An autumn full of concerts
The Cure, Bon Iver, Franz Ferdinand, Antònia Font, Sopa de Cabra, Manolo García, Black Crowes and Serrat are just some of the many artists performing at the Palau Sant Jordi venue on Montjuïc over the next few weeks
Covid? What Covid? Restrictions have been a thing of the past for a few months now and, unlike in spring, international tours to Barcelona are now flowing normally into the city again. In fact, the Catalan capital looks forward to a frenetic autumn, with numerous performances at Palau Sant Jordi and concerts that were announced as long as three years ago but that were postponed because of the pandemic.
This is the case of Bon Iver, who will perform at Palau Sant Jordi on November 7, a concert initially announced for April 2020, The Black Crowes, celebrating 30 years (now 32) since their album debut, Shake Your Money mMker (October 16), and Franz Ferdinand (October 25).
Sant Jordi will also host a wide range of Catalan musicians this autumn, with a number of album presentations from Antònia Font (October 15), Manolo García (November 5), Dorian (November 26), Rigoberta Bandini (November 24), Sopa de Cabra (November 26), and Zoo (December 10). December 22 and 23 will see legend Joan Manuel Serrat bidding farewell to the stage.
Both the Palau venue designed by Arata Isozaki and its annex, Sant Jordi Club, will welcome in the coming months a good number of urban music performances, such as Distrito Urbano, with Quevedo and Becky G, on September 18, the Zaragoza rapper, Kase O, on November 12, and the American Lil Nas X, on the 17th. There will also be classics like The Cure (November 10), metal bands like Amon Amarth & Machine Head (October 6) and Ressurection Fest, three days later. Also look out for boy band Backstreet Boys (October 8), Spanish idols Malú (September 30), and Melendi the following day. Other performances include 2 Cellos (September 15), Sigur Rós (October 1), Moderat (November 6), Alt-J (November 14), Antonio Orozco (December 1), and Airbourne (December 2).
Concert halls at full speed
After a spring still marked by uncertainty and a summer dominated by open-air concerts and festivals, concert halls are now recovering and have an intense schedule ahead. On September 11, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers will open a new edition of the Rootsound cycle at La Tèxtil venue, and artists who were announced months ago but had their concerts postponed will finally perform, such as grunge pioneers Mudhoney (September 15, Apolo), Michael Kiwanuka (16th, Razzmatazz) and Counting Crows (26th, Razzmatazz). September in Barcelona also provides the chance to see James Taylor (20th, Palau de la Música), Brian Jonestown Massacre (28th, Apolo) and Angel Olsen (30th, Apolo).
Outside the city, music lovers can catch the end-of-summer festivals, Mercat de Música Viva de Vic (September 14 to 18), with new album premieres by Ernest Crusats and Núria Graham, and the Cerdanyola Blues Festival (September 20 to October 9) with Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets, Selwyn Birchwood and The Chris O’Leary Band. Another must-see concert outside the capital is Willie Nile, the veteran New York singer-songwriter, who will perform at Hostalets de Balenyà on September 18.
October sees two of the most popular autumn festivals in Barcelona. One is the Barcelona Jazz Festival, with confirmed performances by Madeleine Peyroux (October 11, Palau de la Música), Cécile McLorin Salvant (23rd, L’Auditori), Redman, Mehldau, McBride and Blade (28th, Palau de la Música) and Melody Gardot (November 29, Palau de la Música). The other is the Mil·lenni festival, with Los Hermanos Cubero + Pep Gimeno Botifarra (October 12, Teatre Coliseum), Macy Gray (15th, Apolo), Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers (November 10, Bikini), Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra (12th, Razzmatazz) and Ólafur Arnalds (December 10, Auditorium del Forum).
Autumn also sees visits by classic punk band Dead Kennedys (October 13, Razzmatazz), M Ward (20th, Apolo), Stray Cats’ double bassist Lee Rocker (20th, Razzmatazz), Afghan Whighs (23rd, Apolo), Ministry (November 13, Razzmatazz), Band of Horses (18th, Apolo), and Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan, at Badalona’s Palau Olímpic with the Prague Philharmonic orchestra on November 12.
If after this avalanche of concerts you still have any money left, get ready for an equally busy 2023, with concerts by Oques Grasses and Dharma at Palau Sant Jordi and, later in the year, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Elton John, Coldplay and Harry Styles.
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