A trio of rock gods, two generations of pop goddesses, a few festivals and one very famous tongue are among the concert offerings this spring.
Since we're a fan of blackjack, here's a list of 21 noteworthy shows heading to the area through the end of May. Make sure to check out The Music Scene blog for a weekly listing of upcoming concerts and on-sale dates.
All tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000 unless otherwise noted.
Robin Thicke with K. Michelle and DJ Cassidy. Thicke was slated to launch his tour in Atlanta last month until marital strife intervened. Since his return to the stage, the "Blurred Lines" hunk has been making nightly references to his love for estranged wife Paula Patton, even dedicating Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" to her. 7:45 p.m. March 17. Fox Theatre, Atlanta. Tickets: 855-285-9499, www.foxatltix.com.
Crosby, Stills and Nash. What doesn't kill David Crosby definitely makes him stronger. A few weeks after enduring heart surgery, Crosby kicked off CSN's tour on schedule earlier this month and, along with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, has been making audiences swoon with nostalgia with throwbacks including "Southern Cross," "Our House" and "Teach Your Children." 8 p.m. March 22. $52-$92. Fox Theatre, Atlanta. Tickets: 855-285-9499, www.foxatltix.com.
George Strait with Sheryl Crow. This is it, folks. The final go-around before the cowboy rides away from the stage for good with a blowout in Texas this spring. Strait alone would be worth the ticket price, but he's chosen a worthy opener in Crow, who is making her own push into the country arena. 7:30 p.m. March 22. $79.50-$101.50. Philips Arena, Atlanta.
Steve Earle and Shawn Colvin. The longtime friends will appear for "Songs and Stories, Together Onstage" with a plan to swap songs, sing duets and tell stories. Colvin's latest album, "All Fall Down," arrived in 2012, while Earle's "The Low Highway," dropped last year and earned a Grammy nomination for the song "Invisible." 7 p.m. March 23. $25-$76.50. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Atlanta.
Miley Cyrus with Icona Pop. Bring on the flying hot dogs, dancing bears and wagging tongues. Since her cringe-worthy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last summer, Cyrus has proven herself to be crazy like a fox – a hopeful successor to Madonna with her desire to send parents running for the door while shielding their children's eyes from her Miley-ness…while she laughs through it all. 7 p.m. March 25. $39.50-$89.50. Philips Arena. $19.50-$89.50.
Sweetwater 420 Festival with Sublime with Rome, Steel Pulse, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Galactic, G. Love & Special Sauce and more. A move to the scenic park also comes with a small ticket price. This year, the event will feature three stages; the Main Stage, the Solar Stage and the Not So Silent Disco Stage. The latter is being reinvented from last year, when it was called the Silent Disco tent. The EDM craze will be represented on the now Not So Silent Disco Stage with a lineup of Two Fresh, Pretty Lights Music Label Block, George Acosta and others. 3-11 p.m. April 18; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. April 19 and 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. April 20. $18 for three-day weekend pass; $10 daily pass starting April 18 at gate only. Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta. Tickets: www.sweetwater420fest.com.
Nickel Creek with The Secret Sisters. After a seven-year hiatus, the extraordinary musicians in bluegrass trio Nickel Creek – Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins – have reunited for a spring and summer tour. A new album, "A Dotted Line," is also set for release April 1 to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary. 8 p.m. April 25. $42.50. The Tabernacle, Atlanta.
Counterpoint with Outkast, Foster the People, Pretty Lights, STS9, J. Cole, Janelle Monae and more. Atlanta's Outkast is back with a spate of festival dates including one closest to their hometown. While Big Boi and Andre 3000 are understandably garnering most of the headlines, the rest of the festival lineup exudes diversity and promises more than a bit of hip-shaking. April 25-27. $205-$899 for three-day pass. Kingston Downs, Rome. Tickets: www.counterpointfestival.com.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Does the man ever quit? Will he ever give fans less than a sweat-drenched, three hour (or more) marathon of soul-stirring songs? Will he ever let you leave feeling anything other than inspired, invigorated and exhausted from watching his 64-year-old frame in action? Of course you know the answers: No, no and heck no. 7:30 p.m. April 26. $55-$118. Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta.
Alabama. After playing the Fox Theatre last year for the first time in the band's 40-year career, Randy Owen, his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass) and Jeff Cook, will return to a more expansive locale to regale fans with hits such as "Mountain Music" and "Love in the First Degree." 7:30 p.m. April 27. $29.50-$145.50. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta.
Santana. Though lately he's been hanging out in Las Vegas with a residency at the House of Blues, Carlos Santana will be a travelin' man again this spring and summer. The iconic guitarist will release the first Latin album of his career, "Corazon," on May 6, on which he'll collaborate with Gloria Estefan, Ziggy Marley, Miguel and others. 8 p.m. April 26. Individual tickets on sale March 15. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta.
Eric Clapton with ZZ Ward. Clapton wowed the crowd at The Arena at Gwinnet Center last March and recently wrapped the first leg of his 2014 tour in Japan. He'll lay low until the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 27, one of four U.S. dates he's playing before finishing at Chastain. 7:30 p.m. May 3. Individual tickets on sale March 15. Chastain.
Lady Gaga. So her "Artpop" album can't really be considered anything other than an art-flop. But that doesn't mean that the endearing freak show known as Gaga won't deliver onstage. 7:30 p.m. May 6. $39-$204. Philips Arena.
Shaky Knees Music Festival with The National, Modest Mouse, Alabama Shakes, The Replacements, Violent Femmes, Spoon, The Gaslight Anthem, Conor Oberst, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and more. Let's all start doing the anti-rain dance now. Though with a move from Masquerade Park to Atlantic Station in its second year – not to mention a wowza lineup – not even the torrential downpour that greeted last year's event could quell the excitement around this year's fest. Noon May 9-11. $84-$575. Atlantic Station, Atlanta.
Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour by Cirque du Soleil. It will be almost two years since this dizzying spectacle of dance, acrobatics and Jackson's imitable songbook played a series of shows at Philips Arena. Don't expect it to be any less visually dazzling. 8 p.m. May 10 and 5 p.m. May 11. $53-$153. The Arena at Gwinnett Center. Tickets: 1-888-929-7849, www.axs.com.
Cher with Cyndi Lauper. The queen and the princess. Need we say more? 7:30 p.m. May 12. $25.50-$131. Philips Arena.
Tegan and Sara with Lucius and the Courtneys. After more than a decade of toiling quietly and steadily, the indie rocking Canadian twin sisters started to build mainstream momentum several years ago with their album, "The Con." But it was 2012's platinum-selling single, "Closer," that nabbed them their first No. 1 hit – amusingly enough, on the dance chart. 8 p.m. May 15. $36-$41. Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta.
Jason Aldean with Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr. It's stunning, really, how Aldean's career has skyrocketed. Just when you thought selling out UGA's Sanford Stadium last year would be the Macon native's home state highlight, here he comes with three dates at Lakewood. Having primo bro-country representatives Florida Georgia Line – they of the ubiquitous "Cruise" — on the bill should sell a few tickets as well. May 15-17. $25.25-$55.25. Lakewood.
Dave Matthews Band. Last year's Atlanta DMB sighting was a little unconventional – the band performed at Centennial Olympic Park as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities. This year's road run will feature the group performing two sets at each show, both acoustic and electric, and be a "reinvention of the traditional DMB summer evening." 7 p.m. May 24. $40.50-$75. Lakewood.
Styx and Foreigner with Don Felder. Foreigner bassist Jeff Pilson told us in a recent interview that former Eagles guitarist Felder brings, "A really powerful cachet of songs" to a show that will remind fans of the power of a Bic lighter. Felder will open, followed by Foreigner and then Styx. 7 p.m. May 24. $19.50-$99.50. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band. This is the first time Buffett will play Chastain in 27 years. Though some fans have expressed disapproval of the show being held at a venue that lacks tailgating space (a pre-requisite for Buffett fans), others will appreciate seeing him in a more intimate location. 8 p.m. May 27. $130.50-$255.50. Chastain.
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