The 11 best concerts coming to Memphis in March: Bob Dylan, Pete Davidson, Scarface & more

Spring is in the air and temperatures will be heating up soon, as will the Memphis and Mid-South concert calendar.

After a relatively slow start to 2024, entertainment options in the Bluff City are expanding with a variety of big national concert tours, major comedy stars and special local events set for the month of March.

Here are 11 top shows you won’t want to miss in the coming weeks.

We Them Ones Comedy Tour: March 1, Landers Center

It’ll be a big evening of laughs as the We Them Ones Comedy Tour stops at Southaven’s Landers Center to kick off March. Hosted by veteran funnyman Mike Epps — star of “Next Friday” — this package bill will feature the talents of rising standups DeRay Davis, DC Young Fly, Chico Bean, Lil Duval, Mojo Brookzz and Money Bag Mafia. Tickets: start at $64; go to Ticketmaster.com.

Stephen M. Lee Record Release: March 1, The Green Room at Crosstown Arts

Stephen M. Lee, the founder/artistic and executive director of nonprofit arts group Memphis Jazz Workshop, will play a special March 1 show at the Green Room at Crosstown Arts, celebrating the release of his new album, “In the Moment.” A Memphis native, the New York-educated Lee returned to the Bluff City in 2010 and has taught in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system, at the Stax Music Academy and worked as a fellow for the Memphis Music Initiative. With credits that include Gregory Porter, Esperanza Spalding, Kirk Whalum, Warren Wolf, Corcoran Holt, Ulysses Owens Jr. and many more, Lee is one of the city’s top jazz pianists. Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door; go to Crosstownarts.org.

Pete Davidson: March 2, Minglewood Hall

New York comedian Pete Davidson is making a stop in Memphis on his Wellness Check Tour. Davidson will perform two standup comedy shows on March 2 at Minglewood Hall, at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The tour comes on the heels of Davidson's January-released Netflix special, "Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli." Davidson was on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for eight seasons between 2014 and 2022. He also has a semi-autobiographical film about growing up, "The King of Staten Island," released in 2020. Tickets: $60-$105; go to Ticketmaster.com.

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The Blue Jeans Ball: March 9, Orpheum

It will be an evening of old soul, classic R&B and funky blues, as The Blue Jeans Ball takes over Downtown’s Orpheum on March 9. The show will feature performances by R&B vets Willie Clayton, TK Soul, Jeff Floyd and Courtney Little offering their tribute to the legends of blues and soul, including Willie Hutch, Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Womack. Fans are encouraged to show up dressed to impress for this special evening of music. Tickets: $48-$93; go to Ticketmaster.com.

Scarface: March 16, Minglewood Hall

One of hip-hop greatest MCs, Brad “Scarface” Jordan is bringing his Behind the Desk Experience Tour to Memphis. A co-founding member of Houston rap legends The Geto Boys, Scarface will headline a March 16 show at Midtown’s Minglewood Hall. Tickets: start at $75; VIP/meet-and-greet packages also available for $179. Go to Ticketmaster.com.

A Quiet Storm, featuring Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson: March 16, Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

Some of the smoothest sounds in R&B will be heard at the Cannon Center during the A Quiet Storm concert event. The March 16 show will feature performances by hitmakers Jeffrey Osborne, Peabo Bryson, Julian Vaughn, saxophonist Joe Johnson and violinist Daniel Parker. Tickets: $82-$158; go to Ticketmaster.com.

Winter Jam 2024: March 22, Landers Center

Christian music’s biggest tour, Winter Jam 2024, is headed to the Mid-South. The latest edition of the popular package tour — founded by Newsong and presented by World Vision — is set to hit Southaven’s Landers Center on March 22. The show will feature performances by Crowder, Lecrae, CAIN, Katy Nichole and Seventh Day Slumber, as well as Newsong. Lovin’ Life’s Zane Black will also be the event’s featured speaker. Tickets: $15 at the door. For more information, go to Jamtour.com.

Kurt Vile & the Violators: March 22, Minglewood Hall

Philly-rooted indie rock favorite Kurt Vile is coming to Midtown’s Minglewood Hall, headlining a concert backed by his band the Violators on March 22. Vile recently released the EP “Back to Moon Beach,” a follow-up to his 2022 full length, “Watch My Moves.” Tickets: $43; go to Ticketmaster.com.

ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd: March 23, Landers Center

Classic rock veterans ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are bringing their co-headlining The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour to the Mid-South. Blues rockers ZZ Top are no strangers to the Memphis area, having recorded numerous hit albums at Midtown’s Ardent Studios, and have performed regularly in town for 50 years. The group — led by founding members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard — was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, as part of its inaugural class, in 2012. Southern rock titans Lynyrd Skynyrd also have longstanding ties to the region, having made some notable appearances in Memphis dating back to the early 1970s. The tour group will co-headline a show at the Landers Center in Southaven on March 23. Tickets: $56-$231; go to Ticketmaster.com.

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Emily Barker: March 23, The Green Room at Crosstown Arts

Australian singer-songwriter Emily Barker is no stranger to Memphis. Back in 2016, Baker recorded her "Sweet Kind of Blue" album with Memphis producer Matt Ross-Spang at Phillips Studio. After 21 years living in the UK — where she gained notice for her theme music to "Wallander," the BBC’s hugely successful crime drama starring Kenneth Branagh — Barker has moved back to Australia, but she will be coming to the U.S. for a series of shows around the annual SXSW music conference in Austin. Barker will play an intimate concert at the Green Room at Crosstown Arts on March 23. Tickets: $20; go to Crosstownarts.org.

Bob Dylan: March 29-30, Orpheum

Bob Dylan is coming back to Memphis. He has unofficially been on what’s known as his “Never Ending Tour” since 1988. Officially, he’s been out in support of his 2020 album, "Rough & Rowdy Ways," since late 2021. Last year, Dylan played shows across Europe, Japan and North America. In early 2020, he had a summer show on the books for Southaven’s BankPlus Amphitheater, a concert that was postponed and ultimately canceled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He would eventually make it to Memphis in 2022 as part of the Rough & Rowdy Ways Tour, performing at the Orpheum in April of that year. Dylan tour will return to the Orpheum for a two-night stand on March 29-30. Tickets: $72-$237; go to Ticketmaster.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Bob Dylan, ZZ Top and Pete Davidson: 11 best Memphis concerts in March