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15 must-see concerts at Boston’s top venues for summer 2025

Like classic rock? Current country? Americana? Blues? "Weird Al" Yankovic? There's something for everybody in Greater Boston this summer.

Paul Simon, Snail Mail, Ben Harper, Stevie Nicks, and Dierks Bentley will all be in town this summer.

By Ed Symkus

10 minutes to read

Here comes summer! The concert scene is heating up, right along with the temperature. And Boston is the right place for both indoor and outdoor concerts, featuring music from all sorts of genres.

Here’s a partial list of what you can choose from in some of Greater Boston’s major venues from June through August.

(Sites include Agganis Arena, House of Blues, MGM Music Hall, Club Passim, Leader Bank Pavilion, Roadrunner, TD Garden, Wang Theatre, The Wilbur, and Xfinity Center. Check out our separate lists for Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, along with recommendations for Boston’s small venues and suburban shows.)

Best pop concerts

James Blunt at MGM Music Hall

The music of British singer James Blunt isn’t what you would classify as “easy listening,” but it sure is easy to listen to. That was proven with the stellar success of his best-known song — the 20-year-old “You’re Beautiful.” But he’s had plenty of hits after that one: the poppy “Stay the Night” and the oh-so-happy “Heart to Heart” come to mind. But a trip through his most recent release — 2023’s “Who We Used to Be” — reveals that Blunt is deft at capturing all sorts of emotions in his songs. Just check out that album’s melancholy “Dark Thought,” about his relationship with the late Carrie Fisher. Monday, June 16, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $66-$79.

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic at The Wang Theatre

“Weird Al” hits the Wang in July. – ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images

He knows his way around an accordion, but fans don’t refer to him as a musician. He’s a funny guy, but no one’s calling him a comedian. The Hawaiian-shirted, scraggly haired “Weird Al” Yankovic has, for the past four decades, made his name — and scored plenty of hits — as a song parodist. His clever lyrics, and the more-than-slightly-crazy videos that accompany them, have become entrenched in pop culture, and there’s likely no song out there that he’d be afraid to lampoon. Although Yankovic has mentioned that he’s not interested in making any more albums — his 14th, the Grammy-winning “Mandatory Fun,” came out a decade ago — he’s still releasing singles (last year’s “Polkamania!”), and still playing his music live. Important note: In 2018, he got the 2,643rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tuesday, July 15, 8 p.m., Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $79-$1,230.

Stevie Nicks at TD Garden

By the time Stephanie Lynn Nicks came to prominence as a singing and writing member of Fleetwood Mac, she had already worked with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham in his psychedelic band Fritz and had put out a duet album with him. She’d also been playing guitar since she was 16. Among her Fleetwood Mac contributions — aside from her nicely smoky voice — were the songs “Rhiannon” and “Landslide.” After setting out on a solo career (and returning to Mac every time they got back together), she continued writing ’em and singing ’em. Later period Nicks songs include “Edge of Seventeen” and “Planets of the Universe.” The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s most recent album is 2011’s “In Your Dreams,” but she’s recently been talking about writing autobiographical songs for her next one. Somewhere, Don Henley is sweating. Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $310-$1471.

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Best rock concerts:

Mumford & Sons at Xfinity Center

Are they a rock band, a country band, a folk band, a bluegrass band? Well, they’re rockers, for sure, but their sound has pieces of it all. And from, let’s say, 2015, and the release of their album “Wilder Mind,” it would be accurate to call them alt-rockers. Unfortunately for fans, that was also early on in a period that would come to be known as the band’s hiatus, at least from the stage. The album “Delta” was released in 2018, but that was followed by the departure of guitarist Winston Marshall, which reduced the quartet to a trio. The single “Good People,” featuring Pharell Williams, saw the light of day in 2024 and, finally, earlier this year, the band issued the album “Rushmere.” Friday, June 20, 7:30 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield. $56-$350.

Robin Trower at The Wilbur

Allow me to set the record straight: British guitarist Robin Trower didn’t join Procol Harum until after they made “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” So, no, he’s not on the recording. That’s OK, because it was his solo career that earned him renown. His first release, “Twice Removed from Yesterday,” didn’t do much business, but his follow-up, “Bridge of Sighs,” made him a star. Gold albums begat more gold albums, and in 1994, he started up his own record label V-12. There were more albums, there was constant touring, his reputation as a blues-rocker grew, and by the time of “Something’s About to Change” in 2015, Trower was playing bass as well as guitar. His current tour is spotlighting his new record “Come and Find Me.” Wednesday, June 25, 8 p.m., The Wilbur, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $50-$75.

Pixies at MGM Music Hall

The Pixies return to Boston with two MGM Music Hall shows in July. – Travis Shinn

When Pixies first hit the Boston music scene in 1986, they quickly earned a reputation as a punk band (although maybe proto-grunge would be a better term). But singer-guitarist and front-man Black Francis soon started bringing in a surf sound. And he and his bandmates began balancing loud guitars and screaming vocals with catchy, poppy melodies. On a whole different level, there were the mysterious lyrics, which have caused even the hardest-core fans to wonder, “Umm, what was that song actually about?” Yes, Pixies are a band with lots going on. Discussions of which album is their best most often lead to “Doolittle.” But their current worldwide tour is spotlighting last fall’s release “The Night the Zombies Came.” The discussion is ongoing. Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, 8 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $66-$91.

Dinosaur Jr. (with Snail Mail) at Roadrunner

The hard-rockin’ and rather loud (don’t forget the earplugs, kids) trio Dinosaur Jr. was begun in 1984 out in Amherst by drummer-turned-guitarist J. Mascis. The album “Dinosaur” was issued the following year. It soon became clear that they were earning a following but, because bands will be bands, and inner turmoil is no stranger to rock groups, bass player Lou Barlow — a high school pal of Mascis — left, replaced by a string of guest bassists. Records came out, touring continued, but almost a decade later, the band called it quits. Until, in 2006, it reformed, with Barlow back in the fold. There have since been solo projects and band projects. The newest is last year’s “I Knew All Along.” Meanwhile, offering support on this tour is indie darling Snail Mail, nee Lindsey Erin Jordan, who has just as much attitude but is very much not as loud. Friday, July 18, 7 p.m., Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston. $65-$98.

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Best blues concert

Guy Davis at Club Passim

Guy Davis makes it to Passim June 6. – Longma

Two of the reasons that Guy Davis is so respected as a performer are that he practices the old school tradition of playing acoustic blues and he’s a pretty darn good actor. As a kid, he simply couldn’t get enough of listening to the likes of Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, which led him to learning how to play the guitar. And a few years after his 1978 debut album “Dreams About Life” came out, he scored a recurring role as Dr. Hall on the soap opera “One Life to Live.” He’s gone back and forth between music and acting over the years – mixing in plenty of concerts. And he both wrote and starred in the off Broadway one-man show “In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters.” His newest album is 2024’s “The Legend of Sugarbelly.” Friday, June 6, 8 p.m., Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. $35.

Best singer-songwriter concerts

James Taylor at MGM Music Hall

One of James Taylor’s best albums is the one that not enough people know — his self-titled 1968 release on the Apple label. No giant hits, just excellent songs, including “Carolina in My Mind,” “Something in the Way She Moves,” and “Knocking ‘Round the Zoo.” No doubt, his songwriting prowess — accompanied by fine guitar and vocal work — was unleashed. Taylor’s career was shaped around his original tunes, among them “Fire and Rain” and “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” but he’s also been fond of performing covers, such as “Mockingbird” and “How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You).” A few years back he came out with “American Standard,” a trip through the Great American Songbook. But in a 2024 interview with Associated Press, he said, “I feel like I’ve got another [album] in me. I’m writing a little bit.” Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 26 and 27, 7:30 p.m., MGM Music Hall, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston. $122-$530.

Ben Harper at Roadrunner

The low-key mood and laidback production on the songs that populate Ben Harper’s most recent album “Wide Open Light” tend to make you forget that there’s been such a range of tuneful tastes on his previous releases. The singer-songwriter-guitarist has experimented with and artfully breezed through genres including blues and alternative folk, has crafted songs that focus on issues of the day, and, on his 2020 album “Winter Is for Lovers,” went the all-instrumental route. It’s anybody’s guess as to which musical direction he’ll take on his current tour, but one hint is that he’s being accompanied by his longtime backup band The Innocent Criminals. Sunday, June 1, 7:30 p.m., Roadrunner, 89 Guest St., Boston. $65-$111.

Paul Simon at the Wang Theatre

Back in the mid-1960s, Simon & Garfunkel were prominent among the architects of folk-rock, regularly scoring Top 20 hits right up until their breakup in 1970 (after which they got together, broke up, got together, etc.). Though both have had successful solo careers, it was Simon, his songwriting skills, and his ceaseless quest to meld different styles of music together who was always ahead of his former partner on the charts. Simon’s “farewell tour” of 2018 hasn’t proven to have any finality about it. Since then, he issued “In the Blue Light,” showcasing reinterpretations of his older songs, and in 2023 released the all-acoustic “Seven Psalms,” which he refers to as a 33-minute suite that’s to be listened to straight through. Sounds like a great piece to include in his current tour. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 10, 12, and 13, 8 p.m., Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston. $185-$958.

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Best country concerts

Dierks Bentley at Xfinity Center

I wonder what Dierks Bentley was thinkin’ when his first single, the energetic and funny country tune “What Was I Thinkin’” became such a huge hit. Was he already pondering putting some bluegrass into the mix? Did he have plans to put out albums that stretched from ballads to rock? Was there already an idea to write and sing and make a goofy video for his hit song “Drunk on a Plane” (in which he rhymes honeymoon with Cancun)? Looking back on all of that now, he must be “thinkin’” that he made some good choices — including his side project Hot Country Knights. And the albums keep coming: “Gravel & Gold” was released in 2023, and the release “Broken Branches” is right around the corner. Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m., Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield. $49-$260.

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Best soul/R&B/rap concerts

Kes at Leader Bank Pavilion

When in doubt, go to your bookshelf and open up the good old Merriam-Webster. That’s where I found the definition of soca music. It’s “a blend of soul and calypso music.” But, as performed by the Trinidad and Tobago group Kes, it’s more. Even before the release of their 2006 debut album “Three Baldheads and a Dread,” Kes had included hints of reggae, rock, and hip-hop in their music. Though they released a number of albums, Kes remained local stars in and around the Caribbean until their 2011 album “Wotless,” their first true hit. The newest release from the septet is last year’s “Man with No Door.” Thursday, July 3, 7:30 p.m., Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston. $35-$171.

Wu-Tang Clan at TD Garden

Wu Tang Clan is back with a TD Garden show in July. – Michael Lavine

Pop quiz! Can you name every member of The Wu-Tang Clan? Can you say how many “official” members there have been? No, me either. I had to Google it. Which led me to realize that they’re not, and never have been, a band. The Wu-Tang Clan is a collective, a group of nine (or is it 10?) separate voices, all of whom have contributed to a similar sound and sentiment, but at the same time, have gone in different creative directions on solo projects. As far as records and concerts, they’ve all been on or in some of them, and some of them have been on or in all of them. The first of the bunch to gain solo stardom was Method Man, for his 1994 album “Tical.” The first to die — he collapsed while recording an album — was Ol’ Dirty Bastard in 2004. The surviving members recently released the album “Black Samson,” a tribute to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Friday, July 11, 8 p.m., TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $139-$449.

Nelly at Xfinity Center

It’s fair to say that, even after a couple of decades in the music business, Nelly isn’t yet quite sure where his interest lies. Is he a rapper or is he a country artist? Put that line of questioning to him, and he’d probably say — to borrow from Donny and Marie — he’s a little bit country and a little bit rap. Truth is, he’s a full-fledged rapper who has an appreciation for country, with just a dab of pop. The resulting hybrid genre (I’m not sure what to label it) is on aural display in his 2021 album “Heartland,” which features collaborations with such country luminaries as Kane Brown and Florida Georgia Line. Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m. Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield. $40-$248.

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