Live music preview: upcoming fall tours

If you like concerts, then you know that October is hands down the best month of the entire academic year. Artists’ fall tours are in full swing, and most major fall tours usually hit Pittsburgh sometime between late September and early November. Just about every week of this sweet and scary month is packed with a couple of great shows, from rock and indie to electronic and hip-hop. Here’s a few in the next two weeks that will surely provide some great experiences to remember with your college buddies when you’re old and gray and going to the bathroom more than once a night.

Yo La Tengo – Mr. Smalls Theater – Tuesday, 9/29/15

Hailing from Hoboken, New Jersey, this band celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and shows little sign of slowing down. Their fifteenth album, Stuff Like That There, was released in August and the band is currently on a world tour. Billed as “An Acoustic Evening,” it stretches into December. This is a great chance to catch an intimate performance at one of Pittsburgh’s most celebrated and iconic venues. Tickets are $22 and available through ticketweb.com.

TAUK – Rex Theater – Friday, 10/2/15

This four-piece prog-jam rock band delivers some funky tunes and tight musicianship. Fans of other jam or blues rock bands will definitely find a lot to get down to here. However, this is a 21+ show. Bummer. Sweet Earth is opening and tickets are $12 through showclix.com.

Flux Pavillion – Stage AE –Saturday, 10/3/15

For fans of heavy dubstep coupled with loud and bright performances, Flux Pavillion’s Tesla Tour stop at AE is going to be the highlight of your semester. This is a bit of a disappointment, considering October is usually packed with bass (Last October, Skrillex, Bassnectar, the Glitch Mob, just to name a few, hit the Burgh). Still, Flux is sure to be a high-energy show with more anthemic drops than you could shake a Rick and Morty themed totem at. Wilkinson and Diskord are opening, and tickets are $34.10 through ticketmaster.com.

Norma Jean – Rex Theater – Saturday, 10/3/15

Marilyn Monroe, live and in the (zombified) flesh, at the Rex! No, it’s actually the Atlanta-based metalcore band named after the actress’s birth name. They are currently touring behind the 10th anniversary of their sophomore album, O God, the Aftermath, playing the album in its entirety during each stop. Get ready for a moshpit spanning many generational gaps. Tickets are $18 through ticketfly.com.

Michal Menert – Club Café – Sunday, 10/4/15

Any fan of purple haze-tinged electro-soul acts such as Pretty Lights, GRiZ, and Gramatik will find a lot to love for Michal Menert. The soulful producer is known for his energetic performances that often contain some freestyle poetic rapping. He is currently touring with a six-piece live band. Marcelo Moxy and Wildabeast are opening, and tickets are $15 through ticketweb.com.

Built to Spill - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Sunday, 10/4/15

Built to Spill has been playing live for a long time, and the experience certainly shows. The lead singer and guitarist Doug Martsch takes turns between shredding some winding solos and delivering introspective lyrics in his distinctive vocal style. Great for anyone interested in Pabst Blue Ribbon and vinyl parties. Helvetia and Clarke and the Himselfs are opening, and tickets are $22 through ticketweb.com.

Beats Antique – Mr. Smalls Theatre – Tuesday, 10/6/15

If you’re a fan of crazy, out-there, trippy weird stuff, then California-based Beats Antique is the band for you. This electronic act creates sounds straight out of a middle-eastern gypsy dub and hip-hop nightmare. Member Zoe Jakes bellydances throughout much of the performance, abstract masks are worn, and blow-up kitty cyclops are unleashed, creating a distinct vibe that you’ll be hard-pressed to easily find at other shows. I’ve seen these guys once before, and I’m so excited another opportunity is on its way. Moon Hooch (another fantastic act you won’t want to miss) and Pinky D’Ambrosia are opening, and tickets are $22 through ticketweb.com.

Adventure Club – Altar Bar – Thursday, 10/8/15

The Montreal-based duo Adventure Club make some of the most melodic house-infused dubstep out there, and their live performances have begun to earn them top slots at summer festivals, so this show is definitely a Thirsty Thursday option to keep on the calendar. This is also a case where it’s just as worth going to see the opener as is it is the headliner. Snails, known for his incredibly unique brand of bass music dubbed “vomitstep,” has been exploding in popularity and will surely drop a couple of his high-profile collaborations with the likes of Diplo and Skrillex in a thrashing performance. KAYZO also opens, and tickets are $30 through ticketfly.com.