16 can’t-miss concerts in Boston this July
From Rolling Stones to Jennifer Lopez, Phish to “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Two outdoor summer festival staples and one beloved Vermont jam band at Friendly Fenway are just two of this city’s July music events.
Summer festivals
Levitate Music FestivalThe South Shore’s annual music and arts festival returns to the shores of Marshfield for a seventh-straight summer, this year expanding to three days. The positive vibes continue in 2019 with sets from Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, and more. (Friday, July 12 at 4 p.m. to Sunday, July 14 at 11:30 a.m.; Marshfield Fairgrounds, Marshfield; $15-$675; with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Stick Figure, more; tickets available here)
Green River Festival
Greenfield’s annual music, arts, food, and hot air balloon festival celebrates its 33rd year with one of its most diverse lineups to date. This summer’s bill includes Louisiana songwriter Lucinda Williams, folk rock family band The Wood Brothers, and Carolina Chocolate Drops banjoist Rhiannon Giddens. (Friday, July 12 at 5 p.m. to Sunday, July 14 at 12:30 p.m.; Greenfield Community College, Greenfield; $44.99-$179.99; all ages; with Angelique Kidjo, Devil Makes Three, Low Cut Connie, more; tickets available here)
Mad Decent Block Party Festival
Los Angeles-based party music label Mad Decent, spearheaded by producer extraordinaire Diplo, takes over Gillette Stadium for a weekend for the Super Mega Ultra Giant Mad Decent Block Party. The traveling festival includes performances from electropop songwriter Billie Eilish, Oakland rapper G-Eazy, and R&B vocalist Miguel, as well as the world’s largest bounce house. (Saturday, July 20 at 1 p.m. to Sunday, July 21 at 12 p.m.; Gillette Stadium, Foxborough; $79.99-$19250; all ages; with Major Lazer, Dillon Francis, Pusha T, more; tickets available here)
Rock ‘n’ roll royalty
Jackson BrowneOne of rock’s most highly regarded songwriters, Jackson Browne is responsible for many of the ‘70s most recognizable hits. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer continues to write, record, and collaborate, putting out his latest record, “Standing in the Breach”, in 2014. Hitting the road for a summer tour, Browne will make a stop at Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion. (Tuesday, July 2 at 7:30 p.m.; Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, Boston; $25-$65; all ages; tickets available here)
Phish
There aren’t many bands with the touring resume of Burlington, Vermont’s Phish. The quartet consistently packs their very own music festivals, hosts a Phish-filled winter weekend at a resort in Mexico, and played a record 13 consecutive nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden, repeating zero songs throughout the run. The jam band royalty hasn’t played Fenway since 2009, but will return for two-straight nights at Boston’s beloved ballpark. (Friday, July 5 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m.; Fenway Park, Boston; $45-$85; tickets available here)
Rolling Stones
For more than 50 years, the Stones have penned some of rock’s most iconic anthems and performed on some of the world’s biggest stages. Long since cementing themselves as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands ever, the group remains a band of road warriors, rounding out the last leg of their No Filter tour with a stop at Gillette Stadium. (Sunday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m.; Gillette Stadium, Foxborough; $144-$495; all ages; with Gary Clark Jr,; tickets available here)
Listen local
Leedz LocaleThe Middle East is known for booking some of the best up-and-coming names in hip-hop, and championing local lyricists along the way. Leedz Locale celebrates many of these neighborhood names for a night of Boston hip-hop that includes Brandie Blaze, M-Dot, Space Cade7s, and more. (Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m.; Middle East Downstairs; $12; all ages; with Suriel, Alyssa Marie, Deon Chase, more; tickets available here) DamoneFew bands defined Boston’s sound in the ‘00s quite like Waltham’s own Damone. The power pop collective put out three records from 2003 to 2008, calling it quits shortly after. Now, the band will reunite at The Sinclair for its first gig in a decade, featuring opening sets from Carissa Johnson and Slim Jim and the Mad Cows. (Friday, July 26 at 8 p.m.; The Sinclair, Cambridge; $15; 18+; with Carissa Johnson, Slim Jim and the Mad Cows; tickets available here)
Alternative rockers
Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat WorldTwo alt-rock powerhouses from the ‘90s and ‘00s are joining forces for the Summer Gods Tour, which will make its way to Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion. Third Eye Blind, responsible for such hits as “Semi-Charmed Life”, “Jumper”, and “Never Let You Go”, will co-headline with Arizona-bred emo pioneers Jimmy Eat World. Boston’s show also features New York indie rockers Ra Ra Riot. (Monday, July 8 at 7 p.m.; Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, Boston; $50-$115; all ages; with Ra Ra Riot; tickets available here)
blink-182 and Lil Wayne
Pop punk and hip-hop link up for one of the summer’s biggest tours. Energetic trio blink-182 is splitting the bill with Young Money honcho Lil Wayne. Between the two acts, countless hits across genres will make for a memorable summer soundtrack as the tour rolls through Xfinity Center. (Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m.; Xfinity Center, Mansfield; $24-$127; all ages; with NEck Deep; tickets available here)
Indie-minded songwriters
Bill CallahanSince 1990, Bill Callahan has been one of rock’s most prolific acoustic storytellers, performing both under his own name and under the band name Smog. His 20th album, June’s “Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest”, is a return to Callahan’s lo-fi roots, and has garnered some of the highest critical praise of any of his work to date. He’ll play The Sinclair with the help of Chicago-based guitarist Bill MacKay. (Wednesday, July 10 at 8 p.m.; The Sinclair, Cambridge; $25; 18+; with Bill MacKay; tickets available here)
Belle & Sebastian
Scottish indie rock collective Belle and Sebastian have found success in three-consecutive decades, purveying polished twee pop over the course of ten albums. Still fueled off of the release of their latest, last year’s “How to Solve Our Human Problems”, the band will find its way to House of Blues along with D.C. power trio Ex Hex. (Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m.; House of Blues, Boston; $39.50; all ages; with Ex Hex; tickets available here)
Everything in between
DeerhoofWest coast art rockers Deerhoof have put out 15 albums in more than two decades, but have never pinned themselves down to a specific genre or sound. Mixing elements of funk, jazz, noise, even contemporary classical, the band always brings an onslaught of percussion and makes for one of the more danceable live shows in indie rock. (Sunday, July 14 at 7 p.m.; Brighton Music Hall, Boston; $17; 18+; with Blank Spell, Bait Bag; tickets available here)
Wiz Khalifa
Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa has been one of the top names in hip-hop for close to a decade now, and is hitting the road for an amphitheatre tour, bringing along some of the genre’s biggest up-and-comers. His show at Xfinity Center will also feature sets from Bronx-based artist French Montana, Atlanta cloud rapper Playboi Carti, Memphis lyricist Moneybagg Yo, and more. (Sunday, July 14 at 6 p.m.; Xfinity Center, Mansfield; $20-$89; all ages; with Chevy Woods, DJ Drama; tickets available here)
Jennifer Lopez
The multi-talented “Jenny from the Bronx” may be turning 50 this summer, but is involved in more projects than ever before. On top of acting, judging on reality shows, producing, and launching fashion and fragrance lines, Lopez is trekking her first music tour in almost seven years, including a show at Xfinity Center. (Tuesday, July 16 at 8 p.m.; Xfinity Center, Mansfield; $41-$499; all ages; with World of Dance; tickets available here)
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Parody, pastiche, and polka. There’s only one artist on the planet who can truly encompass all three: “Weird Al” Yankovic. Fresh off of a Grammy win this year, Weird Al is embarking on the Strings Attached Tour, in which he will be backed by a live orchestra. The caravan will stop at Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion for a special evening. (Sunday, July 21 at 7:30 p.m.; Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion, Boston; $30-$75; all ages; tickets available here)
