Electric Daisy Carnival tops May’s concert lineup in Las Vegas
The wait is over, the most renowned of deceased rodents is upon us.
Or at least a dude who brands himself as one.
Yes, Electric Daisy Carnival is back, that three-day, dusk-till-dawn deluge of fat beats and skimpy hot pants.
No, the 140,000 revelers who will soon descend upon Las Vegas Motor Speedway in an avalanche of flesh and fuzzy garments won’t be getting much shut-eye from May 17-19.
Among the many big names performing at this year’s EDC is the aforementioned Deadmau5, along with EDM prime movers such as Above & Beyond, Kaskade, Tiesto, Diplo, rapper ASAP Rocky and dozens more in a high-tech circus of the senses.
Start hydrating now, kids.
Other concerts of note for May:
Juice Wrld, Friday, The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel
The Juice is loose, out on the road, earning plenty of the titular amour for “Death Race for Love,” which topped the charts in March, giving the brooding, emotive, Chicago-born rapper his first No. 1 album. Expect more to come.
Jenny Lewis, May 10, House of Blues at Mandalay Bay
Hot on the (high) heels of her acclaimed latest album, “On the Line,” one of the year’s best, Las Vegas native Jenny Lewis returns to serenade her hometown with new songs about finding the silver lining in loss — of loved ones and lovers alike.
Hellyeah, May 11, House of Blues at Mandalay Bay
When Hellyeah/former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul passed away here last June, the Vegas music community lost one of its biggest boosters and all-around nice dudes. Paul, who was a fixture at concerts around town and always accommodating to fans, will be celebrated in the best way: with a night of music in his honor. Hellyeah plays its first show since his passing, as Stone Sour drummer Roy Mayorga sits in with the band.
Carrie Underwood, May 11, MGM Grand Garden
Carrie Underwood performs in-the-round once more on her “Cry Pretty Tour 360,” hitting the road for the first time since giving birth to her second son in January.
Ariana Grande, May 11, T-Mobile Arena
OK, so you probably won’t get the mini-N’Sync reunion that Grande orchestrated onstage during her headlining appearances at Coachella last month, but what you are in store for is a litany of huge-voiced, hip-hop- and electro-leaning hits delivered with femme-first assuredness when Grande makes up for a canceled show at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas last December.
Florence + the Machine, May 17, T-Mobile Arena
The stars will be in her eyes as opposed to the open sky above her, as chamber pop siren Florence Welch heads back indoors upon returning to Vegas after headlining Life is Beautiful last September. She continues to tour in support of her latest record, “High as Hope,” an album of minimalist arrangements and maximalist emotions.
Janet Jackson, May 17 (through the 26th), Park Theater at Park MGM
Get ready for Janet (aka Miss Jackson if you’re nasty) to launch her first Vegas residency, which will see the R&B icon celebrating the 30th anniversary of her gazillion-selling “Rhythm Nation 1814” album as part of her “Metamorphosis” show. It will chronicle her evolution from a young woman with self-esteem issues into the superstar she’s since butterflied into.
Punk Rock Bowling, May 25-27, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
The mohawked coifs will be big, the bar tabs bigger still, as the year’s best and most raucous punk rock party returns. Expanding to two stages for the first time, the lineup pairs PRB veterans such as Rancid, Descendents, Flag and The Damned with festival first-timers such as ska greats The Specials, adrenalized Swedes The Hives, scene lifers The Stranglers and dozens more. After the festival stage closes, numerous club shows at various venues downtown will see Flipper, The Murder City Devils, Pennywise, Iron Reagan and numerous others keeping the mosh pits going until pancake time.
Emerge Impact + Music, May 31-June 1, Hard Rock Hotel
Back for year two, this “intersection of social justice, art and music” combines artists such as rapper Talib Kweli, Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, rocker Cherry Glazer and the punky Culture Abuse with speakers such as Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg, comic artist AlecWithPen and more to stimulate minds and earholes alike.
Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter.
Anticipated music releases
Vampire Weekend, "Father of the Bride" (May 3): Bone up on the art rockers' new tunes before hearing them live when they return to Life is Beautiful in September.
Mavis Staples, "We Get By" (May 10): The soul great's new album was written and produced by blues/folk rock firebrand Ben Harper.
The National, "I Am Easy Find" (May 17): You know what else is easy to find on these indie rockers' latest disc? Guest female vocalists, with Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina Tindle, Gail Ann Dorsey and Kate Stables all dropping by.
Lil Kim, "9" (May 17): The "Nasty One" returns with her first new album in 14 years.
Sting, "My Songs" (May 24): They're his songs and he'll do with them what he pleases, as Sting reimagines a slew of his biggest hits here.