It’s time to go back to the venues — not that we ever left. Still, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out (yet again) that this year’s festival offerings are what one might say … “less than.” So, that leaves the standard tours, and the good news is that this year is anything but standard. A few icons are returning to the fold — one for his final hurrah — while several n00bs are climbing up the ranks faster than you can say, “Whoa, they’re pretty great.” Even better, it’s a total hodgepodge of genres, which means anyone with a credit card and an open mind is eligible to have an eclectic concertgoing experience in 2018.
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Ozzy Osbourne
Photo by David Brendan Hall
Early in 2017, Black Sabbath concluded a lengthy farewell tour, marking the end of the band’s 40-plus-year run. Now, frontman Ozzy Osbourne is following suit, waving goodbye with a stretch of shows across North America, South America, and Europe that will last until 2020. (Though, according to a press release, he’ll play select shows thereafter.) He’ll be in good company, too, playing alongside longtime collaborators like guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Blasko, drummer Tommy Clufetos, and keyboardist Adam Wakeman. –Michael Roffman
Ozzy Osbourne 2018 Tour Dates:
04/27 – Jacksonville, FL @ Rockville 2018
04/29 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Fort Rock Festival
05/05 – Mexico @ Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
05/08 – Santiago, CL @ Pista Atletica
05/11 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio G.E.B.A.
05/13 – São Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque
05/16 – Curitiba, BR @ Pedreira Paulo Leminski
05/18 – Belo Horizonte, BR @ Esplanada de Mineirao
05/20 – Rido de Janeiro, BR @ Apoteose
06/01 – Moscow, RU @ Olympiisky
06/03 – St. Petersburg, RU @ Ice Palace (Ledovi Dvorets)
06/06 – Hyvinaa, Finland @ Rockfest
06/08 – Solvesborg, SE @ Sweden Rock Festival
06/10 – Donington, UK @ Download Festival
06/13 – Prague, CZ @ Airport Letnany
06/15 – Paris, FR @ Download Festival Paris
06/17 – Italy @ Firenze Rocks Festival
06/20 – Halden, NO @ Tons of Rock Festival
06/22 – Copenhagen, DK @ Copenhell Festival
06/24 – Dessel, BE @ Graspop Metal Meeting
06/26 – Krakow, PL @ Impact Festival
06/28 – Oberhausen, DE @ König-Pilsnet Arena
06/30 – Madrid, ES @ Download Festival Spain
07/02 – Lisbon, PT @ Meo Arena
07/05 – Barcelona, ES @ Barcelona Rock Fest
07/08 – Rishon LeTsiyon, IL @ Live Park
Twin Peaks
Photo by Frances Welch
You don’t have to be Leland Palmer to wanna dance around with these Chicago brats. Twin Peaks had a hell of a 2017, dropping bombs on Spotify each month by the twos, and now they’re jonesing to play them live. Enough that they’re heading out come February for a jaunt that will take them all throughout our wonderful country until it starts to get warm again. Sure, most of us will probably be wrapped in sweaters, but these birds sing a pretty song … and there’s always music in the air. –Michael Roffman
Twin Peaks 2018 Tour Dates:
02/09 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
02/10 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
02/11 – Madison, WI @ Overture Hall
02/13 – Iowa City, IA @ IMU Main Lounge
02/14 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
02/15 – West Lafayette, IN @ Purdue at The Anvil
02/16 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
02/17 – Louisville, KY @ Palace Theater
02/18 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
02/20 – Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot
02/21 – Montreal, Canada @ MTELUS
02/22 – Providence, RI @ The Strand
02/23 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
02/24 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
03/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Air + Style
03/16 – Davenport, IA @ The Village Theatre
03/17 – Lincoln, NE @ VEGA
03/18 – Sioux Falls, ND @ Icon Lounge
03/20 – Bozeman, MT @ The Rialto
03/21 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest: March 21-25
03/24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
03/26 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
03/28 – St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
03/29 – Memphis, TN @ Growlers
03/30 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
03/31 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
04/02 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
04/03 – Richmond, VA @ Capital Ale House
04/04 – Morgantown, WV @ 123 PLEASANT STREET
04/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
04/06 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
04/09 – Lansing, MI @ The Loft
04/19 – Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre
04/20 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
04/21 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Lucy Dacus
Photo by Ben Kaye
Lucy Dacus first burst onto the indie rock scene in early 2016 with her debut album, No Burden, signing to Matador Records to release a vinyl and CD reissue later that year. Now, the Virginia native returns with her follow-up album, Historian, set to arrive on March 2nd via Matador. Upon its release, she’ll hit the road for an exhaustive North American and European tour that should keep her plenty busy throughout this forthcoming Spring season. –Eddie Fu
Lucy Dacus 2018 Tour Dates:
03/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/07 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern Cafe and Music Hall
03/08 – Charleston, SC @ The Pour Room
03/09 – East Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
02/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ Yacht Club
03/10 – Nashville, TN @ High Watt
03/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
03/20 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
03/21 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
03/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
03/23 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
03/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
03/26 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
03/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
03/28 – Seattle, WA @ The Tractor Tavern
03/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
03/31 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
04/02 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
04/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
04/05 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
04/06 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
04/07 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi
04/08 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
04/09 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
04/11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
04/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
04/14 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
04/19 – Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen
04/20 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
04/21 – Manchester, UK @ Gullivers
04/22 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds, Venue 2
04/24 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
04/25 – London, UK @ Omeara
04/26 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
04/27 – Paris, FR @ L’Espace B
04/29 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
04/30 – Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade
05/01 – Hamburg, DE @ Prinzebar
05/03 – Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell
05/04 – Amsterdam, NL @ Sugarfactory
06/14-06/17 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
Panda Bear
Photo by Nina Corcoran
Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, recently returned with a vinyl-only, five-song EP titled, A Day with the Homies, which he describes as “without frills or much embellishment.” He also says the EP “doesn’t work in the same way through headphones as it does out in the air,” which should really make you want to hear these songs live. Well, he’s hitting the road in April for a worldwide tour that includes dates in North America, England, Belgium, and France. He’ll even be joined by his Animal Collective cohort Geologist for those North American dates. –Randall Colburn
Panda Bear 2018 Tour Dates:
04/02 – Manchester UK @ Gorilla
04/03 – London, UK @ Village Underground
04/05 – Paris, FR @ Trabendo
04/06 – Brugge, Belgium @ More Music Festival
04/08 – The Hague, Netherlands @ Rewire Festival
04/26 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall *
04/27 – Austin, TX @ Levitation @ Mohawk *
04/30 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
05/01 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre *
05/02 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *
05/04 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
05/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
05/06 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
05/07 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
05/09 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
05/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
* = w/ Geologist
Weezer and Pixies
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder and David Brendan Hall
Alternative rock veterans Weezer and Pixies are joining forces this summer for a co-headlining North American tour. The 30-date trek commences June 23rd in Tampa, Florida, and runs through mid-August. The Wombats will open a portion of the tour dates. Weezer will likely be supporting their latest album, Pacific Daydream, though by the time the tour kicks off in June, they may have already released a follow-up in The Black Album. Meanwhile, Pixies are still floating about with Head Carrier. –Alex Young
Weezer and Pixies 2018 Tour Dates:
06/23 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ^
06/26 – New Orleans, LA @ @ Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square ^
06/27 – Dallas, TX @ Starplex Pavilion ^
06/29 – The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ^
06/30 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater ^
07/06 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center ^
07/07 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ^
07/08 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ^
07/10 – Burgettstown, PA @ KeyBank Pavilion ^
07/11 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center ^
07/13 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre ^
07/14 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage ^
07/15 – Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheatre ^
07/17 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
07/18 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
07/20 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
07/21 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
07/22 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
07/24 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
07/25 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
07/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
07/28 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
07/29 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavillion
07/31 – Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
08/01 – West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
08/04 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
08/07 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
08/11 – Chula Vista, CA @ Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
08/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ AK-Chin Pavilion
^ = w/ The Wombats
Pallbearer
Photo by David Brendan Hall
Pallbearer will trek across the States in continued support of Heartless, their third LP and one of the very best of 2017. The heavy metal titans will shred for fans in Oklahoma City, Nashville, St. Louis, and Philadelphia from mid-January through the end of March and also have back-to-back concerts scheduled in Arkansas, where they formed nearly a decade ago. –Lake Schatz
Pallbearer 2018 Tour Dates:
01/19 – Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room
01/20 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge
01/21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
02/23 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
02/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ Yacht Club
02/25 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s
02/26 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
02/28 – Indianapolis, IN @ HiFi
03/01 – St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
03/31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Decibel Metal & Beer Festival
ASAP Ferg
Photo by Amy Price
Back in November, ASAP Ferg and the rest of the ASAP Mob wrapped their collective tour. Now, with the holidays behind him, Ferg is ready to head out for another jaunt — only this time it’s of the solo variety. The 31-date trek kicks off in Philly on February 28th and wraps up in Ferg’s New York hometown on April 14th. Denzel Curry and IDK will be along for the ride, too, a journey they’re calling the Mad Man Tour. –Ben Kaye
ASAP Ferg 2018 Tour Dates:
02/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
03/01 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
03/02 – Norfolk, VA @ Norva
03/03 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues Myrtle Beach
03/04 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
03/06 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
03/07 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
03/09 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
03/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
03/11 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
03/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
03/15 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
03/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Novo by Microsoft
03/17 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
03/19 – Fresno, CA @ Rainbow Ballroom
03/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
03/22 – Portland, OR @ Roseland
03/23 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
03/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Complex
03/28 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden
03/30 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
03/31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club
04/03 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Chicago
04/04 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room, Old National Centre
04/05 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
04/07 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
04/09 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel
04/10 – Montreal, QB @ New Gas City
04/11 – Clinton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
04/12 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/14 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Mac Sabbath
Ronald Osbourne, Slayer MacCheeze, Grimalice, and the Catburglar are coming to a city near you, bringing with them the fattiest fast food-themed Black Sabbath covers in the PlayPlace. They call themselves Mac Sabbath, and the four-piece just dropped their first recorded material with “Pair-A-Buns” (a parody of Sabbath’s “Paranoid”), as well as an accompanying video. Now, they’re hoping to spread their gospel of grease with the “I Got a Bad Feeling About This” tour of North America, which the freaks are co-headlining with metal band Galactic Empire. –Randall Colburn
Mac Sabbath 2018 Tour Dates:
02/08 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
02/10 – Emporia, KS @ Emporia Granada Theatre
02/11 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads
02/12 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
02/13 – St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
02/14 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House Revival
02/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
02/16 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom *
02/17 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean *
02/18 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
02/20 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater *
02/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
02/22 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
02/23 – Portland, OR @ Analog Theater *
02/24 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon *
02/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s *
02/28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge *
03/02 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live *
03/03 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar & Grill *
03/04 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar *
03/06 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In *
03/07 – Lancaster, PA @ The Chameleon *
03/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at the Fillmore *
03/09 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
03/10 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
03/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar *
03/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre *
03/13 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope House
03/14 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Shaka’s Live
03/15 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
03/16 – Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse
03/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
03/18 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Music Hall
* = w/ Galatic Empire
Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers
Photo by Philip Cosores
Calling all dads: Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers are teaming up for a US tour this Spring. The two rock acts are scheduled to hit the road together beginning May 10th in Charlotte and will play some 37 dates across the country. It should be noted that these dates follow the recent death of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker. In fact, since his passing, lead singer Donald Fagen and Becker’s estate have been locked in a legal dispute over ownership of the band’s name and music. Fagen has pointed to 1972 Buy/Sell Agreement, which stipulates that, upon Becker’s death, Fagen assumed all ownership rights. Becker’s estate, however, contends that the contract was no longer in effect. Legal mumbo jumbo aside, tell your pops. –Michael Roffman
Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers 2018 Tour Dates:
05/10 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
05/11 – Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
05/13 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
05/14 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
05/17 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre
05/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Verizon Amphitheater
05/20 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
05/22 – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
05/24 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
05/25 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/27 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre
05/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
06/01 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
06/04 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
06/05 – Seattle, WA @ Keyarena
06/07 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena
06/09 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
06/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Amphitheatre
06/12 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
06/15 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
06/16 – Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field
06/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
06/19 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06/21 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06/23 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
06/24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
06/26 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
06/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
06/30 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
07/02 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
07/03 – Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheater
07/06 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
07/07 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
07/10 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
07/11 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
07/13 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07/14 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Superorganism
Photo by Michael Fuller
Want a leg up on The Coolest Act of 2018? Secure a ticket to see our latest Artist of the Month, Superorganism. The multi-national octet is one of the weirdest acts to surface in years, melting psychedelia synth pop with passable hip-hop beats for a sound that could best be described as “different.” Okay, there are a lot of ways to label this outfit, but damned if we know which one sticks in the long run. That’s probably a good thing. Another good thing are the kinds of small venues they’re playing in America. Catch ’em now before they inevitably play somewhere bigger come summer. –Michael Roffman
Superorganism 2018 Tour Dates:
02/15 – London, UK @ The Jazz Cafe
02/18 – Paris, FR @ Cafe de la Danse
02/19 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
02/20 – Amsterdam, NL @ Sugarfactory
02/22 – Cologne, DE @ Die Kantine
02/23 – Berlin,DE @ Festaal Kreuzberg
02/25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Musikkens – Lille Vega
02/26 – Stockholm, SE @ Kagelbanan Sodra Teatern
03/01 – 03/03 – Oslo, NO @ by:Larm 2018
03/05 – Digbeth, UK @ O2 Institute Birmingham
03/07 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Gorilla
03/08 – London, UK @ Oval Space
03/09 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
03/11 – Glasgow, UK @ Centre for Contemporary Arts
03/12 – Leeds, UK @ Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen
03/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
03/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
03/22 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
03/23 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
03/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
03/27 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
03/28 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
03/30 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
03/31 – Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont
04/01 – Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
04/03 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
04/04 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
04/05 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/02 – Dublin, IE @ Royal Hospital Kilmainham
06/08-06/10 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
07/13-07/15 – Grafenhainichen, DE @ Melt! Festival
08/07-08/11 – Oslo, NO @ Oyafestival
