Read on for complete details about these gigs and the rest of Phoenix’s best concerts this week or check out our music listings for even more shows in the Valley.
Sir Richard Bishop
Tuesday, Aug. 29
Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd.
If anybody in the Phoenix scene deserves to be knighted, it’s Richard Bishop. A true O.G. of the local underground, Bishop made Arizona a hotbed of weirdness thanks to his work as part of Sun City Girls (the acid-damaged, world music-loving experimental band he founded with brother Alan Bishop and Charles Gocher). Since the Girls have wound down, Bishop has been releasing world music on his Sublime Frequencies label and blowing down doors with his solo records. As a guitarist, Bishop continues in the tradition of solo guitar wunderkinds like the late John Fahey. Spiking his musical style with splashes of surf tremolo and Arabic scales, Bishop’s frenetic shredding sounds like he’s trying to charm some Lovecraftian snake out of its basket. Don’t forget to pack some party favors when you go see this legendary knight mount his six-string steed. 7 p.m., $23.50-$28.50 via mim.org. Ashley Naftule
50 Cent
Tuesday, Aug. 29
Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N. 83rd Ave.
Is rap legend 50 Cent’s Final Lap tour going to be his last? Most likely, but only time will tell. The only thing that’s certain is that the globe-trotting jaunt celebrating the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough 2003 album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” will feature an enormous set list boasting more than 30 of Fiddy’s biggest songs. The G-Unit rapper will perform many of his various chart-topping hits — such as “Candy Shop,” “In da Club,” “P.I.M.P.” and “I’ll Whip ya Head Boy” — as well as tracks by his various collaborators and cohorts from over the years, including openers Busta Rhymes and Jeremih. 7 p.m., $39.50-$249 via livenation.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Weezer
Wednesday, Aug. 30
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St.
If Weezer had called it quits after 1996, they’d still be legendary. With 1994’s “The Blue Album,” Rivers Cuomo and company crafted a perfect slice of geeky power-pop. They were the Big Star of the ’90s — avatars of impeccable American songcraft — but unlike Alex Chilton and Chris Bell’s cult outfit, Weezer sold tons of records. Their sophomore album, “Pinkerton,” complicated their sound with feverish, creeper lyrics and a harder-edged sound. Most groups go their whole career without putting two records this distinct and substantial. The fact that Weezer are still going strong after all these years is impressive, even if the music they produce isn’t. Rivers can still write hits, but the batting average has gone down over the years. That being said: There are more than enough quality songs from the rest of their oeuvre to power a greatest hits concert. Get ready to throw up your Ws when the world’s most unlikely stadium rock band takes the stage in downtown Phoenix. With Spoon and White Reaper; 7 p.m., $64-$450 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule
Hed PE
Thursday, Aug. 31
Pub Rock Live, 8005 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale
Since 1994, Hed PE have blended punk rock and gangster rap with dashes of reggae to create something wonderfully chaotic. Since then, they’ve released 14 studio albums, performed innumerable shows, and tackled a unique range of issues in their lyrics (from social justice and 9/11 to extraterrestrial life in the universe). And although they’ve gone through more than a dozen members over the years, Hed PE have managed to stick around for the past couple of decades and aren’t going away anytime soon. They’ve got a new studio album in the works, “Detox,” which is set to drop next year and recently released the title track. Get a preview when Hed PE comes to Scottsdale’s Pub Rock Live on Thursday night. With Mike and the Molotovs, Heathensun and Marrysleepwithkill; 7 p.m., $18 via seetickets.us. Phoenix New Times
Counting Crows
Thursday, Aug. 31
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St.
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la. That’s the rallying cry of all drunk-folk guitar-twang music lovers come Thursday when none other than the Counting Crows hit the stage at Arizona Financial Theatre. It’s going to be something more than awesome when the band digs into big hits like “Mr. Jones,” “Round Here,” “Hangin’ Around,” “Accidentally in Love” and, of course, their cover of “Big Yellow Taxi.” If you know the band only from the “Shrek” soundtrack, stop what you’re doing and listen to their seminal album “August and Everything After.” If you’re a real product of the ’90s, you already know. When it comes to alt-rock and barstool poetry, this is the pinnacle. With Frank Turner; 7:30 p.m., $28.76-$313 via livenation.com. Phoenix New Times
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