Events

12 must-see concerts at the Boston-area’s smaller venues for winter 2024-25

Rock, electronic, folk, rap, R&B, jazz, and classical concerts are among the offerings in coming months.

Among acts playing theaters in the Boston area this winter are (clockwise from top) Indigo Girls, J. Mascis, Dua Saleh, Ian Maksin, and Barrence Whitfield. Jeremy Cowart; Amy Harris/Invision/AP; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; Courtesy Photo; Drew Reynolds

By Blake Maddux

7 minutes to read

Let’s get small! Here are 12 concerts worth seeing at Greater Boston’s smaller venues this December-February, organized by genre. (Sites include Brighton Music Hall, Paradise Rock Club, Royale, Big Night Live, The Sinclair in Cambridge, Crystal Ballroom in Somerville, and The Cabot in Beverly; check out our guide to larger venues here.) Please note, prices noted are face value; some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available.

Top rock/alternative/indie concerts:

Dogpark at Crystal Ballroom

Dogpark’s 2024 EP “Breaking in Brooklyn” includes the previously released singles “Dive Bar Named Nirvana” and “Now It’s Over” in addition to three other songs. Missing – but easily available – are this year’s “Cavier” and “Storefront Cabana.” While this may not be an extensive catalog, it is one whose inspired sound brings to mind at different moments Television, The Strokes, and Jet. And it was obviously enough to not only get them headlining gigs, but to also have their Davis Square gig moved from the smaller Rockwell to the larger Crystal Ballroom, where they will perform on Dec. 6. With Winyah and Good News. Friday, Dec. 6, doors at 7/show at 8, Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, $20/$22

Beat at Lynn Auditorium

Beat is a virtuoso-studded quartet that is touring in celebration of three of prog-rock titan King Crimson’s early ’80s albums: “Discipline,” “Beat,” and “Three of a Perfect Pair.” As daunting as performing this challenging material night after night surely is, the members of Beat are more than up to the task. David Bowie and Frank Zappa alumnus Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals) and Brookline native Tony Levin (bass) both played on all three records. Belew’s fellow Zappa alum Steve Vai is a prolific guitar virtuoso in his own right. Finally, Danny Carey has drummed for Tool for as long as the band has been together. Having already performed at Shubert Theatre in October, Beat will generously return for another Boston-area show in Lynn on Dec. 6. Friday, Dec. 6, show at 8, Lynn Auditorium, 3 City Hall Square, Lynn, $97

Barrence Whitfield’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve at The Cabot

It terms of a celebratory gathering of top-caliber Boston-area legends, it is unlikely to get much better than the one scheduled for Dec. 31 at The Cabot. The presence of Barrence Whitfield alone is sufficient to get people out of their (or other people’s) houses on NYE. In this case, however, the inimitable rock/R&B/soul/funk vocalist will be backed by indefatigable guitarist Jon Butcher, Stompers lead singer Sal Baglio, Heavy Metal Horns saxophonist Henley Douglas, Jr., ubiquitous veteran bassist Wolf Ginandes, and Dave Mattacks, a longtime Marblehead resident who is the indisputably best- résuméd drummer in British folk-rock history. And if all of that weren’t enough, Jimmy Tingle – the long-reigning face of Boston’s political comedy scene – will also be in the house. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7:30, The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $24.75-$58.50

J. Mascis at The Sinclair

The J. Mascis-led Dinosaur Jr. released eight albums – including the indie landmark “You’re Living All Over Me” – between 1985 and 1997. Since reuniting in 2005, the trio has added five more LPs to its discography. Since 2011, the Amherst native has recorded five of his own long players, including this year’s “What Do We Do Now.” Therefore, Mascis has plenty to draw from when compiling the setlist for his solo show at The Sinclair in February. With Pink Mountaintops. Saturday, Feb. 8, doors at 7/show at 8, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $30

Billy F. Gibbons at The Cabot

When I was growing up, ZZ Top was ubiquitous on MTV, which I watched on a loop. Little did I know that songs like “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Legs” – from 1983’s “Eliminator” – bore little if any resemblance to the hard-rocking, Texas-fried boogie that the trio built its reputation on in the 1970s, prime examples of which were “La Grange,” “Tush,” and “Cheap Sunglasses.” Although ZZ Top never officially disbanded, their last album appeared in 2012 and bassist Dusty Hill died in 2021. Thankfully, lead singer Billy Gibbons has recorded three solo efforts since 2015, and will return to The Cabot in February with 50 years’ worth of songs in hand. Thursday, Feb. 13, doors at 7/show at 8, The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $58.50-$99 (VIP tickets available for $329)

Los Lobos at The Cabot

East Los Angeles’s Los Lobos had its only major commercial success when their versions of several Richie Valens songs appeared on the 2-million-selling soundtrack to the 1987 movie “La Bamba.” However, the fewer sales of their proper releases have been inversely related to praise from critics and admiration from peers. Between 1984 and 2021, the band been nominated for 12 Grammy nominations in seven categories with four wins, in addition to a Latin Lifetime Achievement award. Finally, the band won induction into the California Hall of Fame in January. The Chicano music legends will bring their “acoustic with drums” Disconnected tour to Beverly in February. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, doors at 7/show at 8, The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $47.50-$78.50

Also of note:

Top dance/electronic concerts:

Sultan + Shepard at Royale

Since beginning their career together in the late 2000s, this Montreal-spawned duo has been honored with a 2013 Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording for their work on Bruno Mars’s “Locked Out of Heaven” and a 2018 Juno nomination for Dance Recording of the Year for their single “Almost Home.” They have released countless other non-album singles since 2007 in addition to five LPs and five EPs since 2019, including this year’s “Endless, Dawn.” Moreover, in addition to the aforementioned Bruno Mars, Sultan + Shepard have remixed songs by some of the 20th and 21st century’s biggest stars, including Lady Gaga, Madonna, Nelly Furtado, Tegan and Sara, and myriad others of varying degrees of stardom. Sultan + Shepard will bring their live show to Boston this coming February. With Rizen. Friday, Feb. 28, doors at 7/show at 8, Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $30-$45

Also of note:

Top folk concerts:

Indigo Girls at Chevalier Theatre

Since releasing their debut in 1987, the duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers has been one of the most durable folk acts of the past 40 years. Their first decade was distinguished by an uninterrupted string of gold, platinum, and multi-platinum records and seven Grammy nominations (including one win). In 2022, they were among the inductees into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. Furthermore, their song “Closer To Fine” was sung by the title character of the 2023 moving “Barbie.” Ray and Saliers are sure to receive a warm welcome when they take the stage in Medford on Dec. 6. Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30, Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford, $56-$96

Also of note:

Top rap/hip-hop concerts:

Dua Saleh at Brighton Music Hall

Dua Saleh is recognizable to Netflix viewers for their role as Cal Bowman on the exceptionally good series “Sex Education.” Born in Sudan, Saleh family fled the nation’s decades-long Second Civil War before establishing roots in St. Paul. (Saleh now lives in Minneapolis.) Following three EPs between 2019-2021 (the second of which, “Rosetta,” was named in honor of Sister Rosetta Tharpe), Saleh’s first LP, “I Should Call Them,” was released in October. Praising the album, just as it did their previous efforts, Pitchfork (Eric Torres, specifically) described it as “a dusky, dexterous homebrew of pop-R&B, rap, and rock songs whose lyrics seesaw between swaggering and lovesick.” Furthermore, AllMusic’s Timothy Monger describes their vocal style as “wavering between warm melodic singing and nuanced rap grit.” Saturday, Feb. 8, doors at 7/show at 8, Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston, $20-$25

Also of note:

Top R&B/soul concerts:

Eric Bellinger at Brighton Music Hall

Singer, songwriter, and producer Eric Bellinger’s credits include co-writing songs by artists as diverse as Usher, Brandy, Justin Bieber, and Big Time Rush. However, it was his work with Chris Brown in the early aughts – when Brown was as popular as one could ever hope to be – that made him a Grammy winner in 2011 (for Brown’s Best R&B Album honoree “F.A.M.E.”), a two-time nominee for Best Urban Contemporary Album (Brown’s “Fortunate” and “X”), and one-time contender for Best R&B Song (“New Flame). Proving that he can be just as artistically successful as a solo artist, Bellinger was a Grammy contender in a fourth category – Best Progressive R&B Album – for his 2021 LP “New Light.” Catch this multi-faceted talent’s intimate performance at Brighton Music Hall two days before Valentine’s Day. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, doors at 7/show at 8, Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston, $30.00

Also of note:

Top jazz concerts:

Branford Marsalis Quartet at The Cabot

Born in the birthplace of jazz in 1960, jazz legend Branford Marsalis has appeared on multiple recordings by – among many others – Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, the Grateful Dead, Sting, and James Taylor, countless single albums by others (including Miles Davis and Public Enemy), and the scores to the Spike Lee movies “Do the Right Thing” and “Malcolm X.” While these efforts may not have made his name familiar to a wide swath of Americans, his 1992-1995 tenure as the musical director of The Tonight Show band surely did. Of course, Marsalis has also been extraordinary prolific and successful as a bandleader, most notably of his eponymous Quartet, which will perform at The Cabot in January. Friday, Jan. 17, doors at 7/show at 8, The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $47.50-$99

Top classical concerts:

Ian Maksin at Museum of Modern Renaissance

Born in Leningrad when it was still part of the USSR, Ian Maksin is a cellist and polyglot capable of singing in more than a dozen language. Although he performs solo with only his instrument, he is billed as a “One-Man Orchestra [who] captivates audiences by transforming his cello into an entire symphonic experience….” However, Maksin believes that the sound of his music is only one part of the equation. There is also something profoundly philosophical. “I believe that music is one of the most powerful and unifying forces in the world, capable of healing, inspiring, bringing people together, and fostering peace,” Maksin says. “Through my cello, I hope to share that belief and, perhaps, bring a bit more understanding into the world.” Prepare to be mesmerized on many levels when he visits the Museum of Modern Renaissance on Dec. 14. Saturday, Dec. 14, show at 7:30, Museum of Modern Renaissance, 115 College Ave., Somerville, $30-$35

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