The 21 Best Shed Tours Hitting American Amphitheaters This Summer

This is but one installment of 37 Things a Man’s Gotta Do This Summer, our annual compendium of everything worth seeing, doing, eating, drinking and generally making time for in your neck of the woods between now and September. Stay tuned all month for more.

---

The best part of mindless summer fun?

Not the movies. Not the beach. It’s the music.

Because summer is the season of the shed tour, when “that ‘90s band” and “that guy who had that one song” team up to hit the nation’s best pavilions, amphitheaters and assorted outdoor venues.

So herewith: our 21 picks for summer’s best shed tours — heavy on the nostalgia, heavy on the hits and light on the judgment.

Sit back, grab a $14 light beer and sing along. (Note: Dates subject to change.)

Because Sza, and also some guy who just won the Pulitzer Prize for Music
Kendrick Lamar with Sza, through June 17

Because you ain’t lookin’ for nothin’ but a good time. How can you resist?
Poison, Cheap Trick and Pop Evil, through July 1

Because two legendary indie bands, one bill
Weezer and the Pixies, through August 12

Because “Don’t Stop Believin’” vs. “Pour Some Sugar On Me”
Def Leppard and Journey, through October 7

Because we all had an emo phase
Coheed and Cambria and Taking Back Sunday, July 6-August 12

Because we’re celebrating 20 years of “The Miseducation of …”
Ms. Lauryn Hill, July 5-October 5

Because your Lilith Fair-remembering ladyfriend will thank us later
Indigo Girls, through Sept. 14

Because duh
Jay-Z and Beyonce, July 25-October 4

Because they complement each other so well
Ray Lamontagne with Neko Case, May 28-July 10

Because Dave Grohl is rock’s last great showman
Foo Fighters, July 6-Sept. 1

Because you (surprisingly) know all the lyrics
Kesha and Macklemore, June 6-Aug. 5

Because this country star wrote a flawless nostalgia anthem
Brad Paisley with Kane Brown and Dan Tyminski, June 30-Aug. 30

Because you’re all mixed up (and pretty fly)
311, The Offspring and Gym Class Heroes, July 25-Sept. 9

Because you wanna know what the kids are into
G-Eazy and Lil Uzi Vert, July 20-Sept. 8

Because ‘90s nostalgia > ‘80s nostalgia
Counting Crows and Live, June 27-Sept. 16

Because they’re gonna cover all of “Dark Side of the Moon”
Gov’t Mule with the Avett Brothers, July 12-Aug. 25

Because you went last summer. And the summer before. And …
Dave Matthews Band, through Sept. 10

Because you’ll never see them again … until their next “retirement” tour
Slayer (through Aug. 26), Lynyrd Skynyrd (through Sept. 2), Ozzy Osbourne (through Oct. 13), Elton John (through 2019)

Main photo by Razvan Orendovici (licensed under Flickr Creative Commons)