It’s the sixth most populous city in America, but Phoenix, Arizona, isn’t exactly one of the top places that pops to mind when it comes to stargazing — as in the “celebrity” type of star.
But that looks to change a little this weekend, with the University of Phoenix Stadium hosting the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. March Madness actually comes to a close in April this year, with South Carolina-Gonzaga and Oregon-North Carolina matching up in Saturday’s semifinals, followed by the national championship game on Monday.
The March Madness Musical Festival provides three days of free concerts for basketball fans at Phoenix’s Margaret T. Hance Park. It kicked off Friday with a country flavor, with superstar Keith Urban headlining the AT&T Block Party show, supported by Justin Moore and Michael Ray.
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Saturday’s schedule has The Chainsmokers, who have been dominant on the pop charts over the past two years, headlining the Coca-Cola Music stage. That show is also featuring Grouplove, Leon Bridges, and Capital Cities.
Finally, Sunday’s Capital One JamFest brings out some big guns in the rock and rap genres. Classic rock legends Aerosmith headline that bill — preceded by sets from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Blink-182, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.
The weekend doesn’t include a performance by former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker — but the country music star told SB Nation he’ll definitely be in Phoenix to cheer on his favorite team. Rucker is as hardcore a South Carolina fan as it gets; he’s been seen courtside as the Gamecocks upset Florida in the Elite Eight and made this weekend’s Final Four. Cameras actually caught the musician tearing up over the victory.
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Earlier in the week, Rucker actually had to perform at a charity concert during the team’s Sweet 16 contest against Baylor. So Rucker had televisions installed on the stage, which allowed him to simultaneously watch his beloved Gamecocks play.
“We got lucky, because that game wasn’t close,” Rucker told Charlotte Wilder of SB Nation. “If it was close, it would’ve been a lot harder to concentrate. I think I only missed one line in one song because they hit a big three, and I went to high-five one of the guys in the band, and I missed a line of the song. But that was all we did. It was a good night.”
Who else will be enjoying the festivities and games in Phoenix? Sadly, we likely won’t see Bill Murray — his Xavier Musketeers fell just one game shy of making the Final Four. (Murray’s son, Luke, is an assistant coach for the program.) But CBS cameras will surely find some other familiar faces in the crowd.
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That could include super couple Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick. Decker, a supermodel turned actress, and tennis star Roddick have attended Tar Heels games in the past, and top-seeded North Carolina is currently a five-point favorite against Oregon.
Maybe we’ll also get an appearance from one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan, who hit the winning shot in North Carolina’s 1982 national championship victory.
Nike’s billionaire owner, Phil Knight, undoubtedly will be on hand to root on his beloved Oregon Ducks. Knight has donated extensively to the school, including a $100 million gift to help fund its basketball arena, which is named after Knight’s late son, Matthew.
As for Gonzaga … Well, the Spokane school is considerably thinner in the famous alumni department, but it does include 10-time NBA All Star John Stockton.
The Final Four games start Saturday at 4:09 p.m. Eastern with South Carolina-Gonzaga, followed by Oregon-North Carolina at 6:49 p.m. The national championship game is Monday night. All will be televised on CBS.
Update: Gonzaga edged out South Carolina by a score of 77-73 to advance to the finals, while North Carolina beat Oregon 77-76 to advance as well.
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