The best upcoming concerts in L.A.

Catch sets from up-and-coming performers, local legends and global talents during this free music series at the Getty, which features a pair of shows from a different band each weekend. The concerts kick off in February with Inuit soul musicians Pamyua and continue in March with gospel choir Jimetta Rose & the Voices of Creation and April with Persian poets Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat. Get there early to check out the museum’s exhibitions, then head to the Harold M. Williams Auditorium for the show.

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.

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.

It’s a great month for the arts in L.A. Not only can you see a new section of Judy Baca’s The Great Wall of Los Angeles at Jeffrey Deitch and a film installation by director Alejandro G. Iñárritu at LACMA, but now the two creative minds are joining forces with Gustavo Dudamel for this edition of the LA Phil’s Green Umbrella New Music Series. A group of composers have joined forces to create an hour-long symphonic tribute to the Angelenos who shaped the city’s history, which will be paired with an original film by Iñárritu.

Lord knows the characters in Aimee Mann’s songs are often hopelessly earthbound by plodding tempos and the singer’s trademark painfully honest, closet-sung vocals. But Mann is an appealing live performer, and she has a fantastic catalog of pop songs to draw from. Here, she’ll take the stage at the United Theater on Broadway (the show was relocated from soon-to-open venue Pacific Electric) to celebrate the 22 1/2-year anniversary of her fourth album, Lost in Space, with support from Jonathan Coulton.

The curvaceous, cavernous lobby of the Broad will become a sonic soundscape this Saturday night, when it serves as the stage for new commissions from electro-acoustic organist Sarah Davachi and electronic musician Robert Takahashi Novak. From 9:15 to 10pm, you can also explore the ground-floor special exhibition “Robert Therrien: This Is a Story,” which plays with scale and perception and serves as inspiration for the site-specific performances.

For the past 15 years, the Farhang Foundation has hosted a Nowruz festival—marking Iranian New Year and the arrival of spring—in UCLA’s Dickson Court. Given the current state of affairs, that celebration has understandably been canceled, but in its place is this indoor concert at Royce Hall on International Women’s Day featuring two female singers—classical legend Maestra Parissa and rising soprano star Golda Zahra (especially significant because women have been forbidden from singing publicly in Iran since 1979). They’ll be accompanied by Iranshahr Orchestra, the first Iranian orchestra established outside of Iran, and will be performing works composed exclusively by Iranian composers.  

The Wilco frontman’s freewheeling solo shows balance acoustic takes, deep cut requests and charming banter. He’s playing two consecutive nights—first at the Belasco, then the United Theater on Broadway (if you prefer a seated show)—as part of his Twilight Override Tour, in support of his folksy fifth solo album. Speaking of those requests, you can submit your own here.

This springtime spinoff in Insomniac’s Wonderland series adds a whimsical, carnival-like atmosphere to the house, techno, dubstep, trance and bass-heavy festival. Go down the rabbit hole in San Bernardino with multiple themed stages, where the likes of Tiësto, Zedd, GRiZ, SLANDER, Steve Angello, Diesel and more will perform.

Nearly 125,000 music lovers make a pilgrimage to the Empire Polo Club during each identical weekend of Coachella, whether bound for campgrounds or shuttling over from golf resorts and midcentury modern homes. Though its bespoke dining experiences and hotel party scene may try to steal headlines, Coachella remains about the relaxed desert air euphoria of a well-curated music festival. Coachella’s all-embracing three-day lineup consistently crafts the pool of performers from which all other summer music festivals borrow. This year’s headliners lead a stacked lineup: Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Anyma, plus the XX, the Strokes, Addison Rae, Young Thug, BIGBANG and more. RECOMMENDED: See our complete Coachella coverage