Summer Concert Guide

John Rickman / Media General News Service
Published: April 25, 2007

It's hard to believe summer is almost here, but we'll be oppressed by summer's melting sun soon enough. Go to the beach if you must, but one's well-earned respite need not be enjoyed next to a large body of water.

The summer 2007 concert season is almost here and there's a lot of great music scheduled in and around Northern Virginia.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Sun worshipers know well the joys of being outdoors and taking in performances by the world's top entertainers at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna. Plop yourself on the lawn and picnic with Huey Lewis & the News on Thursday, May 31. Yeah, they're still together!

The ever-popular pop group is integral to the venerable venue's three-pronged approach to programming, which also includes world music artists and iconic entertainers.

Catch other timeless, well-loved acts at Wolf Trap such as Earth, Wind, & Fire (June 5), Chicago (June 12), The Doobie Brothers (June 19), Little Feat (June 25), Steve Miller Band (July 26), The Temptations and The Four Tops (July 28), The Zombies and Mountain (July 30), The Moody Blues (August 5), The B-52's (August 8), and The Beach Boys (August 19).

Fresh out of frequent flyer miles- Let the world come to you this summer at Wolf Trap. You can catch Latin pop vocalist Paulina Rubio (May 24), Jamaican reggae artist Ziggy Marley (June 6), Cape Verdean folk singer Cesária Évoria with Brazilian samba slinger Seu Jorge (June 22), Latin superstar Alejandro Sanz (July 3), and Gipsy Kings (August 10).

Wolf Trap's stellar schedule is also infused with country music, dance performance, theater, and symphonic pop. But the icing on the cake is its iconic itinerary, featuring living legends Tony Bennett (June 4), Bill Cosby (June 29), The Smothers Brothers and The Kingston Trio (June 30), Morrissey (July 2), Aretha Franklin (July 5), Peter, Paul, and Mary (August 11), Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens (August 12), and Johnny Mathis (August 23).

To purchase tickets or get further information on these and other Wolf Trap performances and programs, visit http://www.wolftrap.org/ or call 1-(877) WOLFTRAP.

Nissan Pavilion

I'm certain all of the amplifiers at Nissan Pavilion go to 11. If you like your music loud, this sprawling, outdoor concert spot in beautiful Bristow is just the place to plant it this summer.

Prepare to feel the bass when fashionable No Doubt front-woman Gwen Stefani brings her pure pop party music show to the Pavilion on Thursday, May 17 with fellow diva Lady Sovereign and soul singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer Akon.

The sturdy Pavilion structure can withstand all manner of electrified vibration, but shake it may when Canadian rock legends Rush roll in to town on Saturday, June 23 in support of their latest album "Snakes & Arrows".

A cheeseburger in paradise is reason enough to keep Jimmy Buffett on the road. The maestro and his Coral Reefer Band parrot in from Margaritaville on Thursday, June 28. And a further wave of beach bums will likely be lured back to the 'burbs on Saturday, August 11 when local rockers-made-good The Dave Matthews Band return to play the Pavilion with Jamaican reggae legends Toots and the Maytals opening.

Then there are the separate shows on the 2007 Nissan Titan Country Megaticket -- a subscription style package of live country music performances. I say separate shows because according to nissanpavilion.com, the Megaticket is no longer on sale.

But check the site in the coming weeks for tickets to the individual shows: Montgomery Gentry (May 5), Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson (June 10), Toby Keith with Miranda Lambert and Flynnville Train (July 14), Kenny Chesney with Sugarland and Pat Green (Aug. 25), and Brad Paisley with Rodney Atkins (Oct. 6). A special sixth show is to be announced later.

To purchase tickets or get further information on these and other Nissan Pavilion shows, visit http://www.livenation.com/ or call (703) 754-6400.

Birchmere

There's always plenty of pickin' and grinnin' going on at the Birchmere in Alexandria. The intimate restaurant and concert showplace consistently offers the finest in folk and country fare, along with great pop and jazz music, but the next few months will be a goldmine for the grassroots and all-things-guitar set.

For starters: The Seldom Scene & The Mark Newton Band (May 4), Shawn Mullins with Storyhill (May 20), Pure Prairie League & Poco (May 26), the legendary Dick Dale (June 6), Joan Armatrading (June 11), Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mt. Boys (June 23), bad-boned George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Aug. 1), and The Flatlanders featuring Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock with Jenny Scheinman (Aug. 23 and 24).

The Alexandria venue also has some pop music surprises in store this summer, including The English Beat (May 24), ASIA with original members Geoff Downs, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and John Whetton (June 26), Herman's Hermits featuring Peter Noone (Aug. 3), and the one and only Peter Frampton (Sept. 24 and 25).

And dig these jazz cats hip to the Birchmere scene: Arturo Sandoval (June 1), Cassandra Wilson (June 14), Jean-Luc Ponty with VINX (June 20), Gato Barbieri (Aug. 4), Steve Cole & Marcus Mitchell (Aug. 16), the Superstars of Jazz Fusion featuring Roy Ayers, Jon Lucien, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Ray Gaskins (Sept. 7), and Spyro Gyra (Sept. 13).

Jazz Festivals

Do you think jazz goes best with wine- Do you think wine goes best with jazz- Either way you obviously have the taste not to miss out on the area's jazz festivals.

On June 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the City of Manassas hosts its Annual Wine and Jazz Festival at the Harris Pavilion in the heart of historic Old Town Manassas. For more information, visit http://www.visitmanassas.org/hmi_events.html .

The Herndon Wine & Jazz Festival takes place on September 3 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy live jazz and fine wine on the Town Green in historic downtown Herndon. There are separate admission prices if you want jazz sans wine ($3) or jazz with wine ($15), but children under 12 get in free. For more information, visit http://www.town.herndon.va.us , or call: (703) 435-6868.

The City of Alexandria hosts its own jazz festival on May 28th from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fort Ward Park Amphitheater located at 4301 West Braddock Rd. Packing a picnic is welcomed but bringing alcoholic beverages to the park is not. For more information, visit http://alexandriava.gov/recreation/culture/culture.html or call (703) 883-4686 or (703) 838-4844.

And you don't want to miss The 17th Annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival, which takes place this year on September 8 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Gateway Park located at N. Lynn St. and Lee Highway -- right across from the Key Bridge. This fabulous, free yearly event has featured national acts in the past. For more information, visit http://www.rossren.com/ros_arts_jazzfest.cfm or call (703) 228-1850.

Patriot Center

Did I mention singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado plays the Patriot Center on Friday, June 8-

There is lots to do with your time off in the summer (if you're lucky enough to have any), but there will be no shortage of live music concerts to attend. The hard part is picking which ones to go to!

For more concerts and events, check out our Calendar of Events!