It may not be the back-to-normal summer concert season we were hoping for in 2021, but after more than a year of no live music as the touring industry shut down for COVID-19, seeing even a handful of stars on the schedule at Ak-Chin Pavilion is kinda nice. 

This is the summer concert season as it stands for now. There are new concerts being added every day and other shows being pushed back until 2022. 

Is Harry Styles really coming to Glendale for a sold-out show in August? 

At the moment, it appears to still be happening. But the big Motley Crue/Def Leppard Stadium tour was just pushed back to 2022. 

We will be updating as necessary throughout the summer, so check back as often as you’d like. 

Vince Neil

The Motley Crue singer brings Kickstart! The Rock Show to Big Surf with fellow metal legend Lita Ford of the Runaways and an opening set by local TV star Wade Cota, an “American Idol” finalist. The show name, of course, is a reference to the Motley Crue classic “Kickstart My Heart.”

Details: 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 28. Big Surf, 1500 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe. $45-$125. 480-994-2297, liveatbigsurf.com. Limited capacity event due to COVID-19 restrictions

Punk in the Park

This is the inaugural Punk In The Park – Arizona. Headliners Pennywise are joined by Face To Face, Strung Out, Good Riddance, H2O, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Bombpops and Slaughterhouse. The water park itself is closed through the end of 2021.

Details: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 29. Big Surf, 1500 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe. $45-$99. 480-994-2297, liveatbigsurf.com. Limited capacity event due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Big Bagg Fest

Zo Ent and Synergy Jazz Records present Big Bagg Fest with Moneybagg Yo and Rockstar Rodie in a full-capacity indoor concert. The Memphis rapper recently dropped “A Gangsta’s Pain,” his first release to top the Billboard album chart. His best-known hits include “All Dat” (which boasted a feature from Megan Thee Stallion), “I 2 3,” “Me Vs. Me” and “Said Sum.”

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 29. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $55-$255. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands. 

Fisher x Chris Lake

Fisher and Chris Lake join forces at the first non-pod event Relentless Beats has done this year at Rawhide, an event billed as Under Construction. The two collaborated on the Grammy-nominated “Losing It,” which topped the U.S. and Australian club charts and was named the third best Dance/Electronic track of 2018 in Billboard.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com. Masks are required at all times per Gila River community mandate.

Fishbone

Fishbone never lucked into the kind of mainstream breakthrough they deserved. And yet, their pioneering blend of ska-punk, P-funk, reggae, soul and heavy metal made enough of an impression that “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” featured an A-list of fans who did enjoy that kind of mainstream breakthrough. Ice-T, Gwen Stefani, Flea, George Clinton and Perry Farrell, the Jane’s Addiction frontman are a few of the high-profile names that turn up in that fascinating documentary. They’re joined by Ozomatli, 2 Tone Lizard Kings, Wade Cota and Jerusafunk.

Details: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 30. Big Surf, 1500 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe. $45-$100. 480-994-2297, liveatbigsurf.com. Limited capacity event due to COVID restrictions.

Deadmau5

DJ Mag once proclaimed this Canadian EDM icon, whose showmanship goes well beyond the wearing of a mouse head, “one of the most forwarding-thinking and dedicated producers on the circuit, willing to spend insane amounts of money to further his creative vision either in the studio or on stage.” He had a whole new stage show, including an updated version of his famous Cube rig, set to unveil at Coachella last before COVID shut everything down. He’s joined by Nero (DJ Set), Lamorn, Speaker Honey and Spencer Brown.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, June 4. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $50-$125. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com. Masks are required at all times per Gila River community mandate.

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Tiesto

The iconic Dutch DJ/producer was named the greatest DJ of all time in 2011 by the readers of Mix Magazine. A year later, he topped a list in Rolling Stone of 25 DJs That Rule the Earth. A year after that, he was voted the “best DJ of the last 20 years” by the readers of DJ Mag, whose Top 100 DJ ranking he topped for three consecutive years. He’s also won multiple MTV Awards and a Grammy (for his remix of John Legend’s “All of Me”). He’s joined by Dillon Francis, Loud Luxury, Bijou and Ship Wreck.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 5. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com. Masks are required at all times per Gila River community mandate.

Lil Tjay

This one-time Soundcloud rapper earned a deal with a Columbia Records and a Rolling Stone magazine feature headlined “Rising Bronx Rapper Lil Tjay Will Make You Feel Old” while still in his teens. He is 20 now, with two Top 5 releases on the Billboard album chart to show for it. His biggest hits include the triple-platinum “F.N.” and his first Top 40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, this year’s “Calling My Phone.”

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 5. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $40 and up. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com. This concert is standing-room-only on the floor with limited seating on the balcony. Masks required except when actively eating or drinking. 

Excision

The Canadian dubstep DJ tops the bill both nights at a two-day EDM event that also feature sets by Sullivan King, Svdden Death, Riot Ten, Wooli, Boogie T, Dion Timmer, Kompany, HE$H, Calcium, Vampa, Jessica Audiffred and Hi Im Ghost. Excision live shows have been praised for “a light show that would make Pink Floyd blush” (Michigan Daily) and “crystal clear visuals and bass so loud you can feel it in your body” (edm.com).

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $59.50 and up daily; $99 and up weekend pass. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com. Masks are required at all times per Gila River community mandate.

Los Tucanes de Tijuana

These Norteño veterans were founded by Mario Quintero Lara and a group of friends in 1987, and rose to fame singing narcocorridos or ballads romanticizing the exploits of Mexican drug cartels. They were famously banned in Tijuana after their lead singer sent his regards to the city’s most notorious drug lords.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $65 and up. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands. 

Arezzona

This was one of the first local concerts rescheduled for COVID, an EDM festival named for Rezz, who’s joined by G Jones, CharlestheFirst, Of the Trees and Youms. The Canadian DJ/producer signed to Deadmau5’s Mau5trap imprint in 2015, winning Electronic Album of the Year at the Juno Awards for “Mass Manipulation” in 2017.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 3. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $50 and up. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.

Louis the Child

The Chicago-based EDM duo is launching a tour in support of their forthcoming album “Euphoria” at Rawhide with special guests K.Flay, ilo ilo and a DJ set by Jai Wolf. The duo recently released an early taste of what can expect on “Euphoria,” a single called “So What” on which they’re joined by electronic dance-pop trio, A R I Z O N A. 

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 24. Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. $51 and up. 480-502-5600, relentlessbeats.com.

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Tame Impala

Kevin Parker returns to the Valley on his biggest tour yet in support of “The Slow Rush,” an intoxicating masterpiece of dreamy psychedelic disco grooves that NME declared “a 57-minute flex of every musical muscle in Parker’s body.” Two of the funkier highlights from the album, “Lost in Yesterday” and “Is It True,” topped the adult alternative airplay charts here in the States. Perfume Genius will open. 

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $47.75 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com. Social distancing of at least 6 feet is encouraged when possible.

Alanis Morissette 

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of “Jagged Little Pill,” the multi-platinum triumph that made Morissette a star. The hit-filled album topped the charts in 13 countries on the way to the singer becoming the youngest artist ever to take home Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. She’s joined on this rescheduled tour celebrating the album’s anniversary by fellow ’90s alternative icons Garbage and Liz Phair. This is the singer’s first Phoenix performance since 2008.

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $36 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.

Grupo Firme

Among the hottest new regional Mexican acts, they’ve sold-out concerts across the U.S. and Mexico with their dance tunes, norteños and corridos. Billboard writes, “Grupo Firme is not your typical banda artist.” They’re from Tijuana, not Mazatlán or Culiacán. And they have seven members. Banda ensembles typically have 16, norteño bands five. “They are somewhere in the middle,” Billboard writes. “And it was their fresh take on regional Mexican classics that helped put them on the map.”

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13. Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Verified resale ticket prices vary. 602-379-7800, ticketmaster.com. 

Rise Against

Led by singer-guitarist Tim McIlrath, Chicago punks Rise Against bring a string of alternative-radio hits to the table, including “Prayer of the Refugee,” “Re-Education (Through Labor),” “Savior,” “Help is On the Way,” “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” and “Satellite.” In a press release, Tim McIlrath said, “A year without live music in a time when we needed it most has been trying for all of us. Live music has been missing from all of our lives for far too long. We can’t wait to fix that….”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $45 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Rebelution

The Grammy-nominated reggae-rockers bring their Good Vibes Summer Tour to Phoenix with Steel Pulse, the Green, Keznamdi and DJ Mackle. When Rebelution topped the Billboard reggae charts with “Free Rein” in 2018, they passed Matisyahu to secure their spot behind Bob Marley with the second-most appearances at No. 1 on that chart. And they grooved their way to No. 1 again a year later with “Rebelution Vinyl Box Set.” 

Details: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $34 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Harry Styles

Harry Styles will bring his much-anticipated Love On Tour to Glendale in support of last year’s “Fine Line,” with an opening set by Jenny Lewis. This is the former One Direction member’s second solo tour. The first brought the star to what was then Comerica Theatre in 2017, a concert that firmly established his identity outside the context of the group that made him famous. Both Styles album topped the Billboard charts, with “Fine Line” going platinum.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. Sold out. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com. Social distancing of at least 6 feet is encouraged when possible.

Dierks Bentley

The Phoenix native brings his Beers on Me Tour to Ak-Chin Pavilion with Riley Green and Parker McCollum. The tour takes its name from a song the country singer wrote a few months back with friends. As Bentley sees it, “It’s a pretty simple recipe for summer. Get your friends together, have a round or two and dive into some great country music. That’s exactly what Riley, Parker and I plan on doing out there on the road with our fans.”

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $41 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.

Megadeth and Lamb of God

This is Megadeth’s first North American tour since 2017, marking singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine’s return to the stage following his diagnosis of and recovery from throat cancer. A new Megadeth album, “The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead!,” is expected to arrive at some point this year. It’s their first release since 2016’s “Dystopia.” In addition to co-headliners Lamb of God, they’re joined by Trivium and In Flames. 

Details: 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49.50 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

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Alan Parsons Live Project

Parsons began his career as an assistant engineer at Abbey Road Studios working on projects such as the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be,” going on to produce Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon.” The Alan Parsons Project released 10 concept albums between 1976-1987, selling more than 50 million albums world-wide while scoring big pop hits with “Eye in the Sky,” “Time” and “Don’t Answer Me.” 

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40 and up. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands but apparently not in the theater itself. 

Lindsey Stirling

The Gilbert native is bringing her long-delayed Artemis Tour to Phoenix with special guest Kiesza. “Not only am I over the moon about finally bringing my Artemis tour to the U.S. but I’m excited to be a part of the first wave of tours going out post lockdown,” Stirling says. “People are craving connection so so badly, so as the world reopens, I know this is going to be a magical time we all remember for the rest of our lives.”

Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $29.50 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Pepe Aguilar

This Glendale stop is one of 15 new dates added to the singer’s Jaripeo sin Fronteras Tour, which spent two years filling every venue it played across the U.S. and Mexico. The tour is a massive production with more than 40 musicians on stage, combining music with bullfighting and rodeo events and equestrian acrobatic performances. Aguilar has won four Grammys and five Latin Grammys.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $45.50 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com. Social distancing of at least 6 feet is encouraged when possible.

Morris Day & the Time

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Morris Day’s first album with the Time, a self-titled effort of synthesizer-driven party-funk written by Prince and members of the Revolution. That album sent two singles to the upper reaches of the Billboard R&B charts. But it was three years later that he really grabbed the mainstream by the collar with a star turn in the movie “Purple Rain,” thanks to stellar performances of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.”

Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40 and up. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands but apparently not in the theater itself. 

Styx

Longtime members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young bring the latest edition of Styx to town for two nights on the rotating stage of the historic Celebrity Theatre. Concert goers can expect to hear such Styx gems as “The Grand Illusion,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Lady,” “Miss America,” “Crystal Ball,” “Come Sail Away” and “Renegade” as well as new material from their upcoming 17th studio album, “Crash of the Crown.”

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, and Thursday, Sept. 9. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$204. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands but apparently not in the theater itself. 

Daughtry

Chris Daughtry finished fourth on Season 5 of “American Idol,” but only two “Idol” winners — Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson — have sold more albums. The post-grunge singer and the band that bears his name arrive in continued support of “Cage to Rattle,” their fifth consecutive release to crack the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart.

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9. Talking Stick Resort, Loop 101 and Pima Road, Salt River Reservation. $35 and up. 480-850-7734, talkingstickresort.com. Temperature checks upon entry. No masks required if fully vaccinated. Social distancing appropriately marked.

Korn

These Grammy-winning metal veterans arrive in continued support of 2019’s “The Nothing,” which became their 14th Top 10 entry on the Billboard album chart, led by singles “You’ll Never Find Me,” “Can You Hear Me,” and “Cold.” Noisey praised the album for continuing “Korn’s mission of probing the hidden corners and harsh realities of life within a shrouded discordant darkness.” They’re joined by Staind.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.

NEEDTOBREATHE

The Christian rockers on touring on “Into the Mystery,” an album created in a historic house-turned-studio in Tennessee, where the bandmates lived and worked together for three weeks of what they refer to as extended summer camp. “Probably more than any other record of ours, it was a product of what was going on in the world and our environment,” they say. “It felt like we got this opportunity to make a record like a family.” They’re joined by Switchfoot and the New Respects. 

Details: 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $35 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Bully

 Alicia Bognanno’s expressive vocal range was put to brilliant use on last year’s “Sugaregg,” a cathartic explosion of raw emotion and ragged guitars that effortlessly taps into the more abrasive side of American indie-rock from the ’90s. As Clash magazine summed up the album’s appeal, “The rhythmic and melodic intensity projected here is believable, and the same applies to her Cobain-esque vocals and Hole-resembling screams.”

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20; $17 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

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Celine Dion 

When it launched in 2019, the Courage World Tour was the singer’s first tour of the United States in more than 10 years in support of her first English album since 2013’s “Loved Me Back to Life.” Billboard included the opening night on its list of the best concerts of 2019, writing, “For two hours, Celine dazzled the… crowd with her vocals, her quirky personality, and a whole lot of sequins and sparkle. And after over a decade spent in Las Vegas, Dion proved she belongs on the road again.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale. $55.75 and up. 623-772-3800, ticketmaster.com. Social distancing of at least 6 feet is encouraged when possible.

Deftones

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of “White Pony,” the nu-metal answer to “OK Computer.” It also brought the first new Deftones album since 2016’s “Gore,” a release called “Ohm” that made the rounds of year-end critics’ lists. It took top honors at three of the heavier publications — Metal Hammer, Loudwire and Revolver, whose critic said it “surges with the same electric current that fed game-changers like ‘Around the Fur’ (1997) and ‘White Pony’ (2000).”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $39.50 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Mavis Staples

When Mavis Staples was a little girl, her father used to stand her on a chair so crowds who flocked to hear the Staple Singers could get a decent look at the source of that powerful vocal. By the time she finished high school, they were touring on “Uncloudy Day.” A lifetime later, Staples stands among the most consistently inspired artists of her generation, having added a jaw-dropping string of modern gospel-flavored classics to her legacy, from 2007’s Ry Cooder-produced “We’ll Never Turn Back” to “We Get By.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. $45-$75. 480-499-8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.org.

Glass Animals

The British rockers are headed to Phoenix in support of last year’s “Dreamland,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard album chart and spun off four Top 40 entries on the Billboard rock chart. NME responded to the album with a rave, proclaiming it “a sun-drenched record of summer tunes that will sound even better when heard at festivals with a tinnie in hand. Yet look behind glittering shells of these tunes and you’ll find hugely personal stories, told with new strength and resilience.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $49 and up. 800-745-300, ticketmaster.com. This is a limited capacity show with social distancing implemented. 

Lady A

The What a Song Can Do Tour is the country trio’s first since dropping Antebellum from their name last summer, saying they were both “regretful and embarrassed” not to have taken the association with slavery into account. In a press release, they said, “This tour is really going to be about letting our fans know how much they mean to us and what music has done for all of us over the last year…which is the essence of the tour name.” They’re joined by Carly Pearce, Niko Moon and Tenille Arts. 

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. 602-254-7200, livenation.com.

Boots in the Park with Jon Pardi

It makes sense that Jon Pardi would headline a concert called Boots in the Park. He’s topped the country airplays chart three times since breaking through with 2012’s “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt on My Boots.” He’s joined by special guests Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane and more to be announced for a day of BBQ, cold beers, art installations and more.

Details: 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway. $59-$2,750. eventbrite.com.

The Monkees Farewell Tour

Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz are bringing their Monkees farewell tour to Phoenix for one final spin on the rotating stage of the Celebrity. Dolenz sang a number of the Monkees’ biggest hits, from “I’m A Believer” and “Last Train To Clarksville” to “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.” Nesmith wrote such Monkees gems as “Mary, Mary,” “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “You Just May Be The One” and “Listen To The Band” before launching a post-Monkees solo career as a pioneering country rocker.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $40-$204. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Social distancing is encouraged in common areas like restrooms, lobbies, bars and concession stands but apparently not in the theater itself. 

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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