The Five Best Concerts in Miami This Weekend

Brandi Carlile. It had been a while since a country-singing woman took the music industry by storm. Then came Brandi Carlile, a slow, rumbling weather change. Carlile not only can write, sing, and produce songs that win Grammys but also she's a do-gooder. She launched the Looking Out Foundation to fund causes and organizations that support those whose voices are often not heard. To raise money for the foundation, she teamed up with British singer Sam Smith for "Party of One" to help children affected by war. She's a member of the Americana supergroup the Highwomen, which has its own cult following. A proudly queer woman, Carlile is also an activist for LGBTQ rights and women's empowerment. Don't miss a chance to enjoy Carlile's brand of alt-country this weekend. 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, 954-797-5531, hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com. Tickets cost $21.40 to $91.50.
Chaos in the CBD. Auckland's Chaos in the CBD is proof that isolation breeds creativity. Brothers Louis and Ben Helliker-Hales have tinkered with music since childhood, but it wasn’t until 2011 when they officially founded this project. The pair built a reputation for delivering a style of dance music that's too heavy for the average house set yet too svelte to be considered techno. In 2012, their willingness to eschew dance-music conventions took them to one of Europe's brightest nightlife capitals, London, where they've put their stamp on the Peckham scene that was just coalescing at the time. Unencumbered by expectations, the brothers weave left-field elements such as tribal music and jazz into all of their work, whether in the studio or behind the decks. Read more about the brothers in "There's Nothing Chaotic About Chaos in the CBD's Sound." With Ennio Skoto and True Vine. 11 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Floyd, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-608-2824; floydmiami.com. Tickets cost $11.25 to $33.75.
Berlin, with Big Country. Forty years since its inception, Berlin is still commanding the fascination of mainstream crowds and the synth-pop scenesters who propelled the group to fame. The New Wave band is best known for the iconic love song "Take My Breath Away" — which dominated awards shows and the charts after its infamous repeat appearances in 1986's Top Gun — but singles such as "Sex (I'm A...)" and "The Metro" have ensured Berlin's place in the great dance-floor canon. The California-based group is touring in support of its latest album, November 2019's Transcendance, in addition to celebrating its 40th year as a band. The victory lap will pass through Miami this Saturday when Berlin performs at the Ground alongside fellow New Wave luminary Big Country. Read about Berlin's frontwoman in "Berlin's Terri Nunn Is Still Taking Fans' Breath Away." 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 305-375-0001; thegroundmiami.com. Tickets cost $45 to $49.50.
Charlotte de Witte and Ellen Allien. Calling Belgian DJ/producer Charlotte de Witte a new artist would be incorrect. Although she has recently enjoyed a meteoric rise through the techno ranks, the 27-year-old has been producing music for more than five years and has been DJ’ing since she was 17. She released her early original music under the wittingly misleading moniker Raving George in an effort to preempt misogynistic remarks by malicious internet trolls. One such track, the balmy “You’re Mine,” released on Spinnin’ Records, has accrued more than 25 million hits on YouTube. Later she thought “fuck it” and began performing and producing under her birth name. “I was already playing techno as Raving George,” de Witte says. "It wasn't really a change of sound. It was more the process of me growing up and knowing what [my career] is, what I do in my life, and not hiding behind the male alter ego anymore.” Read the full interview with the DJ, "Charlotte de Witte Is Among the Most Accomplished Electronic Artists Today." 11 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $22.50 to $45.
Global Cuba Fest. Beginning this Saturday, the local nonprofits Fundarte and the Miami Light Project will present artists from Cuba and its diaspora at the 13th edition of Global Cuba Fest. As with the festival's 2019 iteration, Fundarte and the Miami Light Project are partnering with the like-minded Rhythm Foundation to host the gathering's opening night at the balmy North Beach Bandshell. "This program is focused on presenting, without taboo, artists from the island and the diaspora with the goal of finding a space where the politics of [the Cuban and U.S.] governments don't interfere with the Miami-Dade public's appreciation of great artistic expression," Fundarte founder and Cuban émigré Ever Chavez says. Read more in "Global Cuba Fest 2020 Breaks Political and Musical Barriers." With Yelsy Heredia, Brenda Navarrete, and others. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the North Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-672-5202; northbeachbandshell.com. Tickets cost $25.