Nicki Minaj, Glen Campbell, Wilco among L.A.'s top summer concerts

Nicki Minaj, Glen Campbell, Wilco among L.A.'s top summer concerts

Make Music Pasadena
June 16

When it comes to pop music, Pasadena’s most famous contributions are arguably Van Halen and a little old lady immortalized in a Jan Dean song. This 12-hour city-wide festival will briefly turn the region into a musical hot bed, with performances that include pep-rally-ready locals Grouplove, the city’s own vintage dance ace Dam-Funk and the shadow-illuminating grooves of Grimes. Downtown Pasadena. www.makemusicpasadena.org. Free.

Glen Hansard Kelly Hogan
June 20

This is an evening of exquisite, rootsy song craft, courtesy of local label Anti-. Hansard, as one-half of the Swell Season, has long specialized in pairing intimate melodies with romantic torment. Hogan, meanwhile, has been backing up the likes of Neko Case and Jakob Dylan. Her knockout voice is the most impressive instrument on her graceful debut, “ I Like to Keep Myself in Pain.” The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd. Tickets: $25-$45.

Glen Campbell
June 24

In what will likely be Campbell’s final L.A. performance, this promises to be a celebratory and heartbreaking retrospective on his lengthy career. Campbell, suffering from Alzheimer’s, will be joined by contemporaries and young ’uns alike, as he revisits timeless songs such as “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “Rhinestone Cowboy” with Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Jenny Lewis and more. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. www.hollywoodbowl.com. Tickets: $12-$136.

El-P Killer Mike
June 28

This double bill showcases two collaborators, each offering a different side of hip-hop intensity. El-P’s vision is sci-fi bleak, its futuristic sounds paired with tales of regular folks gone bad. Killer Mike, however , packs a lifetime of street-wise bile into “R.A.P. Music,” an album that doesn’t echo vintage gangsta rap so much as illustrate the destructive impact of the oft-romanticized lifestyle. Echoplex, 1822 Sunset Blvd. www.attheecho.com/. Tickets: $25.

Maxwell
July 20, 21

There are only three cities on Maxwell’s summer tour, but the RB seducer and his 11-piece band will perform two nights per stop, promising to play every song in Maxwell’s four-album catalog. A rare experience from a relatively elusive artist, and one where he’ll explore the full spectrum of romantic vulnerability. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St. www.staplescenter.com. Tickets: $29.50-$275.50; two-night packages are available: $53-$500.

The xx
July 23

The London-based indie rock band’s new album won’t be out until September, but get a preview at this mid-summer gig. Its self-titled debut was minimalist soul at its most cold, with little more than sleek electronics or wayward guitars shining light in the dark corners. The Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd. www.fondatheatre.com. Tickets: $30.

Fiona Apple
July 29

While she’s had the occasional appearance at Largo, Apple hasn’t released an album since 2005. Her new one, due June 19, boasts a title that’s 23 words long, and the music behind it offers redeeming cathartic moments and/or torrents of dangerously unchecked emotion. Live, Apple is gripping and frantic, even as she plays piano. Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd. Tickets: $49.50.

Hard Summer
Aug. 3-4

One of the biggest rock stars in L.A. right now is electronic sensation Skrillex. He’ll anchor Hard Summer, which is returning for a third year t o its downtown locale. Reflecting the growth of electronic music and the strength of the festival market, Hard Summer goes from one to two days this year. Others on the bill: Miike Snow, Bloc Party, Boys Noize, Bloody Beetroots, Nero and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. Los Angeles State Park, 245 N. Spring St. www.hardfest.com. Tickets: $119-$250.

Neil Diamond
Aug. 11, 16, 18, 23 and 25

Diamond returns to the scene of his career-defining 1972 album, “Hot August Night,” a live effort that was recorded during a 10-night stay at the Greek Theatre 40 years ago. Today, Diamond the showman has slowed a bit, but his voice is as sturdy as ever and his catalog, equally sentimental and anthemic, still strikes a universal chord. The Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave. www.greektheatrela.com. Tickets: $49-$250.

Nicki M inaj
Aug. 5

Minaj’s mix of Top 40 craftsmanship and fiercely vicious hip-hop can be as weirdly fascinating as it is oddly off-putting. She’s a foul-mouthed, nimble rapper with a soft spot for ballads, and she comes from the Madonna/Lady Gaga school of spectacle. The Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court. Tickets: $49.75-$79.75.

Rock the Bells
Aug. 18-19

Guerilla Union’s annual Rock the Bells provides a handy snapshot of hip-hop’s past, present and future. Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi top the bill, which also includes veterans such as Common, Nas and Ice Cube. Look for up-and-comers J Cole and Kendrick Lamar to also get prime slots. NOS Events Center, 689 S. E St., San Bernardino. rockthebells.net. Tickets: $184-$984.

Dave Matthews Band
Sept. 8

No act sold more tickets than the Dave Matthews Band did for the period that stretched from 2000 to 2009, according to touring stats released by industry trade Billboard. DMB returns to the road with the promise of a new album, one recorded with veteran producer Steve Lillywhite, who the group collaborated with on its first three studio albums. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive. Tickets: $53.85-$89.90.

Bonnie Raitt Mavis Staples
Sept. 22

The careers of Raitt and Staples span multiple decades, and each continues to fine-tune traditions and challenge expectations. Raitt’s roots are tied to the blues, but her band is adept at detours into soul and jazz. Staples’ gospel-trained rasp, meanwhile, is a national treasure. The Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave. www.greektheatrela.com. Tickets: $35.50-$75.50.

Wilco
Sept. 30

After three sold-out shows here in January, Wilco is back to close the Hollywood Bowl’s summer season, playing what will be its largest headlining L.A. show to date. The Chicago rock band views the entirety of the American pop songbook with reverence, be it experimental tug-of-wars between guitars and electronics or comforting heartland folk. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. www.hollywoodbowl.com. Tickets: $25-$65.

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-- Todd Martens

Photos: Fiona Apple (Jack Plunkett / Associated Press), Nicki Minaj (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) and  Maxwell (Sean Gardner / Getty Images).