Kenny Chesney, Journey and Def Leppard, X Fest w/Jack White, Hayley Kiyoko, and Tommy James in Area Concerts (Sat., 6/2/18)

1) People will be partying in the parking lot and on boats with their boots on before country superstar Kenny Chesney takes the stage for a Heinz Field concert. One of the most accomplished names in country music, Chesney has released over 20 albums, 14 of them going at least gold. He’s also a successful crossover artist with many of his songs hitting the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. After studying advertising at East Tennessee State and playing local bars, Chesney moved to Nashville and began his amazing rise. His latest album Songs for the Saints will be released on July 27. Chesney’s the headliner of his Trip Around the Sun Tour, which this year sees Thomas Rhett (who won Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2017 Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards), Old Dominion, and Brandon Lay opening. 5 p.m. 100 Art Rooney Ave., North Shore.

2) It’s been over 40 years since Journey originally formed, and they haven’t stopped rocking (or believing!) since. Indeed, the band famous for “Don’t Stop Believin’” has been absolutely relentless in its success over the years; to date, their Greatest Hits album has sold more than 15 million copies. Top songs include “Wheel in the Sky,” “Faithfully,” and “Any Way You Want It.” They now tour with lead vocalist Arnel Pineda, who is a talented vocalist from the Philippines and who’s covered many a Journey song in his rock and roll career. Original lead singer Steve Perry left the band in the ’80s to pursue a solo career.

A top-selling, classic rock band, Def Leppard is one of only five bands that have had two original studio albums with sales of over 10 million each. The others sharing this distinction are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Pink Floyd. Top songs like “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” are some of the reasons for Def Leppard’s massive success. Lead guitarist Phil Collen played the Palace Theatre in February with his blues rock band Delta Deep on Joe Satriani’s G3 tour. Collen is an amazing guitarist in his own right. The co-headlining tour stops in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (EC, RH)

3) XFEST turns 20, and to celebrate, the organizers booked Jack White. The rock star clinched immortality at 26 when the White Stripes released “Seven Nation Army,” a song which sports fans chant, marching bands cover, and DJs still spin. After Jack White parted ways with drummer (and ex-wife) Meg White, and the White Stripes dissolved, Jack White began his remarkable run of solo albums, starting with 2012’s Blunderbuss. 2014’s Lazaretto followed. He released the eccentric Boarding House Reach this year. “Ice Station Zebra” sees White mashing bluesy piano chords with rapped lyrics and a guitar riff reminiscent of Metallica’s “One.” White also plays drums in the Dead Weather and is a member of The Raconteurs. He produced Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn in 2004. Also on the bill: Cold War Kids, who are known for singles such as “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “First.” Awolnation, who opened for the Rolling Stones in Pittsburgh in 2015, will perform as well, plus Sir Sly, lovelytheband, and more. 4 p.m. KeyBank Pavilion, 665 Rt. 18, Burgettstown. (CM)

4) The music video for Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls” tackles young sexuality in a serious way. It may be because of its sincerity, along with Kiyoko’s hypnotic vocals, that the video garnered over 91 million views and counting. The song appears on her second EP, This Side of Paradise. She’s released two other EPs and an LP, this year’s Expectations. “Curious,” a single from that album, squeaked onto Billboard’s US Mainstream Top 40 when it peaked at no. 40. It’s her first single to chart, and it also reached no. 37 on the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. Prior to her solo career, she was a member of The Stunners, a now defunct pop girl group. Her film appearances include the horror movie Insidious: Chapter 3. She had a recurring role on “CSI:Cyber” and played Velma Dinkley, the brains of the group of “meddling kids,” in two made-for-TV Scooby-Doo movies. See her live at Mr. Smalls Theatre. Gavin Turek opens. 8 p.m. Sold Out. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. (CM)

5) Pop-rock blasters Tommy James and the Shondells got their start in Niles, Michigan, but their big breaks came right here in the Pittsburgh area. Unknown to James, his group’s early and near-forgotten cover of “Hanky Panky” became a hit at local dance clubs in 1965—and from there, long story short, it was onward to stardom with late-’60s singles such as “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” and “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” James and the Shondells have kept on rocking through personnel changes and changing times. They’re on track (literally) for a special show at The Meadows. 8 p.m. 210 Racetrack Rd., Washington. (MV)

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