9 buzzworthy concerts coming to Charlotte in the next week

The final leg of the UK metal giant’s Book of Souls Tour kicked off Saturday in Virginia. Unlike with many of its peers, the current tour isn’t about nostalgia or cashing in with a reunion. Maiden holds a firm grip on its legendary status while still releasing and performing new music, which balances out the fan favorites on its current set list.

Nearly a decade after forming, the Charlotte rock band returns after a two-week tour of the East Coast to celebrate the release of its second full-length album, “Body Language.” A longtime favorite whose fabled shows often draw hundreds locally, the quartet releases a furious, fun live show with throngs of friends and fans singing along – much like the Avetts did in their days at the NoDa venue.

One of the hottest artists at this year’s Coachella Festival, the R&B singer mixed glamorous fashion in Givenchy and Alexander McQueen (a look dubbed “gothchella”) while presenting a show that echoes her mix of classic ’90s R&B (she regularly draws comparisons to Aaliyah) and futuristic sounds and visuals. She creates a definitive vibe that can compete in the pop world, but strives for something weirder and headier.

Not to be confused with the Charlotte indie band with whom it shares its name, this UK alt-rock quintet broke big at home with a summer 2016 “NME” cover and an opening slot with the Stone Roses at Wembley Stadium. If you’re a fan of Brit-pop, this intimate show is a rare time to catch the rising Manchester band between last week’s Governor’s Ball and this weekend’s Bonnaroo festivals.

When it comes to singing sister trios, the Andrews Sisters and Wilson Phillips (two Wilson sisters and a Phillips) come to mind. Aside from one blonde and two brunettes singing sweet familial harmonies, this Portland trio trades close-singing polish and pop sheen for stomping roots passion (“White Flag”) and ethereal pop (“S.O.S.”). Ellen DeGeneres – who had them on her show – is a fan.

Few “American Idol” fourth-place finishers are as memorable as the petite Salvadoran-American with fiery red hair and a big, bold voice to match. Eight years after Season 8, she’s fronting this bilingual, bluesy modern rock band with a command of the stage that’s only improved with time. The fledgling indie band has a fan in Duran Duran’s John Taylor, who remixed a track from its new EP.

A Grammy winner for both his work in fun. and with Taylor Swift, New Jersey native Jack Antonoff (who spent his formative years clawing up the indie-rock ladder with Steel Train) has graduated to full-on pop impresario as a producer (Lorde’s “Melodrama” is up next) and as an artist in Bleachers, which released its second album last week. This show brings Antonoff back to smaller, more intimate venues than fun. would have allowed.

UK trio Muse is only a week into its U.S. tour following the release of the new single “Dig Down” (which swells into an anthemic, gospel bridge without straying from what’s become the band’s signature futuristic, apocalyptic feel). Jared Leto returns to theatrical rock with Thirty Seconds to Mars after his run as The Joker in “Suicide Squad” and the lead in the upcoming 2017 film “The Outsider.” Missio, a recent alternative radio breakout, opens the show.

Best known for last year’s inescapable, alternative breakout “Genghis Khan” – which was accompanied by a music video that gave 007 a refreshing new twist, as well as dancing shoes – the Swedish indie trio brings its infections alt-pop stateside. It headlines between festival dates and opening gigs with Phantogram and Glass Animals. Fun fact: None of the band’s members are named Miike or Snow.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 5:46 PM with the headline "9 buzzworthy concerts coming to Charlotte in the next week."