The biggest concerts in (or near) Cincinnati this September

September is one of the best months for outdoor concerts. There's usually minimal rainfall, less humidity, warm days, and mild nights, perfect for catching epic live performances. This month's concert calendar offers a variety of shows, providing a lot of entertainment for your hard-earned dollar.

Here's a look at some of the shows you don't want to miss.

Sept. 6: Kelsey Waldon

Country singer-songwriter Kelsey Waldon is set to christen local music maven Dan McCabe's newly refurbished Liberty Theater. The Kentucky-born and raised artist signed to John Prine's Oh Boy Records in 2019 and has shared the stage with Prine, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, Sturgill Simpson and Jamey Johnson, among others. This performance kicks off Waldon's headlining tour in support of her latest album "There's Always a Song." Anthony Ray Wright opens.

Details: Whiskey City's Liberty Theater, 229 Walnut St., Lawrenceburg. $22, $18 advance. whiskeycityslibertytheater.com.

Sept. 7: Ohio is for Lovers

This all-day, general admission music festival hosts a diverse, regionally-inspired marketplace with a range of activities, including the popular "Dunk-a-Punk" booth. Lineup includes Hot Mulligan, Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, Senses Fail, The Devil Wears Prada, Turnover, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends, Anberlin, Arrows In Action, Emery, Snarls, Maura Weaver, Saturdays At Your Place, Slow Joy, The Raging Nathans, For Your Health, Leggy, Touchdown Jesus, Better Anyway and Glassworld.

Details: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. $79.50 includes parking. riverbend.org.

Sept. 10: John Legend: A Night of Songs and Stories with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Critically acclaimed, multiplatinum musician John Legend shares intimate reworkings of his greatest hits, tells stories about his life and career, and performs selections from his most recent release, "Legend," in his first-ever performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Details: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. $40 lawn, $110-up pavilion. riverbend.org.

Sept. 11: Outlaw Music Festival

They aren't getting any younger, folks, so if you value the creative output of these legendary songwriters, get thee to Riverbend and rejoice with Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue.

Details: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. Lawn seats are $35. Pavilion seating is available only via verified resale. riverbend.org.

Sept. 13-14: Whispering Beard Folk Festival

The vibe is kind at this family-friendly folk festival, which showcases local and regional bluegrass, folk and Americana acts. You can bring small, soft-sided coolers, an empty or unopened water bottle, seating (folding or camp chairs, blanket/towel) and baby strollers. Leave the doggos, glass bottles and booze at home. Both primitive camping and RV camping are available at an additional cost. Be aware that generators, campfires and charcoal grills are prohibited, but camping stoves and gas grills are good to go.

The lineup includes Mt. Pleasant String Band, The Tillers, Easy Tom Eby, Chicago Farmer Trio, Joe's Truck Stop, The Harmed Brothers, The Monvales, Willy Tea Taylor, Carriers, Maria Carrelli, Stripmall Ballads, Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle, Hillbilly Chic, Uncle Mike Carr, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Krystal Peterson, Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, and Yousra.

Details: Carriage House Farm, 2872 Lawrenceburg Road, North Bend. $75 weekend pass, $50 single day. $100 RV camping (no electric), $85 campsites. whisperingbeard.com.

Sept. 14: Signs of Life: The American Pink Floyd

If you are too young to have seen British psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd in their touring heyday, or if you want to relive the magic of the band's phenomenal live performances, this tribute act may just scratch that itch. The Signs of Life show recreates the music, sound effects, lighting and video of a Pink Floyd concert, and best of all, it's free.

Details: RiversEdge Amphitheater, 116 Dayton St., Hamilton. $40 VIP, free general admission. riversedgelive.com.

Sept. 17-28: Indy Jazz Fest

This festival brings together a lineup of international stars, modern masters and Indy-based creators. The festival opens with the nightly Sunset Series, which runs Sept. 17-22 at The Jazz Kitchen (5377 N. College St.) and The Cabaret (924 Pennsylvania St.), followed by the grand finale at Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park with Chaka Khan, Marcus Miller, Michael Franks, and Steve Allee Magic Hour Band.

Details: Everwise Amphitheater, White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. $55-up. Indyjazzfest.net.

Sept. 18: The Marley Brothers: The Legacy Tour

Ziggy. Stephen. Julian. Ky-Mani. Damian. The sons of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley unite for a historic, one-of-a-kind tour celebrating their father's music, influence and legacy. This show might just be the best bargain of the summer.

Details: Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. $30.50 lawn, $45.50-up pavilion. riverbend.org.

Sept. 19-22: Bourbon & Beyond

Dubbed the "world's largest music, food and bourbon festival," this festival delivers on all three. The lineup includes: Sting, Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Zach Bryan, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Tommy Prine, Tyler Childers, My Morning Jacket, The National, Matchbox 20, Fleet Foxes, Lyle Lovett, The Wallflowers, Arlo Parks, Suzanne Vega, Black Pumas, The Last Revel, Melissa Etheridge, The Head and the Heart, Chris Isaak, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, JJ Grey & Mofro, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Young the Giant, Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band, Soul Asylum, Son Volt, The Dip, The War on Drugs, The Beach Boys, Mt. Joy, Milky Chance, Dinosaur Jr., Sunny Day Real Estate, The War and Treaty, Lucius, and dozens more.

Details: Highland Festival Groups, Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville. $350-up 4-day pass, $130-up single day. Camping $100-up. bourbonandbeyond.com.

Sept. 20: Nelly

If you missed Nelly's opening slot at the Janet Jackson show at Riverbend earlier this summer, you've got another chance to "Shake Ya Tailfeather." As part of the Ohio Lottery Cincinnati Reds post-game concert series, you can see the three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper/singer and actor perform live after the completion of the Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game.

Details: Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown. Game tickets start at $14. Field passes are sold out. reds.com.

Sept. 20-22: Lost Lands Festival

Where prehistoric creatures roam, the bass reigns supreme. This Jurassic-themed rave features gigantic dinosaurs, lasers and an off-the-hook lineup of electronic dance music DJs. This festival is a banger, and we are sorry to report that all general admission, VIP and camping/glamping options are sold out, but you might have some luck on the site's official ticket exchange, where you can join the waitlist.

Details: Legend Valley, 7585 Kindle Road, Thornville. Sold out. lostlandsfestival.com.

Sept. 20-22: The Backwoods Fest

This affordable arts, crafts, food and music festival takes place in the same town and same weekend as Lost Lands, so be sure to keep that in mind when calculating your travel time. The festival features over 300 vendors, more than 30 different kinds of food, and three days of bluegrass music. It happens from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine.

Details: Backwoods Fest, 8572 High Point Road, Thornville. $12, free ages 10-under. Free parking. thornvillebackwoodsfest.com.

Sept. 24-29: Talk Low Music Festival

Local label White Sepulchre Records brings national and international musicians to Cincinnati for this new music festival celebrating experimental music in the ambient, jazz, indie rock and electronic music genres. The multiple-venue festival's lineup includes legendary New Age/ambient artist Laraaji, KMRU (Kenya), Desert Liminal (Chicago), Claire Rousay (LA), Five Sided Stars, Galcher Lustwerk (NYC), Maria Chavez (Peru), Shermvn, Joy Guidry (NYC), Niecy Blues (Charleston), and Johnson-Montgomery-Prymek Trio.

Details: DSGN CLLCTV, 4150 Hamilton Ave., Northside; Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown. $150 all shows plus T-shirt, tote bag and 1 album, $90 all shows minus the swag, $20 single show. talklowfest.cargo.site.

Sept. 26-29: Louder Than Life

Now in its tenth year, this hard rock festival in Louisville is a must-attend for metalheads, boasting some of the biggest names of the genre: Slipknot, Slayer, Motley Crue, Korn, The Offspring, Slothrust, Halestorm, Five Finger Death Punch, Till Lindemann, Evanescence, Anthrax, Juliette Lewis and The Licks, Black Stone Cherry, Ho99o9, Disturbed, Chevelle, Mastodon, Skillet, Body Count, Three 6 Mafia, Judas Priest, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Gojira and dozens more.

Details: Highland Festival Groups, Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville. $320-up 4-day pass, $130-up single day. Camping $100-up. lounderthanlifefestival.com.

Sept. 30: Benson Boone: Fireworks and Rollerblades Tour

Boone started his career sharing snippets of his music on TikTok, where he garnered more than 1.7 million followers. He caught the attention of Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, who signed Boone to his Night Street Records (in partnership with Warner Records) and his first single "Ghost Town" charted in 13 countries. Boone got the Taylor Swift stamp of approval, opening for one of her Eras Tour dates at Wembley Stadium in London, alongside Paramore. His show here in Cincinnati sold out quickly, so your best bet for tickets is via verified resale. Note that there is a delivery delay on mobile tickets until 72 hours before the show, which is also when any resale tickets will be available. Daniel Seavey opens the show.

Details: Icon Festival Stage at Smale Park, 25 Race St., Downtown. Sold out. bradymusiccenter.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The biggest concerts in (or near) Cincinnati in September 2024