Fall Music Preview: 22 Tours/Fests We Want to See
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Depeche Mode (through Oct. 11)
Remember when synth-pop came sheathed in black leather? Let Dave Gahan & Co. remind you.
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Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson (through Oct. 6)
A rock-pop-meets-pop-rock bonanza — go ahead and count the radio hits between them.
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Blondie (Sept. 5-Oct. 9)
There's hardly a female frontwoman under the age of 40 who doesn't owe something to Debbie Harry. Come see why.
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Rock the Bells (Sept. 7-Oct. 5, several cities)
Performers: Wu-Tang Clan (pictured), A$AP Rocky, J. Cole, Big Sean, virtual appearances by Eazy-E & ODB
Some of the best rappers alive — and yes, the hologrammed dead, too.
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J. Cole and Wale (Sept. 10-Oct. 30)
Two of the biggest undercard stars in modern hip-hop earn their own top billing on a joint run.
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Queens of the Stone Age (Sept. 10-Oct. 13)
No prancing, no dancing: just pure cathartic blasts of desert rock.
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Laneway Festival (Sept. 14, Detroit)
Performers: Icona Pop (pictured), The National, Savages, Sigur Rós, Solange, Charli XCX
Industry may be dead in the Motor City, but its arts scene never quits.
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iHeartRadio (Sept. 20-21, Las Vegas)
Performers: Bruno Mars (pictured), Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Ke$ha, fun., Drake
A.k.a. Every Single Star on Top 40 Right Now Roll Call.
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Jack Johnson (Sept. 21-Oct. 20)
Hawaii's mellowest (legal) import brings his charms to the mainland.
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Drake (pictured), Miguel, and Future (Sept. 25-Nov. 25)
The big boys of postmillennial rap and R&B come out to play. Expect some seriously swooning ladies.
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Brian Wilson and Jeff Beck (Sept. 27-Oct. 27)
Call it boomer rock, but Wilson's never predictable; this could easily be a brilliant show (or a shambles).
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Nine Inch Nails (Sept. 28-Nov. 25)
Lollapaloozers got a first look at NIN's next-level light show earlier this month. Trust us, it's a doozy.
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Global Citizen Festival (Sept. 28, NYC's Central Park)
Performers: Stevie Wonder (pictured), John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys
See artists you love and fight poverty; it's a win-win.
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Fiona Apple & Blake Mills (Oct. 3-26)
Apple has promoted her touring guitarist to an equal-billing collaborator for an intimate 13-date run.
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Austin City Limits (Oct. 4-6 & 11-13, Austin)
Performers: Kings of Leon (pictured), Depeche Mode, the Cure, Muse, Atoms for Peace, Phoenix, Wilco
Everything is bigger in Texas!
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Pink (Oct. 10-Dec. 14)
Will there be hits and sass and spectacular acrobatics? You bet your Cirque du Soleil harness.
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Pearl Jam (Oct. 11-Dec. 6)
Twenty-two years after Ten(!), Seattle's finest jam on.
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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Oct. 22-Dec. 12)
The grandpa-swag-steezing chart-toppers take on stadiums.
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Justin Timberlake (Oct. 31-Feb. 16)
Just call it Timberthousandthirteen: two albums, and now a solo tour to follow his co-run with Jay Z.
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Voodoo (Nov. 1-3, New Orleans)
Performers: Calvin Harris (pictured), The Cure, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
A lineup nearly as eclectic as the city that hosts it.
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Fun Fun Fun Fest (Nov. 8-10, Austin)
Performers: Snoop (pictured), M.I.A., MGMT, Slayer, Ice T, Television
Come for the cult heroes, history makers, and blog stars — plus some of the best names in alt comedy.
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Beyoncé (Nov. 30-Dec. 22)
Get you bodied: The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour returns Stateside after a South American jaunt.
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- By Nick Catucci
- By Ray Rahman