Perhaps no artistic medium is more tied to summer than music. We all have memories of songs we'd blast during teenage years, favorite concerts, and maybe even some memories of learning to play music in the summer. Summers fade to fall, but summer music lasts forever.
RIVERFRONT ROW
Last year's underwhelming lineup left plenty of people grumbling about Spokane Pavilion Concerts, but they've rebounded with a more robust lineup in 2023. It leans heavily on the rock end of the spectrum with the like of Incubus (July 22), Billy Idol (Aug. 28), The Head and the Heart and Father John Misty (Aug. 6), Goose (Sept. 23), and the triple-bill of Modest Mouse, Pixies and Cat Power (Sept. 6).
For those seeking different flavors, there's a loaded lineup of jazz, reggae, soul and R&B featuring Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples and Robert Randolph and the Family Band on July 26, plus pop singer-songwriter Noah Khan (Aug. 18) and reggae rock from Rebelution (Aug. 24). Get tickets at spokanepavilion.com.
HAVE A (MOS)COW, MAN
Does the frenzy of music festivals freak you out, but you still like the quality of a day chock-full of great tuneage? Perhaps the Moscow Mountain Music Fest is for you. Held off-the-beaten-path at Latah County Fairgrounds, the Idaho event doesn't overgrow its britches, with a delightful collection of indie, folk, and Ameriana acts including Portland standouts Blitzen Trapper and MAITA, plus Inland Northwest talents like Matt Mitchell Music Co. and Blaine Andrew Ross. If you're looking for a reason to take a summer day trip to Moscow, you're not gonna find a better reason than this one-day (Aug. 12) musical shindig.
FILLING OUT YOUR PLAYLISTS
It wouldn't be a proper summer season without some fresh new tunes, and plenty of superstars and less heralded gems are ready to meet the supply for your sonic demands with new albums. On the pop hitmaker side of the spectrum American Idol-turned-TV-host Kelly Clarkson drops her divorce album Chemistry (June 23), Taylor Swift delivers another remake of one of her classics — Speak Now (Taylor's Version) — on July 7. Portugal. The Man tires to recapture the funky rock highs of "Feel It Still" on Chris Black Changed My Life (June 23), Britpop titans Blur return with The Ballad of Darren (July 21), tattoo aficionado Post Malone delivers Austin (July 28), and the soundtrack for Barbie (July 21) features the likes of Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Ice Spice and Tame Impala.
Those looking for more under the radar rock finds should check out Skating Polly's Chaos County Line (June 23), Who Is She?'s Goddess Energy (Aug. 15), Speedy Ortiz's Rabbit Rabbit (Sept. 1) and the returns of PJ Harvey with I Inside the Old Year Dying (July 7) and The Hives with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (Aug. 11).
BOYS DO CRY
In the time since I saw Boygenius put on one of my favorite concerts ever on their first tour in 2018, the trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus have gone from hidden indie rock favs to cover of Rolling Stone level stars. The new Boygenius record... umm... The Record perfectly encapsulates the ladies' unreal natural chemistry and songwriting acumen. Hearing their harmonies drift down into the cavernous backdrop of The Gorge on July 29 is sure to be one of summer's highlights.
IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK
If you're a fan of emotive 2000s alt-rock, have I got a double-bill for you. While Jimmy Eat World will always be best known for their Bleed American hit-making heyday, the veteran melodic rockers still deliver solid albums and a great live show. Manchester Orchestra meanwhile has grown from making heady indie rock to heavy alt-rock to more arty atmospheric creations on their new EP The Valley of Vision. The combination of the two bands should make for a night full of fist-pumping sing-alongs on July 14 at the Podium.
I DO LIKE SAND
Few concert locales feel as summer-y as Festival at Sandpoint's stage on the banks of the Pend Oreille River. While technically more of a concert series than a festival, the communal vibe is great for all ages. This year's slate, which runs July 27-Aug. 6, includes a varied lineup featuring Train, REO Speedwagon, Gary Clark Jr., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Ashley McBryde, The String Cheese Incident and a live-orchestrated screening of The Princess Bride. Get tickets at festivalatsandpoint.com.
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THIS ONE TIME, AT BAND CAMP...
Being able to play music opens up new worlds of creative possibilities in young minds, which is why summer music camps will always carry an importance.
For young ones just getting started, Able to Play Music Academy offers multiple week-long piano and drum classes for beginners. Holy Names Music Center offers Music Explorer's Summer Camp to expose kids to music from across the globe and Voices Together Summer camp as an intro to choral singing (both July 17-21), plus a three-day jazz camp (Aug. 3-5).
More experienced high school instrumentalists and vocalists can head to Whitworth for Spokane Youth Symphony's Sensational Summer Camp (July 24-28). SYS also offers a day camp for younger music students on Aug. 25-26.
For the kiddos who lean a bit more melodramatic, musical theater camp is a great option. Spokane Valley Summer Theater runs a music theater masterclass for high schoolers (July 10-14), NBC Camps hosts its own musical theater camps for various ages from July 10-13, while Spokane's Christian Youth Theater still has openings in their teen camp (July 10-14) and mini camp (July 24-28).
THE ISBELL TOLLS FOR THEE
The Americana songwriting grace of Jason Isbell makes the case for finding strength through tenderness. His unvarnished storytelling has made him one of the genre's modern standouts, and his fearlessness as a social critic (especially of some of the political nonsense in his home state of Tennessee) add even further conviction to the words he sings. Expect plenty of razor sharp observations from his new record Weathervanes when Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit come to the Fox Theater on July 6.
IT'S TIMES LIKE THESE YOU LEARN TO LIVE AGAIN
Everyone grieves in their own way. For artists, it's often done via their creative outlets. That's certainly the case for Foo Fighters on their new album But Here We Are, the group's first record since the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Expect some emotional moments when the Washington-founded band swings into Spokane Arena for a sold-out show on Aug. 4. As AC/DC once proclaimed, rock n roll will never die. ♦
