Youβre counting down to Christmas by the hours, not days, and you just realized you need one more really special gift for your music lover.
Too bad you dragged your feet months ago when they announced that Twenty One Pilots was playing Tucson Arena Feb. 19. Yep, that show is long sold out.
But here are five shows we would love to see ourselves, hint-hint:
Chicago: CNN is broadcasting Peter Pardini’s “Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago” on Jan. 1, just in time for the iconic band’s Feb. 2 show at the Tucson Music Hall. As far as we can tell by looking at ticketmaster.com there are some tickets ($49-$89) left in the orchestra and upper balcony, but here’s a friendly tip: Every recent Tucson Chicago show has sold out. 8 p.m. Feb. 2, Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
Bill Maher: Ahh, yes, it has indeed been quite a year in politics, and who else but the far-left-leaning political satirist to put it all in perspective. And just imagine how much new material Maher will have by the time he takes the Music Hall stage March 5. President-elect Donald Trump will be President Trump and all those puzzle pieces of his vast business-empire conflicts of interest and his controversial Cabinet picks will likely still be talked about. Good times. $48.50 to $95 at ticketmaster.com. 7:30 p.m. March 5, Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
Willie Nelson: The last time this iconic outlaw country singer made his way to Tucson was in January, and every time he’s here he reminds us that country singers, like fine wine, get better with time. Or maybe we just get more nostalgic when we see Nelson’s name on the marquee. No hick-hop, no crunching rock guitars and pulsating drum rants. Just a slow step back in time listening to a singer whose voice might not be as steady or as crystalline as it was in his youth but still carries the harmony of “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” and the frolic of “On the Road Again.” 8 p.m. Feb. 10, Desert Diamond Casino Diamond Entertainment Center, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road. $40-$90 through startickets.com
Elton John: There are so few tickets left for his March show that we hesitated to include Sir Elton in the mix, but this is one of those shows that might be worth going through a ticket broker. He’s Elton John, after all, the “Rocket Man” whose “Tiny Dancer” blows out the “Candle in the Wind.” Take a chance. 8 p.m. March 21 at Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $159 (single tickets only) through ticketmaster.com
Black Violin: This very well could be the most exciting concert of early 2017, two classically-trained violinists taking their talents to a hip-hop stage. The pair — Wil B. and Kev Marcus — fuse hip-hop grooves with classical music drama and the end result is aptly described as a “classical boom.” UA Presents is bringing them in for a show at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., at 7:30 p.m. April 13. $15-$50 through ticketmaster.com
