SUMMER GUIDE

Mötley Crüe

Music Roundup

With so much going on in music this summer, it’s hard to complain.

by Doug Wallen

What’s summer for if not selling out? Right on cue, then, comes a slew of package tours and festivals aimed right at your wallets. Indie rock is sure to be overshadowed when rock dinosaurs rise from hibernation, but there are certainly credible acts coming our way this sunny season amid the high-profile cash grabs.

If you’re craving a mellow blowout, the perennial Philadelphia Folk Festival (Fri., Aug. 15-Sun., Aug. 17, call for times and prices. Old Pool Farm.) this year pairs legends Steve Earle and Judy Collins with younger talent from Espers to Kimya Dawson. And “Hippiefest” piles on such ’60s nostalgia acts as Eric Burdon and the Animals, Melanie, the Turtles and Badfinger (Tues., July 29, 8pm. $39-$79. Mann Center for the Performing Arts.) while WXPN’s industry-only NON-COMMvention spawns an open-to-the-public show featuring Jakob Dylan, Alejandro Escovedo, Kathleen Edwards and What Made Milwaukee Famous (Sat., May 31, 6pm. $10. Electric Factory.).

Over in Camden, an ever-humble Mötley Crüe headline Crüe Fest with Buckcherry and Papa Roach (Sat., July 12, 4pm. $26.50-$99. Susquehanna Bank Center.), and the Projekt Revolution Tour unites Linkin Park and Chris Cornell (Sat., July 19, 1pm. $22.75-$76.75. Susquehanna Bank Center.). Bringing up the rear is that punk-y chestnut Warped Tour (Fri., July 25, 11am. $30-$35. Susquehanna Bank Center.) and the Slipknot-headlined Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival (Fri., Aug. 15, 1pm. $27-$58.75. Susquehanna Bank Center.).

The almighty arena-rap ticket Rock the Bells is still materializing with a planned Philly stop Aug. 3, but competing for the crown of biggest summer concert is the tag-team of Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney with LeAnn Rimes, Sammy Hagar and Gary Allan in the wings (Sat., July 19, 3:30pm. $79.50-$99.50. Lincoln Financial Field.). And don’t even get us started on the massive Fourth of July blowout, complete with Boyz II Men and John Legend.

Not all festivals are so soul- sucking and overwhelming. The inaugural Roots Picnic (Sat., June 7, 2pm. $49.50. Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing.) boasts a bustling dream lineup—Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Santogold and Deerhoof—and WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival (Thurs., July 10-Sun., July 13, call for times and prices. Wiggins Waterfront Park.) mingles Beth Orton, Amos Lee, Shelby Lynne and Chuck Prophet with the Blind Boys of Alabama, O’Death and a bona fide punk band—locals the Loved Ones—among many others.

The elephant in the room here is the Popped! Festival, which morphed from warehouses and noise bands in its first year to a swollen weekend of popular national talent and solid locals. It kicks off with White Ts and White Belts and Steven Bloodbath spinning before old-school rapper Slick Rick, backed by a live band (Fri., June 20, 8pm. $15. Trocadero.). The next day is an outside bash in University City (Sat., June 21, noon, $32.50. Drexel University.) with huge names—Vampire Weekend, Mates of State, Crystal Castles, Gogol Bordello, Dan Deacon, Mr. Lif—and Sunday packs in more still, with Daniel Johnston and our own Capitol Years headlining (Sun., June 22, 3pm. $30. World Cafe Live.).

Massive stars can be found in equally high numbers outside the festival circuit. The Susquehanna Bank Center will thrive this summer with Dave Matthews Band (Tues., June 3-Wed., June 4, 6pm. $40-$75.), Iron Maiden (Tues., June 17, 6pm. $29.50-$75.), Pearl Jam and Ted Leo (Thurs., June 19-Sat., June 20, 7:30pm. $48-$68.), Chicago and the Doobie Brothers (Thurs., June 26, 6:30pm. $27.50-$86.), Steely Dan (Sat., June 28, 7pm. $35-$135.), Jack Johnson and indie- approved guests Rogue Wave and Mojave 3’s Neil Halstead (Thurs., Aug. 7, 5pm. $35-$49.50.), Maroon 5 and Counting Crows (Sat., Aug. 9, 6pm. $25-$96.), Radiohead and Grizzly Bear (Tues., Aug. 12, 6:30pm. $39.75-$59.75.), Jonas Brothers (Wed., Aug. 27, 5:30pm. $25-$80.75.), and a killer triple-bill of Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick (Tues., Aug. 26, 6pm. $20.75-$125.).

In other power pairings, expect Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with Steve Winwood (Thurs., June 5-Fri., June 6, 8pm. $75-$95. Wachovia Center.), Robert Plant with Alison Krauss (Sat., July 12, 8pm. $55-$80. Mann Center for the Performing Arts.), Snoop Dogg with 311 (Tues., Aug. 15, 7pm. $64-$245. Penn’s Landing.), the soon-to-retire (again) Police with Elvis Costello (Tues., July 29, 7:30pm. $53-$278. Wachovia Center.), Peter Frampton with Jethro Tull (Fri., Aug. 8, 8pm. $43-$79. Mann Center for the Performing Arts.), and for all you punk/ska fans, Dropkick Murphys with Goldfinger and Less Than Jake (Sun., June 29, noon. $37.50. Penn’s Landing.).

Most impressive about the season’s concerts is the sheer diversity. Dig this cross-section: Squeeze share their wiseacre power-pop (Fri., Aug. 22, 8pm. $39.50-$49.50. Keswick Theatre.) a week before Nine Inch Nails consolidate their dark legions of fans (Fri., Aug. 29, 7:30pm. $44.50-$54. Wachovia Center.). Jimmy Buffett steers his gravy train into town (Sat., June 14, 7:30pm. $39-$129. Citizens Bank Park.) the same night Rush will knock your dad’s socks off (Sat., June 14, 7:30pm. $45-$123. Wachovia Center.).

Though indie shows—even Wolf Parade (Wed., July 30, 8pm. $22. Electric Factory.), Rilo Kiley (Thurs., June 5, 8:30pm. $25. Electric Factory.), and a reunited Breeders (Sun., June 8, 8pm. $21. TLA.)—can’t possibly compete with most of the above events, there are a few examples of indie rock’s increasing foothold. R.E.M. bring Modest Mouse and the National to the Mann (Wed., June 18, 7pm. $35-$39.50. Mann Center for the Performing Arts.) less than a week after Death Cab for Cutie check in there (Thurs., June 12, 8pm. $35. Mann Center for the Performing Arts.). Later that month Devo commandeer the waterfront as part of Paul Green’s School of Rock (Sat., June 28, noon. $37.50-$52.50. Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing.) with the Hold Steady, which isn’t bad for band that once played the Khyber to a handful of Pabst-nursing passers-by.