Kings of Leon, Squeeze and more: 4 concerts to see in the Coachella Valley this week

Here are my picks for this weekend's can't-miss live performances in the Coachella Valley and surrounding communities.

More local events: From food trucks to an ELO concert: 10 things to do in the Coachella Valley this week

HOT PICK

Friday

Rock: Believe it or not, the rock band Kings of Leon has a connection to Harry Styles. For its ninth album, “Can We Please Have Fun,” the band collaborated with producer Kid Harpoon, who produced Styles’ 2022 record “Harry’s House.” But don’t expect to hear any of it while dining in a sushi restaurant.

Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and cousin Matthew Followill, Kings of Leon fuses Southern rock with indie and blues for a distinctive and enticing sound. But the band’s first four albums were only successful in the United Kingdom and didn’t appear on the U.S. charts until the 2008 release “Only by the Night.” The single “Sex on Fire” also won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.

Kings of Leon will perform on Friday at Acrisure Arena.

If you go: 8 p.m. Friday, Acrisure Arena, 75-702 Varner Road, Palm Desert. Tickets start at $57.50. acrisurearena.com

BEST BETS

Friday

New wave: Two established new wave music acts will perform on Friday at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, Squeeze and Boy George.

As new wave music gained popularity during the late ‘70s in the United Kingdom, Squeeze emerged as one of the genre’s pioneering bands, making its mark on the British music charts with hits like “Take Me I’m Yours,” “Bang Bang,” and “Cool for Cats.” Despite their influence on American bands such as The Replacements, The Killers, and R.E.M., Squeeze struggled to achieve the same level of success in the U.S.

In contrast, Culture Club achieved worldwide success, with frontman Boy George becoming a pop icon. As a solo artist, Boy George also enjoyed significant hits, including "Everything I Own," "Bow Down Mister," "Generations of Love" and "Love Is Leaving.”

If you go: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage. Tickets $110 to $175. aguacalientecasinos.com

Funk: Don’t let the name Average White Band fool you, because this Scottish band is anything but “average.” Disco may be dead, but many of Average White Band’s songs have been sampled in iconic hip-hop songs by Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy and more.

Chances are you’ve heard songs such as “Let’s Go Round Again,” “Queen of My Soul” and “Cut the Cake.”

Average White Band will perform on Friday at Spotlight 29 Casino.

If you go: 7 p.m. Friday, Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella. Tickets start at $33.65. spotlight29.com

Saturday

Rock: As Melvins frontman Buzz Osbourne is on an acoustic solo tour , drummer and La Quinta resident Dale Crover is also on a brief outing of California dates and will perform on Saturday at Pappy and Harriet’s with the Dale Crover Band.

The band features Crover, Toshi Kasai (guitar and keyboards), Dan Southwick (bass) and ModPods drummer Mindee Jorgensen.

If you go: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Pappy and Harriet’s, 53-688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown. Tickets $20 to $25. pappyandharriets.com

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

Previous reporting by USA TODAY was included in this report

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Kings of Leon, Squeeze and more: 4 concerts to see in the Coachella Valley this week