While the following concert events hardly represent the entirety of the music Santa Fe can look forward to this summer, they certainly prove that things are looking up. In fact, some shows—like Save Ferris or Orville Peck or Japanese Breakfast with The Breeeders?!—paint a picture of a just plain better musical future altogether. Note that many shows are totally free. Otherwise, our best advice is to secure tickets ASAP.
JUNE
Save Ferris
7 pm Friday, June 9. Free Santa Fe Railyard Water Tower, lensic360.org
The pips from the new Lensic360 promotions outfit bring the tragically under-appreciated third-wave ska band that covered “Come On Eileen.” Actually, Save Ferris had a ton of great songs, and we’ll all learn a little something about why singer Monique Powell slays so hard.
The Black Opry Revue
7:30 pm Friday, June 16. $25-$45. Lensic Performing Arts Center 211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234
The Earthseed Black Arts Alliance partners with the Lensic Performing Arts Center for this banger of a show featuring Black artists delving into country, blues, folk, Americana and more. Find artists including Garry Blackchild, Denitia, Larysa Jane and more.
Funk on the Farm: The Sticky
7 pm Saturday, June 10 Free. Reunity Resources Farm 1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 393-1196
Santa Fe’s favorite funk band takes to the farm, where, as anyone who has ever attended a show there will tell you, things get reaaaaaal nice in the evenings. Expect food trucks and good vibes as the inimitable multi-instrumentalist Peter Williams takes control of your booty’s need to shake.
Boostive
7:30 pm Sunday, June 11 Free. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery 2971 Agua Fría St. (505) 303-3808
Oh, dip, a free show at Tumbleroot with the San Diego dub-hop/soul group that loves to pop in elements of Latin and Afrobeat. Santa Fe loves dancing, so...here you go.
Juneteenth
6 pm Sunday, June 18. Free Santa Fe Plaza 100 Old Santa Fe Trail
Though the holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans is June 19, hear legendary dancehall reggae titan Sister Nancy with lots more in store, including Santa Fe DJ/MC Raashan -Ahmad, the day before.
JULY
Nosotros
6 pm Thursday, July 13 Free. Santa Fe Plaza 100 Old Santa Fe Trail
The salsa/rock/jazz/cumbia act consistently packs in huge crowds. Part of the Summer Bandstand Series.
Stephen Marley
7 pm Thursday, Saturday, July 15. $36. The Bridge@Santa Fe Brewing Co. 37 Fire Place (505) 424-3333
No big—just the multiple Grammy-winning son of Bob Marley coming to one of our finest outdoor stages to share reggae jamz while we all drink beer and observe the sunset. With weed legal, too, we’re expecting this show to be all kinds of ways, if you catch our drift.
Shinyribs
6 pm Sunday, July 16. Free Swan Park 5300 Jaguar Drive lensic360.org
Free shows head to the Southside, too, with an appearance from Texas swamp funk/soul singer Shinyribs. Fans of Texas blues, R&B and down n’ dirty funk take heed!
James McMurtry with Bill Hearne
6 pm Tuesday, July 18 Free. Santa Fe Plaza 100 Old Santa Fe Trail
Rock sensibility meets country style when singer-songwriter James McMurtry hits the Plaza alongside local hero Bill Hearne. Part of the Summer Bandstand Series.
Santa Fe Salutes
7 pm Friday, July 28. Free Santa Fe Railyard Water Tower lensic360.org
The Santa Fe Salutes series continues its tradition of assembling the best locals to send up a hero. This time it’s Elton John (who is, as of this writing, alive and well). Also that night at the same place? SFR’s Best of Santa Fe party. Boom.
AUGUST
Heartless Bastards
7:30 pm Saturday, Aug. 5 $25. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery 2971 Agua Fría St. (505) 303-3808
Austin’s Erika Wennerstrom returns to with her merry band to dig into psychy folk, alt.country, blues and more.
Orville Peck
7 pm Thursday, Aug. 10. $44-$119. The Bridge@Santa Fe Brewing Co. 37 Fire Place (505) 424-3333
This show from the über-famous and adored masked country singer has already technically sold out. Still, people resell tickets all the time and a resourceful person like you could surely work it out. Part of Peck’s 2023 Bronco Tour, this one finds Lensic360 teaming with Meow Wolf and the Santa Fe Brewing Co.
Hip-Hop 50th w/The Pharcyde
7 pm Friday, Aug. 11. Free Santa Fe Railyard Water Tower lensic360.org
The hits keep coming as enduring hip-hop champs The Pharcyde shows up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop itself. The details may be up to interpretation, but everyone knows hip-hop was born in New York and has since grown into one of the most significant and powerful genres.
Souls of Mischief
8 pm Wed., Aug. 23. $25 Meow Wolf 1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369
The seminal Oakland hip-hop troupe comes to town to teach us all a little something about heady lyricism and the dopest beats. Seriously, can you say you know anything about hip-hop if you don’t know these guys and, by extension, Hieroglyphics?.
Ghost Ranch Music Festival: Blossoms & Bones
All Day Friday, Aug. 25 and Saturday, Aug. 26, $135-$1200 Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu ghostranchmusicfest.com
After last year’s fest featuring Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, and so many more, it seems insane to say this year’s iteration matches the excellence.Japanese Breakfast would be worth the price of admission alone, but throw in Spoon, The Beths, The Breeders, Toro y Moi, Rising Appalachia and more—plus camping and glamping options—and it’s a don’t-miss.
September
Sylvan Esso
7:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 9. $44-$79. Santa Fe Opera 301 Opera Drive ampconcerts.org
AMP Concerts brings the indie-pop duo for a show at the Opera, which should tell you just how huge they’ve become. It’s, like, so huge.