Heavy metal is economic development.

The Music Cities™ makes the case for the cultural and economic value of heavy metal by giving visibility to the bands and scenes that deserve it. This is the calendar we actually follow: Florida’s metal venues, the Japanese watch list, marquee festivals and new releases. Last updated Nov 9, 2026.

Arch Enemy on stage at Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Concert review

Arch Enemy, Three Sightings

Three shows in ten weeks, two of them forty-eight hours apart with the same five bands and the same running order. What is left to vary is the room — Wacken, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg.

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All reviews →
SAKI — PLUVIA album cover SAKI — PLUVIA. Our No Skip Review, plus the track-by-track video. Read → Rolling Quartz interview Rolling Quartz — Growing Hard Rock in Korea. Our full interview. Watch → Nini — LEGENDS Nini — LEGENDS. Our No Skip Review. Read →
Field Trips

Where we go next. Two weeks across Japan this November — four metal show nights from Tokyo to Kawasaki.

Don't miss

On our radar right now

The high-priority shows we're actually building around — marquee acts, confirmed field trips, the ones worth planning your week around.

NOV 10

Rush @ Benchmark International Arena

Benchmark International Arena — Tampa — FL

Rush — Fifty Something Tour, with Anika Nilles on drums alongside Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Tampa stop at Benchmark International Arena, doors/show 7:30 PM. Tickets via Ticketmaster. A second Tampa night on Nov 11 is listed by ticket aggregators but not yet confirmed against…

NOV 12

Forbidden

Conduit — Winter Park (Orlando) — FL

Forbidden — "Chaos By Design" Tour. Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave, Winter Park (Orlando), FL. Show 6:00 PM. Bay Area thrash originals in a 400-cap room. Forbidden almost never route this far south, and Conduit is a fraction of the size of the rooms they play elsewhere on this…

NOV 14

SiM

Come and Take It Live — Austin — TX

SiM — HOOMAN AFTER ALL World Tour 2026 NA leg

NOV 16

Pain of Truth + Madball + Rotting Out + 2 more

Lincoln's Beard Brewing — Miami — FL

Pain of Truth's North America 2026 run hits Miami with a stacked hardcore support bill.

NOV 16

Periphery + Ne Obliviscaris

Jannus Live — St. Petersburg — FL

Prog-metal headliner with Ne Obliviscaris and Greyhaven. Strongest metal booking on the Jannus fall calendar.

NOV 19

Corrosion of Conformity + The Sword @ Vinyl Music Hall

Vinyl Music Hall — Pensacola — FL

Co-headline run with Hippie Death Cult opening. Announced late August; this is the tour closer and the only Florida stop — panhandle, so a longer haul than the usual I-4 corridor dates.

Coming up next

The next nine on the calendar

Across every bucket, soonest first. Use the bucket pages for the full lists.

NOV 9

SiM @ Lincoln Theatre

Lincoln Theatre — Raleigh — NC

SiM — HOOMAN AFTER ALL world tour, North American leg. Tickets: https://tix.soundrink.com/tours/sim

NOV 10

The Brook + The Bluff

Culture Room — Fort Lauderdale — FL

The Brook & The Bluff (The Werewolf Tour) with Ryman at Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D0064C322E0C951

NOV 10

Rush @ Benchmark International Arena

Benchmark International Arena — Tampa — FL

Rush — Fifty Something Tour, with Anika Nilles on drums alongside Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Tampa stop at Benchmark International Arena, doors/show 7:30 PM. Tickets via Ticketmaster. A second Tampa night on Nov 11 is listed by ticket aggregators but not yet confirmed against…

NOV 10

Gunshine

Banyan Live — West Palm Beach — FL

Band: Gunshine Venue: The Banyan Live, West Palm Beach FL Date/time: Tue Nov 10 2026, doors 5 PM / show 5:30 PM · 18+ Tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/43473171/gunshine-west-palm-beach-the-banyan-live

NOV 10

SiM @ The Basement East

The Basement East — Nashville — TN

SiM — HOOMAN AFTER ALL world tour, North American leg. Tickets: https://tix.soundrink.com/tours/sim

NOV 10

Ace Frehley Band

Whisky a Go Go — West Hollywood — CA

Ace Frehley Band — Ex-KISS guitarist solo project.

NOV 11

Wolf and Bear

Conduit — Winter Park (Orlando) — FL

Wolf and Bear — "A Hill to Die On" Tour in Orlando. Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave, Winter Park (Orlando), FL. Show 7:00 PM. Source: Conduit venue calendar sweep.

NOV 12

Risky Melody

Shinjuku ANTIKNOCK — Tokyo

Tickets: https://livepocket.jp/e/love_d17

NOV 12

Hawthorne Heights + letlive.

Jannus Live — St. Petersburg — FL

Hawthorne Heights celebrate the 20th anniversary of If Only You Were Lonely under the Jannus courtyard lights, with letlive. and Creeper in support — the night before their Revolution Live stop in Fort Lauderdale. Doors 6:00 PM. Tickets:…

The scenes

Pick your beat

Each tile is its own page — bucket, count, and the editorial scope behind it.

Scene briefs

Editorial dashboards

Deep-dive pages for specific trips and festivals. Hand-built briefs beyond the calendar.

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