16 Must-See South Florida Concerts This April

This month's musical lineup is no April Fool's Day joke. The fourth month of 2016 is filled with must-see music festivals and heavy-duty headliners. Here's a chronological list of which nights to mark off on your calendars.

Of Montreal
April 1 at Culture Room

The indie-rock outfit out of Athens, Georgia, puts on a live spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Frontman Kevin Barnes explodes with energy. On any given night you never know what type of spectacle he has in his back pocket.  In the past, he has performed on horseback and also in the nude.

Rockfest '80's Concert
April 2 and 3 at Markham Park

Reminisce while wearing shoulder pads and big hair as you hear Paul Rodgers sing his songs from Free and Bad Company, Poison's Bret Michaels will tell you "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Night Ranger will rock out to "Sister Christian," and the Romantics get all new wave on you.

DJ Jazzy Jeff
April 3 at Rhythm & Vine

Will Smith's old running mate on "Parents Just Don't Understand," "Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble," and "Summertime" rocks the turntables for the popular Fort Lauderdale beer garden's first-anniversary party.

G. Love and Special Sauce
April 6 at Culture Room

Philly's G. Love got his start busking on the streets of his hometown. It was there, armed with a guitar and harmonica, that he took his blues background into the realm of hip-hop. After moving to Boston, he formed the band G. Love and Special Sauce, a group with his signature style that you'd hear regularly on MTV in the 1990s with songs like "Cold Beverage" and "Baby's Got Sauce." The band continues to tour regularly and released a 2015 album, Love Saves the Day, that features impressive collaborators like Lucinda Williams and Citizen Cope. — Liz Tracy

The Melvins
April 7 at Culture Room

The Melvins innocuously influenced the grunge movement of the early-'90s with their blend of slow-era Black Flag and stoner-sludge Black Sabbath sounds. Innovators in their own right, the upcoming Basses Loaded is an ode to their strength as musical collaborators (regardless of the passage of time), with the album featuring the work of six bassists, including Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Jeff Pinkus from the Butthole Surfers. — Abel Folgar

Pearl Jam
April 8 at BB&T Center and April 9 at American Airlines Arena

The grunge veterans are kicking off their North American tour by playing their first South Florida dates since 2008. Expect to stay late, as the Seattle rockers are known to play for hours and hours from their first '90's hits like "Alive" and "Jeremy" to tracks off their newest album, 2013's Lightning Bolt.

Lake Worth Reggae Fest
April 8-9 at Bryant Park

Get your reggae reggae reggae on with headlining sets by Matisyahu and Black Uhuru along with supporting acts The Hip Abduction, the Ellameno Beat, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and Sammy J.

Hollywood Salsa Festival
April 9 at ArtsPark at Young Circle

Celebrate the music of the late, great Tito Puente with salsa acts Orquesta Calle Sol, Melina Almodovar, Sandy Silva, Ramses Araya, Nuevolution Dance Studios, and a performance by Tito Puente Jr. 

Meat Loaf
April 14 at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre

The larger-than-life icon responsible for the Grammy-winning single “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)" returns to this venue for the first time in eight years.

Tortuga Music Festival
April 15-17 at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park

Raising money to increase awareness preserving our oceans this beachfront festival held on the coast is heavy on country with headliners Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, and Dierks Bentley but also features the classic rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the reggae-rock of Michael Franti and Spearhead, and the must-see R&B/funk of St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

NOFX
April 22 at Revolution Live

The Southern California punks still rock just as hard three decades into their career. Lead singer Fat Mike, drummer Erik Sandin, and guitarists El Hefe and Eric Melvin are as raucous as ever.

Santigold
April 26 at Revolution Live

You'll remember this Philly singer from her 2008 indie rock hit "L.E.S. Artistes," but she now has a three-album-deep catalog, including most recently this year's 99¢ .Expect high-energy vocals with lots of dancing, both onstage and in the crowd.

SunFest
April 27- May 1 in downtown West Palm Beach

Once again, the organizers of the West Palm street fair have brought something for everyone. G-Eazy, the Roots, and Salt N Pepa will satisfy hip-hop heads; ZZ Top and Butch Trucks will please classic rockers; Duran Duran is there for '80s obsessors; Death Cab for Cutie will be getting all emo for you; Alabama Shakes will bring R&B-infused rock; and Meghan Trainor will be all about that bass.

Tokyo Police Club
April 28 at Culture Room

David Monks' nasal vocals power this Canadian indie-rock quartet as it promotes its cheekily named new EP Melon Collie and the Infinite Radness (Part 1).

Ra Ra Riot
April 29 at Revolution Live

With Miami's psychedelic punk rockers Jacuzzi Boys opening up the night, New York synth-pop mainstays Ra Ra Riot will help round out April's eclectic musical offerings with a stop in Fort Lauderdale along their cross-country tour in support of Need Your Light. The latest album has been called an "'80s dance party" with "better hooks, better production, and a more surefooted embrace of the synth-laden songcraft" by A.V. Club.

Boston
April 29 at Hard Rock Live

The classic-rock staples will be belting out all their hits, from "More Than a Feeling" to "Peace of Mind."