July ’25 Concert Guide: Shinedown, Wiz, Teddy Swims, Frankie Valli, Kesha, Vince Gill, and The Wallflowers

July is normally a splendid month for concerts and this July is no different. The biggest acts this month are Shinedown, one of the top rock bands of recent years, and hometown fave Wiz Khalifa, who is at the top of the hip hop genre. They play PPG Paints Arena and the Pavilion at Star Lake respectively. Another big PPG Paints Arena show is the Swedish dark-metal group Ghost. Teddy Swims is in the music industry fast lane and pulls into Stage AE this month. The Lumineers and Kesha both have concerts at Star Lake. The legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons perform at Heinz Hall on the Last Encores Tour. Noted guitarist Robin Trower plays Greensburg’s Palace Theatre. Bob’s son Jakob Dylan brings his band, The Wallflowers, there too.

Vince Gill, not only a very successful solo artist but also a member of The Eagles, is at Heinz Hall. Pittsburgh Brewing Company in Creighton has put together a solid summer season for their Iron City Stage. Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors are on the same bill there this month. Native American rock band Indigenous will jam at Jergel’s. Talented alt-pop music storyteller Rachael Sage will play a concert at the acoustically pleasing First Unitarian Church in Shadyside.

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.

Thursday, July 3

British rock guitar virtuoso Robin Trower is in concert this month at the Palace Theatre. Trower was a member of the legendary group Procol Harum from 1967 to 1971 before starting his own band. He even worked with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce for two albums—one called BLT, their initials plus drummer Bill Lordan—in the early ’80s. “Bridge of Sighs” is a proper display of his guitar-playing prowess and was one of the most famous songs (and albums) of his solo career. Other top songs include “Day of the Eagle” and “Too Rolling Stoned.” Trower’s guitar of choice is his own signature custom Fender Stratocaster. He is touring in support of his latest album, this year’s Come and Find Me. 8 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (R.H.)

Wednesday, July 9

Simple lineups can produce great results. The Lumineers are just two guys who enjoy making music together, and they’re among the most creative acts on the indie-folk-Americana spectrum. Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (vocals, drums and other instruments) met when young in their hometown of Ramsey, New Jersey. In 2005 they started playing clubs and small venues around the New York City scene. But their career really took off after a cross-country move to Denver a few years later. At times, The Lumineers had additional core members—notably, cellist and multi-artist Neyla Pekarek from 2010 to 2018. With her on board they recorded their first hit single, 2011’s “Ho Hey,” which became the lead track on their self-titled debut album. When Pekarek went solo, Schultz and Fraites kept building on The Lumineers’ momentum. They’re now touring in support of their fifth studio album, Automatic. It has reached No. 2 on the Billboard U.S. Independent Albums chart and No. 16 on the overall Billboard 200. Hear the live-wire Lumineers at The Pavilion at Star Lake with guest artists Hippo Campus. 7:30 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (C.M., M.V.)

Thursday, July 10

The Wallflowers are of course led by Jakob Dylan, the talented son of the legendary Bob Dylan. The band has generated hits like “One Headlight” and “6th Avenue Heartache” from their sophomore album Bringing Down the Horse in 1996, and “Reboot the Mission” from their 2012 album, Glad All Over. After solo work and a continuing rotation of talent in The Wallflowers band, they are touring behind their latest album, 2021’s Exit Wounds. Dylan, in an interview with American Songwriter at the time, said of the album, “I was just also writing during a time when the world felt like it was falling apart. That changes the way you address even the simplest things, because you have panic in your mind all the time. You have anxiety. And you also have hope. And it’s all in there.” Dylan says of The Wallflowers and their ever-changing lineup that the band is an extension of him as a solo artist, since he is the only constant in the band. The Wallflowers visit our area for a concert at The Palace Theatre. 8 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (R.H.) 

Friday, July 11

With more than 18 albums to her name, Rachael Sage’s alt-pop songs and multi-instrumentation have earned six Independent Music Awards, performances at both Edinburgh Fringe and SXSW, and tours with artists including Rufus Wainwright, Ani DiFranco, Howard Jones, and Grammy Award winners Shawn Colvin and Judy Collins. And if her musical accomplishments weren’t enough, Sage is also an accomplished dancer, a student of The School of American Ballet, and has even performed with the New York City Ballet. She was last here in February to perform with Grammy Award winning cellist Dave Eggar, Attack Theatre’s music director, for a multi-discipline show at the company. This month Sage makes a tour stop with her longtime band The Sequins as well as singer-songwriter Kristen Ford for their joint Joy = Resistance Tour.  The summer tour will bring its inclusive message to Pittsburgh at First Unitarian Church. Sequins violinist Kelly Halloran has performed with many top groups including the Goo Goo Dolls. Look for an upcoming new album, Canopy, from Sage with catchy songs like the singles “Canopy” and “Just Enough.” Ford also has an album coming out; it will drop in August on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. This is a great opportunity to see top musicians in a beautiful and intimate acoustic setting. Enjoy Rachael Sage and Ford at First Unitarian with special guest Erika June. 7:30 p.m. 605 Morewood Ave., Shadyside. (R.H.)

Saturday, July 12

The above video of “Are You Even Real” beautifully sums up the role of Teddy Swims in our music universe. It’s a song from his new album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2). We see Teddy relaxed and comfortable, seated in an easy chair or strolling around gently as he sings—which typifies the fact that he has firmly made it big. No longer is Teddy Swims the unknown upstart, who shot from self-made online videos to a major-label recording contract in a few short years. Now he is just everyone’s Teddy bear. And as for the song itself: Hey, it’s good. A sweet old sort of romantic anthem, but done in a surprising, state-of-the-art style—in partnership with his featured guest Givēon, another genre-busting innovator. The overall message is that Swims—a.k.a. Jaten Collin Dimsdale from Conyers, Georgia—is here to stay, and he’s only 32. What more will he do next? Pittsburghers can find out by catching Teddy Swims in concert at Stage AE. His guest for the evening is Sienna Spiro, an English singer-songwriter who, like Teddy, launched her career with home videos online. Doors open 6:30 p.m. 400 N. Shore Dr., North Shore. (M.V.)

Longtime country music mega-star Vince Gill will perform at Heinz Hall. Gill was born and raised in Oklahoma. His first touch of national musical success came when the legendary Southern rock group Pure Prairie League, who were already well known for their big hit “Amie,” hired him in the 1970s. Gill departed Pure Prairie League in 1981 and released his first solo LP, The Things That Matter, in 1985. From there, he went on to huge commercial success with 18 studio albums and more than 40 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country charts. Gill’s a Grammy Award winner 22 times over and an inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Eagles tapped him and Deacon Frey to join them following the death of Glenn Frey in 2016. When the Eagles last stopped in Pittsburgh in 2023 and Steely Dan dropped off the bill due to the illness of Donald Fagen, Vince Gill stepped into the breach with his band and performed a fantastic set. Gill is also married to Christian/pop singer Amy Grant. His latest album is 2023’s Sweet Memories (with Paul Franklin). 7:30 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (R.H., C.M.)

Sunday, July 13
Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and The Spin Doctors (Pittsburgh Brewing Co.)

Get ready for a jam-packed musical evening with three outstanding bands—Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and The Spin Doctors—as they team up for a concert on Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s Iron City Stage. John Popper, who is known equally for his harmonic prowess and harmonic bandoliers, leads Blues Traveler. The band, which started its journey in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987, touches on blues, folk, psychedelic, and southern rock. The group’s top hits are “Run-Around” and “Hook,” both of which appear on 1994’s four, their fourth (and breakthrough) album. Founding member and bassist Bobby Sheehan died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, but the rest of the band continued to honor their friend and bandmate. Popper and company continue to release music. Blues Traveler’s latest album is 2023’s Traveler’s Soul.

The rock band Gin Blossoms rose to fame out of Tempe, Arizona, in the 1990s on well-crafted pop-rock songs with strong instrumentality and melodic vocals. The band has survived the suicide of founding member Doug Hopkins in 1993 and a breakup in 1997. Songs that have “blossomed” for the band include its biggest hits, “Hey Jealousy,” “Allison Road,” and “Found Out About You.” Gin Blossoms’ most recent album release is 2018’s Mixed Reality. 

The Spin Doctors formed in New York City, and are arguably best known for the songs “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong” and “Two Princes.” Both songs are from their debut album, 1991’s Pocket Full of Kryptonite. The album’s title, a reference to Superman’s weakness, comes from lyrics to the opening tune, “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues.” Jimmy Olsen is Superman’s pal―except in this song when he tries to win over Lois Lane. Pocket Full of Kryptonite was a sleeper hit, not hitting the mainstream until 1992. As the ’90s progressed, some members quit the Spin Doctors, but the classic lineup reunited in 2001. Their latest album is this year’s Face Full of Cake. Doors open for the three-band concert at 5 p.m. with music at 6 p.m. Iron City Stage, 150 Ferry St., Creighton. (C.M., R.H.)

Friday, July 18

Although Leo XIV is considered a progressive Pope, it’s doubtful that you would see him at a Ghost concert. The Swedish hard-rock band goes deep into the dark side, performing demonic twists on Catholic rituals and organized religion in general. There is an aura of secrecy about the band. Its members are not named publicly. Onstage, they wear costumes and enact character roles. (For example, the lead singer likes to wear a papal mitre over a skull mask, and has gone by various made-up names such as Papa V Perpetua.) Ghost was formed in 2006 in Linköping, Sweden. The group’s 2013 album Infestissumam was recorded in Nashville, rose to No. 1 on the Swedish charts, and won critical acclaim worldwide. Currently the nameless souls are embarked on a global Skeletour in support of their sixth studio album, Skeletá. Pittsburgh fans can get haunted by Ghost at PPG Paints Arena. 8 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (E.C., M.V.)

Saturday, July 19

Wiz Khalifa’s rap songs have been nominated for 10 Grammys, including the hometown fave “Black and Yellow.” (Khalifa, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School and an all-around Pittsburgh fan.) “See You Again,” which features singer Charlie Puth, appears on the Furious7 soundtrack. The song pays tribute to one of the film’s stars, Paul Walker, who died in a car accident before the movie was completed. Worldwide, “See You Again” sold more copies than any other song in 2015. It also was nominated for three Grammys and a Golden Globe. In 2016, Khalifa released a self-titled album; it debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.  In 2021 he competed on the Fox TV show “The Masked Singer,” finishing in third place. He has also collaborated with artists like Snoop Dogg, Bruno Mars, and Ty Dolla $ign. Khalifa’s ninth and latest studio album, Wizzlemania, was supposed to drop this year, but there is mystery surrounding its release and it appears to be shelved for now. He visits The Pavilion at Star Lake on his Good Vibes Only tour, joined by Jamaican singer and rapper Sean Paul and DaBaby. And on a very positive vibe, Khalifa, along with Snoop Dogg and sports talk show host Pat McAfee, just donated $50,000 to the Pittsburgh Public Schools! 6:30 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (C.M., R.H.)

Sunday, July 20

Believe it: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons are on tour. And if reading that sentence makes you feel lost in a time warp, it’s understandable. Valli turned 91 this year. Pianist/songwriter Bob Gaudio, the other surviving original member of The Four Seasons, is merely 82 but stopped performing with the group long ago (though he remains involved offstage). All of the group’s legendary songs—from “Sherry” to “Walk Like a Man” to you-name-it—are now history, along with Valli’s many solo ventures. The boys are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the bio-musical about their rise to fame, Jersey Boys, is legendary in its own right. Valli himself—long renowned for his exquisite vocal range, from baritone to falsetto—received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Grammys. However, the final chapter of this history hasn’t been written quite yet. Valli and The Four Seasons’ current lineup visit Heinz Hall on what’s been dubbed The Last Encores tour. It’s an extension of the same tour that brought them to Pittsburgh last year … so if you missed them then, catch ‘em now. 7 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (M.V.)

Tuesday, July 22
Shinedown, Bush, and Morgan Wade (PPG Paints Arena)

Jacksonville, Florida alt-metal band Shinedown headlines a concert at PPG Paints Arena. The group is riding high coming off a fantastic 2024 with a sold-out arena tour and a top 20 Hot AC Radio hit with their song, “A Symptom of Being Human.” The song also hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Pulse. Lead singer Brent Smith’s powerful, crystalline vocals shine through on “A Symptom of Being Human.” The song speaks to the fact that “we are all a work in progress and that it’s our differences, quirks, and struggles that make us human.” The band debuted with 2003’s Leave a Whisper, which was later rereleased to include a popular cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s (also from Jacksonville) “Simple Man.” Smith even teamed up with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2022 at the Ryman Auditorium to sing “Simple Man” in concert. Shinedown has the Billboard record for the most mainstream rock No. 1 hits ever, and they’ve achieved platinum or gold certification for all their albums. In 2021, for the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart’s 40th Anniversary, Shinedown was ranked No. 1 Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists.

And 2025 seems just as promising for the group, as they have a hot new No.1 song on the Alternative Radio Charts with their hit single “Three Six Five.” The song is amazingly charting in four separate formats, including No. 1 at Alternative, No. 11 at Hot AC, No. 32 at Top 40, and Top 20 at Mainstream AC. Shinedown’s press materials says: “’Three Six Five’ is an example of the band’s ability to tackle the tough subjects through impeccable songwriting. Anyone who has ever experienced loss knows that every day we draw breath is an opportunity to live out loud—to live for those we have lost. At its core ‘Three Six Five’ is a reminder to stop wasting time and focus on the moments we have right now and treasure time with the ones you love the most. The song honors the people in our lives who aren’t with us anymore. It reminds us to stop taking time for granted, because it’s not promised. Take chances, be bold, and don’t sweat the small stuff,  because as the song says: a lot can happen in a year. ‘Even though I said all the things that mattered most, while I held on tight to the end of the rope, I could keep you close, but I couldn’t keep you here, a lot can happen in a year.’” Shinedown also practices the humanity of the song. The band has teamed up with the nonprofit Musicians On Call and will be donating $1 for every ticket sold for their current Dance, Kid, Dance Tour. As the nation’s leading provider of live music in hospitals, Musicians On Call (MOC) has delivered the healing power of music to patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare environments for 25 years. Shinedown’s  latest album is 2022’s Planet Zero, with a new one expected soon.  (R.H.)

Joining Shinedown in Pittsburgh on the Dance, Kid, Dance Tour are British rockers Bush. Which prompts 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 I Beat Loneliness, which is due to drop July 18. Gavin Rossdale, cofounder and lead singer of Bush, still fronts the band. And rounding out the tour bill is special guest Morgan Wade. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (M.V.)

Wednesday, July 23

The story of blues-rock outfit Indigenous is really the story of frontman Mato Nanji (Ma-TOE NON-gee), who was born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation of South Dakota. A second-generation rocker, Nanji formed Indigenous in his teens with his brother, sister, and cousin—a lineup that led to an award-winning debut in 1998 and an invite to join B.B. King’s Blues Tour in 1999. The family would stick together through four more releases before splitting in 2006. Nanji found even more success on his own as songs from his solo album Chasing the Sun, released under the Indigenous name, wound up on the soundtracks of “Deadliest Catch” and “Sons of Anarchy.” It was also the No. 2 Billboard Blues Album of 2006. Nanji has been a member of the Experience Hendrix Tour since 2002. He plays a mean version of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Indigenous’s latest release is 2017’s Gray Skies, an album of bootlegs and rarities. Catch Indigenous at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, with special guest Adrian Niles. Doors at 6 p.m., music at 8 p.m. 285 Northgate Dr., Warrendale. (R.H.)

Saturday, July 26 

Three things to know about Kesha: The popular rocker no longer styles herself Ke$ha, with a dollar sign. Her current tour is The Tits Out Tour, which she’s co-headlining with the Scissor Sisters. And Kesha’s long-running legal disputes with her allegedly abusive former producer are over, after the parties settled out-of-court in 2023. Throughout the ordeal—and indeed, through her entire career—Kesha has become a symbol of embattled but resilient womanhood to many. She’s now also free of her previous recording contracts, under which she titled her fifth studio album Gag Order. Her sixth, simply titled “.” for period, is recorded on her own label with a release date of July 4 (Independence Day!) this year.  Meanwhile, for the Scissor Sisters, the new tour is a reunion tour after a lengthy hiatus. Unfortunately they’re doing it without co-lead singer Ana Matronic, whose schedule didn’t mesh with the touring dates. But take heart: You might hear the now-all-male Sisters do songs like “Filthy/Gorgeous.” And you can expect lead vocalist Jake Shears to get comfortably near-nude onstage. Kesha and the Scissor Sisters are playing The Pavilion at Star Lake. 7 p.m. 665 Rte. 18, Burgettstown. (C.M., R.H., M.V.) 

Other Shows of Interest

Tuesday, July 1
311 and Badflower (Stage AE)

Wednesday, July 2
Diana Krall (Heinz Hall)

Thursday, July 3
Samantha Fish (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)
Sierra Sellers (Pittsburgh Winery)

Saturday July 5 and Sunday, July 6
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (South Park and Hartwood acres respectively)

Saturday, July 5
Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks (Timber Rock Amphitheater)

Sunday, July 6
Kasey Chambers (City Winery)

Thursday, July 10
Umphrey’s McGee (Mountain View Amphitheater)

Friday, July 11
Little River Band (Palace Theatre)
Liz Berlin (Mr. Smalls Outdoor Stage)

Saturday, July 12
Billy Price Band (Hollywood Casino at The Meadows)
Bill Toms (Moondog’s Pub)

Sunday, July 13
Murder By Death (Mr. Smalls Theater)
Morgan Erina (Pittsburgh Winery)

Tuesday, July 15
Pantera (The Pavilion at Star Lake)

Wednesday, July 16
Hatebreed, Fugitive (Stage AE)
Yelawolf (Roxian Theatre)

Friday, July 18 – Sunday, July 20
Northside Music Festival

Friday, July 18
Ace Frehley (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)
Old Crow Medicine Show (Timber Rock Amphitheater)
Gene The Werewolf (Northside Music Festival)

Saturday, July 19
KC and the Sunshine Band (Timber Rock Amphitheater)
Justin Fabus (Vibes Under the Bridge, The Waterfront)

Sunday, July 20
Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin (Roxian Theatre)
The Family Stone (Hartwood acres)

Tuesday, July 22
Kenny Blake & The New Hip (Agnes Katz Plaza)

Thursday, July 24
Toto, Christopher Cross, Men at Work (The Pavilion at Star Lake)
The Babys (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Friday, July 25
Live (Rivers Casino)
Trophy Wife (Mr. Smalls Funhouse)

Friday, July 25 to Saturday, July 26
Flood City Music Festival (Johnstown)

Friday, July 25 to Sunday, July 27
Pittsburgh Blues and Roots Festival (Pittsburgh Shrine Center)

Saturday, July 26
Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers (City Winery)

Thursday, July 31
Sweet (Jergel’s Rhythm Grille)

Big Shows on the Horizon

August 1
Blackberry Smoke (Stage AE)

Saturday, August 2
Luke Bryan (Pavilion at Star Lake)
Rock Reggae & Relief w/Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, The Elovaters (Stage AE)

August 6
The Doobie Brothers with The Coral Reefer Band (The Pavilion at Star Lake)
Wilco (Heinz Hall)

August 8
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Pittsburgh Brewing Company)

August 9
Jason Aldean (The Pavilion at Star Lake)
The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse (Stage AE)

August 10
Styx, Kevin Cronin, and Don Felder (The Pavilion at Star Lake)

August 19
Linkin Park (PPG Paints Arena)

August 23
Kansas and Jefferson Starship (Timber Rock Amphitheater)

August 26
Gary Clark Jr. (Stage AE)

August 29
Dierks Bentley (The Pavilion at Star Lake)

Rick Handler is the executive producer of Entertainment Central.

Share on Social Media