The Ten Hottest Summer Package Tours of 2012

With the economy in the crapper and even some of the biggest acts in music struggling to sell out ampitheaters, it's no wonder that many acts are hitting the road on package tours this summer. Fans might be sick of seeing Kiss or Mötley Crüe alone, but throw them together and it becomes more enticing. It's like a struggling restaurant throwing in a free appetizer and dessert onto the price of the entree. Simply speaking, the bigger the artist the smaller the other act on the bill needs to be in order to fill the venue. Aerosmith needs a Cheap Trick, Rod Stewart needs a Stevie Nicks and Bruce Springsteen needs nobody. But if you're the Gin Blossoms, you need Sugar Ray and Marcy Playground and Everclear and Lit, and even then some markets will probably be soft. Here's a guide to nine of the summers biggest package tours.