Summer has come and gone, but who cares about that when you’ve got this much incredible live music to look forward to? From arenas to sweaty little holes in the wall, from flawless pop hooks to spaceway trippers to noise grinders, from locals to international superstars, there’s no limit to the reasons for you to go out and catch a gig. See you in the pit!
Sept. 14
Bebel Gilberto
7:30 p.m. at the Dr. Phillips Center, drphillipscenter.org, $40
In a rare Florida appearance from a scion of Brazilian music royalty (she is the daughter of bossa god João Gilberto), Bebel Gilberto keeps the family tradition alive with a modern and earthy take on the bossa nova sound that her father pioneered. Gilberto's music is at once warm and breezy, unhurried, jazzy and slinky, but every note is suffused with melancholy and yearning. The bossa nova sound is as fresh and wondrous in Bebel Gilberto's hands as it was when Getz/Gilberto blazed new trails, and her voice is a thing of wide-eyed, dexterous wonder. Summer forever. (MM)
Sept. 18
Meghan Trainor
7 p.m. at CFE Arena, cfearena.com, $25-$290
Triple threat Meghan Trainor (singer/songwriter/producer) has become a bona fide pop sensation on her own terms, all by dint of her own hard work and performance savvy. Although a struggle with vocal cord hemorrhages in 2015 nearly stopped her promising young career dead in its tracks, Trainor soldiered through. Her music is an ebullient mix of modern pop and R&B tropes with Trainor's distinctive purr riding shotgun. (MM)
Sept. 27
Slayer
7 p.m. at Hard Rock Live, hardrock.com, $45-$75
Though the pioneering occult thrash quartet is down both drummer Dave Lombardo and imposing guitar warlock Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.), singer-bassist Tom Araya and human diabolus en musica Kerry King soldier on. And if Guns N' Roses can go out there and sell out arenas without their original drummer and rhythm guitarist, well, Slayer have more than earned that payday just on the strength of the opening notes of "Angel of Death." Rounding out the bill are fellow thrash legend Anthrax, and, intriguingly, one of the great cult acts of the Bay Area thrash scene, Death Angel. (MM)
Oct. 2
Destroyer
6:30 p.m. at the Social, thesocial.org, $15-$17
This solo outing from Destroyer guiding light Dan Bejar – as part of a lengthy U.S. tour – promises a fragile and intimate, though winding and uncertain, traipse through Bejar's chameleonic sensibilities and aesthetic. A vulnerable, pinched voice masks a restless artistic sensibility that has seen Destroyer lineups change drastically and dalliances in music ranging across the pop and avant spectrums. But tonight it's just him and his vast body of work, and it's up to your ears to find the connective tissue between them. (MM)
Oct. 5
Lil Yachty
8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live, hardrock.com, $33
One of a cadre of young aesthetic/sonic boundary-trippers in hip-hop music, Lil Yachty recently lit the Social up at the end of August. Now, as opening act for Rae Sremmurd within the more roomy and widescreen environs of Hard Rock Live, having already proven his live bonafides in our city, you can expect even more chaos, adulation, red hair, incredible fashion and Yachty's idiosyncratic sing-rapping style. (MM)
Oct. 6-9
Garth Brooks
7 p.m. at Amway Center, amwaycenter.com, $74.98
This monstrous four-night stand at the Amway Center is like pop-country's version of Sinatra at the Sands – the master showman and elder statesman proving that he can still show the young punks a thing or two on a grand scale, in front of no doubt sold-out crowds. Expect all of Brooks' KISS-inspired showstopping antics to be updated and in force – though the wig of Chris Gaines is still locked away in an undisclosed location, never to be seen again – and to hear the songs that basically formed the template for modern radio country as it stands today. (MM)
Oct. 14
Bleached
7 p.m. at Backbooth, backbooth.com, $15-$17
In 1976 the Runaways put out an album steeped in sex and sunshine, and it is in that band's wake that Bleached emerged 40 years later. Digging their way out from under the weight of eviction notices, unhealthy relationships and the temptations of the party life, the L.A. trio is a band for anyone who's ever been torn between being productive or getting high. Their words will hit home, their sound will make you dance, and their live show is sure to be the highlight of a very stacked October of concerts. Oh, and they're co-headlining the bill with freakin' Beach Slang! This will be the show you'll be hating yourself the next day for not attending. (JC)
Oct. 19
Psychedelic Furs
7 p.m. at the Plaza Live, plazaliveorlando.com, $29.50-$49.50
Psychedelic Furs don't get the same cred/respect that other dark-alternative and new wave guitar groups like Echo and the Bunnymen, OMD, Modern English or the Church get – and that's a goddamn shame because A) Richard Butler can one-up any of them in the razor-sharp cheekbone stakes, and B) they've got a clutch of elegantly depressed hits that are still the stuff that lovelorn mixtapes and playlists are made of: "Love My Way," "Heartbreak Street," "Pretty in Pink." Bring your sunglasses and keep them on the whole fucking time. (MM)
Oct. 29
Lindsey Stirling
8 p.m. at the Bob Carr Theater, drphillipscenter.org, $29-$150
Lindsey Stirling, the violinist best known for incorporating dancefloor electronics into her playing (to massive YouTube success) has an incredibly fervent and dedicated following, sure to show up in force to this Bob Carr concert. Her music combines classically trained chops with pop smarts, and her live shows are spectacles of visual flair and over-the-top choreography. This show will be part of a larger tour promoting her third album, Brave Enough, featuring collaborations with the likes of Lecrae and Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. (MM)
Nov. 2
Marissa Nadler
8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live, hardrock.com, $30-$45
Shock metallers Ghost have immaculate choice in opening acts, but then you end up feeling ambivalent about the pantomime nature of the headliner. Last time Ghost rolled through they had King Dude in tow; this time, it's Marissa Nadler. The young guitarist-singer has, in a relatively short time, mapped out a Southern gothic psychogeography that is as evocative of those bloodstained deltas as, say, Nick Cave's. And with a ghostly, haunting voice to match lyrics like "All the Colors of the Dark," it would be worthwhile to get there early and brave the crowds just to catch Nadler's set. (MM)
Nov. 5
True Widow
8 p.m., at Will's Pub, willspub.org, $10-$12
Pioneers of the "stonegaze" subgenre, True Widow bring their original hybrid of stoner rock and shoegaze to Will's Pub in support of their newly released album, Avvolgere, the Texas trio's fourth full-length. The group layers gentle melodies over dense low-end tones for a slow ride through their unique soundscape, highlighted by alternating female and male vocals that give each song a distinct narrative. With the rhythm section providing a slow but steady pace for monolithic riffs that loop throughout each gloomy dirge, True Widow continues to create entrancing sonic atmospheres that were made for nodding along. (TB)
Nov. 11
Animal Collective
6 p.m. at the Beacham, thebeacham.com $27-$30
The trio of Geologist, Avey Tare and Panda Bear have come a long way from their mask-wearing, noise-trance beginnings to where they are now – edging toward being a Pink Floyd or Grateful Dead for paisley-afflicted 20-somethings. The masks are long gone, replaced by kaleidoscopic and neo-psychedelic lights and projections that match well with their increasingly dancey and intricately layered electronic explorations. Set the controls for the heart of the sun. (MM)
Nov. 11
Mitski
8 p.m. at Backbooth, backbooth.com, $12
Back by popular demand and Twitter pleas, prolific singer-songwriter Mitski will be swinging through Florida this fall. During her last visit to Orlando at the Dr. Phillips Center, she screamed from her knees into the neck of her guitar as she carefully plucked each string, beckoning a shrill wall of feedback. That is the type of cathartic performance we can and should expect at this show; prepare for an emotional punch to the gut only to later be exalted in the glory that you "don't have to be what your daddy wants you to be." If Bury Me at Makeout Creek was her breakout album, her most recent release, Puberty 2, is her coming of age. This is a Mitski you won't want to miss. (LJ)
Nov. 13
Thievery Corporation
7 p.m., at House of Blues, houseofblues.com, $35-$77.75
The electronica duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are musical citizens of the world in the truest sense, embracing and immersing themselves in sonics from all over the globe, all with deep respect toward the source materials and cultures. Recorded works have delved into Brazilian, French, Italian and Persian musics, with a deft electronic sheen. Live they're a neo-psychedelic, boisterous world party, bolstered by a family of collaborators from all over. (MM)
Nov. 14
Tegan and Sara
7 p.m. at the Beacham, thebeacham.com, $31-$36
Sister act Tegan and Sara are touring behind their eighth (!!) album, Love You to Death, praised by the Guardian as "smart, grown-up pop." This should be an emotional show for the duo, as they've been outspoken about LGBTQ issues in both their lives and music, dedicating "Faint of Heart" to the memory of the Pulse victims. This night will be a testament to the power of music to heal. (MM)
Nov. 17
Peter Hook and the Light
7 p.m. at the Plaza Live, plazaliveorlando.com, $25-$40
Hey listen, we're not exactly going to vouch for the stellar quality of one member of Joy Division and New Order hitting the road to play both bands' Substance compilations from start to finish. But this is Peter Hook, one of the finest bassists in both postpunk and dance music and a heroic icon of rock excess, and he was squeezed out of his rightful place in New Order. So he deserves his moment. It's not his first solo jaunt by any means (previous endeavors included Revenge and Monaco), but if you're going to choose just one new-wave nostalgia fest this autumn – this is the one. (MM)
Dec. 3
Stanley Clarke
7 p.m. at the Plaza Live, plazaliveorlando.com, $49.50-$69.50
Stanley Clarke, bass player extraordinaire, has an incredible legacy, having played with everyone from the Stones to Stewart Copeland, Pharoah Sanders to Carlos Santana. If there's a movie or TV show you like, chances are he scored it: Boyz N the Hood, Pee-Wee's Playhouse and The Transporter, to name just a few. Folks like Victor Wooten and Esperanza Spalding hail him as an important influence, not to mention the countless metalheads who cite him and Return to Forever (his legendary fusion group with Chick Corea) as being at the roots of modern progressive metal. In the current age of cookie-cutter music, Stanley Clarke stands head and shoulders above much of what is churned out onto the market and reminds us of a time when music was ruled by the musicians and not the business. (KE)
Dec. 8
Ms. Lauryn Hill
7 p.m. at House of Blues, houseofblues.com, $55-$100
Ms. Lauryn Hill is that rarest of rarities in our current pop landscape, a bona fide legend and an enigma even in the 24-hour online pop culture mill. She's earned her reputation, though, both as a member of Fugees and as the creator of a classic of '90s hip-hop R&B, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Now doubters are gonna say things like, "Oh, she's gonna cancel," or "She's difficult." But you know what? Most things in life that are consistent are bland and boring. So get out of here and go to Taco Bell with that consistency nonsense. You want a life-changing performance? You go with a diva. (MM)
Dec. 11
Jodeci
7 p.m. at House of Blues, houseofblues.com, $35-$77.75
We are currently in the middle of a golden age of a New Jack Swing-style R&B revival – and now joining a revamped Blackstreet, Bell Biv Devoe and Dru Hill is fucking Jodeci! The quartet, best known for "Come and Talk to Me" and "Forever My Lady," reunited back in 2015 and immediately set to work on The Past, the Present, the Future, and on the heels of the positive reception for the album, hit the road. Sure, you're probably gonna hear a good bit of the debut album and Diary of a Mad Band, but Jodeci 2016 is a re-energized creative entity, so prepare for a journey. (MM)
Dec. 17-19
Florida Is Loud Fest
10 p.m. at Will's Pub and Uncle Lou's, $5-$18
It's refreshing to see a festival that's completely homegrown out of pure music fandom and enthusiasm. To that end, we have the grassroots-organized inaugural Florida Is Loud festival, free of cynical branding or even more cynical curation strategies. FIL shows off all the various hues of the Florida heaviness spectrum, from the unhinged punk of Nunhex to Wørsen's blackened d-beat to sludge fuckers Holly Hunt – and representing the City Beautiful, you've got Autarx, Burn to Learn, Ad Nauseum and Deformed among many more. Taking place at Uncle Lou's and Will's over a single weekend, this fest should be earplugs-worthy in all the best ways. (MM)
Shows worth a road trip
Not in Orlando, but the price of a few extra gallons of gas is more than balanced out by the bragging rights.
Kanye West
Ecstatic beats from the master of drama will mess with your head.
Sept. 14, Amalie Arena, Tampa
Earthdance Florida
with Coyote Kisses, Bluetech, Dubtribe Sound System, Hedflux and many more
Sept. 16-18, Maddox Ranch, Lakeland
Merchandise
Record release show with Naga, Sleeping Pills and Public Memory.
Sept. 23, Crowbar, Tampa
Fest 15
with Propagandhi, Wilhelm Scream, Braid, Lemuria and many more
Oct. 28-30, various venues, Gainesville
Suwannee Hulaween
with My Morning Jacket, Claypool Lennon Delirium, Anderson .Paak and many more
Oct. 28-30, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Suwannee
An Evening with Nellie McKay
An intimate show with the wickedly clever chanteuse with the smoky-helium voice.
Nov. 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach
Dolly Parton
The undisputed queen of country weaves magic on her first major tour in 25 years.
Nov. 26, Amalie Arena, Tampa
