Ah, September. With the end of summer comes the beginning of school, with the beginning of school comes the flood of students, and with the flood of students comes the throng of bands hoping to capture the ticket, t-shirt, and ‘Gansett revenues that a trip to Beantown promises. A number of fantastic artists are performing throughout Boston this month, so don’t be afraid to get outside the HBS bubble and experience some great live acts.
Tues, Sept. 6 – TV on the Radio & Broken Social Scene
($32-46, Bank of America Pavilion)
This will be TVOTR’s second trip to Boston this year, but the first featuring Canadian super-group Broken Social Scene as a supporting act. Both bands specialize in complex, layered melodies that are best experienced live in the open air than through the confines of two speaker channels, so it should be a great show.
Wed, Sept. 7 – Peter Bjorn and John
($29, House of Blues)
Not since the iconic whistling of “Young Folks” have Peter Bjorn and John released as catchy a tune as “Second Chance”, the first single off their latest record. Be sure to hit up the House of Blues for some dancey, funky, Swedish indie pop fun.
Thurs, Sept. 8 – Empire of the Sun
($37-53, House of Blues)
This Australian electronic duo has been all over the circuit for about a year now, garnering rave reviews for their over-the-top costumes and amazing visuals at Lollapalooza, Coachella, Governor’s Ball, and other festivals.
Mon. Sept. 12 – Fruit Bats
($13, Middle East Downstairs)
Fruit Bats have been around for a while, playing pleasant, soothing folk-rock songs since 1997. This show is in support of their 5th album, “Tripper”, released in early August.
Tues. Sept. 13 – Kaiser Chiefs
($32, House of Blues)
I remember playing Kaiser Chiefs’ excellent debut album, “Employment”, back in 2005, on repeat for hours on end. Unfortunately, the lads from Leeds haven’t done a whole lot since then (as evidenced by their “Ones to Watch” billing on the HOB show). Nevertheless, it should be a solid, good ol’ fashioned rock show.
Tues. Sept 20 – Wilco
($35-45, Wang Theatre)
With an extensive catalog of 9 albums recorded over the past 16 years, it’s unsurprising that it’s hard to agree on a single song that epitomizes the band. One thing Wilco fans should be able to agree on is that you should never pass up a chance to see them when they come to town.
Mon. Sept 26 – Mates of State & Suckers
($22, Royale Boston)
Suckers’ “Wild Smile” debut was one of my favorite albums of last year – full of epic, euphoric songs, it’s the kind of music which will definitely play well live. They’ll be contrasted by the sprightly, light, indie pop of headliners Mates of State, a husband-and-wife duo from Kansas that have been releasing albums for over a decade now.
Fri. Sept 30 – The Head and the Heart & Thao
($22, Royale Boston)
Royale is playing host to two folk-rock bands with relatively smaller followings on the last Friday of the month. The Head and the Heart feature simple melodies, delicate vocals, and driving crescendos while Thao features more intricate arrangements and light poppiness.
And finally, for those Spotify-ers among us (and if you aren’t, what are you waiting for?), you can listen to an expertly-curated mixtape of the bands mentioned above using the super-exclusive link: //bit.ly/MixTapeSept
