by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

It's only happening in Seattle. And it's only happening once. To celebrate their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart will give a special acoustic performance at Benaroya Hall on April 9. The show is part of the new "Live at Benaroya" concert series, which has already featured Suzanne Vega, Jackson Browne, and Los Lobos. The Wilson sisters will be joined by biographer Charles R. Cross, who is expected to open the evening with a one-on-two interview with the legendary women before the music portion begins. Tickets priced between $50 and $95 go on sale February 19 (10 a.m.) at www.benaroyahall.org. For more information on Heart and their prestigious selection to the Hall of Fame, go to www.heart-music.com.

GRAMMYS: NO BIG WHOOP
The 55th Grammy Awards were a bit of a bore, weren't they? And sadly, no big awards were given to Frank Ocean. I refuse to believe Mumford & Sons made a better album than Frank's Channel Orange - yet another indication that older, white men comprise the biggest voting block for the awards (previous victims of this persistent bias include Eminem, Kanye West, Beyonce, and Lil Wayne). Adding insult to injury, Ocean was trumped by a safer pop act (fun.) for Best New Artist. There were some delightful surprises, however: Portland native Esperanza Spalding won two more Grammys, including one for Best Jazz Vocal Album (Radio Music Society), Little Big Town secured their first win for Best Country Duo/Group Vocal ("Pontoon"), and Lesbian singer-songwriter-activist Janis Ian upset former president Bill Clinton and current First Lady Michelle Obama for Best Spoken Word Album (Society's Child). So now, let the 2014 Grammy campaigning begin - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, please?!

PHOENIX RISES AGAIN
Rock band Phoenix is finally returning to Seattle after a three-year absence. The Grammy-winning foursome, whose lead singer Thomas Mars interviewed with me in 2010, is set to perform March 29 at the Paramount Theatre as part of a short road trip that will introduce fans to much-awaited new material. Phoenix will soon release Bankrupt!, their follow-up to the massively acclaimed Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Tickets are on sale now, priced at $35, at www.stgpresents.org. This show will sell out, trust me.

MARS LANDING
Bruno Mars is trekking to the Emerald City in the near future. The pop star recently announced the cities for his forthcoming "Moonshine Jungle World Tour," and a Seattle stop with Ellie Goulding and Fitz and the Tantrums is on the itinerary. Specific dates and venues have not yet been released. Meanwhile, 1980s heartthrob Rick Springfield will play the Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom on March 10, the first time he's performed east of Seattle in my recollection. The famed singer-actor's hits include "I've Done Everything for You," "What Kind of Fool Am I," "Don't Talk to Strangers," and "Jessie's Girl,' for which he won a Grammy. For tickets, visit www.snocasino.com. Another new show slated for Snoqualmie is Babyface on April 25. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have also included Seattle in their spring tour itinerary, appearing April 7 (with Sharon Van Etten) at the Paramount Theatre.

Finally, in case you didn't know, two high-ranking entries on Billboard's latest Hot 100 singles chart were recorded right here in the Seattle area: "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (currently #1) and "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers (#4). Yay, us!

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