Being There's Monthly City Guide

Summer is here, which means that July is full of great events.  And who knows, maybe if you’re lucky tickets are still available to some of these:

Austin, Texas

July 1 – Vic Chesnutt @ Cactus Café; The Gourds @ Jovita’s

July 5 – John Hammond @ National Guitar Summer Workshop

July 6 – Hubert Sumlin & Pinetop Perkins @ KGSR Blues Festival

July 9 – Billy Joe Shaver @ Nutty Brown Café

July 22 – Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne @ La Zona Rosa

July 23 – John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars @ Stubb’s Barbeque


Boston, Massachusetts

July 7 – Four Tet @ Museum of Fine Arts

July 9 – Toots & The Maytals @ Suffolk Downs

July 12 – Lucinda Williams @ Opera House

July 15 – Dinosaur Jr. @ Avalon

July 17 – Shelby Lynne @ Paradise Rock Club

July 21 – Mike Doughty @ Copley Square Park; De La Soul (with John Legend) @ The Roxy

July 22 – Elvis Costello, Lyle Lovett, and Emmylou Harris @ Bank of America Pavillion

July 26 – Ben Harper @ Avalon; Liz Phair @ Paradise Rock Club


Chicago, Illinois

July 1-4 – The Taste of Chicago Festival (feat. Dr. John, Steve Winwood, John Hiatt, and Moby)

July 1 - Toots & The Maytals @ House of Blues (second show on July 2)

July 2 – Michelle Shocked @ Hot House

July 7 – Sloan @ Double Door

July 9 – Robert Plant @ Auditorium Theatre

July 9-10 – Chicago Folk & Roots Festival (feat. Alejandro Escovedo, Otis Clay, Ozomatli) @ Welles Park

July 13 – Shannon McNally @ Schubas

July 15 – Fountains of Wayne @ Old St. Pat’s; Cowboy Junkies (with Tracy Bonham) @ Park West; Richard Buckner @ Schubas

July 16 – Constantines @ Empty Bottle

July 17 – Old 97’s @ Rock Around The Block

July 21 – Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell @ Schubas; Ben Harper @ Vic Theatre

July 22 – Pernice Brothers @ Empty Buttle; Charlie Hunter Trio @ Green Mill (second show on July 23); Cake @ House of Blues

July 23-24 – Lollapalooza (feat. Cake, Pixies, Primus, The Noise Conspiracy, Liz Phair, The Black Keys, Weezer, Arcade Fire, Drive-By Truckers, Louis XIV, The Dandy Warhols, and more) @ Grant Park

July 27 – Evan Dando @ Double Door; Teenage Fanclub @ Metro/Smart Bar; Thea Gilmore @ Schubas

July 30 – Aimee Mann (with Honeydogs and Kathleen Edwards) @ Skyline Stage at Navy Pier


Los Angeles, California

Jon Brion plays the piano every Friday evening @ Largo.  This month, however, the club is closed from July 1 to 9^th.  Aside from Brion, this month’s lineup of acts also includes Robyn Hitchcock, Greg Proops Chat Show, Sam Phillips, Glen Phillips, Jim White, and Grant Lee Phillips.  See www.largo-la.com for details.

July 1 – Ozomatli @ California Plaza

July 15 – Joe Ely @ The Mint (also on July 16)

July 16 – Widespread Panic @ The Wiltern LG

July 17 – “Planet Electronica” feat. Basement Jaxx and Royksopp @ Hollywood Bowl; Ben Harper @ Music Box at the Fonda

July 18 – Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne @ The Wiltern LG

July 24 – Robert Plant @ Greek Theatre; Mos Def, Femi Kuti, and Daara J @ Hollywood Bowl

July 26 - Brendan Benson @ El Ray Theatre

July 27 – Buddy Guy & Etta James @ Hollywood Bowl

July 28 – Black Eyed Peas @ Greek Theatre

July 31 – Pernice Brothers @ Knitting Factory


Montreal, Quebec

June 29-July 9 – Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (July performances include Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Jolie Holland, Keren Ann, Ron Sexsmith, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Mavis Staples)

July 10 – Weezer @ Stade Uniprix

July 17 – New York Dolls @ Les Franco Folies De Montreal


Nashville, Tennessee

July 2 – Sleater-Kinney @ The Cannery

July 7 – The Neville Brothers @ Riverfront Park

July 14 – Mary Gauthier @ Belcourt Theatre

July 16 – Old 97’s @ Cannery Row Revival

July 21 – Ben Folds & Weezer @ Municipal Auditorium; Cake @ Riverfront Park; Bela Fleck & The Acoustic Trio @ Ryman Auditorium

July 30 – Jerry Seinfeld @ Andrew Jackson Hall; Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell @ Opry Plaza; John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars @ Ryman Auditorium


New Orleans, Louisiana

July 1-3 – Essence Music Festival (with Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, John Legend, The Roots, Kanye West, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mint Condition, Black Eyed Peas, The Wailers) @ Louisiana Superdome

July 1 – Asylum Street Spankers @ Tipitina’s Uptown

July 10 – Etta James & The Roots Band @ House of Blues

July 24 – Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne @ House of Blues

July 25 – John Hiatt &  The North Mississippi Allstars @ House of Blues

July 26 – Carole King @ Saenger Theatre

July 30 – Le Tigre @ House of Blues


New York City, New York

July 4 – Laura Cantrell, Stephen Malkmus, and Yo La Tengo @ Battery Park

July 7 – Clem Snide @ Castle Clinton National Monument

July 7 – John Hammond @ River & Blues Series; Graham Parker @ South Street Seaport

July 8 – Constantines @ Mercury Lounge

July 10 – Blind Boys of Alabama @ Central Park SummerStage

July 12 – Son Volt @ Bowery Ballroom; Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell, with Kevn Kinney, Uncle Earl @ Joe’s Pub

July 13 – Royksopp @ Irving Plaza; Carole King @ Radio City Musical Hall

July 14 – Lucinda Williams @ Beacon Theatre; Calexico @ Castle Clinton National Monument

July 15 – Shelby Lynne @ Central Park SummerStage; Ozomatli @ Irving Plaza

July 17 – Brazilian Girls, Femi Kuti, and Timmy Regisford @ Central Park SummerStage

July 18 – Lyle Lovett @ Central Park SummerStage

July 19 – Elvis Costello & Emmylou Harris @ Central Park SummerStage

July 20 – Keren Ann @ Bowery Ballroom

July 21 – M. Ward @ Castle Clinton National Monument

July 22 – Teenage Fanclub @ Bowery Ballroom (second show on July 23); Rodney Crowell @ South Street Seaport

July 26 – Jimmie Dale Gilmore and The Waifs @ World Financial Center Plaza

July 27 – Daniel Lanois @ Hudson River Blues Festival; Ben Harper @ Irving Plaza


San Francisco, California

July 6 – Link Wray @ Slim’s

July 7 – Dan Bern @ 12 Galaxies (also on July 14 and 21)

July 9 – Brazilian Girls @ The Fillmore

July 14 – Joe Ely @ Great American Music Hall

July 15 – Royksopp @ Bimbo’s 365 Club; Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne @ The Warfield

July 16 – Ben Harper @ The Warfield

July 18 – Beck & Le Tigre @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

July 19 – The Knitters @ Great American Music Hall

July 20 – Shannon McNally @ Café Du Nord; The Knitters @ Slim’s

July 22 – Louis XIV @ The Fillmore

July 25 – Brendan Benson, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Cribs @ The Fillmore

July 30 – Jim White, Pernice Brothers, and Royal Gun @ Great American Music Hall


Seattle, Washington

July 6 – Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne @ Moore Theatre; Michelle Shocked @ The Triple Door

July 8 – Chuck Prophet @ Tractor Tavern

July 9 – Link Wray @ Tractor Tavern

July 10 – John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars @ Summer Nights at South Lake Union

July 11 – Laura Cantrell @ Easy Street Records (in-store)

July 12 – Laura Cantrell @ The Triple Door; John Hammond @ Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley (also July 13)

July 13 – Ben Harper @ Moore Theatre; Feist @ The Triple Door

July 15 – Beck @ Paramount Theatre; Evan Dando @ Tractor Tavern

July 17 – Shannon McNally @ Tractor Tavern

July 22 – Brendan Benson @ Crocodile Café

July 26 – Pernice Brothers @ Neumo’s

July 30 – Robbie Fulks @ Summer Nights at The Pier; Wanda Jackson @ Tractor Tavern


Toronto, Ontario

June 24-July 3 – TD Canada Trust Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival @ various venues (includes appearances by Madeleine Peyroux and Dr. John)

July 1 – Feist @ Harbourfront Centre

July 6 – Robert Plant @ Molson Amphitheatre

July 7 – Neko Case @ Harbourfront Centre; The Reels w/ Ruth Minnikin @ Rivoli

July 8 – The Golden Dogs (w/ The Spades) @ Rivoli

July 9 – Weezer @ Molson Amphitheatre

July 10 – Black Eyed Peas @ Molson Amphitheatre

July 12 – “Big Summer Classic” (feat. Michael Franti & Spearhead, The String Cheese Incident, etc.)  @ Olympic Island; Nic Armstrong & The Thieves @ Opera House; John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

July 14 – Bruce Springsteen @ Air Canada Centre; K-OS @ Molson Amphitheatre

July 15 – The Complements @ Renaissance Café  

July 17 – Dinosaur Jr. @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

July 18 – Pernice Brothers @ Lee’s Palace

July 22 – Loretta Lynn (with Martha Wainwright) @ Massey Hall

July 23 – Ben Harper @ Kool Haus

July 25 – Teenage Fanclub @ Mod Club

July 28 – Ray LaMontagne @ Mod Club

July 29 – Aimee Mann @ Phoenix Concert Theatre


Vancouver, British Columbia

July 1 – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings @ Commodore Ballroom (also at David Lam Park on July 2)

July 2 – K-OS (with Peter Elkas) @ Malkin Bowl (also on July 3)

July 11 – John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars @ Commodore Ballroom

July 12 – Ben Harper @ Commodore Ballroom

July 14 – Beck @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

July 15-16 – Vancouver Folk Festival (feat. Feist, Fruit, Mike Seeger, etc.)

July 19-21 – Bob Dylan @ Orpheum Theatre

July 21 – Willie Nelson @ General Motors Place

July 22 – Black Eyed Peas @ Deer Lake Park