Insomniac stand-up Dave Attell headlines the inaugural Crapshoot Comedy Festival, which will bombard Downtown Las Vegas with edgy comics and podcasters May 18-20. Also on the bill: Fahim Anwar, Joel Kim Booster, Byron Bowers, Matt Braunger, Kurt Braunohler, Chris Cubas, Corinne Fisher, Krystyna Hutchinson, Sabrina Jalees, Morgan Murphy, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Chris Porter, Adam Ray, Ryan Sickler, Beth Stelling, Jesus Trejo, Liza Treyger, Brad Williams and Jenny Zigrino.
In addition to stand-up comedy, screenings and “immersive activities,” you can witness a modern-day battle of the sexes with live podcasts Guys We F@#ked: The Experience and About Last Night with Adam Ray & Brad Williams. Tickets cost $20-$999, depending on whether you go in for individual shows or weekend passes, and are on sale now at crapshootcomedyfestival.com.
Concert powerhouse Live Nation debuts the Las Rageous Music Festival, which will feature hard rockers Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Anthrax, Mastodon, Eagles of Death Metal, Escape the Fate and more. The all-ages fest happens April 21-22 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Early bird tickets cost $99-$399 and go on sale February 2 at 10 a.m. at lasrageous.com.
What do Harry Potter, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan and Star Wars have in common, besides being mega blockbusters? Their scores all boast music by Oscar-winning composer John Williams. On March 4-5 at the Smith Center, the Las Vegas Philharmonic—with help from the Las Vegas Master Singers—will present a program of cinematic favorites for Cabrera Conducts the Music of John Williams. Tickets cost $30-$109 and are on sale now at the Smith Center box office or at lvphil.org. The orchestra encourages you to come in costume, so plan your Princess Leia tributes accordingly.
Music is truly Infinite for Deep Purple. The British band will be supporting its 20th studio album on a tour with Alice Cooper and The Edgar Winter Band. The ’70s-era rockers stop by the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan on August 12. Tickets $45-$135 and go on sale February 3 at 10 a.m. at cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.
Best known for his slick yet heartfelt songwriting, country musician Phil Vassar recently took a six-year break from hitmaking. He paused to “reflect on the past, ponder the future and make a record that illustrates my growth as an artist.” The result is American Soul, which you can expect to hear cuts from April 8 at the Foundry at SLS Las Vegas. Tickets cost $25 in advance ($30 at the door) and go on sale February 3 at 10 a.m. at foundrylv.com.
He’s on a Search for Everything and he’s touring the world to find it. Playing in support of his latest album, outspoken heartbreaker (and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter) John Mayer performs at T-Mobile arena on April 22. Tickets cost $56-$129 and go on sale February 3 at 10 a.m. at axs.com/.
Attention all jokers, smokers and midnight tokers: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee The Steve Miller Band teams up with Peter Frampton for a tour stop at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on August 8. Tickets are $59.50-$150 and go on sale February 3 at noon at the Colosseum box office and thecolosseum.com.
Portugal. the Man rarely leaves Vegas off the tour itinerary, and their spring jaunt is no exception. The Wasila, Alaska, psychedelic rock act returns, with HDBEENDOPE and DJ Black Daniels in tow, to both the Valley and Brooklyn Bowl on March 11. Tickets run $25-$45 and go on sale February 3 at 10 a.m. at ticketfly.com/.
Also a regular presence in Las Vegas is Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reef Band, who returns to their usual stomping ground at MGM Grand Garden for an April 1 show. The new trek—called the I Don't Know Tour—matters not; you know the setlist before you've even bought the tickets, which are $40-$212 and go on sale February 13 at 10 a.m. at axs.com/.
Finally, in a spring concert calendar that's embarrassingly light on Coachella-overlap bookings, a local venue has managed to nab one of the SoCal festival's acts: Seattle punk-pop act Tacocat. The quartet will play Beauty Bar on April 26. Tickets cost $10 in advance ($12 at the door) and go on sale February 3 at 10 a.m. at ticketbat.com.
