Events

10 must-see concerts at Greater Boston’s smaller venues for summer 2025

Rock, folk, R&B, and rap are on tap in Greater Boston's clubs and theaters this summer.

Boldy James, Dean Wareham, and Yola will all be gracing local stages this summer. SUPPARAY/YouTube; Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy; Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

By Blake Maddux

6 minutes to read

Small stages, big sounds: Here are 10 concerts worth seeing at Greater Boston’s smaller venues this June-August, organized by genre. (Sites include Agganis Arena, Brighton Music Hall, Paradise Rock Club, Royale, Big Night Live, City Winery, The Sinclair in Cambridge, Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom in Somerville, and Deep Cuts in Medford; check out our guide to larger venues here and our guide to suburban venues here. Also, see our separate lists for Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium.) Please note, prices noted are face value; some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available.

Alternative/Indie/Rock

Dean Wareham at The Sinclair

Dean Wareham’s connection to Boston dates back more than 40 years to his arrival in Cambridge in the early 1980s. After graduating from Harvard, he cofounded the short-lived but highly influential indie rock/dream pop Galaxie 500 in 1987 with two fellow Crimson alumni. After four years with that band, he assembled Luna, a prolific and also highly influential dream pop band that released seven LPs between 1992 and 2004 (and another in 2017). In March, the 61-year-old unveiled his fourth solo record since 2013, “That’s the Price of Loving Me,” which he will showcase at The Sinclair on June 5. With Escap-ism. Thursday, June 5, doors at 7/show at 8, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $32.35

Cults at The Sinclair

Cults comes to The Sinclair June 21. – coneill52/Last.fm

A New York-formed duo comprising vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, Cults are — like Dean Wareham and his bands — practitioners of dream pop that encompasses various subcategories of indie rock. Last year’s “To the Ghosts” is the sixth full-length offering of their 15-year recording career, during which time they have scored worldwide success with the singles “Always Forever” and “Gilded Lily.” With zzzahara. Saturday, June 21, doors at 7:30/show at 8:30, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $37.93

Friendship and 2nd Grade at Deep Cuts

This bill may not officially be a co-headlining one, but I think that both bands are worth mentioning up front given their overlapping qualities. Both bands are based in Philadelphia, but Friendship was formed in Yarmouth, Maine.  Moreover, both include Peter Gill as a member. However, Friendship is the creative outlet of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dan Wriggins, while 2nd Grade is the bailiwick of Gill. Finally, the bands’ sounds are almost antitheses of one another. The 11 songs on Friendship’s brand new record “Caveman Wakes Up” run the standard three to five minutes and occasionally border on the funereal. 2nd Grade’s 23-track “Scheduled Explosions” (2023), meanwhile, invariably invites comparisons to Guided by Voices in sound and aesthetic, with songs that rarely pass the two-minute mark. Thus, their show at Deep Cuts on June 28 will satisfy more than a few musical tastes, and certainly not mutually exclusive ones. With Jake McKelvie. Saturday, June 8, doors at 7/show at 8, Deep Cuts, Medford, $18.03

The Church at Somerville Theatre 

The Church will be bringing 45 years worth of material to Somerville Theatre. – thechurchband.com

Australia’s The Church continues to be a productive recording and touring unit despite having their only Billboard Hot 100 entry and gold album 37 years ago. Of course, the song “Under the Milky Way” is timeless, and its parent album “Starfish” is as good as anything that they released in the eight years prior to it or in the time since. And there is much more to The Church than what the charts indicate, which is why they are able to bring their “The Singles: 1980-2025” tour to Somerville 45 years after their debut. Friday, Aug. 1, doors at 7/show at 8, Somerville Theatre, Somerville, 55 Davis Square, $53.55-$110.45

Hotline TNT at The Sinclair

Like many musicians, Hotline TNT auteur Will Anderson is not particularly keen on his music’s being boxed into a specific genre. However, that doesn’t mean that commentators are incorrect or unfair in stamping his sound with the “shoegaze” label. I personally think that it’s accurate to use this term, but it would be incorrect to limit it to that given Anderson’s knack for power pop, jangle pop, and spirited indie rock. The band’s album “Cartwheel” was among my favorites of 2023, so I look forward “Raspberry Moon,” arriving on June 20. Thursday, Aug. 28, doors at 7:30/show at 8:30, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $30.30

Also of note:

Folk/Americana/Country

Yola with Yanna G at The Sinclair

Some artists’ careers have peaked, plateaued, or are on the downslope by the time they reach 35. Yola, on the other hand, released her first LP, “Walk Through Fire,” at that age, and for her efforts received four Grammys (New Artist, Americana Album, American Roots Performance, American Roots Song), three Americana Music Honors & Awards (Emerging Artist, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year), and won the UK Americana Awards for Artist of the Year and Album of the year. (All of this on top of having won the former in 2017 thanks to her 2016 debut EP.) Since then, the Bristol, UK native has been nominated for one Country Music Association Award, two more Grammys, and won UK Americana Awards in the same categories that she did before (one of which was for her 2021 LP, “Stand for Myself”). Yola will perform at The Sinclair on June 6 and have songs from her 2024 EP “My Way” in tow. With Yanna G. Friday, June 6, doors at 7:30/show at 8:30, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $38.95

Charlie Cunningham at The Sinclair

London native Charlie Cunningham is a two-time Pop Awards nominee, one of which he won – Album of the Year for his 2017 debut album “Lines.” Prior to that, he had recorded three EPs, and since them has added three full-lengths and another EP to his discography. The indie folk singer-songwriter and Spanish flamenco-trained guitarist’s current tour in support of this year’s 2025 “In Light” includes a stop at The Sinclair. With Hannah Frances. Sunday, June 22, doors at 7/show at 8, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $35.42

Also of note:

Rap/Hip-hop

Eem Triplin at Paradise Rock Club

Naeem Triplin was born in the small city/town of Johnson, Pennsylvania, in a county that abuts what is sometimes pejoratively referred to as Pennsyltucky. Since 2018, he has released numerous stand-alone singles, including “Awkward Style,” which went viral in 2022. He has also produced, recorded, and toured with the platinum-selling rappers $not and Lucki and contributed vocals to Camila Cabello’s song “Baby Pink.” 2025’s “Melody of a Memory” is his first LP in an oeuvre that that also includes three extended plays. With DC the Don. Sunday, June 8, doors at 7/show at 8, Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $36

Boldy James at Brighton Music Hall

Boldy James was born James Clay Jones III in Atlanta and raised in Detroit. His prolificacy is indicated by the 18 studio albums that he has released since 2013, many of which have been collaborations with rappers and producers such as The Alchemist, Nicholas Craven, Real Bad Man, and RichGains. Moreover, he has numerous mixtapes and EPs to his credit, along with appearances on countless singles by other artists. Catch him in the intimate confines of Brighton Music Hall on June 26. Thursday, June 26, doors 7/show at 8, Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Avenue, Allston

Also of note:

R&B/Soul

Gallant at The Sinclair

Singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Gallant (his last name) released Zinc. last September. It is the most recent entry in a discography that includes three albums with three EPs interspersed among them. “Ology,” his 2016 debut, was a contender for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy ceremony. This put him in the company of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Anderson .Paak, and We Are KING. Gallant’s touring, recording, and producing partners include Sufjan Stevens, Jhené Aiko, and Stint. Fans are encouraged to bask in the glow of his subtle but highly expressive voice at The Sinclair on June 14. With Justin Nozuka. Saturday, June 14, doors at 7:30/show at 8:30, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $35.42

Also of note:

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