The music scene in Columbia (and the surrounding area) brings a variety of talent, and this spring is no exception. From local folk quartet Mary & the Giant to Nickelodeon’s Drake Bell, 2012’s concert lineup looks just as diverse and exciting as ever. Here are a few of the most highly anticipated acts on their way to mid-Missouri.

**Doomtree: Mojo’s, 1/20/12** – Sort of hip-hop, kind of rap and a little bit punk, Doomtree takes the stage tonight, so hurry and grab your tickets.

**Drake Bell: The Blue Note, 1/22/12** – Bell hasn’t released a full album since 2006, so here’s to hoping middle school hits, Nickelodeon and nostalgia are enough to sustain a show.

**Ravi Coltrane: Murry’s, 1/22/12** – If you don’t have the stomach for Bell’s angsty teen act, check out Coltrane, the saxophonist and son of jazz legend John Coltrane, as an alternative.

**Badfish – A Tribute to Sublime: The Blue Note, 2/1/12** – Calling all skateboarders and sunshine-lovers: Badfish is coming, and the band is bringing some summer with it.

**Mary & the Giant: The Blue Note, 2/2/12** – With what is sure to be a lively string-based performance, this Columbia-based folk quartet will bring a bit of local flavor to the stage.

**Josh Abbott Band: The Blue Note, 2/4/12** – At $10, this show is inexpensive and right down the road. However, the cowboy boots you’ll need to wear might jack up the cost.

**All-American Rejects: The Blue Note, 2/7/12** – If the Columbia music scene is good at anything, it’s making all my preteen dreams come true.

**O.A.R.: The Blue Note, 2/15/12** – They peaked about a decade ago, but a performance right down the street from campus is almost too good to pass up.

**Moonrunner: The Blue Note, 2/17/12** – There’s nothing like a local band on a local stage to make Columbia feel like home.

**Mayday Parade & We the Kings: The Blue Note, 2/28/12** – Jam, cry and bang your head (possibly against the wall) while emo rock reaches a new level with the combined forces of these two.

**Dr. Dog: The Blue Note, 3/13/12** – A little indie and a little folksy, Dr. Dog has performed for the likes of Letterman and NPR but isn’t too much of a big-deal band to pass up a college town like Columbia.

**Matt Nathanson: The Blue Note, 3/15/12** – Nathanson’s solo act in a smaller venue should make for an intimate atmosphere and a personal performance.

**Childish Gambino: The Beaumont Club, 4/3/12** – A sell-out for sure, this show should be an absolute blast and well worth the trip to Kansas City. As he says himself, “Gambino is a mastermind.”

**M83: The Pageant, 5/2/12** – The drive to St. Louis is easily justified by sure-to-be crazy lighting and the live version of “Midnight City,” that one song from the Victoria Secret fashion show. Oh, and a lot of other fantastic electropop.