Green Day, Outlaw Music Fest, Luke Bryan highlight September’s top Pittsburgh area concerts

A stadium show, a bill with three music icons and a country concert at a Westmoreland County farm highlight the top shows coming in September to Western Pennsylvania.

Top concerts

Sept. 1: Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid, The Linda Lindas at PNC Park

Veteran punk rockers Green Day are back at PNC Park after playing there in 2021 on the Hella Mega Tour. This time, it’s the Saviors tour, where they’ll be celebrating the 30th anniversary of their “Dookie” album and the 20th anniversary of “American Idiot” by playing both of them in their entirety.

The punk rock opera-ish “American Idiot” helped to reinvent and reinvigorate the band, as well as their fans.

“They go, ‘American Idiot changed my life.’ And I said, ‘It changed my life too!’” he told Billboard. “It changed everything for me. …It really made me feel like I can spread my wings. It proved to me that, if you have the guts to do it, then you can make it happen. When you have a hunch that it’s time to make a big statement, musically, and it gets recognized, it’s the best feeling ever.”

Green Day will be joined by alt rock heavyweights The Smashing Pumpkins, fellow punk veterans Rancid and The Linda Lindas, a rising band with several members still in high school.

Read more: Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong on ‘American Idiot’ impact: ‘It changed everything for me’

Sept. 14: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Southern Avenue at the Pavilion at Star Lake

The latest installment of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival features a trio of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers with Nelson joined by Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp.

The trio toured together in 2009, with a stop at Consol Energy Park in Washington, Pa. This festival is packed with country and Americana music, and at least when it comes to Mellencamp, you’ll hear most of their hits.

“I toured with Dylan for a while and he didn’t play any (expletive) songs that anybody recognized,” Mellencamp told the Washington Post. “I thought, that’s too extreme. So it’s a fine line of what should be recognized and what should be kind of challenging for the audience. And I think the audience who likes music, they like the idea of ​​being challenged a little bit.”

Read more: John Mellencamp would like you to behave. Or ‘don’t come to my show’

Sept. 28: Luke Bryan, Conner Smith, Tucker Wetmore, Peach Pickers with Rodney Clawson at Cunningham Family Farm

Country star Luke Bryan won’t be playing at Star Lake or Heinz Field like in recent visits to the Pittsburgh area.

This time, his sold-out concert will take place at a family farm in Westmoreland County, as part of his Farm Tour 2024 series. In its 15th year, Bryan’s farm tours raise scholarship money for farmers attending nearby colleges.

“My thing (now) is to just have writing fun songs, have fun doing the shows,” Bryan told Audacy. “I think for 10 years I’ve just overworked myself to where all my friends, whenever I see them, they’re like, ‘You’re overworking yourself’ and I’m like, ‘I know, I can’t tell people don’t.’”

Read more: Luke Bryan on having a bass allergy, Katy Perry leaving ‘Idol,’ new music and more

Sold-out shows

Sept. 6: Meghan Trainor, Chris Olsen at Petersen Events Center

Meghan Trainor, famous for “All About That Bass,” is embarking on her first major tour since 2016, hitting the road in support of her “Timeless” album which came out in June.

Sept. 23: The Warning, Holy Wars at Thunderbird Music Hall

The Warning, a Mexican heavy metal band consisting of three sisters, are touring their “Keep Me Fed” album.

Sept. 27: Soul Coughing at Mr. Smalls Theater

Touring for the first time in 25 years, the reunited alt rock band last played together in 1999, with their second-to-last show at the old IC Light Amphitheater in Station Square.

Other notable shows

Sept. 3: Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ministry, Filter at the Pavilion at Star Lake

Sept. 3: Sarah Jarosz, Viv & Riley at Roxian Theater

Sept. 6: Nicki Minaj at PPG Paints Arena

Sept. 6: The Oak Ridge Boys at the Palace Theater

Sept. 7: James Taylor & His All-Star Band at the Pavilion at Star Lake

Sept. 7: Charles Esten at City Winery Pittsburgh

Sept. 10: Jeff Lynne’s ELO at PPG Paints Arena

Sept. 10: Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Lakeview at the Pavilion at Star Lake

Sept. 11: Nicotine Dolls, Wic Whitney at Mr. Smalls Theater

Sept. 15: Sexyy Red, Hunxho, Loe Shimmy, BlakeIana at Petersen Events Center

Sept. 17: Sum 41, The Interrupters, Joey Valence, Brae at UPMC Events Center

Sept. 17: Dashboard Confessional, Boys Like Girls, Taylor Acorn at Stage AE

Sept. 18: Megadeth, Mudvayne, All That Remains at Stage AE

Sept. 18: Pitbull, T-Pain at the Pavilion at Star Lake

Sept. 22: Bachman-Turner Overdrive at the Palace Theater

Sept. 23: Seether, Skillet, Tim Montoya, Royale Lynn at Stage AE

Sept. 27: Barenaked Ladies, Toad the Wet Sprocket at Rivers Casino Events Center

Sept. 28: The Psychedelic Furs at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

Sept. 28: Mickey Guyton, Denitia at Thunderbird Music Hall

Sept. 29: $uicideboy$, Denzel Curry, Pouya, Haarper, Shakewell, Ekkstacy at PPG Paints Arena