One of the most popular activities once school gets out is attending concerts, and for good reason. There is nothing like connecting with fans from your favorite bands or discovering an awesome new artist.

Arguably, the single biggest summer festival in the bay area, Warped Tour returns this year with yet another amazing lineup.

Warped Tour always has something for everyone, and fans always seem to discover some new great bands they’ve never heard.

Some artists I’m especially excited for are the Bad Rabbits, whose funky sound is sure to brighten your day and have you singing along in no time, Watsky, who is a very talented rapper and all around funny dude, and Volumes, who are pretty darn metal and super groovy.

Overall, with its wide spread of genres and bands, Warped Tour guarantees a good time regardless of your musical tastes. Warped Tour is at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on June 21. Tickets start at around $50.

For more details, the full lineup, other dates, and to buy tickets visit www.vanswarpedtour.com.

Another huge festival in the Bay Area is Outside Lands.

With big name artists like Kanye West, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Outside Lands is the perfect festival for any Rap, Indie, or Rock fans out there.

But there is a catch. It’s sold out. Anyone that wants to go either has to already have a ticket or buy one secondhand from eBay or another similar site.

The festival runs from August 8-10 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.  For the full lineup and more details visit www.sfoutsidelands.com.

On the other end of the spectrum is Summer Slaughter. The show strives to be “the most extreme tour of the year,” and the lineup more than delivers on this promise.

With a lineup including Morbid Angel, The Faceless, Thy Art is Murder, Origin, Within the Ruins, Fallujah, and several other bands whose names I wouldn’t be allowed to print, Summer Slaughter is going to be brutal.

It is also worth noting that the website promises unannounced special guests, so just because you don’t see your favorite tech-death band doesn’t mean they won’t be there.

And if even this isn’t brutal enough for you, Meshuggah is playing with Between the Buried and Me at the Regency Ballroom on June 7. That is one show that I will not be missing.

Sumer slaughter is on July 17 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. For more information on Summer Slaughter and to buy tickets, visit www.thesummerslaughtertour.com.
To get tickets for Meshuggah with Between The Buried And Me, visit www.meshuggah.net.

Summer concerts are a great way to spend time when school is out, and these shows are sure to be a hit no matter what genre you like.