Some students are going to leave Columbus for the summer, but the city will continue to thrive throughout the break. Each week, I’ll highlight an aspect of entertainment scheduled to take place in Columbus this summer.

Columbus is going to be a major hotspot for music in the coming months and has many concerts scheduled to prove it. Ranging from high-profile artists to bands that haven’t been heard from for some time, there is something for almost everyone this summer. Whether you plan on staying around town or want to take a road trip back just to catch one of these shows, read on to see which performances I’m most excited for.

Relient K: May 14

As if this headlining act isn’t awesome enough on its own, there are also scheduled appearances by Hellogoodbye, William Beckett (of The Academy Is…) and Mike Mains & the Branches. That’s a whole lot of music for a single ticket, and all of these artists are well worth the investment. 

All of the artists involved have one thing in common: the genre of indie rock. This is a great concert option if you’re looking for a show to attend simply to listen to the music – no moshing required.

This concert is slated for May 14 at Newport Music Hall. Tickets for the event are $17 in advance and $20 the day of the show.

Cute Is What We Aim For: June 16

While the opener, Dangerous Summer, isn’t as exciting as the previous concert listed, I consider it just as worthy a show to attend. Cute Is What We Aim For brings me back to my middle school days anytime I listen to it, and I imagine seeing the band in concert would do the same for anyone else who was a wannabe scene kid back in the day, too.

The band has only released two studio albums during its entire history, so it’s likely many of the songs it plays will be those that made the band popular in the first place. So even if you haven’t listened to Cute Is What We Aim For in years, you won’t be totally left out in terms of knowing the set list.

This show is slated for June 16 at The Basement. Tickets for the event are $13 in advance and $15 the day of the show.

Fun.: July 14

Once again, the headlining band of this concert is only made better by the act appearing with it, and in this case that is Tegan and Sara. Whereas the previous shows mentioned will likely have mellow environments, this concert is sure to be a fiery burst of energy for its entire duration.

Because of the popularity of both of these artists, these tickets are likely to sell like hotcakes. The audiences of each don’t necessarily overlap, either, meaning some people might order tickets just to see one performance or the other. I recommend you order them as soon as you can to solidify your spot at what I’m certain is going to be an insanely great show.

This concert is scheduled for July 14 at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion. Tickets for the event are $35.