7/3-5 Essence Music Festival: Beyonce, Al Green, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Salt-N-Pepa, Zap Mama, Blind Boys of Alabama, Brand New Heavies, Rebirth Brass Band,+ - New Orleans Superdome essencemusicfestival.com

7/12 Sonic Youth - Sloss Furnace's Nat'l Hist. Landmark, Birmingham

7/17-19 Pitchfork Music Festival - Union Park, Chicago pitchforkmusicfestival.com

7/22-26 XX Merge Records' 20th Anniversary Music Festival: Spoon, Superchunk, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, Spent, Destroyer, Rosebuds+ -  Carrboro & Chapel Hill, N.C. $150 mergerecords.com/xxmerge

7/23 Magnolia Electric Co. - Hi-Tone, Memphis

7/31 Gov't Mule - Sloss Furnace, Birmingham

8/01 Grupo Fantasma - Hi-Tone, Memphis

8/01 Blondie / Pat Benatar - Mud Island, Memphis; 8/22 Beau Rivage, Biloxi

8/06 Counting Crows / Spearhead - Beau Rivage, Biloxi, $60-$85, 888-566-7469

8/07 Green Day / Kaiser Chiefs - New Orleans Arena

8/7-9 Lollapalooza - Grant Park, Chicago lollapalooza.com

8/22 Blondie / Pat Benetar / The Donnas - Beau Rivage, Biloxi, $55-$78, 888-566-7469

9/04 Collective Soul - Hard Rock Casino, Biloxi

9/04 B.B. King - Beau Rivage, Biloxi, $45-$65, 888-566-7469

9/04 Moody Blues - Memphis Botanic Garden

9/10 Erykah Badu - Orpheum, Memphis

9/11-13 All Tomorrow's Parties NYC: Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Panda Bear+ - Kutshers Country Club, Monticello, NY atpfestival.com

9/12 Creed - BJCC Arena, Birmingham

9/28 Black Crowes - Lyric, Oxford

10/06 U2 / Muse - Georgia Dome, Atlanta (on sale now)

10/23 Rick Springfield - Hard Rock Casino, Biloxi

10/23 The Four Tops / The Temptations - Beau Rivage, Biloxi $30-$50

10/30-11/01 Voodoo Music Experience: Flaming Lips,  - New Orleans City Park  thevoodooexperience.com

12/11 Brian Setzer Orchestra - Horseshoe Casino, Tunica

12/13 Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk - Zydeco, Birmingham