The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its 35-year run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer and into the fall. We’re betting it’ll be even more popular than usual this year, with the new David Geffen Galleries in the background.

It’s hard to imagine a lovelier setting than the Huntington’s rose garden in bloom. Add in live music provided by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, and there’s no better place to spend a Monday afternoon. Wander among the blooms while solo and duo performers share their strings skills on violin, cello and guitar. Admission is included with your $29 Huntington ticket.

The releases have come fewer and farther between for the indie-rock stalwarts of Modest Mouse. But for a group that started out playing tiny clubs, bingo halls and dive bars, Modest Mouse still fills larger spaces remarkably well, offering up a slightly frenetic live show anchored by Isaac Brock’s distinctive singing, full of yelps and shouts. See them as they promote their first new album in five years, An Eraser and a Maze, at the Hollywood Palladium.

Filipino-British alt-pop singer beabadoobee’s star has been on a steady rise since 2020. Now, she’ll perform tracks from her fourth LP, Pylon, during this show at the Kia Forum—part of her first-ever arena tour.

  After performing over the summer at the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields fest, Chappell Roan returns to the stage at the Shrine Auditorium—once again for a good cause. At the two-night Super Graphic Spectacular, the singer and her Midwest Princess Project will present an extravaganza of live music, drag, comedy, special guests and hands-on volunteer opportunities—and, of couse, a special performance by Roan herself. Proceeds directly support LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations, including the Ali Forney Center, TransLatin@ Coalition and Backline. Tickets are sold out, but you can still join the waitlist.

I’m not OK: After a few increasingly large local shows, and a huge summer show at Dodger Stadium, aughts pop-punk fixture My Chemical Romance will return to L.A. next October for five shows at the Hollywood Bowl. The concerts are part of a newly announced tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s much-loved rock-opera album The Black Parade, which the band will play in full, including hits like “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “I Don’t Love You” and “Famous Last Words.” 

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This concert series, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, the world of Oz, the Harlem Renaissance, the American Sound and more. You can make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event, or become a MUSE/IQUE member if you’re interested in multiple programs. Up next is a look at the music of the American West at the Huntington and Skirball.

Almost a decade after the tour for his confessional hip-hop opus, 4:44, Jay-Z returns to the stage to prove that he can still “Run This Town.” Catch him one of two nights at SoFi Stadium for a career-spanning set, marking the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt.

It’s an event, to say the least, when the world’s biggest cartoon band brings its chart-topping show to town. Murdoc & Co. are of course helmed by Damon Albarn and cult cartoon artist Jamie Hewlett, with a cast of impressive (as in, spit-out-your-drink-impressive) collaborators. Albarn and the Gorillaz live band just performed their new album, The Mountain, in full during two sold-out dates at the Palladium in February, but for those who couldn’t snag tickets to the intimate shows, not to worry: The band will be stopping at the Kia Forum in October as part of its arena tour, supported by Deltron 3030. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 9, at 10am. In the meantime, you can catch the band’s “House of Kong” exhibition in DTLA through March 19.

Back for more after a farewell tour a few years back, the legendary rock band returns to town for two nights at the Hollywood Bowl. Billed as “Aerosmith & Friends,” the show has assembled quite the lineup of collaborators, including Guns N’ Roses, the Black Crowes, Run DMC, Heart, Billy Idol, Tom Morello, Sammy Hagar, members of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alice in Chains, plus quite a few more folks. Note that the lineup will vary by night.