The weather's (gradually) beginning to turn and music's most sizzling entertainers are prying us out of shelter into the lovingly-loud embrace of concert halls and stadiums across the globe. But with the sheer breadth of live and direct experiences currently on the calendar, seemed only right we'd illuminate just how gratifying these spring and summer seasons could be.
Titans of r&b, hip-hop and rock, new and old, are currently or shortly gracing the road, which means in the weeks and months ahead you can come under the spell of Radiohead's howls, two-step til dawn with Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, catch infinite feels from Kehlani, Kelela,Little Simz and Sampha, scratch trap itches you didn't even know you had with the gamut of impossibly-lit ATLiens (Guwop's first-ever headlining tour is easy best-life material.) Combos and configurations galore. Jump over to the next page to peep the powerhouse bills of 2017 and how to cop those most coveted stubs. Godspeed, and happy (slightly) warmer 2017.
With her sophomore stunner, the Bay Area singer truly hit her stride. More confident and collected than ever, Kehlani's stage show is equally-appropriate for a night out with boo or the crew.
If the Phony Ppl-assisted Tiny DeskConcert wasn't enough to catch you, perhaps the Ms. Hill co-sign'll do the trick. The tour supporting Simz's soothing and stellar Stillness In Wonderland is not to be missed if you can help it.
>>>Dates and tickets
Photo by Vickey Ford for Okayplayer/Sneakshot
Thundercat
Brainfeeder's bass-faced genius just dropped his third studio album. What better way to celebrate the destroyer-of-all-genre than to catch him on a lengthy run of the states ahead of the cross-pond leg of his jazz-punk-and-funk-fueled romp.
The dastardly duo of hip-hop are currently on the final night of their three-night NYC stay, but with a new European leg and festival season knocking, there's ample opportunity to get aggro as a motherfucker to the rhythms of a Run The Jewels revolt.
With a blazing new remix EP and a scorching debut in rotation, NAO is the gift that keeps on giving. The future funk will be of a particularly potent sort come April, when the British singer hits the road for a short sizzle of dates that could touch a stage near you.
If you happen to be a fan of Thom Yorke, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway and The Brother Greenwood, it's likely that this grip of dates, assisted in part by James Blake, is already on your radar. Consider this a friendly reminder to cop that stub while (if?) you still can.
On the heels of his most accessible, and frankly, danceable, album to date, The Odd One has a fresh round of ammunition for his three-month multinational marathon.
Hard to imagine, but the risen savior of trap will be hitting the road for his first headlining tour this spring. And with as many disciples as he's garnered over the years, just about anyone could pop up on any given night.
Emerging as one of the sharpest culture critics in hip-hop and well beyond, Staples' joint venture with Kilo Kish might be equal parts comedy and feels, but it'll be wholly worth the price of admission.
It'll be a bittersweet outing no doubt, but even sans Purple One, an opportunity to see one of the best live bands in history should be rigorously mulled over by any patron of The Paisley Arts.
FREEDBANDZ has been on historic run this last half of February, releasing two full-length albums in as many weeks. His upcoming tour in support of (at least) his self-titled and HNDRXX promises to be a celebration of the ATLien mothership, joined by Migos,Young Thugand the city's adopted sons, A$AP Ferg and Tory Lanez.
>>>Date and tickets
J. Cole
Mr. No Features isn't exactly the visible dude in the game. But if we're to take his Homecoming doc for any indication of what to expect on the 4 Your EyezOnly live run, you're gonna want this ticket.
No surprise here. The 3x Grammy-anointed golden-child of rap is equally-lauded for on-stage and on-record performances. On the follow-through of a transcendent year, you better believe Chano's schemes for these next few months will be as magnificent as the last.
![Kehlani shows Philadelphia 'The Way' live at Roots Picnic 2016 [Photo by Seher Sikandar for Okayplayer]](https://image.okayplayer.com/760548.webp?imageId=760548&width=960&height=720&format=jpg "Live and Direct: 18 Must-See Spring and Summer 2017 Tours")
![Afropunk 2015: Lenny Kravitz Made His Brooklyn Debut Alongside GCJ, Kelela, Thundercat + More [Day 2 Photos + Recap]](https://image.okayplayer.com/760827.webp?imageId=760827&width=960&height=720&format=jpg "Live and Direct: 18 Must-See Spring and Summer 2017 Tours")
