Noise

A dozen concerts and albums that have the Weekly staff excited about 2016

Image
Never enough: The Cure ‘s 2014 setlists were absolute monsters.
Jack Plunkett/AP

CONCERTS

Deafheaven (February 11, Brooklyn Bowl) Lamb of God and Anthrax top the bill, but the six-stringed swells of this San Francisco metal act make this one of the most intriguing concerts of 2016’s first quarter. —Mike Prevatt

La Luz (March 23, Bunkhouse) If you haven’t seen the dreamy surf-rock quartet yet, a live KEXP performance—featuring songs off the new Ty Segall-produced LP Weirdo Shrine—should send you to the ticket window. —Leslie Ventura

Rihanna's "Diamonds" tour concert at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Friday, April 13, 2013.

Rihanna's "Diamonds" tour concert at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Friday, April 13, 2013.

Rihanna (April 29 & 30, Mandalay Bay Events Center) From that yellow Met Gala dress to her “Bitch Better Have My Money” music video, Bad Girl RiRi knew how to grab our attention in 2015. The release of eighth studio album Anti has been delayed, but we’ve got two Vegas stops to quell the anticipation. Expect her usual, over-the-top production. —LV

The Cure (May 19, the Chelsea) Robert Smith’s gothy rock troupe hasn’t played here since 2009, and haven’t been anywhere since 2014, when sets often stretched past the 40-song mark. The tricky part will be finding a way in to this sold-out-in-seconds performance. —Spencer Patterson

The Who (May 29, the Colosseum) As last year’s U.S. tour cancellation (for medical reasons) reminded us, you never know when Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend will step off the road for good. An even better reason to go: Their last Vegas visit, in 2013, positively sizzled. —SP

Chic (July 29, Mandalay Bay Events Center) Now that Nile Rodgers has your attention again (that’s his guitar on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”), it’s time American audiences take a second look at his influential groove outfit, Chic, opening here for Duran Duran. —MP

ALBUMS

David Bowie's Blackstar

David Bowie, Blackstar (January 8) Producer Tony Visconti said the goal was to “avoid rock ’n’ roll” on Bowie’s 25th studio album, and the title track’s music video suggests the pair made Blackstar with all creative cylinders firing. —LV

Ty Segall, Emotional Mugger (January 22) The prolific garage-rocker kept fairly quiet in 2015, releasing only an EP under his own name, along with a full-length from Fuzz. Judging from this new LP’s compositional creativity and twisted psychedelia, the recording “rest” did him good. —SP

Eric Prydz, Opus (February 5) The beloved Swede—one of the few producer/DJs to successfully draw in the dance mainstream while appeasing more underground-inclined listeners—finally drops an artist album. Expect tuneful melodies, synth flourishes and hard-driving beats. —MP

Animal Collective's Painting With

Animal Collective, Painting With (February 19) AnCo’s first group album since 2012 is said to stress pop punch, reflected by its 12 tracks’ shortish run times and dance-in-your-chair first single “FloriDada.” “We wanted to do something that blasted away the whole time,” member Geologist has explained. We’re ready for blast-off. —SP

Underworld, Barbara, Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (March 18) A teaser from the English electronic act’s ninth studio album hints at both a sonic departure and a return to entrancing, uplifting form. Four decades on, they’re still giving us what we need—and what we want. —MP

PJ Harvey, TBA (Spring) Between orchestrating a performance-art show in London and traveling to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington, D.C., as part of a book project, the singer-songwriting great will release a new album—recently announced in a 28-second teaser that has me wishing spring were here. —LV

Share
Photo of Spencer Patterson

Spencer Patterson

Get more Spencer Patterson
Photo of Leslie Ventura

Leslie Ventura

Get more Leslie Ventura
Top of Story