75 PITTSBURGH CONCERTS TO SEE IN 2018
Consider this an early look at 2018 — very early, because some of the season’s lineups are coming in slowly.
The KeyBank Pavilion has announced just two shows — Foreigner/Whitesnake and Weezer/Pixies — which means about 18 more should be revealed for the Burgettstown venue in the next few months. Same goes for the North Shore’s Stage AE, which has announced what is likely the opener for its outdoor season (Odesza) but nothing else yet.
The PPG Paints Arena, Uptown, is ahead of the game, with about a half-dozen shows, stretching all the way to Maroon 5 in late September. And Heinz Field, which did only U2 last summer, will be busier with Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift already on the North Shore slate.
A handful of big pop tours have been announced without Pittsburgh dates, including Lorde, Demi Lovato, Harry Styles, Kesha/ Macklemore, Lana Del Rey and Khalid.
Here are some we know about now. We’ll update as we go.
THE BIG DRAWS
P!nk: The pop rocker from the other side of the state does a rare Pittsburgh show, touring behind her seventh album, “Beautiful Trauma.” The artist born Alecia Moore sings and does all her own stunts. Bleachers opens. (PPG Paints Arena, April 7)
Kenny Chesney: After a year off, he’ll be back on the North Shore, with his absence having made country hearts fonder. Expect an uptick in crowd size when he pulls in with country/R&B star Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Brandon Lay. (Heinz Field, June 2) Foreigner/Whitesnake:
Foreigner is right on the edge of being a really good Foreigner tribute band, with Mick Jones the only original member and singer Kelly Hansen the life of the party. This time, they’ve enlisted Whitesnake, complete with frontman David Coverdale and the dual-guitar threat of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra (Trans-Siberian Orchestra). (KeyBank Pavilion, June 27) Weezer/Pixies:
Rivers Cuomo and Black Francis in the same building — did anyone see that coming? This will be among the summer’s best combo of songs. (KeyBank Pavilion, July 10) Vans Warped Tour:
Maybe the feud between the Dickies and War on Women was the last straw. The 24th Warped Tour will be the final run for the punk/emo/metal series. The lineup is coming soon. (KeyBank Pavilion, July 16)
Shania Twain: Since her last stop here three years ago, the Queen of Country Pop has updated her catalog with the charttopping new album, “NOW,” which spans about five genres, on just the first song. (PPG Paints Arena, July 17)
Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl will actually be able to stand up this time, which should make for a better show on this tour supporting a ninth album, “Concrete and Gold,” that the band described as “Motorhead’s version of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ ” or “Slayer making ‘Pet Sounds.’ ” (PPG Paints Arena, July 19)
The Eagles: The ’70s rockers continue to do things they said they would never do, this time keeping the franchise going in the absence of the late Glenn Frey. His son Deacon is now an Eagle, along with country legend Vince Gill, and Joe Walsh, he’s always worth the price of admission. (PPG Paints Arena, July 24)
Taylor Swift: The reputation stadium tour, her first in three years, launches in Phoenix on May 8 and will stop here three months later. She made sure the people most obsessed with her have the best seats. (Heinz Field, Aug. 7)
Maroon 5: Plenty of advance notice for this show that will happen about a year after the Adam Levine-led pop-rock band released its sixth album, “Red Pill Blues.” ( PPG Paints Arena, Sept. 29)
PUNK/INDIE
St. Vincent: This is awfully early in 2018 to get a show this good. St. Vincent (Annie Clark) is on the Fear the Future Tour supporting “MASSEDUCTION,” the best album of 2017, according to The New York Times. Her stage productions are always breathtaking. (Stage AE, Jan. 9)
The Radio Dept.: Anyone remember Prefab Sprout? How ’bout the Pet Shop Boys? This Swedish dream-pop duo harks back to those savvy electronic New Wavers. (Mr. Smalls, Millvale, Feb. 2)
Noah Gunderson: The indie-folk artist from Seattle has transitioned into louder, more forceful territory with his new album, “White Noise.” As Cooking Vinyl described it, “Noah is no longer lighting votives, but dumpster fires ….” (Rex Theater, South Side, Feb. 3)
Anti-Flag: First show here for the Pittsburgh punks since they played Warped over the summer and the first since releasing their 10th album, “American Fall.” With Stray Path. (Mr. Smalls, Feb. 9)
Thurston Moore: The noisy Sonic Youth founder will strip it down to solo acoustic to play along with an atmospheric film. (The Andy Warhol Museum, North Side, Feb. 9)
Less Than Jake: All you crazy kids who used to see the Florida ska punks at Club Laga can relive those days on a winter night in Millvale with Four Year Strong. (Mr. Smalls, Feb. 23)
Deer Tick: It’s hard to keep all the Deer (and Dear) bands straight. This is the one from Rhode Island that straddles punk, country and folk, drawing comparisons to Tom Petty, the Replacements and Hank Williams Jr. The band just released the acoustic and electric albums “Deer Tick Vol. 1” and “Deer Tick Vol. 2.” (Mr. Smalls, Feb. 28)
Propagandhi: The political climate is just right for these anarcho, anti-fascist punks from Manitoba who just released “Victory Lap,” their first album in five years. With Iron Chic. (Rex Theater, March 5)
Jonathan Richman: The much-loved frontman of the ’70s NYC proto-punk band The Modern Lovers (“Roadrunner”) will be joined by Tommy Larkin on drums. (The Andy Warhol Museum lobby, March 11)
Screaming Females: The Jersey folk/ punk trio will be on the road with its seventh album, “All At Once,” which is due Feb. 23 and has been rolled out with a video of Marissa Paternoster joined by Laura Veirs on the single “Deeply.” (Roboto, Bloomfield, March 12)
Ought: The Montreal art-punk band, which draws comparisons to Parquet Courts, The Men and Talking Heads, was recently here to support Waxahatachee and will return for a headlining show just after releasing its new Merge album, “Room Inside the World.” (Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, April 3)
They Might Be Giants: Would you believe it has been 35 years since the Johns (Linnell and Flansburgh) first pulled into the Electric Banana? The indie-rock duo keeps the flame burning with a new album, “I Like Fun” (Jan. 19), which is said to “draw on themes of dread, death and disappointment and set them to their driving, hypermelodic music.” (Mr. Smalls, April 15)
Brian Fallon & the Howling Weather: The raspy-voiced singer from Jersey has about four different bands, including Gaslight Anthem and the Horrible Crowes. This one backs a new solo album, “Sleepwalkers,” that is coming on Feb. 8. With Caitlin Rose. (Mr. Smalls, April 26)
METAL/HARD ROCK/PROG
Black Veil Brides: The LA metalcore band, which possesses amazing black-studded jackets, headlines a hard-hitting triple bill five