Summer Concert Guide: 31 can’t-miss shows, from Kendrick Lamar to U2 – Washington Post

By Going Out Guide staff By Going Out Guide staff June 1 at 1:00 PM

In the age of Spotify streams and surprise albums, it seems that the only reassuring constant in music is the summer concert season three reliably glorious months of sprawling crowds and splashy pyrotechnics, all beckoning us back to outdoor pavilions and football stadiums for singalongs on a massive scale.

Proof: U2 returns as one of this summers most coveted tickets, filling FedEx Field to capacity to mark the 30th anniversary of its landmark album, The Joshua Tree. Hall & Oates, unironically beloved by a new generation of fans, is here, too, this time pairing with fellow 1980s hitmakers Tears for Fears at Verizon Center. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, better known as one-half of Fleetwood Mac, will belt out the favorites at Wolf Trap, while Jiffy Lube Live will lure crowds with country-music heavyweights Chris Stapleton and Lady Antebellum.

Not every big show, of course, takes place under the stars. Mark your calendars for Kendrick Lamar, who gave Coachella fans a captivating glimpse of the performance-art staging of his tour, soon arriving at Verizon Center; and the D.C. Jazz Festival, which spreads across the city this month, including the air-conditioned halls of the Kennedy Center.

Which performer will provide the soundtrack to your summer? Read on for our guide to the seasons most anticipated concerts.

Jump to: Rock/Pop | Hip hop/R&B | Country/Americana | Perennial favorites | Buzzy artists | Jazz/blues

U2 On its current international stadium jaunt, U2 is looking back 30 years to its landmark 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. Its no surprise at this point that shows on the tour, launched in May, feature a full reading of the record, which includes the chart-topping anthems With or Without You and I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For. But Bono and company have been keeping it interesting with additional hits, intriguing visuals and special guests, such as Eddie Vedder in Seattle. The band has also been offering a glimpse of whats on the horizon by including the new song The Little Things That Give You Away in recent set lists. Jedd Ferris See them: June 20 at FedEx Field. Sold out. Tickets available on the secondary market.

Gorillaz Damon Albarn, the leader of the Britpop band Blur, started Gorillaz as a fun side project. This cartoon band reimagined the Archies as angst-haunted adults, with Albarns partner, Jamie Hewlett, creating the spooky anime. Humanz, the first new album from Gorillaz in seven years, was released in April with multiple guest stars ranging from Vince Staples to Mavis Staples, all performing atop Albarns minimalist synth figures and looped beats. Some, but not all, of the guests showed up at the first few shows to support the record, and it was a different cast each time. The center of attention, though, was always Albarn, whose ringmaster role gave the shows more cohesion than the album, which resembles a typical mix tape, widely varying in styles and quality. Geoffrey Himes See them: July 17 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $49-$199.

Feist No one could have predicted that, after toiling in the indie-rock world for more than a decade, Leslie Feist would find global success thanks to an iPod commercial. Thats exactly what happened in 2007, when the addictive 1234 propelled Feist to new heights, but success wasnt without its pitfalls namely, emotional exhaustion that prompted her to abandon music for two years. When she returned, she ran away from the poppy, if accidental, commercialism and slowed her world down with the dour, muted Metals. On Pleasure, her first album in six years, the spirit of quiet introspection of Metals is intact, but rather than strictly subtle, Feist occasionally grabs a live wire of ragged rock energy, strumming and singing past any remaining expectations. Chris Kelly See her: June 7-8 at Lincoln Theatre. $45. June 7 show is sold out.

Fleet Foxes Initially compared to Simon and Garfunkel for its tuneful harmonies, this Seattle-based modern folk group has developed an ethereal yet lush sound over the past decade that is completely its own. Fleet Foxes growing influence has reverberated throughout the ever-expanding genre, despite a six-year gap between albums and the 2012 departure of drummer Josh Tillman, who has remade himself as Father John Misty. The groups new album, Crack-Up, scheduled to be released this month, is arguably its strongest to date. Expect a full unveiling when the band takes the stage at Merriweather alongside the restlessly inventive Animal Collective, which has recently been veering toward pop. Christopher Kompanek See them: July 29 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $41-$56.

Belle and Sebastian, Spoon, Andrew Bird This triple-headlining bill is the stuff of music-geek dreams. From Belle and Sebastians well-made melancholic songs to Spoons impossibly tight soulful grooves and Andrew Birds genre-defying brilliance, this mini-fest promises to be an epic day of indie rock. Expect Belle and Sebastian to play a couple of songs off their rumored upcoming album. Bird is as unpredictable live as he is consistently good; a recent Carnegie Hall show had him sharing the stage with Schoolhouse Rock composer Bob Dorough, mandolinist Chris Thile and avant classical pianist Gabriel Kahane. A jam with Britt Daniel and company of Spoon would be a fitting climax for this show. C.Ko. See them: July 30 at Merriweather Post Pavilion.$45-$55.

Kendrick Lamar On his previous two albums, Kendrick Lamar explored concepts political and personal, general and specific, recounting a day-in-the-life on the streets of Compton on Good kid, m.A.A.d city and paying tribute to the history of black music and the Black Lives Matter movement on the expansive To Pimp a Butterfly. From its title on down, his latest effort, DAMN., is blunt and belligerent. Abandoning the embellishments of his last album, Lamar returned with a hit parade of songs with all-caps titles that announce themselves like Hollywood signs in the collective consciousness. His palpable anger is focused with a laser sight, and hes as self-assured as ever. As he boasts on hit single HUMBLE., Im the realest n***a after all. Chris Kelly See him: July 21 at Verizon Center. Sold out. Tickets available on the secondary market.

[Is Kendrick Lamar the greatest of all time? (Don't ask. Listen.)]

John Legend John Legend begins his latest album, Darkness and Light, by singing, Some folk do what theyre told, but, baby, this time I wont. Building on his track record as a progressive-soul singer-keyboardist in the lineage of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Legend pushes the limits of his established persona by working with rock producer Blake Mills (Dawes, Alabama Shakes), recording with Who bassist Pino Palladino and jazz keyboardist Larry Goldings, and co-writing songs with Mills, Bonnie Prince Billy, Zwans Matt Sweeney and One Direction producer John Ryan. These experiments dont dramatically alter Legends sound so much as they open it up to more impressionistic lyrics and music. Geoffrey Himes See him: June 20 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $59-$499.

Chance the Rapper With last years Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper made the leap from promising upstart to voice of his generation. The Chicago talent took the gospel flirtations of The Life of Pablo, by his mentor Kanye West, and turned them into an album of full-on gospel-rap paeans. In February, Chance won the Grammy for best new artist, but in the same way that rapper doesnt fully capture the extent of his musical gifts, artist doesnt cover his pursuits. The 24-year-old has quickly become an able activist meeting with the governor of Illinois, donating $1 million to Chicago public schools so catch him onstage while you still can. C.Ke. See him: June 4 at Jiffy Lube Live, $59.50-$119.50. June 6 at Royal Farms Arena, $106.50-$116.50.

Summer Spirit Festival For the 12th consecutive year, the Summer Spirit Festival returns to Merriweather Post Pavilion with a two-day adventure soundtracked by the best of R&B, neo-soul, hip-hop and everything in between. As ever, the festival is heavy on nostalgia, with the legendary Kenny Babyface Edmonds, 90s girl groups SWV and En Vogue, and influential rap trio De La Soul anchoring the bill. But the festival isnt just a jaunt down memory lane: It also features Bronx hybrid Tish Hyman and neo-neo-soul band the Internet, which makes the kind of old-meets-new music that will soundtrack the Summer Spirit Festivals of the future. C.Ke. See them: August 5-6 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $54-$1,170.

J. Cole After teasing his retirement last summer, J. Cole returned in December with a documentary and a pair of songs, False Prophets and Everybody Dies, that immediately captured the rap zeitgeist. Largely read as diss tracks aimed at Kanye West and such newcomers as Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert, respectively, the songs collectively served as a marker for where Cole sees his place in the rap game: as a wise-beyond-his-years protector of the genre. Its a pose he assumed on his latest album, 4 Your Eyez Only, an introspective and mature offering that burnished his credentials as a rap classicist with plenty of stories to tell before his (eventual) retirement. C.Ke. See him: Aug. 8 at Verizon Center. $49.50-$125.50.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Following his Grammy-winning 2015 effort, Something More Than Free, country-rock tunesmith Jason Isbell decided it was time to crank up his guitar amp. On his new album, The Nashville Sound, which comes out June 16, Isbell rocks harder than he has since his days as a member of Drive-By Truckers. Standout Cumberland Gap is a fuzzy scorcher that still allows the songwriters usual vivid lyrics, full of blue-collar Southern imagery, to surface. The new material will be well served onstage in the hands of Isbells seasoned band, the 400 Unit. Hell be supported this summer by the Mountain Goats, the long-standing, folk-punk cult heroes from North Carolina. Jedd Ferris See them: June 30 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $40-$55.

Lady Antebellum Near the end of Lady Antebellums 2015 Wheels Up Tour, the country trio announced that it would be taking a 1 1/2-year hiatus. During that time off, Charles Kelley released a hot-country solo album, The Driver, and then Hillary Scott released a Christian-pop album, Love Remains. Each album rose to No. 2 on the country charts, although neither yielded a top-25 country single. Country radio clearly preferred the three-part harmonies of Kelley, Scott and Dave Haywood, and though the groups reunion album, Heart Break, wont be released till next week, the albums first single, You Look Good, has already hit the country top-10. Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Young are also on the bill at Jiffy Lube Live. G.H. See them: June 24 at Jiffy Lube Live. $33-$66.25.

Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter When Lucinda Williams played Annapoliss Rams Head On Stage in May, the singer-songwriter played songs from all phases of her career: from Changed the Locks, off her 1988 self-titled breakthrough album, to The Ghosts of Highway 20, the title track from last years late-career-triumph album. When she returns to Wolf Trap in August, she will headline the show with Mary Chapin Carpenter, who turned Williamss Passionate Kisses into a top-five country hit in 1993. Carpenter, who got her start in Washingtons coffeehouses, had an even bigger country hit in 1991 with Down at the Twist and Shout, a song she wrote about the legendary nightclub in Bethesda. Geoffrey Himes See them: Aug. 12 at Wolf Trap. $28-$60.

Chris Stapleton Chris Stapleton proved people were still willing to pay for an honest tune when he sold more than 2 million copies of his 2015 debut solo album, Traveller. Last month, the gritty troubadour with a revivalist spirit unveiled the highly anticipated follow-up, From A Room: Volume 1, which debuted at the top of the country charts. Delivering honest, dusty ruminations with a hearty, soulful voice, Stapleton once an in-demand Music Row songwriter is now a modern outlaw headlining the countrys big stages. This summer hes fronting the All-American Roadshow, a package tour with a rotating cast of supporting Americana acts (Anderson East and Brent Cobb at this tour stop). J.F. See him: July 22 at Jiffy Lube Live. $30.75$70.75.

Greensky Bluegrass After a successful three-night stand at the 9:30 Club in the winter, jam-friendly string band Greensky Bluegrass is returning to the area to headline a new boutique amphitheater, Chrysalis, in Columbia. Nestled in the woods near the much-bigger Merriweather Post Pavilion, the venue features a bright green sculpturelike stage and an open lawn with standing room for 7,000 people. Greensky, which has built a loyal following across the country for its dynamic live shows, will be supported by fellow string expansionists Leftover Salmon, a band that blends bluegrass with Cajun rhythms and full-throttle rock grooves. J.F. See them: July 22 at Chrysalis-Merriweather Park. $40.

Paul Simon When singer-songwriter Paul Simon played in Queens, his childhood home, last summer, he hinted that it might be his final tour. While hes back at it this summer, the 75-year-old legend is donating all proceeds from this 17-show stint to the Half-Earth Project, scientist E.O. Wilsons biodiversity preservation initiative. From the intimate early Simon and Garfunkel songs to the syncopated levity of Graceland, Simon has a talent for capturing a persistent human longing. A thread of elusive searching flows through his songs, from Homeward Bound to 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Sarah McLachlan opens this show with her own brand of deeply emotional tunes. Christopher Kompanek See them: June 9 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $55-$175.

Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie arent the most famous members of Fleetwood Mac, but the songs they wrote for the band are certainly memorable. Buckingham penned the earworms Go Your Own Way and Second Hand News, while McVie wrote Dont Stop and Songbird, a gorgeous ballad that features her lead vocals. The two recently teamed up outside of Fleetwood Mac to write and record a new album, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, due out early this summer. On this tour, the duo will perform songs from those new recordings as well as their old hits. Catherine P. Lewis See them: June 26 at Wolf Trap. $45-$95.

Hall & Oates Hall & Oates werent about albums. They were about radio singles, but their hits were some of the most exquisitely crafted and emotionally satisfying songs of their era. They were incredibly prolific; while Bruce Springsteen was releasing eight albums in the 70s and 80s, Hall & Oates released 15. Anyone who listened to the radio in those two decades will experience a small flush of pleasure at the mere mention of such titles as Sara Smile, Rich Girl, Kiss on My List, I Cant Go for That (No Can Do) and Did It in a Minute. The duo scored 28 top-40 hits between 1976 and 1988, including six No. 1s. Theyre joined on this tour by Tears for Fears. Geoffrey Himes See them: June 26 at Verizon Center. $35-$129.50.

Merriweather Post Pavilions 50th Anniversary Concert Its unusual for a live performance to become a hit single; its so difficult to control the sonic qualities of a concert recording compared to a studio session. One of the most famous exceptions to this rule was Jackson Brownes 1977 live album, Running on Empty, which yielded not just one but two top-20 Billboard singles: the previously unreleased title track and the remake of Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs 1960 doo-wop classic Stay. The album was assembled from recordings at different stops on the 1977 tour, but both singles came from the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia. How better to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the venerable outdoor venue than with a return visit by Browne, joined by another Merriweather perennial, Willie Nelson, and two more recent regulars: Father John Misty and Grace Potter? G.H. See it: July 15 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $55-$125.

Queen with Adam Lambert Sometimes, coming in second place isnt so bad. Adam Lambert, the American Idol runner-up (to Kris Allen in 2009), makes the perfect frontman for classic rock icons Queen. During time off from his solo career, Lambert has teamed with active Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor for several tours; his soaring range, theatrical delivery and flamboyant personality help him fill Freddie Mercurys seemingly inimitable shoes. Even more perfect? Lambert used Queens Bohemian Rhapsody as his initial American Idol audition song and performed alongside May and Taylor on the show. C.P.L. See them: July 31 at Verizon Center. $49.50-$175.

Gloria Trevi, Alejandra Guzmn For decades, Mexican rock stars Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzmn have been cast as incorrigible bad girls rivaling for the spotlight. Audiences will finally have a chance to see who can out-growl the other when the equally raspy, tough-as-nails singers unite at EagleBank Arena. Trevi, the rebellious wild child who rose to fame with her 90s anthem about unruly hair, has spent the latter half of her career moving past an infamous arrest in 2000 on charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse and corruption of minors. Guzmn has also had her slew of controversies, including drug addiction, airplane brawls and botched plastic surgery. Now, at age 49, the former scandal magnets have put their pasts behind them and focused on music, joining forces this year to release the duet Cuando un hombre te enamora. Julyssa Lopez See them: Aug. 13 at EagleBank Arena. $49-$153.

Kehlani On her debut album, SweetSexySavage, Kehlani aimed to capture the three elements of its title, and the Oakland singer-songwriter succeeded with flying colors. SweetSexySavage updates the crazy, sexy, cool R&B of TLC, Aaliyah and Brandy for millennial listeners and finds the 22-year-old equally adept at rap-fueled slow dances, guitar-strumming ballads and bubbly pop jams about learning from the hiccups and hookups of youthful relationships. Being a pop star in 2017 is tough some of those relationships have made her a target of Internet bullies but, as she sings on the album, Live for the challenge, only make[s] me stronger. Chris Kelly See her: July 13 at the Fillmore. Sold out. Tickets available on the secondary market.

St. Paul & the Broken Bones

St. Paul & the Broken Bones has increased in popularity pretty quickly for a group that formed in 2012; just four years ago, the Alabama soul band played the tiny Iota Club in Arlington. But headlining a show at Wolf Trap is a well-deserved step up for the young band: Its two albums boast catchy, well-orchestrated songs, which should translate beautifully to the big, open-air stage. Frontman Paul Janeways voice floats up to match the peppy horns behind him on Call Me, and he howls sorrowfully on That Glow. His vocal calisthenics add an engaging passion to these soulful songs. Catherine P. Lewis See them: June 16 at Wolf Trap. $30-$55.

Michael Kiwanuka While trying to kick-start material to follow up his breakout folk-soul debut album, Home Again, Michael Kiwanuka found an ideal collaborator in Brian Danger Mouse Burton, the in-demand producer for the likes of Beck and the Black Keys. The partnership yielded Kiwanukas sophomore effort, last years Love and Hate, which finds the London-based singer and guitarists earthy croon enhanced by sweeping strings, haunting backing vocals and vintage organ swells. The albums lead track, the icy, retro ballad Cold Little Heart, became a buzzy sensation this year when it accompanied the bizarre intro to HBOs Big Little Lies. While mostly busy on the international festival circuit this summer, Kiwanuka will squeeze in a few club dates, including a stop at a sold-out 9:30 Club. Jedd Ferris See him: June 4 at 9:30 Club. Sold out. Tickets available on the secondary market.

Mitski At times on her album Puberty 2, Mitski sings lyrics Tell your baby that Im your baby or Youre the one, youre all I ever wanted, for example that would be at home at any time in pop music history. But those lovey-dovey pleadings belie the darkness and violence of her work: I will go jogging routinely/calmly and rhythmically run, she sings on Fireworks, And when I find that a knife is sticking out of my side, Ill pull it out without questioning why. Puberty 2 is full of knives in your side and unanswered questions as the 26-year-old bounds from Pixiesque loud-quiet-loud dynamics to narcotic ballads to trebly punk meltdowns, all the while exposing the sordid underbelly of 21st-century romance. C.Ke. See her: July 8 at 9:30 Club. $20.

Little Dragon Since Swedens Little Dragon debuted 11 years ago, Yukimi Naganos soulful soprano has become a chic accessory for other peoples music. The halfJapanese singer has collaborated with Big Boi, Gorillaz, Flume and many more. Yet the band tends to go it alone on its own albums, including the recent Season High. It seems the four musicians dont need any help to craft songs that meld 80s-style synth-pop and slow-jam funk with contemporary touches. The vibe can be loungey, but the group channels Prince on such upbeat tunes as the new Sweet and Strobe Light, which party like its almost 1989. Mark Jenkins See them: Aug. 8 at 9:30 Club. $35.

Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock is the rare jazz artist to gain considerable recognition outside the jazz world. In 2008, his River: The Joni Letters became only the second jazz album to win the Grammy Award for album of the year, besting fellow nominees Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse and Vince Gill. In 2013, Hancock joined Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine, Martina Arroyo and Carlos Santana as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. In August, Hancock returns to the Kennedy Center with a quintet that features West African guitar virtuoso Lionel Loueke, Kendrick Lamar collaborator Terrace Martin, Joni Mitchell drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and Saturday Night Live bassist James Genus. Geoffrey Himes See him: Aug. 8 at the Kennedy Center. $39-$115.

Capital Jazz Fest Talk about blurred lines: Singer Robin Thicke will help open this genre-blending jazz and soul music fete. Of course, the 25th-anniversary edition is crowded with longtime festival favorites, including contemporary jazz titans George Benson and Lee Ritenour, whove influenced generations of guitar players. When the focus isnt shifting from, say, the Whispers to Stokley, women will command the stage, during performances by Corinne Bailey Rae, Maysa, Sheila E. and Candy Dulfer. Topping the Sunday finale: a special tribute to the late jazz and pop great Al Jarreau. Mike Joyce See it: June 2-4 at Merriweather Post Pavilion. $64.50-$104.50. Saturday is sold out.

DC Jazz Festival This sprawling jazz summit offers an array of crosstown concerts in venues large and small, indoors and out. Among the artists on tap are two veteran collaborators, guitarist Pat Metheny and drummer Roy Haynes, although theyll perform at different sites. Ever engaging at 91, Haynes brings his Fountain of Youth Band to the Howard Theatre on June 10, while Metheny, fronting an intriguing new quartet, appears at the Kennedy Center on June 12. Theyre festival highlights, no doubt, along with concerts featuring Gregory Porter, Jane Bunnett and numerous others. M.Jo. See it: June 9-18 at various venues in the District. Ticket prices vary.

Diana Krall A multiple Grammy winner, Diana Krall has pitched her tent at the top of the jazz charts for two decades. Producer Tommy LiPuma, who died in March, at 80, helped get her there. So this show is likely to produce some bittersweet moments when the Canadian vocalist and pianist revisits the vintage pop and jazz tunes on her new LiPuma-produced album, Turn Up the Quiet a now haunting reminder of their special chemistry. Count on guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst, drummer Karriem Riggins and fiddler Stuart Duncan to provide inspired support. M.Jo. See her: June 24 at Wolf Trap. $43.75-$83.75.

La La Land in Concert La La Land harks back to the achingly idealistic movie musicals of the 50s and 60s, when lifes troubles were carried away by a sweeping dance mob, and there was always a catchy song to articulate how you feel. This screening, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Emil de Cou, seems like the model way to experience Damien Chazelles love letter to impossible dreams and the wonderfully rich culture of jazz. Justin Hurwitzs Oscar-winning score (with a previously unheard overture), filled with frenzied flourishes of improvisation, should play particularly well in an open-air, live setting. Christopher Kompanek See it: Aug. 4 at Wolf Trap. $40-$60.

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Summer Concert Guide: 31 can't-miss shows, from Kendrick Lamar to U2 - Washington Post