Alicia Keys
MGM Grand Garden Arena, May 9
In a world full of singers, there have been few performers in this world never to be missed: Ray Charles, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Prince … and, we’re comfortable adding to that list, Keys. Forget all the Grammys (11) and the No. 1 hits (seven), and make plans to see the 27-year-old New Yorker simply because you need to be in the same club, arena, stadium, whatever with her luminous live personage. Not to mention, a ticket to this show also gets you a look at Vegas product Ne-Yo and former Idol champ Jordin Sparks (health permitting).
Destroyer
Beauty Bar, May 17
You might know Dan Bejar from his work with indie-pop supergroup The New Pornographers, but the Vancouver-based singer/songwriter spends most of his time crafting nifty tunes for Destroyer, an underground favorite since the mid-1990s. Check out March album Trouble in Dreams for the latest example of Bejar’s wordy-but-not-verbose lyrical style, and prep for this must-see Downtown event.
The Police with Elvis Costello
MGM Grand Garden Arena, May 23
Admittedly, the last time Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland played town (June 15), the results were decidedly mixed. And no, the set list hasn’t changed much (at all?) since then. But we’ve got full confidence this Police action will be far from brutal, in part because the guys have been working out the kinks for a year now, and in part because even if they stink, Elvis Costello will be in the building. And Elvis always delivers.
White Rabbits
Beauty Bar, May 29
Cool new band alert! Okay, so the name seems a bit generic, but this Missouri-bred, Brooklyn-based six-piece’s breezy indie sound sure doesn’t. Think The Walkmen with harmonies (the Rabbits have three singers) and more percussion (they have two drummers). Stream a free in-studio set at daytrotter.com/daytrotterSessions/891/free-songs-white-rabbits.
Sex Pistols
The Joint, June 7
So apparently, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is too commercial for Johnny Rotten and the boys, but performing cuts off their one studio albums some 30 years after its release is … art? Never mind the hypocrisy. Pistols shows are still fun as hell, and where else can you shout out lyrics to “God Save the Queen” and “Anarchy in the U.K.” without feeling like a total poseur?
Peter Murphy
House of Blues, June 8
Get out your studded chokers and eyeliner. You too, girls. The sometime frontman for Bauhaus is headed to town, and that can only mean gothic gloom and doom are on the horizon. We’re not exactly sure what his solo sets are like these days, but anyone who helped write “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” “God in an Alcove” and “She’s in Parties” is a frighteningly welcome sight anytime.
Stone Temple Pilots
The Pearl, June 12 and 14
We know, we know, reunions blow as often as not. But when said band’s original run ended with two members (allegedly) coming to blows onstage, we’re suckers for the comeback, especially if it means getting to hear “Sex Type Thing,” “Creep” and “Interstate Love Song” again. Besides, anything that gets Army of Anyone off the road for good can’t be all bad, right?
Erykah Badu
House of Blues, June 13
Even if Badu didn’t have a killer new disc in tow, her gig would be marked on our calendar. Call it past experience, with a live show that ranges from pretty damn solid to heart-stoppingly thrilling. Given the funky-soul blend of February’s urban-riffic New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), hopefully someone in the building will bring a defibrillator.
Panic at the Disco
The Pearl, June 13
Cover subjects in the house! Maybe you loved A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, maybe you hated it. Either way, you owe it to yourself—and your hometown—to see Panic, Act II. New album Pretty. Odd. does indeed sound prettier and odder than its predecessor, and we’re curious to see how it translates to a live stage. Plus, if you don’t make it this time, we’re only gonna reserve you a spot on the list for Panic III: Revenge of the Exclamation Point.
George Michael
MGM Grand Garden Arena, June 21
Stop snickering. Back in the day, Michael was Justin Timberlake, serving as the embodiment of 1980s dance-pop. You know tons of his songs, even if you only sing “Careless Whisper,” “Faith” and “I Want Your Sex” in the shower when no one’s around. Catch this stop on Michael’s first North American tour in 17 years, or risk waiting two more decades to belt out “Father Figure” in public.
Others of note: Duran Duran (The Joint, May 9 and 10); Rush (Mandalay Bay Events Center, May 10); The Whigs (Beauty Bar, May 15); My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult (Beauty Bar, May 30); Hatebreed and Type O Negative (House of Blues, May 31); Kenny Chesney (MGM Grand Garden Arena, June 6); Broken Spindles (Beauty Bar, June 20); Tim McGraw (Mandalay Bay Events Center, June 21); Ani DiFranco (The Joint, June 24); Mark Knopfler (The Joint, June 26); Rancid (House of Blues, July 3); De La Soul (Hard Rock pool, July 18); Mötley Crüe (Mandalay Bay Events Center, August 1).