Summer has always been the hottest season for live music, with rising temperatures bringing the
biggest concert tours and festivals of the year. And 2010 is no exception: Whether you’re a fan of
rock, pop, country, folk, jazz, classical or all of the above, the next few months will provide music
lovers with a sonic smorgasbord of choices. From the Women In Jazz Festival at the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., to the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, there are numerous
destination festivals spanning the Northeast Corridor. Or, you can just wait for package tours such
as Lilith Fair and the Vans Warped Tour to make their way to an arena near you. Either way, these
concerts are a safe bet to ensure you have a rocking summer ...
OCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKFROCKF
Dave Matthews
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
May 28—Sept. 15
Tragedy struck Matthews and Co. in
2008 when saxophonist LeRoi Moore
died after an ATV accident. But the
band returned with a triumphant
tribute in last year’s Big Whiskey &
The Groogrux King, which earned
t wo Grammy nods and was hailed by
Rolling Stone as “their most electric
album yet.” The top touring band of
the decade returns to the road with a
t wo-night stand at Hartford’s Comcast
Theatre May 28-29, embarking on a
three-month road trip that finds them
crisscrossing the nation.
Davematthe wsband.com
RINGO STARR
June 24—Aug. 7
With the success of the Beatles Rock
Band video game, the recent unveiling
Ringo Starr
of his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
and the release of his first self-produced
solo album, Y Not, Starr is riding high,
heading into his 70th birthday July 7.
He’ll be celebrating at Radio City Music
Hall, one of over 20 dates on a tour that
will find him playing a mixture of classic hits and new songs with an All-Starr
band, featuring Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Gary Wright. Ringostarr.com
U2
June 3—Oct. 8
Resuming in June after a seven-month
break, the Irish rock legends’ 360º
Tour returns to North America for
15 dates before heading back to Europe.
Bono may turn 50 in May, but the vet-
eran band shows no signs of slowing
down, with this Live Nation-produced
tour billed as the largest in history.
Named the Best Stage Show of 2009
Reel Big Fish
by London’s Total Production Awards,
the tour boasts immaculate production
values as the band runs through an epic
set filled with both classic hits and more
recent favorites. With dates in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Montreal. u2.com
VANS WARPED TOUR
June 25—Aug. 15
Now in its 15th year, this annual gathering of punk rockers and extreme
sports fans has outlasted every other
festival tour birthed in the ’90s. Credit
creator Kevin Lyman with adapting to
the changing cultural tides and expanding the lineup’s diversity. This year’s
revolving roster features more than
100 bands, including Anti Flag, Drop-kick Murphys, ska stalwarts Reel Big
Fish, punk-pop crossovers All-American
Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack.
Vanswarpedtour.com
