deep Cuts
Friday, October 23rd
Little Barrie
@ the Lilypad
Wednesday, October 28th
Small Pond
Otis Shanty
Bus Crush
@ Deep Cuts
November 28th
Bim Skala Bim
@ the Cut
March 13th
Dinosaur Jr.
@ the House of Blues
Catskill, here I come…
[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