Best Live Music in Minneapolis-St. Paul This Fall
Minnesota is home to one of the nation’s most diverse and vibrant music scenes. Between its top-notch orchestras (the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra), the iconic First Avenue, and countless independent venues, there’s always a listen-worthy experience just around the corner.
Visit us this fall to see why Prince famously declared that "rock and roll is alive (and it lives in Minneapolis)!"
Loudon Wainwright III
Parkway Theater
Sept. 4
The funniest member of the Wainwright family — see also: his children, fellow musicians Rufus, Martha and Lucy — swings by South Minneapolis’ headiest film house.
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Stephen Marley
Fillmore Minneapolis
Sept. 5
Two of Bob Marley’s top Grammy-winning sons continue their first co-headlining tour.
The Black Keys
The Armory
Sept. 6
Akron’s biggest rock band since Devo brings their bluesy battery ram back to Minneapolis a year after big-upping Bryant Lake Bowl on their “Ohio Players” album cover.
Clipse
The Armory
Sept. 7
Pusha T and Malice do a victory dance around their first album in 16 years — “Let God Sort ’Em Out,” a widely acclaimed collab with longtime friend and collaborator Pharrell Williams.
Japanese Breakfast
Palace Theatre
Sept. 9
Michelle Zauner follows up her best-selling memoir (“Crying in H Mart,” which was slated to become a movie before Hollywood’s last crippling round of strikes) with a tour around her new album “For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).”
Frankie Cosmos
Varsity Theater
Sept. 12
Greta Kline and Co. reinforce the bonds forged on their first self-produced album, "Different Talking."
Jerry Cantrell
Uptown Theater
Sept. 12
Alice In Chains’ lead guitarist/songwriter beams us back to the golden days of grunge with his strongest solo material since 2002’s “Degradation Trip.”
HAIM
The Armory
Sept. 14
The hook-stacking Haim sisters keep “single-girl summer” kicking through fall.
Rafiq Bhatia
Berlin
Sept. 15
Son Lux’s guitarist brings his bandmate (percussionist/fellow producer and composer Ian Chang) and a bold, rising trumpeter (Riley Mulherkar) along for a special live set in support of his new solo album “Environments.”
The Rapture
First Avenue
Sept. 16
Singer/guitarist Luke Jenner reboots his influential dance-punk outlet with a new live band.
Rilo Kiley
Palace Theatre
Sept. 16
Looking for a proper reunion from indie rock’s primetime era? Enter Rilo Kiley, who are riding high on their first shows since 2008.
Viagra Boys
Palace Theatre
Sept. 17
Lose yourself alongside one of today’s most notorious live bands.
Alex G
Palace Theatre
Sept. 18
A rising indie rock star maintains the momentum of his major label debut “Headlights.”
Evanescence
Xcel Energy Center
Sept. 19
Local radio station 93X curates “an insane lineup… of pure electricity” led by Amy Lee’s longtime goth-metal group.
Ethel Cain
Palace Theatre
Sept. 19
Catch up with the growing cult following of a serious underground sensation.
Pulp
The Armory
Sept. 20
The year’s biggest Britpop reunion outside of Oasis, buoyed by the band’s first album in nearly 25 years (“More”).
Sparks
The Fitzgerald Theater
Sept. 20
A deeply unconventional duo (Ron and Russell Mael of the feel-good doc "The Sparks Brothers") return for another round at The Fitzgerald Theater.
Deltron 3030
Uptown Theater
Sept. 24
Kid Koala, Dan the Automator, and Del the Funky Homosapien mark the 25th anniversary of their Afrofuturist debut — a record that paved the way for the trio’s work on the first Gorillaz record.
Dream Theater
Orpheum Theatre
Sept. 25
Speaking of seminal anniversaries, one of prog-metal’s biggest acts is back to celebrate its 40th birthday with the classic lineup and the long overdue (14 years!) return of founding drummer Mike Portnoy.
Keith Urban
Xcel Energy Center
Sept. 26
In case you forgot how major Keith Urban is, the country star received the Country Music Awards’ illustrious ACM Triple Crown Award in 2025, putting him on the same critical plane as Dolly Parton, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, and Brooks & Dunn.
Turnstile
The Armory
Sept. 27
Hardcore punk’s underground heroes continue their ascent with a hangar-sized headlining show.
Cannibal Corpse
First Avenue
Sept. 28
The extreme metal bill to beat this fall, rounded out by Municipal Waste, Full of Hell and Fulci.
John Maus
Green Room
Sept. 28
Austin’s greatest export (outside of SPAM, of course) plays his first ecstatic local show in six years, setting the stage for his looming album “Later Than You Think.”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
First Avenue
Sept. 30
Cheers to 20 years of BRMC’s best album (“Howl,” the point where they dialed back the distortion and made a break for melody).
Sleep Token
Target Center
Oct. 1
To give you an idea of just meteoric Sleep Token’s rise has been over the past couple years, their “Take Me Back to Eden” album was the most streamed metal record on Spotify in 2023, surpassing everyone from BABYMETAL to Metallica. Judging by the sold-out status of their Target Center show, could U.S. Bank Stadium be next?
Joan Osborne
Dakota
Oct. 3-4
Having devoted two records to distinct versions of Bob Dylan (2017’s “Songs of Bob Dylan” and 2025’s “Dylanology Live”), Joan Osborne gets set to play four special shows pulled from the former Minnesotan’s vast songbook.
Garbage
First Avenue
Oct. 4
One of the best nostalgia plays at this year’s Minnesota Yacht Club Festival returns with a far more intimate First Avenue show.
Swervedriver
Turf Club
Oct. 4
The shoegaze revival comes full circle with a rare appearance by one of its early purveyors.
Christian McBride & Brad Mehldau
Dakota
Oct. 7
Two jazz titans (pianist Brad Mehldau and bassist Christian McBride) flex their longtime friendship onstage.
Mumford & Sons
Xcel Energy Center
Oct. 9
Folk’s biggest phenoms usher in a new era (and album!) sans co-founder Winston Marshall.
Bob Mould
Icehouse
Oct. 10
Off-and-on Minnesotan Bob Mould plays a solo electric set, and a separate Turf Club gig the next night if you’d like another shot of raucous indie rock.
Lorde
The Armory
Oct. 11-12
Two nights of top-notch pop, breaking Lorde’s seven-year silence on the local show front.
Stereolab
First Avenue
Oct. 11
While 15 years may have passed between Stereolab’s last two LPs, you wouldn’t know it judging by the seamless avant-pop sound of “Instant Holograms on Metal Film” or the group’s ongoing reunion shows, which have combed their deep catalogue with reverence and restlessness.
Craig Finn & The Band of Forgiveness
Fine Line
Oct. 15
Once-a-Minnesotan, always-a-Minnesotan Craig Finn chases The Hold Steady’s recent anniversary run with a welcome solo appearance and a newly anointed backing band.
Paul McCartney
U.S. Bank Stadium
Oct. 17
Live Nation’s Minnesota president (Josh Lacey) was so excited about booking the Beatle he held a press conference to announce how “today’s a pinch-yourself kind of day for me.” Us too, Josh; us too.
Neko Case
First Avenue
Oct. 17
Now that the book tour behind her acclaimed memoir (“The Harder I Fight the More I Love You”) is wrapped, Neko Case is back with her first self-produced effort.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Northrop Auditorium
Oct. 20
U of M presents the “Early Songs of Elvis Costello” tour; expect to hear everything from “Watching the Detectives” to “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.”
Herbie Hancock
Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 22
Fourteen Grammys don’t lie.
Purity Ring
First Avenue
Oct. 23
Live out your chaotic neutral dreams alongside Purity Ring’s new concept album — the soundtrack to an imaginary role-playing game.
Patrick Wolf
Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Oct. 28
A very rare appearance by the British electro-folk artist, who’s collaborated with Patti Smith, Angelo Badalementi and Tilda Swinton.
Everclear
First Avenue
Nov. 1
May the post-grunge pile-on begin, courtesy of Everclear and its 30-year-old breakthrough “Sparkle and Fade.”
David Byrne
Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 3-4
Two evenings with the Talking Heads frontman, who’s still riding high on the reception from his Broadway run — an engagement so electric Spike Lee captured it for HBO.
Jeff Tweedy
First Avenue
Nov. 6
Wilco’s frontman tries to top last year’s three-night St. Paul residency with a solo live set in support of the triple LP “Twilight Override.”
Keb’ Mo’
Dakota
Nov. 6-7
Rolling Stone once declared Keb’ Mo’ “a living link to the Delta blues who is unafraid to bend tradition toward the here and now.” Which pretty much nails it. Catch him at one of two intimate Dakota shows; the downtown Minneapolis destination celebrates its 40th birthday this year.
Bladee
Fillmore Minneapolis
Nov. 10
Gaze at “the mystic oracle of internet rap” (according to Pitchfork).
Boris
Fine Line
Nov. 11
One of Tokyo’s most unhinged bands takes us back to 2005 — the year they released their most accessible record, “Pink.” Well, accessible on their terms; earplugs are still essential for this one.
The Faint
First Avenue
Nov. 11
The perfect time machine pairing with The Rapture’s show at the same venue in September. Expect to see millennials in outfits they haven’t worn since the early ‘00s — us included.
The Mars Volta
First Avenue
Nov. 16
After taking a decade-long break from the studio, The Mars Volta’s core duo has knocked out three records in just about as many years. Tap into their latest creative peak without getting too lost in all the genre jumping and time changes.
Hayden Pedigo
Icehouse
Nov. 21
Instrumental guitar insights that’ll appeal to fans of finger pickers like John Fahey and Leo Kottke.
Murder City Devils
Fine Line
Nov. 22
Here’s hoping last year’s long-awaited single is a sign of more new music — maybe the brash Seattle band’s first album since 2014?
Check out this fall's biggest and best theatre shows.
