September may be the end of summer, but it’s definitely not the end of outdoor concert season—especially in the good old U S of A. Whether you're looking for local bands or arena-caliber acts, there are stellar concerts to be held all throughout both coasts, with indie-rock bands, experimental hip-hop artists, oldies but goodies, and so much more!
You’ve got plenty of days left in this back-to-school month to still take advantage of warm and long summer nights, so don’t miss out on these array of events that’ll have you musically inspired for sure. Here are the eight best concerts in the United States in September 2016.
Don't Miss These 8 Concerts In September!
1. AC/DC – Madison Square Garden, New York City
Sure, the Australian classic rock hooligans may have had it rough the past few years: Brian Johnson left the band due to a punctured ear drum; police charged Phil Rudd with hiring a hitman; guitarist Malcolm Young even succumbed to dementia. Let’s just say a ton has happened.
Lucky for us, all those lineup changes have resulted in some super exciting and totally unexpected news, as Axl Rose will now be joining the group as a touring singer. It’s a quasi-super group lineup for sure—so come September 14, 2016, rock on out with Angus Young, Cliff Williams, Stevie Young, Chris Slade, and of course, Axl Rose in the Big Apple!
2. Adele – TD Garden - Boston, Massachusetts
She’s the one-word answer to sheer vocal brilliance, and her concerts are usually just the same. Everybody’s favorite Grammy and Academy Award-winning English singer-songwriter is bringing all of her soulfully emotional hits from her chart-busting second and third albums to Bean Town on September 14, 2016. She’s also showing off her powerhouse vocals at Madison Square Gardens in NYC later that month.
Catch the superstar of the millennial generation who’s as close a link to the divas of yesteryear as it gets. It’s Adele’s 2016 world tour and you are definitely in for a supreme vocal treat.
3. Beyonce – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey
It’s basically one of the most talked-about tours of the year so far. Yes, Queen Bey herself will serve up songs from her emotionally complex, meme-generating Lemonade along with a mega mash up of all her best hits dating all the way back to Destiny's Child. Wednesday, September 7, 2016 is the day to catch her royal highness in action. For all those West Coast fans, Bee will also be at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles a week later.
It’s the "Formation" world tour—and you can bet that there will be tons of crowd-pleasing hits, elaborate costume changes, and explosive special effects that’ll have you talking till Christmas. Careful though, because tickets are expected to vanish fast, so be prepared save some extra dough if you really want to see this urban pop goddess in action.
4. Hall & Oates– The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
The number one best-selling duo in musical history will step onto the stages of the infamous Hollywood Bowl to wow audiences with a bunch of their best "rock and soul" hits this fall. The soulful pop rock Philly group rarely saw critical acclaim back in their day, but fortunately, they’re shining bright today as they experience a surprising resurgence with younger generations who have come to love popular tracks like “You Make My Dreams," which was heavily featured in a fun dance scene in the 2009 film, “500 Days of Summer.”
Get ready to head back a few decades and to feel a bit of nostalgia on September 20, 2016, as you sing along with an array of infectious hooks that’ll have you having a rad time for sure.
5. Maroon Five - Various
Breaking news: Maroon 5 is going on tour! Yes, all of our musical dreams have come true as the pop rock band officially kicks off a new tour come September 2016 in continuing support for their album V.
Adam Levine and the boys with visit most major cities in the U.S. – they’ll also be bringing along several guest artists, including Tove Lo, R. City, and PHASES. The tour officially kicks off September 3, 2016, with several dates scheduled in between then and October 19, 2016. Awesome.
6. ACL Music Festival – Zilker Park - Austin, Texas
So this year, Austin City Limits Festival turns a whopping fifteen years young, while its landmark PBS series celebrates forty years. In honor of these landmark birthdays, ACL Festival 2016 will be a historic event for sure when it returns to Zilker Park in Austin, Texas (September 30-October 2, 2016 and October 7-9, 2016) for two weekends of music, food, fun, and magical days and nights under a huge Texas sky. Musical styles of all sorts-- from folk, rock, blues, and hip-hop, to pop, electronic, western swing, and even Tejano music-- are scheduled to perform, with impressive artists like Radiohead, Mumford & Sons, Kendrick Lamar, and LCD Soundsystem. You’ll also find Schoolboy Q, Band of Horses, M83, Haim, as well as a heavier country music presence than you’ll find at most rock festivals, with entertainers like Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, and Margo Price, who all have prominent spots on the bill.
It’s the longest running music series in American television history -- and what’s nice is that it always retains a local charm that’s long separated it from its peers and competition. Get ready for eight full stages of spectacular sights, sounds, eats, and activities this fall. ACL Music Festival 2016, y’all!
7. Music Tastes Good – Long Beach, California
Food and music? What could be better? Head on over to Long Beach from September 23 to 25, 2016 as Music Tastes Good takes over DTLB with headlining sets from folk outfit Iron and Wine, ska revivalists the Specials, indie pop duo Sylvan Esso, and so much more. The modern music and grub experience has been best described as "KCRW approved"—the public radio station who’s presenting the fest— and always brings an eclectic mix of bands to the local area. Catch De La Soul, Deltron 3030, Dr. Dog, RX Bandits, Metz, Melvins, Warpaint, Gallant, Girlpool, Squeeze, and Living Colour rocking out the rest of the inaugural festival’s lineup while you sip and savor the different-themed food events scheduled for each day of the festival. There are everything from Bloody Mary brunches to farm-to-table dinners. Delicious.
8. Aretha Franklin – Radio City Music Hall, New York City
You really just cannot keep this good woman down! The Queen of Soul will take the stage at Radio City come Friday, September 23, 2016, for a rousing evening of entertainment from her recently released new album with veteran producers Don Was, Babyface, and Clive Davis.
This article was written by Pamela Chan.