The Police, Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson and More: 15 Can't-Miss Summer Tours

It's no secret that Clarkson clashed with her record label during the making of her new, harder-rocking album, My December, which she wrote almost entirely on her own. But the original American Idol winner says the conflict is just going to make for better shows this summer. "I'm pretty much gonna rock it out," says Clarkson. " 'Cause it's just like, 'Damn, I had to work so hard for y'all to even hear this song!' "

How much were you thinking about live performance as you created this album?
It's definitely more of a touring album. There's stuff that we can really rock out to, and then there's intimate moments that will be so pretty 'cause we're bringing strings and horns out.

Do you still sing your first single, "A Moment Like This"?
I haven't sang that one in a while, just because we sang it for, like, three tours, then I changed it up and did kind of a punk version of it.

Will you do some new covers?
We're probably gonna do a country cover in the Southern states, mix it up a little bit. Maybe Willie Nelson in Texas and maybe some Prince up North. We're trying to think of some different things to do all over the place.

Do you still perform barefoot? I know that was your thing for a while.
That's been my thing forever. There's only special occasions when I wear shoes. And even when I sang on the Grammys, I was barefoot. I cannot stand wearing shoes when I sing.

Why?
I love feeling, like, the vibrations in my feet? I don't know!

Dave Matthews Band
July 7th-October 2nd
Tickets: $25-$65
Openers Umphrey's McGee, Robert Randolph

After the Dave Matthews Band play the Live Earth festival at Giants Stadium on July 7th, they'll kick off a summer stretch of U.S. amphitheater dates, including a pair of tour-closing blowouts at the Hollywood Bowl. Matthews, who is expecting his third child any minute, is psyched to bring along his wife and kids. "I'll take my family on the road for as long as they'll have me," he says.

What's going on with the new DMB album?
We have so many ideas, but they haven't found a comfort zone. None of it's bad, but there's nothing that grabs us yet. So we said, "It's not working now," and everyone agreed. We're not forcing things.

What one DMB song are you most excited about dragging out of the vaults this summer?
We played it a couple times last summer, but I'd like to play "The Last Stop" [from 1998's Before These Crowded Streets] enough times that it becomes second nature. That's the bastard I wanna bring out.

How are your barbecuing skills?
I like to barbecue, but I'll tell you the truth: It's a lot of fucking pressure. I can't handle the pressure.

What will be your summer libation?
There's a lot of Scots who would murder me for it, but you take a mediocre scotch -- not a shit one, we're not talking about Virginia Gentleman -- fill a big glass with ice, pour a little scotch in the bottom, and fill the rest with water. I can drink them from morning to night, and they keep me on a nice, comfy level.

Ozzfest
July 12th-august 30th
Tickets: Free

Totally free for the first time, Ozzfest has transformed from a glossy extravaganza of metal's biggest names to a Warped-style festival starring hungry young bands such as Lamb of God, Lordi, Behemoth and Hatebreed. "Musical snobs can go fuck themselves, for all I care," Sharon Osbourne says. "We wanted younger, cutting-edge bands who want an audience." Ozzy himself will headline the show, playing half of his new album, Black Rain, plus older solo stuff and a few obscure Black Sabbath songs.