Rick Springfield, Temptations bringing tours to Tucson

It’s been four decades-plus since Rick Springfield released his breakthrough hit “Jessie’s Girl.”

The song, which spent two weeks atop the U.S. Billboard charts, is one of the Aussie singer-songwriter’s most-requested songs at his live shows, prompting a chorus of high-pitched squeals and applause. Those screams will undoubtedly spill out onto East Congress Street when his tour pulls into the Rialto Theatre on Dec. 14.

It is one of several recently announced rock/pop shows heading to Tucson venues in the coming months. Tickets, starting at $67, are on sale now through ticketmaster.com.

“Jessie’s Girl” is one of Springfield’s big hits and was released just as he was making his American daytime TV debut as the swoonable rockin’ doc Noah Drake on “General Hospital.” He went on to score 17 Top 40 hits ( “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Love Somebody” and “Human Touch” among them) in a career that included selling 25 million albums.

Also coming to the Rialto, 318 E. Congress St.:

Skid Row and Buckcherry bring their “The Gang’s All Here Tour” to Tucson on Dec. 2; $45-$60.

Grammy-nominated rocker Liz Phair is bringing the 30th-anniversary tour of her groundbreaking debut album “Exile In Guyville” here on Nov. 8. She and her band will perform the entire album. LA indie rocker Blondshell (Sabrina Teitelbaum) will open the show; $49.50-$69.50.

Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road, is bringing the soothing soul and R&B of the legendary Temptations to its Diamond Entertainment Center on Sept. 8. We get them as part of their 60th-anniversary tour that included the 2022 release of “Temptations 60.”

Tickets are $30-$55 through ddcaz.com.

Also coming to Desert Diamond:

There are superstar bands, then there is the truly phenomenal country band of former 1990s country lead singers aptly dubbed The Frontmen. You got Larry Stewart from Restless Heart, Tim Rushlow of Little Texas and Richie McDonald of Lonestar. Think of it as a 1990s country radio mixtape drawing on the collective hits (between them, they have 30 No. 1s) from their pasts mixed in with original Frontmen songs. The trio and their band is here Sept. 15; $35-$55.

The AVA at Casino del Sol has fleshed out most of the remainder of its 2023 concert series, including a double bill with rappers Ludacris and Twista on Aug. 25. Tickets are $30-$75 through casinodelsol.com.

Also headed to the AVA, 5655 W. Valencia Road:

Los Palominos and Max Baca y Los Texmaniacs featuring Flaco Jimenez and Dwayne Verheyden will be an evening of conjunto and tejano on Sept. 16; $20.

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Mexican dance band Banda MS is here Sept. 29; $45-$200.

Legendary Arizona rocker Alice Cooper returns Oct. 21; $30-$100.

Bronco and Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon bring their tejano and Latin pop to the AVA on Nov. 4; $45-$200.

Fox Tucson Theatre at 17 W. Congress St. will host the 1970s pop-rock band Kansas’s 50th anniversary tour on Sept. 19 It is among the handful of recently announced shows.

Kansas tickets are $20-$124 and are available through foxtucson.com.

Also heading to the Fox:

American rocker Daughtry brings his acoustic “Bare Bones Tour” with special guest Ayron Jones on Sept. 21; $20-$82.50.

World-class organist Cameron Carpenter is going to play the Fox’s Mighty Wurlitzer to accompany the 1927 film “Metropolis” on Nov. 3; $20-$55.

Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro bring their “Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret” show to Tucson on Nov. 8; $20-$72.50.

Canadian Brass quintet brings its “Making Spirits Bright” holiday show to the Fox on Dec. 16 ($20-$52.50), part of a holiday weekend that includes the return of Pink Martini featuring China Forbes on Dec. 17 ($20-$85).