This week’s 5 best bets for music in Las Vegas
Nicky Jam
This reggaeton lifer was a baby-faced 13-year-old when he recorded his first album, 1994’s “… Distinto a los Demas.” Two and a half decades later, his features and beats have hardened in unison, as evidenced by his latest record, 2017 Latin Grammy album of the year nominee “Fenix.” See him at 8 p.m. Friday at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Tickets are $71 to $201; call 800-745-3000.
Phil Lesh & Friends
Former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh puts the hammer down on selections from that band and more in this harder-rocking band featuring a rotating cast of collaborators. Though the faces in the group may change, one thing doesn’t: Lesh is here to jam and explore, and he does both with equal vigor. See them at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Tickets are $49.50 to $125; call 800-745-3000.
Keuning
Killers guitarist Dave Keuning plays his second Las Vegas show in support of his debut solo album, “Prismism,” opening for folk-punk mainstays the Violent Femmes after selling out The Bunkhouse in February. Prepare for economy-size hooks and analog synth lines alike at 7 p.m. Friday at Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq. Tickets are $39.50 to $64.50; call 702-862-2695.
Combichrist
Favoring electronics as harsh as the winters in frontman Andy LaPlegua’s native Norway, these aggro industrialists remind us all that “Everybody Hates You” at 8 p.m. Thursday at Backstage Bar & Billiards. Tickets are $25; call 702-382-2227.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Of course, this thick-maned Swedish shredder named his son after Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi: Since dropping his 1984 debut, “Rising Force,” Malmsteen has been imbuing heavy metal guitar heroics with neo-classical flourishes. See him at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Tickets are $27.50; call 702-632-7600.