NO DOUBT (May 8, 11:45 p.m.) One of the first concerts I attended was the 1996 co-headlining tour of Bush and No Doubt, and in the nearly two decades since, the latter has evolved beyond ska revivalism to incorporate elements of dancehall, reggae and electronica. I haven’t seen Gwen Stefani & Co. since, but I remember their explosive and raw live energy. I can’t wait to compare experiences, plus, this time I won’t need a parental guardian … hopefully. –Chris Bitonti
Taylor Swift performs during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in Las Vegas.
METALLICA (May 9, 11:10 p.m.) Metallica is the definition of a reliable live band: They fill their shows with familiar hits played well, putting all of their energy into the songs and making sure the crowd does, too. Although the band is working on a new album, the Rock in Rio set will probably emphasize popular songs that appeal to a broad audience, and that’s exactly the way it should be. –Josh Bell
TAYLOR SWIFT (May 15, 11:10 p.m.) Tay-Tay may have angered fans by pulling her discog from Spotify last year, and music snobs might turn their noses up at 1989 (which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200), but I’m still on Team Swifty. You bet I’ll be in the crowd as the business-savvy songwriting sensation makes her “red-lip classic” Vegas headlining debut—and I’ll be singing along to every word. –Leslie Ventura
Bruno Mars performs at the Chelsea on New Year's Eve, 2013.
BRUNO MARS (May 16, 11:10 p.m.) His shows offer a little something for everybody, with his small-but-substantial catalog spanning multiple genres. From funk and soul to reggae and doo–wop, Mars belts it all out while showing off some seriously smooth moves (and the extremely talented musicians in his backing band are just as entertaining to watch). Bruno should deliver one of the biggest dance parties the Strip has ever seen, and I can’t wait to be in the middle of it during the Mark Ronson collabo “Uptown Funk.” –Mark Adams
