July concert guide: Imagine Dragons, Lady Antebellum

Wilco will headline the annual Independence Day Music Festival Friday night while Slayer and King Diamond and topping the bill across the Valley at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. And that's just the opening weekend of a month that also brings the likes of Lady Antebellum, Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson sharing a bill at Comerica Theatre, Rob Thomas, a Third Eye Blind-Dashboard Confessional teamup, Imagine Dragons, Rush and the artist formerly known as Johnny Cougar.

7/1: The Appleseed Cast

These post-rock veterans are bringing the "Mare Vitalis" 15th anniversary tour to Phoenix. And it could be argued that they really hit their stride with the following year's "Low Level Owl, Vol. I & II," which Pitchfork called "a supernova" and "a sprawling two-disc monster that redirects their ambition from the emotional release of their earlier albums into the meticulous conceptions crafted through endless hours of studio time." But "Mare Vitalis" is a landmark effort, an emo concept album whose concept never dulls the impact of those raw emotions.

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 1. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15; $13 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/3: Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

This is a heavy lineup, topped by Slayer and King Diamond. Also playing: HELLYEAH, the Devil Wears Prada, Whitechapel, Thy Art is Murder, Jungle Rot, Sister Sin, Sworn In, Shattered Sun, Feed Her to the Sharks, Code Orange and Kissing Candice.

Details: 1 p.m. Friday, July 3. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $40.25-$83.31. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

7/3: Wilco

Wilco's sound is rock and roll the way the Beatles' sound was rock and roll — a definition elastic enough to take in the Neil Young-gone-Krautrock approach of "Art of Almost" and the upbeat Motown accents and infectious '60s organ of "I Might." Those songs were among the highlights of "The Whole Love," their latest release. Although they've never had a major pop hit, Wilco grabbed the zeitgeist by the collar in 2002 with "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," a well-deserved yet unexpected breakthrough based, in part, on being dropped because the label said they'd gotten too experimental for their own good. Other highlights of their years as critics' darling include 1999's "Summerteeth" and 1996's "Being There."

Details: 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 3. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. $25-$85. 800-745-3000,ticketmaster.com.

7/8: Juan Wauters

He moved from Uruguay to New York City as a teenager and quickly gained attention as the leader of the Beets, who endearingly titled their first garage-rock offering "Spit On The Face Of People Who Don't Want To Be Cool." As a solo artist, he recently released "Who Me?," a second album championed in NME as "a weird, loveable record to file alongside Wauters' labelmate and touring buddy Mac DeMarco".

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 8. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $10; $8 in advance. valleybarphx.com.

7/9: Rob Thomas

Thomas launched his career as the voice of Matchbox Twenty, whose hits include "Push," "3AM," "If You're Gone," "Bent" and "How Far We've Come." He also collaborated with Santana on the triple-platinum, Grammy-winning "Smooth," which topped the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks and spent 58 weeks on the chart. "Smooth" is also the second-biggest Hot 100 song of all time. His best-known solo hits are "Lonely No More," "This is How a Heart Breaks," "Ever the Same" and "Her Diamonds."

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $42-$72. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.

7/10: Julión Alvarez

Alvarez is a regional Mexican artist from the state of Sinaloa whose Su Norteño Banda broke through with 2007's "Corazón Mágico," which featured the regional Mexican hit "Las Mulas de Moreno." A pair of live albums followed, enhancing his regional profile.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, July 10. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $45-$125. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

7/10: Advance Base

Owen Ashworth used to go by one of rock's most truthful pseudonyms of all time, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. He's moved on to a new identity, Advance Base, without turning his back on listeners who still feel painfully alone, using electric pianos, Omnichords, orchestral samples and antique drum machines to arrive at the broken-hearted majesty of "A Shut-In's Prayer." A new album is due in August, so you'll more than likely hear some new stuff, too.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 10. Trunk Space, 1506 N.W. Grand Ave., Phoenix. 602-256-6006, thetrunkspace.com.

7/11: Lady Antebellum

The country trio's second album, "Need You Now," went four-times platinum, spent four weeks at No. 1, became the second-biggest album of 2010 and earned five Grammys, not the least of which were song and record of the year. Third album "Own the Night" is closing in on double platinum, having topped the charts its first week out. That album also spawned the double-platinum "Just a Kiss," one of six chart-topping country hits for Lady Antebellum. In 2013, "Golden" topped the album chart, their third consecutive release to do so, spinning off the platinum single, "Downtown." And last year's "747" hit the charts at No. 2 while spinning off the platinum single "Bartender."

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $25.50-$55-25. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

7/11: Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson

Smashing Pumpkins hit the mainstream with the 1993 release of the quadruple-platinum "Siamese Dream," which spawned the commercial-alternative-radio staples "Cherub Rock," "Today" and "Disarm." They followed through in 1995 with a 10-times-platinum two-record set called "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness." Manson shocked and awed the PTA in 1996 with the breakthrough of "Antichrist Superstar," which hit the charts at No. 3 and caught the attention of Sen. Joe Lieberman, who saw this Manson family as "the sickest group ever promoted by a mainstream record company."

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $45-$75. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.

7/11: Boz Scaggs

Having launched his career with a two-year stint in the Steve Miller Band, Scaggs made his first appearance on the U.S. album charts with a self-titled album in 1969. It was seven years later, though, that Scaggs' invasion of the mainstream hit the fast track with the five-times-platinum "Silk Degrees," the soft-rock classic that gave the world "It's Over," "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown." If it's been a while since Scaggs could claim to be a pop star, he's touring an excellent late-career, exploring his bluesier side on "A Fool to Care."

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Reservation. $64-$294. 800-946-4452, wingilariver.com.

7/11: Son Lux

Ryan Lott eases into his latest Son Lux album with an atmospheric snippet titled "Breathe In," his trembling vocal sighing, "You have only just begun." And he never looks back on an album that constantly changes direction. As Paste noted, "Bones is able to deconstruct genres with ease and then fuse them back together in Frankenstein-esque brilliance. The result is an eclectic monster of an album that moves on its own, lurching forward with a new perspective, in exploration of new terrain."

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/11: Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas

Like Karen O or Bob Dylan before her, Hernandez has one of those voices that's quirky enough to guarantee that your enjoyment of the Deltas' debut, "Secret Evil," will probably come down to whether you're charmed by the idiosyncrasies of her larger-than-life approach or not. I'm on board with her singing. And so was the PopMatters critic who wrote: "Queasy carnival music, hoodoo blues stomps, country waltz ballads, primitive rock and jazzy inflections coalesce and flow around the anchor of Hernandez's rich voice, a contralto rife with character and heartrending soul."

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $10; $8 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

7/12: Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional

Third Eye Blind blew up in 1997 with a six-times-platinum self-titled debut that spawned three massive pop hits — "Semi-Charmed Life," "How's It Going To Be" and "Jumper." Dashboard Confessional have never hit the mainstream quite as hard as Third Eye Blind, but they have had a string of alternative-radio hits, including "Screaming Infidelities," "Hands Down," "Vindicated" and "Don't Wait."

Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $29.50-$49.50. 800-745-3000,livenation.com.

7/12: Gov't Mule

Formed in 1994 as a side gig by two members of the Allman Brothers Band — guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody — Gov't Mule quickly rose to the front of the jam-rock ranks with a self-titled album and the all-important live show. Woody died in 2000 but Haynes and founding drummer Matt Abts are still out there jamming with Danny Louis and Jorgen Carlsson rounding out the lineup.

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $27. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

7/12: Memory Tapes

Memory Tapes is chillwave artist Dayve Hawk, formerly of Philadelphia's Hail Social. His latest album, "Grace/Confusion," arrived in 2012, inspiring the A.V. Club to rave, "By throwing out the genre rulebook, Hawk is pushing electronic music into weirder, more exciting territory, chillwave purists be damned."

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12; $10 in advance. valleybarphx.com.

7/15: Tanlines

Singer/guitarist Eric Emm (of Storm & Stress/Don Caballero fame)and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Cohen are touring in support of second album, "Highlights," a synth-rocking triumph produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor. Songs like "Pieces" and "Palace" feel like melancholy relics from the golden age of MTV. But they don't necessarily limit themselves to the OMD playbook, as the upbeat guitar-driven "Slipping Away" makes abundantly clear.

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $13. valleybarphx.com.

7/16: The Helio Sequence

Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel are touring a self-titled sixth full-length effort. And if their earlier records seemed to say, "We've got that aching, soulful, atmospheric indie thing down to a beautiful science," this is the sound of them letting their hair down. As Summers explains on the opening track, "I'm looking for a new direction / Oh, I'm looking for another way."

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 16. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15; $13 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/19: Billy Joe Shaver

A songwriting legend in outlaw country circles, Shaver has had his songs recorded by Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings, whose "Honky Tonk Heroes" is loaded with Shaver songs. He was famously name-checked by Bob Dylan in "I Feel a Change Comin' On" ("I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver, And I'm reading James Joyce" — which is kind of an odd combination).

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 19. Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $28; $25 in advance. 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com.

7/19: Eternal Summers

The Roanoke rockers are touring on their release, "The Drop Beneath," for which they brought in Doug Gillard of Guided by Voices to handle the production. It's a dreamy affair to which Pitchfork responded: "While nothing here qualifies as any kind of radical reinvention of the indie-rock wheel per se, the band manages to astutely put their own spin on it, seemingly figuring out their own sizable strengths in the process."

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 19. Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12; $10 in advance. valleybarphx.com.

7/21: Melvins

They put the sludge in the sound of Seattle, paving the way for Nirvana, whose singer, Kurt Cobain, was a big enough fan to audition on bass. He didn't get the gig, but Nirvana's success helped create an environment in which rockers as willfully anti-commercial as the Melvins could sign to a major — at least for a three-album stretch in the '90s. This Phoenix date is in support of last year's "Hold It In," an excellent addition to the legacy.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/21: Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire

Lee Loughnane of Chicago says, "One of the most exciting things about the show is when both bands perform at the end of the concert. Having these 21 very talented musicians playing our greatest hits together puts the excitement level at a fever pitch. ... It is an unforgettable experience."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 21. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $25-$120. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

7/23: Alejandra Guzman

Guzman is a household name in the Spanish-language world, due in equal parts to her tequila-soaked vocals and a wild lifestyle that fuels gossip sites. Her best songs, such as the pop-punk confections "Reina de Corazones" and "Eternamente Bella," showcase a feisty, often outrageous personality. Her latest album, 2013's live set "Primera Fila," includes a bold take on Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $39-$89. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.

— Randy Cordova

7/23: Death Grips

I once described a Death Grips single as "a claustrophobic, psychedelic mindmelt that sounds like something Crispin Glover might call 'makeout music.' " And the music on this year's "The Powers That B" is just as unlikely to give these guys the mainstream breakthrough they'll never enjoy. A review at Pretty Much Amazing said it "represents another step forward for Death Grips, a group that seems to have walked over the horizon and out of sight albums ago."

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $20-$30. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

7/25: Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons hit the charts at No. 2 with "Night Visions," which posted the best first-week sales for a full-length debut by a rock band since 2006. The album's lead single, "It's Time," was a platinum breakthrough, but the song that really put them on the fast track to the big room was "Radioactive," a nine-times-platinum smash that topped the Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts while hitting No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. And then, they followed through with the five-times platinum "Demons." Earlier this year, their second album, "Smoke + Mirrors," hit the charts at No. 1 and spawned "I Bet My Life," their biggest hit since "Demons."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25. US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $24.75-$64.75. 800-745-3000,usairwayscenter.com.

7/27: Rush

The Canadian power trio celebrates 40 years of progressive metal. Enjoy such hits as "Working Man," "2112" and, of course, "Tom Sawyer" as well as classics-to-be from their recent album "Clockwork Angels," complete with lasers, pyrotechnics, jaw-dropping videos and even a string quartet.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 27. US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $46-$126. 800-745-3000,usairwayscenter.com.

— Michael Senft

7/28: Heems

This Das Racist veteran is taking the stage in support of "Eat Pray Thug," his first solo release. The album finds him rapping wild and free with passion, personality and darkly comic punchlines over topics ranging from his rap skills to Al-Qaeda, the Patriot Act and the xenophobic abuse he was forced to endure for having the wrong color skin in the wake of 9/11. It's a brilliant release.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/28: Social Distortion

Mike Ness formed and fronted the earliest version of Social Distortion in 1978, keeping the name at least somewhat alive through lineup changes, breakups and the death in February 2000 of Dennis Danell, the only other holdout from the "Mommy's Little Monster" days. But as they proved conclusively on 2011's "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes," their first album since 2004, they still sound like Social Distortion, filtering California punk through old-school rock and roll, the New York Dolls and Johnny Cash.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $35. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

7/29: John Mellencamp

The Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer scored his first Top 40 single with "I Need a Lover" in 1979, but really hit the mainstream in the early '80s with the Top 10 hits "Hurts So Good," "Jack & Diane," "Crumblin' Down" and "Pink Houses." Subsequent hits include "Authority Song," "Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," "Paper in Fire," "Cherry Bomb," "Check It Out," "Pop Singer," "Get a Leg Up," "Wild Night" and "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $42.50-$119.50. 800-745-3000,livenation.com.

7/29: Jamie XX

This London-based DJ/producer picked up the XX as a member of the XX, when he did a promotional mix for their debut, "XX." He went on to remix records by the likes of Florence + the Machine, Adele and Gil-Scot Heron (on the acclaimed "We're New Here" album). He arrives in support of his first full-length effort, "In Colour," which brought home perfect scores from Q and Consequence of Sound, whose writer summed it up with "After one listen or 10, 'In Colour' reflects brightly, a phenomenally poised and universally approachable solo debut."

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. SOLD OUT. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

7/30: Brit Floyd

Celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd; from their creation in 1965 through the release of their new album, "The Endless River," this tribute show includes performances from all their biggest albums, including "The Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here," "Animals," "The Wall" and "The Division Bell," plus a host of musical surprises.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $28-$48. 800-745-3000, livenation.com.