It’s the first weekend of summer and it’s time to rock out on “Six Picks,” our weekly column highlighting some of the best music around RI. We’ve picked shows in local dive bars and big stadiums this week, so get out and enjoy some tunes!
Zach Schmidt Thursday
Zach Schmidt is a roots country singer-songwriter who has been recognized for his robust songwriting and raucous live shows. Expect a good-sized crowd tonight, June 22, at Nick-a-Nees in Providence, where you’ll likely hear a lot from his latest release The Day We Lost the War. NYC’s The National Reserve, scheduled to join Schmidt in July at a Newport Folk Festival after-party, open at 8PM. Free as always at Nick-a-Nees!
Johnny Gates Saturday
RI native Johnny Gates recently gained well-deserved national attention with his run on NBC’s The Voice. Gates and his band Runaway Saints bring some new tunes to a hometown show Saturday night at The Met in Pawtucket. Troy Ramey and Emily Correia open around 8:30. Details here.
U2 at Gillette Sunday
U2 is still filling stadiums over 40 years into a career that has seem them move from dive bars in Dublin to sold out stadium shows around the world. They return to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro Sunday for the 30th anniversary of their classic album The Joshua Tree. Tickets are pricey, but still available here.
Tall Teenagers Saturday
Rock your sox off at the Tall Teenagers CD release party Saturday night at Dusk in Providence. For a preview, check out their raw, fuzzy sound on their breakout hit Anniversary here. It’s a full night of music beginning at 9PM with openers Party Pigs, Eric & the Nothing, and Pyramid. Complete details here.
Station Fire Benefit Saturday
There’s an all day benefit Saturday for the Station Fire Memorial Fund featuring a slew of bands guaranteed to make you smile. Bands include Shotgun Trust, Beast Over Boston, Matt Sinner, Judas Rising, Jake Perry, Matthias Steele, Matthias Steele , Nino Trovato, Anthony Lionetti and OzzyAmerica. Prepare to rock and roll for an important cause at Kingston Bowl Club Roxx in North Kingstown. Details here.
Indian Ranch Weekend
Indian Ranch is a charming old school venue on a famous lake in Webster, MA that brings great bands in all summer long. (Bomus Trivia: Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg has the longest name of any lake in the world.) This weekend they host Huey Lewis and the News on Saturday and the Marshall Tucker Band on Sunday. Shows usually start around 2PM – details and the full summer schedule here.