To call September “super” would be like calling Garth Brooks “a country singer.”
It’s a lot bigger than that. Colossally so.
Starting with the Sept. 13 One MusicFest, which this year moves to Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, weekends in September will be a juggling act for music fans.
Music Midtown stakes out its two days at Piedmont Park Sept. 19-20 with a monster lineup including Eminem, Jack White, John Mayer, Zac Brown Band, Iggy Azalea, Lorde, Gregg Allman and dozens more.
But then comes Brooks to overlap with Music Midtown and then compete the following weekend, Sept. 26-27, with the first two nights of hometown hip-hop kings Outkast (playing three sold-out shows at Centennial Olympic Park Sept. 26-28) and the return of the massive TomorrowWorld electronic dance music fest those same days in Chattahoochee Hills.
And that’s just September.
Read on to see what other shows you can pencil onto the calendar for the rest of fall.
All tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com unless otherwise indicated.
Jason Mraz. Mraz recently released his fifth album, "Yes!," a collection of more of the optimistic peace and love strummers that have earned him Grammys and a reputation as one of the nicest guys in pop. He also has one of the genre's purest voices, a fact often overlooked in breezy hits such as "I'm Yours" and "I Won't Give Up." This current tour will focus on Mraz's acoustic leanings, and he'll be backed by Raining Jane, the all-female group that joins him on the new album. 8 p.m. Sept. 9. $22-$72. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-855-285-8499, www.foxtheatre.org.
Tedeschi Trucks Band. The 11-member band fronted by Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks is playing its first headlining show in Atlanta in a few years (they visited last summer with the Black Crowes and in 2012 with B.B. King). Their live shows draw primarily from their original output, but TTB has been known to throw in some soulfully swampy covers. This is also Trucks' last year with the Allman Brothers Band. With John Hiatt. 7 p.m. Sept. 12. $39.50-$79.50. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta.
Ed Sheeran. Not too long ago, the ginger-haired Brit with the colorful tattoos, disarming smile and sweet voice was selling out clubs. Then came an opening stint with Taylor Swift on her mega "Red" tour. And now Sheeran, who has graduated from the pensive folkie-pop of "The A Team" and "Lego House" to a Pharrell Williams-produced groove on "Sing," is headlining arenas. His second album, "x," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in June. With Rudimental. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12. $59.50. The Arena at Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 1-888-929-7849, www.gwinnettcenter.com.
One MusicFest. After a successful event last year at Masquerade Music Park — and headlining sets from Goodie Mob and Snoop Dogg — the fest moves to Lakewood. On deck this year: Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Jhene Aiko, Method Man and Redman, Amel Larrieux, Bilal, Daley, Alice Smith, Isaiah Rashad and Cody Chesnutt. Noon Sept. 13. $56-$85. Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta.
Lily Allen. Eight years ago, the tart-tongued Brit landed on U.S. radio with the bouncy-yet-snarky "Smile." And then she disappeared from American view. But in May, she returned with her third studio album, "Sheezus," a direct jab at Kanye West's absurdly titled "Yeezus," and proceeded to remind us how much we missed her sarcasm and frankness. With MR Little Jeans. 8 p.m. Sept. 17. $35. The Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St., Atlanta.
Erasure. The synth-pop duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell formed nearly 30 years ago and have kept dance floors full with their anthems "A Little Respect," "Breathe" and "Chains of Love." The guys will release their 16th studio album, "The Violet Flame," on Sept. 23. 8 p.m. Sept. 17. $55.50-$95.50. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. It's been 18 years since the country behemoth played Atlanta, and while we don't have the distinction of being the kickoff city for this worldwide run, we are second on the itinerary. And Brooks has returned with a flourish — breaking a Philips Arena record with seven concerts booked. Ticket prices might be a bit higher than Brooks' '90s-era $20-for-all mentality, but they're still a bargain for a superstar with worldwide album sales of almost 190 million and his country singer wife. 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. Sept. 19-20; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26-27. $71.50. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta.
Music Midtown. A quartet of headliners — Eminem, Jack White, John Mayer and Zac Brown Band — anchor the 2014 edition of the Atlanta festival, which will commandeer Piedmont Park for two days in September. A couple of changes this year: Only two-day passes are available, and each night will boast two headliners among the three stages. Old-school rap fans can break out the Adidas for Run-D.M.C., but other acts will bring down the age average of the bill, including Iggy Azalea, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Bastille, Fitz and the Tantrums, B.o.B. and Twenty One Pilots. Gates open at 4 p.m. Sept 19 and noon Sept. 20. $125 two-day pass (VIP options available for $500-$1,000). Piedmont Park, Atlanta.
Outkast. When Big Boi and Andre 3000 made their Georgia return earlier this year at the CounterPoint Music Festival, many fans grumbled that it wasn't a true homecoming for the Atlanta rap pioneers. So they added Centennial Olympic Park to their summer festival run. And then a second show. And then a third, when the first two sold out within hours. Happy now? About 60,000 people will descend on the downtown Atlanta park to hear Outkast bulldoze through "B.O.B.," "Ms. Jackson" and the still shake-it-worthy "Hey Ya." Openers for the Sept. 27 show are Childish Gambino, Kid Cudi and Raury (acts for the other dates haven't been announced at press time). 5 p.m. Sept. 26-27, 4 p.m. Sept. 28. Sold out. Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta.
TomorrowWorld. Electronic dance music has ruled the festival landscape the past few years, and with the arrival of this Belgium import last fall, the Atlanta area ascended the prestige ladder in the eyes of EDM fans. This year's lineup reads like a row of billboards in Las Vegas, the most concentrated area where top-name DJs command hundreds of thousands of dollars a night to provoke fans into a bass-dropping frenzy: David Guetta, Avicii, Diplo, Skrillex, Zedd, Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Bassnectar, Kaskade, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Martin Garrix and Nicky Romero. The three-day event once again takes place about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta. Gates open at noon each day. Sept. 26-28. Tickets start at $347 (camping and VIP options available). Bouckaert Farm, Chattahoochee Hills. http://tickets.tomorrowworld.com/.
One Direction. In a brilliant move, promoters plopped this stadium trek on sale a few weeks before Christmas, ensuring a sell-out while the five cheeky Brits were still godlike in the eyes of 14-year-old girls. The mania surrounding the "Best Song Ever" hitmakers has cooled a tinge, but still … bring earplugs to block the squealing. Openers 5 Seconds of Summer are in the midst of their own teen-dream explosion and are nearly as big a draw now as the headliners. Again, earplugs. 7 p.m. Oct. 1. $39.50-$99.50. Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive N.W., Atlanta.
Sam Smith. He's been compared vocally to everyone from Boy George to Rick Astley to a male Adele. Connect the dots with whomever you choose, but know this: Smith is a gem. His creamy soul throwback "Stay With Me" is the first most Americans heard of the 22-year-old, but he's knocked around England's charts for a couple of years, first as a guest on Disclosure's "Latch" in 2012 and last year as a feature on Naughty Boy's "La La La." Expect Smith to command his own spotlight from this point forward. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Sold out. The Tabernacle.
Paul McCartney. When the venerable Beatle was forced to reschedule several of his U.S. tour dates — including Atlanta — because of a virus that felled him in May, our chests tightened just a bit. Would this mark the beginning of the end of McCartney's almost continual touring? At age 72, were the rigors of the road understandably wearing on him? Nope. The man returned to the stage in early July and proceeded to unveil a nearly three-hour master class in pop perfection. 8 p.m. Oct. 15. $29.50-$254. Philips Arena.
Macy Gray. Though still best known for her visceral 1999 hit, "I Try," Gray has kept busy since her triple platinum "On How Life Is" album that spawned the radio fave. Her underappreciated 2012 album, "Covers," contained clever remakes of Radiohead, My Chemical Romance and Arcade Fire songs, and she'll return Oct. 7 with her eighth studio album, "The Way." 8 p.m. Oct. 21. $30. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta.
Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull. The Miami mates will bring some spice to Duluth on this party-centric tour, which kicks off Sept. 12 in New Jersey and ends three days after the Atlanta-area show in the guys’ home turf in South Florida. This isn’t the first time Mr. Worldwide and the “Sex and Love” heartthrob have teamed for a road show: They joined musical forces in 2011 for a run that also played Gwinnett. With J Balvin. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22. $29.50-$129.50. The Arena at Gwinnett Center.
Susan Boyle. This is the first U.S. tour for the shy British sensation, who shot to worldwide renown after her show-stopping performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009. The 21-date tour begins Oct. 8 in California, and for Boyle, this will be her first time visiting many of the cities on the itinerary. Her most recent album, “Home for Christmas,” was released last fall. 8 p.m. Oct. 26. $49.50-$125.50. Atlanta Symphony Hall.
Mastodon. This summer, the Atlanta metal-rockers released their sixth album, “Once More ‘Round the Sun,” and embarked on a tour that will end in their hometown. Said bassist/singer Troy Sanders of the routing, “We like to end our tours at home as we can play the show, high-five, and go to our own beds.” With Gojira and Kvelertak. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7. $26.50. The Tabernacle.
Rufus Wainwright. In February, Wainwright released “Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright,” a self-explanatory collection of his engaging, affecting baroque-indie-pop. Suffice to say, Wainwright is an original, a singer who coats everything in his unique style, whether it’s the umpteenth cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” or the cheeky new “Me and Liza.” This greatest hits tour has been rolling since March in Dublin. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9. $29.50-$69.50. Atlanta Symphony Hall.
One More For The Fans! — Celebrating The Songs & Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The classic Southern rockers will receive a tribute similar to the one that greeted Gregg Allman earlier this year at the Fox. Performers so far include Trace Adkins, Alabama, Gregg Allman, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Aaron Lewis, Moe., Gov’t Mule, Robert Randolph, Blackberry Smoke, Cheap Trick, Donnie Van Zant and Skynyrd themselves. In a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington said, “I just think it’s so cool and I’m so humbled by them wanting to do this for us.” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12. $72-$222. Fox Theatre.
The 1975. When the boys from Manchester, England, came to town in May, they turned the Buckhead Theatre into a sweaty shriek-fest. Now they get to do it again in a larger venue. While the magnetism of frontman Matthew Healy is undeniable, so is the 1975’s way with a melody. Take a little Prince, some Duran Duran and a pinch of Snow Patrol and follow the groove of “Chocolate” and “Girls.” 8 p.m. Nov. 29. Sold out. The Tabernacle.
