It’s getting close to summer, and they’ve already started the Friday concerts in Herndon (going through August), so I’m going to highlight my faves.
Summer kicks off with Memorial Day, and the Herndon Festival is always held the next weekend. Highlights this year include local ska greats The Pietasters on May 30th, local rockers The Sketches on May 31st, and ’90s rockers Fastball on June 1st.
The next weekend is Celebrate Fairfax! featuring OK Go on June 6th and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on June 7th. Also that weekend is Rusted Root and moe. at Wolf Trap (I’m leaning towards the latter).
June 13th brings Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to Merriweather Post Pavilion, the only act to get me out there this year. I’m heading up to Boston later that weekend to see Rush with Chris, so I’ll be skipping the Alexandria Waterfront Festival with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Little Feat.
Dave Matthews Band will do their annual stop at Nissan Pavilion June 28th. The thing I’m looking forward to is guitarist Tim Reynolds (who often performs acoustic with Dave) is joining them for this tour, so they’ll surely play some older songs.
Coldplay is at Verizon Center July 2nd; also at Nissan Pavilion July 13th is Motley Crue. It’s the original lineup and I still haven’t seen them, so I’ll probably go.
Pop rockers Sister Hazel open for Pat McGee Band at Wolf Trap July 18th in a show guaranteed to be a big party, then I’ll head back to Nissan Pavilion to see Rush for the second time this leg.
We head off on vacation after that, in part to make our annual pilgrimage to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival to see faves like Crooked Still, Dar Williams and Eddie From Ohio, and to camp with our friends. Doubt I’ll get back in time to see Chris Cornell (from Soundgarden) and Linkin Park at Nissan Pavilion July 27th, but I might try.
Extreme reunited for a couple shows two years ago (that were superb), but now are back for good with a new album and tour that will stop at the Rams Head Live in Baltimore August 2nd.
The Virgin Mobile Festival returns for a third time August 9th (with Wilco, Jack Johnson and the Foo Fighters) and 10th (with Bob Dylan, Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails). Hopefully the broiling hot weather that accompanied the festival its first two outings won’t return.
Maroon 5 and Counting Crows hit Nissan Pavilion August 16th – it’s a maybe. What’s not is a show at Wolf Trap with Great Big Sea and Eddie From Ohio, we’ll show up early and go home late.
If you like ’80s music (another guilty pleasure), you can check out the Regeneration Tour with A Flock Of Seagulls, ABC, Belinda Carlisle (from the Go-Gos), Naked Eyes and The Human League at Wolf Trap August 26th, and if that’s not enough ’80s for you, close out the summer with Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey at Nissan Pavilion the next night.