Pittsburgh's Can't Miss Concerts in April
This month's lineup includes The Decemberists, Vieux Farka Toure and of Montreal.
photo by autumn de wilde
April 8/ Above all else, The Decemberists is a band with personality. The group’s oeuvre ranges from simple acoustic love songs to a rock opera about a forest-dwelling shape-shifter to verbose anti-war anthems. When I first saw the band live in the spring of 2007, it interrupted the music mid-concert to lead a reenactment of the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite those eccentricities — or maybe because of them — The Decemberists remains one of America’s most approachable and beloved rock bands, with a little something new at every turn. (Stage AE, 400 North Shore Drive, North Shore; 412/229-5483, stageae.com)
photo by Zeb Goodell
April 11/ Sometimes the label of “World Music” can relegate a musician to a designated hour on public radio. Vieux Farka Touré has a sound that expands way beyond the clichéd boundaries. His guitar work is a stunning flourish of high-energy and technical excellence, and his songs pay tribute to his Malian heritage while folding in elements of blues, rock, reggae and soul. (Club Café, 56-58 S. 12th St., South Side; 412/431-4950, clubcafelive.com)
April 25/ If April is the cruelest month, by the end of it we all deserve a sweet release — perhaps in the form of a high-energy dance party hosted by of Montreal? The prolific psychedelic pop veterans return to Pittsburgh for a show guaranteed to herald the warmer weather to come with their trademark glitter-infused, sweat-slick good time. (Mr. Smalls, 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale; 412/821-4447, mrsmalls.com)
Rusted Root — Jergel’s, jergels.com April 1
PSO: Pictures at an Exhibition — Heinz Hall, pittsburghsymphony.org April 1-2
photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Bowling for Soup — Rex Theater, rex.greyareaprod.com April 3
Son Volt — Mr. Smalls, mrsmalls.com April 4
Bon Jovi — PPG Paints Arena, ppgpaintsarena.com April 5
photo by Alex Ferrari
Billy Currington — Stage AE, stageae.com April 6
Modern English — Rex Theater, rex.greyareaprod.com April 8
The Weeks — Club Cafe, clubcafelive.com April 9
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes — Rex Theater, rex.greyareaprod.com April 11
Great Lake Swimmers — Club Cafe, clubcafelive.com April 12
Reggie and the Full Effect — Cattivo, cattivopgh.com April 13
The Psychedelic Furs — Mr. Smalls, mrsmalls.com April 14
Ensemble SurPlus — The Andy Warhol Museum, warhol.org April 15
Kishi Bashi — Rex Theater, rex.greyareaprod.com April 16
Carrie Elkin — Club Cafe, clubcafelive.com April 17
STS9 — Stage AE, stageae.com April 18
RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles — Byham Theater, trustarts.org April 19
O-Town — Hard Rock Cafe, hardrock.com April 20
Tobin Sprout — Brillobox, brilloboxpgh.com April 21
JoJo — Stage AE, stageae.com April 22
David Berkeley — Club Cafe, clubcafelive.com April 23
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters — Jergel’s, jergels.com April 25
photo by Philipp Horak
Buchbinder Birthday Concert — Heinz Hall, pittsburghsymphony.org April 28
Acid Mothers Temple — Club Cafe, clubcafelive.com April 29
Norwegian Arms — Brillobox, brilloboxpgh.com April 30
