Fall Arts 2025: Music Events | Fall Arts | Spokane | The Pacific Northwest Inlander

SEPT. 20
DARIUS RUCKER
Few big-time musicians in our modern era can boast two distinctly different and wildly successful chapters… but Darius Rucker can. First gaining massive fame in the ’90s as the frontman for Hootie & the Blowfish, the singer then reinvented himself as a chart-topping country solo act in the 2000s with songs like “Alright,” “Come Back Song” and a cover of “Wagon Wheel” that’s one of the best-selling country songs of all-time. While his southern-tinged country remains the focus of his solo shows, old fans will be relieved to know Rucker still mixes in some Hootie classics live (after all, the Dolphins are still making him cry). Spokane Tribe Resort and Casino, 8 pm, $99, spokanetribecasino.com (SS)

SEPT. 26
BUFFALO JONES
While the guys in Buffalo Jones might be veterans of the Spokane music scene, they sound fresh as ever on their new album, Celebrate. The band’s alt-country roots sometimes call to mind groups like Old 97’s and Wilco, but there’s also a dose of power pop melodicism undergirding the songs and helping them go down extra smooth. Hear the slick tunes from one of the best local albums of the year when Buffalo Jones celebrates Celebrate alongside Silver Treason, Betsy Rogue, and Raj Saint Paul with an album release show in The Chameleon’s cozy confines. The Chameleon, 7:30 pm, $15-$20, 21+, chameleonspokane.com (SS)

OCT. 2
CHEVELLE
When most people think of family bands that break big, their mind may first considers the melodic pop rock realm of bands ranging from The Beach Boys to Oasis to The Jonas Brothers. Chevelle is one exception to the rule. Starting to play around Chicago when they were only teenagers, the Loeffler brothers (singer/guitarist Pete, drummer Sam and bassist Joe) developed a thumping hard alternative rock sound that broke through with the release of Chevelle’s sophomore album, 2002’s Wonder What’s Next, thanks to hit singles like “The Red” and “Send the Pain Below.” While it’s just Pete and Sam holding down the for these days, the band still knows how to create heavy beautiful chaos live. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 7 pm, $49-$302, northernquest.com (SS)
OCT. 4-5
SYMPHONY
MASTERWORKS 2:
LANDSCAPES
Hamish MacCunn’s “The Land of the Mountain and the Flood” — an alternatingly wistful, folksy, soaring and cinematic overture — sets the mood for this exploration- and adventure-themed Spokane Symphony concert. The delicate flute intro to Debussy’s “Prélude à ‘L’après-midi d’un faune,” a dreamlike piece that conjures images of a sleepy woodland full of mythological creatures, gives way to the equally idyllic “Morning Mood” and the slow, ominous build of “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” two of the selections from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. The Spokane Symphony also treks to the snowy tundra with Cantus Arcticus, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s ode to the Arctic, which is suffused with recorded birdsong. The Fox Theater, Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 3 pm, $24-$83, spokanesymphony.org (EJI)

OCT. 8
IN THIS MOMENT
If Greta Gerwig were an edgier director, her hit 2023 blockbuster Barbie might have included In This Moment’s “Sex Metal Barbie” in its soundtrack and featured a quick cameo from the band’s lead singer Maria Brink as, well, Sex Metal Barbie. Since the heavy metal band’s formation in 2005, Brink has been its frontwoman, showcasing an interesting duality between her highly feminine and put-together look and the guttural vocals she kills it with in songs like “Whore,” “GODMODE” and “Adrenalize.” Although Brink is often the band’s focal point, In This Moment’s discography wouldn’t be as popular as it is today without lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, and guitarists Randy Weitzel and Kent Diimmel backing her up. So don your darkest clothes — maybe a sultry habit or a gothic vestment — because Spokane’s about to get unholy when the band’s Black Mass tour stops here. The Podium, 6:30 pm, $64-$476, thepodiumusa.com (CR)

OCT. 11
BABES IN CANYON
Set the fall tone with Babes In Canyon’s moody folk and synth-heavy pop sound when the Seattle band comes to perform its new album, The New Loud, at The Chameleon. Nathan Hamer (also the founding member of Kuinka) and his wife Sophia started Babes In Canyon in 2023 while stranded in a remote cabin during a winter storm, and nature has been the couple’s biggest muse ever since. The newest album was recorded at their rural Washington farmhouse, tastefully weaving in soundbites of a tractor engine revving, a chorus of tree frogs, splashes in a pond and more. To top it off, the vocals are rich with harmonies that carry catchy melodies abundant with introspection like in the single “Strange” that was inspired by long, phone-free walks. The Chameleon, 8 pm, $10-$15, 21+, chameleonspokane.com (DS)

OCT. 22
MARC REBILLET
What do Buffalo, Little Rock, Cleveland, Boise, Sioux Falls, Tampa, Reno, Eugene, Salt Lake City and Spokane all have in common? Well, for sassy-ass loop-heavy funk/hip-hop/electronic musician Marc Rebillet, they’re all “Places I’ve never played and will never play again.” So, I guess we better get the f— out of bed, bitch, and go, cause it might be our only chance to see the “one-man improvised meltdown.” The rowdy, robed (sometimes unrobed) singer will stop by the Knit on a Wednesday, which seems totally appropriate for a place he doesn’t give a shit about. Lemme say though: Having seen Rebillet at Austin City Limits music festival, he puts on a delightfully goofy and dance-worthy set, liable to feature any number of whackadoodle on-stage guests and underwear antics. Worth it. Knitting Factory, 8 pm, $44+, sp.knittingfactory.com (SW)

OCT. 23 & 24
CELTIC THUNDER
Anything that has “thunder” in its title is bound to be a good time. As its name suggests, Celtic Thunder was first formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 2007. Known for its theatrical performances which often involve Celtic motifs and allusions, Celtic Thunder is well acquainted with how to entertain an audience. The Irish singing group is known for its genre mixing, creating a sound unique to them. Returning to Northern Quest Resort & Casino this fall, the men of Celtic Thunder revisit their greatest hits with an electrifying performance. Northern Quest Resort and Casino, 7:30 pm, $28-$49, northernquest.com (EB)

OCT. 24
CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR!
You probably wouldn’t have “choir director” high up on a list of innately cool jobs, but the way that Canadian’s Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman carry out the gig via their touring Choir! Choir! Choir! shows might change that. Their trick? Everybody is in the choir. Audience participation is the show, as they simply and energetically teach the crowd parts of popular songs that quickly become beautiful rousing when sung en masse. Choir! Choir! Choir!’s stop at the Bing will be “an epic Queen sing-along” featuring hits by the British rock titans. This is the real life, but when belting in unison, things start to just feel like fantasy. Bing Crosby Theater, 8 pm, $39-$51, bingcrosbytheater.com (SS)

NOV. 9
MAGOO
Most bluegrass acts feature nifty musicians who can throw down and hoedown, but there’s usually a reserved aspect to their instrumental flairs. Magoo shreds. The Colorado progressive bluegrass quartet still boast the genre’s home-spun harmonizing songwriting, but aren’t afraid to let things absolutely rip on songs like “This Road’s Been Good to Me” (the band’s cover of Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” is also a marvel). If you’ve avoided bluegrass shows because they seem a bit musty, Magoo’s youthful energized zeal might be a good modernized entry point to the genre. The District Bar, 8 pm, $21, 21+, sp.knittingfactory.com (SS)

NOV. 15
KEVIN GATES
Being a complicated individual can sometimes offer fertile grounds. That’s certainly the case with rapper Kevin Gates. He’s the type who’s had multiple prison stints and a master’s degree in psychology. At times he can be an emotionally raw MC, spitting earnestly about dealing with depression, but then next moment he might be spitting out extremely raunchy bars. A host of platinum hits like “2 Phones,” “Really Really” and “Broken Love” should have The Podium rocking at the biggest hip-hop show of the season. The Podium, 8 pm, $45-$80, thepodiumusa.com (SS)

DEC. 5
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
The Mountain Goats are an acquired taste, but once you get acquainted, it’s hard to go back to any other band. What makes the prolific band so sonically addicting is frontman John Darnielle’s lyrics — he could write a grocery list worth of a Pulitzer. Whether Darnielle is detailing tumultuous relationships that end in divorce via songs like “No Children” or trying his hand at concept albums like Beat The Champ, The Mountain Goats’ 15th studio album all about professional wrestling, the words he uses flow into stories that can twist your heart into knots, make you break down in tears from laughing, or change your outlook on life forever. So, whether you know every word to “Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod” or you’re going in blind, you’ll leave the Knitting Factory a changed person when the band tours in support of its new album, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan. Knitting Factory, 8 pm, $59-$111, sp.knittingfactory.com (MP)

DEC. 13
SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA:
A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS
While many of us joyfully await the classic Christmas tunes that winter brings, there’s nothing wrong with mixing things up. That’s exactly what the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, joined by jazz musician Kate Skinner, is doing in December with “A Motown Christmas.” The orchestra aims to reinvigorate the magic of the holiday by focusing on the bluesy, soulful and R&B stylings of Motown. Skinner, also an assistant professor of jazz piano at the University of Idaho, has performed with small and large jazz ensembles across the country. And while she’s a talented pianist, her captivating vocals are what will be on display at this festive concert. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm, $34-$44, gonzaga.edu/mwpac (CR) ♦