We can hear it now, the crowd on the first day of ROCQfest Friday, March 7, singing along to 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice’s iconic “Ice Ice Baby.”
The crowd will be chanting the percussive chorus, which sampled the bassline of the Queen-David Bowie hit “Under Pressure.” We’re guessing the audience that is sure to fill Rillito Park will be singing louder than the unapologetic one-hit wonder on stage.
Hey, if you’re gonna have just one hit, you should hope it endures as long as Vanilla Ice’s; the song, released in 1990, is still played on the radio long after it established the artist as the first white rapper to achieve commercial success.
Vanilla Ice is on the lineup Friday with fellow 1990s rappers Rob Base (“It Takes Two” with the late DJ E-Z Rock) and Tone Loc (“Wild Thing,” “Funky Cold Medina”) on day one of the two-day ROCQfest at Rillito Park, 4502 N. First Ave.
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The music festival is part of the 2025 Cologuard Classic golf tournament March 7-9 at La Paloma Country Club, 3660 E. Sunrise Drive.
Texas country rocker makes his Tucson debut at ROCQfest on Saturday, March 8, as part of the Cologuard Classic golf tournament.
Saturday’s show goes country with Texas country rocker Koe Wetzel and Nashville rising star Dylan Marlowe, and Tucson’s own Sophia Rankin & the Sound and Drew Cooper.
Gates at Rillito open at 4 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $49 Friday, $65 Saturday through rocqfest.com.
Also on Tucson stages this weekend, Fox Tucson Theatre has jazz great Branford Marsalis and his quartet on Thursday, March 6.
The Grammy-winning saxophonist comes here weeks before the March 28 release of “Belonging,” the quartet’s debut on the iconic Blue Note Records and their first new release since 2019.
Thursday’s show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $45-$77.50 through foxtucson.com.
The Branford Marsalis Quartet — from left, Marsalis, Justin Faulkner, Eric Revis and Joey Calderazzo — are playing a show at Fox Tucson Theatre on Thursday.
DRUMLine Live, inspired by the 2002 20th Century Fox film “Drumline” and the 2014 sequel “Drumline: A New Beat,” started touring in 2009. On Friday, March 7, it brings an all new show to the Fox, featuring high-octane choreography and music that showcases the legendary Historically Black College and University (HBCU) band experience with world-class percussionists, musicians and dancers. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $20-$59.50.
Pop singer-songwriter Andy Grammer brings his “Monster Tour” to the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St., on Friday, March 7.
This is his first show in Tucson since he played the Fox in 2022. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $49.50-$95 through rialtotheatre.com.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
