LEWISTON, Maine -- When the maples around Lake Andrews blaze crimson and gold, the Bates College Bobcats know it's time to trade summer playlists for the pulse of live shows. Lewiston and nearby Portland sit at a comfortable crossroads: big-tour routing meets small-city charm, so you can catch arena spectacles, theater blockbusters, and intimate sets—without spending half your night in traffic. This guide zeroes in on touring stars and marquee musicals heading through New England, then spotlights four nearby venues with real history in their walls. Line up your crew, layer up, and let's make this fall sound as good as it looks.
A minimalist pop auteur from New Zealand, Lorde vaulted onto the global stage in 2013 with "Royals," reshaping radio with its anti-luxury cool. The single won Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2014 GRAMMY Awards, a rare one-two for a teenager and a watershed for alt-leaning pop. Her live eras are distinct: the shadowy Pure Heroine run, the neon confessional Melodrama World Tour, and the sun-splashed Solar Power Tour that stretched across four continents in 2022–23. Expect a setlist that slides from whispered intimacy ("Liability") to cathartic release ("Green Light"). Fans have learned to watch for surprise deep cuts and radically reworked arrangements, a hallmark of her stagecraft.
Benson Boone's rise from posting covers to pop heavyweight has been rocket-fast, with 2024's "Beautiful Things" cementing his ear for soaring hooks. He built momentum with early TV exposure and a steady drip of confessional singles before leveling up to arenas. Boone's American Heart Tour stakes his claim with big-room choruses and a live band that leans into rock dynamics as much as pop polish. His shows typically weave the new anthems with stripped-back ballads that spotlight his elastic upper register. If you're after sing-along catharsis and a crowd that knows every word, he's an easy add to your fall calendar.
Billy Strings has become bluegrass's genre-crossing ambassador, picking at breakneck speed while folding in psychedelia, jam-band elasticity, and trad chops. His album Home earned the GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album in 2021, a mainstream nod that matched his word-of-mouth legend onstage. Follow-ups like Renewal and his relentless touring schedule turned him into a dependable sell-out in amphitheaters and arenas from Red Rocks to the Southeast fairgrounds. Recent seasons have seen him headline festivals, collaborate with icons, and add another GRAMMY for a live release, underscoring his road-warrior momentum. Expect improvisation, instrumental fireworks, and a crowd that treats fiddle breaks like guitar-god solos.
If autumn had a soundtrack, Laufey's jazzy pop might be it—candlelit strings, close-miked vocals, and melodies that feel like postcards from another era. Her 2023 album Bewitched won the GRAMMY for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, introducing a broader audience to her blend of standards-era glow and modern lyric candor. Onstage, she toggles between guitar, piano, and witty asides, often reimagining her hits ("From the Start," "Valentine") with chamber-pop arrangements. Theater-sized rooms suit her best: the mix is warm, the jokes land, and the audience sings in hushes rather than shouts. For a crisp-night date show, you won't do better.
Born in California garages in 1993 and blasted to ubiquity by 2000's Infest, Papa Roach lit rock radio aflame with "Last Resort." Two decades on, they still tour like lifers, co-headlining blockbuster bills such as the Rockzilla Tour and teaming with heavy peers for arena-level energy. Setlists balance early-2000s sing-screams with newer, sleeker material—and yes, crowds still echo the "cut my life into pieces" line with undimmed fervor. The band's longevity comes from a frontman who treats every night like a hometown show and a rhythm section that punches above its weight. If you want a cathartic, full-throttle night, circle their date.
Dancer-turned-pop dynamo Tate McRae parlayed viral hits into a powerhouse stage show, where choreography and breath-control blur seamlessly. Her Think Later World Tour in 2024 proved she could command arenas; the Miss Possessive Tour scales that vision up with a full production slate and plenty of new material. Songs like "greedy" and "you broke me first" hit harder live, anchored by precision dance breaks and crisp visuals. McRae's gift is technical prowess without sacrificing the messy, relatable stories that made her famous online. It's a high-energy, arena-grade night that still feels personal.
The Lumineers helped define the 2010s folk-rock revival with stomps, claps, and campfire harmonies you can hear from the back row. Their Cleopatra World Tour sold over 750,000 tickets in the U.S. alone, with sellouts at Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks, and later cycles—III: The World Tour and Brightside—kept the momentum. Live, they bounce from the whisper of "Ho Hey" to the widescreen surge of "Ophelia," often re-arranging songs to spotlight piano or cello. Arena acoustics can swallow subtlety; this band designs dynamics big enough to cut through. The result: a communal sing-along that still leaves room for goosebumps.
Classic-rock stalwarts Foreigner formed in the mid-1970s, amassing a jukebox of hits—"I Want to Know What Love Is," "Cold as Ice," "Juke Box Hero"—that never left rotation. In recent years the band launched a much-discussed Farewell Tour, packing sheds and arenas with multi-generational crowds singing every chorus like a sports chant. The show balances sleek modern production with throwback showmanship, from guitar-hero poses to power-ballad lighters-up moments. Ballads soar in arenas, and the up-tempo cuts still hit with radio-rock precision. If your fall needed a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this is it.
Country's current torchbearer mixes bell-bottom swagger with stories that stick, turning "Heart Like a Truck" and "Watermelon Moonshine" into modern standards. She won Best Country Album at the 2024 GRAMMYs for Bell Bottom Country, and her onstage reputation grew with a busy slate of headline treks. After her Country's Cool Again Tour, she unveiled the Whirlwind World Tour, scaling up to arenas while doubling down on steel-guitar sparkle and sing-back hooks. Wilson's live band leans into Southern-rock grit, and her stage presence—warm, funny, unhurried—feels tailor-made for amphitheaters. Consider this your line-dancing, arm-around-your-friends pick of the season.
The past year turned Sabrina Carpenter from pop promise to pop supremacy: "Please Please Please" became her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, with "Espresso" buzzing right alongside it. She parlayed that momentum into the arena-sized Short n' Sweet Tour, where she leans into cheeky banter, precision vocals, and candy-colored visuals. The live show threads early fan favorites with new album highlights, often closing with massive, confetti-dusted refrains. Expect a crowd that knows every lyric and merch lines that wrap the concourse. It's glittery, clever, and unapologetically fun.
Banjo-driven choruses propelled Mumford & Sons from UK club stages to American arenas, culminating in Album of the Year at the 2013 GRAMMYs for Babel. The band's Delta Tour reimagined their staging in-the-round, pulling arena crowds closer and proving their acoustic thunder could scale. Expect a dynamic arc: hush-quiet verses, then tidal-wave refrains on "I Will Wait" and "Little Lion Man." Their newer material adds synths and moodier textures without losing the gallop. It's the rare arena show that still feels like a pub sing-along—with better lighting.
Fronted by the powerhouse vocals and axe work of Lzzy Hale, Halestorm's live shows are a masterclass in modern hard-rock energy. The band claimed a GRAMMY for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013 with "Love Bites (So Do I)," a track that still detonates mid-set. Arena gigs underscore their versatility: radio-ready hooks, snarling riffs, and a rhythm section that treats every chorus like an encore. Tours have ranged from intimate theater runs to co-headline blowouts with fellow heavyweights, and the band's road ethic keeps the setlists evolving. If you want your fall calendar to shake the bleachers, this is the ticket.
Big-ticket concerts are only half the autumn storyline; New England also hosts touring Broadway across historic houses and modern halls. Here are stage blockbusters worth the drive when the weather nudges you indoors.
Since 2003, Wicked has retold Oz from Elphaba and Glinda's perspective, pairing Stephen Schwartz's score ("Defying Gravity," "For Good") with gravity-defying staging. Its commercial footprint is colossal—by 2024 it had amassed $6+ billion worldwide—making it one of the most successful musicals ever. The tour brings the emerald-hued spectacle to regional palaces, with the orchestra's brassy punch intact. Expect a savvy balance of blockbuster scale and character intimacy; the friendship at its center lands even in the last row. For first-timers or repeat viewers, it's a fall tradition that still feels fresh.
MJ – The Musical opened on Broadway in 2021 with a book by two-time Pulitzer winner Lynn Nottage, focusing on the 1992 Dangerous World Tour's rehearsal window. It won multiple Tony Awards, including Best Actor for Myles Frost, who electrified audiences with note-for-note dance precision. Tours replicate Broadway's kinetic staging—from "Beat It" to "Billie Jean"—with a live band that makes the catalog crackle. Narrative beats stitch together artistry and ambition without attempting a cradle-to-grave biopic. If you grew up on those videos, seeing them reimagined in person is goosebumps-guaranteed.
A tender, wickedly funny original, Kimberly Akimbo follows a New Jersey teen with a rare aging condition navigating family chaos and first love. The show was the toast of Broadway, winning Best Musical at the 2023 Tony Awards alongside trophies for score and book. Its touring production preserves the heart: compact staging, knockout character songs, and a cast that plays heartbreak and humor in the same breath. The musical lands especially well in theaters where audiences are close enough to catch every facial shrug. Sometimes fall's best nights are small stories told beautifully.
Before you click "buy," it helps to know the rooms you'll be cheering in. Around Lewiston–Auburn and Greater Portland, these stages are easy to reach from campus and have resumes to match.
The Colisée (Lewiston)
Opened in 1958, this locally beloved arena (formerly Androscoggin Bank Colisée) has hosted everything from hockey to historic prizefights. In fact, Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II—one of boxing's most debated knockouts—was staged here in 1965, placing Lewiston on the global sports map for a night. For concerts, think flexible floor setups and a cozy bowl that amplifies crowd noise. It's the closest big indoor stage to Bates, perfect for quick trips between seminar and soundcheck.
Merrill Auditorium (Portland)
A Beaux-Arts gem opened in 1912, Merrill pairs plush sightlines with sterling acoustics and the famed Kotzschmar Organ. The seating capacity is about 1,900, making it ideal for orchestral pops, jazz, singer-songwriters, and touring musicals that play best in a lyric house. Renovations preserved period details while upgrading audience comfort and backstage tech. If you favor nuance over decibels, this is your room.
Cross Insurance Arena (Portland)
Formerly the Cumberland County Civic Center, this downtown arena opened in 1977 and underwent major renovations a decade ago. For concerts, the seating capacity reaches roughly 9,500, giving artists space for full-scale lighting rigs, catwalks, and jumbo video. Hockey and family shows fill the calendar, but touring rock and country remain its bread and butter. Pro tip: Pre-show bites in the Old Port turn a gig night into a mini-vacation.
Maine Savings Amphitheater (Bangor)
Set on the Penobscot waterfront, this open-air amphitheater (formerly Darling's Waterfront Pavilion) first launched in 2010 and has been upgraded in recent seasons. Depending on configuration, the concert capacity is up to about 16,000, making it northern New England's go-to for summer and early-fall mega-shows. The slope is friendly to sightlines, and river breezes make warm nights comfortable. Bring layers; by mid-October, sunset sets the vibe—and the temperature.
Bobcats-Only TicketSmarter Perk
Because Bates pride runs deep, here's a little boost for the fall slate: at checkout, use promo code BOBCATS5 for savings on eligible orders at TicketSmarter. It's our way of helping you turn a crisp evening into a concert memory, whether you're grabbing upper-deck sing-along seats or lining up for the pit. See you under the lights—go Bobcats!
