Summer concert guide

But actually, we jest: Summer heat, hot sounds and big-time concert tours still go together like Lady Gaga and a worldwide shopping spree. And, despite a continuing recession and hard-times for the music biz, there are no shortage of summertime jaunts through the Sunshine State.

Even though Gaga is taking the summer off after finishing her recent Monster Ball tour, and stadium tours are mostly rarer than Keith Richards' glowing words for Mick Jagger, Britney is back with dates in Jacksonville and Orlando, Sade's in Orlando — and U2 has just announced it will play Sun Life Stadium in Miami on June 29.

Perennial summer tourer Toby Keith is heading to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre this time as are Disney teen star Selena Gomez, rapper Wiz Khalifa, bluegrass superstar Alison Kraus, and Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs on a double bill.

In Gainesville, the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is gearing up for a second season of Chords of Color for a Cause, the series of concerts and other events spotlighting artists who are cancer survivors or who have supported a loved one through an experience with cancer.

This year's series of four Chords of Color events begins July 22 with The Fab Faux — a New York group specializing in performing Beatles songs that counts among its members Will Lee, bassist for “The Late Night Show with David Letterman,” and Jimmy Vivino, the guitarist known for his work with another late-night TV host, Conan O'Brien.

The Chords series is also bringing Hippiefest — a '60s and '70s music splash featuring such names as Gary Wright, Dave Mason, Mark Farner, Rick Derringer and Felix Cavaliere and the Rascals — to the Phillips Center on Aug. 24.

Tickets for The Fab Faux and Hippiefest, as well as a screening of “Not As I Pictured,” a feature-length documentary by the University of Florida Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John Kaplan on Aug. 2, go on sale at noon Friday at the Phillips Center box office and through Ticketmaster.

Tickets for the final Chords performance, featuring “America's Got Talent” star Barbara Padilla on Sept. 23, will go on sale June 27 at noon.

KEITH URBAN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, $33.35-$79.85; also 7:30 p.m. Saturday, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, $41.75-$90.90; Ticketmaster.com

DEF LEPPARD: With Heart, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre, Tampa, Tickets: $40-$149.50; LiveNation.

Owl City at House of Blues Orlando | Vinings at Westwood

Have you made any big plans for this week yet? Looking for something fun and entertaining to do? Do you enjoy attending live music concerts? Have you seen any of the concerts put on at the House of Blues Orlando recently? Come check out who’s playing at the House of Blues Orlando this Thursday evening!

Presented by the House of Blues & Foundation, Owl City will be performing at the House of Blues Orlando (located at 1490 East Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista) on Thursday, June 16, 2011, beginning at 7:00 pm. Doors will open at 6:00 pm.

Special guests Mat Kearney and Unwed Sailor will open up for Owl City at this music concert event. Owl City is best known for his recent hits “Fireflies” and “Vanilla Twilight”.

Tickets to Owl City’s concert can be purchased in person at the House of Blues Orlando or online at Live Nation . Tickets are $28 per person. If you’d like more information about this or other performances at the House of Blues Orlando, call 407-934-BLUE.

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