For instance, a slew of great shows will be happening at the Musical Instrument Museum this week, such as folk act Delta Rae and a performance by rock legends Albert Lee and Peter Asher.
Other notable concerts happening in the Valley include gigs by Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, Arizona native Michelle Branch, up-and-coming rap star RJ, and the multi-talented Chris Schlarb of Psychic Tempe.
If these show don’t necessarily offer what you're into, take a peek at our extensive online concert listings for even more live music options.
Kap Slap
Monday, July 24
Maya Day & Nightclub in Scottsdale
Electro-house producer Kap Slap is known for his bootlegs and mashups, which began gaining popularity while he was in college; he even started touring while still a full-time student. Now 27 and graduated, Kap Slap is playing more shows than ever and focusing on creating original content for his fans. This former EDM hobbyist is gaining speed, seeing an ever-growing following, and performing festival-worthy sets across the country. And his newest set will take place on Monday, July 24, at Maya in Scottsdale during the latest edition of the club’s summertime Night Swim pool party series. Doors open at 10 p.m. and admission is free. Sarah Purkrabek
Delta Rae
Monday, July 24
Musical Instrument Museum
Delta Rae are several bands in one. The Durham, North Carolina, sextet features four separate singers — including three siblings — who can segue easily from pop and country to bluesy folk and classic rock. But Delta Rae are inevitably at their most interesting when they veer away from their mainstream instincts and dig deeper into the muddier waters of their Americana influences. Brothers Eric Hölljes and Ian Hölljes write the songs, and such tracks as “Chasing Twisters” and “Outlaws” have soaring choruses and rousing production, but the group is more compelling when Brittany Hölljes intones the more haunting, blues-steeped incantations, such as “I Will Never Die,” which starts like a prayer before the rest of the band kicks in and Elizabeth Hopkins adds ghostly harmonies. Falling James
Mike Howard
Poison Rites
Monday, July 24
Palo Verde Lounge in Tempe
Vocalist/guitarist Reed Bruemmer and singer/bassist Mike Howard are longtime veterans of Denver’s punk and metal scenes, and when they decided to start a new band with their friends guitarist Nick Santa Maria and drummer Darren Kulback, it was just supposed to be an excuse for them to get together and do something fun. Musically, it's right out of that Midwest punk and garage rock delivered by New Bomb Turks and The Stooges. Stop by the PV Lounge in Tempe on Monday night for their show (which also features performances by The Plainfield Butchers and DJ Nitro) and see if you agree. And just like any other gig at the Dirty Verde, it’s free to attend. Tom Murphy
The current lineup of UB40.
Edward Cooke
Tuesday, July 25
Marquee Theatre in Tempe
After Bob Marley, no reggae act has sold as many albums as UB40. To singer Ali Campbell, this is a great honor. That said, Campbell makes it clear how important he takes the band's legacy as an ambassador of reggae. He got angry when he spoke about the other version of UB40 that is touring and recording with his brother, Duncan Campbell, as the replacement singer. “I had an acrimonious split [with UB40]. People say I wanted to pursue a solo career, but I had grief with management. I was touring for years as ‘Ali Campbell, the legendary voice of UB40.’ For five years, I had to deal with my brother murdering my songs. When he put out a country music album under the UB40 name, it was a slap in the face to me and the fans. We started as a reggae band; not playing reggae destroyed goodwill. I haven't spoken to anyone in that group but Astro since then.” To stay true to the UB40 legacy, Ali is touring with original members, percussionist/trumpeter Astro and keyboardist Mickey Virtue, on a tour that will bring them to the Marquee Theatre in Tempe on July 25. Campbell was much happier to reminisce about his childhood in Birmingham, England, and the incredible success the group has found reggae-fying classic songs like Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine” and Elvis Presley's “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You.” David Rolland
Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
Tuesday, July 25
Comerica Theatre
Let’s get your most important question out of the way first: Yes, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are most definitely busting out with some Fleetwood Mac songs during their current collaborative tour, which hits dozens of cities across the U.S. this summer. Quite a few of ‘em, in fact, including "Tusk," "Little Lies," "Wish You Were Here," "Never Going Back Again," and (of course) "Go Your Own Way." It’s a no-brainer, considering their membership in the legendary rock band is arguably their biggest claims to fame. However, there will be just as much focus on the songs that the two created together for their collaborative side-project, many of which were conceived and recorded during a studio session with Mick Fleetwood prior to McVie rejoining Fleetwood Mac in 2014. They finally saw the light of day earlier this year after being released on the self-titled LP, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, which has been described as a “long-lost Fleetwood Mac album.” In other words, it's almost guaranteed to please longtime Fleetwood fans who will be in attendance at this show. Benjamin Leatherman
Read on for event more "can't miss" concerts this week, including Michelle Branch, Reckless Kelly, and RJ.
Arizona native Michelle Branch marks a new beginning with her first solo album in 13 years, Hopeless Romantic.
Shervin Lainez
Wednesday, July 26
Crescent Ballroom
It's been a whirlwind decade and a half for Arizona native Michelle Branch. Few pop stars have the combination of look, sound, credibility and likability that she did during a string of hit singles (including "Everywhere" and "Are You Happy Now) and a pair of platinum albums in the early 2000s. Instead of riding this wave of popularity to even greater success, however, Branch opted to go country from there and teamed with her former backup singer Jessica Harp to form The Wreckers. The duo released one gold album, 2006’s Stand Still, Look Pretty, that featured a No. 1 country single (“Leave the Pieces”). She's back after an extended hiatus from performing, currently touring behind Hopeless Romantic, a laid-back rock and roll collection produced by her musical and romantic partner, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys. Clint Hale
Reckless Kelly
Wednesday, July 26
Musical Instrument Museum
Since brothers Willy and Cody Braun moved to Austin, Texas, almost two decades ago, their band Reckless Kelly has always been considered a part of the Texas music phenomenon, but they've also always managed to stand slightly apart from that whole thing. To its credit, the band has never used the beer-taco-Mexico-tequila-Texas-Texas-Texas-more-beer lyrical template that most of the so-called Texas music bands wore like a frat pin. From the beginning, Reckless had real songs and, when they didn't have anything new, they'd rev up amazing covers of Led Zeppelin or Elvis Costello to fill the void. This week, they’ll amble through the Valley for a gig at the Musical Instrument Museum. William Michael Smith
The multi-talented Chris Schlarb.
Gustavo Turner
Wednesday, July 26
Trunk Space
Southern California-based composer/producer/multi-instrumentalist (and truck driver) Chris Schlarb is a man of what you'd call diverse tastes. For his albums, he assembles the dream bands (of his wildest dreams) and comes up with new, non-genre-specific music by juxtaposing the players' disparate aesthetic worlds. This formula made for accessibly iconoclastic results on his 2010 album, Psychic Temple, where Schlarb's 29-member cast included Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, vocalist Julianna Barwick, and pianist Mick Rossi of the Philip Glass Ensemble. Schlarb's quest for total meltdown music continues on his most recent album, III, which brings together another eclectic cast from the progressive jazz, art-pop, rock, and metal spheres. John Payne
Up-and-coming rapper RJ.
Kenneth Wynn
Thursday, July 27
Pub Rock Live in Scottsdale
RJ has been all up in the rap world’s grill the last couple of years. Back in 2015, you could catch his summer jam “Get Rich.” featuring Iamsu! blasting out of speakers, and he made appearances on both DJ Mustard and Skeme mixtapes. RJ is part of Pushaz Ink, the hip-hop collective started by YG, DJ Mustard, and Ty Dolla $ign, so it’s no surprise that his name has gotten out there. Given the number of L.A.-based rappers that he’s collaborated with (Dom Kennedy, Skeme, Ty Dolla $ign and Jay 305, to name a few), its no surprise he became a darling of his hometown’s hip-hop scene. His mixtape, OMMIO 2 (short for "On My Momma I’m On") came out last year and features many of the aforementioned artists. He also did a short-lived vlog, which just goes to show you how much the young rapper is pushing to get his name out there. With his quick raps and influential friends, you’re definitely going to be hearing more from this Compton native. Jessie Schiewe
Albert Lee & Peter Asher
Thursday, July 27
Musical Instrument Museum
British musician Albert Lee, internationally renowned as one of the finest guitar players anywhere, parlayed a childhood fixation on American rock and country into a career of both striking creativity and significant cultural resonance. Arriving in Los Angeles some four decades back, he made his first national impact after Emmylou Harris chose him to replace James Burton in her fabled Hot Band. He gained further notoriety as the player Eric Clapton hired when he needed another ax, became the guy who convinced the Everly Brothers to reunite, and enjoyed a Grammy-winning collaboration with Earl Scruggs. A low-key, affable cat, Lee’s astonishing facility and style consistently flabbergast every audience for whom he performs. As Harris said, Lee is “a brilliant guitar player. His sound is unmistakable — often emulated, never equaled.” This week, Lee and fellow rock legend Peter Asher will perform together at the Musical Instrument Museum. Jonny Whiteside
