Top Concerts and Tours Coming This Winter
Start your 2023 with a musical New Year’s Resolution to see a few of the shows we’re looking forward to most.
by Andy Goh Dec 14, 2022
Tosco Music Holiday Party
When: Monday, Dec. 19, 2022
Where: Knight Theatre
Any Tosco Music Party is going to be a fun-filled evening of music made with friends, one that celebrates the truly communal joy of making and enjoying music. Take that energy and focus it on timeless holiday songs just days before Santa comes down the chimney and you’ve got a recipe for creating unforgettable holiday memories. Join host John Tosco and friends for a night of singing holiday songs performed by a variety of artists.
The Vegabonds: Sinners and Saints Fall Tour 2022
When: Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022
Where: Amos’ Southend
Southern rock veterans The Vegabonds will make a stop in South End just a few days before Santa arrives. The Nashville born-and-bred quintet mixes the infectious lead vocals of Daniel Allen with scorching guitars from Richard Forehand to create a rowdy rock sound with classic Southern soul that binds them together with bands like the Allman Brothers Band and Blackberry Smoke.
The Avett Brothers
When: Dec. 31, 2022
Where: Bojangles Coliseum
It’s become one of the most anticipated and sought-after tickets on the calendar in Charlotte when it happens, and 2022 is your chance to be there live. The Avett Brothers, one of the most beloved and renowned bands to come out of the Charlotte area, play a special New Year’s Eve set at Bojangles Coliseum to send 2022 out with a bang. Long-time fans of the folk and country-infused quartet will surely be lining up to get their seats, making this one of the hottest tickets of the year.
Future and Friends - One Big Party Tour
When: Friday, Jan. 13, 2023
Where: Spectrum Center
One of the biggest names in rap and hip hop is coming out of a three-year break for a much-anticipated U.S. tour. The second stop on that tour is a Friday the 13th date in the New Year at the sparkling Spectrum Center, making this show one of the most exciting ways to ring in 2023. Since debuting out of Atlanta just over a decade ago, Future has been one of the most prolific rappers in the industry, releasing nine studio albums (including two within two weeks of each other in 2017) and paving the way for the trap sound which is arguably the hottest sound in hip hop at the end of 2022. As one of the most well-connected and highly featured artists in rap, this tour promises to have more than a few surprises for hip-hop heads.
Donna the Buffalo
When: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023
Where: Neighborhood Theatre
A highly talented and fun-loving band with a dedicated following, Donna the Buffalo makes the migration from western New York to Charlotte like so much of our city’s population. The veteran rock, roots and Americana band, led by vocalist Tara Nevins and guitarist Jeb Puryear, has been making full-spirited music for more than 30 years together. NoDa’s Neighborhood Theatre is poised to be the perfect venue to welcome the band and their fans, affectionately known as “The Herd.”
Barry Manilow: Hits 2023
When: Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023
Where: Spectrum Center
Timeless crooner Barry Mainlow is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a performing artist, and he’s making Charlotte one of the seven cities on the limited-engagement tour. Unfortunately for Charlotteans, the timing works out so that the holiday season will have passed (along with some of the Brooklyn-born singer’s fondest songs), but Manilow’s catalog and pedigree is one befitting an artist who’s sold more than 85 million records worldwide. Expect to sing (and clap) along with unforgettable songs like “Mandy,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa).”
Quentin Talley and the Soul Providers
When: Friday, Jan. 27, 2023
Where: The Evening Muse
Music is but one of Quentin Talley’s many talents. A modern creative renaissance man, Talley is an accomplished poet, actor, director and producer, not to mention one of Charlotte’s most prolific arts figures and advocates. Combining poetry with the jazzy and soulful backing sounds of The Soul Providers, Quentin Talley’s performances are always worthy of experiencing firsthand, particularly when the setting is NoDa’s indispensable Evening Muse.
Death Cab for Cutie: Asphalt Meadows Tour with Special Guest Momma
When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023
Where: Ovens Auditorium
For almost two decades, Death Cab for Cutie has been on the forefront of the indie pop rock sound. The release of their 2003 album, Transatlanticism, marked a breakthrough point for the band, launching them into superstardom, thanks to the jangly and charming sounds of songs like “The Sound of Settling” and “Title and Registration.” After mostly laying low during the pandemic, Death Cab is back in the studio with their 10th album, Asphalt Meadows, released in September, and a full world tour to back it up.
Neko Case: 2023 Tour
When: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023
Where: Knight Theatre
Neko Case defies simple genre classification, having shifted between country, rock, indie-folk and more over the course of a career that spans more than 20 years. The Virginia-born Case is a superstar songwriter, vocalist and guitarist who has not only built a powerful and prolific solo career, but is also an integral member of the Canadian indie band The New Pornographers. Her 2022 album, “Wild Creatures,” celebrates the full body of Case’s work, and the tour will carry that spirit. Catch her timeless set that will cover her solo work as well as that with her many career collaborators in this retrospective performance.
Carrie Underwood: The Denim and Rhinestones Tour
When: Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2023
Where: Spectrum Center
Perhaps the most enduring star from the entire American Idol alumni base, Carrie Underwood has been one of pop and country music’s biggest and brightest stars since winning Season Four in 2005. Since then, Underwood has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide, become the most decorated country music artist of all time, and cemented her place as a transcended pop culture figure. All of the accolades aren’t for nothing, however. Underwood is one of music’s most talented singers, and this tour celebrating her latest album will put those skills on full display.
John Mellencamp: Live and In Person
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023
Where: Ovens Auditorium
Perhaps one of the most underrated songwriters of his generation, John Mellencamp has written poignantly and passionately about the slow decay of the Midwestern farmer and by extension, the common working man in America. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, he’s used that stoic perspective to create some of the most joyful and exuberant Top-40 hits this side of Tom Petty. Mellencamp also famously co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 alongside Willie Nelson and Neil Young, a concert that has become an annual festival benefiting America’s farmers. Don’t spend a Lonely Ol’ Night alone; come out to Ovens Auditorium for a night with Ol’ Johnny Cougar.
Colony House: The Cannonballers Tour
When: Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
Where: The Underground
Indie rock quartet Colony House will make a stop at The Underground to support “Cannonballers,” their fourth studio album, which is scheduled to be released Feb. 3, just days before this show. The Tennessee-based band is fronted by brothers Caleb and Will Chapman, who have molded their band into a high-energy, euphoric pop-rock force that has been generating plenty of buzz online and on the late-night circuit. The new album, and the eponymous tour, are based on the band’s roots in Franklin, Tennessee, making this show filled with youthful energy from our neighbors to the west.
J.I.D & Smino: Luv is 4ever Tour
When: Friday, Feb. 24, 2023
Where: The Fillmore
Two of hip-hop and R&B’s most promising rising stars are co-headlining a tour that makes a stop at the AvidXchange Music Factory in February. J.I.D has quickly gained reputation and acclaim in the rap world since signing with J. Cole’s Raleigh-based Dreamville Records in 2017. His effortless wordplay and storytelling mixed with a relentless energy for his live shows make J.I.D a must-see act. Touring with J.I.D., Smino headlines the newest generation of Motown talent, a place hard-earned after generating underground buzz with his first two EPs. This led the eclectic singer-rapper to sign with Motown in 2021, and this tour supports Smino’s first effort on the label, the highly-acclaimed Luv 4 Rent.
Ari Lennox: Age/Sex/Location Tour 2023
When: Monday, Feb. 27, 2023
Where: The Fillmore
The aforementioned Dreamville Records, under the vision of Fayetteville rapper J. Cole, has become one of the strongest labels in all of music. Since 2014, Cole has added J.I.D, Charlotte’s own Lute, and one of R&B’s brightest rising stars in Ari Lennox. The Washington, D.C.-born soul singer has caught the attention of fans and critics alike, making her case as the heiress to the neo-soul throne. Fans of Erykah Badu and D’Angelo will instantly settle into the groove with Ari Lennox not only channeling that late-90s vibe, but updating it and making it uniquely her own.
Other Can't-Miss Concerts
Steel Panther
When: Jan. 29, 2023
Where: The Fillmore
Fantasia & Joe
When: Feb. 03, 2023
Where: Bojangles Coliseum
Arlie
When: Feb. 07, 2023
Where: Neighborhood Theatre
Eric Bellinger: The Obsession Tour
When: Feb. 25, 2023
Where: The Underground
Keshi: Hell & Back Tour
When: Mar. 09, 2023
Where: The Fillmore
New Edition: Legacy Tour with Keith Sweat and Guy
When: Mar. 10, 2023
Where: Spectrum Center
View all of the events in Charlotte here.
