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When the sycamores along Main Street go gold and the air smells like tailgates and cider, evenings around Capital University begin to glow in a different way. Bexley is perfectly placed for a live-show semester: you can be downtown in minutes for arena spectacles, grab a sweater for an outdoor lawn at the riverfront, or duck into a jewel-box theater where a pin-drop ballad floats all the way to the balcony. This guide is tuned to how Comets actually live—classes, practice, campus jobs, and a smart plan for the nights in between. Think pop juggernauts, folk choruses that hit like bonfires, virtuosic bluegrass, and a trio of touring musicals that make a Tuesday feel like opening night. Ready your group chat, hydrate, and let Columbus set your fall soundtrack.
A Chicago original who broke wide in the early 2010s, Chance the Rapper fused church-choir uplift with city-block storytelling and brass-band bounce. His breakout mixtapes showed how a streaming-first artist could build arena scale, and tours since then have kept the celebration front and center. Live, he favors full bands, horns, and call-and-response hooks that turn the floor into a neighborhood parade. Setlists thread youthful snapshots with reflective adulthood, so a confession can sit right next to a confetti moment. It's generous, communal hip-hop that leaves you grinning on the walk back to the car.
Lainey Wilson grew from small-town Louisiana gigs to headliner status on the strength of clear-eyed storytelling and a roadhouse groove. Songs like "Heart Like a Truck" and "Watermelon Moonshine" read like postcards you can sing, and her band leans into steel-guitar sparkle and Southern-rock chug. After early club circuits and festival afternoons, her tours now fill arenas without losing front-porch warmth. She's picked up major awards along the way, but onstage it's the unhurried presence and easy jokes that win crowds. Expect a set that moves from tender to foot-stomping and makes even the rafters feel like a front row.
The Lumineers helped shape 2010s folk-pop, but their concerts never feel stamped-out. They scale intimacy with multi-instrument swaps, harmony stacks, and dynamic lighting that breathes with the songs. Hits like "Ho Hey" and "Ophelia" arrive as communal singalongs, while deep cuts get re-arranged to spotlight piano or cello. The pacing is deliberate—hushed verses, then a hurricane chorus that resets your pulse. If you're craving the warmth of a campfire chorus without leaving the city, this is the vibe.
Lorde reshaped radio in 2013 with "Royals," proving that minimal beats and a novelist's eye could conquer arenas. Each era has looked different—shadowy, neon-confessional, or sun-soaked—but she keeps intimacy central with arrangements that transform familiar tracks onstage. Awards came early, yet the shows still feel curious and human, full of knowing smiles between emotional spikes. Expect moments where a single piano line silences the room, followed by "Green Light" detonating into full-body motion. It's pop that invites both reflection and release, tailor-made for chilly nights.
Billy Strings treats bluegrass like a living organism—tradition at the roots, improvisation in the crown. He built his legend the old-school way, touring relentlessly until word-of-mouth turned clubs into amphitheaters. Onstage, his band listens as fiercely as it plays, so a high-lonesome ballad can bloom into a psychedelic sprint and back without a seam showing. A GRAMMY for a studio release affirmed the craft, but the live show is the proof, complete with surprise covers and mid-song ovations. For musicianship you feel in your sternum, he's the bar to clear.
Tate McRae arrived as a dancer who could sing and now tours as a singer whose movement deepens every chorus. She's scaled steadily from theaters to arenas with crisp choreography, sharp lighting cues, and a rhythm section that gives her pop hits real punch. The arc toggles from high-velocity bangers to piano confessionals that show off control and tone. Fans show up knowing the ad-libs, which turns new releases into instant call-and-response. If you want kinetic spectacle with an intimate center, this is a smart pick.
Since the late '90s, Neko Case has braided alt-country, indie rock, and art-pop into songs that feel carved from weather. Her concerts prize dynamics—telecasters that chime and hush, harmonies that braid and break open, lyrics that linger. She excels in theaters where textures read clearly, but her presence can command bigger rooms by letting silence do half the work. Expect a curated survey of a singular catalog, including left-turn deep cuts that land like short stories. It's a night that rewards close listening and stays with you for days.
MercyMe turned mid-'90s beginnings into a decades-long run by pairing melodic pop-rock with messages built for communal singalongs. Their shows feel more like gatherings than spectacles: modern lights and sound, yes, but always in service of connection. Setlists dip into a deep album bench while keeping the through-line of hope and uplift. The band's stagecraft is unflashy and confident, giving harmonies and refrains room to do the heavy lifting. If you want to leave humming, this is your easy-smile evening.
Launched from Northern California garages into turn-of-the-millennium radio, Papa Roach welded hard-rock bite to hip-hop cadence and kept evolving. Decades of touring honed a show built on crowd energy: call-and-response hooks, nonstop motion, and pacing that treats every chorus like a heavyweight round. Expect classics with fresh snarl and newer tracks that punch through on their own merits. The frontman works a room like a point guard—sprinting, leaping, and timing handoffs so the balcony feels like the barricade. For catharsis disguised as cardio, this is the pit.
Sabrina Carpenter made the leap to arena headliner by pairing glitter-bright pop with a voice that slices cleanly through confetti and catwalks. Her shows run on momentum: clever banter, precision choreography, and a band that flips from gloss to grit as needed. The sequencing is tight, weaving chart-toppers with fan-favorite deep cuts so there's no dead air. She's also mastered the big-room wink—those tiny jokes that make thousands feel like insiders. It's polished, playful, and engineered for group-chat memories.
Foreigner's catalog was built for arenas—"Juke Box Hero," "Cold as Ice," and that lighter-raising crest, "I Want to Know What Love Is." Formed in the '70s, the band balances modern production with proudly old-school showmanship: spotlight solos, stacked harmonies, and immaculate pacing. Crowds arrive pre-wired; muscle memory kicks in by the second verse. Even so, the live arrangements have snap, keeping familiar hits from feeling museum-glass safe. If your fall needs a guaranteed singalong, you've found it.
Benson Boone's ascent from social-media covers to headlining stages rests on skyscraping hooks and an unguarded stage persona. He balances full-band anthems with stripped-back moments that put falsetto and phrasing in the spotlight. The result is a modern pop night with actual dynamic range—big drops, soft landings, and a finale that sticks. He's generous with crowd interaction, a neat trick for making an arena feel conversational. Expect to leave with a new favorite song you didn't know walking in.
Touring theater brings a different thrill: orchestras under the stage, choreography that reads to the balcony, and stories you carry into the cool night air. These productions pair familiar titles with fresh staging that plays beautifully across Columbus houses.
Inspired by Alicia Keys' formative New York years,
Hell's Kitchen threads R&B swagger through a coming-of-age story about grit, mentorship, and finding your voice. The score reframes hits and deep cuts with theatrical stakes, while the book makes room for humor in between big emotional swings. Staging favors movement—dancers weave through scenes like heartbeat and breath—so transitions feel musical even before a measure begins. A live band adds snap and shine, giving familiar motifs new lift in a theater. If you love pop songs with narrative weight, it's a goosebumps-and-groove kind of night.
Based on S. E. Hinton's classic,
The Outsiders uses a rock-leaning score to explore loyalty, class, and the fragile work of becoming yourself. The production's kinetic choreography and cinematic lighting translate rumble scenes into stage pictures that thrum. Quieter moments land with unexpected intimacy, letting Ponyboy's narration feel like a secret shared. Awards greeted the Broadway bow, but touring casts have kept the performances raw and present-tense. For anyone who read the book in school, the musical feels both faithful and newly electric.
Since 2003,
Wicked has reimagined Oz by anchoring spectacle to an unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Glinda. The touring production preserves the emerald-hued design, gravity-defying effects, and a brassy orchestra that fills even the largest houses. Audiences arrive ready for "Defying Gravity" and "For Good," yet the quieter scenes often deliver the sharpest jolts. Despite the scale, the show's center is human—ambition, politics, and empathy in uneasy conversation. It's the rare blockbuster that rewards both first-timers and devotees on their third go.
Pick the right room, and a good concert becomes a great one. Around Bexley and Columbus, these stages deliver consistently strong sound, clean sightlines, and easy logistics.
Nationwide Arena (Columbus)
Opened in
2000, this downtown anchor is home ice in winter and a magnet for blockbuster tours year-round. For concerts, the
seating capacity is typically around 19,000, which means catwalks, multi-level sets, and giant LED rigs fit comfortably. The bowl's design keeps mixes intelligible, so both bass-heavy pop and acoustic-leaning acts read clearly to the upper rows. With the Arena District's restaurants steps away, it's ideal for an early dinner and a sprint to your seats.
Schottenstein Center / Value City Arena (Columbus)
Debuting in
1998 on Ohio State's campus, the Schott is a Swiss-army knife of a venue that toggles from basketball to megawatt tours overnight. Depending on production,
concert seating capacity lands near 19,000–20,000, giving headliners room for panoramic video and full bands. Renovations have kept the sound crisp, and the bowl's rake creates friendly sightlines even from the corners. Parking is straightforward, a huge plus when encores spill late on weeknights.
KEMBA Live! (Columbus)
Launched in
2001 along the Scioto, this hybrid complex pairs an indoor music hall with an outdoor amphitheater. The
indoor hall's concert capacity is about 2,200, while the
outdoor amphitheater can host roughly 5,200—a perfect scale for shoulder-season shows under a hoodie. The sloped lawn grants forgiving views; inside, the balcony provides an excellent mix position for vocals. It's the spot where acts graduating from clubs prove they can command bigger rooms.
Celeste Center (Ohio Expo Center, Columbus)
Part of the fairgrounds since
1969, the Celeste Center is a multipurpose lifesaver for touring bills that need space without downtown traffic. With flexible setups,
concert seating capacity can reach around 10,000, letting mid-to-large tours bring full lighting and video. The room has hosted everyone from legacy artists to modern pop and country, and load-in efficiency keeps nights on schedule. It's a practical pick for big shows with a simple in-and-out plan.
Comets-Only TicketSmarter Perk
Columbus shines brightest after dark, and you shouldn't have to burn through your budget to be there. When you're ready to check out, use promo code
COMETS5 for savings on eligible orders through TicketSmarter. Whether you're claiming lower-bowl seats for a classic-rock victory lap, sliding into a pavilion row for a folk-pop chorus, or grabbing orchestra for a touring musical, that little boost keeps peak nights in reach. Here's to crisp air, bright stages, and a fall that moves as fast as your favorite chorus—see you under the lights.
