The 15 Best Concerts in Phoenix This Week

November is starting with a bang when it comes to concerts. A slew of famous artists and acts are coming to the Valley to perform from Friday, November 1, to Thursday, November 7, including Marilyn Manson, Tom Morello, Dinosaur Jr., Melvins, Ski Mask the Slump God, and In Flames.

You can also check out concerts by The Cadillac Three, Allah-Las, Summer Walker, Helmet, Noah Gundersen, and Amigo the Devil over the next seven nights at music venues around town.

Details about each of these shows can be found below. And for even more live music happening around the Valley, hit up Phoenix New Times' online concert calendar.

Tom Morello

Friday, November 1
The Pressroom

Rage Against the Machine, guitarist Tom Morello's first and most famous project, mixed raw, explosive funk metal with the militant poetry of singer-rapper Zack de la Rocha. The band garnered millions of fans and made rock — and political — history. But it was 2018's The Atlas Underground — a collaboration with everyone from Bassnectar, Knife Party, Marcus Mumford, and members of Wu-Tang Clan — that Morello’s vision of mixing Sabbath riffs and earth-shaking political hip-hop was fully realized. Through it all, his iconic guitar — which can sound in turns like Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi's, a Kaoss Pad, or a turntable — acts as a foundation for creative takes on tasteful rap-rock with a much more infectious, clubby vibe than anything in Rage’s catalog. Hear it live at The Pressroom on Friday night. The event starts at 7 p.m. with 93Punx. Tickets are $30. Adam Perry

The Wailers

Friday, November 1
Marquee Theatre in Tempe

Someone should make a movie about the saga of the Wailers. Founded by reggae legends Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in 1963, the seminal reggae band and its various members have influenced every style of reggae imaginable, from roots and rocksteady, to dancehall and ska. They also have survived some epic personnel losses: Marley died of cancer in 1981, Tosh was murdered during a home invasion in 1987, drummer Carlton Barrett was shot to death the same year, and vocalist Junior Braithwaite was murdered in 1999. These days, the spirit of the Wailers is kept alive by bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett (brother of the late Carlton), who played with the Marley-era Wailers and is also a former member of Lee "Scratch" Perry's band, the Upsetters. Although Marley, Tosh and many of Barrett's former bandmates may be gone, you can still hear the iconic bass lines of songs like "Get Up, Stand Up," "No Woman No Cry," and "Exodus" played by the man who wrote them. The Wailers visit the Valley on Friday night. The show is at 7:15 p.m., tickets are $25-$45, and Highest Conspiracy and Jah Los and the Rebels will open. Niki D'Andrea

Guttermouth

Friday, November 1
Yucca Tap Room in Tempe

You should know what to expect from a Guttermouth show. If the band's name doesn't spell it out, their reputation certainly should — there's a reason the guys were banned from Canada, after all. Guttermouth are amazingly adroit at crafting '90s American-style punk rock in the vein of bands such as Green Day (before Billie Armstrong decided to become a de facto populist pundit). Taking politics, or anything, seriously is the last thing on these guys' minds.

Instead, Guttermouth are loud, fast, and irritating. Forging a career on a willingness to offend must have been a wise move, though, because the band have been at it for just shy of two decades, with nearly a dozen albums to their name. If you like your punk fast and simple, your lyrics amusingly crass and juvenile, and your onstage heroes occasionally naked, Guttermouth will be at Yucca Tap Room in Tempe on Friday. Playboy Manbaby, TV Tragedy, Skeleton Army, and No Composure will open the 7 p.m. gig. Admission is $15. Nicholas L. Hall

Belphegor

Friday, November 1
Club Red in Mesa

Think what you may, but at the very least, you can always count on black metal for its directness. With album titles like Bondage Goat Zombie and Goatreich-Fleshcult, the Satan-worshippers of Austrian outfit Belphegor spare no effort in expressing their unyielding love for, well, worshipping Satan. Songs like "Lucifer Incestus" and "Swarm of Rats" serve as impassioned testimony to the band's sole preoccupation. For illustration, the band close these songs with nifty sound effects like rats squealing and Lucifer growling (or is it burping?) after a round of coitus with his demonic, incest-loving concubines.

Named after a demon, Belphegor play a black-tinged brand of death metal in a crossover between the two camps that was once unthinkable but is now commonplace. For all of its somber-faced effort, Belphegor can also be a hell of a lot of fun for giggling non-Satanist listeners. Witness the blasphemy for yourself, sinner, at Belphegor’s gig on Friday night at Club Red in Mesa. Suffocation, Necronomicon, Abiotic, and Six Million Dead will open the 6 p.m. show. Tickets are $25. Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

Ski Mask the Slump God

Saturday, November 2
Marquee Theatre in Tempe

The 23-year-old Ski Mask the Slump God is quickly ascending the ranks of notable rappers from South Florida after inking a deal with Republic Records and landing a spot on the 2018 XXL Freshman list. His most recent album — Stokeley, his birth name — has been climbing the charts thanks to smash hits such as “Faucet Failure.” He’s also been expanding his craft with some big-name features and collaborating with other rising artists such as Atlanta’s Lil Baby and Chicago’s Juice Wrld. Ski Mask’s current tour brings him to the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Saturday night with support from Pouya, DJ Scheme, and Danny Towers. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $27.50-$47.50. Anna Hopkins

Amigo the Devil

Saturday, November 2
The Nile Theater

If you never met him, you might mistake Amigo the Devil for a monster. The 31-year-old's most popular song is called "Perfect Wife." With gallows humor to make Marshall Mathers wince, it details gruesome spousal abuse that escalates until the wife rifle-blasts her husband. Two other beloved anthems are "Dahmer Does Hollywood" and "The Recluse," which was originally titled "Ed Gein."

"Everyone has morbid thoughts, but there's a very large gap between having insanely sick thoughts and actually doing them," says the Miami-raised Devil, born Danny Kiranos. "But these people exist, and I'm fascinated by them. I'm sure as hell never gonna know what it feels like." We certainly hope not. Amigo the Devil is scheduled to perform a solo show at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Nile in Mesa. Admission is $15. Jeff Weiss

Dinosaur Jr.

Sunday, November 3
Crescent Ballroom

Formed back in the '80s, Dinosaur Jr. bridged the gap between the epic guitar riffage of their '70s hard rock influences and the DIY ethos of their art-punk contemporaries like Sonic Youth. Despite the undeniable mastery of albums like You're Living All Over Me, leader J Mascis became known for his controlling nature, and tempers frayed in the band until the trio eventually splintered apart. Bassist Lou Barlow formed his equally celebrated band Sebadoh, drummer Murph joined The Lemonheads, and Mascis hired new personnel for a string of major-label records in the '90s before calling it quits. In 2005, the original lineup of Mascis, Barlow, and Murph re-formed, and have since released four new albums, including the well-regarded Farm and I Bet On Sky. They’re scheduled to peform on Sunday night at the Crescent Ballroom. Easy Action opens the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $33-$40. Douglas Markowitz

Marilyn Manson

Sunday November 3
The Van Buren

There’s one question that artists like infamous rocker Marilyn Manson have to face eventually: Once the shock wears off, does the music still have the capacity to electrify? In a word, yes. In all the news fluttering around the 50-year-old musician, one important development gets lost in the mix: His newer albums are actually really, really good. That might come as a surprise if you stopped paying attention to Manson after the mixed reaction to his 1998 glam-industrial record Mechanical Animals. Following that, Manson and his band spent a few years in creative purgatory. Trying to recreate the scabrous magic of 1996’s Antichrist Superstar, they released a string of records to diminishing returns. A little less limelight was helpful. Born Villain (2012) had the band sounding truly heavy. And 2015’s The Pale Emperor saw the band branch out into intriguing new sonic territory. Manson’s current tour brings him to The Van Buren on Sunday. Deadly Apples will open the 8 p.m. gig. Tickets are $72.50-$77. Ashley Naftule

Melvins

Monday, November 4
Crescent Ballroom

Grunge, punk, metal, sludge, stoner rock — however you describe the Melvins' music, it's been undeniably influential to many successful bands since the '80s. And it's been equally as exploratory, even crossing into electronic and dark ambient on some albums. But above all, the Washington-born band have played thumping rock 'n' roll music through over 30 releases in its 33-year career. Seattle bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden are said to have been inspired by the Melvins' sludgy sound. The band's latest album's title, 2018's Pinkus Abortion Technician, was taken from the Butthole Surfers' Locust Abortion Technician, and recorded with the help of said band's bass player, Jeff Pinkus. The Melvins are on a massive 10-week U.S. tour this fall with Redd Kross, which Melvin members Dale Crover and Steven McDonald also play in, and the band are slated to release a vinyl reissue of the 1999 albums The Maggot and The Bootlicker later this year. Toshi Kasai will open for both bands during their Crescent Ballroom show at 8 p.m. on Monday, November 4. Admission is $28. Diamond Rodrigue

Allah-Las

Monday, November 4
Valley Bar

Many bands with potential flame out before even getting into a studio, much less putting out a record. Allah-Las were no different. The California-based indie-rock foursome were in a similar place around the turn of the decade.

The band’s patience paid off with a certain level of fame on the indie circuit and live shows galore. Their tunes have morphed from tales of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll to those that come from a more mature place. On Monday, November 4, they’ll showcase their catalog of material at Valley Bar. Maston will open the evening at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28. Clint Hale

Helmet

Tuesday, November 5
Crescent Ballroom

Back in the band's late '80s/early '90s heyday, New York's Helmet were supposedly the thinking man's metal band. But with their geeky clothes and cropped haircuts, Page Hamilton and crew were hardly a metal band, thinking or otherwise. What Helmet did was play aggressive post-punk that drew a crowd that included metalheads. And when the band released Strap it On in 1990 and Meantime a year later, they seemed ready to finally cross over into the mainstream. But internal dissent and the lackluster sales of 1994's Betty seemed to forever derail Helmet's career.

After 1997's Aftertaste, the band called it quits. Hamilton ended up as an in-demand sideman, playing guitar with an odd assortment of characters including Joe Henry and David Bowie. Then, in 2004, Hamilton resurrected the Helmet moniker and released Size Matters, an album that featured none of the original members except him. Three more releases followed (including 2010’s Seeing Eye Dog and 2016’s Dead to the World) and now they're currently on their 30th-anniversary tour. Catch them at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, at Crescent Ballroom. Tickets are $20. Darryl Smyers

The Cadillac Three

Tuesday, November 5
Marquee Theatre in Tempe

Rip-roaring act The Cadillac Three are best known for bringing an element of redneck Southern rock to mainstream country. Authentically unapologetic, the trio aren't into acts: What you see is what you get, and the ripped jeans, long hair, and thick drawls are real.

Jaren Johnston’s combination of attitude-filled gritty vocals and all-out shredding leads the trio. The lap steel of Kelby Ray, playing through a bass amp, fills in the low side, while sneaking in attention-grabbing riffs that complement Johnston. Neil Mason rounds out the sound with a commanding presence on drums. Catch them in concert on Tuesday, November 5, at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. The Josephines and Christopher Shayne share the bill. The show starts at 7:15 p.m. and tickets are $20-$40. Amber Erickson Gabbey

Summer Walker

Wednesday, November 6
Marquee Theatre in Tempe

When it comes to record releases, it sure takes a mighty effort to topple Beyoncé. Atlanta native Summer Walker has certainly achieved that peak, though, with the release of her debut record Over It. According to reports from Billboard, the release debuted at No. 2 on their Top 200 chart with the equivalent of 134,000 album units. That's a feat that bests Beyoncé's Lemonade for the biggest streaming week of all time for a female R&B album. Walker's out on the initial U.S. stages of her First and Last Tour and the venues – as evidenced by her upcoming appearance at the Marquee Theatre — are only getting larger and larger for a precocious talent who only a year ago released her debut mixtape. Head down to Tempe on Wednesday, November 6, to get a feel for the commotion. Melii will open the 8:30 p.m. concert. Tickets are $39.50-$199. Jeff Strowe

Noah Gundersen

Wednesday, November 6
Crescent Ballroom

There's something about the voice of Seattle singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen — it's evocative and haunting, the type of wail you can't shake for days after you first hear it. Gundersen has previously written songs and toured with his sister, Abby, on backup vocals and violin, and his brother, Jonathan, on drums.

There are a few other members of the touring band, but the most powerful part of the songs is the combination of Noah and Abby's voices. Genetics help family bands achieve a scary-close vocal blend, and the Gundersens take full advantage of this. To hear the two sing harmonies on songs like "Poor Man's Son" is to swim in a velvet sea of sonic bliss. Dive in during Noah Gundersen’s 8 p.m. show on Wednesday, November 6, at Crescent Ballroom. Scott Ruth opens. Tickets are $17. David Accomazzo

In Flames

Thursday, November 7
Marquee Theatre in Tempe

In Flames were one of the flagship bands of the Gothenburg scene in Sweden of the early 1990s that included death-metal luminaries like At the Gates and Dark Tranquility. Those bands injected the savagery of death metal with melodic elements that made the music curiously more accessible without undermining its heaviness. After an inaugural EP, 1995's Subterranean, and the debut full-length album Lunar Strain, In Flames started to hit their stride with the 1996 album The Jester Race, considered by many critics a classic in the genre.

Now with 18 albums to their credit — the latest being this year’s I, The Mask – In Flames aren't exactly a household name, but they're one of the most respected and popular bands in heavy music, not just for the quality of their songwriting, but also for their incendiary live show. Their current tour in support of I, The Mask hits Marquee Theatre on Thursday, November 7. The show is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $28.50-$99. Tom Murphy