Concert Guide April 2026: Gov’t Mule, Jeezy, Bow Wow, Bush, and Lake Street Dive

This month’s Concert scene is a rapper’s delight. The biggest shows this month are two hip hop shows at Petersen Events Center. First up is Bow Wow with his posse, and then several weeks later Jeezy and his. Bush, and Gov’t Mule are the biggest rock names this month. Bush is at UPMC Events Center, while Gov’t Mule rocks Timber Rock. Lake Street Dive brings their beautiful blend to Heinz Hall. Kenny Wayne Shepherd brings his blues rock sound to the Palace and Steel Panther brings their fun brand of comedic raunch rock to the Roxian.

The ever popular, and very versatile, Snarky Puppy also play the Roxian. Additionally, Our Lady Peace and Boys Like Girls have concerts at the venue.

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

Thursday, April 2

Andover, Massachusetts, rock band Boys Like Girls are on their Soundtrack to Your Life Tour (celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled, Boys Like Girls debut album. The album was certified Gold. The group followed with the 2009 LP Love Drunk and Crazy World in 2012. Their most recent album is Sunday at Foxwoods which dropped in 2023. Boys Like Girls were one of the supporting acts for the Jonas Brothers on their 2025 tour. Joining them is iDKHOW (I Don’t Know How but They Found Me), an indie pop solo project based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is fronted by Dallon Weekes. The group was formed in secret as a duo, one of the members is now gone. It was noted as one of the hottest unassigned bands at one point in time. iDKHOW currently is Weekes and a group of touring musicians. Also on the bill, Arrows in Action released their new album, I Think I’ve Been Here Before, last September. It marks their first release signed to a label, and they’ve been touring heavily including headlining the UK for the first time, and appearing at major festivals including Vans Warped Tour and Download Fest. Arrows in Action has also been in action collaborating and partnering with bands like Magnolia Park, Hot Topic, Vans, The Pretty Cult, New Noise, and Dark Matter. Arrows in action has been described as a next-gen pop-infused rock crossover and are on a hot growth trajectory. 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre, 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. (R.H.)

Saturday, April 4

We’ve brought you a throwback video, above, because the artist is on a throwback tour. Lil’ Bow Wow is no longer so lil’ these days. But though it may seem he’s been around for ages, grownup Bow Wow still hasn’t hit the big 4-0 yet—until next year, he’s forever 39. And the rapper born Shad Moss (a cool name in itself) has done quite a bit since releasing his debut album, Beware of Dog, at the puppy-ish age of 13. He was given the stage name by his discoverer and advocate, the venerable Snoop Dogg. Bow Wow’s resume to date includes six studio albums, acting in films and TV, hosting hip hop broadcasts, and more. He’s now on a tour designed to showcase talents who emerged or flourished in the 2000-aughts. Bow Wow visits Petersen Events Center for a concert that’s also slated to feature B2K, Amerie, Waka Flocka Flame, B5, and Pretty Ricky. 8 p.m. 3719 Terrace St., Oakland. (M.V.) 

How does a band come to be called Our Lady Peace? The Canadian alt-rockers took their name from a poem of that title, by the esteemed poet Mark Van Doren. It’s a ray-of-hope poem, written in the 1940s during the carnage of World War II, and a poem of rich imagery— which, according to the band members, reflects how they’ve wanted their music to be. Formed in Toronto in 1992, OLP (the band’s short-form name) has often dealt in literary allusions and psycho-social themes. The group’s 2000 album Spiritual Machines took its title from the book The Age of Spiritual Machines, by computer scientist and futurist Ray Kurzweil, who even teamed with OLP to record spoken-word segments for the album. (“The year is 2029. The machines will convince us that they are conscious, that they have their own agenda …”) But OLP is more than a message band. These guys rock. Their 10th and latest studio album is 2021’s Spiritual Machines 2, with encores by Kurzweil. Artificial intelligence is not writing this concert preview. We humans at Entertainment Central wish to inform you that Our Lady Peace visits the Roxian Theatre with guests The Verve Pipe. Doors at 7 p.m., music 8 p.m. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. (M.V.) 

Tuesday, April 7

Let us pose a question: Did Bush start out as a grunge band, or were they post-grunge, and have they become something else since their 2002 breakup and 2010 reincarnation—or what? Genre identities matter to some people, because they’re tied to cultural and aesthetic identities, which is why they’ve been debated ever since Edgar Degas painted impressionistic pictures and exhibited with the impressionists while angrily insisting that he wasn’t an impressionist. But the facts on Bush are as follows: Their landmark 1994 album Sixteen Stone went multi-platinum and still hits home—especially on tracks like “Everything Zen” with its iconic, ironic “I don’t think so” refrain. Their latest studio album is 2025’s I Beat Loneliness. They sure weren’t lonely when they played to a packed house at PPG Paints Arena last year with Shinedown. Gavin Rossdale, cofounder and lead singer of Bush, still fronts the band and puts on a great show. See our concert review from last year’s PPG show. This year, Bush will be joined by Mammoth and James and the Cold Gun. 7 p.m. UPMC Events Center, 6001 University Blvd., RMU, Moon Township. (M.V., R.H.)

Saturday, April 11

Lake Street Dive members met while students at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. They named their band after a dive-bar-rich street in Minneapolis, former bandmate Mike Olson’s hometown. Their sound has touches of pop, Americana, jazz, and soul. For proof of their cross-genre appeal, check out 2016’s Side Pony, their fifth LP. It debuted at the top of three Billboard album charts—Rock, Folk, and Alternative. “Call Off Your Dogs,” a song from that album, moves in many musical directions and features a music video filmed at the famed Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Another top hit for Lake Street Dive is Bad Self Portraits from their 2014 album of the same name. Keyboardist Akie Bermiss joined the band in 2017. Lead singer Rachel Price has a lovely soul, pop voice which is one of the reasons for Lake Street Dive’s success, as well as helping her forge a successful solo career. The band played the inaugural Maple House Festival at Hartwood Acres a few years ago. The group’s latest LP is Good Together, which was released in 2024. Sold out. Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (C.M., R.H.)

Tuesday, April 14

Snarky Puppy features a rotating cast of characters, and by characters we mean very talented musicians. One has to have talent to play their brand of music, a jazz fusion that also blends in rock, world music, and even some funk. Their hard work has been rewarded with five Grammy Awards. The group started in 2004 deep in the heart of Texas, well, just north of Dallas in Denton. It is led by its bassist Michael League. Snarky Puppy mainly plays sans vocalists. Somni with Metropole Orkest is the bands latest studio album and was release last year. Also on the Roxian Theatre bill is The Nth Power. The source of their power is derived from several sources. One is that they see music as a healing power for people. Their power also comes from a well-seasoned trio of musicians: guitarist Nick Cassarino, bassist Nate Edgar, and drummer Nikki Glaspie, who deliver “a transcendent blend of soul, funk, rock and rhythm and blues. Multi-part vocal harmonies and elevated musicianship inspires audiences.” The Nth Power is touring in advance of their new album, Never Alone, which drops on May 1. Formed during a late-night set at New Orleans Jazz Fest, the group brings big energy to live shows and its recordings. See our interview with Nikki Glaspie. 8 p.m. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. (R.H.)

Friday, April 17

Gov’t Mule, led by the legendary singer/songwriter/guitarist Warren Haynes, is playing an outdoor show at Timber Rock amphitheater this month. Gov’t Mule’s latest album is 2023’s Peace…Like a River. The Mule started in ’94 as a side project for the Allman Brothers Band guitarist Warren Haynes, and bassist Allen Woody, who passed on in 2000. Haynes has led the band forward through an additional 25 studio albums and other releases, including 2021’s Heavy Load Blues and 2014’s Pink Floyd cover album Dark Side of the Mule. The Mule’s melodic guitar-drenched sound can be heard in songs like “Soulshine” and “Beautifully Broken.” The band played a concert in Denver last month dubbed Mile High Mule and will do some tour dates with Joe Bonamassa this summer. See our interview with Haynes in advance of Gov’t Mule’s Timber Rock concert. Special guest is Larkin Poe and is led by two sisters: Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell who play roots rock. They hail from Calhoun, Georgia. 7 p.m. 3360 National Pike, Farmington. (R.H.)

Sunday, April 19

Some people know from a very early age what their life’s work will be. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one such person. Growing up, one of his first loves was a guitar. He worked at his skills so voraciously that he became a young prodigy. An early musical influence was his dad, a radio personality and concert promoter. Another influence would be Stevie Ray Vaughn, and other blues rock legends. Shepherd’s first album, Ledbetter Heights, would reach no. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart. His follow-up album, released in 1997 when he was only 18 years old, was even more successful. Trouble Is… reached the  no.1 spot as well and spawned a mega mainstream rock hit, “Blue on Black.” This early success bolstered his credibility in the musical industry. Shepherd went on to open for, and perform with, many rock and blues legends including The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Pinetop Perkins, Etta Baker, and the Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters Bands. Shepherd has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. On last year’s LP, Young Fashioned Ways, he teamed up with Bobby Rush. This year’s tour is in honor of the 30th Anniversary of his hit album Ledbetter Heights. See our 2024 interview and story with Shepherd. 8 p.m. Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St. (R.H.)

Saturday, April 25

Jeezy (aka Jay Jenkins) is a complex rap artist. Growing up in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia, with a teenage stop at a correctional boot camp, he lived a turbulent early life. Since then he has channeled his experiences into verses that are street-real and gritty but also inspirational and hopeful. Jeezy’s been a musical mover and shaker since the late 1990s. His first major-label solo release—Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101—came in 2005, while he was doubling as a member of Boyz n da Hood. The lead track from that solo album, “Soul Survivor” featuring Akon, shot to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jeezy then followed with a string of other hits that have charted consistently. He is known as a pioneer and refiner of the trap genre. His 13th and latest studio album, 2023’s I Might Forgive … But I Don’t Forget, struck a deeply reflective tone. And in the 2024 indie film Trap City, he acted the role of a minister counseling a troubled young man. Now he has some words for his Pittsburgh fans. Catch Jeezy in concert at the Petersen Events Center with fellow artists DJ Envy, Boosie BadAzz, and Mya. Doors at 6:30 p.m., music 8 p.m. 3719 Terrace St., Oakland. (M.V.) 

Sunday, April 26

There’s musical comedy, and then there is comical music. The latter has a long tradition and comes in many forms. Classical pianist Victor Borge performed stunts like playing “The William Tell Overture” backwards. Weird Al—well, everybody knows Weird Al. But only hardcore comical music fans know Steel Panther. The boys from L.A., led by founder and frontman Michael Starr, are glam-metal rockers who parody the genre while doing a pretty mean job of playing it. With songs like “Gods of Pussy” and “Fuck Everybody,” their humor is obscene, politically incorrect, and unashamedly sophomoric … because when it comes to glam metal, what do you expect, a PhD dissertation? The band’s landmark single “Death to All But Metal” makes the case vividly. In a track from their sixth and latest studio album, 2023’s On the Prowl, the guys even added a subtler brand of social commentary with the plaintive ballad “On Your Instagram.” Their current Twenty Twenty $ex Tour visits Pittsburgh before a summer in Europe and the U.K. Reserve promptly to catch Steel Panther live at the Roxian Theatre. Doors at 7 p.m., music 8 p.m., with guests Cody Parks & The Dirty South. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. (M.V.) 

Other Shows of Interest

Thursdy, April 2
A Flock of Seagulls (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Saturday, April 4
Nois Quartet (Warhol Sound Series)

Tuesday, April 7
The Lynn Speakman Quintet (Greer Cabaret Lounge)

Wednesday, April 8
CeCe Winans (Benedum Center)
Throwing Muses (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Friday, April 10
Bill Henry Band (Pittsburgh Winery)
Punkapalooza (Moondog’s Pub)

Saturday, April 11
The Temptations and Four Tops (Benedum Center)
Ruff Creek (The Meadows Hollywood Casino)
Pete Hewlett (Pittsburgh Winery)

Sunday, April 12
The Amity Affliction and August Burns Red (Stage AE)
Pure Gold (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Monday, April 13
Soul Asylum (City Winery)
Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover (Warhol Sound Series)

Tuesday, April 14
The Maine (Stage AE)
Rufus Wainwright (City Winery)

Wednesday, April 15
Igor and the Red Elvises (Mr. Smalls Funhouse)
Tom Breiding and Union Rairoad (Moondog’s Pub)

Friday, April 17
Black Ridge (Moondog’s Pub)

Wednesday, April 22
Reverend Horton Heat (Preserving)
Ras Prophet and Truth + Rites (Club Cafe)

Thursday, April 23
Jake Shimabukuro (City Winery)

Friday, April 24 & Saturday, April 25
Vanessa Carlton (City Winery)

Saturday, April 25
Jeff Jimerson and Airborne (The Meadows Hollywood Casino)

Sunday, April 26
Duende: A Flamenco journey (Pittsburgh Winery)

Wednesday, April 29
The New Pornographers (Mr. Smalls Theatre)
Melissa Manchester (City Winery)
Bill Deasy (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Big Shows on the Horizon

May 2
The Afghan Whigs (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

May 19
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (PPG Paints Arena)
ZZ Top (Palace Theatre)

May 27 – 29
Lyle Lovett (City Winery)

Rick Handler is the executive producer of Entertainment Central.

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