Berlin concerts: The best live music in October 2024

When it comes to quality live music, few places can match the sheer variety of Berlin’s bustling concert scene. This month, entering the Hauptstadt‘s countless venues might at times feel like stepping into a time machine, taking us back into the glorious era of early aughts emo punk, low-rise jeans and indie sleaze.

From conscious gangster rap straight out of 2000s Kreuzberg to nostalgic lo-fi as last heard on MTV, artists are wholeheartedly embracing the great Y2K renaissance – which doesn’t mean there’s no room for creativity and innovation. More than that, with Jazzfest’s 60th anniversary edition coming up, Berlin jazzophiles are in for an especially good time this month.

Tue, Oct 1

BoySetsFire

Blame it on the rockstar lifestyle, but usually hardcore bands don’t last longer than one or two album cycles – making it all the more gratifying when a universally loved group like BoySetsFire gets to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Though the Delaware rockers haven’t put out an album in a while, their politically charged punk anthems haven’t lost any of their bite, still radiating that angry, satisfying, unadulterated 2000s emo we’re so desperately craving. With singer Nat Gray having announced their departure from the band, the group is set to return to Berlin for a final round of bittersweet goodbyes.

Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 105-113, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Thu, Oct 3

A Place to Bury Strangers

Much has been written about the Brooklyn rock group’s eccentric, eardrum shattering live shows – but ultimately their concerts are something better experienced than described. Lucky for us, the self-proclaimed “loudest band in New York” is headed to Berlin soon, bringing their unique and deliberately chaotic blend of avant-garde, indie, noise-rock and shoegaze along with them.

Metropol, Nollendorfplatz 5, Charlottenburg, doors at 19:00, details

KOKOKO!

The Congolese music collective combines multilingual lyricism with uplifting experimental dance music, creating a uniquely vibrant sound that’s nothing short of mesmerising. Transforming scrap metal, plastic bottles, tin cans and other discarded junk into musical instruments live on stage, the Kinshasa-based groups’ performances are a visual highlight as well.

Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:30, details

Sat, Oct 5

John Moods

Somewhere between Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’, The Beach Boys’ ‘Kokomo’ and Jimmy Buffet’s ‘Margaritaville’, there must be place where John Moods spends his days lying in a meadow with his guitar, tirelessly cranking out his romantic outsider pop tunes, song after song, banger after banger. The Berlin singer’s latest record ‘The Great Design’ draws inspiration from both traditional acoustic songwriting and groovy 1980s yacht rock, all tied together by Moods’ dreamy lyrics and soft, high-pitched voice.

Neue Zukunft, Alt-Stralau 68, Friedrichshain, doors at 19:00, details

Thu, Oct 10

Conic Rose

With their genre-bending ambient indie hybrid sound, young Berlin-based quartet Conic Rose are a breath of fresh air in the world of alternative jazz. Their debut record ‘Heller Tag’ (“bright day”) delivers exactly what the title promises – the soothing, joyful, and at times sentimental soundtrack for a stroll through the city on a bright late summer day.

Gretchen, Obentrautstr., 19-21, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:30, details

Oum Shatt

Founded in 2012 by Prenzlauer Berg musician Jonas Poppe, the four-piece artrock group put out exactly one incredibly well-received album before unexpectedly vanishing into thin air. Eight years later – with their long-awaited sophomore record out and new tour dates coming up – Oum Shatt are finally bringing their Middle Eastern inspired krautrock back to the stage.

Lido, Cuvrystr. 7, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Fri, Oct 11

José James

Blurring the lines between traditional and contemporary jazz and effortlessly weaving in elements of hip hop, soul and funk, José James has made himself a name as one of the defining jazz vocalists of his generation. James’ latest studio album 1978 is an homage to the singer’s year of birth – an era of musical transformation when new and old styles began to mingle and hip hop was born out of the basement clubs of the Bronx.

Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details

Sat, Oct 12

Papke

Listening to the gangster rapper’s rough boom-bap and techno rap tracks feels like being transported back to the Berlin of the early aughts, when hip hop crews like Aggro Berlin set out to provoke and polarise with their offensive descriptions of the Hauptstadt’s violent underground. Though Papke’s tracks, too, are stellar material to shock your in-laws with your obscene music taste, the rapper does go a step further, calling out the structural inequalities and hypocrisy responsible for problems like poverty and crime in the first place.

Lido, Cuvrystr. 7, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest 2024

With Heavy Psych Sounds Fest returning to the city, this weekend is going to be a blast for anyone fond of smashing guitar riffs and head-banging basslines. The two-day festival – held at Urban Spree on Saturday and Huxleys Neue Welt on Sunday – features some of the biggest names in contemporary acid and stoner rock like Fu Manchu and Nightstalker.

Urban Spree, Revaler Str. 99, Friedrichshain, doors at 17:00, details; and Oct 13 at Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 105-113, Kreuzberg, doors at 16:00, details.

Sun, Oct 13

Goat Girl

Just as the world has changed since the release of the post punk trio’s last album, so has their music. Goat Girl’s third record ‘Below the Waste’ is notably darker, more serious than its predecessors. Layered synth pads, distorted guitars, some surprising samples and singer Lottie Pendlebury’s apathetic yet captivating voice blend together seamlessly, creating a distinct feeling of uneasiness that perfectly matches the politically aware content of the album.

Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Tue, Oct 15

Hiatus Kaiyote

Undoubtedly one of this year’s musical highlights, the Aussie quartet’s ambitious fourth studio album ‘Love Heart Cheat Code’ is as eclectic and extravagant as ever. Front singer Nai Palm is a force on her own, but the real highlight are the band’s meticulously crafted, endlessly groovy neo soul soundscapes. Head over to Huxleys for their biggest Berlin gig yet – if you weren’t a fan before, you probably will be after.

Huxleys Neue Welt, Hasenheide 105-113, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details

Thu, Oct 17

Okay Kaya

Norwegian-American artist Okay Kaya creates enchanting indie art pop (not just) for chronically online zoomers. The singer’s latest album Oh my God – That’s So Me was entirely written, recorded and produced by herself, somewhere in the tranquil countryside outside of Oslo. Lyrically, the record is enthralling and beautifully weird, including a reimagining of Camus’ Sisyphus (from the perspective of the stone) and a heart-breaking tribute to the Groke – a chronically depressed purple monster from the Scandinavian “Moomin” book series. The girls that get it, get it.

Quasimodo, Kantstr. 12A, doors at 21:00, Charlottenburg, details.

Sat, Oct 19

Lebanon Hanover

Based between Berlin and Newcastle, musical duo Lebanon Hanover are known for their slick minimalist dark wave, managing to reflect both the serenity of the British countryside and the gray concrete deserts of brutalist East Berlin. Crafted with an almost surgical precision, their synth and reverb-heavy goth anthems sound like Kraftwerk, The Cure and The Smiths secretly had a baby that grew up to be a sexy vampire microdosing ketamine.

Festsaal Kreuzberg, Am Flutgraben 2, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Arooj Aftab

Universally acclaimed jazz singer Arooj Aftab didn’t take much time off after becoming the first ever Pakistani artist to win a Grammy in 2022 and a subsequent tour marathon around the globe. On her fourth studio album ‘Night Rein’, the masterful vocalist continues to mesmerise with hypnotic and endlessly beautiful jazz fusion ballads in both Urdu and English.

Heimathafen Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Str. 141, Neukölln, doors at 20:00, details.

Mon, Oct 21

Pat Metheny

October is going to be a great month for Berlin jazzophiles and Pat Metheny’s guest appearance at Berliner Philharmonie will undoubtedly be one of its highlights. The only artist in the world to have won a Grammy in 10 different categories, the 70-year-old guitar virtuoso has long been hailed as one of the all-time greats.

Philharmonie Berlin, Herbert-von-Karajan-Str. 1, Tiergarten, starts 20:00, details.

Tue, Oct 22

Theo Croker

For someone who opened his last album with the words “jazz is dead”, trumpeter Theo Croker sure is doing a lot to keep its spirit alive and well. The Florida native pays tribute to the great African-American forebears of the genre where it’s due but does not shy away from innovation either, incorporating elements of hip hop, pop and even electronic music into his captivating pieces. With musicians like Croker reinventing the scene, jazz certainly ain’t dead yet – it might actually be about to be reborn.

Gretchen, Obentrautstr. 19-21, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:30, details.

Wed, Oct 23

Andreya Casablanca

Celebrating the release of her solo debut album ‘See More Class/, Andreya Casablanca (one half of Berlin-based indie duo Gurr) expects you at shabby Kotti bar Monarch for an ecstatic Wednesday night dance party. The new record is a unique blend of dirty garage rock and MTV-esque electro pop, oozing with uber-cool Y2K zeitgeist.

Monarch Bar, Skalitzer Str. 134, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Thu, Oct 24

Jembaa Groove

Based in the Hauptstadt, the international jazz septet combines decades of experience in acclaimed jazz formations with influences from Berlin subculture and West African grooves. Recorded and produced between Germany and Ghana, their latest 8-track record ‘Ye Ankasa | We Ourselves’ reflects the band’s melting pot approach more than ever.

Hole44, Hermannstr. 146, Neukölln, doors at 19:00, details.

Sat, Oct 26

Anna Erhard

If this year’s massive indie sleaze revival has taught us anything, it’s that a cocky yet charming attitude never goes out of fashion – and few do it better than Swiss musician Anna Erhard. The singer’s third solo album ‘Botanical Garden’ is a playful take on 2000s lo-fi and indie rock. Lyrically, the record mainly consists of ironic commentary from a goofball narrator navigating the everyday frustrations of life in the big city (“I don’t wanna see the Blue Man Group, so please don’t make me”). It’s witty, hilarious and worth a trip to Privatclub this weekend!

Privatclub, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, Kreuzberg, doors at 19:00, details.

Sun, Oct 27

Babehoven

With their new album ‘Water’s Here in You’, Hudson Valley-based duo Maya Bon and Ryan Albert delivered the kind of wistful, hyper-melodic indie rock tunes we urgently needed to kickstart our annual autumn melancholia. Grab your loved one(s) and head over to Neue Zukunft for a magical slow dancing session beneath the Friedrichshain stars.

Neue Zukunft, Alt-Stralau 68, Friedrichshain, doors at 19:00, details.

Tue, Oct 29

Kelly Lee Owens

For Welsh producer Kelly Lee Owens, electronic music is far more than “just” entertainment. Exploring the “connection between healing and music”, the DJ and vocalist has developed her own enchanting style of lush, dreamy techno pop you’ll want to lose yourself in.

Säälchen, Holzmarktstr. 25, Friedrichshain doors at 19:00, details.

Wed, Oct 30

YEAHRS

Supported by local acts Roomer and Nothing Works, Berlin-based post punk quartet YEAHRS is celebrating the release of their long-awaited debut album ‘Spiritual Sickness’ at Schokoladen in Mitte. It’s a smashing record that proves the band’s versatility, ranging from post punk and grunge to soulful, shoegazy walls of sound. You’re cordially invited to headbang your autumn blues away!

Schokoladen, Ackerstr. 169, Mitte, doors at 19:00, details.

Thu, Oct 31

Jack Botts

If you thought the era of the lovable surfer-boy-turned-singer-songwriter à la Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz was over, well, think again. Throwing another Jack into the mix, Gold Coast-based singer Jack Botts has been making waves with his life-affirming take on American folk pop, feeling like a romantic hayride through the Australian outback.

Lark, Holzmarktstr. 15-18, Friedrichshain, door at 19:00, details

Jazzfest Berlin

As you’ve probably noticed, Berlin is in a bit of a jazz craze this month. Thanks to Jazzfest Berlin’s 60th anniversary edition, a heap of exciting, forward-thinking artists are set to perform at Haus der Festspiele, A-Trane and Quasimodo, among others. Check their website for an overview of the many gigs, panels and workshops Jazzfest Berlin has got to offer this year – we’ll catch you there.