Top concerts playing Phoenix in March: Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons, MercyMe, Angela Aguilar
Ed Masley
March brings several big arena tours to metro Phoenix, from Bad Bunny's date at Footprint Center on a tour that sold out every date in record time to Dua Lipa and Imagine Dragons.
Arizona Federal Theater will host Bob Dylan's first U.S. performance of 2022.
Club Placebo is set to host a 'living archive' dedicated to the Phoenix punk scene of the 1980s.
And festival season is officially in high gear, with M3F, Body Language and Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival all taking place the same week. The Chandler Ostrich Festival is back after being postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a lineup that includes the Beach Boys and the Temptations.
Here's a look at those and other highlights of the month in metro Phoenix concerts.
And don't forget to check out local music picks to see where the Valley's best artists are playing.
'Outside the realm of normal': How Placebo Records helped define the Phoenix underground
Ghost with Volbeat
This is Ghost's first Valley concert since a headlining tour in 2018 hit Comerica Theatre (now Arizona Federal Theatre). They have a reputation as a great live act — in part because, as Rolling Stone once wrote, "they've found the middle of the Venn diagram between metal toughness, arty self-indulgence and pop musicality." Co-headliners Volbeat, who serve their heavy metal with a side of rockabilly, last played Phoenix in 2019 as part of Slipknot's Knotfest Roadshow.
Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $34.50 and up. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
It's been 25 years since their acclaimed debut and they're still adding bold new chapters to their legacy, as recently as last year's "G_d's Pee at State's End!," an emotionally overwhelming masterpiece that may have been exactly what we needed in these troubled times. As Pitchfork said, "The four suites of music here sound incredible, capturing the grandeur, aggression, and power of their symphonic punk with perfect clarity. And it feels incredible, too, as it endures passages of oppressive darkness to step at least toward a new dawn."
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. Sold out. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Papa Roach
Jacoby Shaddix and his bandmates are bringing the Kill the Noise Tour to Phoenix with Hollywood Undead and Bad Wolves. Papa Roach went triple-platinum with a turn-of-the-century breakthrough called "Infest," which sent the suicidal "Last Resort" to No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. They've since gone on to top the Mainstream Rock chart four times, with "Lifeline," "Face Everything and Rise," "Help" and "Born for Greatness." The tour takes its name from the nu-metal veterans' forthcoming 11th album.
Details: 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $45 and up. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
Rick Wakeman
The Even Grumpier Old Rock Star Tour will feature Wakeman introducing his virtuosic piano performances with riotous reflections on his more than 50 years in music. The concert's repertoire will range from Wakeman's solo works and several stints in Yes through to his days as a session musician playing keyboards on such classics as David Bowie’s "Life On Mars?" He'll also dust off Beatles’ hits and other memorable tunes, adapted for the grand piano.
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $35-$95. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Manchester Orchestra
The Atlanta-based indie-rock veterans are touring the States in support of 2021's "The Million Masks of God," which landed them on year-end album lists at Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence and Flood Mag. As SputnikMusic noted, "Their body of work speaks for itself at this point: Manchester Orchestra is one of the greatest bands alive right now, and The Million Masks of God is yet another feather in their cap."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. Sold out. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour returns to Arizona Federal Theatre for the songwriting legend's first Valley performance since 2018, when he made his first U.S. appearance of the year in that same venue. Dylan was scheduled to headline a concert at Gila River Arena in Glendale with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and the Hot Club of Cowtown in 2020 two days after the release of "Rough And Rowdy Ways," his first album of original material since the release of "Tempest" eight years earlier. That concert was canceled due to COVID-19. His latest concert featured eight songs from the 10-song "Rough and Ready Ways" as well as such classics as "Watching the River Flow," "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece."
Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.50 and up. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
NBA Leather Tour
Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt have joined forces on a co-headlining tour that also features special guests the Alchemist with Boldy James. Sweatshirt is out in support of this year's pandemically-titled "Sick!," an album Clash Music declared "a fantastic release" that "pushes Earl Sweatshirt into a new chapter of his work, while adding further context to what has come before." Bronson's latest effort, 2020's "Only for Dolphins" also earned praise from Clash Music, which proclaimed it "the sound of free-flowing sonic travel."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $60. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
Ana Gabriel
The Mexican pop star brings her rescheduled-due-to-COVID-19 Por Amor A Ustedes Tour to Glendale at long last. The singer has released more than 30 albums and earned 20 top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including an impressive six appearances at No. 1. Billboard writes that it's her powerful vocals that have led this “powerhouse to fill arenas with fantastic performances that are veritable vocal tour de forces.”
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, March 4. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $129 and up. 623-772-3800, TicketSmarter.com.
M3F
In keeping with tradition, the festival formerly known as McDowell Mountain Music Festival has assembled a diverse array of talent. There's EDM from Kaytranada, ZHU and Jungle, soul from Leon Bridges, jam-rock from Arizona's own Spafford, electro-pop from A R I Z O N A and hip-hop from Bryce Vine. Other highlights include Whethan, Elderbrook, Two Feet, Cautious Clay, Surf Mesa, Goth Babe, Bea Miller and Franc Moody.
Conceived as a team-building exercise for its producers, WESPAC Construction, the festival has raised $3.2 million for charity since launching in 2004, including $1.1 million donated in the last two years alone.
Going to M3F? Here's 10 acts you can't afford to miss, from Cautious Clay to Kaytranada
Details: 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 4; 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5. MarMargaret T. Hance Park, 1218 N. 2nd St., Phoenix. $75 a day; $125 for a weekend pass. m3ffest.com.
Body Language
This is the first year for this three-day festival designed to cater to the growing demand for house, techno and underground music from the folks at RBDeep, a Relentless Beats sub-brand. And it's off to an amazing start with marquee names including Carl Cox, Boris Brejcha, Adam Beyer and Kaskade. Other acts announced so far include Dombresky b2b Noizu, Drezo, Eats Everything, Hannah Wants, Kasablanca, Kyle Watson, Malaa, Rebūke, Shiba San, Sohmi, Teenage Mutants, Township Rebellion and Wax Motif.
Details: 3 p.m Friday, March 4-Sunday, March 6. Rawhide, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $229 for a weekend pass. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.
Glass Animals
The British rockers are headed our way in continued support of 2020's "Dreamland," which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard album chart and spun off four Top 40 entries on the Billboard rock chart. NME responded to the album with a rave, proclaiming it "a sun-drenched record of summer tunes that will sound even better when heard at festivals with a tinnie in hand. Yet look behind glittering shells of these tunes and you’ll find hugely personal stories, told with new strength and resilience."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 4. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. Verified resale prices vary. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
Marca Registrada
This nortena quartet from Culiacan, Sinaloa, whose band name refers to a registered trademark, has been earning an average of 5 million streams a month across digital platforms and more than 110 million views of their videos on YouTube. Their recent single, "No Me Acuerdo," peaked at No. 27 on Billboard's Mexico Popular Airplay chart.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, March 4. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $50-$120. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Injury Reserve
The Tempe-spawned experimental hip-hop trio lost Stepa J. Groggs in the midst of tracking "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," a family tragedy that couldn't help but haunt the album Ritchie with a T and Parker Corey brought in for a landing on their own after being too struck with the loss to continue at first. It was the only local album on our year-end album list, which noted, "Corey layers abstract chaos on unsettling cacophony in dense, disorienting tapestries of noise while Ritchie with a T seems to carry the weight of a world gone mad on his shoulders 'as we walk through this valley of death.'"
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, March 4. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25; $22 in advance. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.
Glendale Folk & Heritage Festival
The 32nd annual Folk & Heritage Festival will continue the celebration of folk music, its history and culture at historic Sahuaro Ranch Park. This free event is set to feature hundreds of performers from all over the country sharing their talents through music, poetry, art and workshops. Details are sparse by now, but we will update as more details are announced.
Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 5-Sunday, March 6. Sahuaro Ranch Park historic area, 9802 N. 59th Ave., Glendale. Free. glendaleaz.com.
Bad Bunny
The Puerto Rican reggaeton sensation hit the mainstream in 2018 as a featured guest, alongside J Balvin, on Cardi B's chart-topping Latin trap triumph, "I Like It," and built on that momentum with the Drake-assisted Top 5 single "Mia." This concert is part of the El Último Tour Del Mundo 2022, which sold out every date in record time (although you'll find plenty of marked-up tickets on the resale market). He'll be back in Phoenix in September when his World's Hottest Tour plays the much bigger Chase Field.
Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 6. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale prices fluctuate. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Cordae
Formerly known as YBN Cordae, the two-time Grammy nominee is touring in support of "From a Birds Eye View," his second album to debut inside the Top 10 on the Billboard rap and hip-hop/R&B charts. NME responded with its highest rating, calling "From a Birds Eye View" a "true delight, revealing greater depth with each listen," going on to note that "Cordae truly seems to be having fun while proving he’s here to stay."
Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, March 6. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $27.50-$89. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center presents Songs We Love, a journey through the first 50 years of jazz song. Three guest vocalists join an all-star band made up of New York City’s rising jazz stars under the direction of Riley Mulherkar. The group will sing their way through four decades of music, beginning with the early blues and jazz of the 1920s and ending in the early 1950s, including songs associated with Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 6. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. $38-$58. 480-499-8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.org.
The Sword
These Austin rockers have carved out a spot for themselves on the front lines of the stoner-rock revival, releasing a string of heavy triumphs, from 2006’s “Age of Winters” to the psychedelic splendor of "Used Future," their latest release. They’ve toured with Metallica but their music would probably resonate more with a Black Sabbath crowd. And if you get why that can only be a good thing, you should be there.
Details: 9 p.m. Sunday, March 6. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $30. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Touché Amoré
This L.A. post-hardcore band is touring the States in continued support of "Lament," an album hailed in Pitchfork as their “capstone — a Touché Amoré album that can reach the most people as possible from the greatest distance.” It's a cathartic collection whose emotional intensity is largely driven by the tortured howls of lead singer Jeremy Bolm. Released in 2020, the album landed them on year-end critics' lists at Stereogum, Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, Paste, AV Club and more.
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 8. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $25. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.
Ostrich Festival
The 32nd annual Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival has rolled out its headliners one at a time. For now, we know who's playing on four of the seven dates. The Band Perry and Uncle Kracker will open the festival on Friday, March 11, followed by country star Walker Hayes (March 12), Flo Rida (March 13), the Beach Boys (March 18), Nelly (March 19) and the Temptations and Four Tops bringing the festival to a close with a Sunday Motortown Revue (March 20).
Details: Friday, March 11-Sunday, March 13; Thursday, March 17-Sunday, March 20. Tumbleweed Park, 745 E. Germann Road, Chandler. $15 a day and up; March 11-13; $10 and up March 17-20. ostrichfestival.com.
Los Tucanes
These Norteño veterans were founded by Mario Quintero Lara and a group of friends in 1987 and rose to fame singing narcocorridos or ballads romanticizing the exploits of Mexican drug cartels. They were famously banned in Tijuana after their lead singer sent his regards to the city's most notorious drug lords.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, March 11. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $53.50 and up. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
The Darkness
Justin Hawkins welcomes listeners to last year's "Motorheart" with a tribute to a city he truly adores, where "the woman are gorgeous and the food is OK." It's the sort of line Hawkins was born to deliver, having made a career of embracing the sillier side of classic heavy metal with what certainly feels like a wink and nudge as he straddles the fine line Spinal Tap once famously drew between stupid and clever. As Mick Jagger would say, "It's a gas gas gas."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $30.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
Imagine Dragons
The Las Vegas rockers return in support "Mercury – Act 1." Imagine Dragons' first full-length release since 2018's "Origins" was produced by Rick Rubin and spun off a major rock-radio hit in “Follow You," which ended 2021 at the top of the Rock Airplay charts in Billboard. This is their first Valley concert since 2017, when they launched the Evolve World Tour at Talking Stick Resort Arena (as Footprint Center was known at the time).
Details: 7 p.m. Monday, March 14. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Resale ticket prices fluctuate. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Flogging Molly
These Celtic punk heroes earned raves in 2017 for "Life Is Good," an album hailed at SputnikMusic as "a cogent evolution in Flogging Molly's trademark Celtic folk sound and a welcome gift from a band celebrating their 20th anniversary." Although based in Los Angeles, they're led by an actual Irishman, Dave King, and spent a month in Ireland recording "Life is Good."
Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $45-$149. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats
These U.K. rockers earned well-deserved raves in 2018 for "Wasteland," a headphone record of psychedelic stoner rock that found them managing a perfect blend of heavy and hypnotic. Kerrang! declared it "another masterful, kaleidoscopic trip from your favourite freaked-out uncle." They're on tour with the great King Buffalo, kindred spirits whose latest album, "The Burden of Restlessness," is a master class in heavy psychedelic rock.
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 15. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $35. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Andre Reiu
As a young boy in the Netherlands, Rieu would watch as his father conducted the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra. And it impressed the budding violinist how the audience reaction shifted every time his father ended a performance with a Strauss waltz for an encore. Today, the violinist leads the 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, having acquired the title the Waltz King after scoring a huge hit in Holland in 1994 with Shostakovich’s “The Second Waltz.”
Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $69 and up. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Judas Priest
The U.K. metal legends' U.S. breakthrough, "British Steel," arrived in 1980, spinning off two big rock-radio staples in "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight." They'd been at it for more than a decade, though, before that record took them to the Stateside masses, which explains the title of their 50 Heavy Metal Years Tour. They're here with Sabaton in continued support of 2018's "Firepower" which became their highest-charting U.S. album when it peaked at No. 5.
Interview: Rob Halford shares his memories of 50 Heavy Metal Years with Judas Priest
Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $78.50 and up. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
Buddy Guy
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and consummate showman arrives in continued support of the "The Blues Is Alive and Well," which picked up a Grammy for best traditional blues album. A house guitarist at Chess Records in the ’60s, a decade in which he also toured in Muddy Waters’ band, Guy was voted the 30th best guitarist of all time in Rolling Stone. But Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton would have placed him higher.
Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. $58-$88. 480-782-2680, chandlercenter.org.
Trinity of Terror Tour
This is the opening night of the Trinity of Terror Tour, a very heavy metal co-headlining triple threat with Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills and Black Veil Brides. This is the first time all three bands have toured together. They'll be alternating closing sets each night, with an opening set by Lilith Czar.
Details: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $49; $45 in advance. 480-644-2560, mesaamp.com.
Angela Aguilar
The Princess of Mexican Music will launch her Mexicana Enamorada Tour in downtown Phoenix. Aguilar has been touring since the age of 4, alongside legendary father Pepe Aguilar. Her most recent release, the music video for “Ella Que Te Dio” with Jesse & Joy, exceeded 3.5 million views in less than three days after its launch in addition to becoming the No. 1 trending topic in Mexico and No. 10 global trending topic on YouTube.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday, March 18. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $69 and up. 800-745-300, TicketSmarter.com.
Punk in Drublic
Brew Ha Ha Productions' Punk In Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival brings NOFX, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, the Bouncing Souls, Lagwagon, Authority Zero, the Last Gang and the Venomous Pinks to Bell Bank Park in Mesa. The festival sprang from the minds and livers of NOFX frontman Fat Mike and craft beer fanatic/festival promoter Cameron Collins of Brew Ha Ha Productions.
It's named for NOFX’s classic "Punk In Drublic" album, which has sold more than one million copies.
Details: Noon, Saturday, March 19. Bell Bank Park, 1 Legacy Drive, Mesa.. $45 and VIP tickets start at $99 plus fees. 480-994-2297, brewhahaproductions.com.
Yungblud
The British rocker brings his Life on Mars Tour: North America to the Van Buren in support of "Weird!," which topped the U.K. album charts in December 2020, capping a year that saw him win ‘Best Music Video’ at the NME Awards and Best Push artist at the MTV EMAs. NME responded to the album with its highest rating, writing, "Yungblud’s never seemed more inspiring or vital as he proves himself as one of the most important rock stars around. ‘weird!’ really is wonderful."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $30-$35. 866-468-3399, luckymanonline.com.
Jose Gonzalez
Hailed by Rolling Stone as "someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music deliver rewards to listeners who know how to wait, Swedish indie-folk sensation arrives in support of "Local Valley," a hypnotic gem of an album. Uncut called it "positive, engaged" and "almost rousing." That word "almost" does a lot of lifting in that sentence. It is true that there are moments that would have to rank among the most electrifying tracks he's committed to tape. But the overall vibe is as sublime as ever.
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. $31.50-$46.50. 800-282-4842, etix.com.
Dua Lipa
This is the first tour Lipa has done since the March 2020 release of the masterful "Future Nostalgia" the most-streamed album of the year on Spotify. It made the rounds of year-end critics lists, from Rolling Stone to azcentral, going on to win a Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy. It feels like we've been dancing to these songs since Madonna was just getting into the groove, yet it also feels completely of the moment as she moves from strength to strength with the conviction of a new pop legend in the making.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $64.50 and up. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Desert Roots
Following the success of the Summer Roots festival that brought reggae and surf rock to SoCal last summer, Brew Ha Ha Productions has expanded the brand with Desert Roots — a new music and craft beer festival coming to Arizona. The all-ages event will feature Cypress Hill, Common Kings, Katastro, Fortunate Youth, Arise Roots, Bikini Trill and the Irie. There will also be craft beer tastings (with purchase of a tasting ticket) until 3 p.m. for those 21 and up.
Details: 1 p.m. Sunday, March 20. Scarizona Festival Grounds, 1901 N. Alma School Road, Mesa. $49 and up; VIP tickets $125 and up. desertrootsfest.com.
The Marshall Tucker Band
The Southern rockers from South Carolina are joined by Dave Mason of Traffic on a tour celebrating their 50th anniversary. Their best-known hits include their breakthrough single "Fire on the Mountain," "Head it in a Love Song" and "Can't You See." Lead singer Doug Gray is the only founding member in the current lineup.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 20. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$100. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Blackberry Smoke
These Southern-rock standard bearers are touring the States in support of "You Hear Georgia," an album whose title track finds lead singer Charlie Starr wearing his Southern pride like a defiant badge of honor. "You see Georgia when you look down on me from the top of that mountain where you'll always be," he snarls. "I wanna reach up some time and shake your tree but you'll fall soon enough; I guess I'll let it happen naturally." It's the kind of swagger Lynyrd Skynyrd would be proud to call their own. As MusicOMH said, "Sure, they sound a little too close to The Black Crowes for comfort at times, but by and large this is about as sincere as music making gets in 2021."
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, March 21. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $30.50. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.
Bob Moses
There are Depeche Mode-esque levels of brooding to this synth-pop duo's more intriguing moments. Mixmag once summed up their sound as "grown-up electronica." And that checks out, from "Days Gone By," the album that inspired that review, to "Battle Lines." The Line of Best Fit called that 2018 effort "a potent reminder of the power of the combination of hard rhythm, electronic experimentation, and hard-hitting lyrics."
Details: 8 p.m. Monday, March 21. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $30-$33. 866-468-3399, thevanburenphx.com.
Airborne Toxic Event
They've always made excellent use of dynamics to take you from moments of trembling vulnerability to anthemic choruses that sound like they were written for the back rows of a stadium. And that certainly holds true on "Hollywood Park," where the anthems aren't shy about tipping a hat to the stadium-rocking bombast of Bruce Springsteen at his most romantic. That the understated moments are just as effective only makes it that much more compelling. Classic Rock Magazine praised the album as "an hour of sheer roar-along brilliance."
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $25-$30. 866-468-3399, luckymanonline.com.
Bahamas
Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen, whose supple upper register is just the thing to put across the soulful yacht-rock vibe of songs like "Trick to Happy," the opening track on 2020's "Sad Hunk," which sounds like it was written on a rainy cruise while listening to "Silk Degrees." It's flawless, really, as are many of the album's strongest cuts. American Songwriter praised the album as "a supple set of songs that’s as engaging as it is agreeable," thanks to "Jurvanen’s unassuming attitude, confidence and clarity."
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $30. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
MercyMe
These Christian rockers had released six independent albums by the time they signed to INO, the label that released their double-platinum breakthrough “Almost There” in 2001. That breakthrough was driven in large part by the crossover success of the song “I Can Only Imagine,” which picked up two Dove Awards, the first of eight they would go on to win, including artist of the year in 2004. The song also inspired a 2018 surprise hit film of the same name, which traced the band's origins.
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, March 25. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $23.75 and up. 623-772-3800, TicketSmarter.com.
Benny the Butcher
This Buffalo rapper is part of the hip-hop collective Griselda, founded by his cousins Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine and also featuring the great Mach-Hommy. He arrives on the Burden of Plugs Tour, whose name suggests he'll be training the spotlight on "Burden of Proof," a sophomore effort Consequence labeled the "biggest Benny album to date," and the subsequent EP "The Plugs I Met 2." In its review of "Burden" Consequence said, "His boasts are as strong as ever, and his flows are cold like the air in the Buffalo streets."
Details: 7 p.m. Friday, March 25. The Nile, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $30. 480-559-5859, eventbrite.com.
Ricardo Arjona
A Guatemalan singer-songwriter with a carefully cultivated bohemian image, Arjona blends socially conscious lyrics with radio-friendly melodies. The mix has worked, earning Arjona a Grammy in 2007 and scoring such hits as "Por Qué Es Tan Cruel El Amor," the debut single that topped the Billboard Latin pop chart, "El Problema" and his latest hit to top the US Latin chart, "Te Quiero."
Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $75.99 and up. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Del Amitri
The Scottish pop-rockers scored a Top 10 breakthrough on the Billboard Hot 100 with sugar-coated pop smarts and Beatlesque charms of "Roll to Me" in 1995. This is their first North American tour in 25 years in support of "Fatal Mistakes," their first album since 2002, which opens with "You can't go back/Honey, that is what they told us." It feels like going back, though, as tuneful as the songs on which their legacy has come to rest. As the Daily Telegraph remarked, "It is perversely good to have the old curmudgeons back."
Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $29.50. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.
Hillsong United with Chris Tomlin
Anticipated to be the biggest Christian music tour of 2022, the Tomlin UNITED Tour will welcome thousands of fans each night to worship together and experience songs that have shaped modern faith today. Sponsored by illumiNations, the live worship experience includes 33 dates across the U.S.
Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $20 and up. 602-379-7800, TicketSmarter.com.
Bon Iver
Bon Iver will launch a 23-date U.S. tour at Mesa Amphitheatre with support from Dijon and Bonny Light Horseman. The concert will feature the latest iteration of the Bon Iver live band: Justin Vernon, Sean Carey, Jenn Wasner, Mike Lewis, Matt McCaughan and Andy Fitzpatrick. The musicians performed together in October for the first time in nearly two years, honoring the 10th Anniversary of Bon Iver's self-titled second album with two concerts at L.A.'s YouTube Theater.
Details: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. $65-$85. 480-644-2560, mesaamp.com.
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.