Music / Nightlife

Grammy-winning rock band Switchfoot, which plays the Showbox Friday, began life on the sun-drenched beaches of San Diego, where brothers Jon and Tim Foreman and friend Chad Butler shared a passion for surfing.

They decided to name their band for a surfing term that describes a change in stance and direction, providing a metaphor for the alternative-rock group’s inevitable musical evolution.

V. Contreras was only 12 when she heard a song that changed her life.

On a nine-hour car trip to Idaho, Contreras and her family passed the time listening to her parents’ favorite albums on the car stereo.

“They played Linda Ronstadt, the Supremes and Heart, but when they played Patsy Cline’s ‘Sweet Dreams,’ it made a really big impression on me,” Contreras recalled.

Albert Hammond Jr. plays Petty Fest at the Showbox . (Jason McDonald)

What began in a tiny New York bar a dozen years ago as a jam session celebrating Bob Dylan’s 60th birthday has grown into a popular series of all-star charity fests honoring the music of Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

After 16 years, Christine McVie has come out of retirement to rejoin her bandmates in Fleetwood Mac for a fall tour that includes a Nov. 20 performance at the Tacoma Dome. (Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 7.) McVie, who retreated to the English countryside in the late ‘90s, will be back on stage with Mick…

Mike McCready, Sharon Jones, Meshell Ndegeocello and others will speak at the 2014 Pop Conference, Go! Music and Mobility, April 24-27 at EMP Museum. McCready, lead guitarist for Pearl Jam, will join Jones (of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings), singer-songwriter and bassist Ndegeocello and singer-songwriter Alynda Le Segarra for the opening night “Musicians on the Road” conversation. Mike…

(Bettina Hansen / The Seattle Times)

The improbable pairing of two baby-boomer icons — Paul Simon and Sting — enthralled a capacity crowd at KeyArena Wednesday in what Simon affectionately called “our little experiment.”

Blending their respective bands and repertoires into a powerful evening of rock ’n’ roll infused with world rhythms, Simon and Sting took turns performing separate sets as well as stirring duets of each other’s most beloved songs. (See additional photos.)

Not many Seattle bands can pretend that a national holiday was named in their honor. The Presidents of the United States of America, known to fans by the acronym PUSA, are warming up for Presidents Day with their sixth annual PUSAFEST, a series of weekend shows beginning Friday night at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland and…

(Marcus Yam / The Seattle Times)

Less than three weeks after winning a Grammy Award and joining in a star-studded Beatles tribute on the 54th annual telecast, Imagine Dragons arrived in Seattle Tuesday for a sold-out concert that felt like a giant Grammy after-party for local fans. (See the gallery for additional photos.)

The Las Vegas group, currently on its “Into the Night” arena tour — which features songs from its 2012 debut album, “Night Visions,” and breakthrough single “Radioactive” — performed an explosive, entertaining show at KeyArena.

(Photo by Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images)

It’s been more than a year and a half since Imagine Dragons’ debut album, “Night Visions,” saw the light of day.

The breakout rock album of 2013 has since sold more than 1 million copies, earning a platinum award, and yielded the singles “It’s Time,” “Radioactive” and “Demons.”

Last month, the band picked up the trophy for best rock performance (for “Radioactive”) at the 56th annual Grammy Awards, where the group performed with fellow nominee Kendrick Lamar, in a mashup of its hit “Radioactive” and Lamar’s “m.A.A.d city.”

Various Artists, ‘Sweetheart 2014’ (Hear Music/Concord)

Created exclusively for Starbucks, “Sweetheart 2014” is a delightfully eclectic collection of classic love songs by such current artists as The Head and the Heart, Beck, Brandi Carlile, Ben Harper, Vampire Weekend, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.