Incoming: Social Distortion, Hot Hot Heat, Ra Ra Riot, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nickelback

A picture of Canadian rock band Nickelback

​I remember it like it was yesterday: it was the summer of 2002 and I was in super-humid Milwaukee for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. We were in the parking lot of Miller Park, enjoying the pre-game festivities, eating and drinking all of the finest food the city of Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin had to offer. Excitement was high from the previous evening's Home Run Derby, featuring two of the most jacked-up steroid abusers the game of baseball had to offer at the time -- Jason Giambi and Sammy Sosa. As I shoved one last cup of frozen custard into my face, the day's big-name music act was taking the stage: Nickelback. 

Android Lust: With Mankind is Obsolete & Oneroid Psychosis, Friday,
Sept. 3, 8 p.m., $15. Club Mardi Gras, 8040 E. McDowell Rd., Scottsdale,
480-970-5707.

Bane: With Trapped Under Ice, Cruel Hand, Alpha & Omega, Run With the
Hunted, & more, Sunday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m., $10-$12. theUnderground, 105 W.
Main St., Mesa, 480-559-5859.

Bizzy Bone: With T. Mills, Dot Dot Curve, Real Music, The Crush, &
more., Wednesday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m, $12. Martini Ranch & Shaker Room, 7295
E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-970-0500.

Blue Oyster Cult, & Foghat: Friday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m., $40-$75. Celebrity
Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 602-267-1600.

Matt Costa: Friday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m., $15. Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E.
Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238.

D.R.I.: With St. Madness, Scattered Guts, Sinister Ego, Hemoptysis, Gift
of Destiny, & more, Friday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., $16. UB's Restaurant &
Bar, 1911 W. Broadway Rd., Mesa, 480-962-9000.

The Delta Mirror: Monday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m., $8. Rhythm Room, 1019 E.
Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-4842.

Dirt Nasty: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m., $13-$15. Martini Ranch &
Shaker Room, 7295 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-970-0500.

End of Summer Jam: With Far East Movement, Bobby Brackins, Bone
Thugs-N-Harmony, Asher Roth, & New Boyz, Saturday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.,
$28. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 602-267-1600.

Happy Birthday: With Residual Echoes, Sunday, Aug. 8, 7 p.m., $8. Trunk
Space, 1506 Grand Ave., Phoenix, 602-256-6006.

The Higher: With Josiah Leming, & more, Monday, Sept. 6, 6:30 p.m., $8.
theUnderground, 105 W. Main St., Mesa, 480-559-5859.

Hot Hot Heat: With Hey Rosetta, Monday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m., $13-$15.
Martini Ranch & Shaker Room, 7295 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale,
480-970-0500.

Immolation: Sunday, Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m., $18-$20. UB's Restaurant & Bar,
1911 W. Broadway Rd., Mesa, 480-962-9000.

Sarah Jaffe: Thursday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m., $8. Trunk Space, 1506 Grand
Ave., Phoenix, 602-256-6006.

Junius: With Orbs, Thursday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m., $8. theUnderground, 105 W.
Main St., Mesa, 480-559-5859.

Katatonia: With Swallow The Sun, Orphaned Land, Wrath Upon Eden, & more,
Monday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m., $17-$45. UB's Restaurant & Bar, 1911 W.
Broadway Rd., Mesa, 480-962-9000.

Land of Talk: With Suuns, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m., $10-$12. Rhythm
Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-4842.

Lights Over Paris: Saturday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m., $10. Martini Ranch &
Shaker Room, 7295 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-970-0500.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Thursday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. Arizona Veterans Memorial
Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair, 1826 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix,
602-252-6771.

Nickelback: With Three Days Grace, & Buckcherry, Friday, Oct. 29, 6:15
p.m., $29.50-$89.50. Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave.,
Phoenix, 602-254-7200.

No Bragging Rights: With Burning Twilight, The Skyline Surrender,
Forgive and Forget, & Once A Thief, Saturday, Aug. 7, 6 p.m., $10.
theUnderground, 105 W. Main St., Mesa, 480-559-5859.

The Phenomenauts: Friday, Aug. 13, 8 p.m., $10. Chasers Bar & Night
Club, 8005 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale, 480-945-4985.

Ra Ra Riot: Friday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m., $14. Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E.
Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238.

School of Rock All-Stars: Wednesday, July 28, 7 p.m., $15. Hard Rock
Cafe, 3 S. 2nd St., Phoenix, 602-261-7625.

Social Distortion: With Lucero, & Frank Turner, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 6:30
p.m., $30. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe, 480-829-0607.

Street Dogs: With Devil's Brigade, Flatfoot 56, Continental, Casket
Life, & more, Thursday, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m., $15. Clubhouse Music Venue,
1320 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238.

Super Happy Funtime Burlesque: Friday, Aug. 20, 8 p.m., $10. 910 Live,
These United States: With Or the Whale, Monday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m., $10.
Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-4842.

Tomorrow's Bad Seeds: Thursday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m., $10-$12. Clubhouse Music
Venue, 1320 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238.

Valient Thorr: With Red Fang, Monday, Oct. 18, 9 p.m., free. Yucca Tap
Room, 29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe, 480-967-4777.

"Weird Al" Yankovic: Thursday, Aug. 12, 8 p.m., $35-$55. Celebrity
Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, 602-267-1600.