Here Are the Biggest Concerts Coming to Phoenix in October

October is typically one of the biggest months for concerts in Phoenix, as major tours and legendary recording artists roll through town. That'll hold true this year, even as this seemingly neverending pandemic continues to drag on.

Practically every major music venue in the Valley — as well as various arts centers — is up and running with packed calendars. Tours that have been postponed for more than a year are finally set to happen as names like The Doobie Brothers, Alanis Morissette, Machine Gun Kelly, Dropkick Murphys, Tennis, and Primus are back on the road and headed our way.

Other notable shows in October include gigs by Soccer Mommy, Karol G, TLC, John Fogerty, Sleigh Bells, Cradle of Filth, Erykah Badu, J. Cole, and the one-two punch of Flogging Molly and the Violent Femmes.

What follows is an extensive list of the biggest concert in October in the Phoenix area. It’s subject to last-minute changes, though, as artists have been canceling dates in recent weeks out of caution for the continued spread of the Delta variant. (Phoenix New Times has confirmed each concert, but that could always change.) Also, keep in mind that a majority of local music venues are requiring proof of either a negative COVID-19 test result from within 72 hours prior or vaccinations to attend shows.

Maroon 5 at Ak-Chin Pavilion

Longtime radio favorites Maroon 5 are on an extensive North American tour that will make its way to Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Friday, October 1. The rescheduled run was originally meant to go down in summer 2020 but was canceled owing to the pandemic. R&B/pop artist Blackbear will be the opener for the 7:30 p.m. concert. Along with some of Maroon 5's original hits like “This Love,” the Adam Levine-led outfit will sprinkle some new songs from its latest album, Jordi. Tickets range from $39.50 for general admission on the lawn to $175 for premium reserved seating. Olivia McAuley

Marc Rebillet at The Van Buren

Marc Rebillet constructs songs from scratch. The YouTube and Twitch star has made a name for himself as an improvisational artist whose electronic loops and catchy beats are capped off by cheeky lyricism. But despite his penchant for humor, the so-called “Loop Daddy” boasts quite a bit of musical knowledge, having played piano since he was 4 and studied classical music since the tender age of 15. On tour in support of his latest single, “Vaccinated Attitude” (a profane ode to the joys of getting jabbed), Rebillet will bring his slow-burning R&B hooks to the Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street, on Friday, October 1. Local indie-pop band The Twits share the bill for the 8 p.m. concert. The show is sold out but tickets are available on the secondary market. Matthew Keever

Alanis Morissette and Garbage at Ak-Chin Pavilion

You oughta know by now that after a too-long wait, Alanis Morissette is finally coming to Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Sunday, October 3, on her Jagged Little Pill 25th anniversary tour. The album that shook the world and changed the landscape of alternative rock music — helping launch the careers of many others — has been cited by countless artists including Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson as a major source of inspiration. Morissette will have opening support from fellow ’90s female-fronted rock act Garbage and alt-indie singer-songwriter Cat Power. Tickets are $30 to $80 for the 7 p.m. show. David Fletcher

TLC and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at Mesa Amphitheatre

TLC could easily become a rote nostalgia act coasting on their success in the ’90s, but, to their credit, they’ve been performing compelling sets filled with record-setting hits alongside newer songs that could have been just as big if they'd been released during the group's prime. That said, theirs is a damn great classic catalog worth celebrating, and T-Boz and Chilli are hitting the road to commemorate the album that cemented their legendary status, CrazySexyCool.

The timing is a bit odd, as the album's next landmark anniversary — its 30th — is still three years away. Still, if ever there was a time to dispense with formalities and celebrate for the hell of it, it would be after a year-and-a-half of pandemic-induced uncertainty. If "Waterfalls" and "Red Light Special" don't offer enough of a nostalgic comfort boost, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will open the show to round out the '90s flashbacks. Both bands will perform on Wednesday, October 6, at Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street. The show starts at 6:45 p.m. General admission is $49.50 and reserved seats are $75 to $99.75. Celia Almeida

Emmylou Harris at Mesa Arts Center

Emmylou Harris is as much a history project as she is a legendary folk and country singer/songwriter. From her liaison with the late Gram Parsons to her work with everyone from Dolly Parton to Bob Dylan to her political activism, Harris has been one of the most consistent and intriguing figures in music. Blessed with a perfect voice, Harris is also a seminal songwriter. Basically, she's unfairly talented, and she's been spreading that talent around for the better part of four decades. Whether it's her 1975 sophomore effort, Pieces of the Sky, or something as recent as this year’s Ramble in Music City, her recently released live album with acoustic band The Nash Ramblers, the quality of Harris' material is staggering. The Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, will host her latest performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 7. Admission is $38 to $128. Darryl Smyers

Flogging Molly and Violent Femmes at Mesa Amphitheatre

If you were bummed out about Flogging Molly canceling their St. Patrick’s Day concert in 2020 because of COVID-19, the Celtic punk band is bringing its bagpipes back to Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street, on Friday, October 8, this fall, and alt-rock legends Violent Femmes are along for the ride for a co-headlining tour. Gordon Gano and company will be celebrating the 30th-anniversary re-release of 1991’s Why Do Birds Sing? while Flogging Molly will be raising its usual ruckus. Punk acts Thick and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes will provide support. Gates open at 4 p.m. and the concert begins at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $49.50. Benjamin Leatherman

Judas Priest at Arizona Federal Theatre

Judas Priest has been hitting it hard for more than 50 years. The band of leather-wearing British metal gods helped define the genre in the ’80s with albums like Screaming For Vengeance and British Steel. Though he left the band for a few years back in the ’90s, frontman (and Phoenix resident) Rob Halford’s high-pitched, operatic screams have been a staple of their signature sound since the beginning. Today, they continue to keep the genre alive by continuing to release new albums (their most recent is 2018’s Firepower) and providing killer, headbanging performances. Judas Priest is a force to be reckoned with that cannot be stopped. Their concert on Saturday, October 9, at Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington Street, gets going at 7:30 p.m. and Sabaton shares the bill. Tickets are $48.50 to $78.50. Jacob Vaughn

JPEGMAFIA at Crescent Ballroom

Baltimore-based rapper/producer JPEGMAFIA plugs current affairs into his music in hilarious and provocative ways: dissing everyone from Morrissey to Kellyanne Conway, referencing weird internet phenomena, and even releasing a song called “I Might Vote for Donald Trump.” Onstage, he’s less a ball of energy than a rolling boulder, screaming lyrics and diving into the crowd. Whether his music will age well or not — and we’re betting it will, thanks to his forward-thinking, kinetic production style in full effect on 2018’s Veteran and 2019’s All My Heroes Are Cornballs — JPEGMAFIA is without a doubt one of the most entertaining voices in contemporary hip-hop. His gig at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, on Sunday, October 10, starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $22.50. Douglas Markowitz

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid at Mesa Amphitheatre

When it comes to street punk, there really are no bigger names than Boston's Dropkick Murphys and Berkeley's Rancid. The Boston to Berkeley II tour finds the former Hellcat records labelmates together again after their wildly successful 2017 co-headlining tour. Dropkick Murphys' Celtic-punk and Rancid's ska-punk influences would make for somewhat of an odd pairing had the two bands not come up making the same festival rounds and playing to the same audiences for decades. While the 2017 tour had both bands promoting a new release, Rancid has not released a follow-up since but has been working on one in the midst of bandleader Tim Armstrong's countless other projects. Dropkick Murphys released their 10th studio album, Turn Up That Dial, this year and have already put out seven singles in support of the album. If seeing these two bands together again wasn't enough, Los Angeles punk rock band The Bronx opens the show at Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street, on Tuesday, October 12, which begins at 5:45 p.m. Tickets are $50. David Fletcher

Country Thunder Arizona 2021 at Canyon Moon Ranch

Up for an adventure and a little bit of a road trip, pardner? Pack up your boots and blue jeans and hit the dusty trail down to Canyon Moon Ranch, 20585 East Water Way in Florence, as Country Thunder Arizona is finally going off after three pandemic-related postponements. As is the norm for the four-day outdoor music festival, radio-friendly country artists dominate the massive lineup, with names like Luke Combs, Eric Church, Old Dominion, Dustin Lynch, Ashley McBryde, Parmalee, Chicks With Hits, and Chris Janson set to perform at this year’s event. Tens of thousands are expected to attend the event from Thursday, October 14, to Sunday, October 17, though the boot-scootin’ bacchanal won’t be limited to the main stage. The campground is an infamous party zone (and almost a festival in and of itself ) with hootin’ and hollerin’ going on until the wee hours. Gates open at 1 p.m. daily. General admission is $99 each day and $200 for the whole festival. Benjamin Leatherman

Tennis at Crescent Ballroom

Despite her affinity for sailing, vocalist Alaina Moore has admitted in recent interviews that she only learned how to swim in the past year. That might come as a surprise to longtime fans of Tennis, a duo that is well-known for its sea legs. Moore and her husband Patrick Riley practically live on a boat, and their ethereal dream pop has been linked with water since 2011’s Cape Dory. But the musically intertwined couple has proven, ten years since their formation, that they are still full of surprises and heartfelt ballads. On tour in support of their fifth studio album, Swimmer, Tennis will perform their lo-fi, retro tunes onstage at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, on Friday, October 15. The show is at 7 p.m. and Molly Burch opens. Admission is $23. Matthew Keever

Outlaw Music Festival at Ak-Chin Pavilion

Whether one is glimpsing his smiling face or hearing his one-of-a-kind voice come on over a stereo or jukebox, Willie Nelson stands as one of the most instantly recognizable country music artists ever to step in a recording studio or take a stage. On Friday, October 15, Nelson and his well-worn guitar, Trigger, return to the Valley when this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour comes to Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue. For those unfamiliar with the Outlaw tour, Nelson and his family band (which includes his guitarist son, Micah, and pianist sister, Bobbi) headline the show with a rotating cast of opening acts on the road, which for this bill includes singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams and bands The Avett Brothers, Gov't Mule, and Ida Mae. The pickin’ and grinnin’ starts rolling at 4:25 p.m. and tickets are $25 to $129.95. David Fletcher

The Doobie Brothers at Ak-Chin Pavilion

No one has ever embodied the sweet sounds of classic ’70s California pop more than the Doobie Brothers. And now that the style the Doobies perfected has become a musical archetype, it's all too easy to look back through the lens of nostalgia, rather than give the band the credit it deserves. Looking at the Doobies catalog from a more objective, musical standpoint — and sober of the pop-culture fetishism we place on the era — the band expertly concocted a blend of soft pop, funk, blue-eyed soul, and light jazz under an infectious glaze of polish. Much like the sunny Pacific atmosphere in which they incubated their approach, the Doobies sound washes past you like a cool breeze. That's even as it percolates with hooks and rousing grooves, as best captured on radio staples like "China Grove" and “Black Water.” Their 50th-anniversary tour stops at Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Saturday, October 16. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $29.50 to $350. Arielle Castillo

J. Cole at Footprint Center

Having dropped his sixth studio album, The Off-Season, earlier this year, Cole is back. It would be a blessing to hear the "Middle Child" rapper drop an array of his classic hits. Yet, judging by his past two tours, judging by his past two tours, Cole is likely to stay the course and bring his new album to life with current tourmates 21 Savage, Morray, and Druski during his stop at Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, on Sunday, October 17. He'll probably end up performing all 12 tracks off the LP during the concert, which starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $65 to $114. Tony M. Centeno

The Cybertronic Spree at The Rebel Lounge

This costumed hard rock band is aimed at fans of the old-school cartoon The Transformers and its 1986 big-screen adaptation. Its members are dressed in screen-accurate versions of the “robots in disguise” featured in the animated flick (including Hot Rod, Arcee, and Unicron) while performing spot-on covers of the rip-roaring hair metal songs from its soundtrack (such as NRG’s “Instruments of Destruction” and Spectre General's "Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way”). Gimmicky? Absolutely, but it’s seriously geeky fun even if you aren’t an Autobot or Decepticon. The Cybertronic Spree will transform The Rebel Lounge, 2303 East Indian School Road, on Wednesday, October 20. The equally nerdy retrowave act Essenger opens the evening starting at 8 p.m. Admission is $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Benjamin Leatherman

Erykah Badu at Arizona Federal Theatre

Erykah Badu has transcended musical genres, taking on neo-soul, hip-hop, pop, and even the occasional jazz track during her 27-year career. She made a name for herself after her 1997 debut, Baduizm, went on to win two Grammy Awards and sell over 3 million copies. Since then she’s released five studio albums and cultivated a loyal mass of fans across the globe with her eccentric style, philosophy, and lyricism. Badu isn’t just an icon, she’s practically a mythological figure, one who’s built a legend larger than her work. She’s scheduled to perform at Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington Street, on Wednesday, October 20, with support from rapper Westside Gunn. Tickets start at $49.50 and the show starts at 8 p.m. Jacob Vaughn and Eva Raggio

Sleigh Bells at Crescent Ballroom

Since forming in 2008, Sleigh Bells – due on Wednesday, October 20, at Crescent Ballroom, 302 North Second Avenue – have released two EPs, a wealth of singles, and six records, including their newest offering, Texis. The band's combination of heavy, expansive guitar rock and hyperkinetic, layered rhythms from Derek Miller, along with Alexis Krauss's commanding vocal delivery, caught on with audiences early on as the duo subverted the pop genre and their bombastic, visceral live performances have enchanted crowds. Their Crescent Ballroom gig starts at 8 p.m. with an opening set by Kill Birds. Tickets are $30 to $40. Tom Murphy

Cradle of Filth at Marquee Theatre

Cradle of Filth may not be a band for everybody, but they really aren’t a band that parents should worry about. Extreme metal — a kind of umbrella term that covers the many forms of metal made by bands with hard-to-read logos — has a history fraught with violence, vandalism, and, of course, Satanism. Breaking down the “extreme metal” label a bit, Cradle of Filth began as a black metal band in 1991 and has spent the last 30 years crafting a more produced version of it. Pinning down their current genre is the subject of much debate, with labels like “gothic metal” and “symphonic metal” thrown around. For Cradle of Filth, who play Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, on Wednesday, October 20, that content has never centered on some biblical figure. Instead, their lyrics have been more influenced by Gothic literature, mythology and paganism. In other words, bust out your finest black T-shirt for their show and leave your bible and crucifix at home. Tickets are $37.50 and 3Teeth and Once Human open. David Fletcher

Machine Gun Kelly at Mesa Amphitheatre

Machine Gun Kelly rose to fame after his 2012 single “Wild Boy” featuring Waka Flocka Flame. The song was an anthem for the badly behaved and the first introduction to Kelly’s badass personal branding. Despite often being labeled a rapper, Kelly’s made a living off of his rock star lifestyle. When it comes to his musical accolades, putting him solely in the box of hip-hop is a gross underestimation of his talent. His fourth studio album, 2019’s Hotel Diablo, was a mashup of alt-rock and rap while 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall was more pop-punk than hip-hop, as evidenced by the fact it was produced by Blink-182’s Travis Barker. And his latest album, Born with Horns, delves into grunge territory. But with whatever style he chooses, MGK’s still mad as hell and embracing his angst and expressing it on his terms. His concert at Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street, on Thursday, October 21, will include songs from across his discography. Gates open at 5 p.m. and rappers Kenny Hoopla and Jxdn open. Tickets are $48.75. Alma Schofield

Phish at Ak-Chin Pavilion

A lot of musicians spent the pandemic figuring out new ways to connect with their fan bases over the web. The jam band Phish was way ahead of all of them; the group has been innovating on the internet since the ’90s, whether by encouraging tape-trading of its shows in chat rooms or later setting up livestreams a decade before that was a household word. Phish didn’t disappoint during the pandemic, either, debuting a free Tuesday-night series called “Dinner and a Movie” that unearthed videos of archived shows and streamed them through the Phish website and Facebook page. The live, IRL Phish experience is what its fans truly want, though, and after a year and a half without it, expect to see some very excited wooks and chads at this amphitheater outing on Friday, October 22, at Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert start at $33. David Hudnall

A Day to Remember at Arizona Federal Theatre

For almost two decades, A Day to Remember has been pairing blink-182's pop-punk sensibilities with the metalcore musings of August Burns Red. Replete with soaring, sing-along choruses, the Florida outfit's pop leanings are typically punctuated by dark, booming verses that evoke the likes of Bullet For My Valentine and Killswitch Engage. On tour in support of their seventh studio album, You're Welcome, ADTR will visit Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington, on Friday, October 22, with openers Asking Alexandria and Point North. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show start at $49.50. Matthew Keever

John Fogerty at Talking Stick Resort

Throughout Creedence Clearwater Revival’s five-year run of success in the late ’60s and early ’70s, John Fogerty, the band’s lead guitarist and chief singer-songwriter, was what some artists call an “outrider.” He was more of a workingman's rock star, not really a part of the psychedelic movement or the counterculture, with politics more libertarian than liberal. However, many of the songs he wrote and recorded with Creedence were keystones of the ’60s cultural revolution, the soundtrack for many American soldiers while they served in Vietnam, and also chart-topping hits. As you’d expect, CCR songs make up the bulk of his setlists these days, so those attending Fogerty's poolside concert on Sunday, October 24, at Scottsdale’s Talking Stick Resort, 9800 East Talking Stick Way, can expect to hear “Travelin' Band," "Fortunate Son," "Bad Moon Rising,” and other favorites. He’ll also delve into post-Creedence hits like “The Old Man Down the Road” and some select covers. His performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 to $200. Adam Perry

Robert Earl Keen at Crescent Ballroom

Robert Earl Keen combines folk, bluegrass, country, and Americana into an inimitable sound that fans will cherish for generations to come. Like fellow Texas-born musicians Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Lyle Lovett, singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen paints pictures with every song. While he’s put out a dozen albums (including Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, his most recent release) since 1984, his live shows are the best place to appreciate his craft and his dry humor. Not one to let a pandemic get in the way of some good tunes, he’s scheduled to visit Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, on Sunday, October 24. The concert begins at 7 p.m. with an opening set by Kevin Galloway. Tickets are $35 to $45. Matthew Keever and Serene Dominic

Chicano Batman at The Van Buren

Chicano Batman might sound like a meme that became a band, but the four-piece is legit. Frontman Bardo Martinez leads the band — which is promoting its fourth studio album, 2020’s Invisible People — in playing a hybrid of old-school soul, reggae, and psych. It sounds like the group formed after digging through a crate of old, dusty vinyl records from Al Green, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Question Mark and the Mysterians, and Love. Chicano Batman’s music isn’t retro for the sake of being hip. It’s about finding a new take on sounds that have lasted for decades. They swing through The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren, on Sunday, October 24, with their opener, singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia. The music starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door. Eric Grubbs

Dead and Company at Ak-Chin Pavilion

Since the Grateful Dead formed in the ’60s, the music of Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and countless other contributors has gained a true cult status. Even after Garcia’s death in 1995, the band kept on truckin’. And the music hasn’t stopped. A few years after the band’s 50th-anniversary Fare Thee Well Tour in 2015, the group began touring as Dead and Company. The lineup includes John Mayer alongside original members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann. Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti are also in the mix. Mayer’s strong blues background aids in the faithful delivery of wavy riffs from the days of Garcia. Dead & Company is scheduled to visit Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Monday, October 25. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert start at $51.50. Kayla Clancy

Primus at Arizona Federal Theatre

Ever the jesters of alternative music, Primus will finally be pulling into Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington Street, on Monday, October 25, on their A Tribute to Kings tour. The twice-postponed tour will see the band performing a cover of Rush's 1977 album A Farewell to Kings in its entirety for reasons that are not entirely clear, but very cool nonetheless. Worry not, Primus fans, the band will still be performing a set of their beloved singles like the MTV-buzzworthy songs “My Name is Mud” and “Mr. Krinkle” from their classic 1993 album Pork Soda, among many others. The singles set varies each night, so there is no telling what you might hear in preparation for the Farewell to Kings tribute, but the early reviews have been quite favorable. Primus tours seem to come and go on the whim of bandleader Les Claypool, so who knows when we might see them again. Canadian psych-rock band Black Mountain opens and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30.50 to $100.50. David Fletcher

Jonas Brothers at Ak-Chin Pavilion

In October 2013, the Jonas Brothers broke up, citing "a deep rift within the band." In an outfit comprising three siblings — Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas — disagreements are bound to happen. But six years after the trio broke countless young hearts around the world, they reunited and pushed out a brand-new record, 2019’s Happiness Begins, to celebrate their reconciliation. They’re still on the road (this time on a tour named after their recently released single, “Remember This”) and will take over Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Tuesday, October 26, with support from Kelsea Ballerini. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are $29.95 to $499.95. Matthew Keever

Soccer Mommy at Crescent Ballroom

Sophie Allison, a.k.a. Soccer Mommy, has opened for a lot of impressive acts: Wilco, Paramore, Kacey Musgraves, Vampire Weekend. This fall, though, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter is the headliner (Emily Reo, who makes arty noise-pop, opens this Phoenix show). Have a listen to singles “Circle the Drain” and “Yellow is the Color of Her Eyes” from Soccer Mommy’s 2020 record Color Theory, and you’ll begin to hear why: Allison borrows from ’90s indie rock and melodic lo-fi pop to create a sound distinctly her own. Her concert at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, on Tuesday, October 26, starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are technically sold out but are still available through resellers. Gannon Hanevold

Chris Stapleton at Ak-Chin Pavilion

Country singer Chris Stapleton enjoys a level of artistic goodwill that is hard to come by these days. He’s as big on country radio and among the bro-country set as he is in the independent Americana songwriting space. He’s collaborated with everyone from Justin Timberlake to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench in recent years, and in November, he’ll appear on the re-release of Taylor Swift’s 2012 album, Red. Needless to say, he’ll have plenty to draw from when he brings his All-American Roadshow to Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue, on Saturday, October 30, including his four acclaimed studio albums. He’s also bringing outlaw country singer/guitarist Jamey Johnson and country soul artist Yola. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $99 to $249. Celia Almeida

Karol G at Mesa Amphitheatre

Like most of the world these days, Karol G has had a tough couple of years. In early 2021, she and Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA called off their engagement, ending one of the most high-profile relationships in the Latin music world. She also courted controversy last summer when her cringey, uninformed social-media post about the Black Lives Matter movement went viral for all the wrong reasons — an incident she later admitted cost her some professional opportunities. Things started looking up professionally in March; however, when the Colombian singer released her third studio album, KG0516, right around the time she split with Anuel. The record became Karol G's first album to top the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, and it included "Tusa," her collaboration with Nicky Minaj, which introduced her to a wider audience and became the first song by two lead female artists to debut at number one on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart in late 2019. She’s scheduled to perform at Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 30. Tickets are $69.95. Celia Almeida

Marc Anthony at Footprint Center

Three-time Grammy and six-time Latin Grammy winner Marc Anthony has stayed relatively quiet compared to his past tradition of consistently producing new albums every two years. After releasing his 2013 album 3.0, Anthony would not release his next, Opus, until 2019. His current 23-date tour is a continuation of the Opus tour, which sold roughly 240,000 tickets in the U.S. alone before the pandemic. Anthony, the top-selling tropical salsa artist of all time, spent the COVID year returning to the big screen to play Gapo de la Vega in an adaptation of Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights. One of the most highly regarded performers in Latin music — or any genre, really — Marc Anthony’s electrifying show is surely not one to be missed. His concert on Sunday, October 31, at Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $61 to $181. David Fletcher