Concert Guide Sept. 2026: Olivia Rodrigo, Kacey Musgraves, LeAnn Rimes, Cheap Trick, Breaking Benjamin, and Caamp

Highly talented and successful female musicians are the highlights of the month. Olivia Rodrigo has not one, but two sold out shows at PPG Paints Arena. Also performing there is country music recording artist Kacey Musgraves. LeAnn Rimes is in Greeensburg for a concert to celebrate the centennial of the historic Palace Theatre. LØLØ brings her energetic musical vibes to Spirit.

On the other side of the musical and gender spectrum are the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, Breaking Benjamin, and Drusky’s Annual Four Chord Music Festival with many bands including Knocked Loose and Pierce the Veil. You can also chill out this month with folk rock bands Caamp and Pure Prairie League. Hall of Famers Cheap Trick are also contributing to the Palace’s centennial with concert there this month. And for jazz aficionadas there’s the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival in Downtown.

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

Tuesday, September 8

Kacey Musgraves(opens in new tab), a native of Golden, Texas is known for her beautiful pop country ballads. She knew from a young age that she had a talent for singing and songwriting. Musgraves even wrote and performed a song for her grade school graduation. Along the way to stardom she has done many things, worked as a Hannah Montana impersonator for children’s birthday parties, won a yodeling national championship, and with her duo partner in Texas Two Bits performed at President George W. Bush’s Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball. Musgraves came in seventh place on the television talent show “Nashville Star.” She then toured and self-produced several albums. Her major label debut studio album in 2013, Same Trailer Different Park, gave her a first big taste of success. Rolling Stone called the album’s “Follow Your Arrow(opens in new tab)” the 39th Best in its list of the Top 100 Country Songs at the time. More success came with the release of her fourth album Golden Hour in 2018. It spun off the hot tracks “Slow Burn(opens in new tab),” “Butterflies(opens in new tab),” “Space Cowboy,” and “High Horse(opens in new tab).” Musgrave’s rich, melodic voice and creative musical arrangements sent those songs up the charts too. Deeper Well is her 2024 album; it debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart with the title track(opens in new tab) doing very well. Musgraves embraces her sexuality and was the first performer to play nude on “Saturday Night Live” (2021), albeit with crossed legs, dim lighting, strategically placed guitar, and cowboy boots. For a limited edition cover of Deeper Well she is lying naked in a field of grass in a fetal position with her back to the camera. “The Architect(opens in new tab),” a track from the album, was so good that it won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. Her rlatest LP release is Middle of Nowhere, which dropped in May and rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Catch this very talented pop country artist at PPG Paints Arena(opens in new tab). Special guests are Flatland Cavalry. 7:30 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (R.H.)

Friday, September 11

Who needs the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? This year, big-game hunter Ted Nugent was named to the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame and the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame. Ever the conservationist, Nugent eats what he shoots, as explained in his book Kill It & Grill It (co-authored with his wife, Shemane Deziel). A pioneer of the straightedge scene, Nugent eschews the use of intoxicants, having a prodigious capacity to get wild without them. We won’t bother talking about his political views since he does plenty of that himself. And along with leaning hard right, Nugent is of course a very hard rocker. The Detroit native first made his mark as the flamboyant lead guitarist for the Amboy Dukes. In the mid-1970s he went solo, forming a self-titled band and releasing a self-titled album that won him wider notice for guitar virtuosity. Nugent has now reached the lucky-number age of 77. After 19 studio albums, the latest being 2022’s Detroit Muscle, he works hard on not mellowing out. Catch Ted Nugent reasonably close to Pittsburgh at the Timber Rock Amphitheater. 7 p.m. 3360 National Pike, Farmington. (M.V.)

Tuesday, September 15

Breaking Benjamin (opens in new tab)originated across the state in Wilkes-Barre in 1999. The Benjamin in question is singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley. He is the sole remaining founding member of the band and also an avid gamer. No surprise then that he and the band wrote the song “Blow Me Away(opens in new tab)” specifically for the Halo 2 soundtrack in 2004. 2002’s Saturate was the group’s first studio album. 2009’s Dear Agony was its last before going on hiatus until 2014. Its latest is 2018’s Ember. Breaking Benjamin dropped a new single this May, “Something Wicked.” Also on the bill for the band’s visit are Chevelle, STARSET, and Kami Kehoe. 6 p.m. The Pavilion at Star Lake,(opens in new tab) 665 Rt. 18, Burgettstown. (R.H.)

Thursday through Sunday, September 17 – 20

The time is at hand when you can hear more good jazz for less money. Most events at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival are free, and this year’s festival—the 16th—offers a wide variety of acts and styles. The theme is Our America250 and, according to the Festival, the diverse lineup explores “how jazz, blues, rock, soul, gospel, hip hop and jazz-adjacent musical styles have shaped American culture and global trends.” One headliner is vocalist Samara Joy, who performs a sold-out show in the August Wilson African American Cultural Center on Friday night. Free acts include drummer and bandleader Nate Smith, Pittsburgh’s own bassist/composer Dwayne Dolphin, longtime gospel-soul-fusion favorites Annie & the Caldwells, mystical singer-songwriter Lady Blackbird (featured in the video above), legendary DJ Kid Capri, and more. 

The Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is hosted by the August Wilson Center and co-presented by Highmark. Special ticketed events on Thursday and Friday evening typically sell out. But the big draws are the outdoor concerts on Liberty Avenue, outside the Center, and they’re all free of charge. These begin on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m. and last into the evening. Check the festival website for artist bios and schedule info, then arrive early for the artists you want to see. Folding chairs are welcome while pets, weapons, and drones are not. 980 Liberty Ave. and nearby, Cultural District. (M.V.)

Sunday, September 20

How does LeAnn Rimes stay looking so young? It helps that the country-and-crossover star is only in her early 40s, which may be hard to believe, because it seems she has been around forever. But Rimes began as a child prodigy, initially with live gigs like singing the National Anthem at Dallas Cowboys games. By her preteens she’d already released two albums. Then in 1996, at 13, she scored a breakthrough hit with the title track from her third album, Blue. Since then she’s won multiple awards (including a Best New Artist Grammy in 1997), acted in movies and TV, and authored a few books … but let’s talk about her voice. Even ‘way back when, her singing on “Blue” revealed a rich, well-rounded, classic country vocal style. She’s also done quite well in other genres, with songs like Bette Midler’s signature ballad “The Rose.” Rimes has weathered some hard times personally, and in turn has been an active philanthropist, supporting causes from disabled veterans to HIV prevention and care. Now good seats are going fast for her special concert at The Palace Theatre, titled “An Intimate Evening with LeAnn Rimes.” Rimes will be helping The Palace Theatre celebrate its centential. Happy birthday Palace Theatre! 7 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (M.V.)

Tuesday, September 22

Cheap Trick(opens in new tab) is a quintessential ’70s rock band and a staple on the classic rock touring circuit. They sang “Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird, surrender” for their big hit “Surrender.” Other highly successful songs are  “I Want You to Want Me,” and “The Flame(opens in new tab).” Cheap Trick formed in Rockford, Illinois, in 1973. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and the crew’s most recent album is 2025’s All Washed Up. Its cover is a photo of several very colorful washing machines in a laundromat with Cheap Trick lettering on the wall.  8 p.m.  Palace Theatre(opens in new tab), 21 W. Otterman St. Greensburg. (R.H.)

Canadian pop-rock singer LØLØ visits Spirit this month. The Toronto native, nee Lauren Mandel, has released two albums, Falling for Robots and Wishing I Was One (2025) and god forbid a girl spits out her feelings! (2026), in addition to two EPs. She started out by doing open mic nights at venues around Toronto. This past year LØLØ has performed at Warped Tour D.C., Long Beach, and Montreal, and has been very well received at major festivals worldwide including Lollapalooza, Sad Summer, and Slam Dunk. She also has a good sense of humor. After suffering a very bad fall and injuring her face including stitches and broken bones, LØLØ wrote her song “faceplant.” Special guest TBA. 8 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. (R.H.)

Friday, September 25

CAAMP is a very popular folk rock band out of Columbus, Ohio. The group was started by friends Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall who first met at a summer camp while they were both in middle school. CAAMP has five studio albums under their belt including 2019’s By & By, which debuted at no. 1 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. Since then the group has released a live album and two more studio albums: Lavender Days (2022) and Copper Changes Color (2025). The latter has been seen as the group maturing in its music with the additional seasoning of life. You can catch them at Stage AE with special guest Whitney. Sold out. Doors open 6 p.m. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. (R.H.)

Friday and Saturday, September 25 – 26

If you crave noise, F.N.B. Stadium is the place to be. The 5,000-seat stadium, located along the Mon near Station Square, normally hosts normal events like Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer games. But normal goes out the window when the Four Chord Fest occupies the venue. Presented by Drusky Entertainment, this Friday-Saturday music festival brings together more than two dozen of the nation’s head-bangingest, hell-raisingest bands in genres from hardcore to post-hardcore, pop punk, emo, screamo, and any hybrid you could name that signifies artistry expressed in many decibels. Headliners on Friday are Knocked Loose out of Louisville, Kentucky. They’ve been rocking together since 2013 and their latest album is 2024’s You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. San Diego rockers Pierce the Veil top the Saturday bill. They create merry melodies such as “Pass the Nirvana,” a track on the digital version of their fifth album The Jaws of Life. Other bands at the Four Chord Fest range from Mayday Parade (with songs like “Lying to Myself”) and Underoath (“It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door”), to Hit the Lights, Militarie Gun and more. Stadium gates open at noon each day (or earlier if you buy “plus” or VIP tickets); music at 12:30 p.m. 510 West Station Square Dr., South Shore. (M.V.) 

Monday, September 28

“Amie, what you wanna do?” It’s one of the sweetest refrains in country rock, and if you wanna hear the latest incarnation of the group that broke to national fame with “Amie” (above) back in the ‘70s, you can catch Pure Prairie League(opens in new tab) at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille(opens in new tab). PPL’s lineup has changed over the years, of course, and the music has evolved somewhat, too. But when it comes to that easy-rollin’ Pure Prairie sound—with bluegrass inflections, from the band’s origins in Waverly, Ohio, midway between Chillicothe and the Kentucky line—the sound is still there. Country music star Vince Gill was a member of the band in 1979. Pure Prairie League took their name from a fictional 19th-century temperance union in the 1939 Errol Flynn cowboy movie Dodge City. Pure Prairie League is celebrating their 50th Anniversary. Their latest LP is 2024’s Back on Track. 8 p.m. 285 Northgate Dr., Warrendale. (E.C., R.H.)

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 29 – 30

Actually, you can catch Olivia Rodrigo, right here in Pittsburgh. But it won’t be easy unless you already have a ticket to one of her two sold-out concerts. The 23-year-old phenom has been winning fans and racking up amazing music-industry statistics ever since her debut single, “Drivers License,” shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. Even before that, Rodrigo had made a strong start on an acting career as a teenage co-star of Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” and other TV series. However she then decided  to emphasize becoming a singer/songwriter, which looks like a smart move. It allows her to always play a compelling character: herself. Rodrigo has been called the voice (or at least a primary voice) of Gen Z. Her lyrics evoke the trials and joys of young adulthood. She’s an ardent feminist and social activist with an engaging public presence. Moreover, her musical talent speaks for itself. Rodrigo’s many accolades include a 2022 Grammy as Best New Artist, and so far she’s released three albums loaded with chart-busting tracks, including this year’s album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Olivia Rodrigo visits Pittsburgh for two nights at PPG Paints Arena. Each show begins at 7 p.m. and the guest artist is Wolf Alice. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (M.V.)

Other Shows of Interest

Thursday, September 3
Zack Keim (The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls)

Saturday, September 5
Winston Bell (Con Alma)

Monday, September 7
Billy Price (Kickoff and Rib Festival at Acrisure)

Tuesday, September 8
Hatebreed (Roxian Theatre)
Theron Brown (Arts Landing)

Thursday, September 10
$uicideboy$ (The Pavilion at Star Lake)

Friday, September 11
The Clarks (Allegheny River Trail Park)
Sun King Warriors (Moondog’s Pub)

Saturday, September 12
The Charge Ups (The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls)

Sunday, September 13
Ken Karsh Trio (Con Alma)

Friday, September 18
Black Label Society (Stage AE)
Arrows in Action (Preserving Underground)
Margaret Glaspy (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

Saturday, September 19
Mastodon (Stage AE)

Sunday, September 20
Benny Benack 2 (Con Alma)

Tuesday, September 22
Sam Barber (Stage AE)
Etta Cox (Arts Landing)

Wednesday, September 23
Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Stage AE)
Black Flag (Crafthouse Stage & Grill)
Solomon Hicks (Moondog’s Pub)

Friday, September 25
Dwight Yoakam (Timber Rock Amphitheater)
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

Saturday, September 26
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals (Mr. Smalls Theatre)
Brooke Annibale and Liz Berlin (The Sanctuary at Mr. Smalls)
Bill Toms and Hard Rain (Moondog’s Pub)
Jazz Legends Event & Fallingwater 90th Celebration
with the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra (MCG Jazz Music Hall)

Monday, September 28
Gogol Bordello (Mr. Smalls Theatre)

Wednesday, September 30
Beach House (Stage AE)

Big Shows on the Horizon

October 1
Role Model Presents Chuck on Tour (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 2
Michael Franti (Roxian Theatre)

October 2
Wiz Khalifa (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 3
Styx (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 4
Foster the People (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 10
Modest Mouse (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 11
Chance the Rapper (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 16
Boyz II Men (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 17
Women Who Rock w/Taylor Dayne (Stage AE)

October 20
Tedeschi Trucks Band (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 23
Smokey Robinson (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

October 25
Little Big Town (Citizens Live at The Wylie)

Rick Handler is the executive producer of Entertainment Central.

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