Fall Stars: Pop Concerts

Reason to go outdoors: The outdoor concert season is not over yet. The 98.5 MixFest comes to the Bank of America Pavilion Sept. 24 with Sheryl Crow, Cyndi Lauper, Gavin DeGraw, and Howie Day. Alt-rock icon Beck follows at the Pavilion Sept. 29. Country duo Brooks & Dunn complete the season at the Tweeter Center Sept. 25 with Big & Rich and the Warren Brothers opening. The intimate Tir Na Nog in Somerville debuts a stage in the parking lot behind it Sept. 18. The Twinemen and the David Johnston Band are among the groups at this first annual Tir Na Nog Roots Festival. Also, the Central Square World's Fair -- with music on 10 stages in and around Massachusetts Avenue -- is Sept. 25.

The Garden heats up: If you still have any money left over after seeing the Rolling Stones, you'll have plenty of opportunity to spend it at the TD Banknorth Garden this fall. The arena roars back with Elton John on Sept. 16-17 and Paul McCartney Sept. 26-27. Gwen Stefani takes over the Garden stage Oct. 31 for a Halloween show with the Black Eyed Peas, and Nine Inch Nails returns with Queens of the Stone Age on Nov. 8. U2 returns Oct. 3-4 and Dec. 4-5. Generating more buzz will be Bruce Springsteen's solo show Oct. 28. Springsteen was outstanding when he played solo at the Orpheum Theatre earlier this year, but jumping up to the cavernous Garden should be a challenge even for him.

NEMO Music Festival: Hometown pride characterizes the yearly NEMO music conference Sept. 29-Oct. 2. There are seminars by day and nightly showcases at clubs and theaters around town. Headliners this year include Los Lonely Boys at the Orpheum Sept. 30 and soul sensation Joss Stone at Avalon Oct. 2. But much of the action will be in smaller sites. The Middle East Upstairs will have Read Yellow and the Good North Sept. 30, Harpers Ferry with Waltham, the Dents, and Plan B the same night, and the Cambridge Elks Lodge with an Americana show with Sarah Borges, Cindy Bullens, the Radio Kings, and others Sept. 30. More at nemoboston.com.

Other club picks: A sampling of some of the buzzier shows this season -- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Paradise Sept. 27, Built to Spill at Avalon Oct. 7, Atmosphere at the Roxy Oct. 17, Nikka Costa at Axis Oct. 23, Dresden Dolls at Avalon on Halloween, Digable Planets at the Middle East Downstairs Nov. 10, and Bright Eyes at the Palladium in Worcester Nov. 22.

Orpheum rules again: No small theater will be busier than the Orpheum this season. The schedule includes old faves Dead Can Dance (Oct. 5), Steve Winwood (Oct. 14), and Bonnie Raitt (Oct. 23), but also a staunch array of first-time headliners such as inventive bluegrassers Nickel Creek (Oct. 6), Rob Thomas (Oct. 11), Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand (Oct. 15), and Death Cab for Cutie (Oct. 17).

Rock Shock 2005: This second annual horror convention (Oct. 8-9) should be bigger and better than the first one. Horror director George A. Romero (''Night of the Living Dead," ''Dawn of the Dead") will appear by day at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, and metal madness soars at night at the nearby Palladium. Saturday's bands include GWAR (an acronym for God What an Awful Racket) and Turbonegro, while Sunday has Meshuggah headlining. More details at massconcerts.com.