Female artists dominate the winter concert season in the Valley with huge arena shows by Katy Perry, P!nk, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Miranda Lambert and Demi Lovato. And that's not even counting St. Vincent, who brings her "Masseduction" tour to the Van Buren.
Here's a look at those and other highlights of the winter concert season.
12/27: Jane's Addiction
The first time Jane’s Addiction members went their separate ways, in 1991, their farewell tour became the first Lollapalooza festival.
Lead singer Perry Farrell is also credited with having coined the catch phrase 'Alternative Nation.' Second album “Ritual de lo Habitual” sent two classic singles — “Stop!” and “Been Caught Stealing” — to the top of Billboard’s modern-rock charts on its way to going triple-platinum. And “The Great Escape Artist,” their 2011 reunion effort, spawned another Top 10 modern-rock hit, “Irresistible Force.”
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $85-$115. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
12/28: Trombone Shorty
Trombone is merely one of several instruments this New Orleans bandleader plays; the others being trumpet, piano and drums. He also sings.
Having launched his recording career at the tender age of 12, Shorty was chosen as one of 20 must-see acts at Coachella 2014 by Rolling Stone, whose critic summed up his appeal with: "Trombone Shorty's horn sounds so good that it almost redeemed Zac Brown's syrupy sex jam 'Overnight.' His own works, meanwhile, are rarely in need of such assistance: Recent tracks like 'Fire and Brimstone' and 'Say That to Say This' rock with the kind of riffs that, had they been released a few decades earlier, Kanye West would have flipped for a hit."
Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $35-$54. thevanburenphx.com.
12/30-31: Decadence
Presented by Relentless Beats and Global Dance, the fourth annual Decadence is Arizona’s largest two-day New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring a number of the biggest names in EDM on two main stages, each with its own vibe and musical appeal.
The Diamond Atrium stage features Armin Van Buuren, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Borgore, Crywolf, Deorro, Galantis, Loud Luxury, Louis the Child, Medasin, Oliver Heldens, Party Favor, Sluggo, Snails, Steve Aoki, What So Not, Zedd and Zeds Dead, b2b Jauz.
The Sapphire Ballroom stage features Big Wild, Bijou, Boys Noize, Chet Porter, Destructo, Duke Dumont, Gerry Gonza, Justice (DJ set), K?D, Madeon, Paz, Petit Biscuit, Rufus Du Sol, Tchami, Tokimonsta and ZHU.
Details: 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 30-31. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $189 for weekend pass; $109 Saturday; $129 Sunday. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.
12/31: New Year's Eve with 311
It was 1996 when 311 topped the Modern Rock charts with a single called "Down" that was anything but. And the alternative-radio hits kept coming with "All Mixed Up," "Come Original," "You Wouldn't Believe," "Creatures (For a While)," the chart-topping "Love Song," "Don't Tread on Me," "Hey You," "Sunset in July" and "Too Much to Think."
That last single was featured on this year's "Mosaic," their ninth consecutive release to go Top 10 on Billboard's album chart. They're joined on New Year's Eve by the Original Wailers, Phunk Junkeez and Black Bottom Lighters.
Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $65-$100. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
12/31 New Year's Eve with Chuck Ragan
Ring in the new year with the great Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music. He's joined on this festive occasion by two of the Valley's finest – the Haymarket Squares and Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold.
Ragan tends to let his inner Springsteen take the wheel as a solo performer. That extends from the "Nebraska"-style folk songs of "Covering Ground" to the acclaimed “Till Midnight,” which Punknews and Absolute Punk agreed was his best album yet while Alternative Press raved, "There aren't many stronger Americans albums."
Details: 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $22-$30. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.
1/3: Willie Nelson & Family
The man is a piece of American history.
And he's still going strong. “God’s Problem Child,” which featured seven songs written by Nelson and producer Buddy Cannon, became his second album in the past four years to top the Billboard country charts in April.
That doesn't mean he won't just play some subtle variation of the set he always does. But it's a good one, from "Crazy" and "Funny How Time Slips Away" to "On the Road Again."
He's also known for such classics as "Red Headed Stranger," "Hello Walls," a heartbreaking cover of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and the great Waylon Jennings duets "Good Hearted Woman" and "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $72-$132. www.celebritytheatre.com.
1/5 Pepe Aguilar
Aguilar is a compelling presence on stage: He's a swaggering 6'5 figure who possesses a rascally sense of humor and a soulful voice that makes heartbreak sound captivating.
He has won four Grammys and four Latin Grammys, making him, perhaps, the most famous member of a Mexican entertainment dynasty: His parents are beloved entertainers Flor Silvestre and the late Antonio Aguilar; meanwhile, his children, Leonardo and Angela, will join him onstage during this tour.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5. Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $30-$120. 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.
1/6: Yo Gotti
The Memphis rapper makes his way to Phoenix in support of "I Still Am," his third consecutive release to crack the Top 10 on the Billboard charts.
The album also features Gotti's latest platinum single, "Rake it Up," with Mike WiLL Made-It and Nicki Minaj. His biggest hit remains 2015's double-platinum "Down in the DM."
Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $35-$200. www.celebritytheatre.com.
1/10: Marilyn Manson
The industrial rocker was supposed to play the Arizona State Fair in October but an onstage accident in New York City forced Manson to cancel.
I saw him the previous summer on the Slipknot tour, and Manson was in top form, from the time he made his first appearance as a silhouette behind the screen on "Angel With the Scabbed Wings" through the stilt-walking antics on "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and the bible-burning theatrics of "Antichrist Superstar," as played out at the top of his towering podium.
This tour is in support of his acclaimed new album, "Heaven Upside Down."
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $59.99-$65. thevanburenphx.com.
1/14: K.Flay
The L.A.-based singer is touring in support of "Every Where is Some Where," a collection of confessional electro-pop that makes the most of K.Flay's idiosyncratic pout and should appeal to anyone who loved that latest Lorde release.
As Rock Sound noted: "'Every Where Is Some Where' is in turns intimate, expansive, confessional and inviting – thoroughly addictive on the dark, pulsing and urgent ‘Blood In The Cut’, woozily euphoric on ‘High Enough’, playfully political on ‘The President Has A Sex Tape’ and swirling and sultry on ‘You Felt Right’."
Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $22-$89. thevanburenphx.com.
1/16: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
At their best, they filter classic garage-rock through a heavy dose of psychedelic signifiers as well as occasional hints of post-Jesus and Mary Chain noise-pop.
The long-awaited followup to 2013’s “Specter at the Feast,” “Wrong Creatures,” arrives a few days prior to their Phoenix date. The album was preceded by a single, “Little Thing Gone Wild,” which Rolling Stone magazine hailed as a welcome return to their trademark sound – “scuzzy bass, slurry, heavily processed vocals and shrieking guitars.”
Details: 8 p.m. Jan. 16. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25-$40. thevanburenphx.com.
1/19: Katy Perry
This tour is in support of “Witness,” a chart-topping album that finds the Queen of Post-Madonna Pop reflecting on the changes in her own life and the world around her since 2013's "Prism."
The platinum lead single, “Chained to the Rhythm” with Skip Marley, hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Perry's Prismatic World Tour was hailed in Rolling Stone as "a show to damage retinas and blow minds."
It's been nearly a decade since the singer ruled the airwaves – and the Billboard Hot 100 – with "I Kissed a Girl," a bi-curious breakthrough so loopy it practically dared you not to write Perry off as a novelty act.
But she only got bigger from there, to the point where she actually managed to tie a record held by Michael Jackson since his '80s prime for most chart-topping entries on the Hot 100 from a single album – "Teenage Dream" in her case, "Bad" in his.
Her biggest hits include the multi-platinum "I Kissed a Girl," "Hot N Cold," "Waking Up in Vegas," "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "E.T.," "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," "The One That Got Away," "Part of Me," "Wide Awake," "Roar," "Unconditionally" and "Dark Horse."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19. Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $45-$1,022. 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.
1/19-20: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
Valli, who rose to fame in the early '60s as the lead singer of the Four Seasons, is a hotter ticket than he's been in decades thanks to the success of "Jersey Boys," the Tony-winning musical that chronicles the life and times of Valli and his group.
The Four Seasons had 40 singles go Top 40 in their prime, including "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
The Four Seasons were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Valli is the only original member still touring, but the show is being billed as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 19-20. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $71-$131. www.celebritytheatre.com.
1/20: Neck Deep
These pop-punk sensations are bringing the Peace and the Panic Tour to Tempe with support from Seaway, Creeper, Speak Low if You Speak Love and Gardenside.
The tour takes its name from their latest release, which hit the Billboard album charts at No. 4 while they were busy headlining the Vans Warped Tour. Produced by Mike Green (Pierce The Veil, Paramore), the album is "a meditation on the constant duality of life and the struggles that come with it."
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $23.50-$58.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
1/20: Big Boi
Big Boi, of course, rose to fame as a member of Outkast, the Atlanta-based hip-hop sensations whose 10-times-platinum "Speakboxxx/The Love Below" won Album of the Year and Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards.
The Daddy Fat Saxxx Tour brings Big Boi to Scottsdale (wth the Cool Kids) in support of “Boomiverse,” his latest solo album. Paste says "The album is far from the work of a legend resting on his laurels; instead, its inventive and genuinely fun sound makes a compelling case for why, 20 years after his debut, we should still be paying attention to Big Boi."
Details: 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. Maya Day & Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale. $15. 480-625-0528, mayaclubaz.com.
1/22: John Hiatt & the Goners
The Goners – Sonny Landreth, Kenneth Blevins and Dave Ranson – are the players Hiatt used on his acclaimed "Slow Turning" album, and they backed him on the "Bring the Family Tour."
So there's a history that makes this something special. But Hiatt is still adding to his legacy, pulling in raves for his latest release, 2014's "Terms of My Surrender," an album that starts with a haunting ode to survival on which he sums it up with a Dylanesque delivery of "I've sang these songs 1,000 times / Ever since I was young / It's a long time comin' and the drummer keeps drummin' / Your work is never done."
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $47-$75. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
1/24: Wolf Parade
They’re back from five years of “indefinite hiatus,” touring in support of “Cry Cry Cry,” a breathtaking return to form that had most critics reaching for “Apologies to the Queen Mary,” their acclaimed debut, to put things in perspective.
Drowned in Sound, for instance, summed it up with “Ultimately, ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ while perhaps not a return to ‘Apologies to Queen Mary’s’ zeitgeist making turn, shows that Wolf Parade are no longer living under that momentum debut’s shadow.” And the A.V. Club went further, saying, “ ‘Cry Cry Cry’ is Wolf Parade’s most vibrant, energetic record to date.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $24-$39. thevanburenphx.com.
1/24: Pinback
Taking their name from John Carpenter's "Dark Star," these San Diego rockers tend to occupy the understated side of modern indie. Consider the following words of praise for 2012's "Information Retrieved" From Kerrang: "Another quiet triumph." From BBC Music? "A downbeat delight."
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24. Crescent Ballroom, , 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $22-$33. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
1/25: Machine Head
These groove-metal veterans swear their name is not a reference to Deep Purple's album of the same name. And in truth, they don't sound much like Deep Purple fans on "Burn My Eyes," a 1994 debut album Kerrang! said "took the heaviness and speed of thrash and combined it with the sledgehammer grooves of more left-field acts." Their latest album, 2014's "Bloodstone & Diamonds" is their highest-charting entry on the U.S. album charts. More to the point, though, it rocks.
Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25. Nile Theater, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $25. www.niletheater.com.
1/26: Temptations and Four Tops
The Temptations are among the biggest-selling singing groups in history.
They topped the Hot 100 with four Motown classics – “My Girl,” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and placed 12 other singles in the Top 10, including such timeless recordings as “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Cloud Nine” and “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today).”
The Four Tops also bring a string of Motown classics to the table, from their breakthrough hit “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “It’s the Same Old Song” to the chart-topping “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.”
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49-$125. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com.
1/26: St. Vincent
Her latest album, Masseduction," made the rounds of year-end critics' lists, from azcentral to the New York Times, the A.V. Club and Drowned in Sound.
It's a tempting album as Annie Clark dips a tentative toe in the mainstream, an impression based in large part to her working with Jack Antonoff of fun., who's done the same for Taylor Swift and Lorde.
But there's a reason nothing here has followed those two up the pop charts. "Masseduction" may have brought her pop smarts into sharper focus, but there's no mistaking cuts as willfully eccentric as the title track or "Pills" as anyone's idea of a mainstream breakthrough. Also, she's an awe-inspiring lead guitarist and her catalog is full of classic songs that sound amazing live.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $42; $39 in advance. thevanburenphx.com.
1/26: August Burns Red
These metalcore veterans have sent five albums to the top of Billboard's Christian album chart, including their latest release, "Phantom Anthem," which Alternative Press responded to with "Sonically, there’s something incredibly otherworldy and fantastical rooted in 'Phantom Anthem,' making the album translate like an epic poem rather than a collection of songs."
Details: 7:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $23-$43. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
1/27: Brad Paisley
One of country's most consistent hit machines, Paisley scored his first of 18 chart-topping country hits, "He Didn't Have to Be," in 1999 and sent a record-breaking streak of 10 consecutive releases to the top from 2005 ("When I Get Where I'm Going," a duet with Dolly Parton) to 2009 ("Then").
His biggest hits include four double-platinum singles — "Whiskey Lullaby," "She's Everything," "Then" and "Remind Me," a duet with Carrie Underwood.
He's here with Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27. Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $25-$125. 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.
1/28: Adam Ant
I caught his previous tour, playing "Kings of the Wild Frontier" in its entirety, in Tucson, which was everything a fan could hope to witness in 2017.
As I wrote at the time: "As tempting as it may have been to make some sort of reference to “Stand and Deliver” here, I will say that he did deliver, but he didn’t do much standing, dancing and working the stage with a youthful exuberance most entertainers half his age would do well to aspire to in his black leather pants and dashing pirate garb.”
He's here on a tour titled Anthems: The Singles, which is more a greatest-hits-style show, but he’s promised to sprinkle in an assortment of rarities, B sides and personal favorites.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$198. www.celebritytheatre.com.
1/29: Jose Gonzalez
The Swedish indie-folk hero most likely to keep you mesmerized with a classical guitar and understated vocals brought home raves for his latest release, 2015's "Vestiges & Claws," which Magnet summed up as "an album with a lot of parts to fall in love with" while the A.V. Club critic declared it "a record of uncommonly evocative capacity."
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $34-$50. thevanburenphx.com.
1/31: Flo Rida at the Birds Nest
The rapper started off 2008 at No. 1 with “Low,” which held on for a 10-week run unmatched by any single since Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” — the biggest difference being that Beyonce was a superstar by then, while “Low” was the Florida rapper’s first official single (and the biggest single of 2008). He was back at No. 1 in 2009 with “Right Round” and again in 2012 with “Whistle.”
But in much the same way that the Beatles’ legacy extends beyond the chart-toppers on “1,” the man has had plenty of non-chart-topping hits that people know and love, including the multi-platinum “In the Ayer,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Good Feeling,” “Wild Ones,” “I Cry,” “G.D.F.R.” and “My House.”
MORE: 2018 Coors Light Birds Nest concerts: Tickets on sale now
Details: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31. TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road., Located directly across from the main tournament entrance at 82nd Street and Bell Road. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/1: Florida Georgia Line at the Birds Nest
The duo's 10-times-platinum breakthrough single, "Cruise," topped Billboard's country chart on the way to becoming the fastest-selling single by a country duo in digital history, inspiring a remix with rapping by Nelly.
Four subsequent singles topped the country charts while going multi-platinum – "Stay," the Luke Bryan-assisted "This is How We Roll," "Dirt" and last year's "H.O.L.Y.," the lead single from their latest album, "Dig Your Roots."
Details: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road., Located directly across from the main tournament entrance at 82nd Street and Bell Road. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/2: OneRepublic at the Birds Nest
These guys hit the mainstream in 2007 with "Apologize," a dramatic first single that's sold more than 5 million copies and briefly held the record for most airplay in a single week. Their other hits include the multi-platinum "Stop and Stare," "All the Right Moves," "Secrets," "Good Life" and their biggest hit to date, 2013's "Counting Stars."
Front man Ryan Tedder has written and/or produced songs for Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis and Adele.
Details: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road., Located directly across from the main tournament entrance at 82nd Street and Bell Road. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/2: TOBYMAC
The Grammy-winning Christian hip-hop veteran bring his Hits Deep Tour to town with Danny Gokey, Mandisa, Ryan Stevenson and Finding Favour.
As the star explained the concept of the tour to azcentral.com, "Hits Deep is a concept I had a few years back to bring out several acts and have just a night of hit songs. If they have three hits, they play three songs. If they have two hits, they play two songs. It’s the sort of night where people will hopefully know every single song they hear, almost like the way the Motortown Revue was. Or, even I remember watching as a younger guy, that movie 'La Bamba.' That’s the goal. And I sort of meshed that together with the fact that I have a new record out, so I do a lot of what’s on the new record."
That new record is the Grammy-winning "This is Not a Test."
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $13-$69. 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.
2/3: Shakira
The tour is in support of “El Dorado,” which topped the iTunes charts in 37 countries.
The 12-time Grammy winner says, “I can’t wait to be onstage again singing along with all of you, all of your favorites and mine. It's going to be fun!" Shakira’s biggest U.S. hits include the double-platinum “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Beautiful Liar,” “She Wolf” and “Empire.”
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $45-$160. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/3: Tyler, the Creator
He’s the spiritual leader of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, a controversial L.A. rap collective Rolling Stone declared their generation’s Wu-Tang Clan.
And he was looking all set to be the breakout artist of that Wolf pack until Frank Ocean hit the blogosphere with “Channel Orange.” But Tyler did bring home a major MTV Video Music Award nomination for “Yonkers,” which memorably ends in him hanging himself, but only after dining on a Madagascar hissing cockroach and puking in silhouette.
His latest album, "Flower Boy," became his fourth consecutive release to debut in the Top 5. He's never had a proper hit but there's no reason to believe he needs one, either. After all, he did sell out the Marquee Theatre without a hit.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. SOLD OUT. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
2/9: Fetty Wap
Was Fetty Wap the breakout hip-hop artist of 2015?
He was definitely in the running, thanks in large part to the sleeper hit that wouldn't sleep until it made its way to No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100, the quadruple-platinum “Trap Queen.”
Other Wap of note include the triple-platinum "679" and platinum "My Way," both of which went Top 10. The rapper's self-titled debut topped Billboard's album chart and the BET Hip Hop Awards gave him the Who Blew Up Award.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $55-$85. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
2/10: Keith Sweat
He topped the R&B charts with his first single, "I Want Her," following through with no fewer than three multi-platinum albums and five more hits that topped the R&B charts ("Make You Sweat," "I'll Give All My Love to You," "Keep It Comin'," "Twisted" and "Nobody"). "Dress to Impress," his latest album, was his 12th release to debut in the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B charts.
Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $25-$55. www.celebritytheatre.com.
2/10: Drive-By Truckers
It's been 16 years since Drive-By Truckers grabbed the mainstream rock press by the collar with "Southern Rock Opera," a two-record triumph that tackled the myths and more elusive truths of what it means to be a Southern man.
And in those intervening years, despite a string of lineup changes, they've emerged as one of rock and roll's more dependable acts, releasing one great album after another,up to and including their Trump Era classic, "American Band."
As Classic Rock magazine noted: "The USA in the year of Trump... has inspired Drive-By Truckers to make this lacerating denunciation of the state of their nation, which stands right up there with Springsteen’s 'Wrecking Ball' and their own best work."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $28. thevanburenphx.com.
2/10: YACHT
The electro-pop veterans earned raves for their latest release, "I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler," their sixth release. PopMatters said, " 'Future' finds YACHT alive in a whole new way, with the group crafting not only some of the best pop of their careers, but of 2015 as a whole."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Crescent Ballroom, , 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15-$18. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
2/13: Lana Del Rey
Del Rey rose to fame on the strength of a self-directed viral video for a bittersweet ballad called "Video Games." Posted in October 2011, that clip has been viewed more than 181 million times. Subsequent hits include "Summertime Sadness," Young and Beautiful" and "West Coast."
She topped Billboard’s album chart in mid-2017 with “Lust for Life,” inspiring the Line of Best Fit to rave, "Throughout this accomplished, assured new record, Lana manages to repeatedly freeze time and capture those fleeting cinematic moments that make us who we are, while reminding us of who we could be.”
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $34-$94. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/16: Valentines Super Love Jam
This year's Super Love Jam features Ohio-based funk legends Zapp, whose hits include "Dance Floor," "More Bounce to the Ounce," "Computer Love" and "I Can Make You Dance."
Also playing are Evelyn "Champagne" King ("Shame"), Deneice Williams ("It's Gonna Take a Miracle"), the Delfonics ("La-La (Means I Love You)"), the Moments ("Love on a Two-Way Street"), the Jets, Blue Magic, Mtume, Sly Slick & Wicked, and Sunny Ozuna.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $28-$49. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/17: Miranda Lambert
The Livin' Like Hippies Tour takes its name from a line in Lambert's "Highway Vagabond," a highlight of her latest album, "The Weight of These Wings," a two-record set that's been certified platinum.
The charismatic singer's sixth consecutive release went to the top of the Billboard country album charts, spawned Lambert's latest platinum single, "Vice," and picked up Album of the Year at the most recent ACM Awards.
It was also named the country album of the year at Stereogum and Uproxx.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $39-$74. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
2/17: Jason Derulo
This R&B singer hit the ground running in 2009 with the quadruple-platinum “Whatcha Say,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Other Top 10 hits include the multiplatinum smashes “In My Head” (which earned him a Teen Choice Award), “Ridin’ Solo,” “Talk Dirty” (featuring 2 Chainz), “Wiggle,” which features a guest rap from Snoop Dogg, and "Want to Want Me."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17. Talking Stick Resort, Loop 101 and Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. $40-$160. 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com.
2/19: Tune-Yards
Tune-Yards began as a one-woman show for Merrill Garbus, a ukulele-playing pop eccentric whose previous experience included having scored a ukulele-driven adaptation of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" called "Fat Kid Opera."
She took the blogosphere by storm in late 2009 with "BiRd-BrAiNs," an attention-grabbing debut Lost at Sea sized up as Garbus playfully inviting listeners "into a world where dissonance and cacophony give way to a deeper childlike beauty and sense of wonder."
This tour is in support of “I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life,” the long-awaited followup to “Nikki Nack,” which hit in 2014.
Details: 8 p.m. Feb. 19. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $23.50. thevanburenphx.com.
2/20: Black Veil Brides/Asking Alexandria
This co-headlining tour with Asking Alexandria is in support of “Vale,” the L.A. rockers’ first release since Alternative Press named their self-titled fourth release 2014’s album of the year.
Asking Alexandria aren't as British as they used to be, with three-fifths of their lineup, including founding members Ben Bruce and Cameron Liddell, now residing in the Valley. Kerrang! awarded 2016’s "The Black" a perfect score and declared it "the album that they've always wanted to make. Which also happens to be the album fans have always wanted to hear."
And they ended 2017 by releasing a self-titled effort that marks the return of singer Danny Worsnop.
Details: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $29.50-$59.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
2/20: G-Eazy
G-Eazy topped the rap and R&B charts with his breakthrough album, “These Things Happen,” in 2014, and returned to No. 1 "When It's Dark Out."
The Oakland rapper's hits include the multi-platinum "Me, Myself & I," which topped the rap charts, and two songs from "The Beautiful & Damned," his latest album ("Him & I" and the platinum "No Limit").
He's joined on this tour by Trippie Redd, Phora and Anthony Russo.
Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $55-$85. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com.
2/20: Dan Auerbach & the Easy Eye Sound Revue
He's won eight Grammys – one as a producer, seven as a member of the Black Keys. The Easy Eye Sound Revue is the house band for Auerbach's label, whose latest signing, Shannon & the Clams, are also on the bill. The tour is in support of Auerbach's new solo album, "Waiting on a Song," to which Paste magazine responded, "These songs are inspired by seemingly little more than pure unencumbered joy. Which is a hard quality to come by these days. It’s nice to have something that’s so contagious it can rub off on us all."
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $32.50. thevanburenphx.com.
2/20: Why?
On “Moh Llean,” their latest release, Yoni Wolf has adopted a more reflective (some would argue optimistic) world view in the wake of a health scare during the recording of the recording process. And it suits the haunted psychedelic folk-vibe of the music. As PopMatters noted, “It’s as if he has suddenly come to terms with his place in the world and that has translated into music which is warmer, looser, and more liberated.”
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20. Crescent Ballroom, , 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $17-$20. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
2/24: Black Label Society
Zakk Wylde, who rose to fame as lead guitarist Jake E. Lee's replacement in the Ozzy Osbourne band, has been fronting Black Label Society since 1998.
Their two most recent albums – “Order of the Black” and “Catacombs of the Black Vatican” – topped Billboard’s hard-rock chart. This tour is in support of “Grimmest Hits,” the followup to “Catacombs,” which hits the streets on Jan. 19.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $29.50-$59.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
2/25: The Roadshow
Presented by Compassion International, the 10th annual Rock & Worship Roadshow will be headlined by For King & Country, a Christian pop duo once hailed as "Australia's answer to Coldplay" by no-lesser an authority than American Songwriter.
Matthew West, Natalie Grant, Bethel Music, Zach Williams and Social Club Misfits round out the lineup.
Details: 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. Grand Canyon University Arena, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. $27; $25 in adv. 602-639-8979, gcuarena.com.
2/26: Robert Plant
The former voice of Led Zeppelin is touring his 11th solo album,” “Carry Fire," his second release in a row the star recorded with his touring band, the Sensational Shape Shifters.
American Songwriter raved about it, writing, "Plant continues down his remarkably innovative path on the combustible 'Carry Fire,' further expanding an already eclectic, forward-thinking solo career and creating an artistic, often edgy persona largely removed from past glories many younger fans may not even be familiar with."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26. Symphony Hall, 75 N. 2nd St. Phoenix. SOLD OUT. phoenixconventioncenter.com.
2/27: Above & Beyond
Following a sold-out ABGT250 show at The Gorge Amphitheatre, these English trance sensations are set to undertake a massive tour in support of their forthcoming album, “Common Ground,” which hits the streets in January. The trio have consistently charted in the upper reaches of the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs poll.
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $100-$140. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.
2/27: The Chieftains
These Grammy-winning Dubliners have been taking traditional Irish music to the masses since the early '60s. Sure, they've had some lineup changes through the years, but Paddy Moloney is still at the wheel, playing tin whistle, Uilleann pipes, button accordion and bodhran.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. $49-$79. 480-499-8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.org.
Details:
3/1: P!nk
The Beautiful Trauma Tour launches in Phoenix.
The Truth About Love Tour saw the pop singer headline 142 sold-out shows in 13 countries. The Los Angeles Times said, “Pink remains perhaps the most gifted and imaginative physical performer in pop right now,” while Rolling Stone praised her performance as "an epic workout of vocals, stagecraft and stunt-work without missing a note” and The Hollywood Reporter raved, “She still is one of pop's most powerful vocalists.”
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $342-$1,592. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
3/2-4: McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Father John Misty is among the headlining attractions at this three-day festival, which also features the Revivalists, Jai Wolf, White Denim, Too Many Zooz, Magic City Hippies, Andy Frasco & the U.N., Treezus, Nick Murphy (the artist formerly known as Chet Faker), Big Gigantic, Griz, Gorgon City, Cut Copy, O.A.R., Mura Masa, Dr. Dog, Washed Out, Lemaitre, Anderson East, the Motet, the Marcus King Band, the Russ Liquid Test, Com Truise, Lucky Chops, Seratones and Brasstracks, among others.
And as always, there are many local artists in the mix: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, the Uncommon Good, Wyves, the Lonesome Wilderness, Treasurefruit, Jane N' the Jungle, Jerusafunk, Scattered Melodies, Spark Jack Daddy, Romen Buffalo and the Loyal Order, and Daisy.
MORE: McDowell Mountain Music Festival (M3F) cheap seats going fast
Details: 3 p.m. Friday, March 2-Sunday, March 4. Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St., Phoenix. $40/day; $80 three-day pass. mmmf.com.
3/3: Pop Evil
The Music Over Words Tour brings Pop Evil to town in support of the self-titled followup to 2015’s “Up,” which spawned their fourth chart-topping single at mainstream-rock radio, “Footsteps.”
Those previous chart-topping singles were included on 2013’s “Onyx” – “Trenches,” “Deal with the Devil” and “Torn to Pieces.”
Details: 8 p.m. March 3. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $22. thevanburenphx.com.
3/4: Demi Lovato and DJ Khaled
Lovato, the “X Factor” judge who hit mainstream as the female lead in the Disney Channel’s Jonas Brothers movie “Camp Rock,” brings a string of giant pop hits to the table.
Her best-known songs include the multi-platinum smashes “Give Your Heart a Break," “Heart Attack," "Let it Go," "Cool for the Summer," "Sorry Not Sorry" and "Échame la Culpa."
DJ Khaled is best-known for the multi-platinum singles "All I Do is Win," "For Free," "I'm the One" and "Wild Thoughts."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $25-$495. 602-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
3/4: A Day to Remember
The 15 Years in the Making Tour is a bit of a victory lap for A Day to Remember, honoring their 15th anniversary with a little help from their friends in Papa Roach, Falling In Reverse and The Devil Wears Prada.
A Day To Remember’s latest album "Bad Vibrations" hit the charts at No. 2 while being hailed in Alternative Press as "some of A Day To Remember’s most forward-thinking, engaging and all-around exemplary songs to date."
Details: 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center St., Mesa. $46.50. 480-644-2560, luckymanonline.com.
3/5: NF
This Christian rapper topped the Billboard album charts in October with “Perception.”
CCM Magazine responded to the effort with: “The cage that holds NF donning the cover of the Michigan rapper’s new album projects the wrong imagery. Given his chart-topping releases and insatiable buzz for Nate Feuerstein’s newest entitled ‘Perception’ it’s clear NF has opened any door intended to reign him in long ago. The maturity and musical experimentation grows on ‘Perception,’ yet the dynamism and authenticity remain firmly in place.”
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, March 5. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $30-$35. thevanburenphx.com.
3/7: Starset
The goal of Starset’s concept albums and accompanying videos is to promote the use of science and technology through science fiction as part of the Starset Society, created to publicize emerging technologies and their impact on society.
Inspired by the likes of Nikola Tesla and Carl Sagan, founder and front man Dustin Bates is a PhD candidate in electrical engineering. He’s done research for the U.S. Air Force and taught at the International Space University in France.
Early this year, they surpassed one billion views on YouTube, and last month Marvel Comics collaborated with Bates to release the 88-page graphic novel ‘The Prox Transmissions,’ telling the story of the Starset Society.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $17-$37. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
3/7: Brockhampton
On the opening track of this year's "Saturation III," Kevin Abstract lets you know exactly where he thinks he stands, rhyming "Best boy band since One Direction" with "Makin' n---as itch like a skin infection. These guys have been steadily building their profile since 2015 as a self-styled "boy band" whose members came together in an online forum.
Details: 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $28.50-$35. thevanburenphx.com.
3/8: k.d. lang
This is part of a 19-city tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Grammy-winning triumph that was "Ingénue," which she'll perform in entirety. The double-platinum album spawned the singer's highest-charting U.S. hit, "Constant Craving." She's also doing songs from her 2004 album, "Hymns of the 49th Parallel."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $68-$128. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.
3/9: Buddy Guy
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and consummate showman arrives in continued support of the aptly titled "Born to Play Guitar." A house guitarist at Chess Records in the ’60s, a decade in which he also toured in Muddy Waters’ band, Guy was recently voted the 30th best guitarist of all time in Rolling Stone. But Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton would have placed him higher.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 9. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $55-$85. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.
3/10: Stone Tempe Pilots
This is STP’s first tour with the band's new lead singer Jeff Gutt. He replaces the late Chester Bennington, who in turn replaced the late Scott Weiland. Founding members Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz introduced Gutt in November, moments before he joined them on stage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Dean Deleo says, "We are thrilled to see all of you and share in the music that belongs to all of us." Their first single with Gutt, a song called "Meadow," put them back at No. 13 on the mainstream-rock charts.
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 10. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $38.50-$58.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
3/14: A$AP Ferg
The Harlem Hood Pope is on the Mad Man Tour with Denzel Curry in support of an acclaimed new mixtape called “Still Striving.” The New Yorker praised the effort, saying it “exudes the kind of casual swagger that only the best rappers are able to master…” with levels of energy” VIBE calls “explosive.” High Snobiety proclaimed, “With grit, guts, and heart, he’s always been one to be ahead of the curve – not riding the wave.”
Details: 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 14. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $30-$125. thevanburenphx.com.
3/16: Lorde
Lorde was all of 17 when "Royals" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, selling 7.5 million copies worldwide. And she scored a second multi-platinum U.S. hit with “Team” from that same debut album.
This is her first tour since late 2014, which she previewed at Coachella, in support of "Melodrama," which topped the US charts and ended up on countless year-end critics lists.
She's up for album of the year at the Grammy Awards, an honor she already won from Entertainment Weekly, Consequence of Sound, Pretty Much Amazing, NME, Uproxx and Stereogum, to name a few.
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, March 16. Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $34-$94. 800-745-3000, gilariverarena.com.
3/16-18: Pot of Gold
Pot of Gold returns to Rawhide Events Center from Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 18. Friday's lineup features Russ, Dej, PNB Rock, Pouya, Taylor Bennett, Bougas.
Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and his Terrapin Family Band will top the bill on Saturday, with Sturgill Simpson, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, the Infamous Stringdusters, Midnight North, Kalu & the Electric Joint and Boombox.
Rebelution headlines Sunday with Dirty Heads, Pepper, Magic!, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, G. Love & Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter, Felly, Fortunate Youth, Tauk, Ballyhoo! and Con Brio.
MORE: Bassist Phil Lesh, son share spotlight in Terrapin Family Band
Details: Friday-Sunday, March 16-18. Rawhide, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $220 for weekend pass; $75 Friday; $100 Saturday; $75 Sunday. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
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