Bad Bunny, Tool and the best concerts in Phoenix this February

Love checking out live music in Phoenix? Then consider February’s concert calendar a Valentine of sorts. And it’s addressed to you.

The next few weeks are brimming with big shows and performances by famous names and living legends alike, including Bad Bunny, Tool, Duran Duran, Ween, Olivia Rodrigo, Rosanne Cash, JP Saxe, Dierks Bentley, Yo La Tengo and Gloria Trevi.

February will also see the return of annual events like the electronic dance music event Body Language and the weekend-long Innings Festival, which will be headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Hozier.

There’s also a lot more happening around the Valley when it comes to concerts. Don’t believe us? Then check out the following list or click over to Phoenix New Times’ online music listings.

Cory Wong

Wednesday, Feb. 7
Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

Cory Wong doesn’t shred; he slices. As a guitar hero, his style is clean and mean, playing his Fender with surgical precision. The Grammy-nominated guitarist/bassist has been a hired hand for years, offering rhythm guitarist support and smooth bass lines for a host of rock, funk, and jazz groups. Whether he’s touring with jazz legend Dave Koz or funkin’ it up with Vulfpeck, Wong’s Windex-clean guitar playing stands out. Like many musicians, the global pandemic inspired Wong to take some risks. Unable to tour with his Fearless Flyers ensemble, Wong started up a YouTube variety show called Cory and the Wongnotes. A combination of live music, comedy sketches and interviews with guests about all things music, Wong’s show has picked up a following over its two seasons so far. Part podcast, part jam session, the Wongnotes have an easygoing vibe and loose energy that makes it feel like you’re eavesdropping on friends shooting the shit about each other’s bands. But Wong never forgets what butters his bread and makes sure every episode has plenty of sweet six-string action. With LA LOM and Monica Martin; 7:30 p.m., $42.56-$73.55 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule

Hardy and Bailey Zimmerman

Wednesday, Feb. 7
Coors Light Birds Nest at TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale

The Waste Management Phoenix Open is pretty famous for its party-hardy atmosphere, and with good reason. The annual golf tournament at the TPC Scottsdale features boisterous crowds, a celebratory atmosphere and tens of thousands of attendees. Then there’s the Coors Light Birds Nest next door, which is an even bigger rager. The 48,000-square-foot party tent located near the TPC Scottsdale hosts four nights of concerts during the Phoenix Open and attracts 6,000 people or more each evening. What’s the appeal? They come for what promoters describe as a mix of “great music, beautiful patrons, and enthusiastic partying” to drink, let loose and catch performances by big-name musicians. This year’s lineup kicks off on Feb. 7 with performances by Hardy, the Nashville-born country music star behind such hits as 2019's "Rednecker," 2020's "One Beer," 2022's "Wait in the Truck" and last year's "Sold Out." Country recording artist Bailey Zimmerman and rapper mike. provide support. 7:30 p.m., $175-$290 via axs.com. Benjamin Leatherman

Jamila Woods

Wednesday, Feb. 7
Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave.

Fans may recognize Chicago-born singer, songwriter, poet and activist Jamila Woods' unique falsetto from her very first collaboration with a major recording artist, Chance The Rapper. In 2015, she sang the hook on "Sunday Candy," a song by Chance's side project Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment. The following year, she released her own project, “HEAVN,” on SoundCloud, landing on year-end top album lists by NPR, Esquire, Consequence of Sound and Pitchfork without spamming a single Twitter thread. She's on her latest headlining tour in support of her 2023 album, “Water Made Us,” which has received near-universal acclaim for her candidness and self-reflection. 8 p.m., $27.50-$40 via ticketweb.com. Alma Schofield

Dierks Bentley

Thursday, Feb. 8
Coors Light Birds Nest at TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale

Dierks Bentley’s career is a stack of relentless touring and music releases, paralleled by awards, nominations and honors reflecting just how much fans continue to eat up his work. The prolific country singer, songwriter and Arizona native won in the Breakthrough Video of the Year category at the 2004 CMT Awards for “What Was I Thinkin’?” And he nabbed that same honor again in 2014, for the song “Drunk on a Plane.” Bentley’s songs aren’t always prone to extremes and excesses, and that keeps him a relatable magnet for the masses of country music fans. Bentley’s set to headline one of the nights during this year’s Coors Light Birds Nest, and like any of his visits to the area, it’s likely to be a homecoming celebration. With Mitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick; 7 p.m., $150 via axs.com. Amy Young

Duran Duran

Friday, Feb. 9
Coors Light Birds Nest at TPC Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale

Once MTV pin-ups, now New Wave elder statesmen, Duran Duran are still going strong in the 21st century. On 2021’s “Future Past,” the band’s 15th album, Simon Le Bon and the boys collaborate with multiple generations of musicians. Disco god Giorgio Moroder co-produced the record with hitmaking producer Mark Ronson while modern pop diva Tove Lo and Japanese rockers CHAI guest star on two of the album’s best songs ("Give It All Up" and the bass-heavy "Anniversary," respectively). The most significant guest on the album is '90s alt-rock icon Graham Coxon; the Blur guitarist replaced the band’s original axman, Andy Taylor, during recording sessions. The biggest surprise is how much it sounds like classic Duran Duran without sounding nostalgic or musty. Now in his 60s, Le Bon hasn’t lost his vocal chops or his international playboy swagger. That wolfish hunger is still in his voice, and the band’s elegantly composed, rhythmic music would still sound great blaring off the bow of a yacht. With Fitz and the Tantrums; 8:30 p.m., $175-$350 via axs.com. Ashley Naftule

Tool

Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10
Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St.

Tool fans rejoice. Arizona resident Maynard James Keenan and the other members of the Grammy-winning prog metal/hard rock band are reportedly in the process of working on a follow-up to 2019’s “Fear Inoculum,” their most recent studio album. No songs or other details have been announced, but Tool bassist Justin Chancellor has stated they’ve “got many ideas cooking.” In the meantime, Tool are invading arenas across North America on their latest tour, which features support from stoner-rock act Elder, and are earning rave reviews. Case in point: Revolver hailed a pair of sold-out shows at NYC’s iconic Madison Square Garden last month as "epic" and "momentous." Expect an equally enigmatic and over-the-top performance when Tool stages a two-night stint at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix in early February. While the set list will likely be heavy on songs from "Fear Inoculum," it will also incorporate other tracks spanning Tool's 32-year history. 7:30 p.m., $50-$145 via ticketmaster.com. Benjamin Leatherman

JP Saxe

Saturday, Feb. 10
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

Denial is a hell of a drug. JP Saxe knows this all too well. “I don’t miss you,” the Canadian singer-songwriter croons on the 2023 song of the same name, “I just fantasize about you being someone who loves me.” Singing about his ex being on the tip of his tongue while he's kissing his new flame, Saxe’s playful ballad traffics in contradictions and double-speak. Anyone who’s ever puffed up their chest and insisted loudly that they’re over a former S.O. will hear themselves in Saxe’s lyrics. Hailing from a resilient and musical family — his grandfather, János Starker, survived months in a Nazi internment camp to become a Grammy award-winning cellist — Saxe plays a soft and soulful brand of adult-contemporary pop. The mood is mellow, the lights are dimly lit, the guitars are soft and stirring. While his latest album is called “A Gray Area,” his songs are far less monochromatic and ambiguous than that title would suggest. There’s warmth and color in Saxe’s voice, an aching, matter-of-fact directness that’s quite inviting. With Nicole Zignago & Iris Iris; 8 p.m., $27.50 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule

Arizona Goth Festival 2024

Saturday, Feb. 10
Walter Studios, 747 W. Roosevelt St.

Get ready to paint the town black when Arizona Goth Festival rises from the crypt on Feb. 10 for its third edition, which organizer Ruben Garcia. says will be bigger and gloomier than ever. Put on by the Arizona Goth Society, the festival will boast two stages of entertainment and performances by such bands as L.A. industrial trio Fact Pattern and local psychobilly/punk act The Belfry Bats. Garcia says there will also be a variety show with drag, burlesque, interpretive dance and other “body-positive performances” from Daddy Satan, Gee Notorious, Phoebe Phobia, Rusty the Clown and Britni Bloodshed. DJs like Obzen Vanitas, Unexpected Pedestrian, Beautiful John, Tavoo and //SHE// will spin a mix of darkwave, techno, house, industrial and other genres in the Blue Bar. Festival-goers can also explore a “dark market” offering a curated selection of more than 40 vendors and four tattoo artists. 6 p.m., $40-$60 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman

BabyTron

Sunday, Feb. 11
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

On his latest album, 2023’s “MegaTron 2,” self-described “scam rapper” James Edward Johnson IV, better known as BabyTron, rides the beat like a giant robot trying to stomp another robot’s head into scrap. There’s disdain and cocky self-assurance in his voice, as though having to rap about his self-styled legendary sexual prowess or ability to rob armored trucks was an irritating obligation he had to fulfill. One could imagine a judge somewhere ordering BabyTron to 50 hours of declaring his dopeness to the world and out of that community service came this album. The Michigan-born rapper is known for keeping it a little goofy. His songs are peppered with cartoon references and laconic punchlines, a don’t-take-it-too-seriously attitude that makes sense from a member of a group called the ShittyBoyz. But just because BabyTron tells jokes doesn’t mean he is one. He has an ear for eccentric beats and he knows how to make his wisecracks and hyperbolic boasts shine on top of them. Someone should hook him up with that boombox Decepticon — that shit would be sick. 8 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

The Movement

Monday, Feb. 12
Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

Hailing from South Carolina, long-running reggae act The Movement embodies the spirit of chill vibes and infectious rhythms. Throughout their 20-year history, they’ve performed tunes filled with laidback grooves, socially conscious lyrics and irresistible melodies that also feature a heavy infusion of hip-hop and rock, creating what guitarist and vocalist Joshua Swain called “alternative reggae” in a previous interview. “We don't feel really roots reggae. We're not rasta. It comes out a little more hip-hop, a little more rock,” he says. Since debuting in 2003, The Movement has released seven albums, the most recent being 2022’s “Always With Me,” and have opened for the likes of Steel Pulse, 311, The Wailers, Ludacris, Common and SOJA. With Mihali; 7:30 p.m., $37.12-$77.33 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman

Yo La Tengo

Tuesday, Feb. 13
Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave.

Few headlines by The Onion are as hilariously specific and biting as their 2002 burn on music nerds: “37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead in Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster.” Sometimes the best jokes hit because we can see ourselves in them, and if ever there was a band who could rack up that kind of body count for hardcore music nerds in one night it would be New Jersey indie rock trio of Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew. Over the course of 17 studio albums, Yo La Tengo have created their musical language, drawing on an entire record store’s worth of influences to create songs that alternate between gentle, autumnal vibes to raging guitar squalls. Over half a century’s worth of psychedelia, folk, bossa nova, underground rock and AM radio pop are braided together into YLT’s richly rewarding body of work. Last year’s “This Stupid World” finds the band as restless and inventive as ever. There’s a real sense of discontent that permeates the record and when Kaplan and Hubley sing about wanting to fall out of time, it sounds both sad and desirable. But “This Stupid World” isn’t a retreat from the world; YLT rage against the dying of the light the only way they know how — one sweet, sad, beguiling song at a time. 8 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

Colter Wall

Wednesday, Feb. 14
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St.

Singer, songwriter and musician Colter Wall hails from Saskatchewan but sings with a rich, moonshine-aged baritone that sounds as if it were airlifted straight from the Appalachians. Wall is acutely aware of the incongruity of being the son of Canadian politicians while embodying a self-styled "honky-tonk nighthawk," which is why he titled one of his early EPs "Imaginary Appalachia." This geographical and spiritual distance is what renders Wall's music so intriguing. It's as if he's playing a platonic ideal of country music, extracting from deep veins of folk and Americana to craft something that pays homage to his heroes while showcasing his own distinctive storytelling voice. Wall, a devotee of narrative songwriting, derives inspiration from heavyweights such as Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, and Marty Robbins. It's an interesting stylistic progression from someone who got into music by jamming out to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. His music, including the tunes on 2023’s “Little Songs,” is light on amplification and heavy on twang while his records exude such a rustic, home-on-the-range feel that they seem only to lack a campfire, a can of beans and a horse tail swatting flies away. With Vincent Neil Emerson; 8 p.m., $111-$330 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule

Ween

Wednesday, Feb. 14 and Thursday, Feb. 15
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

Drama might be easy, as the late Peter Bogdanovich once said, but comedy's hard. It’s something that any "serious" funny musician knows all too well. It takes a lot of musicianship and songwriting chops to parody pop music as well as Weird Al does. Frank Zappa loved singing about eating yellow snow and other juvenalia but had a level of craft and instrumental know-how that would put 95% of other musicians to shame. The same holds true for Gene and Dean Ween, the “brothers” behind the band who aren’t biological siblings, but rather mischievous pranksters, imps and scatological cut-ups of the highest order. They’re also musical geniuses. Consider 1997's “The Mollusk, a wildly ambitious concept album that swirled together prog-rock, psychedelia and sea shanties. It takes tremendous talent to commit to such a goofy bit, but the brothers Ween make it work. Three years earlier, 1994's “Chocolate and Cheese” showcases a mastery of style pastiches as the band effortlessly riffing on multiple genres while singing about ridiculous shit. Ween can play piss-takes of older styles better than actual bands from that time could play it straight. It takes hard work to make goofing off look this easy. 8 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

Foxing

Friday, Feb. 16
The Nile Theater, 105 W. Main St., Mesa

Emo to ELO is one hell of a transition but Foxing pulled it off. The St. Louis indie rock band has charted an unpredictable course to get to 2021’s “Draw Down the Moon,” a journey that’s taken them through cold post-punk, instrumentally virtuosic math-rock and droning post-rock. A through-line through all these shifts, each one opening indie rock into larger and more expansive forms of sound, is Conor Murphy’s lyrics. The band’s emo DNA can be found in Murphy’s plaintive voice and searching angst-ridden lyrics. On 2018’s breakthrough album “Nearer My God,” Foxing fully embraces the power of synths. Their music has the cool neon sheen that you’d get from bands like M83, but Foxing’s weird song structures and grandiose themes put them closer to ’70s prog. They’re not going full Rush yet but the bones are there. “Draw Down the Moon” deepens this trajectory, the band piling on more synths and lusher production until they start hitting Electric Light Orchestra levels of excess. But like ELO, the boys from Foxing have an ear for a good hook and a winning melody. No matter how dense and elaborate the songs get, that punch in the gut emo songwriting still knows how to hit its target. With The Hotelier and Glitterer; 7:30 p.m., $25/$30 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule

Body Language 2024

Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17
Phoenix Raceway, 7602 Jimmie Johnson Dr., Avondale

Phoenix Raceway in Avondale will become an outdoor wonderland of techno, house and underground sounds when this two-day electronic dance music festival put on by local promoter Relentless Beats returns with its biggest lineup ever. Hitmaking DJ/producers Eric Prydz and deadmau5 will co-headline the festival, which will also include sets from more than two dozen other EDM favorites. The lineup will include names like Dombresky, Walker & Royce, Sofi Tukker, Kream, Layton Giordani, Marco Faraone, Martin Ikin, Melanie Ribbe, Dennis Ferrer and Dillon Nathaniel. 2 p.m., $89.50-$140 via tixr.com. Benjamin Leatherman

Rosanne Cash

Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17
Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd.

Even the briefest essay about Rosanne Cash requires a list of her reckonable accomplishments: the 11 number-one singles, the Grammy award and always, always her royal musical lineage. But if being Johnny Cash's daughter got her foot in Music City's door, and while all those hits kept her on Columbia Records' roster for many years, it was her wider contribution to country music — the urbane, deeply personal poetry that transcends the twangy he-done-me-wrong songs that typify Nashville — with which she's made her mark. Which isn't to say we don't love Cash's 21 Top 40 country hits. "Seven Year Ache" is the smartest musical memory to linger from pop radio's lamentable early '80s romance with country music, and her version of John Hiatt's "Runaway Train" was a high point in both their careers. But it's fair to say that, ever since 1979's “Right or Wrong,” she's made gloomily sophisticated music fashionable in a way that Laura Nyro never could; helped reshape what country music sounds like; and has upheld the singer-songwriter tradition in a world overrun with Shanias and Faiths and Carries. For that, and for all the hits, and the gorgeous ruminations wedged between them, we're deeply grateful. With John Leventhal; 7:30 p.m., $95.50-$125.50 via mim.org. Robrt Pela

Valentines Super Love Jam

Sunday, Feb. 18
Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St.

Legendary record producer and radio host Art Laboe may have died in 2022, but his annual Valentine's Super Love Jam tour showcasing throwback R&B, funk, pop and hip-hop artists is still carrying on. This year’s edition, which swings into downtown Phoenix’s Footprint Center on Feb. 18, features performances by Motown favorites The Isley Brothers, ‘70s hitmakers Atlantic Starr and funk/soul vocal duo Peaches and Herb, as well as R&B acts like GQ, All-4-One and The Delfonics. It’s the perfect gig for fans of old-school sounds or anyone who didn’t give their S.O. a proper Valentine’s Day experience and is hoping to escape the doghouse. 7:30 p.m., $49-$100 via ticketmaster.com. Benjamin Leatherman

The Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter

Monday, Feb. 19
Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave.

Lingua Ignota is dead, long live Lingua Ignota. Kristin Hayter has retired her old stage name but hasn’t turned her back on her uncompromising, unsparing attitude toward making music. An alt-diva whose widening road opened by blood-spitting forebearers like Jarboe and Diamanda Galas, Hayter’s expressive voice wails and pierces us with its harsh beauty. Religious themes and imagery have coursed through her work, which makes her sudden stylistic shift on last year’s “Saved!” slightly less shocking. But only slightly: the good Reverend Hayter has pulled a head-spinning 180 with this eerie collection of devotionals. Crafting original songs alongside traditional Christian songs, gospel, blues and bluegrass, Hayter sings a deconstruction of American spiritual music that sounds like it was made by ghosts. The gnarled, four-track production gives it a vintage feel — the songs sound like they were rescued from some thrift store’s dusty shelves. While Hayter mostly sings in a more restrained register than she did as Ingota, she invests a lot of intensity in these songs, sounding ragged and desperate. Far from a scholarly or arch performance art pursuit, this experiment in old-timey music is as expressive and personal as it gets. With Meet the Sun; 8 p.m., $25-$35 via ticketweb.com. Ashley Naftule

Beartooth

Tuesday, Feb. 20
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

“Today’s the day I stop fucking around and be the better me,” Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo sings on “The Better Me,” one of the highlights of 2023’s “The Surface.” The fifth album by the Ohio-born metalcore band, it finds them digging deeper into pop songwriting, crafting tunes with crystal clear hooks and smooth melodies that offset Beartooth’s crunchy riffs. The band’s tight interplay is surprising when you consider how they started as a Shomo solo project, with the singer and multi-instrumentalist playing all the parts on his songs before band turned into a quartet. As a group, Beartooth click, playing a style of melodic hardcore that’s leavened with pop punk and creating a kind of best of both worlds where you get the mosh pit vibes with mash-note lyrics. Far from being heavy, they sound positively buoyant on “The Surface.” With The Plot in You, Invent Animate and Sleep Theory; 6:30 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

Styx

Thursday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 23
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St.

The key to any band’s longevity is the ability to maintain a core sound while changing to lure new generations of fans. The Rolling Stones are the quintessential example, having survived 50 years on gritty rock roll licks that receive fresh infusions of timely sound forms (from country to disco) to keep the band in popular focus. Other long-running bands find the challenge of remaining vital enough to avoid the county fair circuit a bit more daunting. After changing a few members over the years or taking a hiatus, the task can seem insurmountable. Styx has managed to stay relevant, though, despite those obstacles by updating its sound on new albums, but also by reworking and re-recording the classic hits that made them one of the biggest acts of the ’70s and ’80s. This is illustrated on their current tour, which features a mix of old favorites (including “Renegade4,” “Blue Collar Man,” and “Crystal Ball”) and material from their most recent album, “Crash of the Crown.” 7:30 p.m., $45-$135 via etix.com. Glenn BurnSilver

Gloria Trevi

Friday, Feb. 23
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St.

Gloria Trevi is known as the “supreme diva of Mexican pop” and comes by the moniker honestly. The vocalist has been performing and recording since the mid-1980s when she debuted as a member of the all-female ensemble Boquitas Pintadas. Trevi went solo after the group broke up in 1988, connecting with legendary producer Sergio Andrade, and releasing her debut ¿Qué Hago Aquí? the following year to much success. Since then, she’s released more than a dozen albums (the most recent being last year’s two-volume “Mi Soundtrack”), wowing critics and fans alike with her remarkable vocal talents and charismatic stage presence, and selling more than 20 million records. With MAR; 8 p.m., $53-$308 via livenation.com. Benjamin Leatherman

Living Colour and Extreme

Friday, Feb. 23
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

A lot has happened to funk-metal pioneers Living Colour in the 36 years since their breakthrough album, “Vivid,” was released back in 1988. After having hits with their songs "Cult of Personality" and "Open Letter (To a Landlord)," the band broke up while the members devoted themselves to various solo and side projects. They reunited in 2000 after Living Colour singer Corey Glover and guitarist Vernon Reid joined bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun on stage at the now-defunct CBGB's in New York City. And while Living Colour have never achieved the commercial success of Vivid — or the recognition they deserve for being one of only a few African-American hard rock acts to break into the mainstream — they’ve earned a level of recognition from modern-day rock fans, thanks in part to “Cult of Personality” serving as the theme song for wrestling superstar CM Punk. Living Colour is currently touring alongside Extreme and released a remastered version of their best-known hit in late 2023 to coincide with Punk’s long-awaited return to WWE. 8 p.m., $39.50 via livenation.com. Niki D’Andrea

Innings Festival 2024

Feb. 23 and Feb. 24
Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe

The promoters of the Valley’s annual Innings Festival have transformed this year’s edition into a double-header of sorts. The annual baseball-themed music fest, which coincides with the beginning of spring training around the Phoenix area, is adding a second weekend for its 2024 edition. Promoters are bringing in plenty of star power, as the lineup for both weekends will be loaded with a roster filled with rock ‘n’ roll all-stars. Case in point: The first weekend on Feb. 23 and 24 will feature performances by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greta Van Fleet, Phantogram, Hozier, Macklemore, Third Eye Blind, Bully, Phantogram, The Beaches, Mat and Kim, Jimmy Eat World, Young the Giant, Mac Saturn and more. As always, Innings Festival will also feature appearances by numerous Major League Baseball veterans, various baseball-inspired activities and a curated selection of food and drinks. 12:30 p.m., $160-$1,805 via inningsfestival.com. Benjamin Leatherman

Alkaline Trio

Saturday, Feb. 24
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

It’s not wise to tempt fate with album titles. Case in point: Alkaline Trio was practically asking for it when they titled their 2018 album “Is This Thing Cursed?” True to form, they were visited by a series of false starts, complications and delays that put off its follow-up album, the compelling and frenetic “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs,” until this year. The 11-song release arrives on the heels of longtime drummer Derek Grant parting ways with the band. Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba also made a departure of his own, leaving his spot as Tom DeLonge’s replacement in Blink-182. The silver lining? Skiba admits he now can devote more time and energy to Alkaline Trio. That renewed focus is welcome on “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs.” The band haven’t sounded this invested and fierce in a while. Skiba’s knack for writing bubblegum pop-punk hooks hasn’t abated; his voice & bassist Dan Andriano's backing vocals harmonize beautifully. Sonically they’re still very much attending the same church, kneeling before the holy trinity of Green Day, The Misfits, and Jawbreaker, but Skiba’s clever and mordant songwriting is worthy of its own gospel. With Drug Church and Worriers; 8 p.m., $103.75 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule

Olivia Rodrigo

Saturday, Feb. 24
Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St.

Olivia Rodrigo may worked her way to stardom through the plastic pop factory of “High School Musical” and other Disney-produced programming, but she’s the real deal where it counts. The high drama and emotional starkness of her breakout hit “Drivers License” put her on the map, and with good reason: the song is raw and sharp enough to draw blood. Like so much of the best pop music, it captures how epic and grandiose the smallest emotions can feel. People love to clown on teenagers for having no chill about their emotions but that’s why we love pop: it makes us remember what it felt like to be 15 and feel like you’d die if your crush didn’t text you back. Her most recent album, 2023’s “Guts,” is full of those big, ugly, resonant feelings. Embracing a sonic palette that draws a lot of influence from ’90s alt-rock and early 2000s pop, Rodrigo’s voice cartwheels through a soundscape of crunching guitars, keyboards and propulsive drum beats. With Chappell Roan; 7:30 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

Bad Bunny

Tuesday, Feb. 27 and Wednesday, Feb. 28
Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St.

Quite a few celebrities have dabbled in wrestling, but it’s hard to think of another would-be grappler who got as rapturous a response from a live crowd as Bad Bunny did when he made his entrance at the WWE’s Backlash event in Puerto Rico in 2023. The crowd exploded (“popping” in wrestling parlance) at the sight of the reggaeton superstar making his way to the ring. They treated him like Elvis and The Beatles rolled into one, and — in many respects — that’s exactly who Bad Bunny is. Even a stadium felt too small to contain a pop star of his stature. Bad Bunny is big in the way that Galactus is big. And like the purple planet-eater, Puerto Rico’s favorite son has been chomping on the music industry for years, dominating both Spotify listens and Billboard charts. His talent for crafting Latin trap bangers is matched by his charisma and his outspoken activism. Coming from very macho hip-hop and dancehall communities, Bad Bunny has been unapologetically supportive of the queer community. A truly international man for all seasons, Bad Bunny can make you think, rock a party til the break of dawn, and slam a trash can on Damian Priest’s head: no wonder he’s one of the biggest names in music. 7 p.m., tickets are available through resellers. Ashley Naftule

Dorian Electra

Wednesday, Feb. 28
The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St.

Dorian Electra sure as hell isn't afraid to be who they are. And neither should you when you rock out at their show in late February at The Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. The multitalented LGBTQ+ artist, whose music falls in such genres as hyperpop and futurepop, has never been afraid of tackling gender issues in a fun way, with songs such as "Clitopia," "Daddy Like" and "Femmebot." Their latest tour is in support of “My Agenda,” Electra’s 2020 album analyzing toxic masculinity, edgelords and incels “through a queer lens” and taking the piss out of such contentious issues with a sense of playful fun and clever pop hooks. 8 p.m., $41.25 via livenation.com. Phoenix New Times

Jenny Lewis

Wednesday, Feb. 28
Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe

If Rilo Kiley had never taken off, Jenny Lewis probably still would have become a musical star based off her incredible singing voice. She’s an indie rocker with a rich twang that makes songs like 2023’s “Apples and Oranges” hit so good. There’s an earthiness and warmth to it that helps distract you from how sharp and playful her lyrics can be. Take the aforementioned track, an ambivalent song about a new flame that’s also an acidic kiss-off to an ex: Lewis draws you in, using some of that flair for the dramatic you’d expect from a former child actress, and bewitches you with her Grand Ole Opry meets Cat Power vocals. Lewis started working on what would become 2023’s “Joy'All” before the pandemic hit. You couldn’t tell by the songs, which are vibrant and liberated like they’ve never heard the word lockdown before. She strums her guitar and balladeers and vamps with a soft touch. This isn’t a record that’s trying to impress her or throw you off your center. The pleasures it affords us are simple and enduring, like the best Americana music. With Hayden Pedigo; 8 p.m., $49.01 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule

Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot

Wednesday, Feb. 28
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St.

While Brian Setzer never set out to reinvent the wheels of rockabilly and swing music, there is no denying that he has successfully breathed new life into both genres and created a body of work that has stood the test of time for more than four decades. The one-time leader of the Stray Cats, who went from his hometown of Massapequa, New York, to mass popularity the world over, has thrived long since the likes of "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" hit the airwaves back in the early '80s. Countless copycat artists have tried and failed to capture audiences in these musical forms. And yet Setzer has consistently re-energized rockabilly and swing, creating new songs that would make its originators proud. 7:30 p.m., $40-$95 via etix.com. Mark C. Horn

Chelsea Wolfe

Wednesday, Feb. 28
Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave.

It’s honestly surprising that so few singer-songwriters have mined heavy metal for inspiration. The sounds and mythos behind doom and black metal alone offer plenty of rich material to work with. Chelsea Wolfe has made a vital and interesting career out of doing that kind of work, spiking her work as a solo singer-songwriter with heady brews of gothic rock, sonorous drones, and eerie atmospherics. One only has to listen to “Dusk,” one of the singles off her forthcoming album “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She.” Produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, you can hear traces of his old band’s spaciness in “Dusk” but the star of the show is Wolfe’s wounded yet commanding voice. She sings about watching empires burning into nothing over a slow, sensuous beat, the song crawling along a sinewy groove until it explodes with a gorgeous, harsh metal crescendo at the end. As a songbird, Wolfe has feathered her nest with feedback, towering riffs and collaborations with artists as varied as Converge and Xiu Xiu. With Divide and Dissolve; 7:30 p.m., $27.50-$45.50 via ticketweb.com. Ashley Naftule