Gift Guide: Concert tickets
Written by Matt Liasse | | mliasse@toledofreepress.comConcert tickets make great holiday gifts, giving family members or friends something fun to look forward to after all the festivities are finished. Here are just a few of the area’s upcoming shows.
P!nk. Photo by Andrew Macpherson
Skrillex and Boys Noize
Dec. 31
Palace of Auburn Hills, 6 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills
Tickets: $45-$350
The dubstep DJ will be bringing his “scary monsters and nice sprites” to the Palace of Auburn Hills on New Year’s Eve. The show starts at 6 p.m. and goes until 4 a.m., surely starting the countdown for ringing in 2013 in the biggest of ways. It’s a gift for anyone who can’t get enough bass drops and breakdowns.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Jan. 17
Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. 4th St., Royal Oak
Tickets: $51-$190
Still riding the high from their self-titled 2010 release (and this year’s “The Lion the Beast the Beat”), Vermont natives Grace Potter and the Nocturnals mix glam and folk rock.
Flogging Molly
Jan. 25
The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Tickets: $27-$36
The seven-piece Celtic band is sure to get Irish punk fans in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day a little early.
fun.
Jan. 26
The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Tickets: $40-$50 (general admission only)
The band’s song “We Are Young” hit No. 1, was covered on “Glee” and used in a Super Bowl Chevy commercial. Now the band will bring its anthem to Detroit in January.
Maroon 5. Photo by Terry Richardson.
Maroon 5, Neon Trees, Owl City
Feb. 14
Palace of Auburn Hills, 6 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills
Tickets: $65-$1,678
Why not cover two holidays in one? The Valentine’s Day show is welcoming Adam Levine and company for a night full of “moves like Jagger.” Who knows? Maybe a surprise visit from one of his fellow coaches on “The Voice” will commence.
Luke Bryan
Feb. 15
Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave., Toledo
Tickets $28-52
This rising country superstar is known for hits like “Rain Is a Good Thing,” “All My Friends Say” and “Country Girl (Shake It for Me).” His 2011 album “Tailgates & Tanlines” sold more than a million copies. After touring with Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw, “Dirt Road Diaries Tour” is his first headlining tour.
Lady Gaga. Photo by Mariano Vivanco.
Lady Gaga
Feb. 16
Palace of Auburn Hills, 6 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills
Tickets: $68-$1,826
With her new album “ARTPOP” on the way, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way Ball” is hitting the states. The show has already been around the world and features a “monster pit” for die-hards.
P!nk
March 5
Palace of Auburn Hills, 6 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills
Tickets: $62-$2,773
Anyone who saw her performance during the American Music Awards knows P!nk’s tour will be filled with acrobatics. The show will promote her latest album “The Truth About Love,” but will surely feature hits from her decade-long career as well.
One Direction. Photo Courtesy One Direction.
Carrie Underwood
May 5
Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave., Toledo
Tickets $43-$63
You can count on one hand how many “American Idol” winners are as successful as Underwood, and the country diva with the big voice will be in Toledo in May. Newcomer Hunter Hayes will open the show.
One Direction
July 12
Palace of Auburn Hills, 6 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills
Tickets $289-$2,527
This summer show may still be months away, but tickets for the biggest boy band in the world are expensive and going quick. Any “Directioners” eager to see Harry, Liam, Niall, Zayn and Louis better act now.
–Matt Liasse
Tags: Carrie Underwood, Flogging Molly, fun, gift guide, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Lady Gaga, Luke Bryan, Maroon 5, Neon Trees, One Direction, Owl City, P!nk, Pink, Skrillex and Boys Noize
