Shania Twain performs at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on Tuesday.
Every week, we present a curated list of live music in a wide range of genres all around the Valley, and this week’s column features throwback acts.
May 30
Shania Twain
Love or despise her – the queen of country music is worthy of your respect and admiration. The numbers don’t lie: The “Don’t Impress Me Much” singer has sold more than 100 million records, making her one of the best-selling artists in history. And because she’s one of the first female country artists to cross over into the mainstream, she paved the way for Taylor Swift’s success. Catch her on her first tour in five years. 7:30 p.m., $70.09-$997, Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, 602-254-7200, livenation.com
May 31
Matchbox 20
It’s time to prepare yourselves for Matchbox 20’s comeback. The band, led by the gravelly-voiced songwriter Rob Thomas, has long remained a staple on adult contemporary radio (“Push,” “3AM”), despite having not toured in a decade. And last week saw the release of Where the Light Goes, their first studio album in 11 years. It sounds like it’s going to be a “Smooth” summer (and yes, we know Thomas wrote that song for Santana). 7:30 p.m., $30-$125, Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, 602-254-7200, livenation.com
June 1-2
Yachtly Crew
Led by Philly Ocean, this Los Angeles-based group isn’t here to play sea shanties to landlocked Arizonans. They play the smooth songs of the ’70s they love, including Billy Joel and The Bee Gees, with no trace of sarcasm. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., $35-$75, Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe, 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com
June 3
GBH
You don’t hear much about the English street punk band GBH (short for “grave bodily harm”), but their influence is still felt since the group formed in 1978. Their “thrash” style has inspired everyone from Metallica, Guns and Roses, Nirvana, and Queens of the Stone Age, yet their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame remains elusive. 8 p.m., $25-$28, Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave., Phoenix, crescentphx.com
June 4
Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs
You may not recognize the name Mike Campbell, but you certainly know his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (“Refugee”), Don Henley (he co-wrote “The Boys of Summer”), and Phoenix-born Stevie Nicks. The guitarist says The Dirty Knobs is an outlet for a rougher sound he couldn’t explore as a member of The Heartbreakers, influenced by rockers The Kinks and Led Zeppelin. 8 p.m., $35-$285, The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix, 480-659-1641, livenation.com
