Summer Sounds

Summer concert season is upon us once again in Houston. We can look forward to ungodly sunburns, severe chafing and mild heat exposure, and that's just from walking to your car. It's a necessary evil for those of us who plan to brave the Gulf Coast elements and enjoy some of the best touring acts ever. The concert lineup this year is a wildly varied one, with enough blues, metal and pop to take care of the entire family — and keep hearing doctors in business — until Labor Day. We have hot legs, Mr. Roboto, and only a prescription from Dr. Feelgood can...Sorry, looks like heatstroke has melted our brains already. Have fun and stay cool, Houston.

Queensryche

House Of Blues

May 22

Bellevue, Washington's Queensryche has been prog metalling it up since 1981, and with albums like Operation: Mindcrime, the band has a wickedly large cult following. We once met a guy who had not one but two Queens­ryche tattoos. On the same leg.

"106.9 The Point B-Day Bash: Lost 80's Live" With A Flock Of Seagulls, Dramarama, Gene Loves Jezebel, When In Rome

The Showgrounds at Sam Houston Race Park

May 23

Houston's favorite station for '80s and '90s nostalgia brings us a lineup that only a valley girl would love, for sure. A Flock Of Seagulls may be a pop culture punch line, but you have to admit that "I Ran (So Far Away)" is still a stone-cold jam.

Battle of the Bands

Fitzgerald's

May 24

There will be a Battle of the Bands competition featuring Metalloyd, Kemistery, Dead Rotting, Hood, Destroying the Delta, The Dark in Texas, Iron Pigs, The Abyss, Red November, Vindicate, Skeptical, and I, Human. 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

B.B. King

Arena Theatre

May 29

You really can't get any more legendary or bluesier than Mr. B.B. King. One of the last living blues prophets hits town today with his prized guitar Lucille in tow to school blues fanatics of all ages.

No Doubt, Paramore, The Sounds

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

May 31

It's been nearly half a decade since Gwen and the boys hit the road together. Between having kids and releasing solo pop overdoses, Stefani has been busy as hell, and the rest of the band has spent time backing Scott Weiland and doing other hired-gun work. After this tour, the group will be recording its follow-up to 2001's Rock Steady.

Better Than Ezra

House Of Blues

June 6

It's hard for us to believe that it was 16 years ago that Better Than Ezra released Deluxe. Even though BTE went on to record numerous other albums and release a handful of successful singles, "Good" from Deluxe remains the band's lone No. 1 hit. A new album, Paper Empire, hit stores just a few weeks ago.

Styx, REO Speedwagon, .38 Special

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

June 7

So you don't know what to get your boomer dad for his birthday this summer? How about this oldster-approved show, where your parents can go back to a time when all they cared about was having fun and dancing, before your whiny ass was born.

Jonas Brothers

Toyota Center

June 7

Ahhhh! It's Joe!! Ahhhh!! It's Kevin! Ahhhh!! It's Nick! ­Ahhhh!! My parents can't afford the mortgage this month because they bought me tickets to the Jonas Brothers from a scalper! Ahhhh!!

Third Eye Blind

House Of Blues

June 9

That "Semi-Charmed Life" band returns to Houston, plugging its new Ursa Major release. Can you believe lead singer Stephan Jenkins is 44? Can you believe Third Eye Blind released other singles besides "Semi-Charmed" and "Jumper"?

Gavin Rossdale

House Of Blues

June 13

The former Bush front man and current Mr. Gwen Stefani hits town today to perform cuts off last year's solo album WANDERlust and a handful of his '90s grunge-lite classics. It's going to be lonely backstage for Rossdale, as his better half Gwen is also on tour with her band No Doubt. We wanna know who's watching their babies Zuma and Kingston...

Yanni Voices: Live In Concert

Toyota Center

June 13

Here's some little-known facts about Yanni: He attended college at the University of Minnesota, where he received a degree in psychology; he was briefly in a band with John Tesh; and he once challenged Chuck Norris to a bare-knuckle boxing match at a bar in Hollywood, where he made the erstwhile "Texas Ranger" cry like a woman after two minutes.

David Allan Coe, Resin Valley Reefer Boys

House Of Blues

June 14

Mr. Coe turns 70 in September. Coe has done enough drugs and drink to rival Lemmy and Keith Richards, all the while singing X-rated country songs that would make the late GG Allin feel right at home. We all have at least one favorite David Allan Coe song with a title that we can't say out loud.

David Byrne

Jones Hall

June 15

The former Talking Heads front man and CBGB's scene vet hits town to perform a few Heads songs and a handful of tracks from his two collaborations with Brian Eno. He threw away that big suit from the Stop Making Sense concert movie, so don't hold your breath.