A slew of summer concerts have us flying high, and we’re planning to take this momentum into the season ahead.

We’ve been so pleased with recent music news, too, like the relieving return of Pickathon 2024 (our favorite Happy Valley, Oregon, festival that takes place every summer on a farm just outside of Portland), plus the reopening of Ballard’s beloved Conor Byrne, after a remarkable community effort saved it from shuttering its doors forever. The venue happily welcomes back loyal fans into the friendly space on August 2 and 3, with two nights headlined by The Moondoggies.

Conor Byrne’s co-op, a new membership-based model that quickly gained 400+ founding members, is committed to maintaining the spirit of the venue, and they say programming will largely stay the same. Loyal fans can expect shows featuring local and touring artists as well as popular events like Open Mic Night, Tuesday Country Dance Night and a retooled version of Monday Bluegrass night.

Here are some other shows around town— merely a small sampling, keep in mind! — to get on your music calendar for weeks and months ahead.

~July 26 at Showbox, delight in the music of Red Clay Strays, a rapidly rising band — formed in Mobile, Alabama, in 2016 — that consists of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass) and John Hall (drums). In the midst of a breakout year and much praise, the group is nominated Emerging Act of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Awards and continues to achieve remarkable success for their single “Wondering Why.”

~ Enjoy a Seattle summer rite of passage by attending a Zoo Tunes show surrounded by tranquil greenery at the Woodland Park Zoo, which happens to boast a killer lineup this year. The Decemberists play both July 30 and 31, an evening of The Japanese House with Skullcrusher takes place August 12, Waxahatchee (with latest album Tigers Blood proving a critics’ favorite of 2024 by topping most mid-year “best of ” lists) perform with Woods August 18, and Alvvays stops in with The Beths on August 19.

~The Summer Concert Series at Chateau Ste. Michelle proves another seasonal highlight in our little PNW haven , and Lake Street Dive seems the perfect group to relish under the stars August 3. The soulful, mesmerizing pop/soul group is embarking on an extensive, North American, Good Together Tour that visits major cities across the U.S. and Canada, and we’re thrilled to land on that list.

~We never need much of an excuse to head a few hours east to the magical setting of the Gorge Amphitheatre, so seeing a handful of legends at the Outlaw Music Festival certainly got our attention. Savor the sounds of Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Billy Strings at the Gorge — arguably one of the best concert spots we’ve found yet.

~ If smaller venues are more your thing, indie-electronic artist Bay Ledges plays Neumos August 20, right after the release of new album, Rivers, which drops on August 16. The press release tells us: “The album, partly written in response to the death of several family members of singer/songwriter/producer Zach Hurd, is an enthralling reflection on love, loss and change.”

~ Looking for an excuse to spend some time in Central Oregon this September? A PNW favorite, singer-songwriter-storyteller extraordinaire John Craigie will be closeby (but not in Seattle this time around) on this latest tour that brings him to the Cascade Equinox Festival in Redmond September 20 through 22.

~Critically acclaimed Montana singer/songwriter and band leader Madeline Hawthorne also plays in Redmond at the Cascade Equinox Festival (Sept. 20 through 22), and she’ll play here in Seattle at Tractor Tavern just before that, too (on Sept. 19).

~ If you’re craving a dose of refreshing nostalgia, global rock superstars Green Day will glide through our town on the North American leg of their massive (and nearly sold-out) Saviors tour with a gig at T-Mobile Park on Monday, September 23. For the first time ever, the band will perform both Dookie and American Idiot albums in their entirety, in celebration of 2024 milestone anniversaries, along with fan favorites and cuts off the new album, the band’s 14th. (Unexpected bonus: the band recently launched its latest venture, Punk Bunny Coffee, which will be sold at every tour stop.)

Rock on, Washington!