I was wondering if anyone was looking forward to any summer tours. Maybe we can learn about some good acts coming around before they get to our towns.

The band I was most excited to see this summer, The New Pornographers, played my town last night, and it was fantastic. I only started to listen to them about 4-6 months ago, and they're easily one of my top-three favorite currently-together bands. The show was great, especially their performance of my favorite of their songs "The Bleeding Heart Show," which was absolutely gorgeous!

The lead singer apparently considers DC his favorite town to play (which is a pretty rare sentiment), and two shows at the area's best venue, the 9:30 Club, sold out almost immediately. If they'll be in your area and the show isn't sold out, I highly recommend seeing them. Alternately, the show I went to was recorded by NPR. (My favorite song closes the main part of the show, at mark 1:09:00)

Rush, of course, doing the entirety of Moving Pictures. I've never seen "The Camera Eye" played live.

Of course, as I said in another thread, the place they're playing near Seattle is a place I've refused to return to.

Raleigh is starting a music festival this year: the Hopscotch Music Festival. The lineup includes mostly local bands, but there are a number of national and even international bands playing, notably Public Enemy, who I didn't even know were still together.

I'm more interesting in seeing No Age, though.

Ugh, I know about that problem. There's a venue in Baltimore called Ram's Head Live that I absolutely despise. Sadly, I'm convinced that they pay bands more than other venues in MD, DC, and VA, because all my favorite bands have stopped coming to DC and now play there. I just wish the bands knew that it's not a venue for the audience.