The annual M3F music festival in downtown Phoenix will understandably be the biggest event this weekend, but there are also gigs by Latin superstar Marc Anthony, indie pop artist Lostboycrow, DJ/producer A-Trak, and old-school punk band CH3 to check out.
Read on for details about each show or click over to Phoenix New Times’ online concert calendar for more music events in the Valley from Friday, March 3, to Sunday, March 5.
A-Trak
Friday, March 3Walter Studios, 747 West Roosevelt StreetWhen it comes to the electronic dance music world, A-Trak is decidedly A-list. The Montreal-born DJ/producer began his career as a turntable prodigy, winning the DMC, ITF, and Vestax championships before he turned 18. His other claims to fame include being an honorary member of Invisibl Skratch Piklz, founding influential EDM label Fools Gold Records, and crafting catchy tracks with Armand van Helden as part of DJ duo Duck Sauce (including the phenomenally popular hit “Barbara Streisand”). This weekend, A-Trak will be in action at Walter Studios when he shares a bill with fellow DJ/producer Lance Fairchild. 9 p.m., $27 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
M3F 2023
Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4Margaret T. Hance Park, 1200 North First StreetM3F ain’t your typical Valley music festival. For starters, the annual two-day event in downtown Phoenix is completely nonprofit (as 100 percent of its proceeds go to local charities). It’s also quite eclectic, as its music lineup is a mix of indie, EDM, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and reggae, as well as other hippie-friendly grooves. That’s been M3F’s jam since the festival launched in 2004 as the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. The festival has always featured a funky and creative bent, from its vibrant roster of vendors to its daily drum circles. When M3F returns this weekend, things will be just as arty, eclectic, colorful, and charitable. The lineup features close to three-dozen musicians and bands headlined by singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers and British beatsmith Jamie xx. (Others scheduled to perform include Peach Pit, COIN, Toro y Moi, Quinn XCII, Purple Disco Machine, and Chelsea Cutler.) This year also features the debut of the M3F Fund, which will allow local nonprofit and community organizations can apply to share in the event’s proceeds. (Click here for our extensive guide to the festival.) 1:30 p.m. on March 3 and 1 p.m. on March 4, $90-$275 via m3f.frontgatetickets.com. Benjamin Leatherman
CH3
Saturday, March 4Yucca Tap Room, 29 West Southern AvenueCH3 (a.k.a. Channel 3) check all the boxes for an old-school punk rock act. They originated in Orange County’s fertile scene of the early ‘80s, were featured on legendary SoCal radio deejay Rodney Bingenheimer’s influential Rodney on the ROQ compilations alongside the likes of Black Flag and Agent Orange, and have a back catalogue of songs filled with plenty of rancor (including such gems as “Strength in Numbers” and “Catholic Boy”). After taking a lengthy hiatus in the ‘90s, they returned to the road and released a few fantastic records in the 2000s, including their 2002 self-titled album and 2008’s One More For All My True Friends. With Corky's Leather Jacket, Fat Gray Cat, and Nickel City; 7:30 p.m., $12/$15 via ticketweb.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Marc Anthony
Saturday, March 4Desert Diamond Arena, 9400 West Maryland Avenue, GlendaleMarc Anthony has pretty much done it all. He’s won both Grammys and Latin Grammys, released numerous chart-topping records and singles (including 32 different No. 1 hits), headlined multiple sold-out concert tours, holds two different Guinness World Records, and even starred in movies like the cinematic adaptation of Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights. But since too much is never enough, the 54-year-old recording artist and Latin superstar is back out on the road, this time to support his latest studio album, Pa'llá Voy, which came out last year. 8 p.m., $61-$181 via ticketmaster.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Lostboycrow
Sunday, March 5Valley Bar, 130 North Central AvenueThe right melody can set the most awkward lyric right. When Lostboycrow’s Chris Blair sings “maybe it’s the coffee drugs kicking in,” it doesn’t matter that “coffee drugs” is a weird thing that nobody would say — the way he stretches out “innnnnn” like some sugar-spun confection is what really matters. When the ear candy is good enough it doesn’t matter if your lyrics sound like transcripts from a ChatGPT session. Performing as a one-man band, Blair mixes together pop, electronic, and R&B into a smooth style of genre-bending crowd-pleasers. His latest album, 2022’s Indie Pop, is his most polished album to date but also his most free-flowing and collaborative. Blair worked closely with producer Chris Chu and drummer Cole Petersen to forge a fuller band sound. Blair’s yearning, confident voice remains the star of the show, bending even the most conventional-sounding compositions into strange melodic shapes. With Brooke Alexx; 7:30 p.m., $16/$18 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule
