The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

Philly’s the War on Drugs is a strong outfit built around the Dylanesque songwriting of Adam Granduciel—and though Kurt Vile left the band a while ago, its colorful dreaminess is reminiscent of his solo work. Their music begs to be played on a road trip or on a sunny back patio with a few beers.

Mitski has a talent for swift transformation. Over the past several years, she’s rocketed from self-releasing her first two albums and playing DIY gigs to selling out major venues months in advance. Her latest collection, Be the Cowboy, continued that hunger for growth, veering from her recent penchant for dreamily yearning indie rock in favor of a multi-faceted synth pop.

When R&B singer Abel Tesfaye released his debut mixtape, House of Balloons, in 2011, he did so hidden behind the Weeknd moniker: faceless and nameless, with no pictures, concerts or interviews. Since then, he’s made the leap from mystery-cloaked DIY buzz magnet to pro-hyped superstar drenched in drugged out psychosexual fantasy with ’80s funk basslines and a glossy pop shimmer.

I have a present, it is the present: Seminal ‘90s punk band Jawbreaker is once again hitting the road, this time around to celebrate the anniversary of its final album, Dear You. The out-of-retirement band will mark the 25th anniversary of the cult-favorite 1995 album (“The last two years don’t count,” the band cheekily notes in a press release) with a stop at the Wiltern. To round out the very California lineup, Best Coast and the Linda Lindas will open the show.

Alternate takes, limited represses and colored seven-inches… Yes, the annual celebration of independent brick-and-mortar music shops is upon us! On one special Saturday each year, analog music junkies get their fix of rare vinyl, special re-releases and compilation albums, almost all made exclusively for Record Store Day. This national event, created to support local record shops (and recording artists, of course), has shops across the city—and country—opening their doors early to lines of music geeks eager to get their hands on previously unreleased recordings, picture discs and box sets by artists new and old. In addition to tons of great records, there are also parties and live music to round out the day—head to the website for more info on special releases, extended hours and events around the city. Tip: If there’s a rare record you’ve gotta have, we recommend lining up as early as 5am to make sure it doesn’t get snatched up. The lines get longer, earlier every year.

Most recollections of Bikini Kill—we suppose this one included—start with the trio’s legacy: their pioneering place among riot grrrl acts and the streak of fiery feminism they’ve inspired in music to this day. But the songs also stand alone; only a few seconds of female bonding anthem “Rebel Girl” is enough to convince you that Bikini Kill was onto something special. After a 2019 reunion tour that counted L.A. among its few stops, Bikini Kill will once again come to town. Frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, drummer Tobi Vail and bassist Kathi Wilcox (plus guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle) will play the Greek Theatre in April 2022.

An undisputed member of hip-hop nobility, Nas revisits his 1994 album Illmatic, which is frequently hailed as one of the greatest rap albums of all time, in full with backing from the LA Phil.

If your life is lacking spectacle, the playful, psychedelic band’s live show—packed with gratuitous confetti, colorful costumes and hamster ball crowd surfing—should fill the void.

Cake on the eyeliner, cry it off and then dance away the tears at this inaugural 1980s goth and new wave fest feauting Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie and Devo. Original set to debut in May 2020 in Carson, Cruel World Festival has now jumped to May 2022 at the grounds around the Rose Bowl. The one-day-only music fest features almost every ’80s alt obsession imaginable: the Psychedelic Furs, Echo & the Bunnymen, Violent Femmes, the Church, English Beat, Public Image Ltd, Missing Persons (you know they’ll play “Walking in L.A.”) and more.

If you grew up around the turn of the millennium, this hip-hop–focused music fest is like your middle school dance playlist come to life. Lovers & Friends features seemingly every hip-hop and R&B star from the late ’90s and early aughts, including headliners Ms. Lauryn Hill, Usher, Ludacris, Lil Jon, TLC, Ciara and Nelly. The fest is set to arrive at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 14 and 15, 2022. This might all sound a bit familiar: Lovers & Friends was initially supposed to debut in Carson in May 2020, and was then delayed until August when all springtime events were canceled (that too was eventually canceled). But now it’s made the jump completely out of L.A. and to Vegas, and seemingly switched from local promoter Goldenvoice to Live Nation along the way. Back to the music, we barely even cracked the surface of Lovers & Friends’ exhaustive lineup: You’ll also see Ashanti, Ja Rule, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Brandy, Monica, Timbaland, Akon, T-Pain, Lil Kim, Sean Paul, Ginuwine, Dru Hill (we looked it up: Sisqo is still a member), Fat Joe, 112, Eve, Cam’ron, Mya and more. Tickets start at $175 for general admission (they increase to $195 based on what tier you can nab them in) and $300 for VIP, with eight-person cabanas available for $10,000. The first day already sold out, but presale (you’ll need to sign up here) for the second one starts Monday, August 9 and 10am, with general sale—if any tickets remain—later that day at 2pm. Courtesy Live Nation