What to expect from 7 concerts in 14 days at PNC Music Pavilion

It may be a parking nightmare, but PNC Music Pavilion will be a live-music lover’s dream during the second half of July.

From the 14th through the 27th, the big open-air venue with the difficult-to-get-out-of-parking-lots in north Charlotte will host seven concerts – an average of one every two nights – featuring marquee names from a variety of different genres.

Here’s our guide to what’s coming. (And here’s our advice if you’re going: 1. Arrive early to beat the rush and to enjoy a DIY tailgate party; 2. Make sure you’ve got plenty of fuel, in case it takes awhile to get out afterward. Because it probably will…)

Dierks Bentley

When: Thursday, July 14.

Tickets: $32.25-$57.

Tour name: “Somewhere on a Beach.”

Dress code: Cowboy boots and trucker hats.

Songs to commit to memory: “What Was I Thinkin’,” “Sideways,” “Drunk on a Plane.”

Also expect: Some sort of tribute to his beloved dog Jake, who passed away last weekend. The 15-year-old pup appeared on the cover of the country singer’s self-titled debut album 13 years ago and in several of his music videos. Jake is also mentioned in Bentley’s new acoustic ballad “Can’t Be Replaced.”

More Dierks: www.dierks.com.

5 Seconds of Summer

When: Monday, July 18.

Tickets: $25-$84.95.

Tour name: “Sounds Live Feels Live.”

Band members: Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin.

Dress code: American Apparel underwear! Just kidding. … Try short shorts, high-top Chucks and strappy sandals.

Songs to commit to memory: “What I Like About You,” “She’s Kinda Hot,” “She Looks So Perfect.”

Also expect: This is actually more wishful thinking than a sure thing, but we’d love to hear the pop-punk band’s new single “Girls Talk Boys,” which is featured in the new “Ghostbusters” movie. But the guys are probably still stewing over the fact that the track was leaked online last weekend.

Pop punk: 5 Seconds of Summer: July 18. PNC Music Pavilion.

More 5SOS: www.5sos.com.

G-Eazy and Logic

When: Tuesday, July 19.

Tickets: $25-$69.50.

Tour name: “The Endless Summer.”

Dress code: Jeans and sneakers.

Songs to commit to memory: G-Eazy’s “My, Myself & I,” Logic’s “Flexicution.”

Also expect: Both hip-hoppers are featured on tracks on the soundtrack for the forthcoming comic-book-action movie, “Suicide Squad.” G-Eazy is featured in Grace’s “You Don’t Own Me”; Logic is on “Sucker for Pain,” which also crams in Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Ty Dolla $ign, X Ambassadors. Both cuts will be show-stoppers.

More G-Eazy: www.g-eazy.com.

More Logic: www.mindoflogic.com.

Kool & The Gang

When: Friday, July 22.

Tickets: $25-$125.

Tour name: “Keepin’ the Funk Alive.”

Band members: The core of the group consists of brothers/founding members Robert “Kool” Bell and Ronald Bell, along with Curtis “Fitz” Williams and Michael Ray.

Dress code: The sharpest outfit in your closet (but something that can withstand summer heat), plus dark sunglasses.

Songs to commit to memory: “Ladies’ Night,” “Get Down On It,” “Celebration.”

Also expect: When it comes to nostalgia acts, fans typically aren’t thrilled when they hear “We’d like to play something new for you.” But the R&B/funk group’s latest, “Sexy (Where’d You Get Yours),” sounds as fresh as many of its most beloved ’70s/’80s hits – which in this case is a compliment.

More Kool: www.koolandthegang.com.

Gwen Stefani

When: Saturday, July 23.

Tickets: $19.95-$99.95.

Tour name: “This Is What the Truth Feels Like.”

Dress code: Deep-red lipstick, striped (or just generally off-beat) clothing.

Songs to commit to memory: “Used to Love You,” “Hollaback Girl,” “The Sweet Escape.”

What not to expect: Though the pop star has hinted boyfriend Blake Shelton could show up on her tour for a surprise duet of their song “Go Ahead and Break My Heart,” there is zero chance of it happening in Charlotte. He’s headlining a show at the California Mid State Fair in Paso Robles, Calif., on the same night.

More Gwen: www.gwenstefani.com.

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa

When: Sunday, July 24.

Tickets: $28-$82.

Tour name: “The High Road.”

Dress code: A shirt with a marijuana leaf on it?

Songs to commit to memory: Snoop’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)”; Wiz’s “On My Level” and “See You Again.” Also: The Snoop/Wiz collaboration “Young, Wild & Free.”

What to expect: Wiz Khalifa just dropped a new song titled “No Fighting,” and he’ll likely want to try to get it some traction. Other than that … maybe a contact high? Both hip-hoppers are well-known for their love of weed – although on Sunday night’s episode of ABC’s “Celebrity Family Feud,” Snoop lost to boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard on a marijuana-related question!

More Snoop: www.snoopdogg.com.

More Wiz: www.wizkhalifa.com.

Counting Crows and Rob Thomas

When: Wednesday, July 27.

Tickets: $26-$80.50.

Dress code: Black jeans and vintage concert tees.

Songs to commit to memory: Counting Crows’ “Hanginaround” and “A Long December”; Thomas’s “Someday” and “Little Wonders.”

What to expect: Probably nothing new from the Crows, who haven’t put out new music in two years and don’t have anything on the horizon. As for Thomas, this is new and also newfangled: VIP ticketholders get the opportunity to engage in the “first-ever interactive hologram selfie experience” via a booth that will allow them to sing karaoke versions of “Pieces,” “One Shot” or “This is How a Heart Breaks” with the alternative rocker’s hologram.

More Crows: www.countingcrows.com.

More Rob: www.robthomasmusic.com.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 9:42 PM with the headline "What to expect from 7 concerts in 14 days at PNC Music Pavilion."