July Pittsburgh concerts

MUST-SEE SHOW:
7/8 Ani DiFranco @ Rex Theatre
There are a ton of shows I could call must-see in July so it's hard to choose, but my gut feeling tells me it’s Ani DiFranco at the Rex. Ani’s words have been moving listeners for years and her passionate delivery is inspiring. Hopefully she’ll play “Untouchable Face,” a beautiful ballad that absolutely rips your soul out.

ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
7/12 Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band @ Mr. Small’s
Conor is very much the male Ani. Some people dislike his quivering vocal delivery, but it’s what makes him unique. He hasn’t visited Pittsburgh in some time, so be sure to catch this one.

7/30 Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy & Young Jeezy @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
Rappers just don’t tour very often, so any time a package like this comes through it’s a novelty. Lil Wayne is the king right now. Instead of playing it safe, Weezy picked up a guitar and started recording rock songs. You have to admire that.

7/31 Girl Talk @ Amphitheatre at Station Square
Pittsburgh’s mashup champion is taking a victory lap off the success of Feed the Animals, playing a show at the new Station Square amphitheater. It’s always great to see what kind of new mashups he’ll toss in. Hopefully the size of the venue won’t kill the vibe – smaller is usually better when it comes to parties like this. A ton of quality local bands are also on the bill, including Centipede E'est, Donora, and Wiz Khalifa.

Others to keep in mind:
7/1 Here We Go Magic @ Brillobox
7/4 Three Dog Night @ Point State Park
7/5 Jenny Lewis & Heartless Bastards @ Mr. Small’s
7/6 Barry Manilow @ Mellon Arena
7/6 Plain White Ts @ Mr. Small’s
7/6 Ryan Cabrera @ Hard Rock Café
7/7 Zappa Plays Zappa @ Rex Theatre
7/7 Subhumans @ Altar Bar
7/7 Kid Rock & Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
7/8 Warped Tour @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
7/10 Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Poison @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
7/10 Jimmie’s Chicken Shack @ Hard Rock Café
7/12 stephaniesid @ Garfield Artworks
7/14 Better Than Ezra @ Mr. Small’s
7/14 Black Crowes & Levon Helm @ Amphitheatre at Station Square
7/14 Black Francis @ Club Café
7/17 Maia Sharp @ Club Café
7/18 Maxwell @ Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
7/21 Yeasayer @ Mr. Small’s
7/22 Green Day & Bravery @ Mellon Arena
7/25 Jonas Brothers & Jordin Sparks @ Mellon Arena
7/26 Atmosphere @ Mr. Small’s
7/31 Neko Case @ Riverplex Amphitheatre at Sandcastle