Every week, we present a curated list of live music in a wide range of genres around the Valley. This week’s column features a band bringing the funk and an indestructible country star.
July 15
Mei Semones
There aren’t many surprises in music anymore. That’s what makes listening to Semones’ debut full-length, Animaru, such a delight. The indie rocker fills each track with jazzy and unusual instrumentation, bilingual lyrics and dramatic pauses, making it an astounding (and never boring) listen. And not that it matters, but an endorsement from Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers doesn’t hurt her cred, either. 8 p.m., $18-$20, Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, valleybarphx.com
July 18
Kool and the Gang
It’s time for a celebration! The “Jungle Boogie” band is coming to the Valley to “Get Down on It.” 8 p.m. Check website for ticket prices. The Showroom at Gila River Resort, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler, 800-946-4452, playatgila.com
July 18-19
Morgan Wallen
Maybe it’s the unusual times we live in, but it seems like that no matter what Morgan Wallen does, he somehow becomes more endearing. When a video came out in 2021 showing the Tennessee-bred country singer using a racial slur, he apologized and the sale of his album Dangerous skyrocketed. When he threw a chair off the roof of Eric Church’s bar, the incident barely made a dent in the singer’s reputation. Even when he walked off the set at the end of his Saturday Night Live performance in March, it didn’t stop his double album I’m the Problem from hitting the top of the charts. Thanks to his seemingly indestructible persona, Wallen is playing two nights in the largest venue in the Valley. Joining him is rising star Ella Langley, the voice behind the hit “Weren’t for the Wind.” 5:30 p.m., Check website for ticket prices, State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr., Glendale, 602-379-0102, statefarmstadium.com
July 18
Happy Together Tour
For more than a decade, the best pop bands from the 1960s and 1970s have toured together to perform their chart-topping hits on the Happy Together Tour. This year’s edition boasts quite the distinctive lineup: The Turtles, Jay and The Americans, Gary Puckett, Little Anthony and The Cowsills. 8 p.m., $30-$60, Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 877-724-4687, talkingstickresort.com
July 19
Ado
No one has seen the extraordinary singer behind the viral hit “Usseewa.” She told The Guardian that one of the reasons for the mystery is to keep the focus on her art, not her looks. Now that she is headlining arenas for a worldwide tour, her identity will continue to remain a secret. The audience will only be able to see her shadow during the performance. 8 p.m. Check website for ticket prices. PHX Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 602-379-7800, phx-arena.com
