Trainor in a groove after ‘All About that Bass’

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 15, 2016

At this point, it’s fair to say Meghan Trainor is about more than just bass.

Sure, the pop star got her start with the cheeky retro-vamping single “All About that Bass,” a timely hit where “bass” served as a not-so-subtle double entendre for a person’s derriere.

Her strong voice and deft vocal hooks, though, helped turn her into something other than a one-hit wonder. Songs like “Dear Future Husband,” her John Legend duet “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” and her new single “No” all showed a singer at the top of her game.

Now she’s touring behind her sophomore album, “Thank You.” She’ll headline the WaMu Theater at 8 p.m. July 16.

Tickets are $26.95 to $56.95 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

The WaMu Theater then will stay busy with a visit from Twenty One Pilots, the Midwestern alt-rock duo who exploded into the mainstream this year with its third album, “Blurryface.”

That disc, a No. 1 hit on the Billboard 200, has featured both rock radio hits like “Tear in My Heart,” and the pop smash “Stressed Out.” The latter song has helped make the band, as of this writing, the 16th most-listened-to act in the world on Spotify.

It’s a far cry from the group’s scrappy beginnings in Ohio, where the pair became a regional favorite thanks to constant touring, clever online marketing and a surprisingly palatable blend of rap and rock.

The group plays Seattle at 7 p.m. July 18.

Tickets are $45 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Also next week, Sting and Peter Gabriel will headline KeyArena on their Rock Paper Scissors tour. The pair play the venue at 8 p.m. July 21.

Sting is the bigger name here. As the front man for the Police, his voice became a staple of 1980s radio, with hits like “Roxanne” and “Message in a Bottle” to his credit. His solo career didn’t slow him down, though, as he continued to churn out memorable songs, including “Fields of Gold” and “Desert Rose.”

Gabriel is no slouch, though. He earned wide acclaim as the original frontman for Genesis before embarking on his own solo career, which made him a household name. His most iconic hits also came out in the 1980s, and include “Solsbury Hill,” “In Your Eyes,” and “Sledgehammer.”

Tickets are $45 to $250 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Marymoor Park’s summer concert series continues this weekend as well with a pair of shows coming to the outdoor amphitheater.

First up is a stop from the eccentric South African duo Die Antwood, which will play the venue at 7:30 tonight, July 15.

The pair’s over-the-top stage shows helped it earn a name far from its home in Cape Town, where the group got its start. But its explicit raps and electronica-friendly beats have also won fans on albums like “Donker Mag” and its latest release, “Suck on This,” which saw release earlier this year.

Tickets are $40 at axs.com.

Then, in almost direct contrast to Die Antwood, the affable Canadian pop stars the Barenaked Ladies will play Marymoor Park at 6 p.m. July 16.

The acts mix of folk, pop, and witty lyrics helped drive them to the top of the charts in the 1990s. At a time when boy bands and pop punk were ruling the charts, the group’s smart and sunny hits stood out. Big singles like “One Week” and “If I Had $1,000,000” brought the band wide acclaim.

Though the group has since gone through several ups-and-downs, it continues to release new music, like last year’s “Silverball,” along with the occasional live album, including this year’s “BNL Rocks Red Rocks.”

And yet, its most recognizable song at this point may be the infectious theme song for the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” which the band wrote and sings.

Tickets are $44.50 to $59.50 at axs.com.

Meanwhile, Don Henley will play the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery’s amphitheater in Woodinville at 7 p.m. July 19.

Henley first gained fame as the drummer and frequent front man for the Eagles, the 1970s rock icons. But his solo career continued into the 1980s. His hits from that time, including “The End of Innocence,” “The Boys of Summer” and “Dirty Laundry,” remain in steady rotation on the radio today.

Tickets are $150 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

And finally, on the other side of the mountains, famed jam band Phish will headline the Gorge Amphitheatre at 7:30 tonight, July 15, and Saturday, July 16.

The act’s musical stew—including strong elements of jazz, rock, bluegrass, folk—made it the heir apparent to the Grateful Dead in the 1990s. The band lived up to that hype, becoming icons with a deeply devoted fan base, even as its albums failed to produce hit singles.

Since then, the band has had an on-again, off-again relationship. Front man Trey Anastasio spent some time as a solo artist, but has since returned to the fold. The group put out its most recent album, “Fuego,” in 2014.

Tickets are $65 to $110 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.