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Nickelback Rock Consol Energy Center September 17

Nickelback’s top-grossing “Dark Horse” tour, named in honor of their chart topping 2008 album of the same name, which had Chad Kroeger and the rest of the band performing in four continents including several and sometimes, repetitive stops in the US, is not showing signs of slowing down as another leg kicks off this fall.

The 25-city US trek will include a stop in Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center on September 17, Friday at 6:15 PM. Fellow rockers Three Days Grace and Buckcherry will tag along as support acts.

Tickets for the show will be available starting on July 17, Saturday at 10 AM EDT through Ticketmaster. Presale events include the Nickelback fan club presale happening on July 8, Thursday at 10 AM EDT, the AOL.com presale on July 9, Friday at 10 AM EDT and finally, the Citi Cardmember presale on July 12, Monday at 10 AM EDT. Ticket prices range from $47.25 to $85.25.

The band is still touring behind 2008’s “Dark Horse” which marks the sixth studio effort for the Canadian rock quartet and their third album to debut in the top 5 of the Billboard 200 (2001’s “Silver Side Up” also peaked at no.2 while 2005’s “All the Right Reasons” debuted atop the list).

A complete list of the band’s US fall tour schedule is posted on Nickelback’s website.

Paul McCartney in Pittsburgh for Two-night Stand August 18-19

Iconic and controversial musician Paul McCartney is slated to hit the road for his forthcoming “Up and Coming” tour which entails shows in both Europe and North America from June until mid-August.

The tour will kick off on June 12 in Dublin, Ireland and will bring the music legend back in the US as the tour closes with a two night performance in Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center on August 18 and 19, Wednesday and Thursday, both opening at 7:30 PM.

Paul McCartney Tickets for both shows will be available to the public on June 14, Monday at 10 AM EDT through Ticketmaster. A presale event for the August 18 show will be held exclusive for AMEX cardholders on June 9, Wednesday at 10 AM EDT and another presale opportunity will be brought by the Consol Energy Center Founding Partners on June 11, Friday at 10 AM EDT. Unfortunately, since the August 19 show has just been recently added, there are no presale events for this particular show.

Tickets are priced from $56.75 to $250 for both shows.

McCartney is still quite active in the music scene despite not releasing any studio albums since the release of “Memory Almost Full” in 2007. Aside from touring, he has recently released a couple of live compilations – “Good Evening New York” last fall and with an exclusive release in the UK and Ireland, last winter’s “Live in Los Angeles” which came in free with the Mail on Sunday broadsheet for only one day.

Roger Waters Returns to Pittsburgh after Four Years for “The Wall” Tour

It was 2006 when Pittsburgh last saw Pink Floyd’s front man, Roger Waters, perform. Now, after four years, Waters will be back to perform the band’s critically acclaimed 1979 concept album, The Wall, from cover to cover, yes, all 26 hits from the album, in a one night performance.

Catch Waters perform at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at exactly 8 PM. Show starts promptly at the said time since there will be no other performing acts.

You can buy your tickets starting on Monday, the 10th of May when tickets go on sale at 10 AM. AMEX cardholders can buy their presale tickets only from May 3 (Monday) 10 AM until May 9 (Sunday) 10 PM. Other presale tickets are also available on iTunes, Live Nation and AOL. Ticket prices are from $55 to $199.

Log on to Roger Waters Tour to view “The Wall”s complete tour dates and venues for all 33 cities across North America.

311 Drop Sick Beats in Pittsburgh June 22

311, known for their hits like “Amber” and “Love Song”, which can also be heard from the official soundtrack album of the movie “50 First Dates”, is set to perform tracks from their current album, “Uplifter” (2009), in Pittsburgh, PA.

They will be performing at Pittsburgh’s Trib Total Media Amphitheatre at Station Square (formerly known as The Amphitheatre at Station Square) on Tuesday, June 22 at 8 PM. Rock band Pepper will also play as support act.

Tickets go on sale to the public on April 17, Tuesday at 12 PM EDT through Ticketmaster. Presale tickets are also available via an internet presale beginning on April 14, Wednesday at 10 AM EDT. The show is entirely for general admission, meaning there will be no seats. Tickets are priced at $31. All Ages can be admitted and should have a ticket. The show will push through, rain or shine.

311 will also be part of this year’s upcoming “Unity Tour” which will kick off one week after their show in Pittsburgh. Their first stop for the said tour will be in Chicago followed by performances in 17 other US cities and finally concluding with a show in Chula Vista, CA. The Offspring will co-headline the tour along with 311.

To view 311’s complete tour schedule, visit 311′s tour page.

John Mayer Plays First Niagara Pavilion August 1

John Mayer, the artist who brought the hits “Your Body is a Wonderland”, “No Such Thing” and “Waiting on the World to Change”, will be on tour this summer to promote his new album, “Battle Studies”.

John Mayer’s summer tour will span for two months and will involve 34 cities across the US and Canada. To open the August leg of his tour is a one-night performance at the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA on August 1, Sunday at 7:30 PM.

Fans can lock down their tickets starting on April 17, Saturday at 10 AM EDT via Ticketmaster. Early bird tickets are also available through the JohnMayer.com presale happening on April 12, Monday at 10 AM EDT, the Citi cardholder presale on April 14, Wednesday at 10 AM EDT and the Live Nation Presale on April 16, Friday at 10 AM EDT.

Tickets are priced at $49.50 to $69.50 for pavilion seats and $36 for lawn seating.

“Battle Studies” follows John Mayer’s third studio album “Continuum” which was released in 2006 and from which the hits “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Gravity” were taken from. “Studies” was produced by Mayer and Steve Jordan, and has sounds reminiscent of the California rock-pop beats of the 70s and 80s.

Lady Gaga Dazzles Consol Energy Center September 5

Lady Gaga is set to perform in Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Center twice in a span of 5 months so there’s no reason for her fans to miss out on this. Her first scheduled performance is on September 5, 2010 at 8 PM. Tickets for this date will go on sale on April 9, 2010 at 10 AM. Citi Cardholders and Virgin Mobile subscribers can avail of presale tickets only from April 6, 10 AM until April 8, 5 PM.

Her second scheduled performance will be on February 26, 2011 also at 8 PM. Tickets for this date will go on sale to the public on May 14, 2010 at 10 AM. Presale tickets can be availed by Citi Cardholders only from May 11, 10 AM until May 13, 5PM. Other presale tickets can be availed via Live Nation, Radio and at the venue itself only on May 13, from 10 AM until 5 PM. Both shows will go onsale via Ticketmaster. Ticket prices for both events are from $49.50 to $175.

Both concerts are part of Lady Gaga’s North American leg of “The Monster Ball” tour which will have various stops at US and Canadian cities and is also set to conquer Europe in the fall. Log on to LadyGaga.com, for “The Monster Ball”’s complete tour schedule.

Kings of Leon Rocks First Niagara Pavilion September 7

Nashville rockers Kings of Leon aren’t slowing down their engine one iota as the white-hot band prepares for its coming 32-city trek across North America. The band is slated to be at First Niagara Pavilion on Tuesday, September 7 at 7:30pm. For a full listing of KOL tour dates, visit Kings of Leon Online. The band continues to tour in support of their latest effort “Only by the Night” which was released in September 2008 and has turned platinum four times over.

Tickets for the Phoenix date go onsale to the general public through Ticketmaster on Saturday, March 20 at 12pm. There will be a presale for Citicard members on Friday, March 19 at 10am. Card members can access this onsale by entering the first 6 digits of your card number in the password field. Ticket prices range from $50.50 to $30.50.

Iron Maiden Bring the Metal to First Niagara on July 14

Metal aficionados Iron Maiden have just exited the studio to wrap their upcoming album “The Final Frontier,” and the band is set to take on North America. Iron Maiden will be landing in Pittsburgh’s First Niagara Pavilion on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:30pm. For full tour information, visit Iron Maiden Tour. Prog-metal group Dream Theater will provide opening support for Iron Maiden.

Tickets go onsale to the general public through Ticketmaster.com on Saturday, March 20 at 10am. On Wednesday, March 17 at 10am, there is a fan club presale. Ticket prices will run from $85 to $39.50 for PIT and pavilion seating, and general admission lawns run $25 a piece. Be aware that some of the seating for this show is paperless tickets meaning you’ll need to provide your ID and the credit card used to purchase the tickets to enter the venue. It can be a major inconvenience if you are meeting part of your party at the pavilion so just plan accordingly.

James Taylor & Carole King at Mellon Arena June 26

70s singer-songwriter icons James Taylor and Carole King are joining forces for a world tour in 2010, and they are parking their tour in Pittsburgh at Mellon Arena on June 26. The collaboration brings the pair together who both got their start at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in the early 70s. The duo came up with the idea after playing a tribute concert for the Troubadour’s 50 Anniversary celebration in 2007. Full tour dates for the upcoming trek can be viewed at JamesTaylor.com.

Tickets for the Mellon Arena concert will go onsale to the general public on Saturday, March 20 at 10 am. There will be a presale for American Express cardholders on Saturday, March 13 at 10 am as well as a Mellon Arena presale on Friday, March 19 at 10 am. Ticket prices range from $350 for the VIP seating beside the stage to $65 for seats in the upper echelon of the arena.

Tom Petty to Break Hearts at First Niagara Pavilion July 24

Tom Petty is readying his first studio album in 10 years. The album entitled “Mojo” doesn’t have a release date, but that hasn’t stopping Petty from hitting the road to support his coming work. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have outlined a 36-city tour that will make its way to Pittsburgh’s First Niagara Pavilion on Saturday, July 24 at 7:30pm. For information on other stops on the upcoming tour, visit Tom Petty’s website.

Tickets for the First Niagara show go onsale to the general public via Ticketmaster on Monday, March 15 at 10am. Fan club members will have a shot at presale tickets on Tuesday, March 9 at 10am as well as Citi cardholders and Live Nation/venue members who will get access on Thursday, March 11 at 10am. Tickets top out at $125 for pavilion seating and go to $49.50 while the general admission lawn ticket will get you in the door for $35.