Once upon a time, crowds gathered in sweaty, dimly lit rooms to listen to music performed live by real flesh-and-blood musicians.

At times over the past year, it seemed uncertain if those days would ever return. With Oregon’s economic reopening at the end of June, however, local venue concert schedules are really filling up. Since you’re probably not used to keeping tabs on this stuff anymore, we’ve compiled a list of our picks for must-see local concerts, late summer and early fall.

First, local post-Taylor singer-songwriter Swift McKayla Marie performs her pop-folk and country music with great potential from Nashville on July 22 at the Soreng Theater in the Hult Center, as part of the 10X10 series. , a new initiative on a smaller scale concert hall productions.

Speaking of the 10X10 series, on August 22 the Illinois-based Brothers are playing their brand of folk music with exquisite selection and the kind of tight, heavenly harmonies only possible from identical twins, also at the Hult.

For tickets and more information on these two shows, visit HultCenter.org.

The concert schedule at Eugene’s downtown Sessions Music Hall really kicks off in September, with a long list of shows starting with Andy Frasco & The UN’s groove and funk pop on September 23, and the singer-songwriter. independent Andy Shauf on September 23. 25, among many others.

For times and tickets, visit SessionsMusicHall.com.

On September 11, Big Freedia returns to WOW Hall, playing a New Orleans hybrid of drag culture, hip hop and Mardi Gras frivolity called bounce music.

Michelle Zauner, a South Eugene High School graduate and indie rock musician, performs as Japanese Breakfast at WOW Hall on September 24 Jubilee, widely regarded as his best recording to date, as well as a new bestselling memoir titled Crying in H Mart.

For more information on these two shows, check out WoWHall.org.

On September 3, Cuthbert Amphitheater season picks up a bit later in the season, tempting rain with the Beach Boys, but not all the boys are back in town – missing Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. Electronic musicians change the tunes when Louis the Child and Porter Robinson take the stage on September 16 and 23, respectively.

As for The Shedd, we like bluesy composer Ruthie Foster on September 29 and haunting jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux on October 7.

McDonald Theater is also back, featuring the dark but dancing synth-pop quartet Future Islands, returning to Eugene on September 9, Austin, indie-blues and folk artist Shakey Graves on October 6, and pop singer. -country- songwriter Jordan Davis, October 7.

But maybe the crowning concert of the season at any venue is Wilco, returning to Eugene on October 8 at McDonald’s. It’s a busy night in town, however, because singer-songwriter Todd Snider also performs that same night at the Hult, so choose wisely.

This, of course, only scratches the surface of the many big concerts planned for the post or at least the end of the pandemic, and more and more shows are apparently being announced every day.

Other shows to watch out for later in the fall and winter include Phish at Matthew Knight Arena, Portland hard-rockers Red Fang at Sessions, the indie-pop group from Portland, Portugal. The Man at the Cuthbert, and – bust the Manic Panic – because the Violent Women are coming, also at the Cuthbert.