Hungry for good music? 10 concerts you won't want to miss this fall in RI and nearby Conn.
The crisp air might mean the end of outdoor entertainment for a bit, but this is when local indoor venues start to heat up with the full range of options for music fans.
Clubs and performance halls have filled their calendars with local and internationally acclaimed artists playing everything from country twang to the crushing guitar riffs of classic rock to the smoother vibe of R&B.
As you’re planning your fun through the end of the year, consider our picks for the top 10 concerts, listed in chronological order:
John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, Oct. 7, Stadium Theatre, Woonsocket (stadiumtheatre.com). Rhode Island’s Bruce Springsteen, Cafferty has toured worldwide since the 1970s and appeared on the big screen as Eddie and the Cruisers without losing his gravelly sound and rocker soul. Catch “On the Dark Side” and more.
Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets, Oct. 14, the Greenwich Odeum (greenwichodeum.com). Remember “The Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages”? Stewart popularized them and other mellow folk tunes in the late 1970s. He returns to the road to share those hits and more, calling himself “the same troubadour I was back in 1965.”
North Mississippi Allstars, Oct. 18, Alchemy, Providence (alchemyri.net). This Southern rock and American blues band brings a fast-paced, head-bobbing vibe to its shows, offering tunes from its 13-album catalog. This includes the heat of strings and horns and the croon of guitars and bass.
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Ladies of R&B, Nov. 11, Foxwoods Premier Theater (foxwoods.com). Monica (“The Boy is Mine”), Keri Hilson (“Knock You Down”) and Mya (“Fallen”) combine for a show that travels all over the vocal range while digging deep into the various layers of rhythm and blues.
Celtica Nova, Nov. 16, The Met, Pawtucket (themetri.com). Blend power rock and the Great Highland Bagpipe and you’ve captured the unique sound of this six-piece band whose members hail from Scotland, Austria, Bulgaria and the United States. Their combined influences give a Celtic folk-Goth-steampunk tinge to their shows.
Bush, Nov. 21, Providence Performing Arts Center (ppacri.org). Rockers of the '90s, your music is calling you to this opulent concert setting for “Glycerine,” “Machinehead" and the Grammy-nominated “Swallowed.” Time hasn’t slowed these guys down, and you’ll enjoy new tunes from their 2022 album “The Art of Survival.”
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Deer Tick, Nov. 24 and 25, the Columbus Theatre, Providence (columbustheatre.com). Locals have long rocked with this band, which achieved national acclaim in 2023 with “Forgiving Ties,” “The Real Thing” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The alt-folk group’s concerts blend originals with covers of hits from the Beastie Boys, John Prine and Nirvana.
Il Divo, Dec. 8, Foxwoods Premier Theater (foxwoods.com). This classical crossover group – singing in English, Spanish and Italian – arrives with its newest addition, Mexican-American baritone Steven LaBrie. Its “New Day Holiday Tour” will roll through the classics with the group’s incomparable panache.
Billy Gilman, Dec. 16, Park Theatre, Cranston (theparkri.com). RI’s own child country star has evolved into a powerful vocalist, and his holiday shows are lively. He and his band The Ragged Impresarios combine holiday tunes with his hits like “Warm & Fuzzy” and “One Voice."
Judy Collins, Dec. 22, the Stadium Theatre (stadiumtheatre.com). Celebrate the season with the beautiful blend of Collins’ eclectic Grammy-winning style and holiday favorites. The night should also be enlivened by tunes from her 2022 folk album “Spellbound.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 10 live music shows not to miss this fall in RI and nearby Conn.
