Morrissey, Urban, Mayer in town

Though his name is suggestive of singularity, Morrissey's career has been defined by anything but.

As frontman for the Smiths, Morrissey came to fame as a brooding pinup with a wit sharper than broken glass.

Shortly thereafter, legions of 20-somethings with wardrobes darker than the skies of London anointed him their defacto spokesman.

But Morrissey never has been the disaffected depressive he sometimes was caricatured as.

As a solo artist, he's indulged in everything from free-swinging rockabilly to hard-edged glam to proggy art rock.

Along the way, he's developed the most rabid of fan bases, a diverse assemblage of unwavering devotees almost as strong-willed as their hero's vast, headstrong catalog.

See Morrissey at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Pearl at the Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road. Tickets are $60; call 942-7777.

Perhaps the only thing country about Keith Urban is that his videos are played on CMT for some reason.

This isn't a knock on Urban as much as it is a testament to how much Nashville has reconfigured itself in recent years.

An ace guitarist whose fiery leads are among the most heated and accomplished in contemporary country, Urban brings a distinct rock edge to his poppy nouveau twang.

The Australian native's latest disc, "Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing" was released shortly after he entered rehab for alcohol abuse last fall, and so Urban is undoubtedly well acquainted with that album's tumultuous subject matter.

Still, through it all, Urban has shown a measure of steely resolve, and in that way, he's a country traditionalist, even if his albums don't suggest as much.

See Urban at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $80.75-$96.50; call 632-7580.

Speaking of fleet-wristed guitarists, John Mayer is one of pop's most accomplished six-stringers, a expertly skilled musician who sometimes seems a little torn between the radio-friendly singer-songwriter fare that's made him a star and the more ambitious displays of virtuosic chops that he unleashes as part of the less commercially-minded John Mayer Trio.

A surprisingly accomplished bluesman as well, Mayer's latest disc, "Continuum," sees him balancing his mainstream appeal with technical proficiency in convincing fashion, establishing Mayer as the rare heartthrob who can make guitar nerds and your kid sister sigh.

See Mayer at 8 p.m. today at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets are $70.75-$91.75; call 632-7580.