We haven’t gotten a concert announcement quite yet for 2018, but it wouldn’t be a shock. We already have two major shows on sale for September and October 2017 with Roger Waters and Tim McGraw/Faith Hill, respectively. Artists these days, with the exception of Ms. Lauryn Hill, are big on advance notice and early sale dates to beat the competition.
The calendar is filling in quickly, even without a stadium show blocked in and only one concert (Dead & Company) so far slated for the newly named KeyBank Pavilion in Burgettstown. What should excite concertgoers about 2017 is the number of artists who haven’t been here in ages.
Here’s what to look forward to:
RUN THE JEWELS (Stage AE, Jan. 13)
El-P and Killer Mike make up the duo of Run the Jewels. (Photo by Tim Saccenti)The fiery hip-hop duo of El-P and Killer Mike (friend to Bernie Sanders!) turn up on the same day they release “RTJ3,” their third album and the follow-up to “Run the Jewels 2,” which was Pitchfork’s 2014 album of the year. This one features guest spots from Danny Brown, Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Trina and saxophonist Kamasi Washington. The show sold out Mr. Smalls in a heartbeat, prompting a move to the more spacious Stage AE.
MOGWAI PLAY ATOMIC (Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, Jan. 25)
The Scottish post-rock band arrives to perform its stunning soundtrack to Mark Cousins’ documentary “Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise,” about both the benefits and nightmares of the nuclear age. NPR said, “It may be bloodcurdling, but it’s also beautiful.”
TWENTY ONE PILOTS (PPG Paints Arena, Jan. 27)
Two fans take shelter from the sun underneath a truck as they wait for the Twenty One Pilots concert June 1 at Stage AE. (Haley Nelson/Post-Gazette)We don’t need to tell you about popularity of this Columbus, Ohio, hip-hop/electropop duo, which, on its previous trip to Pittsburgh over the summer, had teenagers lined up in front of Stage AE for days. Singer-keyboardist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun stormed the charts in 2016 with two Top 5 singles (“Stressed Out” and “Ride”) and, combined with a high-energy live show, it’s no surprise they are taking it to the next level.
MS. LAURYN HILL (Heinz Hall, Jan. 31)
The hip-hop diva turned up in Munhall in May on about five days’ notice and, despite varying reports about her live show, reminded people why the Grammy winner was one of the most acclaimed artists of the ’90s. She now returns for an encore on the PSO’s luxurious stage.
LIONEL RICHIE/MARIAH CAREY (PPG Paints Arena, March 21)
This probably could have been two concerts. Believe it or not, Ms. Carey, one of the 10 best-selling artists of all time, has never performed in Pittsburgh. She gets second billing here to the former Commodores frontman who has enough hits to go “All Night Long.”
GREEN DAY/AGAINST ME! (Petersen Events Center, March 25)
The last time we saw Green Day here, the pop-punk trio was sharing the stage with the Easter Bunny on that holiday in 2013. Almost four years to the day, the first-ballot Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and Trump bashers return with the feisty 12th album “Revolution Radio,” joined by folk-punk band Against Me!, whose singer boldly transitioned from Thomas Gabel to Laura Jane Grace.
STEVIE NICKS/THE PRETENDERS (PPG Paints Arena, March 31)
There’s always drama in Fleetwood Mac land. The legendary British band is working on a new record and planning a 50th anniversary tour next year with Stevie’s participation up in the air. In the meantime, the bewitching singer returns on a solo tour joined by another one of rock’s great frontwomen, Chrissie Hynde.
BRYAN FERRY (Heinz Hall, April 1)
Roxy Music did play two Pittsburgh shows way back in the ’70s and ’80s, but the elegant 71-year-old frontman for the British glam band (best known for “Love Is the Drug”) has never performed here as a solo artist. He’ll bring such gems as “More Than This,” “Slave to Love” and his cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.”
BON JOVI (PPG Paints Arena, April 5)
We likely won’t see that other fellow from Jersey here in 2017 (we did get him twice in 2016, after all), but Jon Bon Jovi and company will represent, with the poppier side of Jersey life. This will be the first Bon Jovi band tour without guitar sidekick Richie Sambora, who will be replaced by prolific session guitarist Phil X.
TINARIWEN (Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, April 21)
For the more adventurous listener comes this Grammy-winning band from Algeria that plays a hybrid of traditional Tuareg rhythms and melodies and Algerian, Moroccan and western pop.
ERIC CHURCH (PPG Paints Arena, April 21)
Eric Church performed at then-Consol Energy Center in 2012. (Bill Wade/Post-Gazette)There’s not a whole lot yet on the country slate, but this one is circled on the calendar. The rowdy country rocker, who prefers arenas to amphitheaters, will be making his first trip here since dropping the excellent “Mr. Misunderstood” by surprise in late 2015.
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (PPG Paints Arena, May 11)
Some people love the Chili Peppers. Some think they’re one of the worst bands ever. There’s no denying the success of the LA alt-funk rockers: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, six Grammys, 80 million in sales and still topping charts (as they did in 10 countries this year with “The Getaway”). This will be the first trip here in five years for Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer.
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (Carnegie Music Hall, June 8)
Safe to say that people who saw the Bad Seeds here at Lollapalooza in 1994 didn’t figure it would take them more than 20 years to come back. During that time, the punk/goth band led by the former Birthday Party frontman has churned out a stream of quality albums that explore dark territories, including this year’s “Skeleton Tree,” which is haunted by the accidental death of his teenage son.
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS/JOE WALSH (PPG Paints Arena, June 9)
So far, it’s the Classic Rock Show of the Summer, and it’s going to be hard to top. Petty is the kind of guy who could come around every year and be welcomed with open arms. It’s been a long four years since he’s paid a visit. Walsh, Eagles-less after the death of Glenn Frey, played the pavilion in Burgettstown last summer and was an absolute blast.
DEAD & COMPANY (KeyBank Pavilion, June 15)
The long strange trip never ends — but who’s complaining. John Mayer is no Jerry Garcia (needless to say), but enough was in place for last year’s show to be like a time warp back to the golden era with a sea of tie-dye, pot smoke, smiling faces and bodies in motion.
SIGUR ROS (Stage AE, June 15)
Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós played Stage AE in 2013. (Post-Gazette photo)The majestic Icelandic post-rock band is “out there” enough to have invented its own language, known as Hopelandic. They’ve only played Pittsburgh a few times, most recently a visual/aural feast at Stage AE in the summer of 2013. This time will be different as Sigur Ros is stripped back to a three piece, sans strings and brass, for an evening with two sets.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/PAULA ABDUL/BOYZ II MEN (PPG Paints Arena, July 1)
New Kids and Boyz II Men are frequent fliers. The new twist here is the addition of Ms. Abdul, the choreographer-turned-pop-star who had a string of No. 1 hits in the late ’80s/early ’90s (“Straight Up,” “Opposites Attract,” etc.) before stepping out of the spotlight and returning as an “American Idol” judge in 2002. This will be her first tour in 25 years.
BRUNO MARS (PPG Paints Arena, Aug. 22)
There’s a reason why he’s one of the biggest stars on the planet. Mars is the total package as a singer/dancer/songwriter/entertainer, evoking the style of James Brown, Michael Jackson and Prince. What stood out when he made his headlining debut here in 2013 was just how much he saw himself as just another one of the boys in a great band.
ROGER WATERS (PPG Paints Arena, Sept. 19)
If you didn’t make it to Desert Trip, aka Oldchella, in October, maybe you caught it on YouTube. It was absolutely stunning. He’s brought “The Wall” here on his past two trips (2010 and 2012), leaving fans to seek out Brit Floyd and other tribute bands for the full gamut of Pink Floyd. When he comes in September, it’s anything and everything goes, including lots of “Wish You Were Here” and “Dark Side of the Moon.”
TIM McGRAW/FAITH HILL (PPG Paints Arena, Oct. 12)
The superstar couple first started traveling together in 1996, before creating the Soul2Soul tour (2000) and Soul2Soul II (2006-07), which became highest grossing multiyear North American tour in country music history. This 10-year anniversary marks the first time that Ms. Hill hits the road since wrapping that up in 2007, so in country circles, it doesn’t get much bigger.
For complete ticket info, visit post-gazette.com/concerts.
Scott Mervis: smervis@post-gazette.com; 412-263-2576. Twitter: @scottmervis_pg.
First Published: December 28, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
