Add all of these factors together and it makes for one busy month. For proof, look no further than the following list of the best concerts happening in March. It includes names like P!
There’s also a music festival practically every weekend, including the annual Pot of Gold extravaganza that’s loaded up with hip-hop artists like Lil Wayne, Post Malone, Snoop Dogg, Young Thug, and Ski Mask The Slump God.
Details about each of these shows and events can be found below in our list of the best shows happening in the Valley in March 2019. And for even more live music happening around town, hit up Phoenix New Times' online concert calendar.
Laura Pergolizzi, also known as LP.
Courtesy of Ticketmaster
Wednesday, March 6
The Van Buren
In early March, acclaimed queer singer/songwriter LP will be making her Arizona debut in support of her recent 2018 album, Heart to Mouth. Armed with smooth pop riffs that highlight her controlled, raspy vocals, LP will be delivering an emotional, no-holds-barred set for Arizona fans who have yet to catch the blunt honesty of her lyrics in person.
Long-Island native Laura Pergolizzi, aka LP, first established herself as a featured guest on a bonus track from Cracker’s 1998 Gentleman's Blues album before adopting her stage name and releasing her 2001 debut studio album,
Although she’s been the “indie darling” of queer and underground communities, Pergolizzi proved herself years ago with critically acclaimed albums like 2002’s Suburban Sprawl and Alcohol and 2014’s Forever For Now before breaking through into the global mainstream with 2016’s Lost On You.
Heart to Mouth features the unapologetic Pergolizzi at her lyrical best. With tracks like “When I’m Over You” and “Recovery, her latest efforts deliver a perkily melancholic production style to her hard-hitting lyrics. LP continues her tradition of relatable-yet-masterful storytelling at the commercial height of a career with success long deserved. Logan Lowrey-Rasmussen
YG
Wednesday, March 6
Mesa Amphitheatre
Is YG one of the most underrated rappers in the game? On the one hand, he's got the hits, from breakout single "My N*gga" to last year's dope posse cut "Big Bank." On the other, his full-length projects are just as fire: Still Brazy, featuring
Albert Hammond Jr. has built a brilliant solo career in the shadow of The Strokes.
Courtesy of Chuffmedia
Thursday, March 7
Crescent Ballroom
Best known as the rhythm guitarist for The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. has spent much of the last decade building his own brand. He’s toured the world several times, played international festivals, and released a handful of well-received albums. While he may never fully escape the confines of Strokes-dom (or even dare dream of it), Hammond’s output is the groundwork on which lasting careers are made.
Perhaps it's telling that Hammond was among the first of his bandmates to so go solo. From note one, 2006's Yours to Keep sets Hammond apart from his musical brethren with a decidedly lush sound, infusing the fresh influence of The Beach Boys and John Lennon to skirt away from that early Strokes swagger in favor of endearing, ‘70s-leaning pop (with plenty of kickin' guitar solos packed in). Two years later, in 2008, Hammond returned with ¿Cómo Te Llama
Hammond wouldn't return with another solo LP until 2015's Momentary Masters. Here, he sought to recapture something essential from The Strokes’ early days, a passion and playfulness that exemplified their sound. The record is a
It’s that trajectory that makes Hammond’s fourth record, 2018’s Francis Trouble, all the more intriguing. The LP is named after his unborn twin, Francis, a personal discovery made right around the time he underwent therapeutic "shadow work" to address past traumas. Connecting those kindred emotional experiences, Hammond crafted an album contemplating that precarious ley-line between life and death. Chris Coplan
Rezz
Friday, March 8
Rawhide Event Center
Befitting the name of her most recent album, Canadian-born electronic dance music artist Rezz delivers a certain kind of magic that has a unique sound. The heavy, rolling bass of her tracks give way to buzzing, hypnotic samples that leave her followers, known as The Cult of Rezz, happy and in the mood to dance. And they’ll be doing just that inside the Rawhide Event Center on March 8 when Rezz performs at the cavernous venue. Drezo and i_o will open. Jack Gorman
Billy Joel
Saturday, March 9
Chase Field
Are you a fan of America's pastime? How about smooth sing-songwriter piano maestros of the 1970s and '80s? How about both? Well, have we got news for you: Billy Joel is coming to Phoenix for a show at Chase Field on March 9. The performance continues the relationship between Joel, the beloved performer responsible for hits such as "Piano Man" and "Just the Way You Are," and Major League Baseball. In 2010, the singer performed the final concert at the now-demolished Shea Stadium, formerly home to the New York Mets. He also embarked on a four-date tour of baseball stadiums earlier in 2018. This will be his first-ever stadium concert in Arizona. Douglas Markowitz
Joe Jackson
Saturday, March 9
Orpheum Theater
After classical training as a multi-instrumentalist at the Royal Academy of Music, Joe Jackson dove into punk and New Wave with the release of Look Sharp! in 1979. He would forever be labeled as "angry" — which was all the rage at the time, along with those white shoes — but his career has spanned more musical genres than Pink Martini can shake a marimba stick at. Earlier this year, he released Fool (his first studio album since 2015’s Fast Forward) that’s an eight-track effort inspired by both “comedy and tragedy.” It's gotten good reviews so far and many of its songs are being performed on Jackson’s 40th-anniversary tour, which comes to the Orpheum Theater in downtown Phoenix on March 9. Libby Molyneaux
Flying Burrito Festival 2019
Saturday, March 9
Crescent Ballroom
Burrito and music fans rejoice: The Flying Burrito Festival is returning to downtown Phoenix. After a successful first year, the event will return to Crescent Ballroom and Second Avenue on Saturday, March 9, for an evening of heavenly burritos and awesome tunes. This year's lineup includes 25 bands and musicians will share four stages over the course of the evening, including The Suffers, Illuminati Hotties, and Numb.Er.
Don't worry though, they'll be plenty of local bands joining the party. Dance the mambo with Tucson’s Orkesta Mendoza or jam out to Playboy Manbaby's punk tunes. Other guests from around the country include Bane's World from Long Beach, California, Soft Kill from Portland, Oregon, and Donna Missal from New Jersey.
But let's not forget about the burritos and booze. The event boasts more than 50 burritos and samples from local food joints including Ladera Taverna y Cocina, Dang Brother Pizza and Different Smokes BBQ. Casa Blanco Margarita and the Crescent Ballroom Red Sangria will be serving up beers and cocktails throughout the event. Between music sets, you can even catch some live lucha libre wrestling. Megan Marples
Zomboy
Saturday, March 9
The Van Buren
One thing you learn seeing Zomboy is that he doesn't play around when it comes to trying to crush your body with waves of bass. The man born Joshua Jenkin starts things off intense and it pretty much stays that way the entire time; forget zombies and ordinary monsters, we're talking kaiju-level sonic destruction. It's a noisy, chaotic, wild, but ultimately entertaining experience. Whether you're the type to dance until your feet give out or just want to stand around and simply survive the onslaught, Zomboy will give you a lot to love. Just consider bringing earplugs; your hearing loss won't come back from the dead. Cory Garcia
La Santa Cecilia is scheduled to perform on Sunday, April 29, at Chandler Center for the Arts.
Courtesy of Criteria Entertainment
Sunday, March 10
Chandler Center for the Arts
If there is one band that represents the multicultural mix of the Southwest, it's La Santa Cecilia. Since its Latin Grammy nomination in 2015, the L.A.-born group has been representing its city at major festivals in Texas and New York. They're also picking up the attention of critics, through pieces on NPR's All Things Considered and Latino USA.
Further, their hybrid of Latin, rock, and world music has caught the attention of groups like Cafe Tacuba, Lila Downs, Ozomatli, and Los Lobos, all of whom have had La Santa Cecilia open shows for them in recent years. Anyone who has attended their concerts can attest that lead singer Marisol "La Marisoul" Hernandez has one of the most powerful voices in any city, in any genre. Eddie Cota
Low
Monday, March 11
Valley Bar
When Low’s debut album, I Could Live In Hope, came out in 1994, you couldn’t find a more out-of-place release against the backdrop of loud alternative rock hitting the mainstream. Low’s debut album was a study in
Low’s 2018 album Double Negative doesn't contain the sparse desert of sounds of their early albums that defined the "slowcore" genre. It's still atmospheric, but where a sparse strike snare drum and strum of the guitar would have gone is now synths that distort and build and collapse now occupy the spaces where snare strikes and guitar strums would have gone. What does that mean for Low when they perform? Will they create a set with a mix of their oldest compositions and their newest album? You'll have to head out to Valley Bar on March 11 to find out. Julian Hernandez
Deafheaven and Baroness
Tuesday, March 12
The Van Buren
One of the most controversial, nontraditional, and high-profile groups in the greater metal scene, Deafheaven was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for the song "Honeycomb," from their 2018 record Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. It's an unexpected honor for the group, who first gained attention for their 2013 record Sunbather and its 2015 followup New Bermuda. Both albums exhibit an intense mix of black metal vocals; shoegaze-influenced production; heavy, major-key guitar riffs; and intense, poetic lyrics that gained attention from mainstream music publications like Pitchfork and earned scorn from black metal traditionalists. Beyond awards or criticism, the music is simply devastating in its impact.
Deafheaven’s currently co-headlining a tour with Baroness, who are also Grammy-noted, having received their own Best Metal Performance nomination in 2017 for the song "Shock Me." Purple in 2015 was the last album from the band, whose sound is constantly changing but is more traditionally geared toward heavy metal than Deafheaven's. Douglas Markowitz
Jacob Collier
Wednesday, March 13
The Van Buren
The last several years have been a whirlwind for British-born singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier. In 2011, he was 17 and making split-screen YouTube videos of himself playing a variety of different instruments while covering songs like Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing.” But the Internet’s an amazing thing, and you never know who you’re reaching. In Collier’s case, one of those people was Quincy Frickin’ Jones.
Fast-forward eight years, and Collier, now 24, has signed to Jones’s management company, and things are moving along quite nicely. He’s released a pair of albums, 2016’s In My Room and last year’s Djesse (Vol. 1), won a pair of Grammy
Collier’s sound is all over the place, and trying to ram him into a genre box is futile, but that's what makes him so attractive as an artist. When he says that he listens to anything and everything, this cat really means it.
“As a member of a generation who
Steep Canyon Rangers
Wednesday, March 13
Mesa Arts Center
Approximately 73 million bands have formed at colleges over the years, and the vast majority of them fall into the rock or pop categories, with a few hip-hop or jazz outfits thrown in for good measure. That makes the Steep Canyon Rangers an anomaly — a bluegrass combo formed in the shadow of academia.
Banjoist Graham Sharp, bassist Charles Humphrey III, guitarist Woody Platt, fiddler Nicky Sanders, and mandolinist Mike Guggino were students at the University of North Carolina when they first debuted in 2000 and became one of the genre's most high-profile acts. And they became even more prominent the past several years after hooking up with jokester-turned-banjoist Steve Martin in 2009 and won a Grammy for best bluegrass album in 2013 for their solo album, Nobody Knows You.
While the Rangers won't have Martin in tow when they pay a visit to the Mesa Arts Center in mid-March, they will be performing the sort of upbeat down-home sounds that attracted the legendary actor/comedian in the first place. Michael Roberts
Julio Iglesias
Thursday, March 14
Comerica Theatre
Now that Julio Iglesias has reached the fine, sweet age of 75, you've gotta wonder why he continues to hustle it for grandmothers across the globe. Maybe it's
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
Thursday, March 14
The Van Buren
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats is a ’70s throwback band from across the pond that brings to mind genre progenitors like Pentagram and stoner-rock-era Black Sabbath. It doesn’t offer any trailblazing new sounds, but rather makes a point of mining the best out of
Lil Wayne is scheduled to perform on Saturday, March 16, at Pot of Gold 2019.
Mikel Galicia
Friday, March 15, to Sunday, March 17
Margaret T. Hance Park
The three-day event returns to prove once again that there's more to St. Patty's Day weekend than throwing up green beer. This year, the festival, which will take place March 15 to 17, has switched venues from the familiar raver stomping grounds of Rawhide Western Town to the much
They've also traded up in terms of the lineup: While last year's headliners included slightly embarrassing artists like Russ and Sturgill Simpson, this year's will be almost exclusively hip-hop. Lil Wayne and Post Malone are listed as headliners on Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17, respectively, while support acts include Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Young Thug, Lil Pump, Jhené Aiko, Ski Mask The Slump God, Lil Baby, Tinashe, and more. (Latin trap/
Nanami Ozone
Friday, March 15
Gracie's Tax Bar
No, this is not taking place inside the actual bar or in the patio where Gracie’s usually hosts DJs. Nanami Ozone’s album release show for their upcoming album, NO, will instead be hosted in the bar’s parking lot. Call it a block party if you want. The Phoenix alternative rockers have been serving up all sorts of guitar fuzz and heartbreaking melodies for the last few years and have become local favorites in the process. This is the first show to ever be hosted at Gracie’s. It remains to be seen what kind of performance
Nils Frahm
March 17
The Van Buren
You might consider this an unconventional pick, but Nils Frahm is not a conventional musician, even if he's a classically trained pianist. His record Spaces, compiled from live recordings made in 2012 and '13, is a dynamic, at times thrilling record that uses spacey synths to supplement the German composer's frighteningly fast piano runs. Frahm has slowed things down on recent releases such as Solo and All Melody, but no matter the speed at which he plays, you're sure to find it fascinating. Douglas Markowitz
River Whyless
Sunday, March 17
Musical Instrument Museum
Most bands’ goals are fairly straightforward. You want to make plenty of good
“We see some people in the crowd that we recognize, but we’re certainly seeing a lot of new faces, too, which is really great. Sometimes I think, ‘Well, how the hell did you get here?’” singer and guitarist Ryan O’Keeffe says. “I’ll ask people where they’ve heard of us because I’m genuinely curious, whether it’s our social media, our publicity folks, or it’s random pickups by NPR, which is probably the biggest. We were lucky enough to get in on that world, and the word spread to the outlets across the country.”
It also helps that the band’s most recent album, 2018’s Kindness, A Rebel, won over many fans, including several top critics. An NPR scribe wrote lavish praise for the 11 eclectically arranged tracks and has consistently championed the band’s releases over the past several years. You might join them after attending the River Whyless’ show on March 17 at the MIM. Jeff Strowe
Gordon Lightfoot
Sunday, March 17
Celebrity Theatre
There are two kinds of people in this world: Gordon Lightfoot evangelists and people who've never actually bothered to listen to him. His champions include Bob Dylan, Vincent Gallo, and the entire nation of Canada. Even his most recognizable hits, "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" run rife with darkness. "10 Degrees and Getting Colder" is a tale about what are perhaps the last minutes of a hitchhiking failed country singer.
Quit the ironic snickering and head down to your local record store to raid the dollar bin ($10 will grab you most of his catalog) or head to Celebrity Theatre to check out Lightfoot’s gig on March 17. You can thank us later. Nicholas Pell
Earth, Wind & Fire
Sunday, March 17
Comerica Theater
Earth, Wind & Fire is infallible. The legendary band, which has been playing beautifully crafted, soulful pop for more than four decades, can't seem to put on a bad show. And they prove it during any of the hundreds of performances they put on each year. Earth, Wind & Fire – which is currently fronted by musicians Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson after the passing of founding member Maurice White in 2016 – continue to perform energetic sets, featuring songs woven together by an expert rhythm section, a gorgeous array of horns and, of course, its trademark chorus of voices. Led by Bailey’s distinctive falsetto, the ensemble provides rousing sets filled with living funk and jazz-influenced history. And they’re still releasing albums, too – including 2013’s Now, Then & Forever and 2014’s Holiday – although most of the folks who come to their shows are eager to hear such EW&F classics as “After the Love Has Gone,” “Boogie Wonderland,” and, of course, “September.” Bree Davies
Monday, March 18
Marquee Theatre in Tempe
He can steal your girl and probably even steal your song.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20
Musical Instrument Museum
By the time Paul Simon featured Ladysmith Black Mambazo on his 1986 album Graceland, the a cappella group, led by founder Joseph Shabalala, had been together for more than two decades and had established itself as the most successful singing group in South Africa.
The band was already rather prolific before teaming up with Simon, and in the 30 years since Graceland, Ladysmith has released a slew of recordings. Sixteen of those have been nominated for Grammys, including a 2016 nomination for Best World Music Album for Music From Inala. The album, which was recorded live around the United Kingdom and Moscow over the course of two years, gives insight into just how powerful and uplifting Ladysmith Black Mambazo can be in a live setting. Jon Solomon
Pato Banton and the New Generation
Thursday, March 21
Last Exit Live
Grammy-nominated English reggae artist Pato Banton has spent more than three decades spreading positivity through his music. Via pop collaborations with UB40 like "Baby Come Back," a dub-inflected strain of work with producer Mad Professor, and recordings with Sting, his free-spirited flow carries a variety of messages for politicians, cocaine dealers, and society on the whole. Banton's popular cover of Peter Tosh's "Legalize It" shows his welcoming attitude regarding sinsemilla, but he's very outspoken about harder substances in "Don't Sniff Coke." Be it with one of his ensembles, including his current crew the New Generation, or as a solo toaster, Banton has honed his ability to uplift an audience and then some. Reed Fischer
Garth Brooks
Saturday, March 23
State Farm Stadium in Glendale
Garth Brooks is unequivocally the most successful and noteworthy artist in country music history. Because of that, tickets for his massive concert later this month at State Farm Stadium in Glendale sold out long ago, although some are available on the secondhand market.
Now, how did Garth Brooks become not only the king of country
Some of Brooks’ best tunes certainly thrived on country and pop radio. “The Dance” is one of the best country songs of all time. Same for hits like “Friends in Low Places,” “The Thunder Rolls,” and “Rodeo.” The list goes on. You’re likely to hear these same hits echoing throughout State Farm Stadium during his upcoming concerts, if you can nab some tickets, that is. Clint Hale
Mike Doughty
Sunday, March 24
Crescent Ballroom
Singer-songwriter Mike Doughty is out on tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ruby Vroom, the landmark debut album of his former band Soul Coughing. Expect to hear every one of the album's tracks in their entirety (including such favorites as "
Electric Six
Wednesday, March 27
Valley Bar
Most of America got to know Electric Six in the video for the 2003 single “Gay Bar,” which featured the sextet’s members gyrating and cavorting while dressed as hot-pants-clad Abraham Lincoln impersonators. That song, from the band’s debut, Fire, represents the height of their commercial success, but not their creativity.
In the 16 years since, Electric Six has released 18 albums, from the hyperactive, funk-filled I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master to its most recent LP, Bride of the Devil. (They even put out a Christmas album last year, A Very Electric
The Band Perry
Saturday, March 30
Coca-Cola Sun Deck at Sun Devil Stadium
Sibling bands have long had a special place in music fans' hearts. There's always been an intrigue to how a family that plays together can stay together. Part of the fun of watching a family band jam out onstage is the uncertainty that at any moment they might start strangling each other with a microphone cord. Because as bands like Oasis and the Bee Gees have shown us over and over again, when you share blood with your bandmates, things can get ugly.
But those who hope to find drama among the two brothers and sister that make up country-music phenomenon the Band Perry will have to look elsewhere. If the trio were going to crash and burn, they probably would have done it by now. Kimberly Perry and her brothers, Neil and Reid, have been at this since before they could legally drive a car.
After ten years of incessant touring, they were launched into the country-music atmosphere with the 2010 smash hit "If I Die Young." The song has since amassed more than 100 million views on YouTube. Their second album was 2013's Pioneer, produced by Rick Rubin. It reached the top of the country album charts, peaking at number two overall and proving that the Band Perry wasn't just a one-hit wonder. David Rolland
P!nk
Saturday, March 30
Gila River Arena in Glendale
We got our first major look at P!nk in 2000 when the husky-voiced pop star released her debut solo album, Can't Take Me Home. But the singer, songwriter, dancer,
En Vogue
Sunday, March 31
Chandler Center for the Arts
R&B outfit En Vogue emerged in the 1990s, back when bands like TLC and Destiny’s Child were ruling the mainstream charts. The Oakland-based act differed from its peers. The 1992 “Free Your Mind” single, for example, from the excellent Funky Divas album, was attractive to people who didn’t necessarily listen to a lot of R&B prior to that, because of the killer guitar licks, and the intelligent, anti-prejudice lyrics. These razor-sharp women brought their message to the mainstream and other sub-cultures, and it’s a message that we need to keep hearing today. The band has a new album, Electric Cafe, which came out last summer and earned good reviews from critics, proving that En Vogue is still
