By the time the sun dipped low over Thompson’s Point, the crowd was already moving. Portland’s waterfront venue was buzzing with energy Saturday night as Lake Street Dive returned for their annual summer stop, joined by the high-energy force that is Sammy Rae & The Friends.

“Brian Wilson was on my mind a lot with that song,” she says. “He lived a life always spotted by issues with his mental health, and it wasn’t fully understood. I was raised by very strong men, and the most beautiful moments were when they gave themselves permission to cry. That was powerful.”

It had been exactly eight years since Katy Perry last played Boston, a fact she gleefully pointed out at TD Garden on August 8, the eighth day of the eighth month. The symmetry didn’t stop there: her stage was shaped like an infinity symbol, and for much of the night she seemed suspended somewhere between pop concert and high-wire circus act.

At this year’s Levitate Music Festival, Samantha McKaige and her band brought a mix of raw earnestness and offbeat charm to their set. They then carried that same energy straight into a backstage conversation that veered between heartfelt reflection and Sting karaoke.

Lily Fitts didn’t set out to be a musician. Not really. She was studying microbiology and biochemistry at UMass Amherst. An aspiring doctor with a dog named Duncan and a guitar that mostly stayed off the stage. Music was her escape. A coping mechanism. A hobby.

Now? She’s coming off a headline show at Hyde Park, has just released her debut album Getting By – of which Duncan himself graced the cover – and she’s gearing up for her first sold-out U.S. tour. 

Leave it to Ben & Jerry’s to host a concert that hits every sensory pleasure point. Free ice cream? Check. Golden hour lighting against a backdrop of Vermont’s green mountains? Check. A double bill featuring one of blues rock’s reigning legends and its teenage heir apparent? Big check.

Incredible headliners Mt. Joy, Courtney Barnett, and Waxahatchee anchor incredible music festival in Western Massachusetts, the Green River Festival.

The birds were singing backup.

It’s the kind of detail you’d think was poetic license if you hadn’t been there. But as Coral Moons opened this year’s Green River Festival with a breezy, soul-tinged set, actual birds chirped in harmony above the Back Porch Stage.

It was a Tuesday night in Foxborough. But you’d never have guessed that from the crowd rocking inside Gillette Stadium.

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be inside a snow globe during a technicolor blizzard, OK Go’s show at The Royale last night had your answer: pure, euphoric chaos. The Chicago-born band transformed the downtown Boston venue into a sensory playground of confetti, crowd banter, and joyful absurdity.

Peach Pit and Briston Maroney braved the rain and brought the magic to NYC’s Pier 17 with harmonicas, ponchos, and a skyline-streaked encore you had to see to believe.

On May 21, Samia brought her “Bloodless Tour” to Boston’s House of Blues, delivering a performance that blended intimacy with a bit of indie-pop flair. The venue buzzed with anticipation, and the presence of the majority of Boston’s photography scene let those in the know understand they were in for something special.

On a vibrant Saturday night, Cheekface transformed The Sinclair into a haven of indie rock eccentricity. The sold-out venue buzzed with fans spanning generations, all eager to partake in the band’s unique blend of humor and melody.

Maggie Antone’s arrival at The Sinclair in Cambridge on her “Rhinestoned” tour felt less like a typical concert and more like an intimate evening shared among close friends. Known predominantly for her meteoric rise on TikTok, Antone made it abundantly clear that her artistry translates impressively from screen to stage.

On a Monday night that felt more like a Saturday, Boston’s House of Blues was packed wall-to-wall for FLO’s “Access All Areas” tour. In five years here in Boston, I’ve never seen a line stretch that far down Lansdowne Street (and even spilling over onto Brookline Avenue a good bit). The energy inside matched the anticipation outside, a fully sold-out crowd ready for a night of R&B and partying. 

Two decades after her breakout, JoJo proves she’s not just still here. She’s thriving, and finally calling the shots.