As August heads into its second weekend, metro Phoenix is set to welcome Los Temerarios, giving two performances at Footprint Center, as well as major tours by Megadeth at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, Luis R. Conriquez and Eslabon Armado at Desert Diamond Arena, Young Miko and Pretenders.
Chase Field is set to host the biggest concert of the month in metro Phoenix – a co-headlining tour with Def Leppard and Journey joined by fellow hit machine Steve Miller.
August also features big arena tours by Twenty One Pilots, and a co-headlining tour by
Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre is bringing outdoor shows by Limp Bizkit (as part of the Loserville Tour with Corey Feldman), Sammy Hagar (with Van Halen’s Michael Anthony), and a co-headlining tour by Dirty Heads and Slightly Stoopid.
Those are just the biggest shows. Our monthly concert guide also features a wide variety of critics’ picks in more intimate venues, from jazz to hip-hop, heavy metal, punk and more, including lot of local music options.
O.A.R.
The name is short for Of a Revolution. They formed in Rockville, Maryland, in 1996, becoming known for their live show, which has led to the release of six live albums through the years. They've had a string of hits on the Adult Pop Airplay charts, including the platinum "Shattered (Turn This Car Around)," which became their only song to go Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. They're joined by special guests Fitz and the Tantrums.
Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $64 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Nate Smith
The rising country star is topping the bill on a sold-out Night on Fire event presented by KNIX-FM, with Josh Ross opening. Smith got a great reaction this year at Country Thunder Arizona, where he led his bandmates in a set that owed as much to modern rock as country. And the gritty twang in his voice felt right at home on songs that played more to his rock side, from the raspier moments of “Sleeve” to the throat-shredding cover of “My Hero,” a Foo Fighters song that had plenty of people in cowboy hats shouting along.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. Sold out. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
As I Lay Dying
These metalcore veterans went on an indefinite hiatus in 2014 when singerTim Lambesiswas sentenced to six years in prison for pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his estranged wife. The bandmatesreunited in 2018, a move that divided the internet, releasing "Shaped By Fire," their first album since 2012's "Awakened," in 2019.
Details:8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7.The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $48 and up. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.
Hana Vu
In 2019, Hana Vu made the NME 100, a hotlist of essential artists that praised her for “tearing up diary scribbles and mangling them into a scrunch of daydreaming indie rock.” And she was still a teenager at that point. “Romanticism” shows how much she’s grown since then while still sharing her diary scribbles on a more expansive canvas, her expressive vocals more haunting than ever. The Line of Best Fit praised the end result as “elemental pop infused with PTSD, a vanilla shake laced with a thimbleful of battery acid.” She’s joined by Babebee and Veronica Everheart.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $18; $16 in advance.valleybarphx.com.
Los Temerarios
It's been 46 years since two brothers— Adolfo andGustavo Angel— formed the group that would become Los Temerarios with their cousinFernando Angel, who's no longer involved.All Music Guidedescribes their soundas "bubblegum ranchera" and goes on to say it "was the romantic soundtrack of millions of Mexican and Mexican-American youths' lives during the '90s." This is their final tour, which had to add a second night at Footprint Center after selling out the first.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 7-8. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $59 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.
Megadeth
The thrash-metal legends have promised songs from "Rust in Peace," "Countdown to Extinction" and more fan favorites in addition to selections from their latest studio release, "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" In announcing the Destroy All Enemies Tour, which also features Mudvayne and All That Remains, bandleader Dave Mustaine said, "We are all playing tight, and that has made it possible for me to really focus on solos and singing. We are playing more songs than ever before, and we are closer to each other, onstage AND off.”
Details: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $41.30 and up. 602-254-7200,livenation.com.
Scott Bradlee's Post Modern Jukebox
Bradlee brings his famed “Pop music in a Time Machine” ensemble Postmodern Jukebox to Mesa to launch the '10' Tour. Why the '10' Tour? They're celebrating the dual milestone of their 10th anniversary of touring and their 1,000th show in 2024. Postmodern Jukebox is known for reworking popular modern music in the style of vintagegenres, especially early 20th century forms such asswingandjazz.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa. $35-$110. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.
Pleasure Cult and Veridian tour launch
These up-and-coming local bands are set to hit the road after a tour launch on their home turf with two other local acts, Ring Finger No Pinky and Bethany Home. Pleasure Cult is on the dreamy side of indie-pop topped by the breathtaking vocals of Honey Danger, who brings a sultry soulfulness to the proceedings. In an interview with KJZZ, Danger cited Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee as vocal touchstones but her style is jazzier than that suggests, used to brilliant effect on "Spilt Milk" from their excellent EP "The Best Secret You'll Never Keep." Veridian's sound is also on the soulful side of indie-pop with elements of funk and R&B led by a strong female presence on vocals.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Indigenous Takeover
Indigenous Takeover features Indigenous bands and musicians coming together to represent their people through extreme music.This bill features Ceremented, Dogs Throw Spears, Suppressor and Death Tunnel.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $12; $10 in advance. 602-296-7013,therebellounge.com.
Troubled Minds
By the time they dropped "A Call to Anywhere at All," these Phoenix rockers had already hit their stride, Matt Aldawood's expressive vocals at the forefront on contagious anthems that straddled whatever lines you'd care to draw between and pop-punk with a musical sophistication that dipped its toes math-rock waters. Five years later, they're still getting better with each new release, most recently on "Sun Song (Darker Side)," a majestic waltz that plays to all their strengths while expanding the scope of their sound. They're joined by Savings, Right On Kid, Thursday Marks Fall and Bummer Girl.
Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. The Nile, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $33.18. 480-559-5859,eventbrite.com.
Luis R. Conriquez and Eslabon Armado
These rising stars in regional Mexican music have joined forces for a co-headlining Asi Lo Quiso Dios Tour. Conriquez made his first appearance on the Billboard Latin charts in 2019 with "El Buho" from his "Corridos Bélicos" album. Other hits include collabs with Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Neton Vega (on his highest-charting US hit to date, "Si No Quieres No." Eslabon Armado topped the Billboard Latin charts and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 with "Ella Baila Sola," a Peso Pluma collaboration that picked up four awards at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Desert Diamond Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $59 and up. 623-772-3800,desertdiamondarena.com.
Young Miko
Hailed by The New York Times as one of the artists “shaping the sound of 2024,” the Puerto Rican rapper brings the XOXO Tour to downtown Phoenix in support of her first album, "att.," which cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Her best-known songs include collaborations with Bad Bunny ("Fina"), Feid ("Classy 101") and Karol G ("Dispo").
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $53 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Jam Now release show
Phoenix songwriter James Austin Murray is celebrating the release of "Magnum Opus," a full-length debut recorded in the LA studio of Mario Caldato Jr., a Brazilian-born record producer best known for his work with Beastie Boys, and mixed by Grammy-nominated producer Frenchie Smith. It features guest appearance by G. Love & Special Sauce (on the infectious lead single "Dead Flowers"), Jack Johnson drummer Adam Topal and Katastro drummer Andrew Stravers. Murray is a heartfelt singer-songwriter whose music is infused with elements of reggae, folk and funk-rock. He'll be joined by the Joeys, Haley Green and Dan E.T.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Pariah Pete & the Mercuries release show
Phoenix rapper Pariah Pete and the Mercuries (Carly Bates, Jacob Unterreiner, Gus Campbell, and Malik Nelson) are celebrating the release of an album meant toshowcase a variety of genres from hip-hop and jazz to neo-soul and bossa nova. The album follows the release of the oft-streamed singles "...Sunkissed" and "Tropicana." On the silky, soulful "Sunkissed," the rapper stakes his claim with a free-flowing boast. "I'm a renaissance man, so I wear many hats/ Most you cats ain't even really living how you rapping/ That's mad wack/ I got flows that's abstract/ Picasso how I paint a picture over rap tracks." Both songs are a promising signs of what awaits us on that album. The sold-out release show also features sets by Faye Logique and Twinstar.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Sold out. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.
Pretenders
This is the first Pretenders show in metro Phoenix since 2016, when they joined Stevie Nicks onthe opening night of the 24 Karat Gold Tourat Footprint Center (then called Talking Stick Resort Arena). Chrissie Hynde joined Nicks on stage that night for a crowd-pleasing version of Nicks’ iconic Tom Petty duet,“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” This tour follows the release of an acclaimed new album called "Relentless," produced by David Wrench (Courtney Barnett, David Byrne) at Battery Studios in London.
Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $75.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Digable Planets
The alternative-hip-hop sensations are headed our way on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)," an acclaimed debut that blew up largely on the strength of "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and picked up a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Rolling Stone praised the album for having "methodically stripped hip-hop to the bone with Afro-chic witticisms backed by a trunkload of retro jazz and funk beats."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $46.60-$89.48. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
Lennon & Nilsson: Songs from the Lost Weekend
Local musician Brian Chartrand is taking what worked with "Live from Laurel Canyon" and applying it John Lennon's post-Beatles career and the infamous Lost Weekend Lennon spent with his partner in crime Harry Nilsson. Lennon & Nilsson: Songs from The Lost Weekend explores that friendship — the music, the mischief, the album-length collaboration on one of the '70s' most endearingly inessential masterpieces "puss* Cats" and more with an all-star lineup backing Chartrand in an evening of stories and songs.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. $10-$15; free for members. 480-352-2822,tempecenterforthearts.com.
Bite the Hand
These Phoenix rockers recently signed to Wiretap Records and shared a lead single from "Conned Out of Life," their full-length debut for the L.A.-based label. That first single, "Smile Baby," is throat-shredding screamo written in response to be asked to smile more. Bite the Hand issued a statement explaining the inspiration for the song: "Being worked to the bone in late stage capitalism, we’re forced to walk around with a smile on our face whether we’re grieving or going through rough patches in our lives.... We aren’t always 'allowed' to show those feelings or emotions without fear of consequence so this song is your permission slip that you don’t just have to smile through the (expletive). This show also features Marked Life, UpNow! and Wither//Bloom.
Details: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15; $12 in advance.valleybarphx.com.
Charles Lewis Quintet
Born in Philadelphia, this local jazz piano legend moved here at 20 to study at Arizona State University. He began performing at the famous 7th Avenue Elks Club jams in 1954 and played in several bands before forming the Charles Lewis Quintet. In 1961, he landed a gig at the Playboy Club in Phoenix and has been performing for audiences ever since. This is part of Crescent Ballroom's afternoon matinee series.
Details: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $10. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Redd Kross
They spent the ’90s at the forefront of the power-pop revival, bringing Susan Cowsill in to join them on a song whose chorus found guitarist Jeff McDonald yearning to be taken on a tour of the bubblegum factory (“where love is made”). And then, they just stopped making records after 1997’s “Show World.” But the bubblegum factory has been back in business since 2012 and now they’re playing Phoenix in support of a self-titled double album packed with instantly engaging pop hooks that’s already been re-christened “The Redd Album.”
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $18; $16 in advance.valleybarphx.com.
Wallows
This is the alt-rock trio's biggest tour to date, in support of an album called “Model." They hit the ground running with "Pleaser," their first release, which peaked at No. 2 on theSpotifyGlobalViral 50chart in 2017. They're best known for the triple-platinum rock radio hit "Are You Bored Yet?," featuring Clairo. They're joined by special guest Benee.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $75.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Charley Crockett
Hailed in Rolling Stone as a “must-see live performer,” Crockett is touring the States in support of "$10 Cowboy," a strong contender for the year's best country music album. It helps that Crockett's brand of old-school honky-tonk is effortlessly filtered through a vintage Southern soul aesthetic that AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was spot-on to suggest "could be mistaken for a product of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, not an album originating from a small studio in Austin, Texas."
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. Resale ticket prices vary. 866-468-3399,thevanburenphx.com.
Jon Anderson
Anderson and the Band Geeks have billed this the YES Epics, Classics, and More tour. Anderson, of course, sang lead for Yes, which he founded with bassist Chris Squire in 1968, appearing on their first nine albums and reuniting with his former bandmates several times. The set will feature songs from all stages of Yes that featured Anderson on vocals while also featuring new material created with the Band Geeks. They're currently putting the finishing touches on a brand new nine-track CD set to be released this summer.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $35-$125. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Jane's Addiction and Love and Rockets
That co-headlining tour with fellow alt-rock legends Love and Rockets marks the first time all four members of the classic Jane's Addiction lineup — Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro — have toured together since Avery quit in 2010. Avery toured with Jane's in 2022, but Navarro had to miss the tour they did that year with Smashing Pumpkins due to long COVID-19.
Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $64 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Limp Bizkit Loserville Tour
Nü-metal veterans Limp Bizkit are joined on the Loserville Tour by special guests Bones with Eddy Baker & Zavier Wulf, N8NOFACE and "The Goonies" actor Corey Feldman with Riff Raff serving as your host and MC for the evening. Led by Fred Durst, Limp Bizkit were among the more successful acts of the rap-rocking nu-metal movement after breaking through with "Nookie" and topping the charts at alternative-radio with "Re-Arranged."
Details: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $45.65 and up. 602-254-7200,livenation.com.
Halestorm and I Prevail
The alternative-metal hitmakers are on a co-headlining summer tour with Hollywood Undead and Fit for a King as support. Halestorm's Lzzy Hale issued a statement promising, "This isn’t your typical summer tour. This is two worlds colliding under one haven for our collective armies. And bringing you a show unlike any we’ve done before.”
Details: 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $97.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Ski Mask the Slump God
Originally known for his collaborations withXXXTentacionand their collectiveMembers Only, this rapper hit the charts at No. 6 with a major-label debut called "Stokely" (named in honor of his real first name), which spawned the triple-platinum single, "Faucet Failure."He's headed to Phoenix on his first headlining run in five years in support of "11th Dimension," with a second album the critic at RapReviews called the first album he'd heard in a while that "feels like an evolution of rap music instead of a retread of already proven trends." This show also features DJ Scheme, Danny Towers, Hardrock and Molly Santana.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $64 and up. 866-468-3399,thevanburenphx.com.
Veronica Everheart release show
Originally based in Phoenix, the 22-year-old now splits her time between here and New York. She's celebrating the release of "Lighter in the Morning," following two early tastes of where this record may be headed — the singles "Microcosm" and "Lyn." Both songs feel like natural extensions of what made her previous release, a five-song EP titled "Cherry Picked," one of more inspired efforts any Valley act released in 2022. She's joined by Slug Bug and Belgium Tree.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $17; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Gregory Porter
This acclaimed jazz singer has two Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammys to his credit — one for 2014's "Liquid Spirit" and another for 2017's "Take Me to the Alley." Both albums hit the Top 10 in the U.K., where Porter played 2016's Glastonbury Festival. The Daily Telegraph responded to his set with "The portly middle-aged jazzer may be the oddest pop star on the planet but he is a refreshing testament to the notion that the most important organ for musical appreciation should always be our ears."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $56-$86. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.
Shaboozey
This alt-country viral sensation is certainly making the most of 2024, collaborating with Beyonce on two "Cowboy Carter" tracks and topping Billboard's Hot 100 with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" a contagious blurring of the lines between country and hip-hop from his breakthrough album "Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going." Rolling Stones praised the album as "a full-on barrage of post-genre possibilities," saying Shaboozey "comes across like someone raised on country who also appreciates hip hop. In doing so, he's effectively changed the game."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Reservation. $149 and up. 800-946-4452,playatgila.com.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Arizona screamo greats Scary Kids Scaring Kids are performing the self-titled album that peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard charts in 2007, earning them a deal with RCA. They broke up in the midst of working on what would've been their major label debut and singer Tyson Stevens died in 2014 at the age of 29. But Scary Kids staged their first reunion tour in 2020 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of "The City Sleeps in Flames" with Cove Reber of Saosin on vocals and stayed together to record their first release since that self-titled record, an album titled "Out of Light" that featured a rotating cast of guest singers. They're joined by Dead Rabbitts and the Writ.
Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. The Nile, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $27.45. 480-559-5859, eventbrite.com.
Alan Parsons Live Project
Parsons began his career as an assistant engineer at Abbey Road Studios working on projects such as the Beatles’ "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be," going on to producePink Floyd’s "The Dark Side of the Moon." The Alan Parsons Project released 10 concept albums between 1976-1987, selling more than 50 million albums worldwide while scoring big pop hits with"Eye in the Sky," “Time” and "Don't Answer Me."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$125. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Stone Temple Pilots and Live
Stone Temple Pilots and Live are joining forces on a co-headlining tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of two career-defining albums, “Throwing Copper” and “Purple,” promising a night of hit songs from those two releases and more, with a full set of music by each group spanning generations. They're joined on the Jubilee Tour by special guests/fellow grunge-ear hitmakers Soul Asylum.
Details: 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $75.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar is joined on the Best of All Worlds Tour by longtime bandmates Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham with Joe Satriani on lead guitar. Hagar and Anthony, of course, were bandmates in Van Halen, who topped the Billboard album charts with four consecutive releases — “5150” (1986), “OU812” (1988), “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” (1991) and “Balance” (1995) — with Hagar on lead vocals after David Lee Roth tried his luck at a solo career.
Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $48.65 and up. 602-254-7200,livenation.com.
Kings of Leon
These Grammy-winning, multiplatinum rockers are headed our way on a tour in support of “Can We Please Have Fun,” a new release that finds the men who gave you "Sex on Fire" cutting loose, trying new things and, yes, having some fun. Recorded at Dark Horse studio in Nashville and produced with new collaborator Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Florence + the Machine), the album harkens back to their gritty origins while simultaneously finding new gears.
Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $272 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Iration and Pepper
These jam-circuit heroes are headed our way on the Daytrippin in Paradise Summer Tour for an outdoor gig in Mesa with special guests DENM and Artikal. Iration found their sound while playing reggae covers on the California college circuit, going on to send four albums to the top of Billboard's reggae chart. The guys in Pepper were in high school in Hawaii when they started playing reggae-rock, inspired by Sublime and a Hawaiian group called Three Plus. Their latest album, "Local Motion," topped the Billboard reggae charts.
Details: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $55-$60; $45-$55 in advance. 480-644-2560,mesaamp.com.
Howard Jones and ABC
New Wave legends Howard Jones and ABC are on a co-headlining summer hour set to feature such beloved '80s hits as "Things Can Only Get Better," "No One is to Blame," "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow." But perhaps the bigger news is they'll be joined by special guests Haircut 100 touring the States for the first time in more than 40 years with the original lineup that gave the '80s "Favorite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," "Fantastic Day" and "Love Plus One." You'll swear the '80s never ended.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $50-$385. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Lana Del Rabies
Don't let the jokey stage name fool you. The music on this Phoenix rocker's latest album, "Strega Beata," is as dark as Nine Inch Nails, an ominous blend of industrial music, goth-rock, noise and alternative-metal topped by haunting vocals as Sam An explores what she refers to as "explores "the esoteric brutality of what it means to be human in a world consumed by the threat of apocalypse." The Quietus writes that the album is "bleakly alluring, and while it’s not for everyone, those who it is for will love it all the more for that fact."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15; $12 in advance.valleybarphx.com.
Def Leppard and Journey
Def Leppard and Journey are headed to Phoenix on a co-headlining tour whose local date includes Steve Miller Band bringing the number of hits you can expect to hear to an even more staggering total. At the tour launch in St. Louis, Def Leppard went heavy on selections from their biggest albums, "Pyromania" and "Hysteria," signing off with "Pour Some Sugar On Me." Journey also played their biggest '80s hits and reached back to the '70s for such classics as "Lights" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin.'"
Details: 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson, Phoenix. $39.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Lamb of God and Mastodon
Grammy-nominated metal titans Lamb of God and Grammy-winning kindred spirits Mastodon are joined on their co-headlining Ashes Of Leviathan Tour by special guests Kerry King (of Slayer!) and Malevolence. The tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of two seminal releases: Lamb of God’s biggest-selling album “Ashes of the Wake” and Mastodon’s acclaimed sophom*ore album “Leviathan." Both albums were released on August 31, 2004, also known as "a good day for metal." Both bands will perform their respective albums in full.
Details: 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $64 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Ice Spice
The multi-platinum drill rapper, who collaborated with Nicki Minaj on "Barbie World," is touring the States in support of “Y2K!,” a debut whose title refers to the year of her birth. The Guardian raved, "There’s a wickedly infectious energy, wit and filth to her confrontational braggadocio." Her other hits include the Minaj collab "Princess Diana" and "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" with PinkPantheress.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $90.50-$134.66. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
311
In 1996, they topped the Modern Rock charts with "Down." And thehits kept coming with "All Mixed Up," "You Wouldn't Believe," "Creatures (For a While)," "Love Song," "Don't Tread on Me," "Hey You" and more. Nick Hexum had the crowd at Innings Fest waving their hands from side to side and jumping on command from pretty much the time he hit the stage in February for a genre-fluid hit parade that made its way through such crowd-pleasing highlights as “Beautiful Disaster" and “Come Original.” They're joined on the Unity Tour by AWOLNATION and Neon Trees.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $86.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
JPEGMAFIA
The Lay Down My Life Tour takes its name from the acclaimed rapper's forthcoming album, "I Lay My Life For You." He made the rounds of last year's best-of lists, from Rolling Stone and Paste to Stereogum and The Line of Best Fit, with "Scaring the Hoes," an album-length collab with Danny Brown, which he also producer. As DIY Magazine was right to note, "For a project that could have held unreasonable expectations, it overdelivers time and time again," adding "both parts of the duo are on their A-game in equal parts."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $44.97-$89.48. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
59 X Fest PHX
59 X Records is a boutique label based in Atlanta and Phoenix. The second annual 59 X Fest PHX features artists signed to the label and management roster along with special guest for a two-stage multigenre festival. The Ballroom Stage features local artists Prefect, All The Better Band, Louis on Tour, WinterHaven and DS1! alongside California's Easy Sleeper and HVNTED, the Carolyn (from Georgia) and Pure Sport (Nevada). The Lounge Stage features local artists Lovelaced, Gone Before Us, Lowrise, Forts 30 and Jackson Lee with California's Crash My Car, Georgia's the Likkakee House and Wild Giants.
Details: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25; $20 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Dirty Heads and Slightly Stoopid
Dirty Heads and Slightly Stoopid are joined on the Slightly Dirty Summer Tour by Common Kings and the Elovaters. Slightly Stoopid’s Miles Doughty issued a statement saying, “It's been a minute since we did a full summer tour with our brothers the Dirty Heads and we are excited to get this party started.” Dirty Heads’ Duddy B said, “Every time we get together it's nothing but good times and I expect nothing less this summer!"
Details: 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $45.15 and up. 602-254-7200,livenation.com.
Squeeze and Boy George
Squeeze blasted to the forefront of the U.K. music scene at the height of the punk revolution with pop hits as indelible as "Pulling Mussels From a Shell" and "Tempted," earning their songwriters, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, a reputation as the Lennon-McCartney of the New Wave era. Boy George rose to fame as the voice of Culture Club, whose hits included “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," "Karma Chameleon," "Time (Clock of the Heart)" and "Church of the Poisoned Mind."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $65-$490. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Get Up Kids
Has it really been 25 years Get Up Kids released the landmark album, "Something to Write Home About?" Apparently it has because they're headed to Mesa's Nile Theater on a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of a timeless effort that has a way of popping up in retrospective countdowns of the greatest albums in the history of emo and occasionally pop-punk without necessarily picking a lane. So call it what you like, but it's the strength of the material that matters in the long run, which is why it still holds up. And they're playing the album in full with an opening set by kindred spirits Smoking Popes.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The Nile, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $33.18. 480-559-5859,eventbrite.com.
Gatecreeper
These Phoenix-spawned death-metal standard-bearers recently celebrated their 10th anniversary of making the bleeding eardrums of America safe for something they've been known to call Sonoran Desert Death Metal while releasing yet another chapter in their brutal history, "Dark Superstition." It's their first album since signing to Nuclear Blast, an iconic German label known for specializing in the heavy side of metal. In announcing the album's release, the label proclaimed, "The new wave of American death metal needs a breakout album and 'Dark Superstition' is it."Fingers crossed on one hand, throwing the metal salute with the other. They're joined by Secret Attraction, Eternal and Life Ender.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Earth, Wind & Fire with Chicago
Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have joined forces once again for the co-headlining Heart & Soul Tour. The 30-city tour will feature epic sets from each act culminating in an encore performance with a very crowded stage. In making a case for Chicago's 2016 induction on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website,Rob Bowman called them "one of America’s most successful rock bands of any epoch in terms of both sales and longevity," going on to note, "The statistics are simply staggering." Fellow Hall of Famers Earth, Wind & Firetook funk to the masses with such consistency and soul that "The Rolling Stone Album Guide" suggests, "It could be argued that 'The Best ofEarth,Wind&Fire' portrays the best singles band of the '70s."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $34.50 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.
Twenty One Pilots
The Clancy World Touris the Grammy-winning duo's biggest headline tour to date. Having amassed more than 33 billion streams worldwide with more than three million tickets sold across global headlining tours, the Columbus, Ohio-based duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have established themselves among the most successfulbands of the 21st century. “Clancy”marks the final chapter in an ambitious multi-album narrativeintroduced on their 2015 multi-platinum breakthrough “Blurryface.”
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale ticket prices vary. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.
John Summit
This global dance sensation sold out Madison Square Garden in two hours. He's headed to Rawhide in support of an acclaimed debut, "Comfort in Chaos," a concert presented by Body Language, the boutique festival brand by Relentless Beats and RBDeep. The superstar DJ has earned nearly one billion global streams across his catalog, including two chart-topping US dance radio hits and two Top 10 tracks on the Billboard Hot Electronic/Dance Songs chart.
Details: 12 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Rawhide Event Center,5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $73.50 and up. 480-502-5600,relentlessbeats.com.
Aura May release show
These psychedelic rockers hail from Phoenix, where they're hosting a release show for an album called "Forget." They've already dropped two singles this year — the stoner-rocking "Sex Valley," which rocks with a punkish intensity in its more electrifying moments, and the funkier "Guilt Trip," which feels more like a single as the singer makes his way from one contagious pop hook to another. They're joined by special guests My Upside Down and Practically People.
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Grupo Duelo
Fronted by Óscar Iván Treviño and originally known as Duelo Norteño, these Mexicannorteño stars from Roma, Texas, rose to prominence in the early 2000s, earning fans with their mix of emotional ballads and spirited norteño rhythms They're headed to Phoenix on the Evitame la Pena Tour.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $49-$119. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Tyga
The multi-platinum rapper is playing an Oasis Pool Party at Wild Horse Pass, a set that promises a mix of club bangers and smooth. The gold-chain-rocking rapper blew up in 2011 with the five-times platinum smash "Rack City," hitting No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and following through with the Lil Wayne-assisted "Faded," a triple-platinum Top 40 hit, in 2012. Other multi-platinum hits include "Ayo" with Chris Brown, "Taste" with Offset and "Juicy" with Doja Cat.
Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Reservation. $69 and up. 800-946-4452,playatgila.com.
Past concerts in Phoenix in August 2024
Jhené Aiko
The R&B sensation brings her Magic Hour Tour to Footprint Center with Coi Leray, Tink, Umi and Kiana Lede. This is Aiko’s first headlining tour in five years. Before the tour launch, Aiko got raves for her performance at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Aiko has been at the forefront of a new wave of contemporary R&B acts for more than a decade, known for experimenting with a range of styles – incorporating sound healing, modern mantra and crystal alchemy sound bowls in her music.She's also an amazing vocalist.
Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale ticket prices vary. 602-379-7800,ticketmaster.com.
Dweezil Zappa
The guitarist is launching a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of two career-defining albums that took his legendary father’s music to a wider mainstream audience than acts as willfully eccentric as Frank Zappa tend to reach — “Apostrophe,”his only Top 10 entry on theBillboard album chart, and “Roxy & Elsewhere,” which hit No. 27. Dweezil spoke to The Arizona Republic about the latest step in a musical journey he started in 2006 withZappa Plays Zappa: Tour de Frank to celebrate the legacy his father left when he died in 1993.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $39-$125. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Spyro Gyra
It's the 50th anniversary of Spyro Gyra, a Grammy-nominated fusion group put together by musicians in Buffalo, New York, as something to do on nights they didn't have a gig that paid, charging 25 cents at the door. The title track to their platinum second album "Morning Dance" topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts in 1979. By 1980, they were popular enough that their third album, "Catching the Sun," was No. 4 on the year-end jazz charts. In 2007, they were honored with the George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2. Talking Stick Resort, Loop 101 and Pima Road, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. $35 and up. 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com.
Albert Lee and Jeremy Clyde
British country guitarist Albert Lee has been hailed as "the ultimate virtuoso" by another talented guitarist from the U.K. by the name of Eric Clapton, who added, "His skill is extraordinary, his ear is extraordinary, and he’s gifted on just about every level." Clydeis half of the British folk-rock duo Chad and Jeremy, whose U.S. hits include "Yesterday's Gone," "A Summer Song," "Willow Weep for Me" and "Before and After." They're doing two shows at the MIM.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2-3. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $44.50-$54.50. 480-478-6000,mim.org.
Grupo Frontera
This tour is in support of the recently released “Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada,” an album that mixes a variety of genres such as norteño and cumbia while also dabbling in new experimental sounds with features from Morat, Maluma, Nicki Nicole and Christian Nodal. The regional Mexican music stars topped the Billboard Latin Songs chart in 2022 with the Fuerza Regida collaboration "Bebé Dame," which also peaked at No. 25 on Billboard's Hot 100, becoming the norteño heroes' first Top 40 hit. An even bigger mainstream breakthrough followed when they teamed up with Bad Bunny on the Top 5 smash "Un x100to."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $34.50 and up. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.
Hyperbella
The experimental pop duo of Cassidy Hilgersand Carly Bates call what they do "neo-soul/R&B from outer space." And that certainly sums up the charms of the self-titled album they released in 2019, an otherworldly affair that eases the listener in with an experimental soundscape, chanting "Hyperspace, Hyperbella" over dreamy electronic textures and a dialog sample about our planet being nothing but a lonely speak in the greater scheme of the universe.What follows is a seamless blend of jazz and soul that's every bit as mesmerizing (and ambitious) as the best of Erykah Badu or Esperanza Spalding.This is part of Escape to Crescent Ballroom Summer Matinee Concert Series
Details: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $9. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Mike and the Molotovs release show
These local punks are releasing a second EP of satirical working-class country-punk anthems called "Monarchy in the USA," which was preceded by a video for "Billionaires Have Feelings, Too." As singer Mike Lee told The Arizona Republic, “Billionaires are just this perfect target. Just the sheer amount of hoarding. And they're hilarious because they seem to care so much about what other people think, like buying Twitter and controlling everything. At what point are we like, 'All right, man, you won capitalism. Here’s your trophy. Now how about sharing a little bit?’”
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Yucca Tap Room, 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe. Free show.480-967-4777,yuccatap.com.
kJADE
This local hip-hop artist recently released “The Sound That Trees Make,” an album that feels like the arrival of a major artist in the making. As she raps on “Sankofa,” “I’m an artist/ I am the artery/ It’s the part of me.” kJADE’s press materials describe “The Sound That Trees Make” as “an exposé of the truth found in grief, sound, healing and therefore life.” She’s a gifted lyricist and rapper whose delivery can feel a little like a spoken-word performance set to music at times, which definitely suits the dreamy, jazz-inflected ambience of the recording. She’s joined by OutOfSage, Owijo and Esteban.
Details: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $15; $12 in advance.valleybarphx.com.
Chris Brown
The 26-city 11:11 Tour celebrates the release of Brown’s 11th studio album, "11:11," which topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart and earned a Grammy nomination for "Summer Too Hot." It follows Brown’s successful 2023 Under the Influence European tour, which sold out 27 shows. Brown is among the most successful R&B stars of his generation, with three chart-topping albums and a steady stream of multiplatinum singles. His biggest hits include"Run It," "Kiss Kiss"and "Go Crazy." In 2009, he pleaded guilty to felony assault of Rihanna, his then-girlfriend.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Footprint Center,201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale ticket prices vary. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com.
Lucki
The Chicago rapper brings his first headlining U.S. tour to Phoenix in support of “Gemini!,” his third consecutive release to go Top 20 on the Billboard album charts. Regarded as an influential figure in underground hip-hop, he released his first mixtape,"Alternative Trap," at age 17 in 2013, going on to work with artists as acclaimed as Chance the Rapper, Danny Brown, FKA Twigs and Future.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Arizona Financial Theatre,400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $53.50 and up.800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.
Paper Foxes
There's a reason Alternative Press chose Paper Foxes for a list of 50 unsigned bands from 50 statesfor what the magazine labeleda musical road trip across the country in 2020.Jason Robey, a former digital media editor atKJZZ Phoenix, wrote the article, praising Paper Foxes for "a unique sound that’s part indie rock and part '80s New Wave," going on to note that "Popular Confessions," their full-length debut,"features the best elements of alternative, pop and dance-punk."This performance is part of Escape to Crescent Ballroom Summer Matinee Concert Series with Proper Pet and Practically People, clearly brought to you by the letter P.
Details: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $8. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Francine Reed
Fresh from celebrating her 77th trip around the sun with a show at the Musical Instrument Museum, the local legend returns to downtown Phoenix for a Sunday matinee performance at the Nash's temporary home, a space called Venue 122. Reed was one of the Valley's most popular jazz and blues vocalists from the mid-1970s until she left for Atlanta in the early '90s. By the time she left,she was a memberof Lyle Lovett’s Large Band. The singer has also recorded duets with Willie Nelson and Delbert McClinton in addition to releasing her own music, most recently a jazz album aptly titled "The Incomparable Francine Reed."
Details:3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Venue 122, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. $34. 602-795-0464,thenash.org..
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best Phoenix concerts August 2024: Def Leppard, Ice Spice and more
