Country star Miranda Lambert brings ‘Platinum’ tour to Tacoma Dome

Published 5:37 pm Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Forget cupid — Miranda Lambert doesn’t sing your typical love songs.

The country superstar, who will kick off Valentine’s Day weekend with a show at the Tacoma Dome at 7:30 Feb. 13 that is less love-struck than striking at love.

She released her platinum-selling debut, “Kerosene,” back in 2005, when she was 22-years-old. Since then, she’s become a consistent presence on the country charts and, thanks to her marriage to country star Blake Shelton, equally consistent tabloid fodder.

Her most recent disc, the appropriately titled “Platinum,” was released last year. Along with landing at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, the album helped earn her a cover story on Rolling Stone — a rarity for a country star.

Chalk up that crossover success to her bad-girl image. Past hits have found her tackling domestic violence and tales of revenge-seeking girlfriends. On “Platinum,” she even includes a song with an unprintable four-letter word. Fans can expect a fiery performance during her stop in the Seattle area.

Tickets are $51.04 to $68.35 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Lambert isn’t the only platinum-haired singer headed to the Northwest.

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Billy Idol also is coming back to town, headlining the Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. Feb. 13. Famous for his spiky blond hair, curl-lipped sneer and long run of hits, Idol has remained an enduring pop-punk icon since his 1980s heyday. Then, he topped the charts with songs like “Cradle of Love” and “Mony Mony.”

Now, he’s touring behind his latest album, “Kings &Queens of the Underground.” That disc, released last year alongside a new memoir by the singer, found Idol returning to the swaggering rock songs of his past.

Tickets are $40 to $70 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

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Meghan Trainor will play Valentine’s Day itself, as the pop star comes to the Neptune Theatre. The sold-out show starts at 8 p.m. Feb. 14.

Trainor is the latest in an increasingly long line of 1960s soul-vamping singers. Unlike Amy Winehouse and Adele, however, Trainor puts a lot more cheeky sass into her upbeat odes to love.

The singer already can claim an international hit. “That Bass,” a winking song about full-bodied women, has hit No. 1 in the U.S. and across Europe. But her bubbling hits look like they’ll keep coming, thanks to hook-heavy tracks including “Dear Future Husband,” “Walkashame” and “Lips Are Movin,” all off her debut album, “Title.”

Tickets can be found at a mark-up at stubhub.com.

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Irish pop-folk singer Hozier will also hit Seattle on Valentine’s Day, as he plays a show the Paramount Theatre at 8 p.m. Feb. 14.

Hozier won a quick following after the release of the song “Take Me to Church,” a politically-charged crossover hit that pushed the singer to the top of the rock charts.

An appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a self-titled album followed, each showcasing the singer’s powerful voice and sharp lyrics.

Tickets are $21.25 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

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Gov’t Mule, the long-running blues rock band, will bring a guest along for its show at the Moore Theatre at 8 p.m. Feb. 18.

The band will be joined by jazz guitarist John Scofield, who famously played with the band back in 1999. One of their shows together recently saw the light of the day, when the group released “Sco-Mule.” The musicians are touring in support of that disc now.

Tickets are $30 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

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Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel also will hit the Moore, as he plays a show at 7:30 p.m. Feb 19.

Emmanuel has been winning fans since the 1980s thanks to his virtuosic finger-picking style. He’s touring now behind his 2014 double-disc album, “The Guitar Mastery of Tommy Emmanuel.”

Tickets are $32.50 to $42.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

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Finally, the Showbox will welcome Motion City Soundtrack at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17.

The emo-pop band is marking the 10th anniversary of its record “Commit This to Memory,” a fan favorite that pushed the band onto the Billboard 200 a decade ago.

Tickets are $22.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-78ts49.