Dixie Chicks back on the road, gigging in Seattle

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 8, 2016

The Pacific Northwest will get a little bit country as the Dixie Chicks come to town.

The beloved country-pop trio are back on the road for their first headlining tour in a decade. They will play the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn at 7 tonight.

At the turn of the millennium, the act became one of the biggest bands country music had ever seen, with songs that played well both north and south of the Mason-Dixon line. Hits like “Wide Open Spaces” and “Goodbye Earl” helped the group break sales records and build a mammoth fan base.

Things got a little rocky for the act, however, after lead singer Natalie Maines criticized the war in Iraq, alienating many of the band’s conservative fans and leading to boycotts of the act. But the Dixie Chicks climbed out of that hole — and, perhaps, traded one type of fan for another — thanks to new hits like “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

Though the group has kept a fairly low profile in recent years — it’s been a decade since their last studio album — the new tour could mark a Renaissance for the group. Time will tell if new music follows.

Tickets are $106 to $315 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

A couple of shows even closer to home will keep concertgoers coming to Snohomish County in the days ahead.

In Everett, the Xfinity Arena will host emo favorites Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Dashboard Confessional may be the main draw, but just by a hair. The act, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba, won an audience with heart-on-sleeve lyrics, typified by its first hit, “Screaming Infidelities.” Subsequent singles like “Vindicated” and “Hands Down” showed the group also had some pop rock chops.

Taking Back Sunday’s career followed a similar trajectory. The group’s sentimental lyrics helped win it an early audience, before the group jumped to the major labels — and greater sales success — with emo-pop albums like “Louder Now” and “Where You Want to Be.”

Tickets are $39.95 to $59.95 at xfinityarenaeverett.com or 866-332-8499.

The Tulalip Amphitheatre, meanwhile, will host chart-topping rockers Foreigner at 7 tonight.

The group was a dominant force on the charts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, churning out arena-ready hits and power ballads like “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Cold as Ice” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You.”

Though the group’s heyday has since passed, its impressive back catalogue should help the group pack its set with plenty of familiar hits — fitting for the group that sang “Juke Box Hero.”

Tickets are $50 to $200 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Woodinville’s Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery also will keep busy as it welcomes the Goo Goo Dolls to its amphitheater at 6 p.m. Saturday.

In some respects, the Goo Goo Dolls have charted a path a bit like Foreigner. They too built their name with a mix of pop chops and arena-ready anthems during their peak run in the mid-1990s into the new century.

Also like Foreigner, the group will have no difficulty populating its set with well-known tracks. Its guitar-driven hits include the songs “Name,” “Slide,” “Iris” and “Black Balloon.”

Tickets are $85 to $500 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Steven Tyler also is heading out on tour, as the Aerosmith front man brings his solo show to McCaw Hall in Seattle at 8 tonight.

Tyler became a household name thanks to Aerosmith. Then, his flamboyant style and soaring vocals helped turn the rock group into American icons. Tracks like “Sweet Emotion,” “Crazy” and “Dude Looks Like a Lady” are among that band’s dozens of hits.

However, the group members have had a long and tumultuous relationship, contributing to Tyler’s decision to go solo. He’s on tour now as he prepares to release his debut country album, which will feature the cheesily awesome named single “Red, White and You.”

Tickets are $76.95 to $146.95 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

A couple of grunge greats also will play Seattle tonight.

Alice in Chains will headline the Paramount Theatre at 8 tonight, July 8.

The Seattle group blended heavy metal-leaning guitars with unusually melodic harmonies on hits like “Them Bones,” “Would?” and “Heaven Beside You,” helping the group became one of the city’s many musical ambassadors in the early 1990s.

Though the death of singer Layne Staley from an overdose in 2002 was a terrible blow to the band, guitarist Jerry Cantrell and company eventually recruited a new singer, William DuVall. Subsequent comeback albums have been embraced by fans, bringing fresh energy to the long-running act.

Tickets are $65.75 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.

Also at 8 tonight, July 8, Ellensburg native and former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan will play a solo show at the Neptune Theatre.

Lanegan’s dark take on rock first won him fame with hits including “Nearly Lost You” in the early 1990s.

A prolific songwriter, Lanegan worked on solo material even during those days. He since has established his own career, with albums including “Blues Funeral” and “Phantom Radio” earning warm praise from rock critics.

Tickets are $28.50 to $31.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.