Regular Everywhere: July 2026 Concerts in Review
Variety was the name of the game in July, highlighted by the return of the Music at The Intersection festival, some childhood dreams come true, a wonderful trip to Chicago, and some great outdoor amphitheater shows.
Let's goooooooooo!
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Music at The Intersection: Killer Mike, La Lom, Big Freedia, Blvck Spvde & Friends, The James Hunter Six, Nightchaser, Mikey Wheling
@ Grand Center — Saint Louis, MO — July 18th, 2026
Killer Mike
LA LOM
Big Freedia
The James Hunter Six
Blvck Spvde & Friends
Nightchaser
Mikey Wheling
MATI has historically been in September, but moved to July this year to declutter everyone's social calendar during the heart of festival season. This turned out to be a good move, as they presented a very strong lineup in a relatively open time frame. That said, I was bummed to miss the first two days due to other commitments.
Day three featured the classic block party layout of years past, with killer experiences spread out across Grand Center—the only thing missing was the traditional outdoor main stage.
My favorite part about MATI is that it seamlessly blends artists and styles of music that are often overlooked by most festivals. It is an excellent opportunity for discovery and to escape the same old, same old.
This year, I was treated to a mix of solo dobro instrumentals from Mikey Wheling in the Urban Chestnutt courtyard, ferocious blues riffs from The James Hunter Six at The Sovereign, and a disco drag show from Nightchaser on the Washington Avenue stage. Astounding variety, already.
Digging deeper, I caught Blvck Spvde & Friends, curated by the Lazaroff Brothers, at Jazz St. Louis. Blvck Spvde's sets from the last two MATIs were on my highlight lists and this was no exception. Less psychadelic than his Cosmos sets, but a star-studded odyssey no less.
My second time seeing LA LOM, this time at The Sovereign, was head and shoulders about my previous time seeing them at The Duck Room. They've only gotten tighter over time and their unique blend of música tropical had the whole room dancing to their high-energy, Cumbian riffs. The Sovereign is a great club for them, with the stage almost presenting an "in the round" opportunity to be up close to the band.
Big Freedia and Killer Mike were befitting of the Big Top stage, bringing the energy and deep crowd participation to the unique setting of the circus tent. My first time seeing Big Freedia did not disappoint and St. Louis was ready for a hot New Orleans bounce set. While I have seen Killer Mike a few times in the past, this was by far the most intimate. His gospel-leaning hip-hop was perfect in this setting, with the whole crowd glued to his performance.
Music at The Intersection: Wyclef Jean, PJ Morton, & Keyon Harrold
@ The Fox Theater — Saint Louis, MO — July 19th, 2026
Wyclef Jean
PJ Morton
Keyon Harrold
Keyon Harrold, the perennial MATI artist-at-large brought the heat with his own set opening up the evening. Complete with guest vocalists, Aida Ade, Sir Eddie C, and Andra Day, Keyon presented an energetic set full of variety and virtuosity.
PJ Morton was a name that I feel like I hear constantly, and have possibly seen in an ensemble, but am not super familiar with. This set was an absolute treat, giving credence to his popularity. The highlight was for sure an extended jam of "Mercy," from his latest 'Saturday Night / Sunday Morning' album, which just kept reaching higher and higher. Incredible.
Given his fame, Wyclef Jean was obviously the closer. That said, my only gripe was that it wasn't as full-band as Keyon and PJ before him. The crowd was way into it, which definitely made up for the mild disappointment. We had to leave a bit early, which meant that we were bummed to missed the Juvenile guest appearance. Next time, though.
This was a special closing to a great festival. I liked the book-ended Fox Theater shows flanking the street festival free-for-all. MATI continues to find its footing, but somehow manages to create something new and special each year as they iterate. This is definitely one of my favorite parts of the year!
Hilary Duff w/ La Roux & Jade LeMac
@ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater — Saint Louis, MO — July 30th, 2026
There is very little music that I will hate on, but still many people that I know think I attended this show as a gimmick. While my reason for attending was for my wife and daughter, I genuinely enjoyed the hell out of this show. As Tabitha puts it, "it was like The Eras Tour for people who like less complication," and I couldn't agree more.
Local friends, Tidal Volume, played a great set on the side stage and official openers, Jade LeMac and La Roux, were the perfect way to start the night; catchy and fun, without any upstaging. Also, "This time, baby, I'll be Babe Ruth" is my own personal "Hold me closer Tony Danza." I really thought highly of myself as I sang this out loud.
Hilary Duff was exceptional. She perfectly balanced the former child star, forty-something mom, and recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model vibes into something that was truly nostalgic, a little sexy, and very easy to sing along to.
I knew more songs than I realized, especially from her latest album, 'luck… or something.' The album was cowritten and produced by her husband, Matthew Koma, who I saw perform with his own band, Winnetka Bowling League, at last year's Lollapalooza. The new songs are honestly really good and they were absolutely great live.
This was a special night for my girls and I loved being there with them for this moment. It is one that they will always remember!
All The Feelings Tour: Metric w/ Broken Social Scene & Stars
@ Aragon Ballroom — Chicago, IL — July 24th, 2026
This show caught me off guard and definitely evoked all the feelings.
I bought tickets as soon as it was announced, as this Montreal trio of bands has always been on my favorites list. What I was unprepared for was how the combo of the three of them on the same bill would ignite a dormant feeling from college. Broken Social Scene, and the scene that they spawned, was a tremendous influence on my band Gentleman Auction House—both in the too many people on stage aesthetic of the early aughts, as well as with a band name that signifies a nondescript number of band members, similar to artists like Buena Vista Social Club.
I was also caught off guard by just how perfect the night was. The Aragon was a gorgeous room for this celebratory tour and I was happily surprised to see how on top of their game all three bands were. Stars were album-perfect and played everything I would have wanted to hear. I still remember buying my copy of 'Set Yourself on Fire' at Zia Records in Tucson and how taken I was by the into to "Your Ex-Lover is Dead." Another major touchstone for GAH.
Broken Social Scene were the glue for the whole night, playing a retrospective set that featured nearly every musician in the building, eclipsing the 20-member mark at one point. All of the instrumentation that you would hope would be there, was, and Amy Milan and Emily Haines joining on vocals for "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" was absolute chef's kiss.
Swooping in at the end, Metric proved with both their musical and production prowess why they were the tour's headliner. Their sound was bigger and bolder than ever. My highlight was the kitchen-sink guest appearances for "Loyal," a deep cut off of their latest album 'Romanticize The Dive.' It was a perfect way to punctuate the communal undercurrent of the entire night.
I was excited going into this show but presented with something that far exceeded my expectations and touched a deep nerve of nostalgia.
Tyla (WNBA All-Star Game Halftime Show)
@ United Center — Chicago, IL — July 25th, 2026
We have a women's sports-first household and are big WNBA fans. It was a happy coincidence to already be in Chicago when the All-Star Game was scheduled and we were lucky to score some last-minute nosebleed seats.
Tyla was an apt halftime performer and she managed to cover a lot of ground in the arena, emerging from a lower deck portal, hitting the main stage, and then finishing at half court. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
Lil Wayne w/ 2 Chainz
@ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater — Saint Louis, MO — July 30th, 2026
We rounded out an insane concert month on the Riverport lawn for Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. The kids would say that it was "lit." And it was.
2 Chainz played a solid, no-filler opening set donning a St. Louis Cardinals jersey. I wasn't super familiar with his catalog, but he brought the hits in the common medley format.
Weezy, on the other hand, took the show to another level by kicking things off with a "guitar solo." This was my least favorite part of the night, but the crowd was deeply into it. Once he got into his rhythm, though, Lil Wayne had the place moving and singing along with hit after hit. My favorite part was how he was very calmly say, "thank you," immediately as each song would end. It was the perfect personification of his personality.
