An incarnation of long-running Seattle act Earth brings the heavy. Credit: Creative Commons / Takahiro Kyono

Major starpower is coming to Hemisfair’s March Madness Music Festival — Pitbull, Jelly Roll, T-Pain and more — but if massive crowds and radio hits aren’t your thing, don’t sweat it. A plethora of other musical performers are coming to town. Let’s check ’em out.

Friday, April 4

Spiritbox, Loathe, Gel, Dying Wish

Vancouver, Canada-based Spiritbox specializes in a melodic brand of alt-metal that highlights the versatile voice of frontwoman Courtney LaPlante while showing its adept hand at incorporating elements of metalcore, prog, shoegaze and more. As testament to its versatility, the group’s Grammy nod for Best Metal Performance stemmed from a collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Spitbox’s current tour is support of the 2025 album Tsunami Sea, which showcases its ability to combine off-kilter riffage, vicious breakdowns and LaPlante’s vocal gymnastics into a compelling package. While this one is sold out, fans of adventurous heavy sounds may want to check the secondary markets. Sold out, 6:30 p.m., Boeing Center at Tech Port, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, (210) 600-3699, boeingcentertechport.com. — Sanford Nowlin

Friday, April 4-Sunday, April 6

Pitbull, T-Pain, Jelly Roll, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and more

Both music fans and sports buffs have something to gain with the men’s Final Four being in town. Over its weekend-long run, the March Madness Music Festival at Hemisfair will showcase megastars such as Pitbull, T-Pain and Jelly Roll performing for free. The lineup also includes Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, who break the mold of traditional jock jams. Rateliff channels heartland, everyman experiences into a rock ’n’ roll sound that ranges from the hard charging “SOB” to the soulful “You Worry Me.” Check the NCAA website for the full lineup and schedule. Free, 6:45 p.m., Hemisfair Park, 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd., ncaa.com/marchmadness/musicfest. — Danny Cervantes

Sunday, April 6

Earth, Stebmo

Long-running Seattle act Earth — the name references Black Sabbath’s original moniker — is bringing its seismic slab of instrumental heaviness to SA. While critics frequently refer to the band as “drone metal,” its sound encompasses doom, sludge and the best of everything in between. A true rock ’n’ roll survivor story, Earth has been active since 1989 with a revolving cast supporting mastermind guitarist Dylan Carlson. Stebmo, the moniker of Seattle-based trombonist and keyboardist Steve Moor, opens with intriguing lo-fi jazz explorations. Moor’s long list of collaborators includes Sunn O))), First Aid Kit, Neko Case and Sufjan Stevens. $20, 8 p.m., 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird

Monday, April 7

Amyl and the Sniffers

Hope you got your tickets to this one already, kiddies, because it’s sold out like Snoop Dogg. Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers is ripping through a string of similarly sold-out shows around the world like a Tasmanian devil on a bender. The sardonic and high-energy group is a bonafide riot, thanks in no small part to frontwoman Amy Taylor hopping around stage shouting empowering and antagonizing feminist anthems while looking like a member of The Runaways. The tour is in support of Amyl and the Sniffers’ latest album, Cartoon Darkness, which touches on the existential dread brought on by today’s climate of war, A.I. and the daily clown show of politics. Despite the heavy source material, the band delivers everything with a trademark sense of humor (excuse us — humour). Standout singles on the new album include “You Shouldn’t Be Doing That” and “Jerkin’,” the video of which features full-frontal nudity. Fans of real-deal punk may want to see if there’s any way they can weasel their way in. Sold out, 7 p.m., 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Stephanie Koithan

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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 2025.