The dog days of summer are here, and Sirius the Dog Star is promising some Rochester music worth barking at. From Steel Drum versions of Guns N’ Roses and the local hip-hop sounds of Arketype colliding with the 70’s era disco-soul of Sister Sledge, the Med City music scene is once again bursting at the seams this August.
The seven shows featured in this roundup barely scratch the surface of the live music you could hear in the Med City this August. Do the thing. Get out there and listen before the sounds of August pass your ears by!
Riverside Concert Series | Sister Sledge and Adam Bohanan
DATE + TIME: Sunday August 2 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Mayo Memorial Park | 30 Civic Center Drive SE
TICKETS: FREE
Do you have all your sisters with you? Because Sister Sledge is coming to town. With a little bit of disco, R&B and Philly Soul, Sister Sledge is sure to get you groovin’ and movin’. Sister Sledge sold more than 20 million records all across the globe and is one of the highest-selling female groups from the 1970s. The Sister Sledge song “We Are Family” became an inductee in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Adam Bohanan will open the night. A Twin Cities-based musician and songwriter he draws inspiration from soul, jazz, funk, and R&B. He sounds a bit like a cross between D’Angelo and Stevie Wonder, and he was a semifinalist on Season 26 of The Voice. Pull up a lawn chair, pack your picnic or visit a food truck, and enjoy the people watching while you take in a free concert that is part of the Rochester Public Music’s Riverside Concert Series. This free concert is fun for the whole family.
The Pop Out 2026: BArketype, Flowers4Guilt, Nxtbot, and POMO
DATE + TIME: Friday August 7 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Treedome Vinyl & Vintage | 309 S. Broadway, Rochester
TICKETS: $10
Arketype Entertainment is presenting some of Rochester’s up-and-coming young artists at one of its most intriguing DIY venues. On August 7th, Treedome Vintage and Vinyl will be home to an epic mashup of hip-hop, metal, EDM, and punk music from Arketype, Flowers4Guilt, Nxtbot+4Dimensions and POMO.
Arketype Entertainment is a music collective headed up by JDEL and Jay Medica based in Rochester. A hip-hop project, Arketype occasionally features a live band backing up its lyricists. Their tracks include some killer hooks. Take a listen to songs like “Bottle Talk” and “47 Laws.” Flowers4Guilt has been a rising force in Rochester’s metalcore scene and has played some sweaty and packed shows alongside the likes of Bunny Blood and Mary Jam. The Pop Out 2026 promises a rowdy night of genre-bending fun brought together by a love of local.
Incognito
DATE + TIME: Saturday August 8 | 8:00pm
LOCATION: The Workshop | 1232 3rd Ave SE
TICKETS: FREE
Ready to get corny? Make a pilgrimage to the Rochester dining establishment with perhaps the best view of the iconic corn tower and bust a move to one of Rochester’s longest running bands. For 40 years, Incognito has been bringing its high energy horn-powered music to the Rochester Area. Founded by tenor sax player Kevin McGarry, Incognito performs everything from Bruno Mars to Earth, Wind & Fire.
The Workshop Food Hall and Bar, situated in a remodeled 1930’s-era canning factory, is a culinary adventure. The restaurant and bar features food from five different restaurants including Julio’s Tacos and Reid’s Pizza. Whether you want fried chicken or a sweet dessert, The Workshop has you covered. The live music is icing on the cake.
Riverside Concert Series | Better Than Ezra and Marina City
DATE + TIME: Sunday August 9 | 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Mayo Memorial Park 30 Civic Center Drive SE
TICKETS: FREE
Have you been “Desperately Wanting” to hear a “Good” concert? Never fear Ezralites, Better Than Ezra is finally here. This band has been successfully making alternative rock music since albums were released on cassette tapes. They have released nine studio albums with their most recent in 2024: “Super Magick.” The band’s music has appeared on lists like Billboard’s “100 Greatest Alternative Artists of All Time.”
Opening act Marina City is a Chicago-based alternative pop rock band. Check out the band’s “Reflections Vol I” EP. “Run through the wet grass,” at Mayo Memorial park to get to this show. Be sure to pack your picnic or visit a food truck. Enjoy the people watching while you take in a free concert that is part of the Rochester Public Music’s Riverside Concert Series. This free concert is fun for the whole family.
Clay Fulton and the Lost 40
DATE + TIME: Tuesday August 11 | 5:00-8:00 pm
LOCATION: Smooth Summer Nights at Sargent’s North – 7955 18th Ave NW Rochester
TICKETS: FREE
Smooth Summer nights is a concert series intended to bring the community together. This free event encourages everyone to pack their lawn chairs and enjoy some music along with their neighbors amid the beautiful setting of blooming plants at Sargent’s, a garden supply store. The event is sponsored by Merchants Bank and food and drink from local vendors will be available for purchase.
Clay Fulton & the Lost 40 is a well-loved roots rock and Americana band from Rochester. The band has performed at some of the state’s most iconic venues like First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry. It has also been featured at regional festivals like the Blue Ox Music Festival. The band’s music is sincere in a way that makes even the most vulnerable topics seem beautiful. Get ready to enjoy an evening full of original music moving from the introspective to the extroverted.
Thesis 7th Anniversary Bash
DATE + TIME: Saturday August 15 | 2:00-10:00pm
LOCATION: Thesis Beer Project | 1929 2nd St SW, Rochester
TICKETS: FREE
Help Thesis Beer Project, one of Rochester’s most beloved music venues, celebrate their 7th anniversary. With fabulous beers like Citrus Mistress and Thesis Pieces and one of the best live-music stages in Rochester, this joint never disappoints. To celebrate their 7th anniversary, they are putting on a concert featuring a whole afternoon and night of music with five different bands.
Catch the roots music of Winona’s Mike Munson at 2 p.m. He’ll be followed by one of Rochester’s young stand outs, singer and songwriter Eleanor Sievers, from 3:30-5 p.m. Audrey Robinson will bring her troubadourian tunes from 5:30-6:45. The soulful stylings of LaSonya Natividad and her duo partner Rock Schultz appearing as Acoustic Soul will take the stage from 7:15-8:30 p.m. Rochester’s best-loved brass band, Loud Mouth Brass, will turn up the volume from 9-10 p.m. Come out to support local music and local beer.
The Pan-Handlers Steel Drum Band presented by Harmony for Mayo
DATE + TIME: Monday August 24 | 12:00 pm
LOCATION: Peace Plaza at 1st Avenue SW & 1st Street SW
TICKETS: FREE
It’s time to get tropical with the Pan-Handlers Steel Drum Band. The community-band features the vibrant sounds of the Caribbean steel drum which was originally created from empty steel drums washed up on Carribean shores. Founded in 2014, the group performs everything from traditional steel pan tunes to favorites by Guns N’ Roses, Prince, and the Beatles. This large ensemble features a variety of steel drums and other modern instruments like drum set and bass.
The Harmony for Mayo concert series presents free concerts from noon-1 p.m. on the Peace Plaza stage outside the Gonda Building every Monday except first Mondays of the month. The series is presented by the Mayo Clinic Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine.
