We’ll leave the choice up to you.
Read on for details about each of these shows or click over to Phoenix New Times’ online concert calendar for even more live music in the Valley from Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 12.
UK-born artist Joe Jackson.
DZP
Joe Jackson
Saturday, June 11 Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd StreetEnglish singer-songwriter Joe Jackson has never allowed himself to be confined to a single genre of music. Jackson spent his early years in music with proto-punk band Arms and Legs before taking bass player Graham Maby with him to form his solo project. Jackson's first three albums as a solo artist showed the singer sticking closely to his roots, flirting with new wave, punk rock, and ska in crafting catchy pop tunes. It was on his fourth album, Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive, that Jackson showed his love of jazz music and his desire to avoid being pigeonholed into a single genre. Jackson continued to explore jazz, classical and experimental music between his rock albums until he abandoned rock altogether in 1991 not to return to the genre that made him until 2003's Volume 4. Jackson released his 20th studio album, Fool, in 2019, showing that he can still rock with the best of them. This month, he’ll bring his “Sing, You Sinners” tour to Celebrity Theatre for a show featuring new songs and older material from throughout his lengthy career. The show is at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $30 to $45. David Fletcher
Puscifer
Saturday, June 11Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington StreetAfter five years of no live performances, Puscifer is finally getting back on the road. The Existential Reckoning Tour (named after the rock band’s 2020 album) kicked off earlier this week in Las Vegas. It’ll stop at Arizona Federal Theatre on Saturday. Puscifer features Tool's Maynard James Keenan fronting as Agent Dick Merkin (an unsettling personage with bad newscaster helmet hair — black streaked with white — dark glasses, and bold red lipstick) and Carina Round on vocals, guitar, and percussion. Fans who caught Puscifer’s “Existential Reckoning: Live at Arcosanti” livestream performance in October 2020 will see a lot of similarities in the shows on the tour, although the band will be playing more than just the songs from their latest album. The visuals in the livestream were the brainchild of Puscifer guitarist Mat Mitchell, Keenan says, so for the tour, “a lot of the stage design is Mat and working with Sarah Landau, our [lighting designer], coming up with various things.” The concert starts at 8 p.m. and Moodie Black opens. Tickets are $25 to $75. Jennifer Goldberg
Playboy Manbaby
Saturday, June 11Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second AvenuePlayboy Manbaby is one of the most popular bands in Phoenix for good reason. Onstage, frontman Robbie Pfeffer transforms into a screaming, flailing madman, shouting songs about selling out and giving your boss the middle finger. His onstage persona channels rock stars and Pentecostal preachers equally, and not many bands get roomfuls of people as engaged in punk rock call-and-response like PBMB. The result is often the most entertaining show in town. This weekend at Crescent Ballroom, Playboy Manbaby will perform its only headlining show of 2022. Boss Frog and Diva Bleach will open the 6:30 p.m. gig. Admission is $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Phoenix New Times
Dean Lewis
Sunday, June 12Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, TempeAustralian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis makes ethereal yet dramatic pop songs, with blunted, distant pianos and synth lines that eventually cascade into a thumping 1-2 drum beat. It's the perfect soundtrack for a sad montage sequence on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. His music has also done well in the U.S. as “Be Alright,” his breakthrough single from 2018, topped Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart. He’s scheduled to bring his Sad Boi Winter Summer Tour to the Marquee this weekend with Canadian-born pop singer Forest Blakk opening. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $27.50 to $58. John Bear
Tori Amos during a concert from earlier this year.
Patrick Alcala
Tori Amos
Sunday, June 12Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams StreetTori Amos remains one of the most significant and persistent female voices arising from the ‘90s female singer-songwriter movement. Her 1992 debut (solo) album, Little Earthquakes was a critical darling where Amos bridged the divide between Sarah McLachlan's atmospherics and the more confrontational approach of Courtney Love or Kat Bjelland. Call it a happy coincidence that her latest tour (in support of last year’s Ocean to Ocean) commenced 30 years after the release of LE. It's also a reminder she's never really gone away and still tours on the regular, releasing albums that consistently chart well. Expect to hear such Amos standards as “God,” “Cornflake Girl,” and “Juárez” (as well as such Ocean to Ocean cuts as "Devil's Bane" and "Addition of Light Divided") when she comes to the Orpheum on June 12. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $59.50 to $99.50. Pete Vonder Haar
Sage Armstrong
Sunday, June 12Darkstar, 526 South Mill Avenue, #201, TempeL.A.-based house producer and DJ Sage Armstrong returns to the Valley this weekend to headline the latest Treehouse Sundays session at Tempe venue Darkstar. Though it's likely his set will likely focus largely on bass house music, including tracks and mixes he’s released recently on Thrive Music, don't be surprised if he slips in some hip-hop or trap into the mix. Seppi and L9V will perform opening sets. The music starts at 4 p.m. and admission is $23. Benjamin Leatherman
