Music
From Indigo Girls to Taylor Swift and Drake, here are the must-see concerts this summer.
Kendrick Lamar performs at the 2022 Glastonbury Festival in England.
Photo: Scott Garfitt/Associated Press
Like the inevitable arrival of fog, experiencing live music is a staple of San Francisco summers. Thankfully, the Bay Area’s concert calendar is once again brimming with must-see shows.
Sure, there are the star-studded outdoor festivals this season— from the second annual Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa Valley featuring Mary J. Blige, Nas and host Dave Chappelle; the return of Portola Music Festival with Skrillex and Nelly Furtado; and the 15th annual Outside Lands atGolden Gate Park headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters and Odesza. But there are plenty of other offerings for music lovers who don’t want to deal with massive crowds.
From a highly anticipated tour stop with Taylor Swift to the final local performances from Dead & Company, here are some of the best concerts coming to the Bay Area.
Indigo Girls & Neko Case
The Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and EmilySailers, perform in 2015 at theRyman Auditorium in Nashville.
Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
For more than 80 summers, San Francisco’s Stern Grove Festival has booked a diverse array of acclaimed artists to perform free shows in an idyllic setting among the trees. This year’s lineups include performances by Santigold (July 2), Lyle Lovett (July 9), Patti Smith (Aug. 13) and Flaming Lips (Aug. 20).
Yet the Stern Grove concert to beat this year may just be a Pride weekend performance from iconic queer folk duo Indigo Girls. Hitting the park on June 25, the “Closer to Fine” composers will be joined by opener Neko Case of the New p*rnographers.
2 p.m. June 25. Free, reservation required. Stern Grove, 2750 19th Ave., S.F. www.sterngrove.org
Mosswood Meltdown
Attendees mosh in the pit while Bohdi’s War plays at Halloween Meltdown, a 2021 Halloween-themed punk music festival held in Mosswood Park in Oakland.
Photo: Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle
In the East Bay, you can tell it’s July Fourthweekend when the punks head for Oakland’s Mosswood Park. Formerly known as Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Meltdown is the only festival to feature filmmaker and filth lover John Waters as master of ceremonies.
This year, the “Pink Flamingos” director is back to oversee two more days of blissful mayhem, highlighted by the first local performance in 15 years from feminist electro-pop act Le Tigre and a reunion of Oakland electroclash outfit Gravy Train.
Newly announced acts include Teddy Bear Orchestra, which is indeed an orchestra composed of mechanical teddy bears, and a set by Tokyo all-female rockers and “Kill Bill” soundtrack stars the 5.6.7.8’s.
Noon. July 1-2. $89-$279. Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St., Oakland.www.mosswoodmeltdown.com
Dead & Company
John Mayer (left) and Bob Weir of Dead & Company perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 6 at the Fair Grounds Race Course.
Photo: Amy Harris/Associated Press
Is it finally time to say fare thee well?
Though it’s tough to envision surviving Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann ever fully calling it quits, their run as — a band that also stars John Mayer, along with Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti— is set to bid adieu following their summer 2023 outing.
Naturally, the tour includes a three-night run at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, where one imagines spirits (among other things) will be high for this bittersweet last dance.
7 p.m. July 14-16. Oracle Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, S.F. www.ticketmaster.com
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour on May 5 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Photo: George Walker IV/Associated Press
Forget Warriors playoffs tickets— the toughest seat to score in town this summer arrives courtesy of pop star Taylor Swift, who is slated to bring her “Eras” tour to Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium for two nights this July.
Following sold-out performances at the venue in 2015 and 2018, Swift will return riding high off the release of “Midnights,” her latest chart-topping record. She may also draw on “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” which Swift recently announced drops on July 7. It’s her third re-recording to date, this time of her 2010 album, part of Swift’s counteraction to her 2019 masters dispute.
Be sure to arrive promptly so you don’t miss sets from Swift’s impressive openers, Haim and Gracie Abrams.
6:30 p.m. July 28-29. Levi’s Stadium, 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara. www.ticketmaster.com
Big Thief & Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams performs in 2019 at the Barbican in London.
Photo: Robin Little/Redferns
In February 2022, Brooklyn’s Big Thief released its fifth studio album to immense acclaim. Now this summer, the band is expected to hit the Greek Theatre to bring the Grammy-nominated “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You” to life.
Even better, the indie folk four-piece has recruited living legend Lucinda Williams to co-headline the evening with them, providing tantalizing possibilities for potential on-stage collaborations at a venue seemingly tailor-made for late summer merriment.
7:30 p.m. Aug. 8. $56. The Greek Theatre, 2001 Gayley Road, Berkeley.www.ticketmaster.com
Souls of Mischief
Recording artists Souls of Mischief perform at the 2014 Beats Music Launch Party atBelasco Theatre in Los Angeles.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
The annals of Bay Area hip-hop would be incomplete without San Francisco’s Souls of Mischief. Best known for authoring the classic chill anthem “93 Til Infinity,” the quartet of A-Plus, Opio, Phesto and Tajai plan to take over the Great American Music Hall to commemorate the track’s 30th anniversary.
Will the occasion inspire some of Souls of Mischief’s pals from Hieroglyphics to make an appearance too? You’ll have to go to the show to find out.
8 p.m. Aug. 14. $27. Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St., S.F.www.seetickets.us
Drake
Canadian singer Drake performs on the main stage at the 2015 Wireless festival inLondon.
Photo: Jonathan Short/AP
Hip-hop fans can get a double dose of international flows when Canadian rapper Drake and the British-born 21 Savage descend on Chase Center for the“It’s All A Blur” tour.
Serving as Drake’s first headlining tour since 2018, the outing will likely draw on material from the rapper’s last two releases: 2021’s “Certified Lover Boy” and 2022’s “Honestly, Nevermind.”
7 p.m. Aug. 18-19. Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way, S.F.www.ticketmaster.com
Blackpink
Blackpink performs in the Sahara Tent during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella
It’s fitting that K-Pop phenomenon Blackpink is playing a baseball stadium this summer, as many fans of the South Korean girl group worship them with a fervor akin to a sports obsessee.
This August, members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa are scheduled to take over the home of the San Francisco Giants in support of their second album, “Born Pink.” Released last year, the record has already sold more than 2 million copies.
The act’s local date follows Blackpink’s historic appearance at Southern California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, where they became the first all-women group and first K-pop act to headline the desert festival.
8:30 p.m. Aug. 22. Oracle Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, S.F. www.sfgiants.com
Sam Smith
Sam Smith (center) performs in February during the Brit Awards at the O2 Arenain London.
Photo: Gareth Cattermole/TNS
As part of their first North American tour dates since 2018, English singer-songwriter Sam Smith will visit Oakland Arena and San Francisco’s Chase Center on consecutive nights in August.
Smith, who identifies as nonbinary and uses “they/them” pronouns, is a five-time Grammy winner and Academy Award recipient for their theme from the 2015 James Bond film “Spectre.” Later this summer, Smith plans to visit the Bay Area in support of their fourth album, “Gloria.” Released in January, the pop-steeped release’s second single, “Unholy,” netted Smith and collaborator Kim Petras the trophy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance earlier this year at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. For their local shows, Smith will be joined by Jessie Reyez, another “Gloria” collaborator, who serves as opener for both evenings.
7 p.m. Aug. 27. Oakland Arena, 7000 S. Coliseum Way, Oakland; 8 p.m. Aug. 28. Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way, S.F. www.ticketmaster.com
Zack Ruskin is a freelance writer.
Zack Ruskin
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