Gig Watch – October 2024

King Diamond at the Orpheum, November 2015

Shows not to miss in and around Boston for the month of October.

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Per usual, the gig calendar is heating up as Rocktober beckons. My picks for a busy month below.

10/2 – The Jesus and Mary Chain / The Psychedelic Furs @ Orpheum Theatre

Noise-pop progenitors the JAMC and new-wave/post-punk icons the Furs team up for a fun co-headliner, with support from the great Frankie Rose.

10/5 – Duster @ House of Blues

On the heels of their unlikely social media come-up, once-obscure ’90s space rockers Duster are playing some pretty big rooms on their fall tour, including this Saturday at HoB.

10/10 – Divide & Dissolve @ Middle East Upstairs

Australian drone-doom project Divide & Dissolve play a stirring, shockingly loud brand of heaviness that should be totally decimating in the Upstairs’ tight confines.

10/11 – Yard Act @ The Sinclair

U.K. post-punks Yard Act returned with their dance-y, playful sophomore album in March, and those go-for-broke songs ought to up the already lively atmosphere of their shows this tour.

10/12 – Chris Brokaw @ The Lilypad

Come’s Chris Brokaw leads a new local indie supergroup featuring Mission of Burma’s Clint Conley and Luther Gray of the Hilken Mancini Band at the Lilypad.

10/13 – Fontaines D.C. @ Roadrunner

Ireland’s Fontaines expanded their gothic post-punk horizons on colorful and triumphant new record Romance, which they’ll bring stateside for a can’t-miss Sunday night at Roadrunner.

10/15 – Air @ MGM Music Hall

French duo Air celebrate 25 years of their vibe-y ambient-pop classic Moon Safari with their first big Boston show in quite some time.

10/18 – A Saddle Creek Halloween @ O’Brien’s Pub

Every Halloween season’s gotta have a solid covers show or two, and the fine folks at WeBookThings have brought together a strong bill of locals (Scrivener, Tattooine Punk Scene, Sailor Down, Cade Earick) to take on some Saddle Creek favorites (Bright Eyes, Cursive, Rile Kiley, Big Thief).

10/18 – Drive-By Truckers @ House of Blues

Hood, Cooley & co. of Drive-By Truckers bring a front-to-back performance of their early-career epic Southern Rock Opera on the road this fall, hitting Boston mid-month.

10/21 – Boris @ Paradise Rock Club

And speaking of full-album tours, most bands who have done as many of them as Boris would be scraping the bottom of the barrel by now. Then again, most bands don’t have a discography half as deep as the Japanese metal vets. They’ll tackle 1998’s Amplifier Worship this fall, which ought to be fairly self-explanatory.

10/22 – MJ Lenderman @ Royale

Touring behind his very good new record Manning Fireworks, singer/songwriter/Wednesday guitarist MJ Lenderman hits some way bigger rooms than the Elks Lodge basement on tour this year, including a Tuesday at Royale.

10/23 – Massive Attack @ Roadrunner

Trip-hop legends Massive Attack make one of their rare U.S. venture this autumn, promising an inventive new show featuring collaborators Elizabeth Fraser (of Cocteau Twins), Young Fathers and more.

10/23 – Slift @ Brighton Music Hall

And in a somewhat agonizing conflict, French heavy psych collaborative Slift takes over BMH just up the street.

10/27 – Foxing @ The Sinclair

True to their restless form, St. Louis indie-emo-art-rock crew Foxing released a dense, uncompromising self-titled LP this year to follow up to 2021’s relatively streamlined Draw Down the Moon, and they’ll bring the supporting tour to The Sinclair as the month nears its end.

10/30 – Andre 3000 @ Wang Theatre

3K, the reclusive one-time half of Outkast, brings the ambient-jazz flute excursions of his profoundly unexpected New Blue Sun to the ornate Wang Theatre for what promises to be a pretty singular tour.

10/31 – King Diamond @ Roadrunner

Last but assuredly not least for October, Boston draws the lucky tour date for theatrically devilish heavy metal legend King Diamond – pretty much the ultimate gig for Halloween night.