14 must-see concerts at Boston’s smaller music venues during spring 2024

Music Rock, hip-hop, dance, blues, and folk are all covered by this season’s list of small-venue shows to add to your concert calendar. Acts hitting small venues in Greater Boston this spring include (clockwise from top) Sleater-Kinney, Buddy Guy, Tanya Donnelly (at Fort Nights in Somerville), Shovels & Rope, and Maddie Zahm. Clockwise from top: Ben Stas for The Boston Globe; AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar; Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff; Courtesy Photo / Leslie Ryann McKellar; Courtesy Photo

Who needs arenas? Here are 14 concerts worth seeing at Greater Boston’s smaller venues this March-May, organized by genre. (Sites include Brighton Music Hall, Paradise Rock Club, Royale, Big Night Live, The Sinclair in Cambridge, Crystal Ballroom and Somerville Theatre in Somerville, The Cabot in Beverly, and Chevalier Theatre in Medford; check out our guide to larger venues here.) Please note, prices noted are face value; some of these shows may only have verified resale tickets available.

Best rock concerts:‘Fort Nights: A Celebration of Gary Smith and the Music of Fort Apache Studios’ at Crystal Ballroom and Somerville Theatre

You know that you’re in for two nights of amazing songs and performances when the headliners over the space of two nights are Buffalo Tom, Tanya Donelly, Fuzzy, Billy Bragg, Bill Janovitz, Kristin Hersh, and Arc Iris. But when both shows are listed as including “very special guests” in addition to the main acts, then you know you have to make it to at least one of them. These two nights at in Davis Square will celebrate the work and life of the late record producer Gary Smith, whose Fort Apache Studios (click for Cape-based journalist Ryan Bray’s 2016 oral history) can claim credit for work done by numerous major local, national, and international artists. Friday, March 15, 8 p.m. Crystal Ballroom (sold out) and Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville (verified resale tickets available)

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Sleater-Kinney at Paradise Rock Club 

It’s upsetting to remember that there was a nearly decade-long span during which the music-loving public was the recipient of exactly zero Sleater-Kinney albums. Thankfully, that drought came to an end with 2015’s “No Cities to Love.” Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker have remained productive since then, and their fans are continuously grateful. The latest Sleater-Kinney recording, “Little Rope,” appeared on Jan. 19. It is their first on the Loma Vista label, which is the home of St. Vincent, who produced the band’s 2019 record “The Center Won’t Hold.” Moreover, it is their first time working with John Congleton, who produced St. Vincent’s eponymous Grammy-winning 2014 record. With Black Belt Eagle Scout. Sunday, March 17, 8 p.m., Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston (verified resale tickets available)

Caroline Rose at Royale 

Long Island native and 2011 Wellesley graduate Caroline Rose’s first few albums found them working within the realms of acoustic guitar-based Americana. After that, however, they found themself feeling restricted by the genre, personally at least as much as musically, saying, “As a queer artist, I didn’t feel fully OK discussing my sexuality.” Starting with 2018’s “Loner,” Rose has embraced alternative/indie rock and pop, pure pop, and dashes of dance and electronic. Moreover, they have maintained their artistic independence by self-producing their last two releases, “Superstar” and last March’s “The Art of Forgetting,” an experimental, ambitious, and rewarding record that closes with the appropriately titled “Where Do I Go From Here?” With La Force. Sunday, April 7, 8 p.m., Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston, $29.50

Real Estate at Royale 

Real Estate’s appropriately titled Infinite Jangle Tour comes to Royale in the wake of the Feb. 23 release of their new album, “Daniel,” their first new LP since “The Main Thing,” which had the misfortune of appearing on Feb. 28, 2020, right before the whole world shut down. (Real Estate released an EP, “Half a Human,” in 2021.) While fans of the band have come to expect great things over the course of the past 15 years, “Daniel” is truly prime Real Estate. I have personally fallen a bit out of the loop (I missed “The Main Thing” entirely), but this record has done everything to remind me of what a fine band this Jersey-formed, Brooklyn-based quartet is. With Marina Allen. Wednesday, April 17, 8 p.m. Royale, 279 Tremont St., $35

Camera Obscura at Paradise Rock Club 

What a nice surprise this is! I don’t know exactly which day Scotland’s beloved Camera Obscura announced its first new batch of songs in 11 years and a tour of the U.S. that includes a stop in Boston. However, I was delighted when I presumably belatedly heard about it in January. Camera Obscura will celebrate the May 3 release of “Look to the East, Look to the West” with a show in London. After a handful of dates in the UK and one in Philadelphia, they will land at the Paradise Rock Club. With Photo Ops. Thursday, May 30, 8 p.m., Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, $41.25

Best rap & hip-hop concerts:BabyTron at Big Night Live

Known for his sense of humor and his talent, 23-year-old BabyTron — born James Johnson IV — formed the rap group ShittyBoyz at his Ypsilanti, Mich. high school. He remains a member of that trio but is particularly prolific as a solo artist, having released a multitude of LPs, EPs, and mixtapes in the past seven years, hitting his visibility peak with “Jesus Shuttlesworth” in 2019. With Certified Trapper. Monday, March 4, 8 p.m., Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $34.55

Young Fathers at The Sinclair

Young Fathers is a trio from Edinburgh who won the Scottish Album of the Year award for 2014’s “Tape Two,” 2018’s “Cocoa Sugar,” and their latest, 2023’s “Heavy Heavy.” Their debut LP, “Dead,” was honored with the prestigious Mercury Prize, which recognizes the best album recorded by an artist from the United Kingdom or Ireland. While it is a fool’s errand to try to categorize Young Fathers’ sound — progressive hip-hop, alternative rap, indie electronic are among the many accurate descriptions — there is no doubt that they are, as Tristan Gatward wrote in the British publication Loud and Quite, “a gold-standard band in UK music.” Wednesday, April 3, 8 p.m. The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $27

Best dance/electronic concerts:Daði Freyr at Big Night Live 

Like many of those who compete on televised singing competitions in the United States, Daði Freyr became a success despite not placing first in a contest. In 2017, he unsuccessfully participated in the Söngvakeppnin, which would determine who would represent Iceland in the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Re-competing in 2020, Daði Freyr secured a spot at Eurovision, only for the event to be canceled due to COVID. Although he did not win when the same slate of candidates competed in 2021, he again made a major impression and grew his already high profile (a bit of a pun, as he is 6-foot-9). Daði Freyr is presently on tour in support of his second LP, “I Made an Album.” Monday, March 11, doors at 7 p.m., Big Night Live, 110 Causeway St., Boston, $40.75

Best blues concerts:Beth Hart at Chevalier Theatre 

The subject of a 2023 documentary called “Bad Woman Blues,” Beth Hart is an inevitable presence at annual awards ceremonies in her genre. Since 2012, she has been honored with a dozen Blues Music Awards nominations (with one win), eight Blues Blast Awards nods (six of which she won), and a win for each of her three European Blues nominations. Moreover, her 2022 album, “A Tribute to Led Zeppelin” — on which she was unhesitant to tackle epics such as “Kashmir,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and “The Rain Song” — put her in contention for first Planet Rock Awards trophy. And for all the jokes about there never being a line for the ladies’ room at a Rush concert, Hart happens to be a big fan! Saturday, April 27, 8 p.m., Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford, $55-$75

Buddy Guy at Chevalier Theatre 

The legendary bluesman is calling it a career and bringing his Damn Right Farewell tour to Medford on May 8 (rescheduled from last October). The 87-year-old guitarist, memoirist, and club owner/restauranteur has been recognized inside (eight Grammys, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee) and outside (National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center honoree) of the music business for his influence on generations of fellow six-stringers and perpetual, heartfelt dedication to his craft. If you’ve never seen him before, and I have seen him only once (click for my review), this is literally your last chance to do so in the Boston area! With Tom Hambridge. Wednesday, May 8, 8 p.m., Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St., Medford, $50-$125

Best pop concerts:Jordan Mackampa at The Sinclair

Zaire-born, London-based musician Jordan Mackampa self-released two EPs before signing to AWAL, which released his 2020 full-length debut, “Foreigner,” and another EP, “Come Around,” in 2021. His songs have gained immense exposure via their use as television themes (“Battycry” for the UK series “Our Girl”) and in commercials (“Use Your Voice” for Levi’s and Intel, “Magic” for Boots Pharmacy and J. Crew). Feb. 16 saw the release of “Welcome Home, Kid!,” much of which was written during a trip to LA and which focuses on the themes of — in his words — “growth, love and acceptance.” Saturday, April 20, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, $18

Best folk/country/Americana concert:Shovels & Rope at The Cabot 

Whether on stage (as an opening act for, e.g., Justin Townes Earle, Hayes Carll, and The Felice Brothers) or in the studio (recording covers for their “Broken Jukebox” series with — among others — Brandi Carlisle, Rhett Miller, M. Ward, and Sharon Van Etten), the Charleston, S.C.-based husband-and-wife duo of Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent have rubbed shoulders with some of the most admired names in Americana and alternative folk. Although they are not promoting new material on their current tour, they will surely be showcasing 2022’s “Manticore” and possibly providing a sample of what’s to come. With Al Olender. Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m., The Cabot, 286 Cabot St., Beverly, $35.25 – $58.50

Best singer-songwriter concerts:Maddie Zahm at The Sinclair 

Maddie Zahm describes her teenage years in Boise as ones during which she was “in the church and closeted.” While this was surely not ideal for her, it afforded her the opportunity to sing in public at a young age. In the past six years, she has been an “American Idol” contestant, gone viral with the songs “Fat Funny Friend” and “You Might Not Like Her,” and released her debut, “Now That I’ve Been Honest,” last October. One of the several sold-out shows that she is playing on her tour in support of it is at The Sinclair on March 5. With Leanna Firestone, Tuesday, March 5, 8 p.m., The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge (currently sold out)

Taylor Acorn at Brighton Music Hall 

By the titles alone of the songs “Famous Last Words,” “Psycho,” “Coma” (featuring “The Voice” winner Cassadee Pope), and “Everything Sucks,” not to mention that of the EP itself, it is clear that Taylor Acorn isn’t holding anything back with her first new release in six years, “Certified Depressant,” the whole of which expertly demonstrates the value of a well-placed F-bomb. Interestingly, perhaps tellingly, it is one of the more optimistic-sounding titles — even though the song is less so — that lends itself to her Good Enough tour, which includes a sold-out date in Allston. With World’s First Cinema. Saturday, April 20, 8 p.m., Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston (verified resale tickets available)

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