Queen, Shakira headline Labor Day Weekend in Las Vegas
Queen + Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert is no Freddie Mercury, and there’s little shame in that: No one could replace Queen’s fabled frontman, and Lambert doesn’t try, instead infusing the band’s iconic catalog with his own hip-swishing, zip-locked-in-leather panache and more-fabulous-than-thou ’tude. Also, he can sing these songs like few others. See them at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, with additional performances through Sept. 22; call 702-730-7777.
Alice in Chains
“Some things last,” Alice in Chains frontman William DuVall sings on the title track of the band’s recently released sixth record: the moody, moving “Rainier Fog.” There’s a reason why these long-running hard rockers can count themselves in that category: Three decades in, they’re still putting out albums that rank among their best. See them at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Pearl at the Palms. Tickets start at $54; call 702-944-3200.
Shakira
Further embracing her Latin pop bona fides on her latest album “El Dorado,” where all but three tunes are sung in Spanish, this hip-swiveling Colombian continues her reign as one of the genre’s most enduring crossover acts. See her at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Tickets start at $80.50; call 702-531-3826.
Big Blues Bender
Sing the blues until you can sing no more — at least without a throat lozenge or 20 — with 17 hours (!) of performances daily at this immersive marathon of killer guitar playing and harmonica blazin’. This year’s lineup boasts Kenny Wayne Shepherd, perennial favorite Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish and dozens more all through next weekend. The festivities begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Plaza. Four-day passes are $499 at bigbluesbender.com.
E-40
With 27 solo albums and counting, dating back to 1993, this Bay Area hip-hop stalwart with an equally booming and slippery delivery continues to make headlines on “The Ball Street Review.” See E-40 at 8 p.m. Sunday at Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq. Tickets start at $27; call 702-862-2695.
