Why settle for just one headliner when you can see two or three this summer in CT
Some summer tours are simply better designed than others. There are festivals of wide-ranging talent you can never see all of, there are big stars touring with unknown opening acts, there are 'An Evening With' shows where the headliner shares the stage with no one. Then there are the double bills or co-headlining tours, which are probably the most fun of all.
Connecticut gets a lot of inspired pairings every summer. They're not festivals where breadth and variety is the concern. They're well thought through programs pairing like-minded acts that may share a style or a resonant era or a beat.
Here are dozens of examples of exceptional double — or triple, or quadruple or sextuple — bills happening in Connecticut this summer that create an evening-long consistent mood. These aren't headliners and lesser-knowns or mismatched groupings of major artists and unsteady up-and-comers, these are balanced bills where the artists are of equal stature. Audiences should be rapt from beginning to end.
Two exemplary singer/songwriters known for deeply emotional lyrics join up on June 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. $105. thekate.org.
Imagine how hard it must be to book a club-friendly night of contemporary sea shanty performers. New Haven's Cafe Nine has done it, with Sean Dagher and the ensemble My Druthers on June 24 at 8 p.m. $12. cafenine.com.
Raucous, unhinged and sociopolitically relevant, Murder by Death and Against Me! vocalist Laura Jane Grace both stretch the limits of rock by questioning definitions and identity. They will perform at District Music Hall in Norwalk on June 25 at 7 p.m. $49.32-$74.56. districtmusichall.com.
Neither are the bands they were in the 1960s, but this pairing of The Beach Boys (still led by original lead vocalist Mike Love and longtime member Bruce Johnston) and Herman's Hermits (starring original vocalist Peter Noone) brings us back to the wondrous tension of the '60s British Invasion when California surf pop had to withstand the incursion of mop tops with skinny ties. June 26 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods' Premier Theater in Mashantucket. $74.45-$94.95. foxwoods.com.
A varied but neatly curated night of roots jam with acts from different rock eras and parts of the country — '90s indie upstars G. Love and Special Sauce, surfer guitarist John Butler and the Boston-rooted Dispatch, plus singer/songwriter Donavon Frankenreiter — play on June 29 at 6 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport. $30-$200.75. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
Beyond the mellifluous 'ng' flow of Wang Chung, Young and Springfield, this is a snapshot of AM radio in the 1980s. You'll hear smooth pop anthems like 'Every time You Go Away' and 'Missing You' but you will also hear 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' and 'Jesse's Girl.' July 8 at 7 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $30-$273.95. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
This is the 2025 'Taste of Armageddon' tour. Call it nu metal, alt-metal or just '90s rock, this is what the revolution sounded like in metal clubs two or three decades ago. $46.65, $609.15 VIP suite, $1,209.15 VIP suite. July 8 at 6 p.m. at The Webster in Hartford. thewebsterct.com.
There are two solo acts conspicuously performing without their longtime partners. Both Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze have done shows and albums on their own for decades, but Hall (whose first solo album was in 1980) just had a well-covered split from John Oates and though Tilbrook has done solo club shows as recently as 2022, the vast majority of shows he's done in Connecticut over the past decade have been with Squeeze. July 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Foxwoods' Premier Theater. $65-$395.45. foxwoods.com.
Three lively, strident bands known for clever lyrics and fun banter relive the 1990s for you on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $81.50-$444.75. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
Were they jam bands or commercial pop/rock acts? Blues Traveler (featuring Connecticut-raised John Popper), Gin Blossoms (pioneers of the No Depression or Americana movements) and Spin Doctors (a club-level party band that grew to massive radio and MTV success) all maintain serious fan bases due to their live performance skills. July 18 at 6 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $41.25-$192.95. livenation.com.
A specific level of brash rock arrogance colors this three-act evening. Fists will punch the air on July 27 at 6 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $59-$290.65. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
Three deeply experienced, widely travelled drummers who happen to live in Connecticut stage a night of wild rhythms, joined by Hamden-based guitarist/bassist Dean Falcone. The drummers are Mickey Curry (Hall & Oates, Bryan Adams, many others), Rich Dart (longtime touring drummer for the Monkees) and Matt Starr (who has worked with everyone from Ace Frehley to Mr. Big and writes a column for Drumhead magazine). July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. thekate.org.
This mix of two articulate alt-rock acts, the straight ahead Drive-By Truckers and the Americana-tinged Deer Tick, named this their 'Charm & Decadence Tour.' You'll get both at College Street Music Hall in New Haven on July 29 at 7 p.m. $59.62-$75.07. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Another gaggle of '80s legends, this one more danceable. Styles have changed — at one point A Flock of Seagulls dispensed with the angular haircuts — but the synthesized beats remain. All these bands are (slightly) more than one-hit wonders. The addition of Polecats, a new wave rockabilly act known for their rootsty cover of T Rex's 'Jeepster,' is a nice touch. The show is coming to the Westville Music Bowl in New Haven on July 31 at 5:30 p.m. $40-$130. westvillemusicbowl.com.
This is the still the nostalgia rock tour to which all others must be compared. Known for its carefully aligned lineups of bands that still work ferociously on their harmonies and pop precision, the 'Happy Together' tour is obviously led by The Turtles (with original co-vocalist Mark Volman now joined by The Archies' Ron Dante) but it faces real competition from The Cowsills and some of the others, including Jay & the Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett and The Vogues. Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. $53-$270.80. livenation.com.
Four hip-hop acts who ruled the charts in the early 2000s are now in their late 40s or early 50s and as regal as ever. Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford. $30-$256.20. livenation.com.
One of the few multi-act bills in the realm of comedy is this smart bill of funny people who all came up together in the past 20 years, whether connected to 'Saturday Night Live,' longform Broadway comedy experiments or bizarre TV projects. Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Westville Music Bowl. $68-$806. axs.com.
Flaming Lips formed in 1983, Modest Mouse in 1992, but the bands both came of age in the indie rock explosion of the mid-'90s and have continued to be progressive and relevant. Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Westville Music Bowl. $68-$273. westvillemusicbowl.com.
A certain type of college radio listener will be captivated by this bill of indie artists from the '90s who mix wistfulness with catchiness. Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Westville Music Bowl. $55-$263. westvillemusicbowl.com.
Devon Allman (of the Allman family dynasty), Larry McCray, Sierra Green and Greg Koch comprise this 'summit' of modern guitar blues at the intimate-feeling Infinity Music Hall Norfolk on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. $67.01-$87.63. infinityhall.com.
These bands were fighting for and singing about legalization of marijuana long before there was a dispensary in every town. This tour feels like a victory lap. Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Westville Music Bowl. $55-$313. westvillemusicbowl.com.
An intriguing pairing of two '80s stand-up stars who became better known as actors (Howie Mandel in 'St. Elsewhere' and Brad Garrett in 'Everybody Loves Raymond') before returning to comedy. Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. mohegansun.com.
Two fine singer-songwriters with Connecticut roots and genre-bending abilities are performing on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. $45. thekate.org.
The Haitian dance pop band Kaï, featuring Richard Cavé, and Haitian-born New London resident and smooth jazz vocalist/musician Ricky Alan Draughn team up for a 'Harmony for Hope' benefit concert for the Haitian Community Center of Norwich on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Garde Arts Center in New London. gardearts.org.
This is the sound of modern Nashville: Old Dominion ('Some People Do'), Ernest ('Flower Shops') and Redferrin ('Just Like Johnny). They are innovative, popular and definitely soaked in country styles. Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. $104.65-$877.65. mohegansun.com.
Willie Nelson's latest high-end touring fest of country/folk/rock legends (some of whom truly defy category) features himself (now 92 years old), Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Waxahatchee and Madeline Edwards. Sept. 6 at 4 p.m. at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford. $54-$243.50. livenation.com.
Dwight Yoakam has been a country superstar since the mid-1980s. The Mavericks have over a dozen country hits and have been around just as long. They team up on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Westville Music Bowl. $65-$271. westvillemusicbowl.com.
There's a mainstream MTV rap vibe to this '90s tour that unites the forces behind 'Ice Ice Baby,' 'This is How We Do It,' 'Bust a Move' and 'It Takes Two.' Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Foxwoods' Premier Theater. $51.85-$245.60. foxwoods.com.
A two-night stand of a powerhouse double bill of soulful rock from one of the most reliable live rock bands of summertime, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the pop R&B progenitor Steve Winwood of 'Gimme Some Lovin'' fame. Sept. 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $84.25-$341.65. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
It's the only show on this list to bring together female acts of a similar vibe. Luxuriate in the energizing folk/pop/rock of the whisper-to-belter Melissa Etheridge and the Atlanta duo Indigo Girls on Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $47.50-$189.40. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
Sometimes Alice Cooper tours with mainstream rockers, sometimes he brings along hungry young acts and sometimes he welcomes metal survivors such as Judas Priest. Cooper, who recently reunited the original Alice Cooper Group for new recordings, always rises to the occasion when sharing a stage with other legends. Sept. 23 at 6:45 p.m. at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. $59-$1065.65. hartfordhealthcareamp.com.
Rough-hewn hip-hop and punk acts of recent vintage offer a night of fierce energy on Sept. 23 at the Xfinity Theatre. $30-$378.80. livenation.com.
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