I've lived in Tucson for a little less than two years now, and, as a music fanatic, I've quickly learned that the Old Pueblo's got some pretty good chops when it comes to its music scene — although that may not be saying much since I grew up in Wyoming, where the only live music comes in the form of country cover bands that have to play behind chicken wire in bars.

Regardless, much of Tucson's awesome booking, at least during the spring season, comes from the Coachella lineup. Ever since the festival began running its two-weekend schedule last year, the bands that get booked are always looking for places to be before, between and after those two weekends in April, and Tucson (and Tempe for that matter) seems to work just fine for these pleasantly surprising mini-tours.

Most recently, Phoenix announced a stop in Tucson for a show at the AVA Amphitheater on April 9, just a few days before their headlining slots at Coachella's Saturday nights. Likewise, The Postal Service recently announced a small tour across the western U.S. with a show at Phoenix's Comerica Theater. Additionally, Rodriguez has two shows in Phoenix in Tucson on the Friday and Saturday before his second Sunday performance in Indio.

The same thing happened last year, namely with Bon Iver's show at the Tucson Convention Center on April 23. Feist opened the show, and both bands had come fresh from Saturday slots at Coachella.

So, if you missed the presale or can't make the 400-mile jog out west, chances are good that whatever you're missing out on may come back this way. For Southern Arizona, this spring's run of concerts is shaping up to be pretty good, too. Who needs Coachella when you've got the exceptional arts community that we have right here?