March means the (eventual) return of nice weather, so you no longer have to bundle up or stay indoors cursing the cold world beyond your apartment. And as the climate warms up, for those in need of more incentive to venture outside, there are several great gigs going down across the country.
The month starts strong with electronic-music producer Andy Stott's set in Tokyo this Friday (Liquidroom; 8 p.m. start; ¥3,500 advance; 03-5464-0800) and in Osaka Saturday at Club Karma. The Manchester-born Stott had a big 2012: His album "Luxury Problems" received much critical praise and was placed on many publications year-end lists. For all of those with work or plans on Saturday, don't worry, this is not an all-night affair — the Tokyo show ends at one in the morning.
Another one of last year's most buzzed-about artists comes to Japan later in March. Canada's Grimes wowed the crowd at Summer Sonic last August with a frantic mix of Mariah-Carey-inspired pop and tripped-out electronic sounds, and she'll be headlining a show in Osaka on March 25 (Osaka Club Quattro, 7 p.m. start; ¥5,500 advance; 06-6311-8111) before making stops at Nagoya and Tokyo's Club Quattros over the next two days, respectively.