Here and in Phoenix
A rockin' summer
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.15.2008
This just might be the summer of music that's worthy of the drive to Phoenix.
From now through August, some of music's biggest names will grace Phoenix-area stages, like the Police making their final U.S. swing leading up to their last concert together this summer in New York.
Not that we don't have some drool-inducing shows coming through Tucson β Steve Earle in late June at the Rialto, the enviable matchup of Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos in late July at Casino del Sol's AVA and the long-awaited encore of Sheryl Crow at the AVA in August.
We also have a few overdue encores, including two biggies in separate shows on Saturday β the return of Bonnie Raitt after more than a decade's absence from Tucson stages and the heavy-metal assault of Metallica at KFMA Day β and the return of y'alternative/Americana icon Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, whose last Tucson show was in 1993.
But the big shows β the ones packaged with all the anticipatory anxiety, pomp, thrills, shrills and fireworks β will bypass us for the Valley of the Sun: Kenny Chesney's stadium tour with Keith Urban later this month; Vans Warped at Cricket Wireless Pavilion in late June; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss together in July; and an intimate evening with rocker Melissa Etheridge in August.
So gas up the car, which might cost more than a concert ticket, and make your plans.