FRIDAY
Willie Nelson and the Family
When Nelson's latest road run was announced, he was supposed to be joined by Merle Haggard. Following the passing of the outlaw country icon in early April, the tour has been tweaked to now include Kris Kristofferson and the Strangers, featuring Haggard's sons, Ben and Noel, on the bill. Meanwhile, the always-working Nelson, who turned 83 last month, recently released an album of Gershwin tunes that includes him duetting with Cyndi Lauper and Sheryl Crow.
7:30 p.m. May 20. $35-$85. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
Luke Bryan
Before he took the stage to salute Lionel Richie with his rendition of "Penny Lover" in February at the pre-Grammy MusiCares gala in Los Angeles, the Leesburg native took a moment to talk with us on the red carpet and expressed his excitement about his Atlanta gigs. "We love the summertime amphitheaters. It's just a party," he said. "It's good to be back at Lakewood; we've got a lot of history there." His Kill the Lights tour so far has included fan favorites "That's My Kind of Night," "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" and the poignant "Drink a Beer."
With Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch. 7 p.m. May 20-21. $32.75-$81.50. Lakewood Amphitheatre, 2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
Shaky Beats Music Festival
The inaugural year of this companion fest to last week's Shaky Knees Music Festival features a parade of top names from the EDM/livetronica world — mixed with a little hip-hop. Major Lazer, Big Gigantic, Odesza, Nas, Chromeo, ASAP Ferg, Carnage and Porter Robinson are among those who will pump the beats. Given the (perhaps temporary?) demise of TomorrowWorld — and with another weekend of stellar weather expected — this is an ideal opportunity to break out the LED gloves.
4 p.m. May 20, 2 p.m. May 21 and 1:30 p.m. May 22. Tickets $77 (May 20) and $93 (May 21 and May 22); a three-day pass is $162. Centennial Olympic Park, 265 Park Ave. West N.W., Atlanta. shakybeatsfestival.com.
Paula Cole
While she always will be associated with her 1997 hits, "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" and "I Don't Want to Wait," the singer-songwriter has stayed plenty busy. Last year, she released her seventh studio album — aptly title, "7" — and, in March, she unveiled a lyric video on her website (paulacole.com) for the quiet new song, "New York City." She's also been a member of the voice faculty at Berklee College of Music — her alma mater — since 2013.
7 p.m. May 21. $35-$45. Eddie's Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 1-877-435-9849, ticketfly.com.
SATURDAY
The Monkees 50th Anniversary Tour
Hey, hey, they’re still around. It’s a big anniversary for the ’60s pop stars, so you can’t blame them for hitting the road for a 35-date tour to celebrate their 50th year together. Sadly, only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork are representing Monkees lore (Davy Jones died suddenly in 2012 and Mike Nesmith, who toured with Tork and Dolenz the past few years, isn’t participating in this run). But fans can look forward to “Good Times!” — a new album that features all three remaining members.
8 p.m. May 21. $45-$100. Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, 201 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City. 877-725-8849, ticketalternative.com.
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