Read on for more details about each or check out Phoenix New Times' concert calendar for even more live music from Monday, April 17, to Thursday, April 20.
Sunset Rollercoaster
Monday, April 17Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second AvenueThe music on Taiwanese synth-pop act Sunset Rollercoaster’s most recent release, 2020’s Soft Storm, evokes another time and place. Buoyed by rolling waves of jazzy electronic keyboards, proggy musicianship, and laidback grooves, its tunes could’ve easily been heard on the playlists of whatever smooth jazz station your tragically unhip dad loved. (The album’s title is a nod to the quiet storm radio format of the mid-‘70s). It’s not the first time the Taipei personalities behind Sunset Rollercoaster have drawn inspiration from the music of yesteryear. On 2016’s Jinji Kikko, they created a soft-rock paradise with what NME described as “silky-smooth guitar lines, summery melodies, and impeccable production.” If you didn’t catch their exquisite Coachella set on YouTube this past weekend, you can vibe out when they visit the Crescent Ballroom on Monday evening. With Edison Song; 8 p.m., $31 via ticketweb.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Joy Crookes
Tuesday, April 18Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second AvenueIf you haven’t heard of Joy Crookes yet, you will soon. The British-born R&B singer has earned much acclaim in recent years for her sultry sound — which is soaked in neo-soul, trip-hop, and jazz — as heard in such tracks as "When You Were Mine" and “Trouble” off her 2021 major-label debut, Skin. The 13-track album, which earned raves from NME and other outlets, features Crookes exploring past relationships, her Irish-Bangladeshi identity, and adulthood. She’s already by cited as an artist to watch by publications like The Guardian and Rolling Stone, and Lizzo tapped her as a tourmate last year. Better catch Crookes’ performance at Crescent Ballroom this week, since she’s likely playing a much larger venue the next time she rolls through. With Truvonne; 8 p.m., $22-$32 via ticketweb.com. Phoenix, 602-716-2222. Benjamin Leatherman
Sofi Tukker
Wednesday, April 19Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, TempeBack in 2018, the music of dance-pop duo Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, better known as Sofi Tukker, was inescapable. Their insidiously catchy single, "Best Friend," a slice of expertly crafted hooks and electronic beats, topped the Billboard charts after being featured in video games, on television shows, and in an iPhone commercial. It wasn’t just a one-off. A year later, the equally intoxicating “Batshit” caused the ranks of their ever-growing fanbase, dubbed the Freak Fam, to swell even further. Sofi Tukker’s newest album, 2022’s Wet Tennis, contains several tracks also worthy of banger status, from the sultry “Original Sin” to the sweaty and tempestuous “Kakee” and its lush undercurrent of tropical bass. Expect to hear both during their stop at the Marquee, which will involve Hawley-Weld and Halpern mixing live and recorded elements with choreographed dance routines. With Anabel Englund and Bob's Dance Shop; 8 p.m., $40.50-$61 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
Living legend Willie Nelson.
David McClister
Willie Nelson & Family
Wednesday, April 19Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street, MesaCountry music legend, activist, author, poet, actor — Willie Nelson fits into any one of these categories. He helped shape outlaw country towards the end of the 1960s, bringing country artists who felt restricted by the Nashville sound together with "hippie" rock musicians, and his classic, low-key voice, timeless melodies, and ironic delivery branched him out even further to wide pop audiences. Over the past six decades, he’s respectfully bridged several artistic mediums, made even more impressive by the fact that he has also become the epitome of the “outlaw grandfather” — two characteristics that don't exactly go hand-in-hand. Nelson’s turning 90 later this month, but shows no signs of slowing down. He’s back out on the road again with his touring band, Family, which includes his son, Lukas Nelson. 7 p.m., tickets are available on the secondary market. Lauren Wise
Certified Psychos: 420 Edition feat. Twiztid
Thursday, April 20Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, TempeHorrorcore/hip-hop duo Twiztid are die-hard cannabis fans, as evidenced by the fact they’ve sold their own hybrid concentrate strain, appeared in weed documentaries, and titled their 2021 EP Electric Lettuce after the slang term for reefer. Twiztid’s annual 420 show is also a big deal, both for the duo and their rampant fanbase. In previous years, the show has taken place in Twiztid’s hometown of Detroit and has featured themed stage props and one-off merch. This year, the duo will stage the gig at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre as part of their Certified Psychos tour. Fellow rappers Blaze, ABK, Boondox, AMB, Cody Manson, Andrew W. Boss, Intrinzik, McNastee, and Maniacal Militants will open. 6 p.m., $40-$70 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
Holy F*lk: A Writers Round
Thursday, April 20Valley Bar, 130 North Central AvenuePunk legend John Lydon, a.k.a. Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten, has certainly spewed endless amounts of verbal diarrhea over the decades, but he’s also known to drop the odd pearl now and again, like the time he stated that the genuine roots of culture can be found in folk music. It's a catchall genre encompassing a wide variety of styles, storytelling, and songcraft being performed by any number of artists, including here in the Valley’s music scene. And this week, four local artists — Agnia Del Carmen, Katie Mae, Sureson’s Tyler Matock, and Jesse Teer from The Senators — will participate in Holy F*lk, a showcase modeled on the songwriter rounds made famous by Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe. Each will share both songs and stories during the session, which takes place inside Valley Bar’s Music Hall. 7:30 p.m., $10/$12 via ticketweb.com. Benjamin Leatherman
The Blunt Club
Thursday, April 20Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second AvenueIf ever there was a suitable day for local hip-hop event The Blunt Club to happen, it's 4/20. The long-running club night, which dates back to 2002, will stage a special edition on the stoner-friendly holiday and serve up hip-hop on the Crescent Ballroom’s outdoor patio. Pickster One, DJ Reflekshin, and Mane One will spin up classics, old-school cuts, and other tracks on the ones and twos throughout the evening as local b-boys and b-girls perform impromptu ciphers in the crowd. Meanwhile, local painter and Blunt Club co-founder Adam “Dumperfoo” Dumper will create live art and cannabis company DRIP will give away products. 9 p.m., free. Benjamin Leatherman
