The best concerts of 2024 so far: AP’s picks include Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny, George Strait, SZA

As The Associated Press' music writer, Maria Sherman has seen more than 40 concerts during the first half of 2024. Here are some picks for the best shows ... so far, excluding any one-off performances that cannot be repeated, and where you too can catch these artists.

March 14, Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena

Bad Bunny’s show begins with a symphony, transitioning into the unmistakable strings of his monster hit, “Monaco.” “The Most Wanted Tour” highlights El Conejo Malo’s fifth solo album “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” (“Nobody Knows What Will Happen Tomorrow”) and his past reggaetón hits, too.

HIGHLIGHT: There is one moment that can only be described as equine.

OPENER: When you’re one of the biggest artists on the planet, do you really need an opener? Bad Bunny didn't.

SEE IT YOURSELF: This particular run of shows has come to an end, but here's a reminder to catch him next time he's in town.

April 5, New York's Madison Square Garden

Rodrigo’s spirited punky-pop warms an arena, as does her irreverent charms and Disney-informed dancing. If women performing their rage has fallen out of vogue, Rodrigo has brought it back, full force.

HIGHLIGHT: For the fans of her big-hearted ballads — in one moment, she’s lifted into the air and circles the arena in a purple crescent moon to slow things down.

OPENER: The Breeders — fronted by the Pixies’ Kim Deal — legends of ’90s college radio and indie rock. There’s something completist about hearing an arena discover “Cannonball” for the first time, a song that no doubt inspired Rodrigo’s music.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Rodrigo heads back to the U.S. this month with a new opener, the U.K. hyperpop producer PinkPantheress, before the Breeders return for two final nights in Los Angeles.

April 11, New York's Knockdown Center

Every generation gets the Crystal Castles it deserves. Or in less niche language: This Berlin duo brings humor to their music, which veers from hyperactive techno to German Neue Deutsche Welle in their acquired-taste electronica. The shows are sweaty, and no matter your age, you will be the oldest person in attendance.

HIGHLIGHT: The duo samples Dido’s soft-pop hit “White Flag,” while waving a white flag. It works.

OPENER: The techno-punk LustSickPuppy, whose abrasive rave music is presented as a kind of nightmarish clown show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Brutalismus will be hitting a few festivals in Europe this summer and fall.

May 1, New York's Barclays Center

She will run on club time, and she will not disappoint. Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2” is almost a retrospective of her chart-toppers, shifting alter-egos with incredible ease.

HIGHLIGHT: At this particular show, Minaj brought out Cyndi Lauper to duet “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” after 1 a.m.

OPENER: Monica has joined Minaj for this tour, and in Brooklyn, Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa opened the show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Minaj is hitting the European festival circuit this summer, then heading back to the U.S. in September.

May 6, New York's Brooklyn Paramount

Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41 has called it quits — and they’re going out in a blaze of glory, a farewell tour that has the immediacy of their youth.

HIGHLIGHT: Sum 41 does not want to exit quietly — they prove their endurance with an explosive set, fireworks and mosh pits and all. There’s also a giant, blow-up skull.

OPENER: The Interrupters, a ska-punk band that revitalized the genre, are worth arriving early for. At future dates, Sum 41 will be joined by Gob, Pup, Neck Deep and the Bronx.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Sum 41 is zigzagging across Europe and North America through early 2025.

May 21, Madison Square Garden

Not every artist can sell out Madison Square Garden on her first tour, but Megan Thee Stallion is not every artist. On her stage, Megan is an athlete and a dancer who delivers her fierce bars with an incredible crispness.

HIGHLIGHT: “WAP” is a can’t miss moment, of course — particularly if Cardi B makes a surprise appearance, like she did at MSG.

OPENER: Tennessee rapper GloRilla, who was most recently featured on the great, braggy “Accent” from the headliner's third album, “Megan.”

SEE IT YOURSELF: Europe will get to catch her in July, before she heads back home for a few festivals.

May 23, East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium

The Rolling Stones ran through 60 years of hits across two hours, including cuts from their first album of new material in nearly two decades, “Hackney Diamonds.”

HIGHLIGHT: When it comes to The Rolling Stones, the entire show is the highlight — but for this audience, it was likely the rollicking rendition of “Wild Horses.”

OPENER: The soulful Jon Batiste, an award-show staple for a reason.

SEE IT YOURSELF: The Stones' North American tour continues through July.

June 8, MetLife Stadium

They call him the King of Country for a reason. Live, George Strait can transform his one-off stadium shows into a honky-tonk; he performs with a big band and a lot of heart.

HIGHLIGHT: The closest a person can get to levitation is singing along to “Amarillo by Morning” in a stadium of tens of thousands.

OPENER: Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, with Stapleton joining Strait for a new song called “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame.”

SEE IT YOURSELF: Strait has a two more stadium dates in July — in Detroit and Chicago — and another in December, in Las Vegas.

June 7-9, New York's Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Summer festivals across the United States tend to have similar lineups. Governors Ball, arriving early in the season, sets the tone.

HIGHLIGHT: Now is the time to run, don’t walk, to see Chappell Roan. And learn the “Hot to Go” dance.

OPENER: Sexyy Red’s frisky rap is hard to deny.

SEE IT YOURSELF: Many of these artists will be hitting festivals in North American and Europe this summer. In fact, if you want to catch SZA, Sexyy Red and Chappell Roan in one go, consider Lollapalooza in August. Pluma is currently on his “Éxodo Tour” across North America, running through October.

Feb. 18, Melbourne, Australia's Northcote Social Club

In the search for thrilling, cathartic underground music — particularly of the indie variety — look no further than the rich scene of Melbourne, Australia. CLAMM, the punk trio, brings a controlled aggression to their live show. It is ferocious noise punk that hits like inhaling hand sanitizer — stinging alert their audience with clever agitation.

HIGHLIGHT: Later this month, CLAMM will release a new record, “Disembodiment.” Live, they’ve begun performing the chant-along opening cut, “Change Enough.”

OPENER: At this particular show, the Aussie indie band Scott and Charlene’s Wedding and the rapper Mulalo. A genre-diverse club show is a life-affirming club show.

SEE IT YOURSELF: CLAMM are headed to Europe for a series of dates this July, and back to Australia in August.

FILE - George Strait performs at the iHeartCountry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

FILE - Ronnie Wood, from left, Mick Jagger, Steve Jordan, and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform during the "Hackney Diamonds" tour at Soldier Field on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 performs during Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival on Friday, May 17, 2024, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Nicki Minaj performs during the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Bad Bunny performs during “The Most Wanted Tour” at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - American singer Olivia Rodrigo performs during her “Guts World Tour” in the Royal Arena in OErestad, Denmark, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Martin Sylvest/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A slow-moving and potentially record-setting heat wave is spreading across the Western U.S., the National Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. are also sweltering, with oppressive heat and humidity expected to last through Saturday.

Widespread temperature records are expected to be tied or even broken during the heat wave, with much of the West Coast likely to see triple-digit temperatures that are between 15 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit (8 and 16 degrees Celsius) higher than average, the National Weather Service said.

“The duration of this heat is also concerning as scorching above average temperatures are forecast to linger into next week,” the weather service said.

In the Portland, Oregon, suburb of Gresham, Sherri Thompson, 52, was waiting in her car with her 14-year-old chihuahua Kiwani for a cooling center to open late Friday morning. Thompson has lived in her car for three years and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat.

Thompson said the high temperatures prompted health concerns, as she had been hospitalized for a heat stroke in the past.

“I have anxiety and panic attacks and I get worried. I don’t want to have another heat stroke, and everything just triggers my anxiety a lot,” she said.

Inside the air conditioned center, Multnomah County spokesperson Julia Comnes oversaw county staff and people working with a local homeless services provider as they lined up thin mattresses in rows on the floor and set up cots for people with disabilities. She said the space had capacity for up to 80 people.

“Some of the hazards associated with this weekend especially is that it’s still pretty early in the season. We had a pretty cool June, so our bodies aren’t totally acclimated yet to the heat,” she said. “For people living outside or more vulnerable people, the cooling space like this is really important for them to just cool off for a few hours.”

The blistering weather in the Portland region is expected to last at least through Monday, National Weather Service meteorologist Clinton Rockey said. If the triple-digit temperatures (well over 37 degrees Celsius) stretch into Tuesday, then the region will match a record last seen in July 1941, with five consecutive days of more than 100-degree weather, Rockey said. The temperatures aren't expected to peak as high as they did during a similar heat wave in 2021 — which killed an estimated 600 people across Oregon, Washington and western Canada — but the duration could pose a problem, Rockey said.

Many homes in the region lack air conditioning, and round-the-clock hot weather means people’s bodies aren’t able to sufficiently cool down at night. The issue is compounded in many city settings, where concrete and pavement can store the heat, essentially acting as an oven.

“That's what drives people batty,” Rockey said. “It's going to be obnoxious. And unfortunately for some people, if you're not having good shelter, it could be a very challenging, life-threatening situation.”

In Arizona’s Maricopa County, which encompasses Phoenix, there have been at least 13 confirmed heat-related deaths this year, while the causes of more than 160 other suspected heat deaths were still under investigation, according to the county’s most recent report on such deaths through June 29.

That doesn’t include the death of a 10-year-old boy earlier this week in Phoenix, who suffered a “heat-related medical event” while hiking with his family at South Mountain Park and Preserve, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Among extremes, the forecast for Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park calls for daytime highs of 129 degrees (53.8 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, and then around 130 (54.44 C) through Wednesday. The official world record for hottest temperature recorded on Earth was 134 degrees (56.67 C) in Death Valley in July 1913, but some experts dispute that measurement and say the real record was 130 recorded there in July 2021.

At Bullhead City, Arizona, the temperature already had reached 111 degrees (44.4 C) by 11 a.m. Friday. The city opened a pair of cooling centers for seniors and others, but locals seemed to be taking it in stride.

“While this is a heat wave and we urge everyone to be cautious, we typically don’t see large attendance at our cooling centers unless there are power outages,” Bullhead City spokesperson Mackenzie Covert said Friday. “Our community is hot every summer. Our residents are kind of aware of it. They all tend to have working air conditioners.”

Figure skaters took to the ice at the Reno Ice Rink in Nevada starting at 6 a.m. Friday, general manager Kevin Sunde said. By the time the rink closes at 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Sunde expected nearly 300 people would have visited, with more parents hanging around to watch kids' hockey practice than usual.

“They may not be getting on the ice themselves, but enjoying the cool,” Sunde said. “We’re the only sheet of ice within about an hour’s drive.”

In Norfolk, Virginia, Kristin Weisenborn set up her table at an outdoor farmer's market to sell sourdough bread. The air was hovering just below the triple digits, but the 58% humidity in the air made it feel more like 114 degrees (46 C), according to the National Weather Service.

“It’s so hot, I just hope there’s a lot of people here that can buy my bread,” said Weisenborn, 42, whose Krid’s Crumbs bakery is based in Virginia Beach.

“Otherwise we’re just standing here sweating,” she said, adding that unsold bread will be donated or frozen.

Despite the layer of unmoving humidity that hung between tables, people were already buying Weisenborn’s loaves of bread as the market got underway.

“It’s hot, but it’s July,” Weisenborn added. “Better than snow, I guess.”

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press journalists Scott Sonner in Sparks, Nevada; Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina; John Antczak in Los Angeles; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; and Ben Finely in Norfolk, Virginia contributed.

Radha Ramya, second from right, eats her ice cream with family members Nadamuni Ramya, from left, Dinakar Ramya, Nirvi Ramya and Devineni Ramya at the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Jordan Savant, second from left, walks with his family carrying umbrellas on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Wesam Horni, center, sells water on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol, Friday, July 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Ty Brown, with Cultivate Initiatives, puts ice over bottles of water as workers set up the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Sherri Thompson uses her disability parking sign to fan off as she waits for the Cook Plaza cooling center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, arrives at the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. Thompson said the high temperatures prompted health concerns, as she had been hospitalized for a heat stroke in the past. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, arrives at the Cook Plaza cooling center after waiting for the center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Sherri Thompson, with her chihuahua 14-year-old Kiwahi, waits in her vehicle for the Cook Plaza cooling center to open on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. Thompson has lived in her car for three years, and can only run its air conditioning for about 20 minutes at a time as it causes the engine to overheat. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Doll Crain, with Cultivate Initiatives, marks off places for beds as workers set up the Cook Plaza cooling center on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Gresham, Ore. A heat wave is spreading across Wester U.S., the national Weather Service said, sending many residents in search of a cool haven from the dangerously high temperatures. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)