August ’25 Concert Guide: Linkin Park, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Doobie Brothers, Styx, The Flaming Lips, and Joan Jett

The summer concert season has been chugging along and August has rapidly descended upon us. One of the biggest acts this month is Linkin Park at PPG Paints Arena. Star Lake has a trifecta of country music concerts: Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Dierks Bentley. The venue also has a few strong classic rock bills. One features Styx, Kevin Cronin (formerly of REO Speedwagon), and Don Felder (formerly of The Eagles). Another features The Doobie Brothers and The Coral Reefer Band (Formerly of Jimmy Buffett). Rock Reggae and Relief sees another strong lineup, this year with two Marley brothers. At the newer Timber Rock Amphitheater, Kansas and Jefferson Starship join forces for a big night. Innovative psychedelic-rock band, The Flaming Lips play Stage AE. Heinz Hall hosts Wilco in a nearly sold out show. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Winger perform at Pittsburgh Brewing’s Iron City Stage.

Gary Clark Jr. is set to burn up Stage AE with his fiery guitar play. Blackberry Smoke brings its brand of southern rock to the ‘Burgh this month. The All Together Now Music Benefit Festival has some top local performers and venues raising funds to assist Pittsburgh area immigration organizations.

The Concert Guide features (in chronological order) Spotlight Picks, Other Shows of Interest, and Big Shows on the Horizon. Get out and see what pleases you, whether it’s one of our concert picks or something entirely different. Mike Vargo (M.V.) also contributed to this guide.

Spotlight Picks

Friday, August 1

Add some sweet southern-fried rock to your music itinerary this month with Blackberry Smoke. The band formed in 2000 and gained popularity as a supporting act for Zac Brown Band’s 2011 tour. They’ve also opened for the legendary  Lynyrd Skynyrd, and for Eric Church and ZZ Top. Their rich vocal harmonies and quality guitar and drum play give them good crossover appeal. The group’s 2016 album Like an Arrow reached no. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Country and Americana/Folk charts, while also reaching no. 3 on the U.S. Rock chart. Their EP, Live from Capricorn Sound Studios, was released in 2020. 2024’s Be Right Here is Blackberry Smoke’s latest LP. Special guests are Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Shannon McNally. Doors open at 5 p.m. Stage AE, 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (R.H.)

Saturday, August 2

One of the biggest acts in country music, Luke Bryan, visits The Pavilion at Star Lake. Bryan began as a Nashville songwriter for the likes of Travis Tritt and Billy Currington, then proved more than capable of stepping into the spotlight himself. Since his debut EP All My Friends Say in 2006, he has won five Entertainer of the Year Awards, from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association combined. More often seen in a baseball hat than a cowboy hat, Bryan became a fan favorite with his cheerful aura and songs about some pretty popular themes: “Wild Weekend,” “Cold Beer Drinker,” etc. “Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” went triple platinum in 2014 and he’s had a couple of dozen more singles topping the charts. Along with his music career, Bryan is a generous philanthropist and a sharp businessman—business degree from Georgia Southern, folks. His eighth studio album is last year’s Mind of a Country Boy, and he’s also released seven compilation albums, of which the most recent (2022) is Prayin’ in a Deer Stand. Actually it’s the deer that ought to be praying, but maybe Luke puts in a good word for the creature. He is an uplifting kind of guy. Luke Bryan comes to Star Lake with guests George Birge, Randall King, Mae Estes, and DJ Rock. 7 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (C.M., M.V.)

“Hey mon, come on down to Stage AE cause we be jammin’ for Rock Reggae and Relief 2025.“ This is an extra special lineup this year with two members of the royal family of reggae, the Marley family. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Stephen Marley, The Elovaters, J Boog, Roots of Creation, and Uprooted with Michael Glabicki, formerly of Rusted Root are all slated to perform. “Rock Reggae & Relief” is a charity reggae music festival that brings people together in love and unity and raises money for our neighbors in need. RRR 25 is raising money for Pittsburgh MCG Youth. Connected to the venue is Chill Ville, described as follows: “Chill Ville is bringing back Rock Reggae & Relief’s local street festival vibes with music, murals, art, creatives, and local flavor.” Free admission to Chill Ville for ticket holders. The event is produced in association with the the Piatt Family Foundation. So have a blast and help out our neighbors. Doors open at 2 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (R.H.)

Wednesday, August 6

The Doobie Brothers are a big time rock band that rose out of San Jose, California and charted many hits in the 1970s and early 1980s. The initial outfit was fronted by lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Johnston. He led the band  from 1970 until leaving in 1975. During that period the Doobies had top hits like “China Grove,” “Black Water,” and “Listen to the Music.” In 1976 Michael McDonald signed on as lead vocalist and the band’s sound took a new course. That version of the band scored hits with “Takin it to the Streets,” “What a Fool Believes,” and “Minute By Minute.” Kenny Loggins even has a co-writing credit on “What a Fool Believes.” Johnston then returned to the band in 1987 and has remained with them ever since. Michael McDonald is now back in the fold too. The Doobies had a big hit in 1989 with “The Doctor.” Walk This Road is the group’s latest album and was released in June. Now they are touring in support of the album along with special guests. The Coral Reefer Band, as many of you well know, was Jimmy Buffett’s band up until his death in 2023. Although still missing Buffett, the band is very talented and still loves to play. Several members of the group are lead vocalists for various songs. 7 p.m. The Pavilion at Star Lake, 665 Rt. 18, Burgettstown. (R.H.)

After Jay Farrar left Uncle Tupelo, the remaining members formed Wilco in 1994. The indie-rock band began with an alt-country sound that gradually became more experimental, as on 2001’s seminal Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and its followup, 2004’s A Ghost Is Born. The latter won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2005. Jeff Tweedy is the group’s frontman. He published Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. in 2018. Warm, his first solo album of all original material, was released later that month. Wilco, meanwhile, released Cousins, their 13th album, this year. If you missed Tweedy or Wilco when either played past Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festivals, catch Wilco at Heinz Hall. 8 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (C.M., R.H.)

Thursday, August 7 to Sunday, August 10

Immigration, when done properly, delivers a net positive benefit to American society. Immigrants have made many contributions to our nation. Now a group of Pittsburgh social activists, along with performers and venues, are donating their time to stage a musical festival to raise funds for an umbrella organization—the Collaborative for Immigrant Impact, a network of 18 Pittsburgh-based organizations that serve as a critical safety net for over 20,000 immigrants in the Pittsburgh area. Featured performers include Clinton Clegg, Buffalo Rose, The Buckle Downs, John Gresh Gris-Gris, Polkamaniacs, Cisco Kid, Nied’s Hotel Band, Jon Bindley, townsppl, Small Hours, Penna Players, Devilish Mary, The Doo Wop Doctors, Jason Borisoff & Dave Shepherd, Jagtime Millionaire, Whiskey River, VZHM Acoustic Union, Turkey Foot, and many more. For performance dates, times, and more information visit the All Together Now Pittsburgh Benefit Music Festival website.

Friday, August 8

Joan Jett, is a talented rocker who also co-founded The Runaways. You can draw a line from Runaways songs, such as “Cherry Bomb,” to riot grrrl acts like Bikini Kill. After The Runaways dissolved in 1979, Jett went solo. She and her band, the Blackhearts, are best known for their 1982 number one hit, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” “Bad Reputation” was another great track. Outside of rock ‘n’ roll, she co-starred alongside Michael J. Fox in 1987’s Light of Day, and she played Columbia in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show. Jett and the Blackhearts in 2022 released an acoustic album, Changeup, their first ever acoustic album. Jett’s latest recording is 2023’s Mindsets. Winger, the namesake band of Kip Winger, lead vocalist is the special guest. The group also features guitarist Reb Beach of Pittsburgh. The New York City hard rock band is best known for hits like “Seventeen” and “Headed for a Heartbreak.” Winger’s most recent album is 2023’s, Seven. Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s Iron City Stage. 7 p.m. 150 Ferry St., Creighton. (C.M., R.H.)

Saturday, August 9

Maybe you’ve got genuine country roots, clear down to your cowboy boots. Or maybe you wish you did. Either way, if that’s your stan, Jason Aldean is your man. Ever since his 2005 breakthrough to stardom, the Macon, Georgia native has done songs that embrace the country ethos emphatically. Except he sure wouldn’t use a citified word like “ethos.” He would simply present it as the way to be, as he did in his rollicking debut single “Hicktown” (above)—in which he foresaw that the country, um, ethos would become the dominant chord of our culture and others: “Got your country boys and your redneck girls / It’s the party heard ‘round the world / Right here in Hicktown!” And so it has come to pass. Today, Aldean has a star-spangled fan club called the Aldean Army. His current Full Throttle tour will carry the vibe to faraway places like New Zealand. Along with a passel of country-music and Billboard awards and his 11 studio albums, Aldean has gained a rep for in-your-face-ness, notably with his 2023 single “Try That in a Small Town.” And you can meet Jason Aldean face-to-face in his concert at The Pavilion at Star Lake. Guest artists are Nate Smith, RaeLynn, and Dee Jay Silver. 7:30 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (M.V.)

The experimental psychedelic alt-rock band The Flaming Lips, spawned in 1983 in Oklahoma’s tornado country, storms into Pittsburgh again for a concert at Stage AE. The Flaming Lips are among the genre’s most accomplished and revered acts, and their shows expertly combine visual and auditory stimulation through rhythmic lines and a trippy, syncopated light show. (Other concert highlights: During their 2010 visit to the late Station Square Amphitheater, frontman Wayne Coyne stopped the show to listen to a passing train. And in the pandemic year of 2020, they played an Oklahoma City concert with the band members—and audience members—encased in inflatable plastic bubbles.) The Lips had a hit with “She Don’t Use Jelly” in 1993 and won further prominence with 1999’s The Soft Bulletin and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.  The latest of their 16 studio albums is 2020’s American Head. Their awards include three Grammys, and The Lips shared a 2018 Tony Award nomination for “Tomorrow Is,”  part of the original score for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. Also on the bill at Stage AE is Modest Mouse. Formed in Issaquah, Washington, in 1992, the group scored big with 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News and its lead single, “Float On.” Some Modest Mouse members have come and gone, but frontman Isaac Brock is a constant. The group’s most recent album is 2021’s The Golden Casket. Indie duo Friko rounds out the concert lineup. Doors at 6 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (E.C., M.V.)

Sunday, August 10

Styx, Kevin Cronin (ex-REO Speedwagon), and Don Felder make up a triple bill at The Pavilion at Star Lake. Styx is the mythical river in Greek mythology that sets the boundary between Earth and Hades. It’s also the name of a Chicago rock band whose major success was between the chronological boundaries of 1972 and 1984. During that period, the band had four consecutive multi-platinum albums and 16 top 40 singles on the U.S. charts. The hit parade included songs like “Lady” and “Come Sail Away.” Oh, and of course Steeler fans love Styx’s “Renegade,” which is often played at home games. This year Styx released their 18th studio album, Circling from Above.

REO Speedwagon first achieved massive success with their 1978 album You Can Tune a Piano but You Can’t Tuna Fish, which contained “Roll With the Changes” and “Time for Me to Fly.” Their ’80 release Hi Infidelity had four singles that went on to become major hits. The band’s name was derived from the REO Speedwagon, a 1915 truck designed by Ransom Eli Olds, of Oldsmobile fame. REO Speedwagon may be broken up for good, but remember this is rock and roll so all things are possible, so this is a great chance to see the band’s lead vocalist, Kevin Cronin, on a solo tour. Don Felder is best remembered as being The Eagles’ longtime lead guitarist until 2001. He has also had a successful solo career. Last but not least, a very special local guest artist—Donnie Iris—is on the bill at Star Lake too. 5:45 p.m. 665 Rt. 18 Burgettstown. (R.H.)

Tuesday, August 19 

Cats don’t really have nine lives, and neither do rock bands. So let’s just say that Linkin Park has survived and flourished through several life stages. First came the early years in the wilderness—actually, Los Angeles—as the newly formed group struggled to win recognition and a recording contract. Then the years 1999 to 2002 became an age of thunder and wonder. Chester Bennington came aboard as lead singer, with a voice that soared wondrously next to founding member Mike Shinoda’s staccato hip-hop style. The group signed with Warner Records. Their first releases on that label, Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, charted sky-high and made Linkin Park a household name. Their 2001 video for “In the End” would go on to log over two billion views and counting. More hits, awards, and musical breakthroughs followed, up to the tragic year of 2017, when Bennington died by suicide. Linkin Park went on hiatus until their 2023 return, introducing Emily Armstrong (video above) as the new lead vocalist. And now, touring on the shoulders of their comeback album From Zero, Linkin Park visits Pittsburgh for a concert at PPG Paints Arena. With guest artist Jean Dawson. 7:30 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (M.V.)

Saturday, August 23

Kansas and Jefferson Starship team up for a show at Timber Rock Amphitheater in Farmington. Prog-rock group Kansas is actually from Kansas, Topeka specifically. The group has a heartland rock sound that’s a sweet mix of vocal harmonies, keyboards, guitars, drums, and violin. Kansas didn’t get a really big taste of success until the albums Leftoverture (1976) and Point of Know Return (1977), with hit singles “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Point of Know Return,” and “Dust in the Wind.” Kansas has generated three multi-platinum albums. Their latest release is 2020’s The Absence of Presence. The band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. Several members have left the band or have passed on. Two original members remain; the group is still very popular. Expect to hear top Kansas songs and deep cuts. See our review from their December 2024 concert at the Benedum Center. (R.H.)

1965 was the year rock turned seriously psychedelic. Among other things, three new groups emerged from the San Francisco area’s folk-rock scene sounding more like musicians from another planet: the Grateful Dead, Country Joe and the Fish (remember them?)—and Jefferson Airplane. Airplane’s co-founder, Paul Kantner, later started his successor band, Jefferson Starship, to play the music of Jefferson Airplane and more. Kantner died in 2016 at the age of 74, but the music goes on. David Freiberg (acoustic guitar and vocals) has played with the band intermittently since 1972 and is a rich source of wisdom and history for the other members. Starship’s female vocalist, Cathy Richardson, has a big voice that wakes the echoes. It’s impossible to replace Grace Slick, who is a painter now, but Richardson does a mighty fine job in her own right. Expect to hear Woodstock-era numbers like “Volunteers” and “White Rabbit” in a show that should be a trip. The group is celebrating their 50th anniversary on their Runaway Again World Tour. You can also catch the double bill of Kansas and Jefferson Starship August 22 at Wheeling’s Capitol Theatre. The Timber Rock Amphitheater show is at 7 p.m. 3360 National Pike, Farmington. (M.V., R.H.)

Tuesday, August 26

Blues/rock guitarist Gary Clark Jr. started appearing on the national radar when he played the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2011 and 2012. Also in 2012, he performed as part of a musical tribute at the White House called “Red, White, and Blues.” For that concert, he performed solo and with the legendary musical performers B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, and Buddy Guy. PBS televised the concert. Clark Jr. rose out of Austin, Texas, playing at the same club—Antone’s— that launched brothers Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughan years earlier. Clark Jr.’s incendiary runs on his Epiphone, Gibson, or Stratocaster guitars can be heard on songs like “When My Train Pulls In” and “Bright Lights.” His latest studio album is 2024’s JPEG Raw. Clark Jr. has also landed some TV and film roles. His songs can be heard in several soundtracks as well. Doors open 7 p.m. Stage AE, 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (R.H.)

Friday, August 29

Vanderbilt University is among the nation’s finest, and while many youths enroll there to become scientists or scholars, young Dierks Bentley chose Vanderbilt for a different reason: it’s in Nashville. The lad from Phoenix, Arizona earned his B.A. in 1997, officially studying English and the liberal arts while unofficially pursuing the highly competitive art of country music. By 2001, Bentley had progressed from fighting for open-mic slots to cutting an indie album. That release, Don’t Leave Me in Love, didn’t sell much but is now a collector’s item. It led to a contract with Capitol Records Nashville, which led to Bentley’s self-titled platinum album in 2003, and the rest is history. Bentley has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, and not having won one yet probably has him feeling like former soap star Susan Lucci, who was nominated for a Daytime Emmy 18 times before eventually winning one. So hang in there, Dierks! His 11th and latest major-label studio album is this year’s Broken Branches. (From which the single above, “She Hates Me,” is arguably the best riff on that subject since Adam Sandler’s “Love Stinks.”) Enjoy Bentley’s new sounds when he brings his Broken Branches Tour to The Pavilion at Star Lake, with guests Zach Top and The Band Loula. 7 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (R.H., M.V.)

Other Shows of Interest

Friday, August 1
The Commonheart (Club Cafe)

Saturday, August 2
Benji and Livefromthecity (Club Cafe)
New Invisible Joy (Pittsburgh Winery)

Sunday, August 3
Graham Nash (Palace Theatre)
The Head and the Heart (Stage AE)

Tuesday, August 5
Hugo Cruz and Camino (Agnes Katz Plaza)

Thursday, August 7
Lord Huron (Stage AE)
Fruit Bats (Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall)

Saturday, August 9
Jimbo Jackson (Pittsburgh Winery)

Thursday, August 14
Los Lobos (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

Friday, August 15
Robert Jon & The Wreck (South Park)
Bill Henry Band (Pittsburgh Winery)

Saturday, August 16
The Clarks (Big Rail Brewing)

Monday, August 18
Silversun Pickups (Roxian Theatre)

Tuesday, August 19
The Struts (Roxian Theatre)
John Shannon (Katz Plaza)

Thursday, August 21
Chevelle and Asking Alexandria (Stage AE)
Asleep at the Wheel (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

Friday, August 22
Brittney Chantele (Club Cafe)

Saturday, August 23
Bill Toms and Hard Rain (Crafthouse Stage & Grill)
Ferdinand the Bull (Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall)
Ruff Creek (Hollywood Casino at the Meadows)

Saturday, August 30
Ambrosia (The Lamp Theatre)
André Costello (The Sanctuary at Mr. Smalls)

Big Shows on the Horizon

September 5
Women Who Rock w/Jessica Simpson (Stage AE)

September 9
Alabama Shakes (Stage AE)

September 12
Eric Church (PPG Paints Arena)
Pixies (Stage AE)

September 16
David Byrne (Benedum Center)

September 18 – 21
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (Cultural District)

September 23
Garbage (Stage AE)

September 28
Twenty One Pilots (The Pavilion at Star Lake)

Rick Handler is the executive producer of Entertainment Central.

Share on Social Media