If school’s out for summer, it must mean Alice Cooper is nearby.
He is. Or, at least, he will be later in the season when he opens for Motley Crue on their Final Tour.
But if eyeliner and shrieking guitars don’t thrill you, there are dozens of other musical styles to spend your money on this summer.
We only have room to mention 25 shows, but make sure to check out the Music Scene blog for a weekly listing of upcoming concerts and on-sale dates. One of the biggest shows originally slated for summer will now be a fall outing, as Paul McCartney has shuttled his original June 21 show at Philips Arena to Oct. 15 as he continues to recover from a virus.
All tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000 unless otherwise noted.
Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash 19. While Atlanta's Future and B.o.B., as well as Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Yo Gatti, Waka Flocka and others, are worthy of the Philips stage, everyone knows that the best part of the annual radio station celebration is the surprise guests. Might OutKast show up? T.I.? Only one way to find out: Go. 6 p.m. Saturday. $10.79-$139. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta.
Hall & Oates. The Philly soul duo is a newly minted entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — an overdue accolade considering their contribution to the pop music annals. If last year's Chastain concert is a blueprint, expect a brisk show packed with hits, including "Out of Touch," "She's Gone" and "Sara Smile." 8 p.m. Sunday. $34.50-$61.50. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta.
Robert Earl Keen. The Texas country-roots man has been spinning his vivid tales for nearly three decades. Apparently, inspiration still strikes readily. Keen just released a new song, "Buried in the Bar," inspired by his visit to Key West, Fla., for the recent BMI Songwriter's Festival. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $25 (advance), $27.50 (day of show). Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.
Elvis Costello. For the first time in more than a decade, the erudite Englishman is bringing his one-man show to the Midwest and South. For the past few years, Costello has played about a month of solo shows in the U.S., region by region. Let's hope he presents something from last year's "Wise Up Ghost," his collaboration with the Roots. 8 p.m. Thursday. $42-$77. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta.
Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers. Earlier this year, Hornsby visited Symphony Hall for a bluegrass show with pal Ricky Skaggs. Now the versatile musician is back with the Noisemakers, his touring band for more than a decade. Look for a live Hornsby record later this year. 8 p.m. June 21. $45-$65. Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, 201 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City. 877-725-8849, www.ticketalternative.com.
The Music of U2 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Conductor-arranger Brent Havens promises that many of U2's biggest hits — "Beautiful Day," "Vertigo," "New Year's Day" — will receive the orchestral treatment. But, he added in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "It's not just an orchestra show, it's not just a band show. It's a rock show." Singer Brody Dolyniuk will tackle the gritty vocals, Bono-style. 8 p.m. June 21. $20-$49. Chastain.
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo with Rick Springfield. William Beckett opens. Benatar and Giraldo are fresh from an opening stint for Cher, where they commandeered the stage for an hour of muscular favorites, including "Love Is a Battlefield" and "Hell Is for Children." Springfield, meanwhile, is celebrating the release of his first fiction book, "Magnificent Vibration." Never seen him live? He's the epitome of underrated. 8 p.m. June 28. $30.50-$69.50. Chastain.
Katy Perry with Capital Cities. The U.S. leg of her Prismatic World Tour launches June 22 and will roll through North America until October. Considering this is her third major tour — and "Prism" her fourth album — Perry is primed to completely steal the pop princess crown from Madonna and Lady Gaga. Her set features six themes and 22 songs that remind how far she's come since "I Kissed a Girl." 7:30 p.m. June 28. $29.50-$129.50. Philips Arena.
Lionel Richie with Cee Lo Green. Last fall at Chastain, Richie made good on his promise to deliver All the Hits, All Night Long with a musical party stocked with familiar earworms from his Commodores days ("Brick House," "Fancy Dancer," "Oh No") and his mega-successful solo career ("Running With the Night," "All Night Long" and, yes, "Hello"). Plan for an encore performance. Atlanta native Green will inject some soul in the form of "Forget You" and his Gnarls Barkley offerings. 7:30 p.m. July 7. $30-$125. Chastain.
Tim McGraw with Cassadee Pope and Kip Moore. The Sundown Heaven Town Tour prefaces the release of McGraw's upcoming album of the same name (due Sept. 16). Not that he needs to add to his staggering parade of hits, but the album's first two singles, "Lookin' for That Girl" and "Meanwhile Back at Mama's" (with wife Faith Hill) nudged him back onto the charts. 7 p.m. July 13. $29.75-$69.75. Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta.
Beyonce and Jay Z. No one really knows what to expect from the first couple of hip-hop for their On the Run tour, which launches June 25 in Miami. The cryptic movie trailer-style clips released to promote the tour tell us nothing except that Bey and Jay apparently fancy themselves a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. They'll certainly exit the summer with a bursting bank account, considering that this stadium jaunt is expected to be one of the most lucrative tours of the year. 8 p.m. July 15. $36-$222. Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia Dome Drive N.W., Atlanta.
Kiss and Def Leppard. It's an '80s hair metal fan's dream. For all of the like-minded tour pairings in the classic rock and country genres, this is the first time these behemoths have shared a bill. Kiss is plugging its newly released 40th anniversary set, "Kiss 40," while Def Leppard, which is working on new material, will offer selections from its string of 25-plus rock hits. 7 p.m. July 18. $36-$175. Lakewood.
Indigo Girls with Hannah Thomas. Earlier this year, Amy Ray released her fifth solo album, "Goodnight Tender." Her Indigo partner, Emily Saliers, always stays busy between appearances with her father, with whom she co-wrote a book several years ago, and her stake in Watershed restaurant. But nothing tops the potency of their shared sound onstage. 8 p.m. July 18-19. $49.50 (members), $51.50 (general public). Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E. Atlanta. 1-877-725-8849, www.ticketalternative.com.
Beck. When Beck's first album in six years, "Morning Phase," arrived in February, it came with a sense of nostalgia. He calls it a "companion piece" to his 2002 release, "Sea Change," and even uses the services of several musicians from that earlier album. It's probably safe to say that Beck is back. 8 p.m. July 22. $40.50-$75. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta.
The Avett Brothers. The Americana faves from North Carolina, led by Seth and Scott Avett, continue their ascent, evidenced by this two-night stand. The band released "Magpie and the Dandelion," its eighth studio album, last fall and made an impressive No. 5 debut on the Billboard 200 album chart. With Emmylou Harris. 8 p.m. July 25. With Gov't Mule. 8 p.m. July 26. $39.50-$52.50. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta.
Luke Bryan with Lee Brice and Cole Swindell. Much like fellow Georgia native Jason Aldean, Bryan's stock keeps reaching new pinnacles. The Leesburg hit machine with the tight jeans and backward baseball cap just scored his seventh chart-topper since 2010 — "Play it Again," from his "Crash My Party" album, which is nearing 2 million in sales. 7 p.m. July 25-26. $29.50-$59.25. Lakewood.
Art Garfunkel. It was just over three years ago that one of the most indelible singer-songwriters in pop music history lost his voice. He wasn't sure he'd ever be onstage again after battling vocal-cord paresis. But Garfunkel is happily singing again — "I feel like 26," he recently said — and will even head to the U.K. this fall. 8 p.m. July 26. $39.50-$79.50. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta.
John Legend. Though he just played the Fox last fall, Legend is cruising on the strength of his first No. 1 hit, the dreamy ballad "All of Me" (now also a pulsing dance song in remixed form). This new summer tour will feature Legend in an intimate acoustic setting with guitar-vocal accompaniment as well as a string quartet. So … no dance remixes. 8 p.m. July 29. Series tickets on sale now. Individual tickets on sale at 10 a.m. June 21. Prices TBA. Chastain.
Sarah McLachlan. It took four years for the pop chanteuse to release a new album, but the rock-leaning "Shine On" is a revelation. Even if she never returns to the late-'90s Lilith Fair success of "Angel" and "Building a Mystery," McLachlan will always have those sniffles-inducing ASPCA ads as part of her legacy. 8 p.m. July 30. Series tickets on sale now. Individual tickets on sale at 10 a.m. June 21. Prices TBA. Chastain.
Judy Collins. As she ages elegantly, the folk-pop songbird renowned for her work in the '60s and '70s isn't slowing down. Collins, 75, is touring steadily through the end of the year and spotlighting songs from Judy Garland and John Denver in her shows. 8 p.m. Aug 1. $40 (advance), $45 (day of show). Variety Playhouse.
Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson. DeGraw has recently received the extraordinary opportunity to open for Billy Joel during his spate of live shows, a perfect outlet for DeGraw's own radio-friendly, piano-based pop hits ("Chariot," "I Don't Want to Be"). Nathanson is best known for his 2008 hit "Come on Get Higher." 8 p.m. Aug. 1. $59.50 (members), $61.50 (general public). Atlanta Botanical Garden. 1-877-725-8849, www.ticketalternative.com.
James Taylor. He's the embodiment of comfort music, a singer-songwriter who, 40-plus years later, can still pluck a heart string and garner a swoony reaction with classics such as "Your Smiling Face" and "Carolina on My Mind." He's also a master interpreter (his version of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" remains the standard-bearer) and, especially onstage, a storyteller. 8 p.m. Aug. 5. $35.50-$125.50. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
Motley Crue with Alice Cooper. This is it. The final Crue tour. They even signed a contract to prove to fans that they won't unearth the spiked leather bracelets in 2025 for a limp reunion tour. The 72-date goodbye trek features the godfather of shock rock, Cooper, who made it cool for rockers to pile on the eyeliner. One warning: Bring earplugs. 7 p.m. Aug. 16. $45-$125. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.
Tori Amos. Last month, the ever-quirky Amos dropped the quirkily titled "Unrepentant Geraldines," which likely makes sense in Tori-land. The album has been critically lauded as a notable return to form for Amos, who will perform solo — with only her legendary Bosendorfer piano and keyboard — in a nod to her early-'90s days. 8 p.m. Aug. 19. $42-$67. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
Aerosmith with Slash. Technically still touring behind its most recent album, "Music From Another Dimension," Aerosmith plans to add a few more songs from that album into its set list when the Let Rock Rule tour returns to the U.S. in July. Guitarist Joe Perry told Rolling Stone that some late-'80s album tracks also might make the cut. Oh, and look for the possibility of Perry and opener Slash playing together. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28. $49.50-$149.50. Philips Arena.
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