Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty
It’s summer — do you know where your children are? For once, avoiding that ghastly Ticketmaster queue. While Taylor is off on her Tortured Poets Department semester abroad and Ariana Grande is in the Galinda bubble, there’s an uncommon dearth of young stars on the American circuit through August. Left to fill the gap? Older artists, who are hitting the road to tour new albums, celebrate anniversaries, or just line their pockets (and sometimes all three). Yes, it’s a season of looking back, whether that means to the Summer of Love or to those years when you couldn’t leave the house without hearing an Usher hit. So which Gen-X, elder-millenial, or boomer-friendly summer tour is right for you?
These old-timers still got the goods! Frozen-in-amber acts the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band are playing marathon sets with a verve that’ll have you thinking they’re doping with Cialis, while Bob Dylan continues his never-ending tour, this time with Willie Nelson. Also, icons of the ’80s — whether that’s Janet Jackson’s dance pop or Metallica’s thrash metal — firmly count as classic now. Dust off that leather jacket and embrace it.
Luis Miguel
Through June 14
The Rolling Stones
Through July 21
Janet Jackson
Through July 30
Styx & Foreigner
June 11–August 28
Willie Nelson & Family and Bob Dylan
June 21–September 20
Doobie Brothers
June 23–September 28
Def Leppard & Journey
July 6–September 8
Sammy Hagar
July 13–August 31
Metallica
August 2–September 1
Deep Purple
August 14–September 8
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
August 15–September 15
Gen-Xers can have a grunge-girl summer with Pearl Jam, finally see Missy Elliott headline a tour, or lean into dadhood and catch Wilco for the 27th time. You even have two chances to see Sublime, depending on whether you want the real guys, who are playing with Bradley Nowell’s son, or you’re a big Rome fan for some reason.
Sublime
June 8–September 29
Sublime With Rome
Through Oct 4
Hootie & the Blowfish
Through October 12
Pearl Jam
August 12–September 29
Wilco
June 12–July 5
New Kids on the Block
June 14–August 25
SWV & Xscape
June 27–August 18
Missy Elliott
July 4–August 23
Limp Bizkit
July 16–August 24
Creed
July 17–December 5
Green Day
July 29–September 28
Bikini Kill
August 15–September 12
Incubus
August 23–September 12
Vampire Weekend doesn’t technically belong with the Gen-Xers. But they did leave the neo–dad rock of 2019’s Father of the Bride for ’90s New York City nostalgia on this year’s Only God Was Above Us, so consider them ’90s in spirit. Death comes for us all.
Vampire Weekend
June 6–October 17
From two-fifths of *NSYNC to five-fifths of P!nk (a.k.a. just P!nk), this season’s highest-profile pop shows are for the Y2k MTV-nostalgia crowd (condolences to the J.Lo fans). Of the paltry few things millennial culture can take pride in, these performers’ live acts are among them — just ask anyone who saw Usher in Vegas.
Justin Timberlake
Through December 20
Joey Fatone & AJ McLean
Through August 30
Blink-182
June 20–October 11
Usher
August 14–November 30
P!nk
August 10–November 23
Old country fans who love complaining about how the genre isn’t as good as it was back in their day will have ample opportunity to relive it. Alabama and George Strait are repping the best of the ’80s (alongside old soul Chris Stapleton), Tim McGraw and Clint Black are resurrecting their classic ’90s sound, and Kenny Chesney is delivering all those laid-back, turn-of-the-century hits. Even if, for some reason, you’re longing for 2010s bro-country, well, Luke Bryan’s on tour too.
Tim McGraw
Through September 1
George Strait & Chris Stapleton
Through July 20
Kenny Chesney
Through August 25
Luke Bryan
June 13–September 14
Alabama
June 13–November 9
Clint Black
June 13–November 9
What’s a band to do when they’re not a big enough draw to play amphitheaters on their own? Team up with another band that’s about 20 years older (or younger!). These acts are ambassadors, bringing together generations of indie-music nerds (Modest Mouse & Pixies), karaoke balladeers (Train & REO Speedwagon), or fans of groovy Bay Area rockers (Santana & Counting Crows).
Modest Mouse & Pixies
Through June 30
Santana & Counting Crows
June 14–September 2
Train & REO Speedwagon
July 8–September 11
Okay, here’s where we can build some bridges. This is the ‘take your tween daughter or younger cousin to one of these and earn Mom Cred, Dad Cred, or the much less vaunted Cousin Cred(?)’ material. Proving to older generations that what’s popular today isn’t that bad is a fool’s errand. Well, except for right now, while old-fashioned rootsy folk and country music is topping the charts. Parents will probably like the heart-baring Noah Kahan and the country rogue Zach Bryan as much as their zillennial kids.
Niall Horan
Through August 3
Noah Kahan
Through August 4
Tyler Childers
Through August 24
Zach Bryan
Through December 19
Hozier
Through September 29
