Livewire: 16 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland in August

Morgan Wallen takes over Huntington Bank Field for two nights. See: Friday, Aug. 15. Credit: Credit: Spidey Smith

THU 08/14

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter VI Tour Celebrating 20+ Years of Carter Classics
This rapper from the Dirty South became a huge sensation in the 2000s when his mixtapes were ubiquitous. His 2004 album, Tha Carter, established him as a hip-hop superstar and has spawned many sequels. He brings his anniversary tour celebrating 20 years since Tha Carter’s release to Blossom. Tyga and Belly Gang Kushington open, and the show starts at 8 p.m.
1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

Whitney
Formed in Chicago in 2015 by former Smith Westerns guitarist Max Kakacek and Unknown Mortal Orchestra drummer Julien Ehrlich, Whitney quickly gained acclaim with its debut album, 2016’s Light Upon the Lake. The current tour supports the forthcoming Small Talk. First single “Dandelions” recalls classic singer-songwriters from the ’70s. The group performs at 7 p.m. at Beachland Ballroom. Folk Bitch Trio opens.
15711 Waterloo Rd., beachlandballroom.com.

FRI 08/15

BabyTron
The rapper straight out of Ypsilanti, MI comes to the Agora Theatre. ShittyBoyz, a hip-hop group of which BabyTron is a member, open the show. BabyTron has personality to spare and makes funny videos with a Beastie Boys-like vibe. His rapid-fire raps and spastic beats will undoubtedly energize the crowd. Doors are at 7 p.m.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Morgan Wallen
The controversial country singer brings his I’m the Problem tour to Huntington Bank Field for a two-night stand. A talented songwriter, Wallen has delivered 19 No. 1 singles at country radio in just five years. I’m the Problem finds him capably exploring country rock on the title track and hip-hop in “Miami,” a song that features Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Singer-songwriters Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley open today’s show. Thomas Rhett and Langley open tomorrow’s show. Doors are at 4:30 p.m.
100 Alfred Lerner Way, 440-891-5000, huntingtonbankfield.

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts — Love Earth
The musically restless rock icon returns to Blossom with a new band in tow. Young and the group just released Talkin’ to the Trees, a collection of new tunes that find his distinctively high-pitched voice in great shape. The album alternates between gritty rockers such as “Dark Mirage” and gentle folk numbers like “First Fire of Winter.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m.
1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

SAT 08/16

Clipse
For the new album, Let God Sort Em Out, the Clipse — brothers Pusha T and Malice — enlisted an all-star team comprised of longtime collaborators, including hip-hop/pop superstar Pharrell Williams. Songs such as “Chains & Whips” and “All Things Considered” possess a real urgency and draw from electronica, rock, jazz and hip-hop. The tour in support of the album comes to the Agora tonight. Earthgang opens, and doors are at 7 p.m.
5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Maxwell: The Serenade 2025
Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father, Maxwell started writing songs as a teenager. By the early 2000s, Maxwell had established himself as a major star in the R&B world. The neo-soul singer comes to Rocket Arena and performs tonight at 8.
One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

SUN 08/17

Silversun Pickups
With their debut EP, 2005’s Pikul, Sliversun Pickups immediately put themselves in a musical place that defies categorization. Singer-guitarist Brian Aubert’s upper-register vocals and distorted guitars recalled Smashing Pumpkins, but the band comes off a bit heavier. The indie rock band attained a cult following nevertheless. Tonight at 7, it returns to House of Blues.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

MON 08/18

Jesse & Joy: El Despecho Tour
With a career that goes back two decades, this pop duo from Mexico has attained an international following. Joy Huerta, the first Latina to compose the soundtrack for a Broadway musical, Real Women Have Curves, has a soulful voice. She puts her voice on display on the new album, Lo Que Nos Faltó Decir. The group performs tonight at 7 at House of Blues.
308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

Jessie Murph
The singer-songwriter performs tonight at 7 at Jacobs Pavilion. On her new album, Sex Hysteria, Murph explores themes of sexuality, inherited trauma, and personal awakening with “unprecedented candor and artistic maturity,” as it’s put in a press release. Her husky voice brings a real intensity to tunes such as “Gucci Mane” and the Amy Winehouse-like “1965.”
2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

TUE 08/19

Shinedown: Dance, Kid, Dance
The hard rock band brings its Dance, Kid, Dance tour to Rocket Arena. Known for its bombastic rock anthems, the group has consistently delivered on that front. The latest single, “The Killing Fields,” features a catchy refrain and comes off as Bon Jovi-like rock. The show begins at 7 p.m. For the tour, the group has teamed up with Musicians on Call and will be donate $1 for every ticket sold for the tour to the charity, the “leading provider of live music in hospitals,” as it’s put in a press release.
One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

WED 08/20

Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder: The Brotherhood of Rock Tour
In this classic rock extravaganza, Styx will perform its hit album The Grand Illusion in its entirety, and the Kevin Cronin Band will play REO Speedwagon’s platinum-selling Hi Infidelity in its entirety. Singer-guitarist Don Felder will deliver hits from his time with the Eagles. It’s a dream lineup for Baby Boomers. The show starts at 6:45 p.m. at Blossom.
1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

THU 08/21

Jefferson Starship
The group brings its 50th anniversary tour to the Kent Stage. A major part of the San Francisco scene in the ’60s and ’70s, the group has undergone significant change over the years and now features singer-guitarist Cathy Richardson (who joined in 2008) as frontperson. The show begins at 7 p.m. at the Kent Stage.
175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

FRI 08/22

The Black Keys: No Rain, No Flowers
The group with Ohio roots returns to Blossom. The duo famously booked a 2024 tour that it scrapped after receiving what it called bad advice from its management. These dates support last year’s Ohio Players, another well-crafted collection of garage-blues tunes that draw equally from the arty indie rock of Beck and the gritty blues of Junior Kimbrough. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and bluesman Gary Clark Jr. opens.
1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, livenation.com.

SAT 08/23

18th Annual Multi Music Fest
Boney James, Avery Sunshine, Forecast and Stokely perform at this annual jazz festival. If the lineup just included sax man Boney James, a smooth jazz sensation whose career stretches back decades (he got his start in the 1970s), that would’ve been worth the price of admission. The show starts at 5 p.m. at Jacobs Pavilion.
2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com.

TUE 08/26

Benson Boone: American Heart World Tour
The singer-songwriter known for his backflips has made quite an impression with his sophomore album, American Heart. The thing keeps producing chart-topping singles. The hard rocking, Queen-like “Mr. Electric Blue,” the latest track to hit the charts, finds Boone writing about his father. The pop superstar comes to Rocket Arena tonight at 8.
One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

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