Don’t discount Sinead O’Connor for her pop culture infamy, established in 1992 when she tore a photo of the pope into pieces on “Saturday Night Live” to protest child abuse in the Catholic Church.
The Grammy-winning Irish vocalist has remained controversial, never shying from her fiercely held beliefs. Consider her new album, “Theology,” which takes on the political and social gray areas that have emerged since 9/11.
But just as Jackie Mason eventually recovered from his supposed bird-flipping gaffe on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964, O’Connor’s brick-busting voice and empowering messages will ultimately stand taller than any random TV hiccup.
Tickets for O’Connor’s Sept. 21 concert at the Paramount Theatre are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($32.50-$52.50, Ticket )
The Nationa may have issued the year’s best album when it released “Boxer” two months ago, a studied, liquid rumination on political and personal anguish, shot through with Matt Berninger’s sublimely literate lyrics. The New York indie outfit plays the Ogden Theatre on Sept. 18. Tickets are on sale now. ($15, Ticketmaster)
Commonsuccessfully navigated the switch from ’90s underground hero to mid-level hip-hop star, his smart flows paving the way for a Grammy nomination and host of guest appearances. The Chicago native will release his seventh disc, “Finding Forever,” on July 31 and play the Fillmore Auditorium on Sept. 13. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($35, Ticketmaster)
The Vail International Dance Festival has become a summer rite in the Vail Valley since it debuted in 1989. Tickets for the event, which takes place July 29-Aug. 11 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and Vilar Center for the Arts, are on sale now – and going fast. (various prices,)
KS 107.5’s Snooperfest combines three heavy-hitting hip-hop and R&B shows into one discount ticket: Beyoncé at Pepsi Center on Aug. 22, The KS 107.5 Back to School Jam featuring T.I., Ciara and T-Pain on Aug. 29, and Snoop Dogg at the Fillmore Auditorium on Sept. 4. Tickets are on sale now. ($107.50, Ticketmaster)
Megadeth continues its overt critique of domestic politics on the showy, prog-leaning new disc “United Abominations.” Expect to hear a set heavy on that album’s songs when the prototypical metal act stops by the Ogden Theatre Sept. 16. Tickets are on sale now. ($32, Ticketmaster)
The Used may hail from Orem, Utah, but these guys are on a different kind of mission. The throat-rending hardcore band went through the social wringer (poverty, homelessness, drugs) before winning over pop-punk and metal crowds with stints on Ozzfest and the Warped Tour. Tickets for the band’s Sept. 19 show at the Fillmore Auditorium are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($20, Ticketmaster)
