Music Options Abound in April

A dizzying amount of acts are slated to play Tucson in April, in the ultimate showdown for your entertainment dollar.

Perhaps the most helpful to Tucson’s youth will be the “Music Matters” concert, to be held at the Rialto Theatre on April 9.

The evening will feature performances from Tucson’s own Howe Gelb, Calexico’s John Convertino, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and a long list of other local and national talent, to raise money for the arts and music programs at Miles Exploratory Learning Center, as well as for the local non-profit Educational Enrichment Foundation.

The concert is being held in response to serious cuts made to arts and music funding in local schools. It begins at 7pm and tickets are $21 in advance through the Rialto Theatre box office, 740-1000 and RialtoTheatre.com.

Other options:
– The Del McCoury Band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band — Bluegrass meets classic New Orleans jazz when these two iconic groups join forces at Centennial Hall on April 9 as part of their “American Legacies” tour. Tickets are $29-$59 through the Centennial Hall box office, 621-3341.

– More roots shows: Ruthie Foster at Plaza Palomino (April 3), Tish Hinojosa at Club Congress (April 12), The Tucson Folk Festival, downtown (April 30-May 1).

– Patton Oswalt — Oswalt’s sharp wit made him a staple of the L.A. comedy scene long before he gave a voice to Remy in “Ratatouille” or became a regular face on shows, such as “The King of Queens” and Syfy’s “Caprica.” Comics like Oswalt are a rare sight in Tucson, making his upcoming gig at the Rialto Theatre on April 29 a special treat. Tickets are $27 in advance and $37 the day of the show through the Rialto box office, 740-1000.

– The Underscore Orkestra — This talented outfit comes to Solar Culture on April 9 from the Pacific Northwest, bringing a vast collection of festive, toe-tapping klezmer, Balkan and gypsy rhythms with it. The $8 admission price for the 9pm show makes the Portland-based band even more enticing.

Already have plans that night? Catch the similarly-styled Fishtank Ensemble when it performs at Plaza Palomino on April 23 (pictured below).

– Talib Kweli — From his early days rhyming in Black Star with Mos Def to the release of his most recent solo effort, “Gutter Rainbows,” Kweli has given the world nearly two decades of thought-provoking hip hop. Stop by his April 7 show at the Rialto Theatre and you might hear new works from his upcoming album, Prisoner of Conscious. The evening starts at 9pm, tickets are $22 in advance and $25 the day of the show through the Rialto box office, 740-1000. (photo below by Cary Jobe.)