Chart-topping Rihanna brings string of hits to Seattle arena
Published 9:03 am Thursday, March 28, 2013
It’s fair to say Rihanna is on a hot streak.
The Barbados-born pop star has scored a No. 1 hit in seven of the past eight years, with her most recent chart-topper, “Diamonds,” again coasting to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
Her road to the top was unexpected. She was plucked from obscurity by a music producer while he was on vacation in the West Indies. Since then, she has scored a whooping 18 top 10 singles.
She’s the kind of crossover star that ends up singing with everyone from Jay-Z to Coldplay and, of course, headlining stadiums entirely on her own.
That’s what she’ll do at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, when she takes her world tour to KeyArena.
Tickets are $50.90 to $141.23 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Bob Seger is also familiar with the top of the charts. The heartland rocker will bring his Silver Bullet Band — along with opening act Joe Walsh — to the Tacoma Dome at 8 tonight.
Seger’s popularity has held steady for decades. His greatest hits collection, originally released in 1994, continues to top Billboard’s list of best-sellling back catalog albums.
That record included a solid block of hits — “Old Time Rock &Roll,” “Roll Me Away,” “Night Moves” — that showcased his estimable legacy.
Tickets are $53.50 to $111 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Another long-running act, Billy Bragg, will headline the Neptune Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Bragg made his name as a leading voice in Britain’s anti-folk scene in the 1980s.
In the U.S., he may be most famous for his collaboration with rock band Wilco. The two acts teamed up to set unused Woody Guthrie lyrics to music, turning their efforts into a pair of acclaimed albums, the “Mermaid Avenue” recordings.
Granted, Bragg’s solo output also has won a loyal following on this side of the Atlantic. He’s now touring behind his newest album, “Tooth and Nail,” which saw release on March 19.
Tickets are $36.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
A pair of hard rock acts also are coming to Seattle, headlining the Showbox SoDo on consecutive nights.
First up is KMFDM at 8 p.m. Saturday. The German group’s fusion of industrial rock and electronica has helped it establish a faithful cult audience.
Tickets are $25 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Then, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Anthrax will play the same venue. The metal band will headline a bill that also includes hard rock acts Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail.
The long-running act got a Grammy nomination in 2011 for its comeback album “Worship Music,” and released an album of classic rock covers earlier this month, titled “Anthems.”
Tickets are $31.50 to $35 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Finally, alt-pop superstars Phoenix will headline a sold-out show at the Paramount Theatre at 8 p.m. tonight .
If fans don’t already have tickets, they may be out of luck. The French act chose not to issue physical tickets in advance to prevent scalping. That means the best bet for a ticket will be going to the venue before the show and hoping someone has a spare to sell.
