From Childish Gambino to Mudhoney to Neko Case, this fall delivers a jam-packed lineup of essential live music.
Macklemore: Seattle’s pop-rap king takes his “Gemini” victory lap down to the Washington State Fair for a homecoming gig following a summer trek with his “Good Old Days” collaborator Kesha. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, Washington State Fair Events Center, 110 Ninth Ave. S.W., Puyallup; $85-$110 (includes fair admission), 253-841-5045, thefair.com
Mudhoney: Like their longtime label Sub Pop, the beloved sludge-punks hit the 30-year mark in 2018 and their dense, fuzzed-out riffs still roar as loudly as ever. At this release show, the Seattle staples will toast their 10th studio album, “Digital Garbage.” 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, Neptune Theatre, 1303 N.E. 45th St., Seattle; sold out, 206-315-8063, stgpresents.org
Childish Gambino: In only a few years, Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) went from a funnyman sitcom supporting actor with a critically panned rap side gig to one of Earth’s most celebrated artistic talents — and rightfully so. Now, the red-hot multi-hyphenate can seemingly do no wrong as he pulls into KeyArena with Mississippi duo Rae Sremmurd. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., Seattle; sold out, keyarena.com
Beyoncé and Jay-Z: Music’s ultimate power couple has aired the details of their marriage on recent albums, including June’s surprise joint release “Everything is Love.” Mrs. and Mr. Knowles will bring their saga to the stadiums on their anticipated “On the Run II” tour, with early reviews confirming that Bey’s star shines brightest, as if there was any doubt. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, CenturyLink Field, 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle; $49.50-$1,671, centurylinkfield.com
Earshot Jazz Festival: The annual monthlong fest spreads 60-plus shows across 18 venues in and around Seattle, highlighted by cinematic saxophonist/composer Kamasi Washington’s sold-out Showbox appearance (Oct. 17). Other standouts include former Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson (Oct. 15, Triple Door) and Seattle boundary pushers Afrocop (Oct. 14, Lo-Fi). Oct. 7-Nov. 4, times and venues vary, earshot.org
Courtney Barnett: The rising Aussie indie-rock star keeps her hot streak rolling, following up on her Kurt Vile collab with a jangly gem of a sophomore album. “Tell Me How You Really Feel” touches on toxic masculinity and self-doubt over folk-inflected slacker-rock nuggets. Waxahatchee joins the deadpan Barnett for a solid double bill. 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $35.50-$37.50, stgpresents.org
Car Seat Headrest: After dropping the critically lauded reboot of his “Twin Fantasy” LP in January, Seattle-based garage phenom Will Toledo finally gets around to playing inside city limits, with a two-night stand at the Showbox. Rambunctious garage rockers Naked Giants, also members of Toledo’s live band, open. 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 12-13, Showbox, 1426 First Ave., Seattle; $22.50, showboxpresents.com
Drake: The Tacoma Dome unveils the results of its $30 million renovation with a run of November shows, starting with Drake’s double-whammy tour with trap kings Migos, which stumbled out of the gates with multiple postponements for ambiguous reasons. Canada’s favorite rap crooner shattered streaming records this summer with his up-and-down double album “Scorpion,” proof that the world needs editors. 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma; $75.50-$595.50, 253-272-3663, tacomadome.org
Justin Timberlake: Despite a duet with certified country man Chris Stapleton and a song actually called “Flannel,” JT’s woodsman makeover proved a bit of a pump fake. But “Man of the Woods,” his first album in five years, was hardly a slam dunk. Lukewarm reception or no, the grown-up prince of pop has two decades of arena-dazzling experience to bank on for this two-night stint in Tacoma. 7:30 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 12-13, Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma; $53.50-$479, 253-272-3663, tacomadome.org
Neko Case: The pride of Tacoma reaffirms her place among indie-rock royalty with a powerfully moody new set of folk-rock tunes on this summer’s excellent “Hell-On.” Case is joined by Destroyer, the solo venture of her New Pornographers pal Dan Bejar, making this West Coast swing a pairing of Northwest heavyweights. 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $33-$41, 206-682-1414, stgpresents.com
