Events

14 must-see concerts at Boston’s smaller venues for fall 2026

Great concerts are coming to The Sinclair, the Paradise, Chevalier Theatre and more — including some local favorites.

Acts coming Greater Boston’s small venues this fall include Devon Gilfillian, Roger Daltrey, the Linda Lindas, the Sex Pistols (pictured here in their heyday), and Allison Russell. devongilfillian.com; Ben Pennington for The Boston Globe; Matthew J Lee/Globe Staff; Associated Press; Mason Poole

By Blake Maddux

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Go small with these 12 concerts worth seeing at Greater Boston’s smaller venues this September-November, organized by genre. (Sites include Paradise Rock Club, Royale, Big Night Live, The Sinclair in Cambridge, Crystal Ballroom and The Rockwell, both in Somerville, and Chevalier Theatre and Deep Cuts, both in Medford; check out our guide to larger venues here, and suburban venues here. Please note, most prices noted are face value; some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available.)

Singer-songwriter

Squirrel Flower with youbet at Crystal Ballroom

Ella O’Connor Williams was raised in Arlington, Mass., and is now based in Chicago. She got some fine warm-up practice for her upcoming headlining tour by opening for The Beths and that band’s co-headlining dates with Spoon. Aug. 21 saw the release of her fourth studio LP (in addition to EPs), Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, which serves as a travelogue of sorts that chronicles her experiences as a touring musician without the perks of being a superstar. Paste said of 2023’s Tomorrow’s Fire, “no one is touching her songwriting right now, and the hyperbole is warranted.” “Say a Prayer…” has done nothing to soften that laudation. Saturday, Sept. 26, doors at 7/show at 8, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, $30.95

Allison Russell at Royale

Montreal native Allison Russell built an impressive body of work between 2003 and 2018 as a member of Po’ Girl and Birds of Chicago. Since establishing herself as a solo artist in 2021, she has won four UK Americana Music Awards, three Canadian Folk Music Awards, two Folk Alliance Awards, a Juno, an Americana Music Honors & Awards recognition, and a Grammy. And that doesn’t count her more than 20 other nominations. In the Hour of Chaos dropped on July 10 and includes musical guests such as Joy Oladokun, Devon Gilfillian (see below), Brittney Spencer, Norah Jones, and Kyshona. Like her previous efforts, it is unlikely to go unnoticed by those who have previously honored her. Sunday, Oct. 18, doors at 6/show at 7, Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $62-$165

Aldous Harding with Sam Burton at The Sinclair

Celebrated New Zealand artist Aldous Harding is back this year with her fifth LP, Train on the Island. While each of her five albums has been critically lauded, this one seems to have outpaced all of them. In addition to Harding’s unmistakable vocals and songwriting, the record is buttressed by the inclusion of – among other instruments – synthesizers, vibraphone, harp, and pedal steel. Monday, Sept. 14, doors at 7/show at 8, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, resale tickets available for $150

Also of note:

Rap/hip-hop

YG with Mozzy and Chef Boy at Big Night Live

The Gentlemen’s Club, YG’s seventh studio album, features collaborations with – among others – Isaiah Falls, Tyler, the Creator, Ty Dolla Sign, and Shoreline Mafia. The first 10 years (2010-2019) of his career were a non-stop deluge of gold and platinum albums and singles. Among the most significant of the latter were “Toot It and Boot It,” “My Nigga,” “Who Do You Love?,” and “Big Bank.” Featuring on these songs were, respectively, Ty Dolla Sign, Jeezy, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. His 2026 tour in support of the latest LP kicks off in Boston. Thursday, Sept. 10, doors at 7/show at 8, Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., $60.50

Also of note:

R&B/soul

Devon Gilfillian with Jon Muq at The Sinclair

Devon Gilfillian is a soul, blues, and gospel singer whose 2020 debut LP Black Hole Rainbow was produced by Shawn Everett, who has won six Grammys for his work with Alabama Shakes, The War on Drugs, Kacey Musgraves, and Beck. Since his first album, Gilfillian has released a track-by-track cover of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, 2023’s Love You Anyway, and this past June’s Time Will Tell, which Rated R&B’s Keithan Samuels says “collides the worlds of Philly soul, cinematic country, psychedelic funk and classic Afrobeat into a universal soundscape.” That Allison Russell chose him to feature on her latest release is a strong endorsement indeed. Saturday, Sept. 19, doors at 7/show at 8, The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $35.55

Reggae

Big D and the Kids Table with The Pietasters and Devon Kay & The Solutions at Paradise Rock Club

The Boston reggae band is undertaking an impressive string of dates between Aug. 27 and Oct. 24. Included are four shows in Mexico and Canada, before winding things up in their hometown. The tour will be in support and celebration of The Good Ole American Saturday Night, which arrived in June. Beverly native David McWane remains the lone constant, and is determined to keep the band active despite his recent cancer diagnosis. McWane and his bandmates will be joined at their Boston show by musical kindred spirits The Pietasters and Devon Kay & The Solutions. Saturday, Oct. 24, doors at 6:30/show at 7:30, Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., $36

Rock/indie/alternative

Sex Pistols with Bad Nerves at Royale / Public Image Ltd. at Big Night Live

All four surviving original members of Sex Pistols are currently touring. Unfortunately, they are not doing so together. Local OGs and die-hards are fortunate, though, as Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten’s post-SP quartet Public Image Ltd. will be at Boston venues within a week of each other. SPs Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Glen Matlock (who did not appear on their one LP, Never Mind the Bollocks…) are joined on this tour by 42-year-old singer Frank Carter. Johnny Rotten, meanwhile, is being backed by longtime — but not original — PIL members Lu Edmonds and Scott Firth, along with brand-new drummer Mark Roberts. Sex Pistols: Monday, Sept. 28, doors at 7/show at 8, Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $62-$165; Public Image Ltd.: Saturday, Oct. 3, doors at 5:30, Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $52-$67

Roger Daltrey with Amy Helm at Chevalier Theatre

If ever there were a lead singer who needed no introduction, Roger Daltrey would be the one. (Well, one of half a dozen or so.) The band that he was the voice and face of for decades, The Who, has apparently officially and permanently hung up their touring spurs. But perhaps the lure of the road and stage is too strong for Daltrey, as the 82-year-old has embarked on a sea-to-shining-sea tour that includes an evening of singing and storytelling at Chevalier Theatre. Tuesday, Sept. 29, doors at 7/show at 8, Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford, available seats are $132 and $444

Rocketship with Lightheaded at The Rockwell 

2026 is a good year to be a longtime Rocketship fan or a newcomer. The first of the band’s relatively few records, A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness, turned 30 this year, and has been reissued on CD and vinyl after being long out of print. Additionally, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dustin Reske has composed a collection of new material, Hurt Feelings, which arrives on Halloween. Both of these are ideal reasons for the band to tour, and Somerville will be the last of their East Coast stops. They will be accompanied on all dates by Slumberland labelmates Lightheaded. As I have hopefully made clear several prior times in this space, Lightheaded is one of my favorite new bands of the past five years.  Thursday, Oct. 1, doors at 7/show at 8, The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville (Davis Sq.), $25-$28

The Linda Lindas with Deux Visages at Paradise Rock Club

The Linda Lindas came roaring back with Gotta Get Out on Aug. 28, their third LP since 2022. This all-female, half Latinx-half Asian quartet is a family affair of sorts, comprising two sisters, a cousin, and a close friend. (The languages of their ascendants appear in some songs, e.g., “Helado de Limón.”) Living up to their claim to “channel the spirit of original punk, power pop, and new wave through today’s ears, eyes, and minds,” the new record is all over the map in the best possible way, addressing the public (i.e., political and social), and personal with appropriate degrees of anger (the furious “Blood On Our Hands” and “The Break”), frustration (“Closer,” “Burning Out“), and measured restraint (“Everybody Told Me”). Pretty much everything about Gotta Get Out is spectacular, so I cannot imagine that their upcoming show at the Paradise will be anything short of that. Tuesday, Oct. 6, doors at 7/show at 8, Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $40.25

Big Special at The Rockwell

It is being marketed as an EP, but Big Special’s O’ Joy! is hardly skimpy at 10 songs and 32 minutes. And while the songs are not brand new, the fact they are refurbished versions of previously written songs offers an interesting look into the Birmingham, UK, duo’s creative process. The tracks were written for different albums, but together make an impressive and cohesive whole, with Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney’s sprechgesang vocalizing and sparse and sophisticated post-punk musical pallete serving them as well as ever. Their show at The Rockwell will conclude their North American tour. Friday, Oct. 9, doors at 7/show at 8, The Rockwell, 255 Elm St., Somerville, $20-$24

The Tubs with Mopar Stars at Deep Cuts 

It didn’t take any more than The Tubs’ first release, 2023’s Dead Meat, to make me a fan. Its follow-up, 2025’s Cotton Crown, affirmed that my instant fandom was not misplaced. Now the Welsh quartet, which features former members of Joanna Gruesome and current members of Ex-Vöid, is back with Hard Life. The Tubs move beyond the nine tracks and half-hour running time of their first two releases by offering 12 songs that run for 42 minutes. For the uninitiated, The Tubs’ music is jangle pop-based with quite a bit of bite and occasional sprinkles of folk. And yes, lead singer Owen Williams sounds not unlike Richard Thompson. (Interestingly, the band recorded a cover of Metallica’s “Fade to Black” in April.) Friday, Oct. 16, doors at 7, Deep Cuts, 21 Main St., Medford, $22.66

Sweeping Promises at Deep Cuts 

Sweeping Promises is a Boston-formed duo that now calls Lawrence, Kansas, home. You Say I Romanticize, which arrived on Aug. 14, is their third LP and second consecutive on Sub Pop. Songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Lira Mondal drew upon both the literary (“Last Man” is based on a Mary Shelley novel) and political (“Shooting Shadows” addresses ICE’s overreach of its authority) for the songs. Explaining the title, which is a lyric on their previous album, Mondal says, “We do want to live in a world where musicians can be paid equitably, and communities can grow, gather, and travel the world on the strength of their art. If that’s romanticizing your life … well then, you say I romanticize.” Between Mondal’s myriad talents and those of guitarist Caulfield Schnug, Sweeping Promises are worthy of all of these unselfishly desired experiences. Thursday, Nov. 5, Friday, Nov. 6, doors at 7, Deep Cuts, 21 Main St., Medford, $22.66

Also of note:

Blake Maddux

Blake Maddux is a freelance arts journalist who covers concerts, new music, musicians, and nonfiction books.

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