San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Must-see concerts from Grande to McCartney
There will be tearful farewell concerts. There will be massive festivals that leave our ears ringing for days. There will be gigs in tiny clubs that will blow our minds. We don’t know everyone’s exact tour schedules, but these are the concerts we’re most excited about as we step into 2019.
Ariana Grande: Her latest album, “Sweetener,” made the former child star a serious pop contender. Shaped by circumstances — from her numerous celebrity breakups to the bombing at her concert at Manchester Arena in 2017 — the third-most popular person on Instagram was forced to mature well beyond her 25 years. With it comes sleek, sophisticated hits that defined the year: “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God Is a Woman” and “Thank U, Next.” She brings it all to the stage when her tour arrives at SAP Center in San Jose on May 2. www.ticketmaster.com
The Beatle and the Stones: You know it’s going to be a good year when the guys who started it all hit the road. Septuagenarian rock heroes the Rolling Stones return to the Bay Area with their No Filter tour, which lands at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on May 18.
They will be followed not too far behind by Paul McCartney, who plans to bring his Freshen Up tour to the SAP Center in San Jose on July 10. Expect him to perform a career-spanning set in support of his latest solo release, “Egypt Station.” www.ticketmaster.com
Kacey Musgraves: From hanging out with Willie Nelson on his tour bus to performing in enormo-domes with former One Direction star Harry Styles, it feels like 30-year-old Texan singersongwriter Kacey Musgraves has done it all. But next year promises more epic adventures.
Her latest release, “Golden Hour,” is up for album of the year at the 61st Grammy Awards, and she’s out on a headlining tour that is slated to bring her to the**CHAR** www.sfmasonic.com
Massive Attack: We got the reissue, now we get the real thing. The pioneering British electronic music act Massive Attack will return to America on a 20th anniversary tour of its darkhued third album, “Mezzanine.” The group will be joined by reggae star Horace Andy and Cocteau Twins’ singer Elizabeth Fraser, who provided the vocals on the single “Teardrop.”
The band’s Robert Del Naja, who many suspect moonlights as the anonymous street artist Banksy, promises an entirely new audio and visual production: “It’s going to be a one-off piece of work; our own personalized nostalgia nightmare head trip.”
Massive Attack is scheduled to perform at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on March 28. www.apeconcerts. com
Burger Boogaloo turns 10: We don’t know who’s playing yet, but we know it’s going to be fun. Hosted by John Waters, the two-day festival in Oakland’s Mosswood Park that celebrates all things punk and underground has established a reputation for roping in incredible headliners such as Devo, Iggy Pop and the Damned.
“Burger Boogaloo is the perfect cult gathering of young and old music rebels who hate everybody in the world except each other,” Waters says.
For its 10th anniversary, which takes place July 6-7, the festival is working with the Homeless Action Center to provide support for those who call the park home year-round. www.burger boogaloo.com
Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF