ZZ Top

Howdy Nimrods, how are you doing today? Hope it's all going great!

Rolling Stone just rolled out 20 of the year's biggest tours for a summer tour preview. Everyone from Green Day, Blink 182, U2, and Metallica will be hitting the road this year!

These and several other artists are stepping it up to bring fans top notch shows, all proving that a little recession isn't going to stop anyone from rocking out this year!

You'll find out what VIP packages are worth your hard earned cash, which opening acts you shouldn't miss, and how to get the most bang for your buck!

We'll start out with AC/DC and their Black Ice Tour, tickets are between $65 and $93.50! After the classic rockers hit Europe, they'll come back to the states for a slew of July gigs, which include five stadium shows. Singer, Brian Johnson compares guitarist, Angus Young to superman, "he's like Clark fucking Kent! He goes into a phone booth and comes out as the 14-year-old imp, ready to rock!"

Up next, Aerosmith with openers ZZ Top, tickets are $24-$198. After dealing with pneumonia, Steven Tyler is ready to get back out on the road. Because of his illness, the band weren't able to make a new record in time for the tour. Don't worry, because long time Aerosmith fans will be able to enjoy their favorite hits that much more, including rarities.

Guitarist Joe Perry speaks on this matter, "the set lists have been getting stale, we've talked about doing an album front-to-back - probably one of the first three records. That's my next battle, to see if we can pull it off."

Also, he talks about ZZ Top being their supporting act, "that's just amazing to be able to play with them because it's going to be a kickass show."

Blink 182, as said by Mark Hoppus, "being as ambitious as possible" for their upcoming tour. Tickets will range from as low as $20 for lawn seats, all the way to $60. Openers on select dates will be: Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, All-American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday, Asher Roth and Chester French.

Fans are in for a real treat this time around, they've hooked up with a set designer for Kanye West, Daft Punk and Nine Inch Nails to give fans a laser light spectacular. Hoppus goes into more details about this, "this time we want to be more artistic. We want to use the entire arena as a lighting rig and a stage."

Next up, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood heading out on a North American 14-date arena tour. These two have been cooking up some new material as well, "I'd like to try my song 'Help Me Angel.' And last year, I was having trouble singing harmony while playing guitar on Eric's 'Pretending.' I'd like to have another go at that," Winwood says. Passes for this show will be $45-$175!

Raising the tour bar with dazzling spectacle, new songs and even a free album are British band, Coldplay. Supporting acts on certain dates are: Snow Patrol, Elbow, Amadou and Mariam, and Pete Yorn, and tickets will be $35-$110.

Guy Berryman, the band's bass player, wants to make everyone at the gig feel welcomed no matter where they sit, "we're going to make the set a little longer, throw in extra songs and figure out ways to reach the last row."

The tour will be three months long and will consist of mostly outdoor venues. Those free albums we mentioned before? It's a new live album called, "LeftRightLeftRIghtLeft", and Coldplay will be giving them away at every show.

Dave Matthews Band will go on their first excursion since the death of their saxophonist, LeRoi Moore. On select dates openers for the band will be: Jazon Mraz, the Hold Steady, Old Crow, Medicine Show, Willie Nelson & Family, Emi Kuti & the Positive Force, and the Avett Brothers.

The band will debut new songs from their new record, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" out on June 2nd, 2009. DMB will endure a six-month tour that also includes two shows at Boston's Fenway Park. You can expect to pay $32-$75 for your tickets!

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick promise a bigger and better summer tour, "we sing better, we sound better, we look and feel better, our progression is perfect," says Phil Collen from Def Leppard. That's not all these rockers are promising, they swear it's all about the big guitar riffs, "it was sorely lacking in the '90s, no pyro, we've done that before, but a big lighting rig, and the ego ramp to go down there and shake your stuff," Collen also adds.

Def Leppard will head out with two other '80's bands for what according to Collen will be, "three to four hours of hits and great music." Tickets are $20-$130 for this 80's spectacle!

Are you ready to have a "21st Century Breakdown"? The Green Day trio are back on the stage for an ambitious tour this summer. Openers on certain dates will be the Bravery, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand. Tickets for this event will range from $29.50 to $149.50! You can expect to get the entire "Breakdown" record on some dates, and "maybe 'Kerplunk' as an encore," jokes Billie Joe.

You can also expect quite lengthy shows as well, "we want to get Springsteen a run for his money. I think his longest show is maybe five hours. Green Day's got six," says Armstrong.

Metallica spice up their "World Metallic Tour" with rarities, covers and lots of fan love! The recently inducted hall of famers will charge $50-$76, and according to drummer Lars Ulrich, "on this tour, for some reason, we've got this wild hair up our ass."

These guys return in September and are enjoying the positivity in the air, "there's just this giant circle of love, as we call it. Energy into the fans and energy back form the fans, and it just keeps going."

Big stage, big engery for U2's 360 tour! Openers include: Snow Patrol, Muse and Black Eyed Peas. Tickets will be $30-$253! 

The Irish rockers return for their first tour since 1997's PopMart to take over U.S. stadiums. These guys will rock out on the largest stage set ever built for a rock show, it's even got its own nickname, the Claw. While taking a break from tour planning, the Edge comments, "the crowd will be all around us. That energy will just make the performances fly."

U2 will also be playing older songs they haven't even thought of doing in years, "we're talking about resurrecting songs we haven't played in a long time," says Edge. "I have a list of every U2 song-some I can't even remember anymore-even some of the B sides that we've never played live. We were thinking how much fun it would be to play something like 'Luminous Times.' Certain songs from the last couple of tours, we may not play again. We want to find songs that feel fresh and valid."

There ya have it folks! Awesome summer tours that'll make you want to party like a rockstar!

Have a great day everyone!